Frosted Shine

 Hello,

I feel for it the first time I saw it but then I thought that it is not special enough and I was postponing purchasing it for so long... then I had a coupon and I picked it up, one of my best decisions that I made regarding make-up.

It is Essence mono glitter eye shadow in Frosted Shine. There are three variations and this one looked the most packed with glitter. It is white shadow with silver particles and while new it shines liked polished snow.

I know that it will look more like scattered glitter but it is buildable.

Particles have insane shine, they sparkle even in a low light and personally I prefer to wear it like it is in my swatches but it can be easily build up to achieve almost complete coverage with sparkles.

I think it looks magical on bare or lightly covered lids but over some darker color or applied heavily it can look pretty striking.

I think it is super fun shadow to wear and I love that even in semi dark room sparkles :)

Formula is almost creamy and that helps with adhesion. I like applying it with my fingers and I just sort of wipe it all over my lid and there is barely any fall out. I noticed a few individual sparkles under my eyes when I wasn't careful when I was applying it but during the day there is no fall down. Maybe that will change when it dries but so far when it dries on my lid it stays put.

This beauty is one of my highlights and I love wearing it, it always make my day :)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this is my first part of my empties, they are make-up and lip balm related, so more face focused group.

I finally used up these two Catrice HD Baking & Setting loose powders in 1 Translucent and 3 Cool Beige. Middle shade no. 2 was sold out so I got white one and the one that it is too dark to mix them together to match me and this loose powder combo really held up my oily skin in check. My make-up lasted exceptionally well through the day. Each powder holds up to 23 g of powder and these together lasted me for more than one year. They are discontinued but I have a backup of both shades. Now I will use something else to see if there is anything else good for my oil skin (I have all these powders already in my stash so nothing new for me).

Next is Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation in Porcelain Beige. Another one from their HD line and I think these liquid foundations are staying even though they did revamp them a few years ago. This shade is not my perfect match, I purchased it online thinking I am buying my right shade. This one is a bit paler and more yellow in tone. I used dropper applicators and added a little bit daily to my perfect foundation shade to use this one up :)

Next is my very last one of these Avon Supershock Max black mascaras. I think this one is discontinued :( It has a big plastic wand and it separates my lashes, adding a bit length but it does not clump them and afterwards they look pretty natural. I really liked the more natural look and almost always I look for a plastic wand because of this mascara. I was really spoilt with it and now I am a bit sad that this one is gone. The one that I use now is clumping my lashes and I have to be very careful while using it, I already miss my SuperShock Max :(

I purchased this baby in a set of five, it is Essence Juicy Bomb lip gloss in Tangy Tangerine. First I wanted to go for something pink but juicy Tangerine scent took over me. Shade was very sheer with tiny shimmers which sparkles in the sun, scent remained for several minutes. I wish these would be a bit more longlasting but at the end when they are cheap as chips I don't mind too much. I really enjoyed using it but now I jumped on the pink version. There is new set available and only one shade is a limited edition, available only in that said set and of course that is the one which calls me the most.

This is the second tube of Catrice Lip Jam Hydrating Lip Gloss in I like You Berry Much (first one was strawberry and since the lid cracked it dried and I was not able to finish it). This one was sheer with a bit thicker formula, more balmy than Essence gloss. There was slight fruity scent and it had some shine. The unfortunate thing is that this one also went bad. I don't know what exactly happened but it got so thick that when I put it on my lips it was all stringy. I did not want to force myself over using something obviously expired (this was a new thing, at first it was fine) so I am throwing it away before I can completely finish it.

Lastly there is Crazy Rumors Sugar & Spice lip balm. This one surprised me, scent wise. To me it had a mulled wine scent and I opened it for the first time at my work, talk about awkward. Every time I reached for it I remembered :) All in all the scent was pleasant, balm was nourishing and was adding some clear shine to my lips + hydration. I really like Crazy Rumors balms, I think I used up four now and I am very pleased with all of them, I am already using new flavour so this one will not be too missed.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Essence Drop of Sunshine Bronzing Drops

 Hello,

Summer is here and I decided to purchase this item to give me some glow and a bit of a tan look. I rarely stay at the Sun, if possible I avoid it as much as I can so all year round I am at the same shade. I thought that this shade would make a slight change and make my make-up a bit different for the Summer.

It is Essence Drop of Sunshine Bronzing Drops bottle with 25 ml of product. It is very liquid so I always give it a good shake before using it.

I was afraid to squeeze more because I was afraid it would spill. There is a very strong coconut scent to it, I find it very summary and not plasticky.

The shade was a big disappointment though. It is very orange on me :(  and I wish it would be more sheer. There aren't really visible sparkles but there is beautiful glow, if the shade would be more realistic this could be lovely.

I decided to mix it with one of my paler BB creams and it works like a charm. It makes it a tad darker and now I can wear it.

I guess at the end this is a good purchase since it will help me use up one other product which is also unusable on its own :)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Essence singles

 Hello,

Essence recently came out with new single shadows and there were a Few that I liked so for start I decided to pick one from each formula to see how they hold on my lids and then maybe get more shades.

They are two Essence shadows, first is their cream shadow in Oyster and second is mono pearly version in the shade Silky Taupe. They also have matte and glitter versions, the later also have my interest but I already purchased so many glittery shades that I don't think I need more at the moment so I picked something in between.

I am having difficulties to use cream Oyster shade because of my long nails :) I think it will keep my nails short if I will want to use it. Powder one is easier since the pan isn't deep.

They are both golden even though the names don't suggest that. Oyster is deeper, it spreads like butter (maybe after a while it will dry out but for now the texture is delight).

They both have this mirror like reflect to them, Silky Taupe is shinier but they both can be subdued if used in a lighter manner.

Because of this reflection they are great as one and done shadows since they looks like I have used more than one shade. Especially one the curvature of my lid it is even more obvious.

They both are creamy and soft, easy to work with and nice shades if you like gold. I personally am not the biggest fan but since they are not super yellow toned I think I can handle them. I wish they would have more shades (so far there are only three from each range). I have my eyes still on the glittery ones, I know I don't need them but they look pretty.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

the end of month is here and I used up only a small portion of my products this round. There are quite a few items that were close to be finished but I will have to transfer them into a new month.

First item is Mac fix+ matte fixing spray. It has a concealed bottom part (white gradient paint from the bottom up) and I did not know that there was white powder on the bottom. First time using it I did not shake it and I got white specks all over my face, my boyfriend thought that this was a new dotted make-up :) I was able to cover specks up with foundation sponge but I learned that there is matte powder and to use it properly I had to shake it first. It was a nice spray, it did keep my make-up for longer (not as long as the next one) and my skin looked matte/dry. I am used to glowy spray like the Catrice next to it.

Second is another fixing spray, this one is my beloved Catrice ultra last fixing spray. Bottle holds 60 ml of product and I use it up pretty fast, now in the hot Summer even faster. It creates a glowy film and my natural oils don't come out or towards the end of the day there is a little shine (it depends from the temperatures). It makes me naturally glowy (there are no shimmers) or if I apply more I can look super glowy but I like to keep it at the natural level. I used Mac and this Catrice ones together to get enough setting but with a moderate glow.

Next is Neutrogena oil free moisturiser. I used up another tube of it. I find this formula just right for under my make-up. I find it hydrating enough for my skin but still not greasy so my make-up would slip off. It nourishes, salicylic acid tries to keep my pores clean and my make-up blends with my skin. Still after so many years I love reaching for it and keep repurchasing it.

White tube is Embriolise hydra light cream. First I find this tube to be hard to squeeze, I bet there is still enough products left for at least three full face sessions but I was not able to get it out. Texture was visually grainy, soft to the touch but when it cam out of the tube it was kind of clinging like there are some hard particles inside. I don't know if this is just how the formula is or I might had it too long and it started to separate. Scent was fresh and slightly green (like a bouquet of fresh stems), texture was lightweight but it took a while to absorb. I was not the biggest fan of the formula so I will not be buying it again.

La Roche-Posay daily repair fluid moisturiser from the Toleraine Dermallergo line. It is meant for sensitive and redness prone skin. The texture was lightweight and it absorbed quickly. I have not noticed any breakouts but sometimes it was not hydrating enough for me so I would combine it with something more nourishing but only at night time not under my make-up. Packaging was also pretty neat, inside is a plastic clear bag and it sucks the product, it is airtight and less prone to go bad or contaminate. I probably will not be getting it again but it wasn't a bad one, just not hydrating enough.

Last item is another frequently repurchased item, it is Essence camouflage+ matte concealer in Light Rose. I use it around my eyes to conceal darkness and slightly brighten my area. I prefer to use little since it has a nice coverage but I still prefer to leave a bit of my natural shadows to come through since it looks a bit more natural and it is less creasing. This formula is nicely creamy but after months of using it gets more and more dry and that results in even dryer under eyes. I usually go through one per year and it is not even completely finished - I always open a new one before my previous is completely finished to avoid creasing. I noticed that this one is discontinued but they came out with a new revamped line... it is intriguing but I still have one back up left.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

The Super Peptide set

 Hello,

these seem like they are only available as a set of all four. I heard only good things about their super peptide liquid balms so I figured these should also be nice. I was sold when I saw all the pretty shades and that they looked pretty sheer and glossy.

They arrived in this pink box, Essence the super peptide glossy lip butter set...like Sunday morning.

Set includes ultra nourishing lip butters enriched with peptide and shea butter. White one is Warm Vanilla with vanilla-cashmere scent, pink is Sweet Strawberry Smoothie with the scent matching the name, red one is named Glazed Guava is supposed to be Guava Jam and brown Cozy Caramel Latte also has the scent in the name.

Scents aren't strong but Warm Vanilla and Glazed Guava are the most noticeable while the other two are very mild. All of them are enjoyable and I hope they will reuse these scents again :)

Only the first one is shimmery, the rest are shimmer free. Cozy Cashmere Latte is the most sheer out of them or should I say the least noticeable on my lips.

First is Warm Vanilla, the only shimmery one. The shimmer isn't visible but it adds the dimension and I love that.

Second is Glazed Guava, it is sheer red, it gives fresh color and I feel like it is the glossiest and has my favorite scent, I love the fresh fruity, juicy scent.

Third swatch is Sweet Strawberry Smoothie (I messed up order of swatches). Pink is the most pigmented and this soft shade is one of my favorite pinks. I think it looks super nice on me.

Cozy Caramel Latte is warm toned brown but to get to this intensity I have to layer hard, I don't mind it tough because this shade is not my favorite. I prefer the sheer output on this one.

I don't regret purchasing this set but I wish that the sticks would carry more product (right now each has 0,8 g) and to be sold separately.

I like them all but first three are my favorite, warm toned brown unfortunately falls back for me.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Awesome Apple and Bee Mine

 Hello,

I purchased two more juicy bombs. They are very inexpensive and easy to use. These two are newer and one looked like it has a pretty shade and other one convinced me with their alleged scent.

They are Essence juicy bomb shiny lip glosses in their newer shades. Little Sunshine is named Awesome Apple and yellow one is Bee Mine with advertised honey scent :)

Bee Mine is older and has older top than the Awesome Apple, I think new ones will all have this more angular cut applicator.

The size of the tube remains at the 10 ml.

Awesome Apple looks like it has pink pearl effect while still in the tube but on the swatch and my skin it is barely noticeable but if I apply more I can see it but then I risk spilling it down towards my chin. These juicy bombs have always have pretty liquid and thin texture which also does not last very long.

Scent on this pink one is slight but it reminds me of sour apple.

Second one I have been looking at for a while now, I wanted the honey scent but yellow gold shimmers aren't my thing but when I put first one in my shopping cart I put this second one as well, to have company in transit :)

Bee Mine has a bit of honey scent but once it is on the lips I can't smell it anymore, surprisingly I can taste it :) It has this sweet honey taste which makes me want to lick it all of because it is so delicious. Random yellow glitter particles all of a sudden don't bother me :)

I like the Awesome Apple one but Bee Mine takes the cake. I can see myself using it all up and getting a new tube of sweet honey goodness. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Mermaid at Heart!

 Hello,

I recently purchased this limited edition since it looked nice and I have already tried this formula and I remember liking it, at first I did not realised that one of the shades included is the same of the one I had.

They are Essence Hydra Kiss lip oil trios. I had one in the past and I did used it up, I think I said I would get more eventually and this set came right on time.

First one is Kiss from a Rose, next is Mermaid at Heart! and last is Pink Champagne, only the middle one is limited edition shade. They all have two tones in it but after a while they get mixed, it doesn't make the shade significantly different because the two shades inside are too similar.

They put them in the same bottles they just added Little Mermaid themed characters onto them. I like that they did at least that, so there is something to differentiate them.

Applicator is big and bulky with a dip at the top to carry even more product. I really like that because oil isn't too runny and more product on the lips means more shine.

Here I swatched them in the same order.

Kiss from a Rose is clear, just gives this shiny surface (I love wearing it on its own or over lip tints, it makes them extra juicy).

Middle one has slight pink base and tiny shimmers, on curvature of my lips it sparkles and it does make them special. They made the scent different, it is Melon like and I used to not like it in the past but I guess my taste changed and I think it is refreshing and great for the Summer time.

Last is Pink Champagne which is the one I have already emptied before. It gives sheer red shade without shimmers. First and this last one have slight vanilla scent with something artificial in the background.

I don't regret purchasing this set and I am happy with the options I have, these lip oils are super glossy, non sticky, give some hydration. Shades aren't bold and I love that, I also love that one has shimmer, I wouldn't mind if they would make more shimmery shades :)

I can see using them up and buying more, hopefully they will not stop making them.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Peach Please and Nude Sorbet

 Hello,

Essence keeps making and adding more shades to their regular lip gloss range (I am still sad that they discontinued Think Pink, my favorite from the bunch). Hopefully I will find a good replacement.

They are Essence Extreme Shine Volume lip glosses (there is no mint, cooling or tingling) in Peach Please and Nude Sorbet.

They have stubby applicators but carry enough to comfortably apply gloss all over my lips. Peach Please is pale with enough sheer tint to add slight pinky milkiness but it does not set in my lip lines.

Nude Sorbet is completely different. It is very warm toned and super pigmented, like liquid lipstick.

I think here you can clearly see the difference in pigmentation. Peach Please is milky while Nude Sorbet covers the skin completely and therefore it is hard to apply evenly and a little goes a long way but then I loose the shine, plus the shade is very orange tone agains my skin and I simply don't like that.

Not only pigmentation, there is difference in the scent as well. Peach Please is fruity while Nude Sorbet has artificial hazelnut scent.

I don't know why there is such a big difference. I bought both from trusted retailers otherwise I will think that the nude one might be a fake one.

I like the sheer peach shade, even though there isn't much pigment but it works. It feels very cushion like on my lips and the scent is nice. I will keep it and keep an eye out if it will get discontinued I would like to get a backup or two but Nude Sorbet is moving out. I do not want to use it.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Cookie and Sugar Sparkle

 Hello,

another duo for lips today and this time they are better than yesterday.

Essence came out with some shimmery versions of their lip oils, I snatched Cookie Sparkle and Sugar Sparkle.

They both have cookie batter with some brown sugar scent to them, nothing chemical or icky.

They are super sparkly but Cookie Sparkle has more tiny shimmers which creates that frosty finish while Sugar Sparkle is more of that traditional sparkler where base color doesn't come out and it just shines under the light.

Nude, Cookie Sparkle has a bit of pale nude, champagne base sprinkled with millions of gold, silver and also some pink shimmers. It creates frosty finish with how pale it is and I prefer to be light handed with it.

Second swatch is made with Sugar Sparkle which doesn't have a base color but a lot of pink and blue shimmers, occasionally I also find some golden ones thrown in the mix. This one I find easier to wear since I can pack it on more.

Out of the two Sugar Sparkle is my favorite and I can see this 4 ml bottle being used up pretty fast, while I also like the Cookie Sparkle, I just don't use that much with one application since there is too much of the frosty effect. I know there is another shade available in darker pink shade that is already on my radar :)

I like them for their nice scent, big applicator makes application easier, at the moment I love sparkles even a bit frostiness :). They last around one hour (Cookie Sparkle fades a little before one hour because I don't put that much one while Sugar sparkle exceed one hour) and the sparkle stays on the lips so I can apply lip balm or clear gloss and carry the effect for longer without actually applying the same product.

Thank you for reading and ahve a nice day

My birthday shopping no.5

 Hello,

this is the last one from this series and it is also slightly different, this time around the brands aren't Asian but closer to home.

The two on the top are Catrice Filler Supreme lip glosses in The Sugarcoated Truth and Fairytale Filter (this one I wanted the most ever since I saw the promo photos because I am a sucker for soft pink lips).

Below is new Essence Soft Baked blush in the shade Think Pink (they used to have a lip gloss with that name and I loved it until they discontinued it so now I have bitter sweet memory of that name). I hope I picked the right shade because some are crazy sparkle, mine just looks glowy.

At the bottom there are two Makeup factory eyeshadow quads in Coffee Break and Rosy Powder. I already have one quad and the shades are very buttery, especially the glitter shades are something else.

Above are Essence lip oils in Cookie Sparkle and Sugar Sparkle, I can already tell that they smell delicious and they sparkle like crazy.

Then there is highly anticipated Catrice Diamond Treasures cream to powder eyeshadow duo in Fairy Dust. I know that there are three options available but before they had almost exact same color combos also in three variations. I believe that I have the 'old' one which are creamy, new ones are supposed to be powders, the one in rosy tones is named On The Go Rose and now I kind of want that one as well :)

Lovely cream packaging belongs to cute Maybelline lipsticks in Upstate and Blind Date, both in Sateen formulation.

There are two Essence Extreme shine glosses in Nude Sorbet and the other one makes my heart flutter because it is bright peach shade named Peach Please.

Single looking Catrice eyeshadow looks a bit sad, all alone :( I wanted to get Essence Mono eyeshadow glitter in Frosted shine but the remaining shade was shamelessly swatched even though there were designated testers underneath, this really makes me angry. At the end I picked Catrice single shadow in Frosted Dust. it is not similar but it is amore subtle sparkly option.

Lastly there is another Essence Glossy Glaze high shine lipstick, this time around in the Cloud Nude  shade. I already have the pink one and I like it so much that I decided to get another one :)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

soft touch shadows

 Hello,

I have been sitting on these shadows for a while now. I prefer single eyeshadows simply because I can curate shades to my own liking since a lot of pallets have deep or overly warm neutrals in it that I don't use.

They are Essence soft touch single shadows in Eternity and The one. I would have guessed that The one would be a bolder choice but here it is pale, cream option but since I use it daily it really is The one for me :)

Eternity has smokey grey base with tons of sparkles, base color is visible on skin and on me it translate a bit warmer but the shine is present.

The one is super soft to the touch, I love applying it with my bare fingers. It is off white white pigment and great to set my primer or highlight my inner corners. It can be sheered out or packed for a light base. For me it is a very versatile shade.

First swatch is the almost bronze looking Eternity and right next to it is paler shade which was a bit hard to capture since it is so close to my skin tone.

Shades are very affordable, soft to the touch with no fallout, easy to blend and wear all day long.

If they would make more shades I would get more of them but at the moment I can't find any fitting shades for me. I would love a pale light grey or taupe, shimmer free, something to be used as a all over lid shade and maybe some sateen shades. They used to have some but nowI just can't find any :(

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Cherry, Cherry Baby!

 Hello,

this is a lovely hybrid between lip gloss and lip balm. I think they took the best from both when making it.

From the Essence So Cherry Happy collection I got this peptide lip gloss in 02 Cherry, Cherry Baby!, it is a recent buy and since this collection came out in late Spring I don't know if it didn't sell well or they just made so many of them. I would say the second because this is really nice.

Cherry, Cherry Baby! is pale baby pink gloss with liquid consistency, here I was seconds away from dropping it (I didn't, I was able to salvage it).

It is on the sheer side, especially on the lips where I didn't get to use this much at once. I actually prefer the sheer glosses over overly pigmented ones. There is also a very strong bubblegum scent and taste and I love it.

Gloss is visible, it makes my lips really juicy and full, just how I like it.

I love the sheer pink shade, for me it has a great scent/taste. I find it hydrating on my lips, it stays put for over one hour and I am even thinking of getting a second tube but this holds 10 ml of product and it will take me a long time to finish this first tube.

I was really positively surprised and I eneded up loving it. It is one of my favorites in my collection. I hope Essence comes out with more of these in the future.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Pink things up

 Hello,

I found another products in my archives. I purchased this one pretty soon after it was released. I was eying it since it was shown and I was scouting the release date. So it better be good.

It is Essence glossy glaze high shine lipstick in the shade Pink things up (it is number 3). I am still in my pink faze :)

The strip at the bottom and tube matches the shade pretty well. It has a faint fruity scent but once on the lips it is undetectable. The formula is pigmented and glossy. It feels hydrating while it is on my lips. I had no issues with dry lips while wearing it.

Here the shine is visible and it creates that healthy look on my lips. The shade is pigmented to show on the lips and I was scared that it would require a mirror to apply, especially since the tube is wide. The goss saves it since if I get a bit over the lines is not as visible because of the shine. I am still a bit scared and I mostly apply it in front of the mirror but if this would be the only lip product while on the go I would apply it and not worry too much.

I am actually very happy with it and Essence already came out with a new seasonal line and they didn't add a bunch of new shades... I think they only added one, darker option. I hope they will not discontinue them, since I like this formula, I would like to try out number 1 (nude) and 2 (peach) option. I am not interested in deeper or brighter shades.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day