Empties

 Hello,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this is the second part of my empties for the month of May. This whole month went by so fast, it feels like I only blinked and it was gone.

I used up my first Maybelline Lifter gloss in Moon (I already have a backup). This slight pinky base with tons of shimmers is beautiful. It looks great on its own or layered. Scent is caramel like and very enjoyable. I am glad that I have a backup since I am not out of love with it.

Next is mini 2aN Glaze Bouncing Tint in the shade Peach Ade. Received it as a gift with purchase and I immediately fell in love with it. I love the glossy tin, even tint and the exact shade. I am thinking of getting the same one in full size again because it is that good.

Green bottle is Alexandre J. The Majestic Vetiver perfume. I have all six versions and after purchasing them I did not love them except for the red one and now every one that I touch I like. Most of them are very dry wood and then they added something special to the mix. This one is woody and there is vetiver not super fresh but also not completely dry, something in the middle and I really like it. On most days I layer it with something fruity or fresh. 

Next is another mini, this one is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-fresh Rice +B5, SPF 50+ PA++++. That was a super long name :) I already have three SPF lotions for face that work for me and I just found another one. This one has a semi liquid formula and it absorbs quickly, I love that there is no greasy finish or white cast, i also haven't experience any breakouts so I think it is safe to say that this one just joined my beloved SPF creams. After I finish the one I am using at the moment I am getting big size of this one. 

Second to last is Nude by Nature translucent loose finishing powder in the shade 01 Natural. At first I was using it as a fixing powder and it did not work, I got so greasy that it was not even funny. I just couldn't believe that it is fixing powder I flipped it and discovered that it is finishing powder... I was using it wrong for a few days :) Then when I discovered what it actually is I just did not see any point of using it. It made no difference so thankfully it is mini and it was quickly gone.

Lastly there is one of my old favorite fixing powders from Catrice. It is their all matt plus powder in Transparent. I am throwing it away because around two years ago I was using it to fix my make-up during my work, then I started using something better in the morning and I did not need to touch up so this one was just sitting there in the locker... now it is super old and I don't dare to use it, I imagine it is fully infested with all kinds of nasty. I am throwing it away but this one was a nice powder, it kept my oils at bay for hours, towards the end of my work day some came out to play but not much.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Moonlight

 Hello,

I am back with another face palette. I used to have only one face palette, now I have I think three more... I always find it hard to find one where I like all of the included shades.

On the photos there is Gogo tales Highlight Contouring face palette in Moonlight option. There are two matte highlighter shades, one warm bronzer and one contour shade.

I love the unconventional pan division. It makes it a bit more unique and separates this palette from any other.

I started swatching it from the top pale shade which has a bit of yellow in it, then followed with pretty warm toned bronzer, next with a contor which isn't super cool toned and I wish it would have more grey in it. Last is tall white shade. 

None of the shades has any shimmer and I kind of wish there would be one light shimmery shade so it would substitute as a glowy highlighter... I don't do matte highlighter. I did try it out but it is not for me.

I like the two cream shades more than I thought. The one with yellow undertone is nice to set my eye primer, concealer and just use all over my eyes. I use fluffy brush and the shade isn't very pigmented, just light dusting to prepare for eye shadow. The cooler toned, almost white one has more pigment and is brighter. If I use this one with the same fluffy brush under my eyes it sets my concealer and additionally brighten the area. First one is more neutral and whiter one is for a more dramatic look.

I really enjoy this palette and can use it on my face and on my eyes, I am really surprised just how nice it is.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Pink Grey

 Hello,

I wanted to venture a bit into face palettes, especially to get a new contour powder. I found this brand and since these are very inexpensive I took two different ones, this is the first one since the colors appeal to me more.

This palette is from Veecci and it is their face palette in Pink Grey option (there are four plus some limited editions). This one looked the most versatile for me. 

The ripple effect on the packaging is beautiful and nice to touch :)

It is supposed to contain one shimmery and one matte highlighter, blush and contour shade, since I am probably not the right skin tone as the brand predicted soft pink 'blush' barely shows up on me and even then it is too pale to be called a blush, at least on my skin tone.

I swatched them in clockwise order, starting with the shimmery highlighter. I like this one on my eyes, for my cheeks I feel like it is too shimmery. 

Pink blush is a bit too pale for me skin tone so I started using it on my eyes to set my eyeshadow primer and set my concealer. I use fluffy brush and the color does not show up.

Third is contour which isn't super cool on me but something in between. I would prefer for it to be a bit more grey but even like this I can use it on my cheeks or my eyes.

Last is big pan of this cream matte highlighter. It is slightly lighter on my skin when I pack it on. I can use it in the same matter as the matte pink shade, under and over my eyes to set concealer or primer.

Contour shade is very powdery, soft pink one also kicks some but not that much, the other two are fine.

I love the packaging but shades aren't quite right for me. I like the contouring powder but since it is in small packaging it will be used first and fast. It is not a bad palette, I can see myself using these shades but only the brown shade for its purpose. The two mattes could be used as powders for my eye areas, face and neck. For the shimmery shade I even have a plan to crush it and mix it with my hair spray to add some sparkles and finish it up because I don't believe I can use it all up on my eyes.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

empties

Hello,

these are my July empties and there are a handful of items.

In the summertime my hair get greasier faster so I used dry shampoo between washes a bit more. This Batiste Blush option is one of my favorites. If I don't shake it well or put too much in one area it can make my hair look a bit too dull but if I am careful this one really works well. This scent as mentioned is one of my favorites.

Next is Ahava mineral botanic velvet body lotion in the Lotus & Chestnut option. I actually purchased it for my sister since she mentioned that she likes it but I bought the wrong one... she was talking about a different scent... at the end I decided to keep it and use it myself. It had a light lovely scent and it did nourish my skin. I liked it a lot but I think it is a bit pricey.

 I have ordered this set from Just last year and only now I got to use it. It has Argan and Cedar ingredients and scent. Top is a body wash and bottom is body butter. The scent is a bit masculine but I liked that. Body wash was nothing to special and I used it up rather quick but the butter was thick and whipped. A little went a long way and my skin felt nice after using it. If this would still be available I would get the butter again.

This mini Urban Decay all nighter spray was a gift with purchase and I had hight hopes. The sprayer was nice but I noticed that my face would get greasy faster than usually. I don't mean that it is bad, just taht I have found better.

I am talking about this Catrice ultra last fixing spray which keeps my make up in place for longer and I don't get as greasy. I stopped counting which bottle this is but probably I have gone through ten already and I still have about ten backups. The price is also better than the UD one.

Bottle with the pump is Avon advance technique silky smooth hair oil. This was my second or third bottle of it and I still like it a lot. I would put it on freshly washed hair while still slightly damp and they would dry with less frizz and smoother. If needed I would occasionally put them on dry hair as well but I had to be careful not to make them too oily. I would get this one again.

Empty tube is The Body Shop Petal Rose hand cream. Nice floral scent and almost gel texture which was quick to absorb but it wasn't hydrating enough. They have different scents within the line which fit my dry hand better.

Little pink pot is The Body shop vitamin E moisture cream which felt very light. I remember having one before (gel format) and I liked it more... this is probably different version and I didn't find it hydrating enough even though it did absorb quickly. I will not be buying it again.

I have been wanting to try these Fresh balms for at least two years now. I have seen them on someone and I couldn't get them out of my head. Finally I gave in and pay the rather hefty price for only 6g of product but the product inside is so worth it. The fruity mango scent (I am not sure how mango scent smells like but this could it be it, it is fruity :) and it glides effortless. I don't love the yellow/orange hue of the product because it can look wrong (like I have been eating eggs but forgot to wash). Mostly I was wearing it to bed and the next day my lips were hydrated and soft. I tottaly got myself a new one, this time in Coconut version :)

Catrice HD baking & setting loose powder in the 01 shade. It looks white and also gives a bit of a white cast if I wasn't careful. This one, I think, is my first loose powder and while it is messy it also worked well with my extra oily skin. I am using their HD liquid foundation with this mattifying powder on top and Catrice fixing spray (mentioned above) and at the end of the day my make up looked still presentable. I was very happy with this powder but they discontinued it :(. before it was completely gone I purchased two white ones and two 03 shades (02 which would probably be my match was sold out) so now I am mixing the white and colored powder together to get the right mix :)

Out of eleven used up products I would get 6 of them again but for the other 5 I have no sorrows.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Asian make-up no. 1

 Hello,

I haven't. done one of these in a long time and since I feel very excited for it I decided to take a photo and memorise this moment. It is actually just the first half of my Asian haul. 

I picked up cute Fwee pink obsession stay fit in Way Pink. What a cutie pie :)

Both eyeshadow palettes are Judydoll play color all in one palette (including blush and sparkly highlighter) I honestly don't know why one has transparent lid and other one is hidden. They are in Pink Taro and Smoked Wood options.

On top is Etude zero sebum drying powder which is supposed to be great for oily skin like mine.

Light pink under the powder is Veecci dual ended watery lip gloss in Guava sweet dreams. It looks like there is gloss and silicone blending tool in there-that is the duality, not actually two products.

On top of the palette is another cute Fwee lip and cheek glowy jelly pot in the Milky option.

TirTir waterism glow tints in Nutty Pink, Sand Mond and Merry Coral are on the bottom.

Next are four Peripera lip products from different lines. First are ink glasting lip glosses in Comfy Cozy, Get Happy and Berry Best. Fourth is Ink mood glowy tint in Happy Berry version.

Second to last tube is fun Etude Sugar coloring jelly balm in Bare Pink. I had a tough decision pink up the shade because I wanted more than one ;)

Lastly I finally caved in and got myself a tube of Lanege lip glowy balm in Sweet Candy, again so hard to pick just one :)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

in this and the last post I am showing quite a little selection of empties but there are a few more products that I would have used up if only I would have a few more days left... I reckon the next post will be overflown with empties.

First is another Balea body wash, this time it is Wild Rose and Peach scent, to my nose this one wasn't as good as the other one but still enjoyable. It is the same runny formula that doesn't foam and I just have a weird feeling washing with it, almost as if I would just be washing with water... I will not buy from this range again.

Next is Rosemary toner from Milnica. This one is quite old since I can't quite remember when was the last time I purchased form them. I used to love toners but now I find them almost unnecessary in my routine. I did pour it into a spray bottle and applied it while spraying it directly on my face (this way I avoided using cotton pads which absorb majority of the product) and I think it is okay but there were no big differences, I was just using it to use it up. I still have a few toners left and when I will finish them up I have no desires to buy more as of now.

Next is another product that I feel indifferent about. It is Afrodita's Hydrating gel cream with Coconut water. This is very watery and runny formula but still a little goes a long way, it does smell like sweet coconut. I didn't notice any big change in my skin while using it so I will not buy it again.

The very last item is my beloved Rimmel Stay Matte Transparent face powder. It is the right shade for me, it looks good applied over fresh make-up or as a touch up during a long day, it always make me look less shiny but it doesn't look caked. Truly a lovely powder for very cheap. I already have a few backups.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

new year and new me. This year my resolution will be to continue on this trail of buying less and use up what I already have. I know I'm not starting with a big bag of empties but I feel like I used up a lot of items last year so that is also good.

First is a hand cream from Afrodita. It is their Grape anti-ageing hand cream (now they have it in a different packaging). To me this smells like heaven but I don't like the greasy formula (all of their hand creams are on the greasy side, my dad loves them but I'm not a fan) so I used it all over my body at night time. I noticed that they now have a body wash and a lotion... it is sold out at the moment but I hope it comes back and I will rather get that duo.

Next is one of my favourite face powders (I think it got discontinued and it is replaced with a new formula which I haven't tried yet). It is my beloved Catrice all matt plus face powder in the shade option Transparent (the lightest shade opposed to white). I think it makes my skin matte looking and it doesn't look too cakes even after a few hours or after retouching. I still have some backups and then I will just try the new one.

Next is another discontinued product and also one of my favourites as well. It is Avon anew hydro-advance eye cream. It is a thicker cream that I only used at night time (it took too long to wait for it to get absorbed, there is Shea butter quite hight in the ingredient list and it shows). I loved this eye cream (I finished around five or six of them) because I really can see a difference in my skin around my eyes, especially in my less visible wrinkles after using it for a few weeks. At the moment I am trying some new stuff but I haven't been convinced yet. This eye cream will be deeply missed and I hope Avon comes out with something just as amazing as this one was.

The very last item is not new and also it isn't getting discontinued (at least to my knowledge). I had this Blistex classic lip protector before and I remember really liking it so I got myself a new tube and it is just as amazing as I remember. It is clear, very soft (I don't need to rub excessively) and I love the gloss it gives my lips plus there is a scent that I just can't describe but it is lovely. My lips are soft and supple when I use this balm and even in the colder days my lips didn't get dry when I was reapplying it constantly. This is one of my favourites and I already got myself a backup :)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this month was quite successful when it comes to finishing up products and if the month would have a few extra days I could squeeze even more empties in...

Balea comes out with limited editions pretty regularly and this one I just couldn't resist. It is Follow your heart body wash with a Floral and Tropical Fruits infused scent. I mostly just smell a mixed fruit scent but it is lovely. In the past I had some and most of them had a bit of plastic scent to them but fortunately not this one. If I will find another bottle I will get it again.

Next is the lotion from Avon Today, Tomorrow, Always collection. Mine is in the Today scent which is so far my favorite. A beautiful creamy white flower scent (I also had a bottle of perfume), it was a nice addition (not particularly moisturizing but I bought it for the scent alone) and it was so nice to go to bed smelling like this white floral lady :) I think I will eventually get it again just because I like the scent.

Catrice Bronze away to Fiji (LE from 2021)and Sungasm (LE from 2020) make-up fixing sprays. I used them together because I wanted to see if they performed different on my skin but I haven't noticed any difference. I feel like they make them very similar each year and release them under new packaging. I still have one bottle left from last year which will last me long enough to get new one this year if they will release one this Summer...

Biore seems like such a popular brand oversees and when it arrived in our stores I was over the moon but it still took me months to buy something. At the end I picked up a mechanical face scrub (I purchased it a long time ago) it is their Rose quartz collection with active charcoal infused formula. I no longer enjoy scrubs on my face but this one felt very gentle so it was easier to use up but I also used it on my body just to finish it up faster. Needles to say that I won't buy it again but maybe I will get something else since I'm still interested in what this brand has to offer.

I also finished up two Catrice all matt plus face powders in Transparent shades (they are skin colored not white). I had one at home and another one at work for touch-ups and finished them at the same time. These are some of my favorites and very inexpensive but I think they quietly replaced them with different ones since I can't find these anymore...

The Body Shop shine lip liquid in the shade Strawberry BonBon which is a lovely soft pink with an actual candy scent but it has no taste. The formula is infused with oils but my lips still got dry at the end of the day if I was only using this product. The biggest setback is the longevity, this lasts half an hour on me, it is not sticky and the shade is great but reapplying it constantly is not my jam so I won't repurchase it.

The very last item has most of its writing rubbed off but it is discontinued Essence plumping nudes lip gloss in the shade Big Softie. Neutral toned nude with a hint of cooling and since I don't like tingling lip glosses anymore this slight effect was bearable. This lasted up to one hour (much better than the previous gloss) but I still wouldn't repurchase it since this brown/nude shade wasn't my favorite. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

I'm fresh from my Summer vacation and I feel super rejuvenated. I could finish up more than just two bottles of sun lotion but I was rotating among different tubes and that was all I could finish.

DM brand called Sun Dance makes affordable sun lotions and by my experiences very nice ones (they do protect my skin from UVB light because I don't burn ;). First is light sun lotion with SPF 20 with Coconut scent (very nice and tropical if I my add and it doesn't turn plastick-y). It is a mineral protection with Titanium Dioxide and because it is in nano particles it is not sticky or white. I actually really like it and because the protection is a bit lower as what I normally go for I layer it with something else and in this case I used another Sun Dance item. Sensitive sun lotion with calming Panthenol and with SPF 30. It contains the same mineral filter in nano particles but this one is a bit thicker and greasier for the first few minutes but after it sinks in I can't feel it at all. These two were with me last year already and I also came back from my vacation burn free and with a hint of tan. I will repurchase them again but I'm afraid that they revamped their range and have completely different range of products now...

Online I purchase this Jojoba oil from Dr. Feelgood brand that honesty I haven't herd of before. I really liked the packaging but the oil didn't feel quite right. I'm used to thicker oils and this one was extra thin. The good part was that it absorbed really fast and I used it as a moisturizer but I purchase it as an oil to remove my make-up and for that thicker texture is preferred. With this one I'm really on the fence because it isn't a bad product just not quite what I expected... and I'm not sure if I would repurchase it again.

Last two items are two face powders. First is Essence all about matt waterproof fixing powder which was available only in one white shade. This did gave me a bit of a white cast so I had to be careful when applying to prevent me from looking like Casper the ghost. I believe because the formula is waterproof it was extra drying so sometimes when applied over fresh, slightly sticky make-up it looked a bit cakey but the longer I had it on, the better it looked. Obviously, the illusion didn't last all day long (I have extremely oily skin) so after around four or five hours my natural oils would come through and I needed to touch up but it was better to use a different powder on top because this one looked too cakey. I'm glad that it is gone and I wouldn't repurchase it again even if it would still be available (I believe it is long discontinued).

The second is one of my favorite ones and it is Rimmel London Stay Matte in the shade Transparent. This one looks good applied over fresh make-up or reapplied through the day. The shade is great (but I also think that it doesn't have that much of coverage) and it is super inexpensive. I just ordered two more so I guess I can say that I love it :)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

this time I will be super short and sweet :)

I finished this Dusch Das body wash in Magnolia scent. It is one of my favorites but I think next time I will try something else, a different scent. Right now I crave something extra fruity and refreshing. These are super inexpensive and I think they do the job properly.

Next is another oldie, it is Essence nail polish remover with Strawberry and Passion fruit scent. I had this one for so long that I wasn't able to pick up the scent, just regular acetone. This one is also very inexpensive and it does the job, so if it is still available I will repurchase it again.

In the glass bottle is Beauty Glam Hyaluronic Boost Serum. I like using this ingredient under creams and oils in the night time to make sure my skin locks up enough moisture especially when it feels a bit dry. I found this brand in our local store and they carry a few varieties. I am slowly trying them all and so far I haven't been disappointed.

The very last item is my tried and trusted Rimmel London Stay Matte powder in the shade Transparent. I finished up a few of them and I just keep coming back to it. I like how it sits on top of freshly applied make-up or after a couple of hours when my nose need some touchup, plus it doesn't cost an arm and a leg ;)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

another empties post in a row. This has become the easiest post to write but also I had nothing new to talk about. That changed yesterday because I went shopping and bought a few new make-up bits. I wanted to get new face primer and along the way I got some more products...

Biobaza Bee Balm and I have two versions of them. Yellow is Ginger & Honey and purple one is Lavender & Vanilla. In my initial review I said that they are on the top three list of my favorite lip balms formula but now I seem like I changed my mind. I wore them in the cold weather and that is when I had some issues. It seem like this formula doesn't like cold weather because it gets all gunky, hard and sticky at he same time while on the lips, outside or indoors if it is too cold. That product buildup is not looking nice and it also feels 'uncomfortable'. If I ever repurchase these I will make sure to use them while it is warm but at the end I don't think I will. There are so many brands out there that I would like to try out...

Next is this lovely dry shampoo from Langhaar Mädchen which is already a repurchase. Affordable price with a lovely scent, somehow floral with a touch of power, barely any white residue and matte finish. This is neck to neck with the Batiste and I will buy more from both brands, I just wish LM would have more scents but this one that they have is amazing already, so...

Last are two face powders, one is my old time favorite and the other one I just finished up so I can throw it away. One of my favorites is Rimmel London Stay Matte face powder in Transparent. I went through a couple of them and I still have backups. I love how matte my face looks like and it holds my oils at bay for a few hours and then I just retouch and continue with my day.

The other one is Benecos Natural compact powder in the shade Porcelain. When I bough it it was the lightest shade available (maybe now they have shades for paler people but I haven't checked them out in a while). It was too dark for me but I would use it on my neck to help it match (my neck seems to appear lighter than my face so I use a tad lighter foundation on my face and a tad darker one on my neck and at the end my face and neck don't look like they belong to two different people ;)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

it is the last day of August and for me it is time to showcase my empties. I have quite a few make-up related items and I'm super happy to finally see some of them being empty and gone.

From Dusch das I have this Magnolia body wash which I had previously and really liked the Magnolia scent. It is creamy and floral and I enjoy it a lot, plus it is very inexpensive. I have another backup but I will wait a bit and use something else in between.

Next is another body was and it is from Balea and it is their Raspberry and Rose body wash. This is also my second bottle ad this scent is one of my favorites but unfortunately it was only a limited edition so I can't get my hands on it anymore. I predominately used this as my shampoo, it was able to remove all of the residue (balms, oils and all kinds of sprays that I use on my hair) and made my hair super soft and clean.

Last is Victoria's Secret Mango Temptation body spray. I purchased it a couple of years ago and back then I loved the scent now I think it is just okay. I sprayed myself and my room with it daily to be able to finish it up. The scent was nice, creamy Mango but it faded way too fast for my liking. I have another scent from them and when I will finished it up, I probably won't buy more from them. I now use perfumes instead of body sprays.

I manged to use up two Rimmel London Stay Matte lightweight, mattifying powders in Transparent. I would use one in the morning at home and the other one I would keep at work for touch ups. This powder is really nice for my oily complexion because it keeps me matte for longer plus it doesn't look all cake-y applied on top of my make-up after a couple of hours. I already unpacked two new ones and are ready to be used.

Trend it Up face contouring set in all matte 010 shade (swatches are here). First pan held contouring cool toned powder which was my favorite even though I figure it out that I don't find contouring my face an essential step and I could easily drop this habit but since I have the product... If I would get this palette again I would get it only because of this perfect for my skin tone shade. Second was a super warm bronzer that I didn't exactly love. It is gone and now I can move to the more enjoyable shades. The very last pan was filled with a slightly yellow toned powder and was meant to be used to lightly highlight the high points of your face but since it matched my skin tone completely I used it as a face powder and I was done with it pretty fast. This palette is done and gone, I feel happy to be finished but I won't repurchase it.

This Avon SuperExtend Lenghtening mascara in Brown/Black shade is still one of my favorites. Plastic wand brushes through my lashes and separates them while the little fibres adds to the length. Very nice and it can look a bit dramatic without looking like a fake lash look. At the moment I'm using the Essence mascara that I enjoy very much but this will definitely get repurchased.

The only remaining cream highlighter is this Catrice dewy finish strobe to glow highlighter in the shade Space Queen, Silver Rose (heavy swatch below). It looked amazing on me but cream products are so hard to finish up before they turn so I used it also on my chest and arms, I tried really hard to finish it up this year so now I can 'finally' use my powder highlighters.

The very last item is this amazing Avon Always on Point eye liner in the color Molten Rose. This is completely finished and I couldn't get any more for a little swatch at the end. It was supposed to be rose gold but to me it was more of a bronze shimmery shade. I loved it on its own, especially on my lover lash line or over some darker color on top of my upper lid. So fun and quick to do. At the moment I have nothing to replace it but I would like to have something similar so I just might go shopping...

Next week I will finally be on a vacation and fingers crossed the weather will stick so I will be able to suntan (I will take a lot of sun protection with me), swim and read lots of books. This years vacation will be different from last years but hopefully I will relax and have some good time despite everything that is going on.

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

Empties

Hello,

I like this collection from Avon naturals Raspberry & Hibiscus (it smells really nice, just like if I rolled in Raspberries) and this is hair mist to just add the scent to the hair. Since I started to use perfumes regularly this started to get unnecessary. I started to use it after using dry shampoo to get rid of the white cast and it helped to prevent white residue. I'm happy that I found a way to use it and that it is finally used up. I will no longer buy it because there is no need for it but I will for sure buy the shampoo and the conditioner from the same line.

Next is this Aveo Harmony hand cream that my mom gifted to me. It has a lovely scent of Violets and the formula isn't that bad. I still prefer the Avon Care hand creams but this is also very nice formula and they always have plenty of different scents to pick from. It helped to prevent dry skin and nourish my hands, you only have to be careful not to apply too much because then it won't absorb and your hands will be left all sticky.

This dry shampoo was an impulse purchase a while ago. It is from 'new' brand Langhaar Mädchen. They have lovely packaging and I also tried (smelled) their hair oil and it smells delicious but I decided that I don't need it at the moment but instead I got myself this dry shampoo and I could not be happier. The scent is kind of hard to describe it is very soft powdery-floral but it still makes a punch but the formula is what makes this one great. It has a very light white effect and when you shake or comb your hair they just look matte (what you wanted) and it doesn't change the color that much which is an absolute bonus. If I compare it to the popular Batiste they have more scents and are stronger but also the white cast is more obvious with the Batiste brand. So if you want something barely there go for this Langhaar Mädchen brand but if you prefer to switch out the scents then go with the Batiste. I think I will still buy from both brands (I can't forget the Batiste Peony scent but I prefer the formula of LM brand).

Next tube is the sad one :( In the past I have already used one and since I liked it so much I bought a set of this lotion and the fragrance. Unfortunately I have waited too long and this lotion went bad. It is Avon Perceive body lotion. The scent is powdery white flowers. Like clean cotton shirt that has been dried outside on the white flowers field, if that makes sense. I still have the 30 ml bottle of the perfume and for now that will have to be it. For a while now I'm not planing on buying new lotions since I have so many but if my taste won't change after I go through what I have I will probably buy it again but then I will make sure to use it up completely shortly after getting it.

Another Avon Perceive product and this one is the Oasis fragrance. To me it smelled like fresh cut Roses. Scent of Roses mixed with green notes, like a fresh cut bouquet. I used to really like scent like that but now I prefer something heavier and sweeter. I have been layering it and also using it as a room spray.

Another fragrance will leave my space and this one I liked even better than the one before. It is Avon Passion Fruit scentini fragrance. I know they have a bunch of these and they encourage you to buy more and layer them. I had quite a lot of them but at my recent decluttering I gave all of them away and kept only this fruity one. It is called Passion Fruit and that is how it smells like. Very fruity and at first it is also very strong. It doesn't have that much citruses added so it is not zingy but on a creamier side. Even though I'm not into super fruity scents this one still warm up my heart.

The very last items is this Rimmel London Stay Matte face powder in Transparent. After trying it a couple of times I fell in love with it and soon I found them on sale and bought a bunch of them as backups (I think I have five or six more ;). It performs very well on my oily skin. I like how it keep my natural oils at bay for longer and even when I reapply it at work it doesn't look cakey. Those two reasons are enough for me to go and buy multiples. I still love my Catrice all matt face powder but I got this Rimmel one for less  ;)



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

Sunkissed Beauty

Hello,

product of the day is somewhat confusing, is it a face powder or a bronzer? I guess it depends from your skin tone but it does have shimmer, so...

It is Essence mosaic compact powder in Sunkissed Beauty. On their web page I can find it under powders not bronzers but a quick swatch made me believe that this is bronzer for my complexion.

I love the little colorful sections as they make the product a little more special and unique looking (I had my eyes set on the mosaic blushes but at the end I didn't purchase any because I figured I already have similar shades in my collection).

I'm so sorry that the photos of the swatch didn't turn out to be better. This product isn't orange toned but it is peachy. How often can you say that the bronzer is peach toned? And if you have fair complexion peach tones sits very nicely, especially with warmer undertone. The color is also quite light so no fear of clown cheeks. This turned out to be one of my top three bronzers because I can't overdo it and looks super natural while it still gives a noticeable effect. I should warn you that there is some random glitter that I'm not too crazy about but it doesn't bother me that much to stop me from wearing it.

I suggest you to try it out the next time you will be in the store if you are on the hunt for a light and cheap bronzer.

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

Empties

Hello,

I'm speeding through my products and trying my best not to buy more if I already have products of the same kind (I'm doing pretty well but there will be some upcoming sales that will be really hard for me to keep out). I will try my best.

Another bottle of this Alkmene tea tree face wash is gone. I like the products but not the slightly flimsy packaging. At the moment I'm using my other favorite (Himalaya neem foaming face wash) and after I'm done with that I'm going back to this one. I like to interchange them for a bit of variety.

Weleda Rose lip balm is a balm I purchased last year and I started to use it just recently. I had issues with separation. Usually the oil would come out and only then the pigment (is it old or just separated?), I tried to mix it by placing it in different positions and squeezing it around the tube but nothing helped. The scant was also a bit off, I have noticed in some other natural brands that their lip products also had similar scent (a bit of rose and rubber, at least that is how it smelled to my nose). The color is a soft rose/nude and a tad too light for me. Nothing about this balm excited  me so I decided to throw it away even though I haven't use it up.

Next to it is Catrice volumizing Beauty-full lips lip balm which is another one I haven't had much luck with. There are different versions/colors out there but I picked up the original one. It is a bit too light for me but if I'm careful and apply little it is okay. It is slightly cooling and minty (I haven't noticed any volumizing properties) but it fades away way too quickly. It is also not very moisturizing and my lips were soon dry and patchy. This is another lip balm that I haven't used up but I rather gave up on it completely. There are plenty of good lip balms that will nourish my dry lips.

Catrice Ultimate shine gel color in Don't pink and drive lipstick is super old but I have been holding on to it because of its amazing formula. I tried to use it up but I had no luck. This shade is bright pink and even though this line of lipsticks was creamier and glossier it still had plenty of pigment and it was harder to wear. It lasted for around three hours with minimal fading but on most days I just didn't feel like wearing hot pink so it was left in the dark. Now I finally pulled it out when I noticed little black dots all over the stick... I'm parting with it.

Second to last is Catrice instant blurring stick from Active warrior collection and it was a convenient little primer. Waxy and full of silicone to seal my pores, it actually worked with my skin nicely but since it was so small it didn't took me too long to go through it. I have something similar from Deborah in a tube and that is what I have been using and it works nicely.

The very last item is another Catrice product (I'm really on a roll) and it is all matt Transparent shine control face powder (my third I think). No need for long discussion here. It was a nice powder that kept me matte and looked nice when I reapplied once or twice through the day. It is still my favorite even though I'm testing out the Rimmel one.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Shopping

Hello,

I feel like I haven't done a 'big' shopping spree in a long time and I sort of missed that. I really didn't need anything but I just wanted to splurge a bit. None of the items are expensive but buying too many unnecessary items at once is a splurge, at least for me.

First I grabbed this set (I'm pretty sure it was left from the Winter season) of Neutrogena concentrated hand cream and their lip balm (I borrowed this hand cream once from coworker and I like it a lot and lip balm is just an added bonus ;).
I haven't heard about this Malibu brand before but they have a lot of SPF lotions (maybe next Summer). To try something out I decided to get the lip balm trio. I'm excited for high SPF and different scents. One is Watermelon, the other is Vanilla and I think my favorite will be the Mint one.

And for the last I saved the makeup bits. First has to be the Maybelline color sensational Pink for me lipstick and hydra extreme lipstick in Desert Bloom. I didn't really need any more lipsticks (my collection is pretty large and I'm trying to downsize it...) good luck with that, right?
Next is Rimmel stay matte face powder in Transparent shade. I heard so much good stuff about it that I just had to try it out and see why everyone loves it.
The very last item is gorgeous Essence melted chrome eye shadow (I already have the silver one and I love it) in Zinc about you. In one of the stores I have already saw big mark downs on some of the items and these chrome shadows were among them. I quickly grabbed the most beautiful shade and run with it. I tried to check online but can't find the full list of products from Essence that will leave us. Did you find it? Let me know because I'm curious to see what else will be leaving us.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day