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,

for today I only have four items but by the end of this month I will have plenty more to show in my pile of empties.

This first item has become my holy grail of face washes for me. This CeraVe foaming cleanser for normal to oily skin in a massive 473 ml bottle is absolutely amazing. I love the pump which keeps it sanitary and I get even application per each use (one pump is enough for my face), the texture is liquid enough to easily spread all over my face (I use it with damp hands and it 'foams' up nicely) and it really removes most of my make-up and my natural oils. My skin afterwards feels refreshed, matte but never dry or dehydrated. This huge size also lasted me up to 8 months and I used it in the morning and at night. My skin has become really nice, I still get an occasional breakout but this face wash never irritated my skin or gave me any kind of discomfort. I already bought myself a new bottle but first I have to use up some other face washes and then I get back to this one.

I think this is my oldest body moisturizer and that is the sole reason why I started using it still in the cold weather even though the scent is pretty summery. It is The Body Shop Virgin Mojito body butter. It did smell like it sounds and it was a nice scent, the formula was a bit on the thicker side which I don't like that much especially not in the warmer weather, so at the end I think it was better for me that I used it up in colder weather. I think this scent is already discontinued but if it would still be available I wouldn't get it again. Now I prefer lighter formulas (lotions and milks) and the citrusy scents no longer float my boat.

I'm pretty sure I purchased this in some sort of set because I also have the face wash from the same line, which is next in line to be used up. It is Avon planet spa Korean Charcoal cleanse and refine peel-off face mask. Honestly I don't see much benefits after using it. Yes, it is fun to peel it off and my skin does look matte but in the unhealthy kind of way. To me it looks like it just takes away the oil sitting on top of my skin, it does nothing about cleansing my pores and by now I'm just happy to throw this empty packaging away.

The very last is jet another empty tube of my beloved Neutrogena oil free face moisturizer. I don't know how many I have already used up (they are all well documented on this blog, I should just count them) but it is still my favorite to use in the morning under my make-up. It moisturizes and keeps my face matte for longer than any other face cream, plus it is quite inexpensive. All in all, an amazing moisturizer for my skin.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

it is the end of the month and this time I collected a lot of empty or almost empty items to 'display' them on my shelf.

A long time ago I purchased this Himalaya refreshing & clarifying toner (alcohol free formula). Back in the days I was swearing on tones and they were a big part of my routine but as I got older I pushed them aside and rarely use them. This one took me months and now I'm super happy for it to be gone. I even pour it into a spray bottle to refresh my face during the day but I quickly noticed that it wasn't meant for it because some of it obviously landed on my lips and it tasted bitter. I'm slowly working through my toner collection, I still have a few but this one won't be repurchased (not just the bitter taste but I also didn't notice any change in my skin).

Second item is much closer to my heart and it is The Body Shop Tea Tree night lotion. It had a typical tea tree scent and a light texture which absorbed quickly into my skin. It wasn't super moisturizing but it also doesn't claim that (I used some oils on top to help with moisturizing my thirsty skin or I just skip this lotion and used something more nourishing). My skin in general does respond well to this ingredient and this lotion wasn't an exception. I have another face mask and a serum with tea tree but once they are gone I will probably repurchase this lotion unless they discontinue it (like they did with the face primer from this line).

Next is my second tube of 183 days foundation in the shade Matt-eska. It actually was quite pale but also very sheer in coverage. I used it on my neck and chest so I don't 'waste' my favorite and slightly more expensive foundation. Also on my neck I don't need coverage just a little evening out and connecting my  face full of make-up to the rest of my body. This item is already discontinued since the brand doesn't exist but it did what I wanted and it was very inexpensive product.

Next is lovely blue tube with cute Elephants and the brand is called Spa Ceylon (you have to check their online page, they have the most amazing packaging and products in general). My sister gave me this as a gift from her Honeymoon and I loved it. Mine hand cream is in the Frankincense and Kafir Lime scent. To me it smelled masculine with a hint of fresh Lime. The formula was a bit thick, if I applied a bit too much it was hard to absorb but if I used just the right amount it sinked right in, moisturized my dry hands and didn't leave sticky residue all over. If this brand would be available here I would repurchase it and also get some other itmes from their vast range.

This lip balm from Blistex Happy Lips Mango which I had before (I bought two at the same time) and I have to say that this is not my favorite lip balm. There was also the Strawberry version and I liked that one better. This one smells divine there is no doubt in that but the formula is a bit hard and stiff. I prefer softer balms which just melt into my lips but this one I have to rub extra hard to get some on my lips and it also disappears fast and my lips are quickly dry again. Not the best formula for my dry lips but at least the scent was nice.

 I managed to finish another lip product and it is Catrice limited edition lipstick in the shade Be tender. Very glossy and jet still pigmented bright pink, thankfully with a thin layer I only got a wash of color and it looked very nice on me if I brag a bit. I also found this one to be more moisturizing than the Mango lip balm. I have two more shades from this collection left and shade vise I like them even better than this one, so I'm going to have a lot of fun.

The very last item is this super old Essence Extreme Lasting Waterproof eye pencil in the shade Rockin' Taupe. I fell in love with this shimmery/metallic taupe shade which looks quite natural on the eyes jet offers some definition. Formula is very creamy, easy to work with but then it sets and doesn't move. My pencil is years old and got a bit dry, also the last bit of the pencil broke and fell of and before throwing away the broken tip I made a thick swatch. This pencil isn't available but I managed to get 3 backups before they were gone for good ;)

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Cream-y Gold

 Hello,

I thought I will have a little sparkle today since it is such a lovely sunny day outside.

On the picture is Pixi by Petra highlighter in the shade Cream-y Gold. It is very golden indeed.

The lid twists away and reveals super shimmery golden highlighter which does look a bit creamy but it is not, it is powder.

Here it is a heavy swatch made just with finger with no base underneath. If I would want to wear it as an eye shadow it cold look like this, to me it resembles a molten gold. So shiny and almost metallic looking but if I use it with a brush on my cheekbones it looks more 'subtle' as seen below.

Here I managed to snap a photo of it on the sun (I applied it with my highlighter brush on bare skin) and it shows just how sparkling it is. If that is your thing then I can't recommend it enough but for me unfortunately isn't. I don't mind a little sparkle but this is too much. For a while I was playing with this idea to use it all over my body in the Summertime... but the thing is, I avoid any sparkly lotions because I don't like glitter all over my clothes... I couldn't find a good way to repurpose this highlighter so I will pass it to my sister and she can play with it.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

mid month is a cleaning day for me, when I gather all the empty items and pour my thoughts about them here, on my blog.

Batiste makes excellent dry shampoos and this Rose Gold version is very nice. It is not my favorite, scent vise but I liked it. It has typical formula but the scent is what sets it apart. It was very powdery and floral a little too much for me but still nice, none the less. My favorite is still the Blush one (Peony scent). 

Body wash is from Avon senses range and it is their White Peach and Vanilla Orchid scent. Lovely,  warm and cozy Peach scent was great and I would get it again but the packaging was nerve wrecking. The lid was super hard to open and therefore I just let it open, probably some of the product evaporated but better than losing a nail. The formula on this one was very pudding like, fun to use as well so I'm excited to see the change in the packaging, I hope it will be for the better.

Next is my favorite shampoo and it is from Iliria and it is their Linden option. It is very inexpensive, smells a bit like the real Linden and cleanses my hair really well without stripping them completely. My hair are always silky soft and full of movement, it doesn't give any volume but I prefer the feeling of no product in my hair anyway. I'm already using new and larger bottle.

Second to last is The Body Shop Winter limited edition Love & Plums body butter. I remember having Plum body butter from them years ago and when I saw this 'new' one I just had to have it. I think it was very similar and I enjoy it very much but my love for thick body butters is slowly dying down, now I prefer lighter textures, more lotion like but this juicy jet comforting scent was very nice.

The very last item is Eveline expert C vitamin serum - injections. The pipette helps you with precision and the dark bottle help to protect the precious product. The scent is very citrusy and the texture is slightly sticky but it does absorb fast. My skin really benefits from it since my acne spots (red dots) heal and disappear faster while using this serum consistently. I already have a new bottle, it is from a different brand but I will definitely be buying more. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Glittery lip gloss

 Hello,

I purchased this lip gloss online and it looked like a beautiful light pink gloss with a little sparkle but when it arrived it looked way more glittery than I thought.

It is Trend it Up High Shine lip gloss in the shade 153.

Soft pink with tons of gold glitter. It comes in a 5 ml tube but it looks larger, I guess the packaging has thick walls.

The applicator is angled and carries a lot of product. The scent is also very strong and it resembles toffee, sweets I'm not too keen on.

It is a very sparkling gloss and the particles are large enough to be felt on the lips. I personally prefer less sparkle on the lips and more on the lids but some people like to have some extra shine on the lips.

The formula isn't very glossy, rather the glitter particles do the shine. There is barely any color to it and the scent is very strong. This gloss isn't one of my favorites, in fact I'm also thinking of passing it to my sister. I have a lot of glosses and there are others that I enjoy way more.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

 Hello,

another quick post of my empties in a row. Lately I just haven't been feeling like posting and also I don't take the time to do it like I used to do. I did accumulated some new items that might be interesting so maybe in the future I will post more... we will see.

I purchased a pack of Ziaja Olive oil products because it was a really good deal and this face moisturizer was part of it. It is Ziaja face cream with Olive oil for dry - normal skin type. I'm combination to oily but some extra hydration never hurt my skin. At first I really liked it because my skin was in need for some moisture but then the super thick formula started to annoy me. It is very greasy and it doesn't absorb completely into my skin, I only used it at night because it would be impossible to apply make-up on top of it. I'm ok that I tried it but I won't repurchase it, I since found lighter textures which are just as mosturizing and works better for my skin type.

I remember I had Fenjal deodorant before and I really like it so when I saw this one I just knew we will work well together. It is sensitive deo pump spray option, in general I don't like to spray my deodorant but I bough this one to take it with me on a vacation (I think I used it on my last three holidays and spray works well with retouching and keeping deodorant sanitary). Now I finished it all up because it was getting old and I had noting else. It has this lovely clean scent which makes me feel refreshed but it also doesn't interfere with my perfume. I still sweat through it (it is not anti-perspirant) but I am not stinky and that is all I care about it. I will buy it again, in a spray bottle for my vacation (just to mention that the bottle is made of a heavy glass) and in a 'regular' roll-on version for  my every day adventures.

Last are two hand creams, first is Avon care revitalising hand cream with Banana. This is one of my favorites and this particular tube is just in a limited edition packaging. The formula is light, easy to spread and absorb. My hands are left soft and nourished. I already have a few backups ;)

The second one is the first of its kind  and it is Avon care nurturing with glycerine &Almond oil hand cream. I also really liked this one. Formula vise it felt very similar to the Banana one minus the scent. I kept this one at work and my coworkers also liked it. This one gets thumps up from multiple people and I will get it again.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day