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Catrice Beautifying Lip Smoother 020 Apricot Cream

October 2, 2014, 6:17 am
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This may just be one of the most comfortable lip product ever. I didn't really plan to get this as I already owned Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in the past (way, way before the hype, when it was still 15 €), until someone nicked it and I never thought of it as being anything particularly special, at least not so much that I would run to repurchase it, but when I saw these Catrice ones in DM, I just instinctively grabbed one. I actually think it's a very good dupe for the Clarins one, but Taya did a more comprehensive comparison of the two.


Texture: It's a super creamy lip gloss and to me it's like a lip balm/lip gloss hybrid. There is none of that cooling wetness that some more shiny glosses have, just a really comfortable creaminess. It's going to sound strange, but it's like a cosy blanket for the lips (you'll get it if you already tried it). It think this is the perfect product for colder months, when the lips tend to get dry. 


Colour: There are three shades available and I decided on the peachiest one, however, I doubt there is much difference on the lips between the three. Apricot Cream is, as the name suggests, an apricot nude shade. On the lips there is very little of the actual colour showing, though it does have the nude effect. On me it's quite a draining colour since I'm so pale, as is the natural colour of my lips, but some people like that anyway (here is how it looks on Petra, whose lips appear to be not as pale as mine). Besides, the nude colour doesn't last long, although the creamy gloss layer remains.  


Staying power is nothing special for a gloss. Most of it wears off fast, although a thin creamy layer persists for a while. It certainly doesn't survive eating or drinking. My issue with it is that, the same as Clarins' one, due to that creaminess,  sometimes it gets a bit odd when it's wearing off, like it's peeling and there are weird bits on the lips, but then I just wipe it off and apply it again.

Scent: It has a gentle scent of vanilla, which I find pleasant.

Packaging: An opaque squeeze tube with a fluffy applicator. These fluffy applicators are very comfortable to use, however, I suppose some might object to them due to hygienic issues. I find it lovely.

Price and availability: Mine is from DM for 3.79 €.

It's such a wonderful, creamy and balmy lip gloss that it feels quite luxurious on the lips. The colour is very nude for my liking and wish they had shades with more colour, but it's pretty nonetheless. It's a nice drugstore buy, especially for these colder months and a great product for those who like more demure lip looks.

Have you tried it? Have a great day! 
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Mixing Foundations: How to get a Neutral Undertone

October 3, 2014, 4:06 am
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I'm one of those "unlucky" women that has a neutral undertone as well as the fact that I'm super pale. Why do I say unlucky? Well, although I'm fond of my undertone, pretty much every company that makes foundations (especially the drugstore ones), makes them either yellow or pink, but almost no one does a neutral undertone, which is a crying shame. So even if you find a nice match in terms of how light the foundation is, the wrong undertone still makes the foundation look off.


So what do I do? The most obvious thing in the word - I mix one of my yellow foundations with a pink one and I get a perfect match for my skin. It's rather amazing when you find your perfect match for the first time, it looks astonishingly natural.
By the way, I find the easiest way to determine ones undertone is to look at the colour on veins on your wrist. Blue veins indicate a pink a.k.a. cool undertone and green indicate a yellow a.k.a. warm undertone. Mine are blue-green, therefore I have neutral undertone, but you can really tell what is your proper undertone the more foundations you try.


So here are my pale foundations according to their undertones (swatches and comparisons are in the reviews).

The yellow one:
BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum 51
Bourjois in general makes very yellow light foundations.

The yellow-neutral one (darkest in the bunch):
BOURJOIS 123 Perfect CC Cream 31 Ivory

The neutral one, but with a slight greyish tint:
MISSHA M Signature Complete BB cream #13
It's the palest shade I ever found and my best match.

The pink ones:
DIOR Diorskin Nude BB Creme 001

RIMMEL Match Perfection Foundation 010 Light Porcelain


I use Rimmel's Match Perfection in most combinations because due to a pink undertone, it makes the yellow foundation neutral as well as it's a super light foundation, so it also lightens the foundation (by the way, there are a few Rimmel foundations in 010 Light Porcelain shade). Even though, texture-wise it was never a foundation I liked, I've finished a bottle of it faster than any foundation before. The neutral Missha BB also helps the yellow foundation to be more neutral. Catrice's Nude Illusion in the lightest shade 010 Nude Ivory is another neutral foundation, however, it is darker and I have to mix it with a lighter shade.

My favourite combinations for my skin tone are Healthy Mix Serum with either Rimmel Match Perfection or Dior Nude BB Creme. The first combination creates a dewy foundation and the second a satin one. I also love the combination of Bourjois CC cream with Rimmel Match Perfection. 


Do you mix your foundations? Have a great day!
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BeautyUK Eden Palette

October 4, 2014, 5:32 am
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Just look at this palette - doesn't it look like the perfect collection of nude shades? I certainly think so and though, eyeshadows seldom grab my attention in shops, it was love at first sight. I was so looking forward to using it, but then I hit a wall of disappointment - the pigmentation. 


There are 10 eyeshadows in the palette, pretty much the collection of colours that appeal to me the most. They are all neutral shades, two are matte and the rest have a shimmery-satin finish. 


 In the top (1.) row there are 
1. a shimmery  light beige-rose shade(similar to Sin from the Naked palette) - poor pigmentation, I tend to apply it with fingers for intensity.
2. a perfect cool matte brown(similar to Mac's Wedge or Naked Palette's Naked) - the worst pigmentation in the palette, I barely get it to show up on me and I'm very pale.
3. a satin cream shade - just a classic highlight shade. I'm not a fan of such light shades in general, I prefer something warmer or pink.
4. a shimmery copper shade - best pigmentation in the palette and a nice shade for blue eyes.
5. a beautiful matte taupe-purple-brown - another poorly performing matte, though due to being a darker shade, better than the other matte one. I tend to use it in the crease a lot.


 And in the bottom (2.) row
1. a shimmery old green brown shade - besides the coppery shade, the other best performing shade in the palette.
2. a satin medium warm brown - disappointingly poor pigmentation for such a shade. 
3. a shimmery smoky silver
4. a shimmery white-silver (Mac's Vex like)
5. a shimmery purple-brown - not the best pigmentation, but can be used to deepen the crease and outer corners.


Pigmentation is, oh, it's so disappointingly poor on most shades, particularly on those that are my favourites. These eyeshadows feel in general quite dry and hard. Mattes perform especially poor, the second one in the top row for example, but shimmery shadows are a bit better, though again the light shades aren't impressive (like the first one in the top row). The only shades that are relatively soft and pigmented are the cooper shade in the top row and the old gold shade in the bottom row. I tried primer under it, but the vibrancy just isn't there at some shades, more expensive brushes don't help either, you just have to build up the colour, which takes a lot of time. You can create a natural look with it, but it's very difficult to get the same result that you might get from the Naked palette. 
These blend ok, however, due to poor pigmentation, the eyeshadows quickly start to look very similar when blended.
I'm wearing a simple look with these in this post.



Honestly, that L'Oreal L'Ombre Pure eyeshadow I have that costs 9€ is miles better than this in terms of quality. I know it's a bad comparison and yes, it's more expensive, but I'm enjoying it a 100% more than I ever did this palette. I do try to use it at least for softer looks. Sleek palettes have a better pigmentation for a similar price and despite the fact that their eyeshadows have fall down if you want something good on a budget, I think they are a better choice. Eden palette is not by any means the worst palette I've tried, but it is clearly budget quality and has left me disappointed. Eyeshadows last me forever, so I'm willing to pay more to get great quality, this palette just proved me that I'm right.

I got my palette in Kozmo (Croatia) for 49.99 kn (about 6.5 €).

Have you tried it? Have a great day!
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Empties #10

October 5, 2014, 1:59 am
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What a terrible concealer. I've disliked it since the first time I tried it, but I just kept it in my drawer for no particular reason, gave it a few more tries and still hated it. It's waxy, doesn't apply nicely, looks patchy on the skin and doesn't even cover well. The only bright side is that the light shade is very light, however, the time has come to toss it in the garbage.
Repurchase: No.

As I suspected, this didn't last me long, but I was still surprised when it ran out. I can honestly say, I've never used up a concealer so fast as this one, but since it has only 1.5 ml of product inside, it's almost like a tester - just for a full price. Even though the coverage was about medium, this concealer really grew on me. It looks incredibly natural due to a light, thin consistency and the shade is wonderful because it has a neutral undertone. It's become one of my favourite drugstore concealers for under the eyes, but the amount you get for the price is a complete joke.
Repurchase: Yes, despite the stingy amount.

I was never a fan of this foundation as it just never looked right on my skin and it leaves that awful greasy feeling like it never truly sets. However, the lightest shade 010 Light Porcelain is one of the best matches for my pale skin and I loved using this for mixing with other more yellow or darker foundations to get the absolute perfect match for my neutral skin tone. I talked about mixing foundations recently in this post. 
Repurchase: I would purely for the need to mix it with other shades, however, I have found that there is another Rimmel foundation that is as light as this and I'm going to try that one first.


My HG mascara. It does everything I want - gives plenty of length, volume, it defines, it's super black and most importantly it holds the curl all day. Fantastic stuff. It costs an arm and a leg, though. 
Repurchase: Yes.

This mascara is so tricky to use, but it produces some wonderful results. The brush is just a thin weird plastic comb, which doesn't really make the application easy, I would definitely prefer a standard wand with this formula. The formula is the blackest one I've ever tried to date and it's also quite thick due to the fibres in it. The fibres itself didn't make my lashes look any longer, they did however, ruin my contact lenses when a fibre crumbled off the lashes and fell into my eye attaching itself on the lens (it was so adorable *sarcasm off*). The fibres drop during the day landing under the eyes and on the cheeks, but the lashes keep curled all day. Basically, it's a mascara that gives a lot of volume and is intensely black, but the fibres are annoying as is the brush/comb thingie.
Repurchase: No. 


This was my favourite eyeliner before I discovered felt tip versions. It's really black with a glossy finish and lasts well on the lids. The applicator is precise, but needs to be re-dipped in the product during application if you want an intense line as the product on the applicator doesn't suffice for one eye.
Repurchase: No, although it is really good.

This is and was my favourite eyeliner, though currently Kardashian's version is kind of kicking its ass. These felt tip liners are the bomb for non-liner savvy kids like me because due to the thin, precise applicator, drawing a line on the top lash line is so simple and precise. This product made me fall in love with eyeliner after years of thinking that I just can't wear it due to my hooded eye shape. It's super black and on me it lasts all day. The nib stays saturated for several months of regular use, however, the tip doesn't get as much colour after a while, so drawing flicks is a bit more difficult once it's older.
Repurchase: Yes.


BOURJOIS Magic Nail Polish Remover
I've been loyal to these since their launch. These are the best invention ever - you just pop the finger inside the pot, swish it around for a few seconds and the nail polish is gone. The formula of this one is oily, which means that it moisturises the skin around the nails and it also smells lovely like forest fruits and vanilla. However, that oiliness was a bit off-putting because I needed to wash my hands right away. I'm currently using Ebeline's version, which is really good.
Repurchase: I think I might switch to Ebeline's, but I'd love to try that purple version for hands and toes.

I know it looks tragic that there is a third left, but once this thickens it's useless.  I bough the Seche Restore, but it didn't help, I'm guessing it's just too far gone. Despite that, this is my absolute favourite top coat because as a woman of little patience when it comes to nail polish application, I truly appreciate how this dries the nail polish in under a minute. Great stuff.
Repurchase: Already did.


Limited editions and discontinued products
The can lasted about three days on my holiday and you get drunk just by inhaling the alcohol vapours in it, plus it's greasy which is really "handy" when your trying to hold the can, though the application is a breeze due to it being in aerosol form. There wasn't a sunburn in sight, so it works very well. It smells like papaya and oranges, so sourly-juicy sweet or for anyone that's familiar, it smells really close to Balea's LE Mango Mambo shower gel (or last year's Brazil Mango). 
Repurchase: No.

This is one of those liquid highlighters that are quite subtle and can be used as a base, mixed with foundation or/and on top of foundation just like L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Primer. Mine was the pink toned version and it was a lovely product, however, L'Oreal's is better. Curently, Essence has a cream highlighter instead of this.
Repurchase:It was discontinued about a year ago.

Technically this was a limited edition, however, as far as I'm aware it's the same formula and scent as the regular Vanilla line, it just contains gold shimmer. Texture-wise it's a light lotion that is very average in terms of moisturisation and the scent was not as lovely or intense as at the shower gel (it's a vanilla extract for baking type of scent), but the gold shimmer was nice and gave that "glow" to the skin that looks nice when you're tan.
Repurchase: No.

I've only owned two pot gel eyeliners in my life, MAC's and this one. Both seemed exactly the same in terms of formula. It was super black, applied nicely and lasted well on the lids. Mine dried out, but I really liked it. Catrice's might be similar since it's made in the same factory.
Repurchase: It's discontinued, but I would.


I have thirteen more empties to talk about, so part 2 a.k.a Empties #11 with fragrance, body and hair care products will follow soon.

Have a great day!
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Empties #11

October 6, 2014, 2:49 am
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My favourite scrub so far. I was so frugal with it just so it would last me longer because I can't get this brand anywhere else than on eBay. It's a very harsh sugar scrub, just the way I like it and it has a very moisturising, oily formula meaning there is no need for moisturisers afterwards. It smells like a gentler version of Miss Dior Cherie.
Repurchase: Yes.

Such a wonderful shower product. It's has quite a unique gel-oil texture that transforms into luxurious creamy foam. The scrubby particles aren't too harsh, so I used it as a regular shower gel. It also smells lovely, kind of sweet nutty-floral.  
Repurchase: Yes.

A fantastic dry oil in a spray that is so easy to apply. It literally takes seconds and you're done. It has the same scent as the scrub.
Repurchase: Yes.

This is my favourite gradual self tanner. Even from one application I get a decent amount of colour, but it's after three that people start asking where have I been sunbathing. I loved using this for my face because it is more moisturising than the Clarins lotion which I used before. I've actually stopped self tanning or at least I don't do it particularly often, since everyone has made it their mission to inform me of how pale I am, so I like to annoy them by being the human counterpart of Snow White, as it appears they can't wrap their heads around the fact that people with fair skin do exist and they like being pale (in their minds it's almost criminal). Therefore this tan is very old and as it's expected by now it does develop that classic self-tan scent by the morning, but when it was new, the scent was barely detectable and it had a melon-citrus scent upon application.
Repurchase: Yes.

Though it's a creamy cleanser that I had trouble adjusting to, since it doesn't feel quite as luxurious as a balm or cleansing oil, my skin adored this. In those three months that I've been using it, my skin looked so healthy and there wasn't a blemish in sight, even though I skipped AHA products during the summer (I didn't want to risk sun damage, which is ironic considering there were about three sunny days in total this summer). Only Balance Me kept my skin in such good condition. I know I said I find it unremarkable, but now I think it's bloody brilliant. I did use it up quite fast, however, it's inexpensive, so I don't mind.
Repurchase: Yes.

One of my HG items, I pretty much can't be without it for a day, so I always buy a spare well before the previous one runs out. I've been using it as a face moisturiser for three years now and my skin is in such good condition, it looks healthy and is super soft. I adore this stuff and one bottle lasts me ages.
Repurchase: Already did.

A nice shampoo that does its job, but that's it. It leaves the hair "too clean" for my liking, by that I mean too stripped, which is something that an an individual with dry hair don't particularly like. It's ok, but not exceptional enough to justify the price and I much prefer the Oleo-Relax. It smells lovely just like the oil, maybe a bit more masculine.
Repurchase: Not likely.

I've tried quite a few of these salon brands silicone-oils and this one along with Orofluido are my absolute favourites. I find it's the best one for dry hair and has great frizz reducing capabilities. The scent is a love-it-or-hate-it one, to me it smells like my grandfathers cologne, so masculine, but I've heard some say it reminds them of vanilla and sandalwood. I sometimes loved the scent and then sometimes not so much, but it definitely slowly grew on me. 
Repurchase: Yes.


REFAN fragrances 
I used a bunch of Refan fragrances, all 15 ml that I've had for a really long time. I love these, but I just want to warn you that these do go a bit off after three years, which is a period most people use up their fragrances already, but I'm obviously not such a person. By off I mean that the scent changes a bit, mostly it gets more alcohol smelling and more bland from the start, but it develops the same, so clearly the top notes are the first to go. 
A tropical hibiscus scent: floral, clean and a bit juicy. When you smell it, it's like - yeah that's what coral colour would smell like if it had a scent. Actually, it smells similar to Kérastase Chroma Sensitive Cleansing Balm, but it was never my favourite. 
Repurchase: No.

A creamy, woody fragrance with some vanilla. I hear others notice a strong plum note, but it doesn't develop on me. To me it lacked something that would make it special.
Repurchase: I'm not sure they sell it anymore. 

A sweet, fruity, yet a warm scent that has quite a lot of silage. I get strawberries and other berries with some musk and violets. I liked it, but I got bored with it after a while.
Repurchase: I'm not sure.

The wood, floral notes and musk combined create a simple, fresh, clean and classic scent that is slightly bitter and unisex. This is very highly rated on Make up Alley, but I just never really got it. It's not bad, just a bit odd for my liking and no one liked it on me.
Repurchase: No.

I'm a huge fan of peach scents and The Body Shop's version is my favourite, but this YR version doesn't even remotely resemble anything peach. It is quite a strange scent, like it's not even fruity, but completely artificial. I used it as a room scent to get rid of it. If you want to try any of these Les Plaisirs Nature scents, go for coconut or vanilla, because they are awesome and the scents are true to their name.
Repurchase: No.


Have a great day!
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Wishlist #14

October 8, 2014, 11:38 am
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1. ZOEVA 223 Petite Eye Blender Brush
 Zoeva brushes are highly praised and honestly, I wouldn't mind owning a whole set of their brushes if I didn't find them such a big investment, however, I'd love to own at least one. I've owned the Coastal Scents Round Crease brush forever now and it's the only brush that I truly love for using in the "crease" of my hooded eyes both for applying and blending eyeshadow, so I'd like something similar, but of great quality and this Zoeva one appeals to me greatly.
Zoeva, 7.80 €. 

2. ECOTOOLS Tapered Blush Brush
Another brush that caught my attention. Currently I'm using an Artdeco blush brush that is again ancient and is getting scratchier with every wash, so I need a new one. All Ecotools brushes I own are great quality and affordable, so their blush brush is the next on my list also because of great reviews on Makeup Alley. 
iHerb, $6.99.
3. TWEEZERMAN Mini Slanted Tweezers
After my recent tweezers disappointment (Ebeline's ones), I'm splurging for a highly praised Tweezerman ones. I want them to be as small as possible because I need them to be really precise and able to pluck any hair. These minis look like they're able to do the job and they are mint green - my favourite colour.
Beauty Bay, 12.70 €.
4. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Copehagen
I'm a fan of NYX matte lip creams and of burgundy shades, so this immediately caught my attention. I actually already ordered it, but I still have to wait 3 weeks for it too arrive.
eBay, $5.40 (+ shipping).
5. Bumble and Bumble Suft Spray
50ml
I don't even know why I want this. I'm kind of thinking it'd be great for third-fourth day hair when I put it in a bun overnight to revive the curls. I'll settle for the travel size first.
Look Fantastic, €12.35. 
6. RIMMEL Lasting Finish Nude Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain
Since I just used up my Match Perfection foundation in the same shade, I desperately need a new light pink toned foundation for mixing, but instead of repurchasing MP, which I never really liked, I'd like to try this one. It's supposed to be a lightweight medium coverage foundation, a sibling of the original Lasting Finish and I hope it'll sit nicer on my skin than Match Perfection .
Feel Unique, 10.39€. 
7. KÉRASTASE Discipline Range 
Fluidissime, Bain Fluidealiste, Maskeratine
Kérastase is my favourite hair brand and they recently launched the Discipline range designed for unruly frizzy hair, which sounds right up my alley. The first reviews sound amazing, so I'm itching to get my hands on it.
All Beauty, 16.33-26.41€. 


Another wishlist I already posted long ago on social media. My fragrance wishlist is getting a bit out of control, but I love fragrances and I just used up quite a few, so I'd like to treat myself a bit. 
Fantasy The Nice Remix by Britney Spears
A fruitier version of the original, but still a lovely, warm scent for these colder months. Notes on Fragrantica. 
 All Beauty, 25.60 €; Salma, 25.25 € (100 ml).

Boss Ma Vie Pour Femme by Hugo Boss
It reminds me of a shampoo with a slightly tropical scent and to me it smells very soft, modern and feminine. A great everyday scent. Notes on Fragrantica. 
Műller, 49.79 - 69.99 €.
Royal Revolution by Katty Perry 
How awesome is the bottle? It's quite unusual for a celebrity scent meaning it's more sophisticated and not the typical fruity vanilla scent. Notes on Fragrantica
All Beauty 21.05 - 34.49 €; Salma 19.20 - 26.20 €.

Reveal by Calvin Klein
It smells so sexy and deep. I mostly get cinnamon mixed with their Euphoria fragrance. Notes on Fragrantica
Müller, Salma 57.90 - 64.20 €.

Volare by Oriflame
I shallowly admit I want it purely for the gorgeous bottle. Apparently it smells similar to Tresor. Notes on Fragrantica
Oriflame 27.9 € (50 ml).

Can Can Burlesque by Paris Hilton
I'm a huge fan of the original and the new one supposedly smells similar, but woodier. Notes on Fragrantica.
Salma, 27.90 € (100 ml).

Just Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli
I adore this scent. It's similar to Lâncome's Poeme, which to me means very 90's, since my mother wore that fragrance. It's creamy, sexy and cosy. Notes on Fragrantica.
All Beauty, 37.05 - 49.85 €; Salma, 30.90 - 46.90 €.

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Mist
Vineyard Peach is my favourite ever scent and I want this so bad, but I just can't get this anywhere online, at least not for a decent price. 



I already posted this on Facebook, but Ebeline (DM brand) included quite a few hair brushes in their range and I hope these reach Slovenia. I'm temped by most of them, especially by the Teasing brush (2.95 €), Shampoo and scalp massage brush (2.95 €) as well as the Keratin brush (6.95 €). If you know German, you can find more information here and here. 

Have a great day!
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Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Wateproof

October 10, 2014, 7:41 am
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I feel like I've written this sentence a million times, but here it is again: I use waterproof mascaras on a daily basis because they keep the lashes curled, since my straight eyelashes drop like a stone if I use a regular formula (picture of my natural lashes here). Normally I reach for high-end mascaras as they actually perform like I expect them to, but I set upon finding a more affordable waterproof option that would hold the curl well. Volume 1 Seconde was on my wishlist since its release and now I've been using it for about 1-2 months. Honestly, I find it average, even now that the formula got a bit drier. 


The brush is a plastic one with small dense bristles and between them are small balls that I have no idea to what purpose they serve. In terms of formula and performance, I'd say it's a classic mascara with a plastic wand meaning it defines very well and gives length, while volume is not exactly its forte, however, for me it's enough. You can layer it, which obviously results in more volume, but I don't do that as more product on my lashes just weighs them down. As far as holding the curl is concerned, it's no where near my favourite Hypnôse, it's actually quite poor in that department. Sometimes it holds the curl for several hours, but the lashes drop slowly and sometimes the lashes just drop like a rock soon after application making me look like I have a lazy eye. 


All in all it's a pretty average mascara meaning it's good, but not amazing. It's lengthening and separates the lashes nicely, but if you're looking for a lot of volume, maybe try something else with a classic brush. Its curl holding capabilities aren't something to write home about and if it weren't for that I'd rate it as a good mascara. I won't even address the 1 second claim because it's utterly ridiculous.


I bought my tube in Müller for 14.25 €, which is not exactly cheap for a drugstore mascara.

Have a great day!
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Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender

October 11, 2014, 7:03 am
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It's no secret that Bourjois cream blushes are my favourite formula. I'm a proud owner of the shade 01 Nude Velvet, which is on my cheeks on most days because I also wear it as a base so that powder blushes on top last longer. Since I was so impressed by the velvet cream formula, I picked up another shade, this time a pinker version called 03 Rose Tender.


Rose Tender is a neutral pink on me and it gives that I-just-came-from-the-cold kind of flush. It's actually almost identical on the cheeks to Maybelline's Dream Touch Blusher in Berry. It's a cute colour, but somehow I much prefer 01 for my skin tone, it's just such a fantastic shade for me. The pigmentation is nice for me, but keep in mind that I'm very pale.


Formula is the same velvety cream as at shade 01. It blends so well and has a matte-satin finish on the cheeks. It's very siliconey compared to other cream blushes meaning it feels drier to the touch and because of that doesn't leave that dewy finish. The velvety-silicone texture also allows that I can apply a powder blush on top without the fear that it will stick to the cream blush, so it's a fantastic base if you want to get the best out of your powder blush. I love these especially when I'm in a hurry because I can just quickly apply it with fingers. 


Packaging of these is brilliant. These are small and compact, very travel friendly and the added mirror is a nice touch. 

I highly recommend you give these a go. They are wonderful cream blushes and deserve all the praise. I got mine on Feel Unique for 10.39 €, since despite having Bourjois in Slovenia, apparently we aren't entitled to have cream blushes.


Have a great day!
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Products worth the splurge #3

October 12, 2014, 3:54 am
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URBAN DECAY Naked and Naked Basic Palettes
The famous Naked palettes. Even though I don't really talk often about eyeshadows or palettes, I'm sure you're probably sick of hearing about these two, but they are so worth it. I pretty much wear just these two palettes  all the time (and that L'Oreal eyeshadow plus a few Mac shades), especially the Naked Basics one. The quality is spectacular, they are properly pigmented, have a lovely buttery texture (even the matte ones!) and the colours are so beautiful, the perfect neutrals.
I've tried several budget palettes lately and honestly, I'd rather save up and buy one of the Naked palettes instead.

SHISEIDO The Makeup Eyelash Curler
Eyelash curler is a tool I find essential in my makeup arsenal. As you could see in the How to Curl Stubborn lashes post, my lashes, although they are very long, are very straight, so to avoid it looking like I have no lashes or a lazy eye when looking from the front, I need to curl them. There are two eyelash curlers I like, one are from Tana and the second are these Shiseido one. I find that Shiseido's fits my eye shape a bit better and really creates a nice, not-crimped curl. I also like these because it's easy to get replacement pads. I've tried several budget eyelash curlers and all were rubbish because they pinched, but these a fantastic.


This a very gentle, chemical exfoliator with glycolic acid and my skin loves this. It keeps my skin in good condition by removing the dead skin cells, so my skin is clear and smooth. I've noticed the biggest improvement in my forehead area, it's pretty much baby smooth all the time now. Despite being an AHA product, it's still moisturising, so it feels more like a lotion and it's super gentle (doesn't sting one bit, even if I have a small wound). 


L'OCCITANE Almond Cleansing and Soothing Shower Oil
My adoration for this shower oil has been persisting for years and this is my ultimate pamper product. It's an amazing, super-luxurious feeling shower oil that smells divine and transforms into this thick, rich foam when water is added. It's a great product for those who suffer from dry skin and can be used instead of a shaving gel as well. As I've said before I buy 500 ml eco-refills, but there is a travel size of this available for those, who just want to try it first.


JOICO K-Pak Intense Hydrator
I'm an advocate of investing in a few more euros into hair care, even though most people don't even remotely care about their locks as much as me. K-Pack Intense Hydrator is not budget product, though it's not too expensive either if you know where to look, but it is a superb product that injects some serious moisture to the hair and transforms even the driest tresses into decent hair. It makes my hair super hydrated, silky and soft as well as it has keratin and protein in it, so it also helps strengthen the hair. If you have more demanding hair like me, I highly recommend you check it out.

Have a great day!
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Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain 020 Rio Rush

October 13, 2014, 6:35 am
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I'll start by saying that this for me isn't what I'd call a lip stain, in fact, it's essentially a very pigmented lip gloss. However, confusing name aside, it's a nice lip gloss with a very good colour pay-off and it does feel moisturising on the lips (then again most glosses do, right?).   
(Ocena v slovenščini je na dnu objave.)


Rio Rush is a bright medium pink, which to me looks kind of Barbie-ish, but it's still classy enough. I had several colours to choose from when I was given this to test and this one immediately caught my attention. It's a very adorable colour and I can imagine it on a young girl because it gives a very fresh, cute look and it would look awesome paired with a touch of mascara and a pink blush. You get a very good colour pay-off with just one coat, it's really not far away from a liquid lipstick also because one coat has more of a creamy shine and with the second coat you get a proper glossy shine. The colour doesn't stay super vibrant for long after application, but it settles into a very wearable, everyday shade and the super glossy finish quickly gets more creamy and subdued. I wonder if that is what they meant by stain, but stains are meant to be very long-lasting as well as smudge-proof and this isn't. 


The formula is an interesting hybrid between a creamy gloss and a mousse type of liquid lipstick, I haven't tried anything like it. It's closer to a liquid lipstick in formula, but it's still a gloss. Staying power is very good for a gloss and due to stronger pigmentation, it manages to cling on for several hours. It doesn't survive eating or drinking and only slight traces in form of individual patches remain on the lips, so I would definitely refrain myself from calling these stains. It feels very comfortable on the lips, there is no stickiness or gloopiness, it doesn't flake and wears off evenly. I don't know how other colours perform, but the formula of this one is certainly lovely.


The packaging is a square tube with a doe foot applicator. It's not the prettiest packaging in my opinion, but that's subjective anyway. The applicator is curved and fits nicely on the lips.

It smells like paint if I put my nose to it, but it's not unpleasant or annoying, I actually don't even notice it


It's a lovely lip gloss. Yes, the name is deceiving and I think that if they just called them what they are, maybe glossy liquid lipsticks, I really doubt it'd affect market appeal. The shade I have is super pigmented, the formula is very comfortable to wear and staying power is good for a gloss, but there is no staining at all like at Catrice Made to Stay Smoothing Lip Polish. The colour looks adorable once it settles and it's very everyday appropriate. 

These cost about 10 €, but it depends where you buy them.

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Če začnem z imenom, ki se meni zdi zavajajoče saj stain pomeni, da se barva nekako zažre v ustnice in je zaradi tega izjemno obstojna, tile se meni pravzaprav zdijo bolj kot sijoče tekoče šminke oz. kar zelo pigmentirani glossi. Če nanj gledam kot na gloss, je eden izmed boljših. Rio Rush je prikupna, živo roza barva, meni se zdi skoraj kot Barbie odtenek takoj po nanosu, ampak se hitro umiri v lepo in nosljivo roza z rahlim kremnim sijajem, ki je primerna za vsak dan. Pigmentacija za gloss je izjemna, saj že z enim nanosom dobim skoraj popolno prekrivnost s kremnim sijajem, drugi nanos pa doda pravi glossy sijaj. Tekstura je unikatna saj je kot nekakšen hibrid med zelo pigmentiranim glossom in penasto tekočo šminko. Obstojnost je dobra za gloss, saj zaradi pigmentacije zdrži par ur, seveda pa ne preživi obroka ali pitja oz. ostanejo samo rahlo obarvani "madeži" na ustnicah in je potreben ponoven nanos . Je zelo udoben za nošnjo, ni lepljiv in enakomerno bledi z ustnic. Ne vem kako se obnesejo drugi odtenki, ampak formula tega je definitivno dobra, če ga ocenjujem kot gloss. Embalaža je navadna kvadrasta tuba z malce večjim in ukrivljenim aplikatorjem, ki lepo nanese izdelek na ustnice. Ima zelo rahel vonj po barvi, ampak jaz ga večinoma ne opazim, sploh ko je na ustnicah. 

Moisture Stain je zelo pigmentiran gloss in ne stain, ko namiguje ime, in za gloss je zelo kvaliteten in udoben za nošnjo. Na je voljo na Click2Chic za 10,89 € (8 ml) v 7 odtenkih.

*I was given this product to review / Izdelek, mi je bil podarjen za oceno.
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Essie Sole Mate

October 14, 2014, 10:40 am
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Sole Mate is a deep burgundy-plum shade that is just amazing on the nails. I hear it's a pretty good dupe for the Chanel Rouge Noir, but as I never tried that one, I can't tell you for sure. I wanted such a shade for the longest time, but I never knew which one to pick up in the shop, since they mostly look black under those deceiving lights and because of that I already bought three much lighter burgundy shades. I'm so glad I chose this one, it's the perfect and most awesome autumn vampy shade ever. I already featured it in my Autumn Picks, but it totally deserves its own post.


The formula is a jelly type, so the first layer is semi-opaque and a lot lighter. I do two coats because I like the different plum hues on the nails, since due to the jelly formula, even the second layer doesn't give a complete even coverage, however, it's only noticeable if you look closely. I feel that three coats would be too dark.


The brush is lovely as at all Essies, it's wider than regular brushes, but it still fits my narrow nails. In general I'm falling in love with this brand more and more. Their nail polishes are seriously good and though nail polishes last super long on my nails, I find that these last exceptional well compared to others.


I highly recommend you pick up this shade this autumn/winter season. It's just absolutely brilliant.

I got mine in DM where regular price of Essie nail polishes is 10 €.


Have a great day!
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Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick 360 MATTraction

October 16, 2014, 12:55 am
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Holy smokes I love this colour so much. This is currently my favourite lipstick as it's just so glam and polished because of the matte finish and yet fun due to the interesting interpretation of red with a pink twist. MATTraction is one of the three new shades for this autumn revamp of Catrice range and I utterly adore it.


It looks dark red in the tube, almost MAC Russian Red like, but on the lips, it's completely different. It's a gorgeous dark pink-rose-red shade and it's actually hard to believe that it's the same lipstick since it's nothing like in the tube. To me it's just a stunning colour. It's in the same colour family as Bourjois Frambourjoise (my other huge favourite), but it's pinker and darker. The finish of it is matte, however, not a matte liquid lipstick kind of matte, rather more satin-matte. It can look completely "powdery" matte if you blot it with a tissue.


The formula of this shade a creamy type of matte, so it's very comfortable to wear for a matte lipstick. It applies very smoothly without dragging and it's fully opaque with one swipe. It's a regular lipstick so unlike matte liquid lipsticks, such as Bourjois' Velvets, it does smudge if you're not careful, but it doesn't bleed outside the lipline during the day. 


It lasts very well on the lips, in fact several hours, which is not surprising due to the intensity of the shade. It survives eating and drinking to a certain degree meaning it rubs off a bit, but you're still left with a fair amount of colour. I think that considering how much these cost, they are brilliant in terms of staying power.


MATTraction is undoubtedly a complete stunner in the Catrice Ultimate Colour range. I can see myself wearing it a lot because it is such a "me colour". Give it a swatch the next time you're near a Catrice stand, I'm sure it'll impress you as well. 

I bought mine for 4.29 € in Müller.

Have a great day!
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Kardashian Beauty Deeply Felt Precision Tip Eyeliner

October 17, 2014, 5:08 am
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I have found an even better felt tip liner than my beloved L'Oreal's Super Liner Perfect Slim and it was where I least expected. For the past year or so, since I bought my first felt tip eyeliner, I have been using them religiously, even on "no make-up days" because a thin, precise line on the top lash line just makes my eyes more defined and not so tired looking. L'Oreal's was my favourite for a long time and I still love it, but for the past month I've been using Deeply Felt and it's even better.  


The nib is the smallest I've used so far and it's that feature that makes it more precise and even easier to use when drawing flicks. I presume that because it's smaller, it should stay saturated with ink longer, at least I hope so (L'Oreal's lasts very long). The nib also feels a bit smoother compared to L'Oreal's, like it's a different type of material and not one like at marker pens. The formula is more liquid than at other felt tip liners I've tried meaning it looks more smooth around the edges, especially when it comes to drawing a flick and it's very intensely black. It allows to create even thinner lines than L'Oreal's and they are smoother.


Staying power is impressive as well, but not better than L'Oreal's. In fact it's about the same, both last all day on me without fading, provided of course I don't rub my eyes (I should also mention that my lid are normal and I don't normally use a primer).



I've been using it for about a month every day and it has gotten a touch drier, however, the nib is still saturated as well as the tip, so it still allows to create super thin lines with the tip and I don't have to use it sideways to draw the line with the base of the nib. 


Deeply Felt is more expensive than L'Oreal's, however, I have completely fallen in love with it and I will continue repurchasing it. I'm really happy I had the chance to try it, my prejudice (and the refusal to let the K-family fill their coffers at my expense) would probably stop me from ever doing so if I weren't given this to test.


I was given this to try, but international readers can get it on Feel Unique for 15.54 €.

Izdelek mi je bil podarjen za preizkus s strani Clik2Chic, ki pa trenutno še nima tega eyelinerja na voljo, ampak menda bo. Druge izdelke Kardashian Beauty lahko najdete tukaj.

Have a great day!
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Catrice and Essence Event Plus a GIVEAWAY

October 18, 2014, 12:45 am
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I recently had the honour to attend my first ever blogger event, which was hosted by Cosnova team, so the people responsible for two popular brands in Europe: Essence and Catrice. Since I have only a few of my pictures of the actual event because honestly, I was more interested in the vast amount of makeup and cake pops than taking pictures (man, those were some good cake pops!) as well as I don't own an actual camera but merely a smartphone, I'm using some of the press pictures. However, my fellow bloggers really outdid themselves with the coverage of the event in their own posts on the blogs, so here are the links to those if you want to learn more: Taya(she also posted a picture of her with Sara from Passing Fancy and me if you want to see my OOTD), Uniqapoly, Passing Fancy, Cherry Colours, Ajda & Tjaša Beauty Corner, (next few are in Slovene) Get them Curious,  Viva La Vida, Ajda's post on Etiketa, Parokeets and Tinna's Pink Place.

(yes, I'm deliberately looking at the floor because I felt so awkward taking a picture at that moment. On my left are Polona from Uniqapoly and Tamara from Cherry Colours, on my right is Saša a.k.a. Nihrida and Sandra from AnGel BeAuTy. Pictures by Žiga Intihar)

Cosnova team prepared and executed an amazing event, they honestly outdid themselves and I was utterly shocked when, as we were leaving, they handed each two full bags of their newest products. I really love that they prepared an event only for bloggers, I have in fact been avoiding most events for the reasons it was hosted for other press as well (yes, I'm aware I'm weird), but I felt a lot less intimidated by the whole thing with other bloggers around, most of whom I've been familiar with for years  or at least with their blogs (you may already know that I try to keep as up-to-date list of Slovene beauty blogs as possible). It was so wonderful to meet them, I don't think anyone has been so nice to me ever as those amazing girls and I think we all enjoyed the event immensely. I think all the others, who already wrote about the event covered everything already, so I won't bore you again with the details.

Here are the goodies we so generously received. I'll do a sort of an New In type of posts separate for Catrice and Essence as well as later do reviews of some products that I feel need a proper review. I've been working on the New In posts for the last two day and they are almost ready, so expect them shortly.



Giveaway

Since there is a lot of stuff and I have several duplicates of the products as I have been shopping the new products before (some have already been reviewed and some will be in the future, but they are all in the most recent New In), I will be giving some of the products away to thank you, dear readers, for reading my blog, subscribing, commenting and all that jazz. I decided on two goody bags with an equal amount of Catrice and Essence products. All the product will also be featured in the next two posts, so you'll have a better idea of what you're getting. Entering is just a matter of filling out the Rafflecopter forms and I decided to do it internationally, even though the shipping costs gave me a tiny heart attack, but I know so many of you want to try Catrice and Essence products. You can chose either of the prizes or both. One winner will be drawn for each prize. The giveaway is international and will end in one week on 26. October 2014 at 00:00/12:00 A.M. (CEST). The winner will be contacted via e-mail and then sent the prize. If the winner doesn't respond in two (2) days, a new winner will be chosen.

Prize 1 

Includes:
Essence Longlasting Lipstick 14 Adorable Matt!,
Catrice Beautifying Lip Smoother 020 Apricot Cream,
Catrice Volumizing Lip Booster,
Catrice 3 in 1 Skin Tone Adapting Make up 010 Lighter Skin,
Catrice Lash Extension Volume Mascara,
Essence Click & go Nails Glow in the Night,
Essence Nail Art Hello Foils! Transfer Solution,
Essence Nail Art Hello Foils! Transfer Foils 01 Hello Flashy,
Essence Effect Nail Polish 21 Icy Fairy,
Catrice Tinted Lip Glow,
Catrice Velvet Matt Eyeshadow 040 Al Burgundy,
Catrice Illuminating Blush  020 Coral Me Maybe,
Essence Effect Lipgloss in 08 OH LA LA!
Essence Liquid Ink High Shine Eyeliner

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Prize 2

Includes:
Catrice Ultimate Stay Lipstick 050 Mauve Your Lips,
Catrice Vitamin Lip Treatment,
Catrice Beautifying Lip Smoother 010 Sweet Caramel,
Catrice Velvet Finish Powder 020, Velvet Finish Foundation 010,
Essence Liquid Ink Matt Eyeliner,
Essence Gel Nails at Home 2in1 Primer and Cleanser,
Essence Gel Nails at Home 2in1 Clear Peel Off Gel Base and Top Coat,
Essence Gel Nails at Home 2in1 French Peel Off Gel Base and Top Coat,
Catrice Ombre Top Coat,
Catrice Defining Blush 090 Mandy-rine,
Essence 3D Eyeshadow 07 Irresistible Fullmoon Flash,
Essence Glossy Lipbalm 07 Raspberry Sorbet,
Essence Effect Lipgloss 02 Jewels in a Bottle.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you have a great day and best of luck in the giveaway!
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New in: Catrice Products for Autumn/Winter 2014

October 19, 2014, 1:13 am
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Velvet Finish Powder 
020 Natural Velvet 
Velvet Finish line was designed with mature skin in mind hence the added hyaluron. The Finish powder promises to mattify, but still keep the skin radiant due to the light-reflecting particles. 020 looks too dark for me, but it should suit anyone above NC20.  It's a part of the giveaway.
4.69 €

Velvet Finish Foundation 
010  Light Velvet 
This may be the lightest colour, but it's two shades too dark for me (by the way all the swatches are at the end of the post). I find it a bit funny because at the presentation they said that their range it designed to suit European skin tones. Well, I'm European. Actually, Nude Illusion's lightest shade is similarly dark, however, because it's neutral I can make it work (though I mostly mix it with something lighter), while this has a warm undertone so it looks orange on me. Shade aside, I gave it a quick test and it appears very similar to Nude Illusion in terms of finish (matte, but not draining matte and a bit luminous) and the coverage is about medium. Despite the shade, I will give it a go, but I'll have to self tan first and then do a review. Since I have two, I'm giving one away.
5.29 €

Velvet Finish Concealer 
010 Velvet Ivory 
Quite a thick concealer and it covers well enough. The shade is lighter than the corresponding foundation and suits me decently. I've been using it for the past few days and I quite like it because it blends nicely into the skin, however, I need to layer it to cover my dark circles. It has a more radiant finish than the foundation.
4.69 €


3 in 1 Skin Tone Adapting Make up 
010 Lighter Skin 
Basically this is a much cheaper version of Estee Lauder Daywear Sheer Tint Release, Origins Vitazing Energy-boosting Moisturizer and Garnier Miracle Skin Cream. It starts off white and once blended in it releases a tint. The coverage is light, but surprise, surprise the shade is too dark for me (should suit maybe NC20 & up). It's part of the giveaway.
7.29 €

Catrice Nude Illusion Make up 
020 Rose Vanilla 
One of my favourite foundations at the moment. You can read my review if you want to learn more, but basically it's a medium coverage foundation with a luminous matte finish and a great staying power. I just  wish they had a lighter, neutral shade so I wouldn't have to mix it with other foundations. 
7.69 €



Colour Correcting Mattifying Powder 
010 Delicate Blossom
A powder with different hues that correct uneven skin tone as well as it promises to mattify. Green cancels out redness, the lavender acts against dullness, pink freshens-up tired complexions and beige brings out the natural skin tone. As the Velvet Finish powder this promises a matt, yet radiant finish, though to me it's just a transparent mattifying powder and I'm not too sure about the colour correcting, but I need to test it further because I think I need to get through the top layer first.
4.69 €


Illuminating Blush 
 020 Coral Me Maybe and 010 I Am Nuts About You
These have a 3D pattern and an illuminating finish. I already own Coral Me Maybe for about three weeks now and it's a very cute, peachy-pink shade, but more on the natural side rather than brighter Pink feat. Coral from the Defining Blush range. I Am Nuts About You is a beautiful natural-nude shade and is actually more pigmented that Coral Me Maybe. The illuminating effect of these two is quite subtle. Coral Me Maybe is a part of the giveaway since I have two.
4.26 €

Defining Blush
090 Mandy-rine
I already own this shade and I've been using it a whole lot the past month. You may know that Defining Blushes are my favourite powder blushes ever and I have several already, my favourite being Rose Royce. Mandy-rine is an natural-apricot shade and I already featured it in my Autumn Picks. The extra one is a part of the giveaway.
3.79 €


Velvet Matt Eyeshadow 
010 Vanillaty Fair, 040 Al Burgundy and 050 Welcome To Greysland!
As the name suggests these are matte eyeshadows, though I don't find these completely matte as they do a have a very subtle satin sheen. The formula is very pigmented - even the light shade. I barely need to touch it with a brush and I get tons of colour pay-off. Vanillaty Fair is a cream shade that is a great base or a subtle highlighting shade, Welcome to Greysland is a classic grey and Al Burgundy is a dark plum-bordeaux shade (which it's part of the giveaway. Taya swatched it here)
4.29 €.


Absolute Matt Eyeshadow Palette 
010 Eyes Wide Matt
Ok, this is just wonderful. I don't know why some say that these palettes are inferior in quality to Catrice's mono eyeshadows because this palette performs just as well. I actually feel confident saying that it's not that far away in terms of colours and quality to UD's Naked Basics palette. I high recommend you check it out. 
5.19 €


Ultimate Stay Lipstick 
050 Mauve Your Lips  and 090 IrrCORALbly Pink
I already have the shade 120 Looks Like Coral that I've been using for the past few weeks and I find the formula very similar to the matte shades in the Ultimate Colour range. It's nicely pigmented with a satin-matte finish and really nice staying power. IrrCORALbly Pink is a darker warm pink shade and Mauve Your Lips a dark nude with a grey hue. 
5.29 €
Ultimate Colour Lipstick
350 MATTador 
I recently reviewed the gorgeous 360 MATTraction and MATTador is another new shade for autumn, but this one is a classic, warm red. The formula is again superb.
4.19 €
Tinted Lip Glow 
A sheer lip colour that adjust to your pH-levels and turns into a unique shade. I already have something similar and these pH lipsticks turn into a dark fuchsia on me. It's a part of the giveaway.
5.29 €


Beautifying Lip Smoother 
020 Apricot Cream and 010 Sweet Caramel
I've already reviewed 020 Apricot Cream and said I really like it. I actually keep it next to my computer and use it like a lip balm. It's incredibly comfortable on the lips and was so soothing when I was ill recently. I'm giving both away in the giveaway.
3.79 €

Vitamin Lip Treatment 
A lip gloss that contains vitamins and helps the lips be in better health. It smells fruity (grape-ish maybe) and has a sheer peachy-pink tint. It's part of the giveaway 
3.79€

Volumizing Lip Booster 
A classic plumping lip gloss accompanied with the traditional menthol scent and I'm guessing the tingling. It's a part of the giveaway.
3.79 €


Luxury Lacquers Million Brilliance 
05 Plum Fiction and 01 It´s Showtime
Glitter 3D nail polishes with various sizes of glitter particles and flakes that have enough coverage to be used on it's own. Plum Fiction is a warm purple shade and It's Show time is a silver shade. 
3.79 €

Luxury Liquid Metal  
03 My Satin Ballet Shoes
As the name suggests these are meant to have a liquid metal finish. My Satin Ballet Shoes is a pink-rose shade with a very shimmery finish.
3.79 €

Colour Brightening Base Coat
01 On Top of the Alps
It's meant as a base for under nail polishes when you want the colour to pop more (like under neons), but it can be used on it's own as well. It's very pigmented and actually as far as I can tell from swatching it on the nail wheel, needs one coat for full opacity.
 2.59 €

Ombre Top Coat 
This looks like a semi-transparent cherry dark red liquid and it supposedly changes any nail polish, so the more layers you apply, the darker it is and by so you can create an ombre effect. It's part of the giveaway.
3.29 €

 Million Styles Effect Top Coat 
02 ¿Holo, Que Tal?
I actually received two holographic effect top coats, one from Essence and this one. I think Essence's comes a lot closer to being holographic, while this one has a more tiny golden-green shimmer effect and it's just too subtle in my opinion.
3.29 €


Lash Applicator 
I was looking at this the last time I was in Müller. It looks so handy and I'll definitely use it, especially when I'm doing other people's makeup. It feels well made and has a rubbery-silicone surface making it feel more expensive in my opinion. 
4.29 €

Lash Extension Volume Mascara 
It contains fibres and it's supposed to be very good, but I use waterproof mascaras and I wear contact lenses so I'm giving it away. The brush is a very classic old-school one, like at Maybelline's Great Lash.
4.29 €

Longlasting Lip Pencil 
070 I got You Babel 
I will shamelessly admit that prior to the event I picked up four Catrice Lip Pencils (they'll be in the next New In, but here is a sneak peak) and since I liked them because they are not as soft as Essence's, I grabbed another colour that looked pretty. I got You Babel is a beautiful nude-pink-peach shade and I like it a lot, it's probably my favourite out of all the pencils.
2.29 €


Longlasting Brow Definer 
030 Chocolate Brow'nie
A felt tip pen that allows drawing very fine individual hairs. I swatched it on the back of my hand and it didn't rub off at all. I don't use any brow stuff, I actually don't touch my eyebrows at all, but I gave the pen to my cousin to test and she likes it so far.
3.49 €

Fixing Brow Wax 
A clear wax in a stick form that you apply on the eyebrows to keep them in place. Again I gave it to my cousin to test and she says it's quite hard in texture, so she has no feeling of how much she's applying. However, she's never used such a product before.
Edit: She now says she loves it and that's it's fantastic.
3.29 €

I swatched all I'm keeping except the palette (I'll do that in the review) and, of course, I didn't touch the stuff I'm giving away. The pictures are large so if you want to see anything closer just click on it.


You can enter the giveaway here. 
I'll talk about all the Essence products tomorrow.
Have a great day!
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Search

New in: Essence Products for Autumn/Winter 2014

October 20, 2014, 7:09 am
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Liquid Ink Matt Eyeliner
I've tried this before and it's ok, but I'm so into felt tip eyeliners that these liquid ones don't appeal to me. Basically, it's a classic liquid eyeliner with a flexible thin brush, so you need really steady hands to apply it nicely, however, you can get a great result. The formula is super pigmented, very black and once it dries, it sets to a matte finish. However, I find that if you don't wipe off the excess from the brush well enough and therefore end up with too much product on the lids, once it dries, it's feels like someone put a thin strip of sticky tape on the lids. The key is using a very small amount of product and in that case it works great. This lasts all day on my lids and stays pretty much like freshly applied, it flakes off only in my inner corners. It's a part of the giveaway.
2.99 €

Liquid Ink High Shine Eyeliner
The same thing as the matte version only with a glossy finish. It's a part of the giveaway.
2.99 €

Lash Princess Volume Mascara
This is a very, very volumising mascara. Even with one coat I get tons of volume and two give a pretty damn huge, fluttery, glamorous look to the lashes, I have actually been asked if I'm wearing falsies. However, the volume comes at the expense of defined looking lashes, which is the look I prefer. Still, too bad this doesn't exist in a waterproof formula.
3.59 €


Effect Eyeshadow 
06 UK's Stonehenge and 02 Brazil's Sunset
I've heard a lot good stuff about these eyeshadows and I was very excited to receive two in the goody bag. These are liquid/cream eyeshadows with a metallic finish that are easy to apply with fingers and can be used on it's own or as a base. Stonehenge is a lovely taupe-brown colour (Satin Taupe like, swatches are at the end of the post), while Brazil's Sunset is a toned-down liquid gold and as most gold eyeshadows, it looks orange on my eyes, so I'm not too fond of it. The large shimmer particles do bother me a bit because they look very out of place when it's wearing off. My cousin tried Stonehenge and she loved it so much, she ran to the shop to get one for herself one as well.
2.95 €


Metal Glam Eyeshadow
18 Choco-Chic
This looks absolutely stunning in the pan - it really looks like glittery metal. It swatches very pigmented on the finger, but on the lids I just can't built it up to look intense enough. I have no idea what's the problem. I must experiment more with it, because the colour is so pretty in the pan, however, in general, I'm not a fan of Essence eyeshadows, Catrice's are a lot better.
2.76 €

3D Eyeshadow 
07 Irresistible Fullmoon Flash
A duo of shimmery eyeshadows with an interesting 3D design. This shade consists of a shimmery grey and champagne colour. It's a part of the giveaway.
3.18 €


Soo Blush! Cream to Powder Blush 
10 Sweet as a Peach
 A medium peach shade that reminds me a lot of Catrice's blush from Siberian Call LE called Coral-al-al-al(swatch by Parokeets). It's a standard cream blush, not exactly cream to powder in my opinion and it's pigmented enough to show up on someone NC25. 
2.99 €

Soo Glow! Cream to Powder Highlighter
20 Bright Up Your Life
Ok, this is just a bit too glowy for me. Not because the shimmer would be huge, but it's just so shiny. I prefer much more subtle highlighters, but I hear people really like this one. It's a pink-toned shade which suits my colouring and it's very similar to Benefit's High Beam. The texture is very, very creamy, almost too much for my liking as I have trouble getting a small amount, it's almost like it's melted, however, on the skin it feels kind of dry to the touch and I don't have I lot of time to blend it in. 
2.99 €

Silky Touch Blush 
80 Autumn Peach
I don't have anything similar in my collection, so I'm glad I got this. Actually I was just thinking a few days ago that I should check it out next time I'm near an Essence stand because I realised I only have pink or peachy blushes and I think this colour might go nicely with berry lipsticks. It's kind of an terracotta-peach shade and it looks a lot prettier on the skin than in the pan. I'm not a fan of Silky Touch blushes, I much, much prefer Catrice's Defining blushes and but this one is actually decently pigmented.
2.79 €


Essence Longlasting Lipstick 
13 Love Me and 14 Adorable Matt!
I admit these aren't my favourite lipsticks, personally I prefer to pay those two euros more and get one from Catrice. I already have three shades and I rarely wear them, not because they are bad, but just because they are very average. Still, I picked up shade 13 Love Me from the brimming stand because I have been looking at it for quite a while. It's a super pretty light warm pink with peachy tones, very everyday-ish. The other shade Adorable Matte is a matte red that Taya reviewed, but I decided it's going to be a part of the giveaway.
2.49 €


Big Bright Eyes 
01 Highlight it...Nude
Love this. It's such a great colour for me to put on my waterline because it's a neutral slightly pinkish nude that makes the eyes less tired looking. It's super soft and transfers fully opaque on the waterline with one swipe. This might just replace my trusted Max Factor eyeliner in Natural Glaze that I've been using for the last three years. It looks great in the inner corners as well.
2.20 €

Lipliner 
14 Femme Fatale
I was never a fan of Essence lip liners and this is a bit too soft for my liking, but it's very pigmented and doesn't drag on the lips. The colour is a neutral red, so it should suit a lot of red lipstick.
1.19 €

Glossy Lip Balm 
07 Raspberry Sorbet
A lightly tinted lip gloss that smells like raspberries. I used to own the mint version and it was ok, but nothing to write home about. It's nice for a young teenage girl. It's a part of the giveaway.
1.19 €

Effect Lipgloss 
08 OH LA LA! and 02 Jewels in a Bottle
Effect lip glosses come in a variety of interesting finishes - classic shimmery, with flakes, holographic and metallic finish. Oh La La! is a pink-purple shade with tiny blue sort of holographic shimmer and Jewels in a Bottle is an orange-coral shade with different sized flakes. Great swatches here. Both are a part of the giveaway.
2.79 €


Effect Nail Polish
22 I Love Magic and 21 Icy Fairy
I Love Magic is a top coat with holographic shimmer that needs maybe two coats to get a decent holographic effect and it's best applied over a dark nail polish. But here is a more important shade - Icy Fairy. I was so, so excited about this nail polish, I was actually planning to getting it myself ever since I saw this image on Instagram. It is the most awesome effect top coat ever and it looks amazing over a black nail polish. I love galaxy manicures and this comes closest to it, but without all the nail art work (which I suck at so bad). I just posted a picture on Instagram where I'm wearing it. Love this so much and since I have two, I'm giving one away in the giveaway. 
1.49 €

Nail Art Sparkle Sand Top Coat
As the name suggests, it's a sparkly top coat with a sand effect meaning it's quite gritty to the touch once you apply in on the nails. It looks quite pretty over darker nail polishes, but the textured feeling on the nails is something I'll have to get used to.
2.49 €


Colour & Go Nail Polish
144 Black is Back and 187 Juicy Love
I picked up a black shade called Black is Back purely so I would use it with Icy Fairy, while Juicy Love is a classic red. I like these Colour & Go nail polishes because they're really good for the price, better than Catrice's in my opinion and there is a huge selection of colours available. I'm wearing the black one at the moment and the application was a breeze due to a great, wide brush and a smooth formula. It needed two coats.
1.69 €

Click & go Nails Glow in the Night
Self-adhesive nails with the french manicure design and a cute butterfly print. Apparently these glow in the dark, but I'm not sure whether it's actually in the dark or it's like that top coat I once bought from Essence that, after reading the back of the bottle closely, turned out to glow only under black light (what a waste of money that was…). These look quite narrow to me, but there is 12 pieces inside and I can't see all. These are a part of the giveaway.
3.29 €


Nail Art Stickers 
13 Neon
There are several versions of these stickers, we were given the neon ones with stars, bow ties, hipster glasses with a moustache (my favourite), peace symbol, leaves and lightening bolts.
1.39 €

Pencil sharpener
Just a revamped old version as far as I can tell. I've bought a few of these so far. It can sharpen two types of pencils - the classic thin and jumbo.
1.20 €

Nail Art Hello Foils! Transfer Solution
Meant to be used in together with the transfer foils (high five to Captain Obvious Mateja). You need to apply this before applying the foil so it has something to stick too and then finish off with a top coat. It's a part of the giveaway.
1.79 €

Nail Art Hello Foils! Transfer Foils
01 Hello Flashy
These have a metallic graffiti look, picture here. Honestly, I'm not into the nail art also because I'm useless at this stuff and I admire anyone who can draw at least polka dots on their nails. It's a part of the giveaway.
1.49 €

Gel Nails at Home 2in1 Primer & Cleanser
Designed to be used before and after a gel manicure. It cleans and protects the nails from nail dust, oil and grease. After curing under the UV-light it can be can also be used to remove gel residues from your nails. It's a part of the giveaway.
2.99 €

Gel Nails at Home 2in1 French Peel Off Gel Base & Top Coat
This is a rosé nude coloured base that gives the appearance of the perfect french manicure. It's meant to be used in conjunction with the UV-light. It's a part of the giveaway.
3.29 €

Gel Nails at Home 2in1 Clear Peel Off Gel Base & Top Coat
A classic gel base coat over which you apply the regular nail polish (Colour & Go line is recommended). Again it's meant to be cured under the UV-light. It's a part of the giveaway.
3.29 €


Like Best Friends Forever 
50 ml 
I didn't expect to like this, but surprisingly I do. I went to check the notes on Fragrantica and it was immediately clear - it has peach in it. Some of you may know about my of fondness for anything peach scented and I get super excited about such products. It's not a predominately peach scent as it is mixed with a more fresh apple note, but even more prominent are the sweet vanilla and sandalwood. It's a classic super sweet fruity-gourmand scent, very celebrity like and yes, generic, but I happen to like those. The staying power is unfortunately very weak and I can't smell it any more after an hour despite the vanilla note, which tends to linger longer that others.
7.5 €


 You can enter the giveaway here.
Have a great day!
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The Body Shop Silky Cleansing Oil

October 22, 2014, 4:10 am
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Praised for it's makeup removing capabilities, Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil certainly intrigued me greatly as a regular wearer of waterproof mascara and I wasn't disappointed. It was on my wishlist since the first press release and a couple of months ago I finally had a chance to snatch one for myself on my trip to Celovec/Klagenfurt. 


Texture: This is a very, very light and liquid oil, it's almost light as water and can quickly run off your hands. It doesn't emulsify much, certainly nothing like Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gelor L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Oil, instead it stays oily with only the slightest bit of foam forming.

Performance: It removes a large bulk of makeup in one go, even a waterproof mascara, though bits can still linger between the lashes. It does need quite a while and gentle rubbing to get the mascara off, though the rest is much easier. I use a washcloth to remove it as it leaves a filter on the skin if it's just washed off. It does make the vision blurry as most oils I tried, which I admit, I find annoying. I've tried using it as an everyday cleanser, but like at all oil cleansers I've tried, my skin isn't as clear and in good condition as when I use balm or creamy cleansers. I prefer to use this as a makeup remover and then follow up with a creamy cleanser, so the double cleansing method. I liked it when I went on a holiday because I didn't need to take separate makeup removers and cleansers with me, but on long term, it's not the best thing for my skin if I use it on its own as a cleanser.

Scent: It has a very gentle scent that isn't particularly reminiscent of camomile, but it is a nice scent nonetheless.


Packaging: It gets an A+ for packaging from me. The pump is very handy and efficient. The bottle is plastic, so there's no worry it might break and there is no leaking, which is the last thing you want when dealing with an oil.

Ingredients: 

Price: it costs about 13 € for 200 ml in The Body Shop in Austria.

I love this as a makeup remover because it's fast, efficient and it even manages to take on a challenge of removing my super stubborn Hynôse waterproof mascara. I do find that I need to follow up with another cleanser to keep my skin in check, however, I think that those who don't have problems with oil cleansers with like this on its own.

Have a great day!
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Dior Addict Fluid Stick 479 Magique

October 23, 2014, 7:02 am
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It's hard to resist a product in a pretty packaging and as shallow as it may sound, I admit that the cool, yet glam tubes of Fluid Sticks played a huge part in why I wanted at least one. These lip gloss/liquid lipsticks just exploded on the market in the past year and though I'm a through and through lipstick person, I'm quite enjoying these new releases and Dior's is certainly one of the most glamorous.


Fluid Stick in Magique is a very pigmented lip gloss with a high shine finish, so it gives the appearance of a lip gloss and lipstick in one if you apply a thick coat, however, it can be worn very subtly, giving the sheer glossy lipstick effect. It's a thick gloss, hence the abundance of pigmentation and it's not sticky, however, it has quite a "wet" feeling on the lips, so it feels a bit pleasantly cooling upon application. 


Magique is a medium pink-coral shade and, for me at least, a very everyday colour that looks very glam due to the shine. I was considering buying Wonderland, just like Sara, but when I was swatching all the shades in the shop, I decided on Magique because it's a colour that is easy to wear and should work with a lot of things.


The scent is nothing special. It has a gentle caramel/vanilla scent, but with a chemical component. It's not strong, so mostly I don't even notice it.

Staying power is better than at most glosses I've tried, which is what I expected from it considering the high price tag. It's not uncommon that it survives a meal, but it depends on what you eat. I believe these promise to leave a stain and I notice that this shade does. It's not a proper stain, but it's more of a lingering lipstick stain - for me that's enough.


As I said the packaging is a complete stunner and the applicator is nice to use. This pretty tube gained a special place on my vanity.

I got mine in Műller for an eye-watering 31.79 €, though I did use a few of their "receipt coupons" to soften the blow. Besides, I had a particularly lousy day, so some pampering was in order - it felt very satisfying holding such a pretty new goody in my hands.


I have a few other lip gloss/liquid lipstick hybrids: L'Oreal's L'Extraordinaire,  Revlon's Moisture Stain, Catrice Made to Stay Smoothing Lip Polish and Makeup Revolution Salvation Intense Lacquer. I think Dior's is the best one, although I admit I have quite a soft spot for L'Extraordinaire because of the divine peach scent, but's not quite as pigmented and long lasting as Dior's (Catrice's wins in terms of staying power - it's pretty awesome). So do I think it's worth the money? If you're a hardcore lip gloss girl, who loves high shine finish, then yes, the quality will appeal to you greatly. Otherwise, I think it's a lovely pampering product, especially nice for a Christmas gift, but whether you want to splurge on a lip gloss, which never lasts as long as a lipstick or a matte liquid lipstick, it's up to you. I don't regret it for a second.

Have a great day!
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10 Current Drugstore Picks #2

October 25, 2014, 3:37 am
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(read my previous Current Drustore Picks here)

It's no secret that I love this concealer, I have, after all, been raving about it for years now. I particularly like this as an under-eye concealer, because due to the light texture, it looks so natural on the skin. The coverage is about medium, so it won't cover super dark circles, but I find it works for me and my under-eye redness, It even manages to cover some small blemishes and it doesn't look like a caked-up patch on the spot. The unique sponge applicator, as unhygienic as it might look, is actually brilliant as I find that very little additional blending is needed after application. I use the shade called Fair, which pink-toned and probably closest to NW 15 for a reference. 
DM (not available in Slovenia), 9.95 €.

I had very little faith in primers before discovering this. Most made my skin so terribly flaky, but this leaves a perfect, matte smooth surface ready for an application of foundation. It's not so super siliconey that it might feel greasy, instead it's instantly dry to the touch and it feels like nothing on the skin, though I'd still recommend thin layers, since like that you get most benefits of any primer. This really prolongs the staying power of makeup, so it's perfect to use under all those new-age dewy foundations that just disappear in the middle of the day. I also love using this as an eye primer because it intensifies the colour of the eyeshadows and makes them last a lot longer.
Müller, 12.99 €.


This converted me into a powder person again. For years I dared no apply powder as it would just make my foundation look cakey and noticeable. But this kind of just blurs the skin a tiny bit, so it makes the foundation look better and less obvious, even a bit radiant, but it still keeps oil at bay (though my skin isn't particularly oily, just on my T-zone a bit). There are some pretty intimidating glitter particles in it, but if you keep your application very moderate, it's completely transparent. 
Boots International, £9.99.

BOURJOIS Cream Blush
I'm a big fan of cream blushes as I find them so easy to apply with fingers when in a hurry as well as I use them as a base under a powder blush to prolong its staying power. Bourjois are my absolute favourite due to a velvet texture, so they are not as "greasy feeling" as others, rather they are dry to the touch once applied and therefore when I apply a powder blush on top, it doesn't stick to the wet patches. The finish of these is a lovely matte, so they look a lot more natural on the skin than most. Nude Velvet is my absolute favourite cream blush, though admittedly it looks very boring in the pan, it gives an adorable peachy flush to the skin.
Feel Unique, 10.39 €.


You don't see a matte eyeshadow in the drugstore often, especially one that is actually good. L'Oreal's isn't just good, it's brilliant. Somehow they managed to make a pigmented, soft matte shade that doesn't have some strange fall-out, doesn't look patchy on the skin and blends like a dream. I'm bloody impressed. The colour is a complete winner as well, Breaking Nude is a beautiful taupe shade that is totally up my alley. It's expensive for drugstore, but totally worth it.
Műller, 8.99 €


Give an award to the inventor of these felt tip eyeliners. L'Oreal's and (surprisingly) Kardashian Beauty's are my two absolute favourite. The sharp nib allows to draw super thin and precise lines including the flicks. If you're a beginner when it comes to liners or you're just having a hard time making liner work for you due to your eye shape (like me), give these a go. They make all the difference to the eye makeup because they make the eyes look more awake, defined and noticeable.
L'Oreal: Feel Unique,  9.09 €, Salma (SLO) 5.60 €
Kardashian Beauty: Feel Unique, 15.54 €


It's be a small crime not to mention this beauty in an October post. Burgundies are all the rage every autumn and this is such a classic, yet inexpensive shade. On me it looks more purple than on most, but it's a deep red-purple shade, which looks killer with a nice neutral eye and subtle blush. The formula is matte, which is what I personally prefer when it comes to darker lip colour, but it's not so matte that it would be terribly drying. I would recommend you get a lip liner for this shade.
Feel Unique, 7.14 €

Such an amazing lip gloss. The pigmentation is lovely, it feels very comfortably creamy on the lips and much to my delight it smells like peaches (which is only my favourite scent of products ever). I have a beautiful warm pink shade called Rose Symphony that I really love as I think it makes my eyes appear more blue. Luckily these finally reached our drugstores, though the price tag is not so easy to swallow - still it's total worth it.
Müller, 13€


(Oil-licious Triple Oil Dry Oil Mist)
Since I have dry hair, I love using hair oils and Öl-la-la is one of the most innovative as well as fastest to apply. It's a light silicon based product with argan oil in a spray form that gives tons of shine, helps fight frizz and doesn't weight down the hair. Often when I do a hairstyle, especially curls, I prefer to not touch it much as I find that curls can drop too much that way, so I spray some of this instead of using a liquid oil like Orofluido or Elixir Ultime. Basically this spray is healthy looking hair in a can and I'd even recommend it to those, who are afraid of silicone-oils because they find them too heavy since if used in moderation, this is super light. 
Müller, 6.99 €.

Texturising spray were more or less designed to inject volume and texture to thin, limp hair, so considering my coarse, thick type of hair, you'd think it'd be the last styling product I'd ever like. However, I really like it just after curling the hair as it just makes the curls look a bit better. It's like a dry shampoo on steroids, meaning it gives a lot of grip and a bit of hold, so it's like a dry shampoo-light hairspray hybrid or a dry version of a salt spray (it does have sea salt in it).
Boots International, 4.7 €.


Have a great day!
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The Winners of Catrice & Essence Giveaway are...

October 26, 2014, 3:16 am
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Prize 1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize 2
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to both Aida a.k.a. Lippie Hippie and Manca from Invisibly Perfect! I will contact to through the e-mail you're registered with on Rafflecopter, so you can give me your information on where to send you the prizes. If you don't respond in two days, a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who participated and keep your eyes peeled for a new giveaway in the next couple of weeks with a lovely Kérastase prize.

Have a great day!
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