Empties

Hello,

I keep myself really busy lately and I don't have too much time to spare but I'm still taking care of myself and have some empties to show it to you before I take them to the bin.

I will start with two lip glosses. The Catrice Alluring Reds Moulin's Rouge gloss was fantastic, this formula was one of my favorite (this is a limited edition shade but the formula is the same as it was on their shine appeal liquid lipsticks). Pigmented and very glossy, just the way I like it. Also this 'soft' red shade was great.

Next one is Avon's ultra glazewear absolute gloss in the shade Renewing Rose (my second tube of it). This soft mauve shade worked with my naturally pigmented lips really well and the formula is another of my favorites. I'm happy that I have another backup somewhere but I will have to start wearing it ASAP because I'm too scared that it might go bad.

I was super curious about this new line of Lush face masks so I bought The birth of Venus jelly mask. The guy helped me out and recommended me this one for the oily skin. It comes like a nice, smooth jelly but you have to cut it (I just used my nails to get it out) that is why it looks like rabbits nib on it ;) This formula is so weird and I couldn't get used to it. The instructions said that you take a little piece and mix it with some water and it should emulsify and create paste/foam to massage your face with it. Well, I did everything but this jelly just didn't want to dissolve and I always managed to drop it ether in the sink or shower (wherever I was at the time). It is so frustrating that I'm just tossing it in the trash. I even took a piece and put it in a little container filled with water and it stayed solid. I don't know how this is supposed to work or maybe I got the 'broken' one?

I don't go often to the Yves Rocher store but whenever I go I always get something for free and this one was another free product. I got to choose the scent and they just gave it to me. I picked up the Orange blossom and Lavender scented body butter because I'm obsessed with lavender  but this one smells more like orange blossom, a bit bitter and not so much like the purple flower. It was thick and it did moisturize my skin well but it was nothing too impressive so I won't repurchase it not even in other scents.

Avon care glycerin hand, nail and cuticle cream is my favorite cream. I have gone through so many tubes of it and it is always somewhere near me. At the moment I have one at work and one at home next to my tv remote. Sometimes I pick the limited edition packaging in the Winter time or slightly scented Spring options to spice thing up. They always have the same formula that I love so much so different packaging is just for my visual pleasure.

 Avon Femme perfume was a little Rose scented perfume. I would use it solo or in combination with some other scents. It honestly is nothing special just Rose scented perfume but I liked it. I probably won't repurchase it again because it didn't last on me plus at the moment I still have so many full bottles that I'm on a complete no buy considering scents but the Christmas and New Year discounts are coming and I will feel weak so I have to save my money till then at least ;)

The very last item is this Batiste heavenly volume dry shampoo. I like their formula even though I have to be careful not to spray too much because of the white cast. I already used and repurchased Peony one which is divine for  my nose  ;) but this one smells just like the 'old' dry shampoos. Not disgusting but also not too pleasant and the volume that they are promising was just making my hair sticky. I won't spend my money on this one again but I will try some other scents.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

maybe a little late but nonetheless some empty packaging galore is in front of you.

Let's start with Balea Aqua serum which is very praised. I liked the pump system and light consistency which absorbed quickly but I don't think it was anything special. Maybe I should try it in the Winter time when my skin is dryer and use it under my regular face cream so maybe I will repurchase it again.

Next is Dove DermaSpa uplifted satin smooth body oil for improved elasticity and firmness. The scent is amazing, definitely my cup of tea. Fresh and comforting at the same time. I have been using it in combination with other body lotions but at the end I used it on its own. I noticed that it wasn't moisturizing enough so probably I won't spent my money on it again but I will miss the scent.

This big flat Ladybug bottle is Sephora's Cosy Cotton bubble bath and shower gel. I only used it to wash my body with it because I don't have a bath. The scent is another one of my favorites. The cotton flower is a nice and accurate description and so very nice. The texture was nothing special, typical body wash consistency and since we don't have Sephora here I won't get it again.

A while ago I bought two of the Eveline expert C vitamin serum - injections (it was a better deal if you purchased two and I'm a sucker like that). One bottle holds up 18 ml of product and you use the pipette to get the slightly sticky but still watery serum out of it (there is no injections involved). It smells amazing, just like real citruses and I loved putting it on in the evening. I always followed with some cream or oil and I think my hyperpigmentation faded away faster. Now I'm happy that I have another bottle which I'm sure I will use up soon.

Lush Plum Rain body wash was an impulse buy. I went there to buy some specific products but there are always some sale assistants trying to help you out and encourage you to spent more money than you anticipated. This bottle is the result of me caving in. The scent is very fresh and true to the ripe plums, I honestly love it but I know I spent more money on a body wash than normally. If they would have some massage bars in this scent I would totally get some.

Avon lavender cuticle oil is super duper old and so the writing on the bottle is also gone. It is regular oil which you place on your nails and cuticles and massage it in. I liked the lavender scent but the other day I noticed that the scent changed so I'm guessing that it went bad so I'm tossing it even though I haven't finished it up. I have the Essence Hydra nail care serum which serves me well.

Avon Foot works papaya cooling lotion has nothing cooling in it but the texture is gel like so maybe that is what they meant. I had a scrub in the same scent and I loved it, true papaya but I think I had this one a little too long. The texture become a little thicker and the scent is plasticky now. I have used it maybe three times but I will throw it into the garbage bin and try not to stock up again.

This is one of my favorite lipsticks ever and it is Avon Shine Burst Rose lipstick. For swatches check my old post here. I love glossy lipsticks which feel nourishing and glide on with ease. Anyhow I kept this baby for too long and it went bad, now it has a yuck taste but when it was new it had zero scent/taste. Now I can see that they discontinue them and I was seriously thinking of stocking up but at the end I decided not to. I have almost 30 full sized lipsticks and by the time I will use all of them up some will already go bad, it is a vicious circle and the only way to end it is to completely stop buying stuff and just use up what I have. It will be hard but maybe I can at least minimize my purchases...

The little pot is Essence Let's get it started LE lip balm which I won in a giveaway. It was clear and had a very sweet candy scent. At first I liked it but then the scent got a little too much. I still tried to use it as often as possible to finish it up. It wasn't bad I would say it was like any other regular balm. It was on the greasy side and it kept my lips soft and nourished. I know that they have a similar product in their current range but I won't be picking it up.

 The very last item is Essence ultra last Rosewood High lip liner. I still don't know why I had to spent my money on it. Probably the popularity of liners lured me in but I'm just not a lip liner kind of gal. This color is a dusty pink which I don't think looks god on me anyways. The liner slides easily and leaves a lot of color behind which really grips and it is hard to remove. I personally don't like this murky color on myself so I would always tried to put a softer pink lipstick on top but the liner underneath seemed to suck any moisture out of it. I guess that makes it last longer but the feeling to me is unpleasant so I don't think I ever wore out in public.

Huh, 10 products this time. That is a lot and there is even more to come so stay tuned.


Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

I'm  so not ready for the Summer but I'm trying. Every year I try to put more attention to my skin and hair during warmer months but after the season is gone I'm back to the lazy me. Sometimes taking care of myself is just too time consuming but I would like to change that.

I finished up Avon Foot Works Pineapple cooling foot lotion. It was pretty jelly like but very moisturizing also the fresh scent was a bonus. I always get these limited editions with great scents but more so because they are really nice and make my feet look presentable in no time.

This awesome scented Lush Plum Rain body wash was lovely. I loved the fresh plum scent and deep purple color but I think it is a little too expensive for what it is (I personally don't like to spent big bucks on washes but rather indulge in body lotions). It did last me for a long time and I'm in love with the scent but honestly I don't think I will repurchase it.

This mask,  Avon Advance Technique Moroccan Argan oil hair mask, was recommended to me by my sister who is using it for a long time now. The scent is typical for the line and I like it a lot. The mask itself worked really well in such a short time (at the back it says that you can rinse it off after 5 min and I don't have more time than that) and I was still able to see the difference in my hair. They were softer, silkier, smoother and with less frizz. I already repurchased it but now they have this pale gold packaging. I don't mind the outer look of a product as long as it is the same.

Catrice Cool & Matt primer stick was from last years limited edition and I already raved about it and I said that it is such a shame that they don't make it permanent. It is not the best  one out there, I have pretty oily skin and this one doesn't keep me matte all day long but my make-up wears so nicely through the day that I'm not mad. My L'oreal foundation looks great on top and that is what matters. I would repurchase it again if I could.

Catrice All Matt plush shine control powder in Transparent is my ultimate favorite powder. It looks amazing over freshly applied foundation or over greasy face after a couple of hours. It never makes me look cakey or patchy and I love it. This particular baby wasn't finished but I dropped it by accident and it shattered. I cleaned the floor and bought new one in the same day. I don't want to be left without it.

The very last item is Catrice Lip Glow Secret Glowtensify lip pencil which was reviewed on my blog quite recently and my overall impression wasn't good so instead of keeping it and saving it I decided to trash it and make room for better products. This one was pink and it is supposed to work with your warmth and unique chemistry to turn into your perfect pink shade. On me this type of color changing products always turn bright pink and this one was not an exception. At the moment I don't like loud lips but that was not what made me toss it away. It is the weird sticky, waxy texture that doesn't settle and it was driving me insane. I don't want to go full crazy so I'm letting go of this one.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

it is pretty obvious that we are having a burning hot Summer. I have used up a lot of Sun lotions and I haven't had any burn on my body, jet. I still have plenty to go through (this year alone I purchased 6 bottles of Sun cream and I still have some left from last year).

First tube is Sun Dance cream with SPF 50. It is old and not completely used up but it is very greasy and it leaves obvious white cast so I'm tossing it, did I mentioned that it is old?

Next is Avon Sun+ lotion for kids with SPF 30. It is light blue which is great if you have some minor red spots because the cool color counteracts it but you are left with bluish hands afterwards. This one too is a little too old to be used in a safe matter so I'm discharging it. 

Third one is my favorite, it is Hawaiian Tropic with SPF 50. I noticed that they changed the packaging and the highest protection that they are offering from this line is 30, I'm a little disappointed but probably I will still repurchased it next year (I just bought 6 full bottles and tubes from another brand so I think I'm good for a while). The cream itself is white and cream colored so it won't give you that white cast and the scent is phenomenal. 

Fourth one and last for this month (yep, I am planning on using up some more next month) is another one from Sun Dance and it is not as old as the first one so I used it all up. It is for the face, neck and chest area with an SPF of 30. They claim to be mattifying fluid. I agree that it is quite liquid but not mattifying enough for me. I also didn't liked the white cast that was left after applying on top of the greasy feeling so I used it on my body and I was done with it faster. This one is not something I would repurchase.

Next we have Fruit of the Earth aloe body lotion. It was milky and I would never guessed that it has aloe in it because of the texture which is nothing like the aloe vera. It had a generic and barely there scent, it was not bad but I got spoiled by some amazing moisturizers so this felt a bit bland. It absorbed quickly but I didn't have a feeling that it would moisturize my skin well. I was glad when it was gone and I won't bother getting it again.

Avon Advance Technques heat protection spray was something I purchased ages ago. I rarely do any heat styling so this was completely unnecessary. I ended up using it on my hair when I went to the beach. I don't know if it works like that, if it protects my hair from the sun but I thought that it can't hurt, right? Otherwise it had that lovely scent that all Avon A.T. products have but my complaint would be that it made my hair sticky. They would get all tangled, in a way it is good because I was able to create some texture in my hair but on the windy day at the beach it just looked messy.

I bought not so long ago this Himalaya clarina anti acne clay mask and I used it very consistently. It is this typical clay mask that gets dry and manages to pull the gunk out of your pores. My skin felt better after one use (I mean in the morning after because whenever I remove clay masks my skin looks all red and irritated and this one wasn't an exception). The next day my skin looked better, pores looked clearer if not completely clear, acne were reduced or completely gone. I have to give two thumbs up for this one but there is one drawback and it occurs shortly after applying it. When it sits on my face it starts to burn around extra sensitive areas, in my case that it the nose. It felt cold and hot at the same time, very weird and unpleasant but after I got through this phase it worked and I might repurchase it in the near future (I bough another mask from the same brand which is also for oily skin types so I will see how that one will work).

Lastly I have another face mask and this on is from Lush and it is one of their fresh masks. I have Catastrophe Cosmetics and I already talked about it last week. It was great for my oily and acne prone skin. It helped reduce the big boys and clear out the smaller fellas. It didn't feel hot or cold on my skin and after I rinsed it off my skin didn't look red or angry but rather happy and moisturized. I already repurchased it along with another mask from the brand. I will report back as soon as I start using it.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Catastrophe Cosmetics

Hello,

my recent trip to Lush store proved to be the right thing. I feel in love with this fresh mask and seeing results after just one use is, let's put it out there, a little miracle itself.

Lush makes this Catastrophe Cosmetics fresh mask full of jummy ingredients especially for acne prone oily skin. They claim to calm down and deeply cleanse the skin while also taking care for your sensitive skin with soothing ingredients.

This cup holds 75 ml of product and my plan was to count how many times I will use it until it will be gone but I lost track. You are supposed to keep it in the fridge and apply a thick layer every time your skin is in need, you should leave it on for 5 - 10 min (I left it until it got dry, it felt and behaved like a clay mask but I went through ingredient list and there is none, so my question is what makes this clay like texture?). The bits you can see are blueberry's skin, they aren't rough but it did felt like a mild exfoliation when I was rubbing it around.

Now it is getting a bit harder to spread (like a slightly dry clay mask) so I just add a couple of drops of water in my palm and that makes the texture easier to manage and spread over my face.
When it is on I can't feel any tingle or heat/warm feeling, which is good if you have sensitive skin. When I wash it off over the sink my skin feels super soft and it isn't red (it always turn pink or red when I use clay masks) so this a pleasant change. I would say that instead of drying nasty buggers it rather moisturizes and soothes the skin which is already in pain. The next day I noticed that some of my acne got smaller and the small zits that were just coming out to play were crushed and nowhere to be found. I said to myself after the first morning: 'This little pot is doing miracles on my skin and it should live on a shrine but will it manage to keep up with a consistent use?' Well, I continued using it and my skin is really loving it. After every use it feels soft and moisturized and pimples looks smaller the next day, the only complaint I have is that I haven't notice that it would clean my pores. They seems to look the same. If I use some heavy duty clay mask I can see that my pores are 'empty' and sometimes they appear smaller in size but with this Lush mask I had a feeling that it did nothing on that subject.
Will this stop me from using and buying it? Nope. I will repurchase it as soon as I'm done with it and I will use the 'regular' clay mask on separate days to mend all of my problems. Wish me luck to get my skin back on the normal track.

P.S. My mask was made by a cool dude named Miro, thanks mate. I really appreciate your work :)




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

finally back at Lush

Hello,

I haven't been at the Lush store for two or rather three years and when I was in town I just had to make a 'quick' stop. I know that people working there are always so nice and full of knowledge that they always convince me to take more than I anticipated. This time I made myself a list and I planed to stick to it...

Of course I failed. The guy who was helping me around was offering me multiple products (bath bombs - I don't have a bath, lip scrubs - what is wrong with a toothbrush?, SPF body wash bar - you rinse it off, how does it work? Do you have to take a shower every four hours to reapply?) he was so sweet that at the end I felt bad for turning down every suggestion that when he gave me this body wash to sniff I put it in the basket even though it was expensive. It is Plum Rain which smells like ripe plums with something fresh in the mix like sage or salty water. The scent is very invigorating, it would be perfect if you take showers in the morning... I don't. I like to cleanse my body before going to bed, bed is my clean zone but that won't stop me from using it but probably due to its price tag I won't repurchase it.

Next to it is a chunk of Fresh Farmacy face wash. The whole 'pie' looks like a giant pale pink blossom, here I only have a small piece which will still last me a long time. In the past I already had and used one up and my skin looked much better. I hope that its magic isn't lost and will help me again. If you have oily, acne prone and sensitive skin I suggest you to try it.

I decided to get one of their famous fresh face masks and after an extensive research I decided to get the Catastrophe Cosmetics one. Again, it is recommended for oily, problematic skin. It is supposed to calm down your skin and help it heal faster, it also claim to balance the natural oils which I'm very excited to see if it will managed.

Under the mask there is a white block of Aromaco deodorant. In the past I had the brown one which was really nice, it had a bit of a weird, old lady scent but once it was on the skin it went away. That one is gone so I opted for this one but it really stinks. My car and now my whole apartment reeks like an old closet which hasn't been opened in five hundred years. I only hope that when I will collect enough courage to actually apply it it won't scare people away and burn holes in my t-shirts.

The last items looks like pills, don't they? They are actually their toothpaste in a solid form. I wasn't sure about them so the guy who was helping me around gave me these to try at home. He gave me four different ones to try out (the three pink ones are the same, I think he spilled them by accident or maybe that was a 'subtle' hint on which is his favorite ;). I tried and used all of them. I'm someone who likes that cool, fresh breath after brushing, the mintier the better is my motto and these felt like something a child would use. My mouth didn't felt fresh but rather fruity, especially the pink one felt like I'm brushing my whites with strawberries, not what I was looking for. Even the green one which is supposed to be infused with limes and lemons or the white one which is supposed to have mint as a main note didn't gave me that fresh breath. They were fun to try but I won't be spending my money on these. Is there someone who loves these, let me know.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day