Empties

 Hello,

below are my monthly empties, this time right on time :)

First pot is Pantene hair biology full & vibrant hair mask and the scent is very nice (it also stays and lingers the next day). I like the texture which is thick and it stays put for a while I am showering and shaving. It does give me some hydration but I felt like I had to use a little more (in my head I am comparing it with the blue set that I had used up previously). I liked the mask but the blue one was better for me.

Next is the matching shampoo from Pantene hair biology full & vibrant shampoo. It has the same lovely scent and the texture is not too liquid to run down my fingers. I noticed that after I dry my hair or the very next day my hair just don't look like they used to. They look like I am on my second or third day already... I feel like it didn't properly cleaned my hair so I will not be buying this shampoo again. The mask was nice but overall the blue set worked better for me and I will get it again over this pink one.

I purchased some Moroccanoil products and I have received this intense hydrating mask for free. It has their signature scent which I liked a lot and I was using it along with the pink set but also with another cleansing shampoo which is not yet finished and it gave me a nice kick of hydration. I am not so sure about this one. It worked but I don't think it was super spectacular. 

Second to last is Avon care avocado replenishing body wash and I had to count (I checked my blog history to find out) to see that this one is my fourth bottle. I really like it since this creamy scent reminds me of Carolina Herrera Good Girl perfume. This big bottle last me a long time and I think I have another bottle somewhere in my stash. 

Lastly there is Dove Peach & White Blossom antiperspirant roll-on. It had a fresh Peach scent and it was gorgeous. I started using something else but it didn't work for me so I switched to this one and it worked. Not only I smelled nice but my body odor was nowhere to be detected and I love that. I need to get back to Dove (I remember having some in the past and I always liked them) and especially this particular scent.

It has been a while since I purchased something from The Body Shop and I have decided to go through some of their products before they go bad. In a tin pan is Wild Jasmin body butter which I purchased online because if I would see it in person I probably wouldn't. First the scent is nothing special and somewhat artificial but when I put it on me and started melting into my skin it started to smell really really nice. Sweet Jasmine smelled really comfortable and perfect to go to bed. I loved how my pj smelled in the morning, I would like to get it again.

Next is another The Body Shop item. This Coconut lotion had a very artificial scent and I didn't like it one bit. The plastic touch was awful and I couldn't stomach it. I will blame it on the age of the product because if I would use it sooner it would probably still be okay but it was over its prime and I had to throw it away.

On top is Frudia peach hand cream with the light texture (white lid). A while ago I bought a full set and this one is I think my last one or one of the last ones. It had beautiful Peach scent (it ties with the deo) and even people around me commented at how nice it smelled. I liked the texture, very light, wast absorbing and hydrating. I will get it again among some other scents but this Peach one was one of my favorites for sure.

Underneath there is Teaology Peach tea hydra cream. In the past I had a mini and I liked it enough to purchase the big one but apparently now my skin was a bit too dry and this cream didn't hydrate me enough. When I put a serum under this cream it did not want to stick to it, it was best to use on dry skin and then it completely dried and my skin still felt a bit thirsty. I probably will not buy it again, I still prefer the matcha green gel.

Bottle is The Ordinary Argireline solution 10%. I heard a lot about it and I had to get it. It is like water so I had to be careful not to spill it, thanks for the pipette I was less clumsy. I used it around my eyes, on my forehead, around my smile lines and what was left I 'wiped' on my neck. I think I noticed a difference around my eyes and on my forehead and I like that. I already bought a new bottle.

Next is another used up Catrice ultra last fixing spray. I go through these like water but it is okay since they are inexpensive and they work for me. I still have a bunch of backups so I am good for a while but I also have some other fixing sprays, from other brands but this one I trust and I am already using a new bottle.

Last two are perfume bottles. First is Michael Kors Gorgeous! with white floral notes (I can pick up sweet Tuberose which is one of my favorites) and some tobacco notes. I find this one different than anything in my collection and it will be missed but I have already too many bottles. Maybe when I get through some more I will get Super Gorgeous! which is supposed to be a bit stronger and deeper.

Travel bottle is Replica On a date. I feel for it after I tried the sample and purchased 30ml bottle and later I bought a set with another 30ml and this travel version. It is a fruity (blackcurrant) and sweet rose scent. Surprisingly long lasting scent and really juicy. I am glad that I have two more bottles so I will not have to miss this gorgeous scent.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

two cups of tea

 Hello,

my indecisive nature took over once again. Since I couldn't decide on just one shade I picked up two :) I have tried some of their moisturisers and I liked their products so I have decided to try lip care, it looked promising.

They are Teaology tinted lip treatment lip balms. The packaging is trying to mimic the shade inside.

 

 

They are housed in a beautiful metallic lavender/pink case which feels very heavy. It makes them stand out and look luxurious.

I picked Rose Tea and lighter hue is Peach Tea. They are both shimmer free and have beautiful tea with sweet lemon and drizzle of honey scent to it. Very unique and lovely, I really like that as well.

They look almost juicy on the photo above and I think I picked really good shades.

First swatch is Rose Tea and it is barely visible, in the lip balm world and for me that pigment is more than enough. Nourishment and hydration is vital for a lip balm, added color is just a bonus. It is a darker nude which adds color to the lips but when my lips appear naturally red it tones them down. It is a really nice shade for me.

Peach Tea appears bright pastel peach and I love this color if only it would translate to the lips. On the swatch is barely visible, just a bit of shine gives it away.

In general they don't have a lot of shine, I would prefer more. Only Rose Tea shows up and I love the shade but I guess when I don't want additional color I would reach for the Peach Tea.

The scent is definitely my favorite and I wish more brands would adopt it in their lines.

Over the line I would really like them but unfortunately I don't notice any nourishing or plumping effects. If I apply them on dry lips they will stay dry, they make no difference and that is really bad.

I will try to use them up in the course of next year just to finish them up but no matter the lovely coloring of Rose Tea, no matter the awesome scent they don't nourish my lips which is the most important thing.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

I am super late but my empties have been waiting for me. First photo is showcasing my empties in March and second is from April.

First is one of my favorite hand creams. It is Avon care coconut hydrating hand cream. Lightly scented, easily spreadable and very moisturizing. The price is also not too high and this one remains as one of my favorites and I am buying it again.

Next is Teaology matcha tea ultra firming face cream. This was a blunder since I wanted the gel version but I was in too much of a rush and I also didn't know that there is also a cream version. It is super green and if I didn't blend it all the way in I could look like shreek :) towards the end I started to really like it (the formula not the color) but I will rather get the gel version since it is moisturizing enough and I prefer the texture.

On top is my beloved Artdeco eyeshadow base. It is somewhat my skin tone and has some minor shimmer but I don't mind it since I rarely wear matte looks. This is one of the rare bases which holds my eyeshadow s in place. I already purchased a new pot and I already started using it.

Holika Holika petit moisturizing BB cream is one of my old school products. I used to wear it on its own but now I only wear BB creams on my vacation or I put them on my neck to help matching my face to the rest of my body. At the moment I am using another one of my holy grails which is Skin 79 Gold BB and that one tops this one for me. This one has a bit thinner texture and can look a bit dark on me but with a little effort I can make it work.

The very last item is Beauty of Joseon calming serum Green Tea & Panthenol with calming and moisturizing properties. Full of vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. I liked the thin formula and slight green tint but honestly I didn't noticed much of a difference in my skin. I also have two other versions and I will see if the two will be more effective but for now this green version won't be bought again.

I has been ages since I used Herbal Essences shampoos and when I saw this one I just had to have it. It is deep repair with manuka honey. The scent was divine and it did made my hair softer but using it non stop the conditioner on top also made an impact. I hoped this shampoo will be even more moisturizing but I guess I can't have it all. I haven't decided if this shampoo will be repurchased since I have a bunch of other shampoos but I loved the scent and that is also important :)

I had this Balea Flower Shower body wash before. It is super inexpensive and smells like Blackberries. For me thise Balea body washes are a hit or a miss, some scents turn out plasticky but fortunatelly this one is nice I am not picky as long as I get some bubbles and it gets me clean. Att he moment I am using a plum scented one which is also nice.

Heimish makes All clean make-up cleansing balm. This is first time using a balm to remove make-up (I think) and it is amazing. It does removes everything and it doesn't leave much residue. I always follow with second wash so it is fine if there is some product left. I was really impressed with it and I will probably buy it again. Something to mention is also a little plastic spoolie that comes with it so I never had to stick my fingers in it :)

Little tube on top is Kiehl's Creamy Eye treatment with Avocado. Me and my sister made a little purchase and they let you pick some items. My sister really likes it and she suggested to get this mini for myself. I find this formula weird. It doesn't mix with water or serums. I had to make sure my skin and fingers were dry othervise it just didn't want to move around but when I figure this out it was nice but it started to bug me so much that at the end I just used it up and I won't be buying it.

Next is hand cream from Iliria, their famous 48h protecting hand cream. The formula is easily absorbed, it doesn't leave greassy stains and makes my hands super soft. It is neck to neck with Avon coconut one, the scent on this one is gentle and cream like (when you smell it you get the idea that you are smelling a lotion). I already purchased two of them as backups.

Another one of Catrice fixing sprays is gone. Such a big impact in a small 50 ml bottle. It can feel like hair spray on my face if I apply too much at once but it does hold my make up in place. Everytime I place an order through online skincare and fragrance store I get a few of those, probably I have now around 20 backups and I am not planing on stopping anytime soon.

The very last item is another holy grail of mine and I went through so many tubes of it already and I already have two backups ;) It is Neutrogena oil free face moisturizer. It is normal cream texture but absorbs quickly and hydrates my skin all day long. One weird fact is that I have been using it for a few years but the packaging changes so many times... it is insane, thankfully the product remains the same.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this time around I have a bunch of moisturisers. I'm glad that I have finished so many of them, especially since I have plenty more to go through.

First is Teaology Ginger Tea energising aqua cream, I had very high hopes for it since I love the green matcha version but this one left me a bit cold. It has a standard cream feel and texture and it is moisturising but nothing too exceptional. It is filled with hyaluronic acid, black tea, ginger and vitamin C and E but from such expensive cream I expected more, next time I will get the green matcha one, I already used up two bottles of it and I miss it.

This is the second scented body moisturiser from Avon lately. It is their Far Away Rebel body moisturiser and since I did like it I prefer the one I used previously, scent wise since the texture was the same. Quite liquid, fast to absorb and okay nourishing properties for my skin which isn't particularly dry at the moment. I would get the Far Away Splenoria again but I can pass on this one. Not bad, I just preferred the other one.

Next is my beloved Skin 79 super BB hot pink cream. This brand seriously makes the best BB creams for me and I used to use them instead of foundation but now I like to use them on more casual days or on vacation. I tried to actively use this one up since I had it for long and I already got myself another one (this time is the Gold one and honestly they are a tie for me). Thick but easy to spread and blend out, high coverage and the shade matches me pretty well.

The last ones are just some amazing hand creams. First two are Avon care Berry Fusion and Banana options. Formula wise quite similar, lightweight and easy to spread and absorb (no greasy hands) and they do the job properly, the scents are the main factor here (I still prefer the Banana one) and I already have one in use. Avon makes some of my favourite ones and I already have some in stock.

The last one is Fruidia Passion fruit hand cream and I loved this one so much that I already got myself a discovery set with a bunch of different options. It is quite lightweight, small and convenient packaging (perfect to throw it into my purse) and the scent is divine, in my opinion quite realistic. I will try other scents but for sure I will come back to this one. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this time I'm very late due to some internet issues but also my own laziness got the best of me.

This time around I finished up two lip products, first is Avon Supreme Nourishing lipstick in the shade Revitalising Raspberry. I am having a hard time explaining this shade, in its essence it is red but not too vivid, it has some brick tones in it but it is far from being orange. I loved putting it on as a lip stain just to get that flushed look. This line of lipsticks is already discontinued and I think it is a shame. It was nourishing (as the name suggests) because it has balm infused formula (white swirls among the pigment) but at the same time pigmented. It was on a creamier side so there was a risk of getting it over the lip line but I usually just tapped it lightly and pressed it into my lips and that helped with the longevity and I was also able to achieve the desired look.

Second is my last Catrice Generation Plump & Shine lip gloss in the shade Pink Topaz. I love this line of glosses and this particular shade was amazing. Pretty similar to the lipstick mentioned above. It did have some golden shimmer but nothing too obvious. Lovely shade to bring some life back into my lips and generous shine to add the fullness. My lips were never dry while using it so I would get some more shades from this range, I would love to get this particular again but I think it is discontinued.

On the bottom is my second pot of Teaology face matcha fresh cream. I love that it is a light gel which absorbs into my thirsty but oily skin pretty fast, barely there scent is tea like and if I don't exfoliate this feel nice but if I do use my enzyme scrub and put this gel over it, it can tingle over some sensitive areas but it doesn't cause redness. I have also noticed that recently my skin got a bit more dry and even flakey, when I put thin/normal layer over it it didn't hydrate it enough. At the moment I'm not thinking of getting another one but when Summer comes along I'm getting myself a third pot of it. I love the lightweight feeling and no extra oils on my face when my skin isn't acting out.

I was thinking of getting the perfume but just couldn't bring myself to blind buying it so instead I got myself a lotion version. It is Replay Signature perfume body lotion. The texture was on the liquid side so I had to be careful when opening the tube but I still managed to spill it at the beginning. The scent was predominately musk-y and over time I went from liking it to loving it. Now I'm seriously thinking of getting the perfume but often the perfume hits slightly different than the lotion, just because of different textures and ingredients... At the moment I have enough fragrances but this one is definitely on my list. The moisturising properties weren't too bad, my skin is now a bit dry but it didin't get itchy which would be a sign that is not hydrated enough. 

And the last item is this huge Iliria Green Apple shampoo for hair and body. I used it only on my hair simply because my hair loved it. It is on the cleansing side and using it constantly without any conditioner afterwards my hair could get dry so I made sure to use conditioner every once in a while and I always use some heat protection spray while blowdrying my hair and after I'm done I put a drop of oil on the tips to nourish them even more. I love the big bottle which lasts for months, the pleasant scent, how clean, fresh and shiny my hair looked after washing them with this rather cheap shampoo. I will definitely but it again after I finish up what I already have in my stash.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

the first half of the month is already behind us and I seriously thought I would have more items finished up. There is a whole bunch of products hanging on their last legs which will be featured at the end of the month.

Teaology Matcha Latte body milk with Matcha Tea infusion and organic vegan milks is a lovely body moisturizer which I received free of charge when I bought my first face cream from them  (it is already used up and I already have a new one), the scent is the same, green tea like and very comforting and nice. It felt nourishing and my skin liked it but I didn't think it was anything too special, especially not for a bit higher price tag. Maybe I will get it again if I see it on sale but this 100 ml tube was finished up in just two weeks...that is a bit fast even for me. 

Next is The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% toning solution. I heard a lot of good things about this type of acid in toners and I wanted to try it out. I haven't noticed and changes which I could pinpoint to this product, after a while it started to get pointless for me and I started to use it less regular and that helped my skin even less. I know I just got lazy with this item because I know I should use it regularly but my laziness got the best of me. I still have some bottles laying around that I have to use up and maybe this next one I will use as instructed.

I managed to finish up a  bottle of a fragrance. It is only a 20 ml version of Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume but still, this is a big deal for me because I have a lot of bottles. I really liked this scent but probably I won't repurchase it again because I have two other fragrances that smell similar but are even better to me (Armani In Love with You and Dior Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming).

This next item is a love of mine and I already have a backup of it. It is Alverde Dog Rose face oil. This little 15 ml bottle lasts for quite a while since I don't need a lot but it helps with my overall red tone of my face, it sooths and calms down my skin and I love it. Extra bonus is the nice rosey scent.

Second to last is The Body Shop Tea Tree pore minimizing face primer which is my very last tube of it because they don't make it anymore :( My skin is acne prone and using something with Tea Tree under my make-up makes my skin happy. I'm not 100% sure it helped fight off acne but it sure did have trick my brains and had a big psychological impact on me. I was sure I will buy this till the end of my days... my make-up also did look very nice on top of it. This doesn't feel like a regular silicone primer but rather like a face moisturizer, my skin afterwards did look a bit more matte but it didn't hold my oils at bay for long. As mentioned above, I liked the strong Tea Tree scent which triggered my brains into thinking that I'm using skincare under my make-up. If they ever come out with a similar sounding item I'm getting it immediately.

The very last item is Catrice LE lipstick (collaboration with Peta) in the shade Feel Good. A lovely mauve toned shade (my favorite  out of the three I had). I liked that it goes on pretty sheer but it can be intensified with an extra layer, it looks pretty glossy and juicy on the lips and it did nourish my lips for a while. I still used regular lip balm in between just so the color didn't build up too much but my lips looked happy using it. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

it is empties time and this time they are all very, very nice products that I enjoy a lot.

Teaology Matcha fresh cream was a novelty for me. Some brands promote that they use the purest water in their products but Teaology brand goes further and use different tea blends. I picked this one predominately because of the gel texture which feels very light on my oily skin. It absorbs into the skin quickly but it doesn't keep me matte for long so I started to use it strictly in the evening because I don't care if I go to bed with greasy face. They claim that this formula protects your skin against dryness caused by pollution. On some days this moisturizer was enough but on the days that my skin felt a bit more dry I had to top it off with some oil, again not an issue for me if I use it in the evening before going to bed. I don't mind layering as I feel like I get even better results. This cream didn't cause my skin to freak out which is rare and I already repurchased it and will start using it immediately.

Last year I bought a few of these The Body Shop body yogurts and I decided to try out first the Moringa one. I already loved the hand cream and body butter so it was only natural to try out the different version. This smelled like Moringa line, perhaps a bit lighter but still very floral and nice. The texture is something between yogurt and gel. It applies like a charm and sinks in really fast, after using it for weeks I noticed that my skin started to crave something heavier and more nourishing. These are as suggested by the brand most probably better in the warmer weather so the other two that I have I will save for next Summer.

Rituals, the ritual of Karma holy lotus & organic white tea hair and body mist was given to me by my sister. The scent is very calming and relaxing. I enjoy it a lot but as every other body spray this one too doesn't last which is a shame but I find out that there is a whole line of products with this scent, so I have my eyes locked on the body lotion... 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day