Empties

Hello,

I have a lot of empty bottles and some products that didn't work for me and will be passed along to people who might enjoy them. I currently don't need to buy anything, I will just replace all of these products with what I already have except for one product which was on sale because they are discontinuing it and I grabbed some back ups.

Yves Rocher Raspberry and Pepermint body lotion got me with its unique scent. I discovered that I love Raspberry and Mint and in this lotion they combined them and combo is really nice. The bad thing is that it can smell a bit plastic-y every once in a while. The pump was very convenient and the lotion absorbed rather fast. It was nice, moisturizing but nothing I would repurchase it again.

Next I have matching body spray and body lotion from Avon naturals Blackberry and Vanilla collection. The scent is creamy and a bit fruity but the fruitiness does not overtake the scent. It was one of my favorite scents from naturals but these lotions are notorious for not being moisturizing enough for me. Body spray also didn't do anything for me, the long lasting power in body sprays really isn't something to brag about. I most probably won't repurchase them again (I have another body spray left in a different scent and when that one is gone I'm done with them).

I bought this Garnier Argan face mist when it was still relatively new in the store and argan is know for being moisturizing... Very early on (after using it twice in a row) I started to notice massive breakouts so I stopped using it and let my skin heal. Trying it for the second time just to make sure this is really the products that doesn't work for me, put things into perspective for me. Yes, this toner didn't agree with my skin and at first I wanted to use it all over my body just to finish it up but I have way too many products and I decided to rather give it away and maybe it will work for someone else.

The two little cute bottles are The Body Shop energising Mandarin and mattifying Mint face mists which also didn't work for me, just like the toner I previously described, these cuties also break my skin out so I will be passing them along. The Mandarin one is very zesty and indeed refreshing, the green Mint smells more like a toothpaste and you have to shake it well before use because there is white powder (clay?) on the bottom to help with mattifying claim.

The first bottle is a bit hard to see but it is Sante clear nail polish which I used as a top coat. It gave my nails the shine and make them last longer. It was fine and I'm not really thinking repurchasing it again (this bottle was a gift, I didn't buy it myself) because I have another top coat from Catrice to go through.

Next is one of my favorite lipstick formulas that has sadly been discontinued and it is Catrice ultimate shine gel color in the Don't fear the sheer!. The moisturizing formula, glossy feel and even the bright coral shade suited me a lot in my opinion. I really wish they would bring them back but right now I have some others in the testing process and maybe Catrice did remake them and put them in a different packaging... This is my very last one after a handful of them that I bought when they were discontinuing them. I haven't completely finished it up because it went bad but like I said, I have a lot of lipsticks and some are really good.

The very last item is my favorite night time eye cream and it is Avon anew hydro-advance eye cream. It is a bit thicker so I only use it at night, in the morning I don't have the time to wait for it to absorb and using it on a longer period of time I did noticed that my lines were less pronounces and my skin looked well taken care of and moisturized. Last week I noticed that they quietly discontinued it but I was able to find it on the sale pages and I ordered three more... it is safe to say that I'm good for this year when it comes to eye cream and then I will have to slowly start to look for a new one.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Project Polish

Hello,

this 'batch' of nail polishes that I'm done with was planed. I was in a neutral zone and I picked up the last three that I had from Color Trend line from Avon, plus they all look so nice together that I just couldn't resist.

Avon Color Trend Boldest Beige, Pout and Rare nail polishes. They all look like a slight different variation of a perfect nude nail varnish and lately I have really been into barely there nail colors. None of them is completely finished, that is  because they are all very old, especially Boldest Beige and the formulas stayed tacky and goopey on my nails so they weren't usable anymore.

Boldest Beige was part of a limited edition shade and it was a lovely light nude with full opacity achieved after two coats.
Pout and Rare are both from their regular selection and if I'm not mistaken are still available (even though I really liked them I won't be repurchasing them because I already have somewhat similar shades). Pout is almost a pastel pink with a bit of a thicker formula (I had to work fast and in thin layers but two coats were enough for full coverage), Rare is more taupe/mushroom colored but this one had the best formula of them all. It was quite thin and watery so at first I didn't have enough hope that I will achieved full opacity with two coats but second coat covered everything really nicely. I could still use it (it wasn't thick but it just didn't want to dry down, so the next morning I had my sheets printed onto my nails). They were all really nice shades but the brushes are a bit wonky so probably I won't buy any Color Trend nail varnishes in the future, unless I will see a gorgeous color.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Strawberry Bonbon

Hello,

for today I decided to go with something sweet and fruity...

The Body Shop shine lip liquid with Argan, Jojoba and Marula oil lip gloss in the shade Strawberry Bonbon.
The packaging holds 8 ml of product and I don't think I will use it up anytime soon.

The wand is the cutest, don't you think? And the scent is even better. It smells like those tutti fruity candies, very fruity sweet. I like it a lot but maybe for someone who is scent sensitive can be too much. Luckily I like the scent and hope I won't get sick of it.

I have picked this light bubble gum pink shade (they have a couple but none of the others caught my eye like this one did). It has some little, barely there shimmer but I don't think it is visible on the lips.

I cannot stress it enough how light this shade is, barely there but also it doesn't go into my lines (okay, on the bottom photo you can see just the tiniest bit of that but I just applied it and after a minute or two even that disappears but honesty, who is going to look me this close?)

It is glossy and juicy looking (not the glossiest gloss out there but still nice) and the shimmers isn't visible at all. The longevity could be better, it lasts max one hour on me and then I need to reapply.

All in all, I love the scent and actually the barely there, innocent looking pink is my jam right now but the poor performance (longevity) is a minus for me. I think I  will have fun wearing it but probably I won't repurchase it again or buy any other shades. There are better glosses out there for less in my opinion.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Smokey Brun & Millionaire

Hello,

nothing new just old eye shadows (I think i bough them two years ago and started testing them last month). It is fair to say that I completely forgot about them. They are from Rimmel London and are my first eye shadows from them. Of course I picked up the most boring neutrals but since that is pretty much all I wear it seemed right.

Rimmel Smokey Brun quad and Single shadow in Millionaire are the lucky ones on the photo.

It has four neutrals all with a slight shimmer closer to sateen finish than glitter and I really like the finish. The darker two have less of a shine while the last two shades, lighter ones sparkle a bit more.

This big single format shadow is that beautiful neutral toned brown with a sateen base with some little shimmer particles. It is not too sparkly but just enough to not be boring.

They swatch so-so, I had to layer the color and build the pigments up for the camera to pick it up. I don't mind that the shadows aren't super pigmented because I prefer lighter washes of color but the color can be intensified with layering. The single shadow has a better pigmentation than the quad tho.

If I start with the  top and the darkest shadow in the bunch it is quite of a dark brown with neutral undertone.
Next shadow is warm, fox brown. Very warm copper tone that I usually don't love but every time I put it on it makes my eyes appear more vibrant blue and that is something I like to do every once in a while. Not my favorite in the palette but nice enough to use.

The bottom shade is an off white color that could be really nice for highlighting my inner corners but I find it to be too close to my skin tone and it just doesn't pop enough.
The last shade has to be my favorite. Cream toned with almost a peach tone to it (especially when compared with the previous shade), it blends into my skin tone but it is the finish that makes it look so beautiful. If I put it all over the lid and add just mascara it creates a very simple look or I can layer it over darker shades to add some special effect, no matter which way I do it I always end up loving it.

This is the swatch of a single shadow and in the pan it looks pretty neutral but on my skin it still pulls a bit warmer but the shine is almost cool toned not gold as you might expect. This one doesn't have that much of a sparkle but more of an intense sheen. Very beautiful but I already have a few similar shades in my collection.

All in all these shadows aren't anything special. I already have similar colors and these don't layer that well on top of one another (if I apply it over the slightly sticky primer the color will stick and be bold, everything else I would layer on top would just dust off, they also blend one into another, specially the darker shades). They are seriously not the best ones out there and probably I won't buy more (unless I see something really special) but I will try to finish them up since I do like the shades.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Luminous Velvet lipsticks

Hello,

another older product and as far as I'm aware Avon is phasing these lipsticks out from their range and replacing them with a new formula and new purple packaging (I also have those and soon I will try to review them).

Avon luminous velvet lipsticks in Luminous Nude, Glistening Mulberry, Rosy Glow and Gilded Berry.
I only bought the mini testers because I wasn't sure how will they turn out and I'm glad that I did.

I picked out four shades and since at the time I was purchasing them there were no swatches available I blind picked these and that is why two of them look very similar. First is  Luminous Nude, Glistening Mulberry, Rosy Glow and last Gilded Berry.
They are all a bit dry and would be matte if they wouldn't pack them with gold shimmer.



I dislike Luminous Nude. It is a warm nude and that gold shimmer makes it extra warm and sort of weird on me. There are people who can pull out the golden lip but I'm not one of them.

Glistening Mulberry is a bit deeper Rose shade and I actually like it quite a lot. Sometimes I like to add a bit of lip balm on top just to make it a bit less matte and I'm good to go.

Rosy Glow is very similar to the previous shade but this one has just a touch more of pink tone to it. It looks a bit brighter and also quite flattering on me.

The last one looks pretty dark in the tube but with a lighter hand I can make it work, it is called Gilded Berry. My preferred look is to dab it over my lips to make it look more like a stain and since the formula is jam packed with pigment and dry it sticks to the lips and lasts. When it comes to the longevity this line of lipsticks is very nice but I still prefer something creamier and almost glossier so the 'new' line of lipsticks named Mark Prism is a little bit more of my cup of tea.
This is not my favorite Avon lipstick formula and I'm glad that I only got samples. Probably I will just throw away the Luminous Nude shade but the rest will be used up, on its own or in conjunction with the lip balm.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

my goal of not buying skin care and make-up products is going well, instead whenever I feel the urge to get something new I open my closet, drawls, boxes... and look at all the products I already have and need to be finished up. I often find something hidden in the back that I almost forget about...

Zara Brown Sugar & Mint Leaves body spray is very old and I for sure know they don't make these anymore but they were really nice. I think they had four or five different scents (I owned three) and they were very long lasting for body sprays and super cheap. This version was very creamy and cozy. It wasn't too sweet and I have to thank the mint leaves for that, it wasn't minty at all but it helped toned down the sweet notes. I usually put it on in the morning (two sprays on the skin) and then put whatever perfume I wore that day, it complimented pretty much all of my fragrances very well and that was also a reason I wore it daily and managed to finish it up completely in a relatively short amount of time.

Avon Care glycerin hand & nail cream are some of my favorites and this was a limited edition scent with Jasmine but I think it is still available. I don't really pick up the Jasmine note but it does smell nice, to me it is more of a clean and fresh scent and not that much floral. Fun fact, Avon Care hand creams are now available in 75 ml tubes only except for this scent which is still in the old 100 ml tube while the prices are the same (I have a couple of backups ready to go in case they decide to discontinue it).

 My favorite and second pot of Artdeco eye shadow base is complete. It has a bit of a tint to it but it matches my skin tone pretty well and it also has some shimmer in it which doesn't bother me because usually I use shimmery shadows anyways. At the moment I don't have a new one but I'm using two different cream eye shadows as primers and I would like to finish them first before getting this gem again.

 My sister gave me this Avon naturals healthy hydration conditioner with Almond & Avocado since she didn't like it. I  don't remember why she gave it up but I ended up loving it. The scent is nice and Almond like and what is the most important is that it made my hair silkier and smoother whenever I would use it on my ends. I would repurchase it again but I do have another conditioner to finish up.

The very last item is one of my absolute favorite lipstick in the whole world and there isn't a surprise that it is from Essence and it is their Colour up! Shine on! Rosey Glitz lipstick. You can read my initial review about it if you follow the link and everything is still true. It is a mash between a lipstick and a tinted lip balm. It has pigment but a shine and nourishing properties of a balm. The scen/taste is still delicious and ever since I received this bullet I bought myself a back up in the same shade (I love it that much).



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Bright On! and Happiness in a Bottle

Hello,

these two fellas have been sitting in my unpublished post for way too long. I think I bought them last year after the Summer, early Autumn and I did wear them but never posted anything about them which is a shame because they are really good.

Essence shine, shine, shine wet look lip glosses in Bright On! and Happiness in a Bottle.
I love this formula so I had to get some more of them. I purchased them last year and I'm not sure if these two fellas are still available... but they have some new shades...
These curvy bottles hold 5 ml of product.

They have these quite large hart shaped applicators that makes the application super easy and fast jet precise.

I bought one shimmery shade because I felt like a rebel and the other one is pink/brown toned nude with a cream finish. 

Bright On! shade doesn't give me much base color but the shimmer is very intense and I find it to be very pretty. It doesn't migrate all over my face and I appreciate that very much.

Happiness in a Bottle is more of 'me' shade and I remember being the one I fell for from the start. It has such a lovely warm/rose undertone and it is very flattering on me. It comes across as a very neutral shade but it does pack some punch because it is a bit darker and quite, pigmented.

These have fruity scent but I can't figure it out of what fruit. I received my first one back in 2017 and if you are interested in my first review of a bold purple shade you can read about it here.
They aren't sticky but are very glossy and juicy looking. Some of my favorites and I think I can easily say they make it into my top three pack. The formula is just so good and I don't know if you saw but I  bought another shade last year... they are that good.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

beautifying highlighter in Nude

Hello,

today we need something to brighten up our day and when it comes to make-up what is better than a highlighter? A little sweep on the cheeks, a little dot in the inner corners... you can do so much with it and for me is in instant pick me up.
I have this highlighter probably for more than a year and jet only now I'm reviewing it.

It is Sante beautifying highlighter in Nude (there is also pink version for anyone interested, even though this one looks pretty pink the other one is a true rose shade and for me a little too much).

I like the stripes but sometimes this design isn't so practical, I worry that I apply it uneven and the color on each cheek doesn't match but that is probably just in my head because the shade is very soft and it is hard to mess up.

The product is a bit shimmery and I can definitely see individual sparkles on my cheeks when I look up close but it doesn't bother me because when you see it from another persons perspective it doesn't looks shimmery but rather glowy and highlighted.

I tried to do a bold swatch and then sort of sheer it out (I hope that also translates on the photo).
I think it is beautiful and I just can't put it down. It has been a while since I fell so hard for a highlighter but honestly this one really is that beautiful for me.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Romantic Rose

Hello,

I'm 'cleaning' my not yet posted items and found this beauty under unpublished posts, now I guess is the perfect time to introduce it, perfect for Spring time.

Avon Luxe Romantic Rose lip gloss comes with a 4,5 ml of product. Seeing it in person you wouldn't think it has so little product inside but I guess the plastic walls are thick.

It has a standard dove foot applicator with a slight melon like scent to it.

It has this pearl shimmer to it which reflects mostly in silver and pink. Even though it looks pink I don't get much color on my lips so I didn't even bother with lip swatches. My preferred way of wearing it was over some light, neutral toned lipstick and I think this gloss gave my lips a bit of a shine. On its own it isn't super glossy but the shimmer in it makes it appear shinier. I love super glossy lips but when glosses have this type of a shimmer in them I guess they have to make a different formula just so the shimmer doesn't sink. It is not sticky and it is very pleasant to wear.
I had it for almost two years now (I'm super late with this review but at least I really put it on the test ;) and while it is not finished I will have to throw it away because it started to turn. Probably wearing it on top of other lipsticks and not wiping the applicator after each use it started the process faster and I'm forced to throw it away. Luckily, I have another lip gloss from Essence that is also shimmery so I can replace it.


Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Bye Bye Panda Eyes!

Hello,

lately I have a bit more time and finally I'm sitting down and writing all the reviews for all the products that I have accumulated in this time. Some products are with me for longer some are more recent. Today I have new Essence mascara which was sent to me by a lovely PR team. Thank you for sending me my first ever Essence mascara to try out.

Essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes! smudge proof mascara.
The tube is very curvy and voluptuous looking ;) but it does take quite some space in my jar where I keep my eye pencils and mascaras (at the moment I have two different ones opened, mainly because I couldn't wait any longer to try this one).

The wand isn't rubbery (which I prefer) and so I didn't have big hopes for liking it but it proved me wrong. This mascara from the first use isn't too wet or too dry, it is already at that 'perfect' wetness to work for me (I often leave mascaras opened for a little just so they dry out and are easier to use). At this angle it looks like the brush has two sides but it is just the angle and the wand has the same bristles all over.

I don't think that this mascara gives you 'fake' looking spidery lashes. I think it looks pretty natural, it just enhances what you already have and I like that. I have used two coats and even used it on my lower lashes (the wand is a bit big and I was clumsy at applying it on my bottom lashes but otherwise I didn't have any problems with my upper ones).
I have read on a different blog that this is a tubing mascara (I have never used one of these so I didn't know what to expect and honesty,if I wouldn't know I don't think I would figure it out). I noticed that when I was removing my make-up (I start with oil to break down everything and continue with gel based cleanser and water to remove oil with make-up off) with oil mascara stayed put, when I went in with water it started to come off (it is quite fun to remove it with only wet fingers, it just slides off of your lashes ;).
I had zero issues with it. The formula is perfect from the start and it gives me natural looking lashes without smudging (I love putting mascara on my lover lashes to test this claim) and removing process is so easy. This one costs less than 4 eur in the stores and I think I will buy it, once I'm done with it.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

I Rule

Hello,

I have bought this liquid lipstick during the last Black Friday (I think) or was there another sale? It has been so long that I don't quite remember...

L'oreal rouge signature liquid lipstick in the shade I Rule.
The packaging is clean and sleek, the tube closes with a sturdy click so I really don't think this could spill in my purse when I carry it around.

It smells a bit like wet paint but that fades away fast and it doesn't bother me too much.
The applicator is so darn cute, wouldn't you say? I love the pointy tip which allows me to paint the product very precisely onto my lips and I don't make a mess.
I would like to point the darker color of the applicator itself and the lighter color of the product. The product freshly applied does look lighter but when it dries it is darker and brighter (a bit deeper then the wand but still quite bright). I only have this one shade I Rule and can't say if they all do this with the color, if they will come out with some more 'me' shades I will consider buying some more ;)

The first swatch is freshly applied and it is quite liquid and it takes a while to dry down and even after a couple of minutes it still looks a bit shiny (imagine tapping a bit of lip balm over it, that is the intensity of the shine). Second swatch is made with less product and I let it dry completely so you can see that it can get much brighter but you can also apply more or less to achieve desired effect (I personally prefer a lighter coat but that is just me).

This is on my lips. I used very little product so it isn't as deep as it could get but that is how I like it on myself. I wanted you to see the 'sheen'. It looks like a have applied a bit of balm over it, right? I haven't and I love that it doesn't get all dry and cakey on me. It feels very comfortable and not drying at all. I was drinking (water and tea, no alcohol during the day for me ;) and it did leave a bit of a stain on my glass, not that much of a color but more of a clear print of my lips (the pigment stays on the lips, the extra moisture that is on top of the lips gets transferred). After a couple of hours I did reapply and it didn't disrupt the product that was left on my lips but it did looked darker and deeper. This shade stains my lips into a bright pink shade (rubbing them with oil helps to remove it). However it didn't quite survived eating. It looked a bit uneven (maybe I'm just a nasty eater ;) so I needed to reapply and again it looked very nice. I lightly patted some lip balm on top if I felt like my lips could benefit from some moisture and I was good.
I am very pleased with this lip product. It lasts much longer than my other colored lip products but isn't super drying or looks all crusty on my lips. It doesn't last as long as I expected to but I think for a more nourishing liquid lipstick that is fine plus you can easily reapply on top of what is left (some liquid lipstick you have to completely remove in order to apply fresh coat, not with this one).
I would get another shade if they would make something more neutral. I feel like there is a lot of bright or very dull shades, which is not my cup of tea but I will for sure stay on a look out for more.

P.S. Recently I have received the new Catrice Matt Pro Ink Liquid Lipsticks and I have already started to test the two shades and for sure I will compare them to this L'oreal one and I'm curious to see how they compare.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Galactic Glam

Hello,

I'm still painting my nails and trying to look decent. I rediscovered this lovely nail polish in already old Essence packaging. I remember loving this shade so I just had to try it and wear it again.

Essence Colour & Go galactic Glam nail polish.

It is a beautiful mid toned green with gold and green shimmer. I absolutely love the finish on it and I wish they would have more colors available.

I'm wearing two coats but on some nails I could do three. The next day I added another coat and it looked better. I did got some tip wear but nothing too major (keep in mind that it is an older nail bottle and while it still applies like a dream in the bottle wasn't moving much). On the fourth day I decided to scrub my bathroom and the nail varnish didn't survived it. It chipped and I had to completely remove it. Then I remembered why you have to be extra careful with green and blue nail polishes. My fingers were slightly stained (when I noticed that my skin is turning green I was extra careful) and my nails are a bit more yellow compared to before (I did use a thick layer of base nail polish underneath). Besides with the problems at the removing I don't have anything big to complain about, in fact today I repainted my nails with the same color, I just love it so much.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Bee balms

Hello,

it is time for a lip balm review. I actually bought these two on two separate occasions but after trying the first one out I wanted to get another scent. In the past I had their Sun balm with an SPF but it was way too soft (it melted on the beach) and the sun protection made it very bitter tasting. I didn't have high hopes but since I later bought the other one it has to be good, right? Keep reading to find more.

Biobaza Bee balm in Lavender & Vanilla and Ginger & Honey lip balms.

At first they seemed a bit dry and hard but once I worked down the top layer they are pretty soft and creamy (my lips look a bit glossy after using them, which is a good sign for me).
They claim to be 100% natural, paraben, preservative and mineral oil free. I will admit, I bought them because of the scents and not because I would be so concerned about chemicals.
The lavender & Vanilla is as you would expect very Lavender heavy which is the reason why I bought it (I love Lavender and I know some people don't like it but I love it), the Vanilla is just in the background making it a bit creamy.
The Ginger & Honey smells like Honey to me but in the background I can detect something weird. Perhaps it is the spicier Ginger but I hoped for a sweet scent, it is still very nice but I just hoped to be a bit sweeter and warmer.
The formula for me is really nice (I count these two in my top three lip balms), my dry lips were healed after a couple of layers of these two. I keep one at work and the other one at home and my lips are nourished and replenished even under the mask.
I will definitely buy more once I'm done with them. Lavender & Vanilla will for sure become my staple, Ginger & Honey perhaps. There is also Olive & Grapefruit, Shea butter & Avocado and Kids version. I want to try all of them but first I need to finish at least 10 balms before I go and buy more.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Full of Love

Hello,

a little while ago Catrice came out with new line of lipsticks. I signed up for a PR sample and was lucky enough to receive this beauty. Thank you Catrice.

Catrice Full Satin Lipstick in the shade Full of Love.
The packaging is simple but very beautiful in my opinion. It does shows fingerprints but a little wipe down every once in a while and it is good.

The shade is a pretty standard bright red (not warm and not cool). I noticed that on the swatch it looks cooler but on my lips it pulls slightly warmer (my undertone plays a big role and the light).

The formula is very creamy but not slippery at all. Very nice for a satin finish in my opinion, especially considering the bright red hue. I wouldn't want such a bright and bold shade moving all over my face.

On me and in this light it shows up a bit more warm, again it does depends from your skin tone. I think it is very universal tone and the coverage is amazing so even someone with darker natural lip could pull it off.
Through the day it wears nicely, after drinking it did sheer out a bit (it doesn't completely dry so it does leave a light stain on the glass) but I added a thin layer and I was good. It did not survive eating but that is somewhat to expect. 
What bothers me with it is the scent. It isn't very strong but it is noticeable. To me it smells like an old lipstick, something my mom used to wear when I was a kid. It is not pleasant to my nose but after it is on I can't smell it anymore.
I personally prefer to wear red as a stain, so just dabbing it on and that way it looks more natural and also it stays on for longer without any touch ups. The last time I was in the store I forgot to check other shades. I know there are ten in total and number one and two look a bit lighter and more of an everyday tones.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day