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

Empties

 Hello,

I have some more empties for the month of April but these were used up in the second half of April.

First is this big Ziaja Italian fig body wash. It was clear and quite liquid. The scent was sweet and fruity, reminiscent of the real ripe fig. I would get this one again.

Next is another Ziaja body wash but this one with goat milk. It was creamier than the first one but it didn't have any distinctive scent, just creamy but I count that as a good and positive sign. It felt calming and perfect for a good night sleep. I would get this one again.

If I am sticking with the body care, next item is Balea bloomy dreams body lotion. It had a lovely violet scent, calming, relaxing but also very light in intensity. My complaint is the slightly greasier texture. It was nice for massaging. I would like it more if the texture would be lighter, so I will not be buying it again.

Big pot is discontinued Avon planet spa Heavenly Hydration hair mask with Mediterranean olive oil. I remember I have used up a few of those and I have always had nice results, this time around nothing changed. My hair after using it felt soft, smoother and silkier, I am genuinely sad that I can't find it again :(

I have received this small tube of Vichy Dercos energy + stimulating shampoo for preventing hair loss. I got a few hair washes out of it but I haven't noticed any difference in hair growth but I still used it. No crazy results but also no bad experience, I have shampoos which works better for me so I will not be buying more.

The last bottle in line is L'occitane Verveine Cactus EDT full of Bergamot and Lemon notes that I am not crazy about. This bottle just like the yellow one was given to me and I used it more like a room spray. I am glad that it is gone and I am not sad for letting this bottle being recycled and out of my life.

First tube is Iliria 48h hand cream. I have used up one in the past and I loved it. Light texture but highly effective, even my boyfriend likes it so I have already purchased another one.

Next pink bottle is Nivea rose touch cleansing face mousse with organic rose water & micellar technology. My mom purchased it for herself thinking it is a rose toner, the liquidy texture fooled her but since she doesn't use face washes she gave it to me to use it up. It was nice but nothing special, I used it mostly in the morning because it didn't remove make-up but it was good for removing my natural oils. All in all it was a bit drying and not the best at removing foundation so I will not be buying it.

I have used up so many of these Neutrogena oil free face moisturizers that I have lost count. It is a lotion with. lightweight formula, it doesn't clog my pores and sits nicely under my make-up. Really nice and effective morning moisturizer.

I am new to the Skin 1004 brand and I tried their mini version of Madagascar centella cream. It is supposed to be hydrating, calming and helping with building skin barrier. I had high hopes but the texture was very light and watery, it took very long time to absorb and since I mostly used it in the evening when I was sleepy I just couldn't wait for it to absorb to continue with my routine. I could only use some oil on top since everything else would just slide right off. Unfortunately it didn't work for me and I won't be buying a bigger size.

Little purple bottle is Some by Mi retinol intense reactivating serum (retinol, retinal and bakuchiol) which was a free gift with purchase and even though it is small it took me weeks to use it up. It didn't irritate my skin and I like that :) also I love how clinical the brand feels :) I will get it again in a larger bottle to fully test results.

Essence grow'n'glow is a nail varnish with a slight red tint. It is supposed to make ma nails appear less yellow which it did but very minimal. My biggest no-no was intense chipping. This one started to ship on the third wear day and it is just too soon. I quickly used it up, mostly repairing chips but it is finished.

Second bottle is also Essence nail polish and this one is light grey with pink sparkles and it is named Miracle Stone. Very pretty in my opinion but it got a bit old and the formula just didn't perform how it should so I had to throw half full bottle away :(

Last one is Essence matt concealer in Light Ivory. This one is my staple and sometimes I change the shade (because I ether forget which one is the one, more shades work for me or I just get the one that is available at the moment of need). 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

my first empties of this year were filled with lip products, mostly because I was almost done with them last year but year 2025 just came around too quick for some items.

I didn't completely used up two Catrice volumizing lip booster lip glosses Pink up the volume and Meet me at Coral bay. I tried really hard but at the end I gave up. They were minty and tingly glosses and I just don't love that effect anymore. The shades were lovely, light but uniformed/ didn't get in my lip lines while applied. I would definitely get tham again, especially the pink shade if they would made them tingle free.

Next is Catrice lip jam hydrating lip gloss Strawrr baby. I only tried it once, because it arrived broken. I have ordered it online and inside the package the lid broke. I can say that it smelled fruity and the shade was barely there light pink (right up my alley). I have put it aside for a few weeks, maybe up to two months and the product inside the nozzle solidified since it was opened (broken lid was just placed on he tube) and no matter how hard I was squeezing nothing came out and I had to throw it away. I am thinking of getting it again since the shade was pretty but for now I got a different shade and a bunch of newly released glosses...

This next item was also a fail and I haven't used it up actually. It is Q&A liquorice lip oil. I didn't realise that the applicator was a metal ball and this applicator I would like to leave in the past. Metal ball spins, rotates and apply product unevenly and messy. In this case it wasn't enough and I was squeezing too hard. Metal ball shot out and most of the oil was spilled all over my lap. Thankfully I was wearing black sweatpants and there were no residue left after a wash. Not much product was left so I am calling it done. The oil itself was very thin and after 10 min it was gone from my lips.

This lip balm was straight forward unpleasant. It is Nude by Nature sheer glow color lip balm in Pink 03 shade. First, it is peach nude rather than pink. Second, it had unpleasant scent, like wooden pencils but make it strong. It applied somewhat gummy or waxy and the strong scent was too much for me to bare, also the shade didn't look good on me. Basically I only put it on, wore it for maybe 15 min and removed it. It went straight for the bin.

Nude by Nature tinted balm didn't work for me but in the packaging it looked promising. 

And that is the peachy swatch, not even near pink territory. 

There is also Burts's bees tinted lip balm Red Dahlia. I absolutely love this shade. It has red in the name but it is not your typical red. It is somewhat cool toned with a hint of brown and violet tone. It wasn't the most hydrating balm for me but since I love the shade so much I already repurchased it :)

Lastly there are two Hurraw! lip balms. Clear one is Papaya Pineapple and tinted one is Black Cherry. I love the squished packaging but there were no hydration for my lips. Papaya Pineapple had a slight scent but nothing distinguishable. Black Cherry was noticeable and I really liked it, also the tint was gorgeous darker red but sheer. At first I was ready to repurchase it but poor hydration properties made me realise that would not be the best idea, I would rather get the Burt's bees tinted option.

La Roche - Posay lipikar lipid-replenishing cream wash was a gift with purchase. It was a nice creamy wash with a barely there scent. I liked it a lot but probably I won't get it again because I can get cheaper washes from the drug store but if I even get one of these for free I will grab them with both hands.

I have used up another one of Catrice ultra last fixing spray. It is very inexpensive and effective, I sill have more than 10 bottles so I don't need to run out and get more. I am fully loaded :)

In the past I already had mini bottles of Moroccanoil light hair treatment, they were free gifts and based of them I decided to get this one. The scent is gorgeous and my hair feel silky and smooth after using it. The price is a bit high but at the end I think it is worth it for me. I have a few others to go through but I will get it again. I haven't noticed a lot of difference in texture with the original or light (I had samples of both)... I can use both on dry hair and it won't grease my hair out.

Little black pot is Artdeco eye shadow primer. This was my fourth pot and probably my last. It always worked for me but this pot felt different. My eye shadows started to crease no matter what so I gave in and gave this pot to my sister (she still likes it) and I purchased something more expensive and thankfully it works for me. I am a little sad that we had to part ways but I prefer my shadows to stay in place when I put them on my eyes.

Last is Nude by Nature Perfecting concealer Shell Beige. I purchased a bunch of products as part of the trial set and this concealer was included. It was pretty light and yellow toned, really nice match for my skin tone. It was very light in coverage but the plus side is that it didn't crease. I wanted to buy it again and use it on my more easy going days (natural coverage) but the price tag seems a bit high for it... maybe if I will find it on sale I might pick it again.

Little baby swatch at the bottom of the tube, nothing more was left :(

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this time around there is a big bunch of empties coming form my side.

First is a classic for me as it is my favourite morning cream. It is Neutrogena clear & defeat oil free moisturiser. It doesn't add oil, lightweight texture is enough to moisturise and make-up sits nicely over the top. I already have a few back-ups ready.

Next is Beauty GlamHyaluronic boost serum which I like to add to my skincare at night time. It is a bit thicker but not sticky, it is nice to layer some heavier creams over the top or even oils. I already have a back up of it already.

The tube is Avon's sensitive dual collagen eye cream. The formula is on the lightweight side and I noticed over time that my wrinkles got less obvious. I only used it at night time but even once a day it was enough to see the results. I really liked it and will buy it again but furst I have to go through a few other eye creams.

Next is also product from Avon and it is 5 in one lash genius mascara in Blackest Black. It has a big chubby plastic wand reminiscent of the one from their Supershock line (this one slims in the middle, like an hourglass shape). The formula was getting better with time (like most mascaras does for me) and it elongated my lashes and separated them, in the end it looked quite natural and that is what I'm looking for. At the moment I have plenty of different mascaras but eventually I will buy this one again.

My favourite concealer is this inexpensive Essence camouflage+ matt concealer in the shade Light Rose (it only has a rosy undertone). It is not too dry and it settles into my fine lines very minimally plus the price is so cheap. I continue to buy it again and again, sometimes I try different shade but always come back to this concealer (there is also healthy glow version instead of matt which I also like, I don't find any difference in texture so I buy one or the other).

First and barely visible is a swatch of Avon Jelly lip tint in the shade Sheer Pink, it looks more peachy but once applied to my lips it starts turning bright pink (it warms up but I don't know why I couldn't get that shade on the back of my hand). Sometimes this taste a bit like plastic and I don't like that but the stain was even and nice. This item is already discontinued but even if it would still be available I would not get it because of the taste, there are way too many similar items on the market that taste better.

Also in a black packaging is Catrice melting kiss lipstick in the shade Catching Feels. It is a soft pink with sliver shimmer which doesn't look too sparkly but instead make my lips look more glossy. I very much love this formula and will buy it again. I would like to try other shades as well but I'm definitely getting this soft pink again.

Last lipstick is also discontinued item and it is Essence colour up! shine on! lippie in the shade Rosey Glitz. it is a brown toned nude and super glossy. It is buildable and my preferred way is one or two layers so I would get just a wash of colour, more like a tinted lip balm and the scent is something like baked goods... so very nice. It does make me sad that these are no longer sold since this is my second and apparently last bullet of it. 

At the end there is Avon nail experts cuticle care conditioner. The texture is across between water and oil and I liked putting and massaging it into my cuticles before remaining my nails. I don't think this is still available since it is so very old but right now I'm using oil and I prefer this formula since it isn't so oily and greasy. If I find it or something similar I will get it again. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

my resolution to post more often haven't come true jet but maybe next month it will be better. Until then I have my empties all lined up. 

First is my beloved Essence camouflage+ healthy glow concealer in Light Ivory shade. This is my favourite one, love the creamy texture which doesn't settle too much into my fine lines and it is the perfect shade for my skin tone. I think the healthy glow line is discontinued but I have also tried the matte version and on me they feel pretty much the same in term of formula, just the shade range is different but I can still find a good shade for me. 

Next, on top is the Lavender toner from Milnica. I like getting these since they are simple and inexpensive but I prefer to pour them into the bottles with the sprayer and spray them on so I can also use them over my make-up if I'm feeling a bit dry and tight. Lavender is my favourite, Rose being close second. I will get it again but I'm pretty stocked up so I should just finish what I already have before buying more.

Under the toner is Afrodita's pure coconut sugar body scrub. This is very intense since the sugar in it is rough but then the coconut smooths over... it actually is a delight to use because my skin is left with a thick film over it and I love it. On days that I used it I didn't really need to use any other body lotion, this scrubs and nourish the skin. The particles are rough so I would advise gentle massage but sugar does dissolve and  then is just coconut grease all over and that to me feels great. I actually wanted to repurchase it but when I got home I noticed that instead of scrub I purchased butter... it is in the same type of packaging with the same picture... I haven't use it jet but I am excited. After I'm through another scrub I'm getting this one again.

Batiste makes some of my favourite dry shampoos and the Fresh version has to be my second favourite. It is white but it is easily blended into my hair as long as I don't spray too close to the hairline and the fresh scent mimic the freshly washed hair... what is not to love? I already have a backup of it :)

Regular nail polish switching also requires nail polish remover and for me inexpensive works. I used up Ebeline nail polish remover which costs very little and is very effective. My nails aren't super sensitive, even though now in the cold they break more easily I don't think more expensive nail polish remover would be any different so I prefer to hydrate more and rather spend more money on nourishing products than nail varnish removers. I'm already using new bottle of the same kind and I will continue to repurchase it.

This next items is the only disappointing one in the bunch and it is the expensive Ahava silky soft cleansing cream. It smells like plastic, not super strong but when I rub it all over my face I can definitely smell it. The other thing and even more burning one is the fact that this product burned my eyes. God forbid I would rub it all over my eyes (to remove stubborn mascara) and then opened them... with other make-up removing products it wasn't that bad or some of them gave me no irritations at all so it has to be this particular item that I'm having issues with. I will definitely not be getting it again and currently I'm already using Jojoba oil and it removes my make-up with the same ease and if I accidentally open my eyes it doesn't burn at all. 

The very last item in here is probably the most used one since I probably used up around ten tubes already and I have no intentions to stop using it. It is Neutrogena Clear & Defend oil free face moisturiser. It is lightweight jet moisturising, is nourishes my skin but doesn't add more oils to it. Great for under my make-up or on days when I don't wear foundation. For me it is a perfect hydrator and I'm already using a new tube. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

today's empties post is very special because all of the products shown are repurchases and therefore all amazing items which will be repurchased again in the future if I haven't already got them :)

Every few months I finish up one of these Neutrogena Oil free moisturizer, this one is from their Grapefruit line which has a slight scent but ingredients wise it is almost the same as the one from anti-acne range. I just get the one I ether see or is on sale. My skin loves it and I'm already using a new tube and have two backups.

Second is another one of my favorites and it is Essence Camouflage+ Healthy Glow liquid concealer in Light Ivory. This is light enough for me, creamy so it is easy to disperse but it doesn't crease under my eyes. Did I mention that it only cost a few Euros? The best one out there for me.

Summer inspired packaging belongs to Avon care revitalising with Banana hand cream. These are some of my favorites and even though they don't just change the scent but the formula sometimes is different this one is the best. Lovely, barely there Banana scent plus a very nourishing and lightweight formula which actually moisturizes my dry hands. The best one and I already repurchased it.

Terra Naturi made this Orange & Citrus lip balm which is my holy grail. I said in the past tense because they discontinued it and now make two different ones (I haven't tried them out yet, I'm hoping that they will be just as good). It is a bit on the greasy side, super moisturising and nourishing with a pleasant Orange scent. What more could I want from a lip balm? Nothing much and jet they still discontinued it...

This big bottle is Ziaja Bubble Cola body wash for kids, because I'm a big kid :) It is also repurchased item of mine (this empties post really is showcasing some of my favorites). It is brown like Cola and it smells exactly like it. I used it mostly as a shampoo, it made my hair super clean, removed all product buildup and it made them smelled like I poured Cola all over ;)  At the moment I'm using a grown up shampoo but after it is gone I'm going to start using my next bottle of Bubbly Cola :)

 

The last item in a glass pot in front is Avon mark cream eye shadow in Totally Taupe, also my second but unfortunately last pot because they discontinued it. Lovely silver/olive shade with silver sparkle which managed to keep my oily lids stay less greasy so my eye shadow stay put all day long. I would repurchase it if I could and get it in another shade as well.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

I'm back with some empties. This time all but one are ether already repurchased or I will get them again someday. There are some really nice products ahead.

This is one of my absolute favorite mascaras. It is Avon Supershock mascara in black with a limited edition packaging (otherwise it is plain black). I love the wand with its rubber head and tiny spikes which combs through every lash and separates them like no other. It hold a curl nicely but it doesn't elongate them but I'm cool about that. I am already using a new tube of the same mascara and I couldn't be happier.

This wand looks like it is washed, completely clean but trust me, there is still enough mascara left on it to make lashes look bomb. I used it for a couple of months and now I started to notice that it doesn't hold my curl any more so I'm replacing it with a fresh one.

Next is Essence Camouflage matt concealer in the shade Light Rose. I'm a massive fan of the Healthy Glow range of these concealers (the same packaging just instead of matte it says healthy glow). The thing is that when I was in the store I could not find my beloved version so I picked out this one and honestly I don't notice any big differences beside the shade. This is not dry as I was scared but it is super creamy and it doesn't sink into my lines. At the moment I have healthy glow version but in the future I don't care which one I will get as long as it is the light enough shade for me.

This Neutrogena Refreshingly Clear oil free moisturiser with Pink Grapefruit got me with the oil free claim and it reminded me so much of my 'regular' one from Neutogena (Visibly Clear line) in the orange tube with oil free claim on the front. On me this one performed the same except this one has a noticeable grapefruit scent. Below I will even put photos of the ingredients list (sorry for the bad photo but since the one in orange tube is full I wasn't able to squash it to get all the writing on it). The list is super similar and no wonder they both work for me. 

Neutrogena Visibly Clear oil free moisturiser

Neutrogena Refreshingly Clear oil free moisturiser with Pink Grapefruit

At the end there are two Ziaja products. First is hand cream with cashmere proteins and shea butter. At first it can be a bit oily especially if I put too much on but otherwise it protects and nourish my dry hands nicely. Light scent never bothered me and this cream never failed me. I would like to finish up a hand full of hand creams that I have and then I would repurchase it again.

Very last is Ziaja Natural Olive body lotion for dry to normal skin. It comes in this gigantic 400 ml bottle but I was surprised that I was able to finish it up so fast. It has a barely there scent, nothing too specific, I would say it smells like a lotion... This too can be a bit oily, the cream absorbs fast but slight oiliness remains which I don't like too much, this oily film would remain and it started to annoy me. My skin seems to like it because it didn't feel or look dry, so something in this formula is right, for me it is just that excessive film that bothered me and I won't repurchase it again.

Thankyou for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

it is the end of another month. I can't believe November is already gone and tomorrow is already December. Christmas lights are everywhere, cold temperatures as sticking all day long, all we need is some snow...

First is Bebe Repair lip balm with cute Bees all over the tube. It convinced me immediately since I buy anything with Honey. The scent is very realistic (much better in my opinion than the Honey lip balm from Biobaza) and the formula was really nice as well. I would repurchase it again, it is not my favorite in terms of moisture (it is not bad but I had some better ones) but the scent is totally worth it.

Catrice Camouflage cream concealer in Ivory is a must in my make-up routine. The shade is spot on and this texture is soft enough to blend seamlessly into my skin and cover some stubborn acne plus the shade Ivory fits me perfectly.

Essence Bye, Bye Panda Eyes mascara was an absolute surprise. Honestly I did not expect much from it because it was my very first one from Essence and I wasn't sure it will suit me. It had a big wand which I normally like and the formula vise, it was my first tubing mascara. It gets removed super easily with just some water but otherwise it was very long lasting and there was no fall out. I really liked it and for sure I will repurchase it again. 

Evelin nail polish remover is a really inexpensive one that I already had before so this is already a repurchased bottle. Very efficient for very little money.

On of my favorite hand creams is this Avon care glycerin hand and nail Jasmin with vitamin E cream. It absorbs super fast and leaves my hands nourished and well taken care of. The scent is a bit soapy but also very light. At he moment this is the only care hand cream that they have in the 100 ml tube (the rest are 75 ml and cost the same). This is amazing hand cream for me and I will repurchase it for as long as they will have it.

Last is Ziaja body wash for kids. This is brown body wash and it smells just like Coca-Cola or Cockta (hence the brown color). This is gorgeous if you like this type of scents. I honestly didn't know I will love it so much. I am no longer a kid but little things in life brings me joy and this body wash was a blast. I already ordered a new bottle which will last me another 3-4 months (this is a large 500 ml bottle).

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

November shopping

 Hello,

I did a little bit of shopping and I feel like I didn't do too much. It has been quite a long time ago since I got some new make-up and this little trip felt so good plus there are some 'necessities' that I'm running out so these will nicely replace them on time.

I am huge fan of Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation but this time I got it in a lighter shade named Porcelain Beige. Recently I had a feeling like my shade is a bit too dark so now I opted for a lighter option and I'm almost done with my bottle.

Next is another Catrice essential which is  Camouflage Cream in the shade Ivory. I have a little bit left in mine but since it is so very old I decided to just replace it with a fresh one. I love it for my uneven skin on my face and now with the mask covering my face and rubbing my skin and creating more acne...

I got myself a new lipstick and I'm super proud because I opted only for a tester and Avon recently came out with three new lipstick collections and I only got one out of all of them and even that one is a mini ;) This is Legend Cream lipstick and the shade is a lovely rose tone named Five Star.

Gloss next to it is from the new Catrice line named Powefull 5 lip balm (it looks like a gloss, it feels like a gloss, I don't know why they had to call it a lip balm?). I picked up the shade Fresh Acai Berry and can't wait to finally try it out.

On the bottom there is e.l.f. Make up mist & set fixing spray. I'm almost done with two so I decided to just get a new one that I haven't tried before even though I'm very happy with my Catrice ones.

Last are three new nail polishes and first is Catrice ICONails in a shade Get Lost In Red You Love which is a deep red and it reminds me of my first red polish from Avon Cherry Jubilee. It was dark red and oh so beautiful. I'm familiar with the Catrice lovely formula so I'm sure I will love it.

The other two are from Trend it Up Urban Safari collection. They look like they will be beautiful toppers but I will see how opaque they will be on its own. The shimmery white is 030 and olive green is 050.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Light Rose

 Hello,

for today I have one of the 'essential' products from my collection. I am a long time fan of Essence concealers and this one is no different.

It is Essence Camouflage + matt concealer in the shade Light Rose. I was scared that it would have a pink tone but I can't spot it, I think it just means that it isn't particularly yellow. To my vision it is pretty neutral and super light.

The packaging and the applicator is the same as it is on the Healthy Glow version which I'm very well familiar with and I love it. At first I was hesitant to get this matt version but then I decided to try out something new.

The shade is super light but it matches me, it is about half a tone lighter but I only use it around my eyes and it helps to even brighten this area.

I was really scared that matt formula means that it will be dry and will crease since the Healthy Glow version is perfect (it doesn't have any shimmer so I'm a bit confused as why one is matt and other healthy glow-y).

The packaging is exactly the same they just seem to focus more on the matt versions since they have more shades available. I seriously don't think it matters which version you get, just try to find the shade that matches you and you will be fine.

The formula is creamy enough to easily cover 'problematic areas', pigmented enough that you don't need much and with a light dusting of a powder it will be set and won't move around. I have particularly oily skin but my under eye area is normal to sometimes dry. On the last couple of days we had pretty cold weather and I haven't noticed any change in creasing or longevity of my undereye concealer. I even prefer Essence liquid camouflage concealer over the Catrice one in the similar styled tube and even that one is pretty great. I think Essence is crushing the game with its concealers and I hope they will never discontinue them, just bring even more shades and tones so we all can enjoy in it.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

another half a month has gone by and all I have for you is a bag full of empty products.

First lets start with a good one. It is Alkmene tea tree face wash. Very nice gel consistency with tea tree that helps keep my skin acne free and I love it very much. I definitely need to go and buy some more because at the moment I'm out of it.

I used to love and use pretty much only Dove deodorants but then I wanted to try something new. My sister gave me this Dove 48h Deodorant with matcha green tea and sakura blossom. It made me realize why I like them so much. It is still a very good one but now I'm layering it with another deodorant to get the perfect smell free combo. I need to go to the store and pick some more, maybe in a different scent, Pear perhaps?

I purchased this Balea Bahamas dream body lotion with coconut and frangipani scent ether last year or two years before. It is pretty old and I'm glad that I finished it up. It is very liquid and when I open it up I have to be really careful not to spill it. At first it smells really nice just like the description says but quickly it gets the plastic-y aftertaste and I don't like that. Quite a few Balea products did that to me and maybe that is the sign to stop buying them?

Next is my love: Essence camouflage Healthy Glow concealer in Light Ivory. This is my third tube and I hope they will never discontinue it. Great coverage and barely there creasing. I already have backup but out of curiosity I bought the matte version. It is not bad but I think I prefer the Healthy Glow one (it is a bit lighter in tone but other than that I don't see the difference in performance).

Next is SPA Ceylon happy uplifting balm roll on that my sister brought from abroad. I use to really like these fresh scents but now I moved to something sweeter and richer. I am aware that this is not meant to be worn as a fragrance but the scent is so strong that it overpowers everything. It is also very oily so I wasn't able to put it on my temples or on my wrists because I would just wipe it out onto my hair or clothes so I ended up using it in my car. I would put a bit of it on a paper and leave it in my car and the refreshing scent in a hot automobile felt really nice. 

Next is another love of mine and it is The Body Shop tea tree pore minimiser. It is already discontinued and I'm using my very last tube of it which is pretty sad. I like to apply this before my make-up to 'treat' my skin with tea tree. I really believe that my skin don't produce so much acne when I use products with tea tree and using face wash, oil and primer all with this magical ingredient in it... my skin is blemish free or at least not so very acne occupied since I started using more tea tree (I also know that a proper diet and combination of various ingredients play a massive role).

Another holy grail is this Beauty Glam clear skin serum with Salycylic acid and this particular acid is another miracle for my skin. I approximately use it every second day and aging my blemishes heal much faster or at least don't grow to such extents as they used to. I already got myself a new bottle and is already in good use.

Thank God this beautiful serum from Avon Advance Technique isn't gone yet. They did change or discontinued a couple but they left this silky hair serum. It is my third bottle and I like to use it especially on damp hair and in the morning they are softer and silkier, just like the bottle suggests. I don't have a back up yet but I have some other ones that I need to try first before I go back to this one.

The very last item is this limited edition Catrice Kaviar gauche face powder. It is a bit smaller, 4 g, than the 'regular' sized powders but it still took me a long time to finish it up. It is white and even on me (super pale gal) the slight white tone was present. Whenever I would apply it as a touch up (after 3-4 hours) it made my make-up look a bit cake-y and not so nice so I ended up using it as a neck powder (I use a bit of foundation on my neck as well and I need to powder it otherwise my hair will stick to it). 

That is all for my empties. I did order some new skin care online from a company I haven't tried before and I can't wait to try the products out. I hope I will find some new holy grails.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

shopping for less

Hello,

I did a 'little' bit of shopping the other day when the store had -20% on all make-up (skincare and fragrances included). I bought some favorites and some new to me items to try out.

If I start with lip products (my favorite), on top is another Catrice beautifying lip balm in Sheer you up (I already have one shade and I think that I have found it).
Next is Catrice plumping gel lipstick in The way I am (I know these are out for a while but I was looking for the 'perfect' shade.
Another Catrice generation Plump & Shine gloss in Pink Topaz (my third shade from the range).
Essence healthy glow+ liquid concealer in Light Ivory, is a backup. I absolutely adore this concealer so I had to have it.
Another great formula from Essence is their line of shine, shine, shine lip glosses and this time I opted for a shade Think Pink (my fourth one from the collection and probably my favorite shade from the bunch).
That day they had -50% on Sante and I took my chance and bought this mono shade in Sparkling Brown to try it out. I love shimmering browns and that one is right up my alley.
Catrice all matt shine control powder in Transparent is another back up, just in case if I ran out of my 10+ powders  ;)
Essence fruit kiss caring lip balm in Strawberry Kiss was an impulse buy, usually I'm not drawn to these balms but this time I swatched them (there are three different in the line) and I liked the shine and color plus they are pleasantly scented (mine obviously smells like fresh strawberries).
The very last item is probably the one I was lusting for the longest but higher price tag and the fact that I really don't need more blushes always kept me away... until now. It is Sante Silky Mallow blush that looks very natural jet manages to define my cheeks.

I'm very happy with all of the products and can't wait to play with them some more.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Shopping

Hello,

this past week I have been splurging. I purchased way more than I 'need' and when I came home and spread everything out I started to regret it. I have been really good this year and bought only a few items sprinkled through the entire year and now I caved in and bought too much. The store had a sale and I fell hard for it but at least I'm trying to comfort myself that some of the items are my staples or the ones that I already tried turned out to be really nice, so far there are no duds...

First is my beloved Catrice HD liquid coverage foundation in Light beige. Next is Essence camouflage matt liquid concealer in Light rose, I wanted to get the healthy glow one but since they didn't have it I decided to try this version. I haven't try it yet but since I use liquid concealer under my eyes... we will see. Next is a repurchased Essence all about matte powder that I loved back in the days but ever since I tried the Catrice all matt powder I stopped buying the Essence one. I wanted to try it out again to see, if it still works for me. The last powder is something new to me and I guess I was just curious and it is Essence mattifying compact powder.

I wanted to get a good lip stain for quite a while now and I will see if this one will get me where I want to and it is L'oreal I rule lip stain. This conditioning lip product is very talked about in the community and it seem like everyone is raving about it so I had to have it. I grabbed one of the Catrice dewy-full lips lip butter in the nude shade Be you! Dew you!. While I was at the Catrice stand I couldn't pass another shade from Catrice generation plump & shine gloss. I already have Nude Sapphire which is gorgeous but I wanted this one ever since I saw this beautiful coral number named Sparkling Coral. I don't own much from the brand She and I decided to change that by purchasing the Nude lip gloss in the shade 127. These Essence plumping nudes glosses in Big softie and XXL charm were also on my list for a long time and now I have them, I hope they won't disappoint me. The very last item is a lip balm and I got hooked when I saw it is a tube styled balm, I like anything glossy and this one is Blistex Cherry lip cream.

Here are some 'much needed' eye shadows (I really don't know jet where I will store them because I have so many). The first is Catrice The fresh nudes palette I love neutrals and that bright coral in the middle was what caught my eye. L'oreal  came out with these singles just recently and this one looked extra shiny and glossy so I had to bring it with me. Mine is in the shade Almighty. The last one is Essence Morning Glory eye shadow and I had no idea it looked so similar to the L'oreal one (I really was in the zone, just throwing items in my basked not really knowing what I was doing). It is pretty for sure but I will make sure I will swatch them side by side because I have a feeling that I won't need both.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

HD coverage foundation

Hello,

it is finally the time where I show you my favorite foundation for the past year. I have been wearing it non stop and I love it so much that I don't even care what else is on the market because I discovered almost the perfect match for me.

It is Catrice HD coverage foundation in the nuance Light Beige. I love the bottle with the pipette because the texture is so liquid that it works and when I'm almost done with it I just shake it upside down and get every last drop of it out and nothing goes to waste.
It has light coverage but it is buildable and I can get a really nice coverage out of it, it can cover almost all of my imperfections, what is left uncovered I apply some of my trusty camouflages (see on the swatch below). It sits lovely on the skin and it doesn't look fake, after a couple of hours (it depends how hot it is and how oily my skin gets) it can starts showing up but that is due to my oily condition. A little bit of Catrice all about matt fixing powder on top and I'm good.

Here I compare it with Essence Camouflage healthy glow in the shade Light Ivory and Catrice camouflage cream concealer in Ivory. The first swatch is the foundation which fits me perfectly when it is spread out. The second swatch is Essence and it is slightly lighter and more yellow tone and it is great for under my eyes and the very last one (barely there but trust me it is there) is another Catrice product and it is almost completely blended into my arm.
With my previous love (L'oreal infallible 24 h matte foundation) I had to use the lightening drops and that automatically prolongs the application time plus it never looked so natural on me. I'm a true believer and I will continue repurchasing it.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

I'm back with another quick post or at least I hope it will be short and sweet.
It is time for some empties.

First is The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice clarifying polishing powder wash. It is essentially powder that doesn't completely dissolve so it gently rubs and polish the skin. It really feels gentle but since I was used to some harsher stuff this felt a bit light so I used it more on a regular base. All in all, I think I have learn that gentle is the way to go but this little fella seems a bit expensive so I purchased similar polish from a different brand to try it out but this powder really showed me the new ways of scrubbing.

 Purple tube is already discontinued Holika Holika Moisture Petit BB with SPF 30 PA ++. This is my second used up tube of it and now I can't find it anymore. It was a smidge dark for me but high coverage, easy glide and blend with my skin was phenomenal. The high SPF which didn't break me out was a massive plus. The only downfall is that BB creams and my oily skin on the long run don't work that well, after a couple of hours I do look all greasy and after so many blotting sessions even powder couldn't help me out. After a couple of years of relying on Asian BB creams I switched completely on foundations and for now BB creams only come handy to blend my neck or on vacation.

This bottle of oil I bought on a whim. I remember seeing it on sale and I heard good reviews in general about this brand so I wanted to try at least something (even though I use up one of their face washes and it was average to me). Alpstories 100% pure Avocado Oil had a weird scent, slightly unpleasant but it went away pretty fast so it didn't bother me too much. The oil is liquid and thick at the same time, most of it I used as a make-up remover and it worked amazingly well. It managed to melt all of my make-up, next I followed with a face wash to remove 'dirty oil' and my face was clean but not dry. I thoroughly enjoyed it and after I will be done with the hazelnut oil that I'm using at the moment I will repurchase this particular oil again. I'm not sure where to get it but when I will run low I will make sure to find it out.

Second to last is this raved by everyone concealer. I for sure was amazed by it for quite a while but then something even slightly better came around. This is Catrice liquid camouflage high coverage concealer in the shade 010 Porcellain. It is a tad lighter than my skin but I found out that this slightly lighter tone helped brighten up my under eye area even better and I wasn't using it anywhere else. High coverage and creamy/liquid formula are what won everyone's hearts. I loved it a lot but then I got a hold of the Essence liquid concealer (healthy glow version is the best, compared to the Catrice one it creases even less and with the Catrice one you can barely even notice the creasing). I would buy any of the two but if I can choose than my vote goes to the Essence one.

The very last item is this another amazing product and it is Avon true color SuperShock volume mascara in black. My sister only wears this one so don't even think on discontinuing it Avon. I love the big brush with rubber spikes that combs through every single lash. It elongates them and makes them look super natural (no clumping). Of course you can add more layers to add volume to every single lash but it will never look fake or too done.On me it pretty much always looks like I'm not even wearing mascara in a good way. My eyes are still the center point without looking too unnatural. I have already repurchase it but now Avon came out with another similar looking mascara...



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

long time no words from me, I know I know but I'm back with one of the most 'refreshing' posts. That is how these empties feels for me, like a little Spring cleaning where I get to throw a bunch of empty and now useless packaging away.
Less clutter is how I want to live my life and that mostly includes using up what I have (check) and buying as little as possible (a bit smaller check ;)-

Okay, without any rambling this is Garnie oil beauty body scrub. I bought a set with lotion which was recommended to me by my sister (I haven't used it yet) but this scrub was nice. I prefer to use a brush for my body but this one smelled really good. Would I repurchase it, nope simply I don't think it is cost efficient compared with the big 'horse' brush which lasts for a really long time.

Mixa baby surgras moisturizer for face and body for sensitive and dry skin was another 'let's try it out' kind of product. A while ago I was into baby creams for my sensitive skin to provide it with necessary moisture and tone down my redness. I wasn't really pleased with it (I honestly don't even remember what I thought of it since it was so long since I used it), now I found it at the back so I just used it on my body to finish it up.

One of my favorite face washes is this Himalaya purifying neem foaming face wash. It is bright green but it comes out as a light foam which effectively removes everything from my face but it doesn't dry it out. I still love it and I will buy it soon, right now I'm using another favorite of mine.

Hands down my favorite under the eye area concealer is this Essence camouflage healthy glow concealer in Light Ivory. It is a bit light that is why I only use it under my eyes but I love how buildable the coverage is and how natural it looks, very very little creasing and that is amazing. I'm already using my next tube of it.

Huh, Essence used to make these prettifying lip oils in three options (I had all of them). This one is red named First help pinky. It had very little pigment but it was super glossy/juicy looking with nice nourishing properties even though constant reapplying was a must. Still, I think it is worth it.

This is my second Milnica's Rosemary toner. It has quite a strong herbal scent (I like it a lot) but the reason why I keep buying it is that I think it is nicely moisturizing, I even pour it into the spray bottle and use it on my face without any cotton pads that would absorb its magic.

The very last one is this Fenjal intensive creme deo roll on that I fell in love with. Roll on thingy is my favorite way of applying deodorant and I liked the fresh and clean scent of it and to top it of it really worked for me, no stinky underarms for me  ;)




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Camouflage Healthy Glow Concealer

Hello,

today I'm showing you one of my favorite necessities when it comes to make-up. I think we can all agree that most of us 'need' a bit of concealer under our eyes and I think I have found the one. I think I said that before about it's cousin but this one is even better for me.

It is the 'new' Essence camouflage healthy glow waterproof concealer in the shade Light Ivory. There are only two shades (mine is the lightest of the two) and a matte version which carries three shades.

I like the heart shaped applicator even though I always apply it on the back of my hand and never directly under my eyes (I'm too scared of contamination).

The shade is a bit lighter than my skin and yellow toned so it adds a bit of brightness to my under eye area. I think it fits me pretty well but I can't use it on the other parts of my face (to cover pimples) because the lighter tone drags too much attention. For the rest of my face I still use Catrice camouflage cream in the pot.

Here I compared my new and old favorite of mine. The first swatch is Essence camouflage healthy glow in Light Ivory and second is Catrice liquid camouflage in Porcellain. Wow, I didn't really think that the colors and tones are so different but here you go. Porcellain matches my skin perfectly, I can use it under my eyes and also everywhere on my face which is great because one product does it all. I have noticed that the Essence has a bit lighter coverage that the Catrice one but it is still pretty impressive. I would say that both are medium to high coverage concealers. The only thing that bothered me with the Catrice concealer was that it creased ever so slightly but with the Essence one I can barely notice anything. On the long run Essence one looks more natural (I only have to make sure that I blend it well with my foundation so it doesn't look obvious because of the tone differences) because I don't even need to touch it up.
Not accentuating my fine lines under my eyes is a big factor and in this run the Essence wins for me. I like it so much that I'm using it non stop and it is almost empty (don't worry, I already bought a new tube of it  ;). There is still a little bit left in the Catrice bottle which I will use up after time but I don't think I will repurchase it, not if Essence decides to stick with their camouflage.





Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

for the last time this year here are my empties.

Avon glycerin hand and nail cream is hands down my favorite one and I have been through so many tubes of it already that I don't even know if it has any sense to talk about how amazing it is.

Avon naturals milk and honey is another hand cream that came to an end but besides of its lovely scent it didn't convince me. The texture can be too greasy if I applied too much but otherwise it didn't handle my dry skin. To me it was pointless and I won't repurchase it again.

Another Avon tube and it isn't the last one  ;) this one is from the Planet SPA line and it is the  Caribbean Escape face massage mask with crushed pearls and algae extract. I know that that description doesn't sound appealing but it smells divine. Very comforting, creamy and luxurious. This mask has some scrub particles in it but they don't do much since they are so sparse but the moisture is real. I can feel the layer on my skin even after washing it off and it lightly moisturize my skin. I like it but not so much to repurchase it.

Avon foot works exotic paradise exfoliating scrub with coconut scent. I usually get these foot works scrubs because they are packed with scrubbing particles but I use them on my face with very little pressure so I don't damage my skin and because I really think that they work and are super cheap I will continue buying them but this one disappointed me a bit. I feel like it wasn't so very scrubby.

Afrodita Great Burdock hair oil is another repurchase of mine and I got all of my close ones hooked on. Seriously, if you want your hair to grow use this one two or three times and you will thank me later.

Rimmel Oh my Gloss! oil tint in the shade Master Pink was something I was working on it for a while. I checked what I have written in my initial review and I still agree with it. The texture is a bit thin and it goes away a bit too fast for my taste. After a longer period of time I find out that it isn't very nourishing and honestly I have other oils and glosses that comfort my lips and gives them plenty of shine so I won't buy it again.

Catrice luxury Lips intensive care gloss oil in the color Revolution-berry lips. It was the most 'pigmented' out of the bunch and therefore my favorite. It gave my lips a  nice flush and it did manage to moisturize them. For me this formula was much much better than the Rimmel one I talked previously.

This Lily Lolo mineral concealer in the shade Blondie is super duper old (they have different packaging now for instance). I don't know how people can use this all over their faces because on me it this was very drying and it made me look much older (wrinkles got more pronounced and dry patches emerged) but I found some use for it. Whenever I got a pimple I would brush a bit all over that little sucker and it dry it down while wearing make-up. I only had to be careful because the color was a smidge light for me but some face powder dusted all over fixed it. Even though it was nice for my acne or the opposite, my acne were afraid of it I won't buy it again.

The very last item is Essence Hello Autumn TE multicolored powder in Autumn & the city. It had four different golden/beige/brown shades and sometimes I picked some specifically and used them on my eyes but if I just swirled all of them together it created a nice golden highlighter, if I proceeded to pack it on the slight brown base showed and it looked like a glowy bronzer. I liked that versatility but through the years I found better products and this one more and more started to look like a glitter on the skin. I think it dried so the only solution that I came up with was to smash it and mix it in with different hair sprays so my hair can shine like they deserve it  ;)



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

new Essence and Catrice products

Hello,

Cosnova PR team sent me this huge package of goodies and I couldn't be happier. I  picked out the items that I wanted so I have a very strong feeling that I'm going to love all of them.

I don't think that the new Essence products are on our shelves already but they will be in a week or two.

I got Prime + Studio mattifying + pore minimizing primer with black clay (there are three versions for different skin types). I'm on a hunt for a really good mattifying primer and this one came out at just the right time.

Cosmic lights is the new line of metallic nail varnishes with holo glitter dispensed in the base. It looks interesting and I can't wait to try it out. There are 6 color options, I received Welcome to the Universe.

They will come out with new concealers in matte (three color options available) and dewy (two shades) finish. I received Camouflage +healthy glow concealer in the shade 10 Light Ivory. It is the lighter out of the two shades and I will see how it handles my under eye area.

New line of lipsticks will join the range and they are the Velvet matte lipsticks. I received fiery red in the shade 06 Unredsistible. The shade looks bold and I hope that the formula will be a longlasting one.

The very last item from Essence is this Melted Chrome 04 Steel the look eye shadow. Even in the packaging this baby looks sparkly and intense, something for brave people ;)

I sign up for another face primer. It is called Prime and Fine poreless blur primer Goodbye Pores with longlasting soft focus effect. It will be interesting to see which one will perform better on my oily skin. I will inform you back as soon as possible.

I already had one of their waterproof mascaras and just recently (in my last empties) I had to trash it because I had it open for way too long. I'm super happy to get to try a new one especially since my sister's wedding is around the corner. The Little Black one waterproof volume mascara in Like Jackie O is mine in the blue packaging, there is also the silver version available which isn't waterproof if you don't like that  formula.

Eye shadow Stix up to 12h lasting sweat proof in the color 010 Satinfaction caught my attention the moment I saw the preview. I don't quite know what it is about pencil styled shadows that attract me so much but I really like them. This lighter shade looks perfect for me.

And lastly are the cool Peeloff glam effect nail varnishes. I love adding glitter on top of 'boring' cremes so I wonder if they will perform on top of other varnishes or they have to be applied directly on the dry nail? I guess we will see. There are 8 shades and I received 01 Stress does not go well with my polish and 03 When in doubt, just add glitter.


Huh, that was a lot and in front of me are days full of testing and I can't wait to try all of the products out. Thank you Cosnova for a wonderful gift.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day