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Essence I Love Extremes Volume Mascara Waterproof

September 27, 2015, 7:00 am
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You know if handed me this formula in a fancy Lancome tube, I would totally believe it's the real deal. Super volumising, lengthening, doesn't smudge, flake, the brush isn't as clumsy as at Lash Mania and it keeps the eyelashes curled all day. It fits all of my requirements - it's near perfect.


The brush/wand is a classic one, but as it's almost standard for Essence, it's huge. Luckily it isn't as clumsy as Lash Mania's though I can't claim I can do a smudge free application. There isn't as much product on the wand as at Lash Mania, in fact the formula is considerably drier (at that one is was just a bit too wet when new) and the formula is better distributed due to bristles being a lot more dense, so with this one I don't have to reach for an old mascara wand to comb the lashes. They aren't completely separated that would be odd to expected from any mascara without a plastic comb, but it's not clumped and it's separated enough.


The formula is a complete winner for me. It holds curl so well and the lashes don't drop no matter how many coats you apply. It doesn't smudge or flake off, but just stays on the lashes like it should. This of course means it's a bitch to remove, but I'm completely used to it by now, in fact I find regular formulas weird by now. I use either a duo-phase remover or an oil and it works fine. I tested under a shower and it flaked only a tiny bit, and I really mean a tiny bit, like one of two flakes. When I touched the lashes, then it flaked off on my fingers. And the lashes dropped, of course, but that's expected.

I'm also wearing it here if you want to see a full face picture.

The packaging is so childish. Who comes up with the mascara packaging at Essence? It looks like it was drawn in a comic book. But I forgive them, it's the product that matters and it works fine.


I flipping love this mascara! I'm not going to say it's as good as Lancome's because that one makes my lashes like angels themselves drew them on my face, but this one is pretty darn close. And so much cheaper, like sooo much. I'll definitely be repurchasing this one a lot, just don't discontinue it Essence. You can discontinue everything else, I don't care, but don't touch this. Oh, and the Big Bright Eyes Pencil and Frappuccino lip liner. Don't touch that either or we'll have a problem.

I got mine in DM for 2.99 €. Those who don't have Essence counters in their country can get on Beauty Crowd.

Have a great day!
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Beauty News: Catrice Alluring Reds LE and Essence Merry Berry TE

September 27, 2015, 7:44 pm
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Colour and Care Lip Balm C01 Smooth Operator. 4.29€
Liquid Lipstick C01 Moulin's Rouge, C02 Brigitte Bordeaux and C03 Marilyn Monrouge. 4.29€
Nail Glaze C01 Object Of Desire, C02 Art Of Seduction in C03 Pleasure Of Temptation 5.29 €. Consists of a silver base coat and a red nail polish.
Matte Lipstick C01 M-attraction, C02 Striking M-attitude and C03 M-attempt To Conquest. 5.29€

Available from November 2015.


Highlighter 01 i love my golden pumps. 3.59 €
Eyeshadow 01 the perfect dress ain 02 the masked ball. 2.19 €
Lipstick 01 let's the berry-tales begin (glossy), 02 pink & perfect (glossy) in 03 red rocks (matte). 2.49 €
Scented gold dust powder 01 i love my golden pumps. 3.79 €
Hair fragrance 01 i love my golden pumps. 3.79 € (contains shimmer and acts as a leave-in conditioner)
Top Coat 01 i love my golden pumps. 2.19 €
Nail polish 01 the masked ball, 02 purple with purpose, 03 pink & perfect in 04 red rocks. 1.49 €.

 Available from November to December 2015.

I don't generally care for LE's and TE's any more hence why I never post them, but I these are interesting. Especially Merry Berry is gorgeous and I'm interested in the nail polishes, the highlighter and the hair fragrance. At Catrice those matte lipsticks look very appealing.

Find anything intriguing? Have a great day!
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The Winner of the Giveaway is...

September 28, 2015, 2:51 am
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Nina S.! I already sent you an e-mail and now your job is only to reply and I'll send you your prize. If the winner doesn't respond in two days, a new one will be chosen. Thanks to all that have participated. I wish I could give all the prize, but unfortunately it would leave me penniless. A huge high five to most of you who answered the question correctly, it is indeed my smartphone that I'm using for my blog photography, Samsung Galaxy S5 to be precise. I wasn't strict about the answers, I accepted anything that described it well enough, so "mobile phone", and other similar phrases, as well as Galaxy S2, though that one was passed on to another owner already in January. Thank you for so many lovely comments under that posts, you really are the best!

Have a great day!
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Essence Liquid Lipstick 04 Show Off!

September 29, 2015, 6:17 am
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We all knew this was happening - Essence releasing their version of lipstick-lipgloss hybrids was hardly a surprise. The only question everyone in the beauty community was asking: are they going to be any good? Essence is a very hit-and-miss brand to me when it comes to lip products. None truly stand out, except for the long discontinued Stay Matte Lip Creams (R.I.P.) and though I'll admit these Liquid Lipsticks (*coughs*lip glosses*coughs*) are certainly lovely for the price, they aren't the best such product I've tried.


Formula: Compared to other such products I've tried, these have a considerably thicker formula. It's almost like paint and it forms a sort of a uniform layer on the lips. Surprisingly, despite such formula, they aren't sticky, which makes me glad we live in 2015 because if this was made ten years earlier, you could probably use it instead of a glue. Yay for progress! The pigmentation of this shade is impressive. Depending on how much product you have on the applicator, you need about two coats for full opacity, the main problem you're actually facing is getting it even, but it's not terribly hard. The finish is very glossy and similar to Dior's version. 
 

Colour: Show off! is a red-coral that on me also has a bit of pink and it's somewhat similar to Dior's Magique, only darker and more red. It's the type of colour that I associate with summer and colourful cocktails.


Staying power isn't amazing, but when has anyone heard the words "lip gloss" and "excellent staying power" in the same sentence. The thicker formula does somewhat help the gloss to cling on the lips better, but it still fades a lot faster than a lipstick. Unlike Dior's version this leaves no stain behind.


Scent: It's got a very familiar scent to me, but I can't put my finger on what it reminds me of. It's a mix of a chemical scent with vanilla.


The packaging is clearly ripping off Dior, Maybelline and probably someone else, but I love this type of faux-lipstick packaging, so I say go ahead and copy away. The tube is short and square, and the gloss has a wider applicator than we're used to from the XXXL glosses, which makes them much, much more comfortable to use than those. 

Essence's Liquid Lipsticks are very decent lip glosses, probably some of the best in their price range. They aren't amazing, but for the price you get a very pigmented lip colour with an intense shine. I don't like them as much as L'Oreal's because those are sooo comfortable to wear, but these definitely pack a punch and they are of course a third or fourth of the price, so go for it if you want. 
Taya compared them to Catrice's versions here, Petra did a review of the shade 03 Almost Real here and Nadja reviewed shade 02 Beauty Secret (I like this one).

My Liquid Lipstick was provided for the purposes of reviewing it on Click2Chic blog and it costs 2.79 € in their online shop (they ship to Croatia as well). Those who can't get Essence in their country, I saw that Beauty Crowd started selling this brand. 

Have a great day!
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September Favourites

September 30, 2015, 6:39 am
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It took me ages to properly review this foundation, but this month it finally happened and I still love it to bits just as the first time I tried it. This is my never-fails foundation that looks incredibly natural on the skin, has light-medium coverage and not matter how much you layer it, it won't look cakey. I simply adore it.


New love alert - this just shot up into my favourite blushes ever the moment I applied it on my cheeks. It has the glow! I'll cheat a bit because I haven't done a proper review yet here (I'll post it only after it's on the other blog where I write), but here is a pic of it on my cheeks. It's is the perfect mix of a highlighter plus blush that gives me that famous "lit from within glow" (such a stupid phrase, but there is nothing else to use in this context). It's a mix of two shades, a peachy-pink and the hot pink in the middle, and it's a bit difficult to use them individually, but I always focus on the peachy pink more. The blush is nicely pigmented (the peachy-pink shade could be too light for medium skin tones), the size of shimmer is just perfect and it even smells like vanilla. The packaging is beautiful and there is a mirror plus a brush in the back. Great job Physicians Formula.

I'm really impressed by this brand and I'd like more of their product. I was researching what other stuff is good on Makeup Alley and I love to have at least three other things: Nude Wear Touch of Glow powder (I hear it works similar to Hourglass Ambient Powders), Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face & Eyes Natural and Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural. Let me know if these are any good.


And another new love. I've found a brilliant waterproof mascara from the drugstore that is very affordable and holds my impossibly stubborn lashes curled all day. It's also impressive in terms of volume it gives, it separates well enough, it doesn't smudge or flake -  it's just an all-round winner. The brush is huge, but not terribly clumsy, so the only thing that isn't to my taste would be the packaging, which might prompt someone to ask you if it came in a set with a Barbie.  

I'm happy to report that after months this liner still works. Normally this wouldn't be much of an achievement, but it's a cheap liner of Chinese origin. We've had a pretty good run, but we shall see how much longer it will last. This is a pretty bitchin' eyeliner that isn't just inexpensive, but also majorly adorable with the panda cap. The formula is really black, it applies smoothly, lasts well on the lids and so far it hasn't dried out (five months and counting). 


These two were the star products in my Three Reds posts and I'm well aware I'm completely boring your with constantly talking about these two lipsticks, but they deserve it. These are the best matte lipsticks I've ever tried. They apply with no dragging, the pigmentation is outstanding and have nice staying power. Things that might bother you at these is the typical L'Oréal lipstick smell (I've always liked it, but people describe it as granny-ish) and if you're lips tend to get dry, you might find Blake tight on the lips after a while. But the colours are simply stunning and I think that Blake especially is the type of shade that everyone should own as it's that one super glamorous red for special occasions, while Laetitia is my favourite autumnal burgundy that has been on my lips a lot this month.


My feet have become impossibly dry, so I've been slapping generous amounts of this to alleviate the problem and I've been using it on the rest of my body as well. I'm not sure if this is sold any more, probably it isn't because you know, why keep selling something that's clearly super popular (#balealogic), but I'm sure they have a replacement in another scent already (Cocoa?). This one smells like Monte dessert, so it's a rich chocolate-hazelnut scent that just makes you want to eat it. Balea's body butters are very thick, so they suit very dry skin well, but it also means they are greasy and don't sink in fast, which is not that big of a deal to me as I apply it before going to bed. The important thing is that is fixes dry skin and it works fast.

This has been my face moisturiser for a month and a half, and we are getting on pretty swell. For a majority of that time my skin has been pretty much perfect, so no spots, white heads or dry patches, which is what I want from a moisturiser. It has coconut oil in it and that has always agreed with my skin, but some say that it's comedogenic, so it has the potential to clog pores (it clearly doesn't on me). The moisturiser is pretty rich, but not too thick and it smells lovely to me, kind of a professional like Yves Rocher stuff (floral). It's not too expensive, especially compared to my favourite L'Occitane moisturisers, so I'm pretty happy with it.


I do apologize if you feel like I might be rubbing it in a bit with the "oh look at me, I've got a fancy curling wand", but I genuinely love this. It gives a me tons of variety, it's light, there is no annoying clamp and it shows how it's heating up. I've truly been enjoying trying out different barrels and creating hairstyles with this, I especially loved the modern retro waves that I made with a 25 mm barrel. It's soo expensive, but worth the investment if you love curls. I've already used it on other people as well and they loved the results.

Another product I finally took the time to actually review, even though I've been using it constantly for almost a year (well, since December) and already have a back-up of it. It creates texture, which means that it helps achieve volume, it also makes the curls look more lived-in and helps them last longer. This one has a bit more hold than the rest I tried, so it's like a hair spray mixed with a dry salt spray and it can make you hair feel a bit crispy if you use a lot of it, but in moderation it's fine. This is one of my essential products for creating all of those curly hairstyles I wear all the time.

As much as I love Kérastase, this didn't impress me as much as their other products right off the bat. I'm a huge fan of Oreo-Relax shampoo, which works so well on my hair, but this one felt too light for me because it doesn't nourish it as much. However, I've been trying to purge my shampoo stash, so I've been using this for the past month and my hair just feels good. I think this is the type of product that works long term, which I would have discovered before were I not so impatient. It's expensive, but if your hair is dry and you like the squeaky clean feeling, this might work well for you.


Have a great day!
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eBay Bargains

October 3, 2015, 1:59 am
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I'm no stranger to eBay and I've bought everything from dainty jewellery, makeup brushes, clothes to batteries for power tools. I order for several people because I stupidly let myself to be used like that, but I'm well in my hundred purchases there. My purchase history is mostly made out of, believe or not, LED bulbs, but I'll focus just on things that are beauty related and/or are my favourite purchases I made there. I'll try to include as much information as I can because I always search for more decent reviews than those 80 characters of (usually useless) feedback on eBay, so I hope this will be helpful to you. Prices are in different currencies simply because I wrote down the original price and not the converted one. I added lazy links for quick searches on eBay to make things easier for you.


Cat Ears Gold Headband with Crystals
I'm sure you've seen this a million times by now, since I use it a lot as decoration in the pictures. It's fun, girly and super cute, though not something you'd wear to the office, but I adore it. Much to my dismay it arrived broken, but I didn't complain to the seller and I just fixed it myself with super glue. Then one the rhinestone fell out and ended under a freaking fridge, which was so much fun, but again it was quickly mended and since then I've had zero problems. My head is small, however, this does start to hurt at the ears after a while, so bear that in mind if you plan to get it. I actually got two more for my friends because they loved it so much and those two arrived perfect. There is version with pearls as well and you can also get it in silver.
$1.17 

Gold Leaves Headband
The ultimate autumn accessory. Asos has something similar for a lot more money, but you can always count on eBay for a better deal. It's a circle headband half made of metal leaves and half is plain black elastic, so it's much more comfortable to wear that the classic ones. Due to the shape of the leaves, it tends to get tangled in the hair, so you need to be careful when putting it on and taking it off.  I've had it for about a year and it's more coppery looking now, but still in really good condition.
$0.84

Gold Leaves Hair Pins
I'm sure you recognize these as well and I have quite a few of such metal pins. All are the same in terms of quality, basically way better than I expected. The quality is nice and they look so cute in the hair. They are very, very strong, which means they do not fall out, but you need to be careful when taking them out, otherwise it'll damage the hair. Bobby pins have nothing one these, so I prefer using them for buns as they don't just randomly fall out of my hair. Two versions exist, tri-leaves ones like mine and five-leaves ones
$0.82

Gold Bee Hair Pins
I saw these on a very popular Pinterest picture, but when I was ordering them I thought there is no way they look the same as on that picture. But they do! Though I think there might be two versions of these floating around. The ones I got are brilliant and so well made. The quality is the same as at the leaves ones, but when I purchased them, only one arrived and when I complained to the seller, he sent me another and that one it's a centimetre shorter. It's not a big deal at all, but I just want to say that sizes vary. These are also available in silver.
$0.71 


Gold Starfish Hair Pin
Again it's the same type of pin as the leaves ones and bees, though this one isn't as gold, but already more copper-gold. I think it looks so pretty tucked in a braid. This one is available in silver and there is also a version with sea shells.
£0.99

Gold Starfish Hair Clip
My largest hair accessory and even though I can realistically only wear it in the summer, I wanted to have it. It's heavy since it's metal, but holds well and does not fall out. It's perfect for a mermaid Halloween look if you need any ideas.
£0.99
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TONI AND GUY Sectioning Clips
I've always wanted sectioning clips, but I could never find more than a pack of 2 for a completely unreasonable price in our drugstores. Then I resorted to eBay and ordered these for a few euros not expecting much, but the quality of these blew me away. They are made from that "NARS" like rubberised, matte plastic and the spring is a really good one, meaning it's not too weak, but neither too tight. I use these every time I blow dry or curl the hair to keep them out of the way as well as to  pin the just blow dried strands in a ring shape to let it cool and in that way create a loose wave. I've had them for almost two years and they are still like new.
£2.45

10 Spiral Hair Pins
I was contemplating whether to include these or not. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with these. I have a pair from before, they sell a 2-pack of these in Müller for 5 freaking euros, but they are brilliant and one substitutes five regular bobby pins. These eBay ones do work, no doubt about that, but the problem with these specific ones is that the ends are sharp. No one bothered to sand them down or add a bit of plastic at the end like at bobby pins, which means they are sharp and can damage the hair. 
$1.04


3D Shells Nail Decoration 20 pc Mixed Gold and Silver
I got these for one specific manicure, so I decided to get a mix of colours and sizes, but you can get a much better deal than just 20 pieces for the same price. I used two coats of Seche Vite on top to glue them on (I don't have a proper nail glue for the job) and they lasted much better than I expected. One fell off on the fourth day and I had to remove the second one when I was taking the manicure off after about a week. The do lose colour after a couple of days of wear and look more copper-bronze. 
On the nails are the small ones.
£0.99 


JESSUP 5 pc Eye Makeup Brushes
I have plenty of cheap brushes, well almost all them, but these are the only ones I bought off eBay. There are many sets to choose from, but I chose a set of 5 eye brushes for start. I'd say four are excellent as they are super soft, but one, the pointed one, is simply too dense and I still don't know how to use it. One is a classic dome brush, though too big to fit in my "crease", so I use it for blending. The other three have a flat surface, but are cut differently - straight and slanted. These are excellent for blending concealer. They are also great for applying a base colour on the lids, or applying powder under the eyes so the concealer won't crease. In general, I'm very happy with these and they are well made. They come in tons of colours and combinations.
$5.75


Wallet Phone Case for Samsung Galaxy S5
I bought a ton of phone cases from eBay for just about everyone I know, but this is my only wallet one (I bought another wallet one with the owl design like the one of the right for my friend and he said it was ok as well). It's a proper wallet with spaces for credit cards or documents and you can put cash in the side pocket, the change might be a problem though. The size of the card slots is a bit snug, it could be a millimetre bigger, but cards do fit in. The plastic phone case is the one I have a slight problem with because the fit is off for S5 and it covers up the side buttons. But in general the outside is made out of a really nice material and it looks much more expensive than it is. It was advertised that there is a mirror included, but it's just a rubbish silver sticker that I accidentally threw out. Six colour combinations are available and it's available for some other Galaxy models as well as iPhones.
$3.73

Mint Green "Sleep Owl" Silicone Phone Case for Samsung Galaxy S5
One of the many silicone cases I bought, this is the second one for me and my favourite because, well it's mint green, it has an owl and polka dots, so to me it's a triple score, but I also love that it's not too thick, yet still protects the phone well. I got mine from Germany because I needed it fast, but you can get it cheaper from China or Hong Kong.
$4.61


KDK LONDON Mint Green Jersey Skater Skirt 
Size UK6/ EU34/ US4
I got this almost two years ago, when skater skirt were in short supply in Slovenia and a mint green one was unheard of, so I got it off eBay. I actually got two different ones, but the first one was so plastic that I threw it away. I wear this loads, so it doesn't look its best any more, but the fabric is a nice thick jersey. It doesn't have much stretch, but it's durable. The colour is perfect, just what I was looking for and it fits me well, which tells something, since I can't buy clothes a lot of our shops. I'm petite and this ends less than 5 cm above my knees, so it's a good length that you're not concerned about bending. The elastic is strong, so it doesn't stretch as much as for example H&M skirts, so get a 6 only if you're really skinny because you might have problems getting it over the hips.
Length: 46 cm
Waist: 60 cm
Material: Thick jersey
Wash on: 30°C
15.31 $, from this seller

15mm Fold Over Elastic (2 m each)
You might know that already, but I make my own hair elastics. I've got several colours of fold over elastics and. from 2 m I can make about 9-10 hair ties, which comes at 0.14 € per one. My tutorial on how to make these is here. These are my favourite types of hair ties because they are soft and don't damage the hair.

Polka Dot Scarves
Light pink with black polka dots and deep red with beige polka dots
One of my most recent purchases and I'm completely obsessed with these. They are far, far better quality than I expected. The fabric is so soft and lovely, especially considering the price, but the fabric of the pink one is better than of the red one. Both of them are gorgeous, however, I've been wearing the pink one non-stop since I got it. They are sheer, made from chiffon (not sure it's true, but it's a lovely material) and are not too long, which is perfect for us short girls on whom long scarves look ridiculous.  
Length: about 210 cm
Width: 66 cm
There are no labels sewn on, but I presume this is hand wash only.
£0.99 each, got them from this seller.


White Infinity/Convertible/Multiway Dress (Grace Karim)
One Size
I feel in love with infinity dresses since I first saw them in an Avon catalogue and on New Look, so I became obsessed with the idea that I need it. I actually made one of these myself, but more as a test outfit because I used a completely inappropriate fabric since it was the only big enough piece I had, but I did wear it. I would totally make the real deal, it's three pieces of fabric quickly sown together, but the fabric in Slovenia is so expensive, it's become literally insane. I scoured the internet for a very cheap option, but all were quite expensive and then they just started selling these one day on eBay and I got it in a second. It's actually quite good for the price, but I'm not a clothes snob, in fact I'd describe myself as having low standards and you won't see me in designer clothes. Yes, the fabric is thin, but not too see-though and nobody bothered to hem it, however that's fine at such a dress. You could hem it yourself, but only the skirt because the strips need to have all the stretch they can get. It's really pretty worn, it offers a great variety of styles, so I truly love it and I'd like to get more colours. However, this precise dress is only for us shorties, so under 160-165 cm because it's made for Asian girls. It's more of a beach dress, though you could wear it as a maxi in summer, but not for special occasions because of the fabric. It would be a nice dress for Halloween if you plan to be a Greek goddess. Ideas for ways to wear it. 
Length of the skirt: 105 cm
Waist: 54 cm, it stretches a lot because the elastic is very loose, I measured at least +34 cm.
Material: thin, stretchy T-Shirt-like fabric, semi-see through. I suggest getting dark colours. 
$6.47 + US $7.95 shipping. Got it from this seller and here are alternatives.


Rose Gold Love Bracelet 
This is the one item I'm not really pleased with, but I knew there is a high chance this would happen. I'm very skinny, which means that bracelet are mostly a no go for me, unless I find a child size, but I hoped that since Asian girls are tiny like me, this would fit me nicely. It's a bit more battered than it looks in the eBay pictures, but I'm sure you're wise enough not to trust those completely. The colour isn't the best rose gold, I put Physician's Formula Nude Wear blush next to it, so you can see how much less rose it is, but you can also see that it's not gold compared to the leaves pin. The problem of this bracelet is that it's too narrow and I have concerns that not many people will be able to put this on their wrist. The gap is small, so it won't be much help, the bracelet is too wide on me and it's close to slipping of my wrist. I need to reshape it, but the metal is very thick and hard. It's going to be a nice decoration at least. I gave it to three other people to try with all types of wrists and it fit nicely on someone whose wrist was much larger than mine, but it wasn't easy to put on, same happened with an "average" sized wrist. Available in also in gold and silver.
Widest part: 7 cm
Narrow part: 5 cm
Gap: 2.5 cm 
£0.99

Black Rhinestone Bow Adjustable Ring
I love bows, so I always wanted a bow ring and I already have such black earrings from Tally Weijl. It's an adjustable one and originally it's way too large for me, which means that I'll probably suit a lot of people. The bow is plastic or some sort of resin, it doesn't look cheap to me, but obviously it doesn't exactly scream Tiffany. It's the type of ring that gets caught in fabric, so you need to be careful especially when wearing wool sweaters. For the price it's lovely.
Original width: 18 mm 
0.70 $, got it from this seller.


Blue Chevron and Pink Polka Dot Paper Straws
I've seen these in some Pinterest pictures when I was preparing a baby shower and though they were so cute. I've seen them in one of our shops recently for a price that brought tears to my eyes - those weren't as pretty as these anyway. They are made from paper, but they aren't flimsy at all, however, it does feels a bit strange to drink from them due to the material. There are many different design and colours of these. 
£0.99

Washi Tape 15 mm
Pink with black polka dots, white with moustache patern and mint green with symbols
My first washi tapes and I haven't seen any here yet (kje se to prodaja pri nas?). They are sticky tapes with patterns and an item that you get because it's cute and only then actually research how to bloody use them. I got them in three pattern/colours that I adore: polka dots, mint green and moustache pattern. The polka dot one is much shorter that the other two, while the moustache one is the most see-though. I used them to decorate the caps of Refan fragrances and Essie nail polishes because both of those look so dull, I also taped over a boring pen I have. They also came handy when I was labelling cables. If you need any ideas for how to use these just check Pinterest.
£0.99 each, all from this seller.

I was wondering if you'd like to see an eBay wishlist as well one day? I hope this was helpful and have a great day!
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Freedom Makeup Jewels and Riches Collection Pro 32 Eye Palette

October 5, 2015, 6:04 am
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These cheap palettes absolutely flooded the market in the past couple of years. Even I have a few, but none that truly wowed me and neither did this one, but it is my favourite out of those. Initially I though I'll just swatch it and wear it a few times for testing sake, but it proved to be very versatile and I ended up wearing quite a lot. I'm a neutral girl at heart and it'll take some ungodly power to separate me from my Urban Decay's Naked Basics(wrote this before I got my hands on theBalm Nude'tude. I should really post my reviews faster), but this one has some cute shimmery neutral shades that I've really been enjoying wearing.


The palette contains 32 eyeshadows ranging from matte to shimmery and from neutrals to a bit bolder colours, but none are super bright, which is a good thing because I have no idea what to do with those. I won't go into details about every eyeshadow, but there are some classic base shades, one decent transitional matte taupe (Reward), shimmery browns, taupes, copper (Fortune) and bronze (Riches) shade, there are some purples, blues, an emerald green and a pink that's a bit out of place. There are also three identical black shades (Precious, Funds and Rare), just because I guess (too much spaces to fill, eh Freedom Makeup?).


The quality varies from eyeshadow to eyeshadow as is standard for these palettes. Mattes aren't the best, but also not bad. There are two blues, Plenty and Aquamarine, that look so similar, but the quality is miles apart. A similar thing happens at purples (Gemstone and Chalcedony). Those cute neutral shimmery shades are all good quality, some are really buttery and pigmented, especially one coppery one (Fortune).  

These do crease on my lids without a primer, but only several hours after application, the staying power is pretty good, way better than expected and with a good primer you can squeeze almost a day out of these (on normal lids). 


The packaging is the same as at Makeup Revolution, a classic sturdy black palette with a very handy big mirror.

For the price this is a pretty decent palette and I've been using it quite a lot, which I didn't expect to. It will certainly come handy when I'll want to wear something coppery or rosy because I don't have such shades from before and I enjoy wearing them. It's a nice palette for beginners or for those who would like to expand their shade range, but don't want to spend much. However if you're an eyeshadow snob like me (forgive me, you know I've been doing this for years) then you'll probably quickly forget it and go back to more high-end stuff.

I got mine from Ličila.si, where is costs a very reasonable 10.95 €. International readers can get it on official Freedom Makeup site.

Have a great day!

*PR product
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Physicians Formula Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Bronzer

October 6, 2015, 9:04 am
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It's been a very long time since I last got my hands on a new bronzer. When I found Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess four years ago, I simply stopped experimenting with bronzers and it remains the only one I found that works with my pale neutral complexion. Physicians Formula has an extensive collection of bronzers, each more beautiful than the last one (have you seen the Paris and New York one? Divine), but this one from the Argan Wear Collection is one of the most stunning ones to look at. It's infused with argan oil, though I don't really know if that makes any difference and it has a very strong oriental scent that is actually its more definitive feature aside from the beautiful pattern.


The bronzer is made out of three shades, while the gold glitter line is just an overspray. First few brush strokes will be very gllitery, however, the gold overspray disappears quickly. The texture is very soft and buttery, consequently the pattern is disappearing fast under the brush. This part actually made me very sad, so I'm only using one side of the bronzer. Due to the soft texture is blends nicely even with my ancient brushes.



To my initial shock I discovered it swatches shimmery golden yellow. I must confess I was very concerned about this, but thankfully it actually does not look bad on me, in fact I kind of like it despite the golden sheen, the only snag is that I need to wear very warm toned makeup. But will it perform the same on someone with a medium or cool skin tone? That I doubt. They do sell a darker version of this bronzer (my shade is Light Bronzer), just not here unfortunately. On my cheeks it creates a warm, golden-tan glow, I think you can see from my picture that it's not at all as terrifying as the swatch and I applied a lot of it otherwise my camera wouldn't be able to pick it up. I think this might work as a subtle gold highlighter on warm, medium skin tones, but I can't say for sure as I haven't tried it on anyone else. 


The one thing that will hit you even before you open the packaging is the intense oriental scent. I think it's lovely, so does everyone I gave it to sniff, but I think that a lot of people won't like it either because they find it too strong or because oriental scents don't suit them. I can't smell it on the face, just in the packaging.



The packaging is similar as at Happy Booster Blush. It's plastic, so quite light, but bulky. That's because there is an extra compartment under the blush where you'll also find a small brush and a mirror. 



I got this bronzer as a part of my job on Click2Chic where it costs 17.90 € (objava v slovenščini tukaj) and they have another bronzer from this brand - Bronze Booster Glow, which is probably darker. I believe they also ship to Croatia. International readers can get it on iHerb.


Have a great day!
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Freedom Pro Blush Palette Pink and Baked

October 7, 2015, 8:15 am
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I never owned a blush palette before, so this was exciting, but I also never tried any of these "cheap" blushes and I have to report that they pleasantly surprised me. I got the pink version of the palette (a few other versions exist), so it's a different direction from my usual natural, warmer pinks and peaches. 


There are seven blushes in the palette, three are matte, three have a bit of shimmer and one is super shimmery, plus there is a highlighter as well. Cool pinks dominate the palette, but I think the real stars are the warm reddish-pink, the peach and the deep reddish-plum one. Let review these individually, blushes on the cheek correspond to the text bellow the pictures.


1.row 1. blush - a light neutral pink. Looks pink on the cheeks, so nothing surprising there. The pigmentations is nice. It's just a cute looking blush

1.row 2. blush - this looks very intimidating bright pink fuchsia in the pan, but the pigmentation is the least impressive in this palette. It's actually lighter than the one above it. They look about the same on the cheeks
1.row 3.blush this is the winner for me in this palette. It's kind of a muted warm pink and it looks so pretty on the cheeks. The pigmentation is very impressive and it's a soft blush.


The highlighter- oh sweet heavens, who thought this was a good highlighter to put on the cheeks? It's so shiny you need sunglasses to keep you from going blind and I'm pretty sure the aliens can track the signals that bounce of the cheeks. It's an almost white, cool toned pink, which is another minus, so this doesn't get points from me. There is no way anyone can wear this, sorry. It looks way less shimmery in my pictures than it's in real life.


Highlight blush - Swatched it looks so intimidating, it's a cool toned pink with intense violet-blue reflect, so another sci-fi shade, however, on the cheeks that shine is not as intensely cool toned, though it definitely won't work on warm skintones and it gives a nice pink-berrry flush with that glowy effect. But moderation is advised at this colour.

3. row 1. blush -  a cool toned pink with some gold shimmer. It's no different on my cheeks that the two other pinks, but the quality is nice.


3.row 2. blush - this is a stand out shade, a peach in a predominately pink palette - I like that they did this. It's a classic peach shade, very pigmented and soft, so all in all a nice one.

3.row 3.blush - the darkest and most pigmented in the bunch. It's perfect for medium-dark skin tones, but I need to use a very light hand at it. The quality is similar to the peachy shade, so really good. 


If I say one complaint about these blushes it that I feel like they don't blend quite as well as most I tried, but it's not such a big deal. They all last well on the cheeks. 

It's a surprisingly nice palette. Some shades are really similar, but most are nice quality. The highlighter is a massive miss, but the blushes are lovely. 

Slovenes can get Freedom Makeup on Ličila.si for 8.95 € and international readers can buy it on Freedom Makeup official website.

Have a great day!

*PR product
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Essence Happy Girls are Pretty TE

October 8, 2015, 6:07 am
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I bought something from Essence's TE - I know, hold the phone, what is happening? But to be fair Sanja (Sparkle with Laughter) made me do it. We have such a similar taste in makeup that every time she posts one of her Sparkles post, I end up with a new list of products to try. Honestly, Happy Girls are Pretty was to me just another in a long line of TEs that I just glanced at the press release and said to myself: I can't be bothered with tracking this down. Then I saw the sheer lipbalm at Sanja and it just appealed to me, so I actually went to the drugstore with an intention to get this. Luckily I live near a town where these TE's don't tend to disappear so quickly and I found an almost full stand in DM (Műller didn't have it any more, so I'm guessing these are the last days of this TE).


Happy Girls are Pretty Sheer Lipbalm
01 Pretty You
Even since I found Bourjois' Nude-ist (which I think might have been Sanja-inspired as well), I had this urge to experiment with more rosy-brown lip colours. Pretty You is precisely such a shade and it's one of those classic autumnal shades that it's safe to say was very 90's inspired, but thankfully they restrained themselves from making it too brown. I think it might even look like a my-lips-but-better lip colour on medium skin tones, especially because of the texture. 


Ironically, the one time Essence could call their lip product a lipstick, they call it a sheer lipbalm. The pigmentation is far from sheer, it's almost fully opaque with one coat, however, this starts disappearing from the lips in about 15 minutes or even less, so it does end up looking more like a tinted lip balm or one of their Sheer & Shine lipsticks. The texture is thicker and creamier than their usual lipsticks, which makes it very comfortable on the lips and this is definitely the product for those with dry lips. The finish is quite glossy that's why it's disappearing from the lips so fast and I must admit I'd love a more matte version a lot more. I don't know why Essence does this, but they put the nicest fruity scent to their limited edition lip products, but not to their regular line. I really enjoy the scent of this, despite it being a bit teenage-y. The packaging is a slim tube, but after only two days of use, the lipstick broke off the base, so it doesn't twist back inside any more and I have to push it manually.


I like this. It's not amazing, but I had a chance to experiment with some interesting new shades for me for a very reasonable price. I got mine in DM for 2.49 €



Happy Girls are Pretty Multi Colour Blush
01 you sweeten my day
This one, on the other hand, was totally spur of the moment purchase and I kinda, sorta regret it. I got this because the colours looked so "me", though admittedly the design of the blush was part of the reason as well. This has almost no colour pay-off on me. I was told that only the top layer is like that, but I've been trying to get something from it and I'm still failing miserably. I did some rubbish swatches, the heart is a light pink with brown tones and the other part is a pink-ish highlighter. It looks rosy-brown on my cheeks, but it's subtle, I took a picture, but my camera isn't the best at taking pictures of very pigmented blushes, let alone a sheer one and it's been so rainy for the past few days, so it's not the best. 


I also got this blush in DM for 3.29 €

Have a great day!
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Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush

October 9, 2015, 8:40 am
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I've done my fair share of gushing about this blusher already and it became one of my favourite blushes ever. You might remember that I ranted a bit in my Max Factor Creme Puff review that those blushes look glowy on everyone but me. Well now I've found the one for me too and I'm really enjoying the glow. 


The main feature is the stiletto design in the blush which is an actual separate colour and not an overspray, though the heel is. I got the shade called Rose and it consists of two colours. The main colour is a pretty standard peachy pink with tiny champagne/iced gold shimmer, so it's not that dissimilar to very popular colours like Nars' Orgasm and its dupes. The central colour is much brighter and it's a hot pink. 


The textures differ a bit. I feel that the hot pink isn't as smooth as the peachy-pink surroundings, but it doesn't affect how the blush performs on the cheeks and it blends nicely. I tend to concentrate more on the lighter shade, but it's difficult to completely avoid the darker one with a big fluffy blush brush. I like to think that they had a similar idea in mind that Charlotte Tilbury has, so applying a lighter colour as a base and the brighter just in the centre of the cheeks to make it pop more. 


Mixed together is creates an illuminating pink flush and the glow is even picked up by my camera phone, which is unheard off (exception is the much more expensive Coralista). The shimmer has a nice tone to it, it's not too gold nor too pink, it's actually just the right mix for me. I've got a spare picture were you can see the glow even more.


The blush has a vanilla scent, though it's a bit cardboard-ish (best description of a scent ever) and I don't find it strong, but these things are a bit subjective. 



The design of the blush is beautiful. It's actually way prettier in real life than in pictures, even though it's essentially just a mix of plastic, cardboard and fabric. It's dressed in red satin with black fishnets on top and on the inside it's just black paper. They were aiming for sexy and I think they did it, it's certainly has that burlesque-look to it. Like all Physicians Formula cheek products it has an added mirror and a brush which are in the back. The brush is clearly not the best quality and the thin design is strange to work with, but if you have nothing else it's fine. 



I really love this blush. I love the glow it has, the colour is pretty and it shows up well on my light skin tone. The packaging is lovely and it even smells nice, so I have nothing bad to say about this blush. There is another, lighter shade of this available called Natural and there are many more items in the Sexy Booster line. I have a mascara from this line and you might think that I hit my head for saying this, but even though it's a regular formula, I ended up really liking it. I lifts my lashes a bit, but only if I don't use an eyelash curler. It's difficult to explain, I'll do that in the review, but the volume it gives is comparable to Essence's Lash Princess, which means massive lashes.

My blush is from Click2Chic, where is costs 15.90 € and it's another product I reviewed as a part of my work on their blog (they didn't ask me talk about it here as well, so I don't consider it a proper PR product).

Have a great day!
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10 Products Worth the Hype: Collaboration with Petra from Adjusting Beauty

October 11, 2015, 7:00 am
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You might already know Petra from Adjusting Beauty, I do kind of mention her a lot here, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she one of my favourite bloggers ever and I think she landed on my Blogs I Heart page 0.002 seconds after I found her blog years ago. She does amazing makeup looks that always leave me self-conscious about my makeup skills and she does fantastic lip swatches that make me want to buy the entire line of lipsticks, so if you don't follow her yet, please check her out, you won't be sorry. It's our first collaboration and we chose to do a products worth the hype post. I had a hard time distinguishing the products that I bought because of the hype from the products that I may have hyped up myself (just a teeny bit), but I think I managed it ok. Not all of the things are the ones you'll hear a lot about on blogs, but more on Makeup Alley where they hold a high rating - it is a type of a hype, right?


I'm not sure what's more hyped up on my list: Sheer Glow or the Naked palette. So do I, who am in general more of a drugstore girl, think it's worth it? I do. It's so worth it. Not just because they have a the shade called Siberia, which is a godsend for all the pale girlies who have a hard time finding a match for our porcelain complexion, but also because this is beautiful on the skin. I don't like high coverage foundations, but this I love. It makes your skin look so perfect, but at the same time it doesn't feel heavy nor does it sink into pores or make a cakey mess. The finish it leaves is satin, but in a healthy way, however, ironically despite the name it is neither sheer nor dewy/glowy. It's such a difference from drugstore foundations, you really notice it with this one, though the 40 € price tag makes me weep. 

The hype around this foundation was short compared to others. I don't really know why, nonetheless it's completely justified. It's one of the rare matte foundations I like and that's because it doesn't look flat on the skin like most do, but it has that luminous matte finish, meaning this is far from that draining, looks-thick-as-wall-paint, cakey foundation and it actually disguises pores better than any primer or foundation I tried. It's also instantly dry to the touch, which I greatly appreciate, but it can cling to dry patches, just to warn you, so it's not the best for dry skin. The colour range is a bit of a miss as both lightest shades, Porcelain and Vanilla, are pink toned and L'Oreal is terrible at making foundation colours, so it can end up looking a bit orange if your skin tone is very warm, but on my neutral skin, it's decent enough. I love wearing this especially in the summer when my skin is a bit oilier.

There was a time when every British blogger swore by this concealer. The hype died down considerably, mostly because I think people got bored of it, but I'm one of those people who stays loyal to the end and I stand firm at the claim that this is one of the best concealers ever. This baby covers up almost anything you throw at it - circles, redness and blemishes, though the latter might need another layer or two if they are approaching volcano status. It can look cakey, I won't lie, especially on dry skin, so I don't like to pile a lot on, but those with oily skin can probably afford to be a bit more generous with this concealer. It also lasts very well on the skin which is a huge bonus. Much to my dismay, it's still hard to come by since at Boots International it seems to be constantly out of stock, but it's usually always available on eBay.


URBAN DECAY Naked Palette
This is so worth it. Seriously, it is. If you plan to get just one thing from my list, get this. It's arguably the most famous palette on the planet and for a good reason. The selection of shades is lovely, though my latest theBalm Nude'Tude palette that isn't hyped up has more shades that I tend to use, but my perfect palette would probably be a mix of the two (plus some matte taupes). The quality of the eyeshadows is some of the best I ever tried. They are so pigmented, smooth, they have a lovely buttery texture and they blend so well. Their matte eyeshadows are just amazing. I've tried several budget palettes in all these years and honestly, I'd rather save up and buy one of the Naked palettes instead (or theBalm one). Perhaps this makes me an eyeshadows snob, but I just don't care. 95 % of the time I do makeup on other people, they ask me to use this (and Nars Deep Throat blush) which says a lot.


 MAC Lipsticks
This might be a bit of a surprise because I don't really talk much about MAC lipsticks. The reason is that I mostly have just samples from The Body Needs, which don't really look terribly pretty, but if you count those then I have 23 shades of Mac lipsticks. I know they are expensive (hence why I have mostly samples), but they really are worth it. Not all shades, mind you, but if I had a chance to buy full-sizes, I'd definitely pick up several: All Fired up, Relentlessly Red, D is for Danger are a priority, but I also love Peach Blossom, Please Me, Coral Bliss, Impassioned, Russian Red, Diva, Dangerous and Lady Danger. Formulas differ from range to range, but my favourite would be Matte or Retro Matte. I think that the real selling point are the shades - MAC really knows how to make universally flattering and interesting colours.
Swatches also of: Creme Cup, Hue and Myth


BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet 
I was wearing Nude-ist not long ago to a sort of a long dinner I had with my family and at the end of the day, I checked in the mirror, saw that my lipsticks is pretty much intact and just thought to myself - worth every damn cent. I just love these because they are the perfect products for those who love matte finishes and long-lasting lip products. The texture is closer to a mousse, so they aren't as drying as some other matte lip options, however, they might still dry-out some people's lips. I'll admit that Grand Cru probably won't blow you away with its formula, though the colour is gorgeous, but I would definitely recommend you check shades Nude-ist, Frambourjoise and if you're feeling brave, Olé Flamingo. I hate myself for putting off buying two more shades, but I have serious issues with keeping things on my wishlist for way too long.


Some Slovene readers might not know about this one because like many super popular things, this frustratingly isn't sold here. But check MUA, Fragrantica or Sephora's website and you'll realize this is one of the most sold fragrances. Thankfully in recent years online shops started selling this here, but you won't see in it our drugstores, despite it being very cheap and having universal appeal (because screw logic, right?). I think it's one of those love it or hate it fragrances because it's so intense and űber sugary. The initial candy floss/pure sugar burst is very strong, almost burning the nostrils with its potentness, but it's the soft vanilla that keeps it from being too overboard sweet to me. Some might see it as the ultimate girly fragrance (the type that conjures associations of unicorns and rainbows), but I think it's a bit more grown up than Fantasy as there is very little to none of fruitiness in it. The one thing that is a plus of this not being sold here is that I'm one of the rare people who wears it, while I have a feeling that the incredible popularity abroad, made some people hate it (happened with Chloe to me. I swear every other sales assistant in Műller wears it).


NUXE Huile Prodigieuse
I'll admit that I'm responsible for a part of the hype for this one. I regret nothing. It's brilliant and it deserves every praise it gets from me, in fact, as far as I'm concerned I don't talk about it enough. This is one of my everyday heroes, I always finish the day with it. In case you missed 485,215 posts where I recite love poems to this, here's a recap: I've been using it every day for the past 4-5 years as a face moisturiser and it keeps my skin in such good condition. It's soft, there are no dry patches and it has a natural radiance to it. I also think that it makes my skin heal a bit faster, but I might be imaging this. This used to smells divine to me, but in all these years I barely register the scent any more, which is a shame, but that's what you get when you love the product as much. I also have a gold version, which I tend to use more for my hair because it's one of the best quick fixers for very dry hair and it gives the hair some shine, but when used on the skin, it gives it a hint of colour and a golden glow. I have on occasion used it under the foundation and it gives that Victoria's Secret glow to the skin.


I think the hype of this died out as well, but it really shouldn't have. I consider myself a big fan of this and I use it every time I curl my hair. It creates texture, which means that it helps achieve volume, it also makes the curls look more lived-in and helps them last longer. This one has a bit more hold than the rest I tried, so it's like a hair spray mixed with a dry salt spray and it can make you hair feel a bit crispy if you use a lot of it, but in moderation it's fine. It also has a lovely fruity scent.

There are two thing I'm very demanding at and usually a bit bitchy about when it comes to reviews - mascaras and hair products. My standards are very high when it comes to these items and even this treatment failed to impress me the first time I used it despite the overwhelming positive reviews. But I've since fallen in love with it and I consider it one of the best drugstore hair treatments. It's enough for my dry hair, but it's not a heavy treatment at all, in fact the texture is somewhat like a gel-cream hybrid. It smells quite strongly of Hubba-Bubba fruit fantasy bubble gum tape which is totally my jam and I love the packaging because they are no screw off or flip lids, you just squeeze and the product comes out. Of course, I leave it on longer than 3 minutes, like any other conditioner/mask before rinsing it off, but that's just me.


Check out what products Petra finds are worth the hype here.

Have a great day!
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theBalm Nude'tude Eyeshadow palette

October 13, 2015, 9:10 am
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Recently Slovenes and Croats finally got theBalm in our drugstores (Müller specifically), which was an unexpected and a very lovely surprise. You may have seen my recent wishlist where I said I'd love to have the Mary-Lou Manizer, however, today I have a review of a different theBalm product - the Nude'Tude palette. I've really been enjoying using it and the quality of it is just as good as UD's Naked (which are my favourite eyeshadows), it's even a bit cheaper and I have to say, I like the colours more than in the original Naked.


There are twelve shades in this palette, all neutral, which is just my thing. I'm not loving the far left side of the palette that much, but I really like the rest. It's a nice mix of matte, satin and shimmery finishes. I think especially the satin eyeshadows are so incredibly lovely. Not all eyeshadows are impressive unfortunately, but the grand total is very much in favour of the fantastic eyeshadows. 


ROW1
Sassy is a shimmery white colour. I use it as a highlighter in the inner corner though Stand-Offish is actually better. It's nicely pigmented and in blends well. I'd swap it for a beige matte base colour or something like Virgin in the UD's Naked. 

Stubborn is a light pink-peachy shade. This was one of the colours that when I first opened the palette, I said to myself that there is no way it would look good on me. I was so wrong. Fortunately it is not actually as pink as indicated in the pan, instead it's very similar to the shade below, Stand-Offish, which is similar to one of my favourite eyeshadows, UD's Sin, but it's a less shimmery version and it's more of a satin finish. It just ends up looking like your natural lid colour, but better and the quality is so lovely.

Selfish is a shimmery taupe-brown. This is my type of shade and I adore it. It's in the same colour family as Satin Taupe and the quality of it is so nice, way better than MAC's version because it's so silky and pigmented.

Sophisticated is a cool dark brown with shimmer. Another fantastic quality eyeshadow and I use it mostly in the outer corners

Sexy is a matte burgundy-purple shade. It's very smooth and pigmented, but needs a few layers for an even, fully opaque look because blending takes a lot of it away. I actually wore a smoky eye with this on the lids and loved it. 

Serious is a classic black matte that every palette needs. The quality is nice and it's very black.


ROW 2
Snobby is a yellow-gold shade. I'm not a fan of this one. I do use it sometimes as an inner corner highlighter, but I think it's too yellow for me to use all over the lid. The quality isn't as good as the rest, but still nice enough.

Stand-Offishis a dupe for UD's Sin, so it's a light shimmery pink that looks beautiful as an inner corner highlighter or all-over the lid. It's very soft and pigmented, basically a dream eyeshadow and it's one of my favourite.

Sultry is a matte medium neutral brown. I adore this! The texture is divine and we are talking about a matte eyeshadow. It's so smooth and silky, it blends beautifully  and it very pigmented. The texture is very similar to L'Oreal's L'Ombre Pure 106 Breaking Nude, which is the definition of the perfect matte eyeshadow.

Seductive is a warm gold-brown shade that is similar to UD's Smog, but a bit lighter. It's more like Patina and Smog had a baby, so obviously I love it. It's one of my favourites and the one I wore on my lids the most. The texture is again silky, smooth, pigmented and all in all just a pleasure to use.

Silly is a deep plum with red shimmer. This is the one shade I've very disappointed in. It has poor colour pay-off, doesn't blend as the others and the shimmer is just a bit out of place. I don't know how this landed in this otherwise fantastic palette. It might be just the top layer that behaves that well, but the rest were so soft from the first brush stroke that it's hard to believe only this one behaves so strange.

Sleek is a very deep matte brown. I love that it's in the palette as I use such a shade daily to deepen the outer corners. It's a lovely matte eyeshadow that is nicely pigmented and blends well.

I gave it my best shot, but my camera just doesn't pick up blended gradients. Well at least I tried. I blame it on my phone camera and stupid eyeshape. First pic: Sexy on the lids, Sultry in the crease. Second pic: Seductive on the lids, Sophisticated and Sleek in the outer corner. Stand-Offish in the inner corner at both,

In general the quality is fantastic. It's similar to the Naked palette, with smooth, silky eyeshadows that are very pigmented and blend well. There are a couple of exceptions, most notably Silly, but the colours I love using are fantastic. Staying power is ok, they do crease a bit without a primer after several hours of wear, but with a primer they lasted all day on me, but they did fade a bit.


The packaging is a cardboard one, but it's not as nice as at the Naked palette. The one thing that does bother me is that it gets dirty and you can't really wipe the eyeshadows off. This won't bother most people, but I'm a crazy woman who wants her makeup to look perfect at all times.  There a duo-sided brush included that is pretty much useless because it's too harsh and doesn't pick up eyeshadows well.


I have to say this is the most impressive palette I've tried in a very long time. It's been mostly drugstore for me in these past years and the only high-end palettes I have (and adore) are Urban Decay ones. The quality of eyeshadows in theBalm palette is very similar, maybe even a bit smoother, so I'm very impressed. There are a couple of eyeshadows that are a bit disappointing, but the colours I love are amazing quality. I would prefer some other colours instead of Sassy, Snobby and Silly because that would make it my ultimate perfect palette, but all in all I'm a big fan of it. 


It costs 35.70 € in Slovenia, which is 6 € cheaper than on Feel Unique. I know, my jaw dropped to the floor too. It's like a Christmas miracle. The price per eyeshadow comes at a bit under 3 €, which isn't too bad for such great quality. If you need a neutral eyeshadow palette that offers a great variety of neutral looks, this one is really lovely.  


I was asked if I'd like to maybe present the brand, so I thought why not. Some of you might not be familiar with it, since it's so new to us, but they have these cute retro packaging and clever names, which makes them a really fun brand. I checked Makeup Alley what are the most popular products. I already had their TimeBalm concealer, which is in a pot and has a high level of coverage (more suited for oily skins in my opinion), but I do have my eye on several of their products. I already said that Mary-Lou Manizer (Petra's review) and the Manizer Sisterspalette are on wishlist, so that's at the top. I wouldn't mind having Cindy-Lou as well, but Betty-Lou is definitely better suited for people more tan me. Frat Boy is a very popular blush, my fellow blogger Sanja rates it highly as do many others. I got my cousin Bahama Mama bronzer as a replacement for Nars' Laguna and she really liked it. I recently had my eye on Desert Bronzer and Blush, just because it looks like an interesting colour and I hear Hot Mama is similar to Nars' Orgasm. Also highly rated on MUA are Sexy Mama Anti Shine Translucent Powder, Meet Matt(e) Nude Matte Eyeshadow Palette (Nadja's review) and a spinoff of the Nude'tude palette - the Nude'Dude. Personally I'm really looking forward to Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipsticks if they plan to sell them here (I think they do).

Have you tried anything from this brand or do you have anything on your wishlist list?

*PR product
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Bourjois La Laque 7 Lycheers

October 15, 2015, 7:45 am
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Bourjois released their version of gel formula inspired nail polishes a while ago and in doing so joined the not so exclusive club of drugstore brands that did the same in the past couple of years. Their selection of shades is pretty basic and cute, but Lycheers grabbed my attention because I have nothing similar and I find it quite unique. I've had it for several months now, but kept putting off posting a review about it because to me it's an autumnal shade, so it'd be weird posting about it in august.


Lycheers is a medium dirty/retro rose-pink shade or a pinker version of the marsala shade. Actually the lid of Rouge Edition Velvet in 07 Nude-ist is almost exactly the same shade and the products make a pretty cute almost matchy-matchy combination. I loved the look of it in the bottle, but I'm still not sure about it on my nails. It's pretty, but I like other shades more on my nails.  It has this brownish tone to it on me that makes it look too grandma's dress from the 70's, but it's warming up to me a lot more since the temperatures dropped and we eased into autumn.


The formula is a gel inspired one, which means it's very pigmented and you can get away with one coat, but even on me one coat chips within a day, so I apply another and then it lasts the usual amount of time on me. The formula is ok, but after trying so many gel inspired formulas it takes a lot to truly impress me. Sometimes I feel it's already too thick, then sometimes I don't - I've never been fussy about nail polish formulas to be honest (expect some pastels *coughs* Essie's Fiji *coughs*). 


The packaging is interesting because of the wedge design. The brush is a classic one and I wish it were wider, but it works fine.


These cost 7.19 € in Műller, which is quite expensive for a drugstore nail polish, I waited for a discount to get it. 

Have a great day!
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Essence Sheer & Shine Lipsticks

October 17, 2015, 2:38 am
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I've already made a review for these in Slovene for the other blog I write and I just assumed that not many people will be interested in reading about these here, so I kind of let it sit in my drafts. I know, not cool and now I'm thinking it was probably wrong, but we'll see. Anyway, the old original lipstick line from Essence was completely discontinued, to be fair it was ancient in Essence years and they weren't particularly good, so I don't think many tears were shed for those. They upgraded them to a Sheer & Shine line, which are actually just the old line in disguise, but with new shades, though they actually sneakily kept the most popular one All About Cupcake. 


As the name suggests they are sheer and with a shiny finish, just as the old ones, so they are those lip balm/lipstick-lip gloss hybrids, however, the did improve the formula a bit and I think they are better than the ones before, which to be fair didn't really set the bar that high. The formula feels light on the lips, but at the same a bit waxier than their predecessors, which should translate into a better staying power, but it's still by most standards very poor. At least they are very comfortable to wear and a nice replacement for a lip balm plus you can apply then without a mirror.


I got three shades out of thirteen: 01 my first love, 04 hidden secret and 07 sparkling miracle. I didn't get to pick the shades, so none are really my style, but that's not necessary bad because at least I get to show you something different than usual. 
 

01 my first love

01 my first love is the sheerest in the bunch and you need to build it up a lot to get the colour I have on my pictures. It's a very pale peachy nude shade that I'm not really feeling it on me, since concealer nude years are thankfully gone. 


04 hidden secret

When I first saw this shade in the tube, I was like hell no because there is little I hate more than a brown lipstick. Well, it sure turned out to be a hidden pleasant surprise. Built up it's a very flattering warm beige-nude and it's a great everyday school/office shade. Based on how it looks in the tube, I'd never pick it up, but it's definitely my favourite in the bunch.


07 sparkling miracle

07 sparkling miracle is the darkest and most pigmented in the bunch, but again don't expect much unless you seriously build it up. It's a fuchsia shade that I also don't dig on me as I full coverage versions of such colours. It has blue frost in it that due to the glossy shine on the lips actually isn't as apparent, but it makes the shade look cooler because of the reflect it gives. 


The packaging is plastic, but a considerable upgrade from the old "Barbie tubes". Each shade has a semi-transparent lid in the approximate colour of the shade, which is very handy. 

The have a faint scent of vanilla, or a scent that's trying so hard to be like vanilla, but ends up smelling more classic lipstick-y.


I always considered these lipsticks as more for teenagers or little kids playing dress up, but they are a good affordable choice for those who are on a budget and scared of wearing proper lipsticks or those whose lips tend to be dry a lot. I gave one once to my mom and she just said to never give her anything like that ever because it lasted 15 minutes on her lips (she's getting rather spoiled, I must say), but I didn't say that to discourage you from buying them if you'd like to get a shade or two as I'm perfectly aware not everyone wants an opaque, matte lip colour like me and even I admit that Hidden Secret looks pretty cool. 

These cost 2.20 € on Click2Chic. If you haven't gathered it from the text, I got them to review for Click2Chic blog, but I'm not asked to post about their products here as well, it is entirely my choice.

Did you get any shade of the new Shine & Sheer lipsticks? Which is your favourite? Have a great day!
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MAC Lipstick Samples from The Body Needs #3

October 19, 2015, 7:40 am
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It's been quite a long time since the last time I got Mac lipstick samples from The Body Needs. I have tons of them already, 19 actually at my last count and it's a way for me to have tons of shades, but at a much lower price than buying full-size lipsticks, which are difficult to get anyway for us Slovenes. But also through samples I discovered shades that I absolutely adore and a day will come when I'll get them in a proper lipstick form. 


This time I got five shades: Patisserie, All Fired Up, D for Danger, Rebel and Diva. These are 0.5 g samples and come in a thin tube with a clear base. They aren't the most aesthetic choice, but it doesn't matter to me. TBN sells two types of samples, a cheaper pan version and the more expensive tubes. Their prices have gone up substantially in these years since I've been buying these from 3.79 $ to 4.79 $ per tube (the pans are 3.79 $). I don't know how to feel about it, I'm not terribly pleased that's for sure, but I always wait for a discount and this time I had a generous 40% off. The shipping rates are calculated based on weight - it's usually around 10$ for Slovenia (standard flat rate). I discussed these samples in my previous posts as well. In the first one you'll find swatches of Shy Girl, Coral Bliss, Overtime, Please Me, Impassioned, Ruby Woo, Lady Danger, Russian Red and Red, while in the second one you'll find Peach Blossom, Sunny Seoul, Full Speed, Relentlessly Red and Dangerous.


All Fired up

All Fired up is a warm fuchsia shade that is pinker/less coral as well as darker than Relentlessly Red and lighter, less purple than D is for Danger. I absolutely adore it, it's one of the prettiest shades I own and I definitely want this in a full size. It's a retro matte finish, which means it's a bit thicker than regular matte finish lipsticks. The application isn't as smooth as at for example at Diva, but these have a lovely matte finish and last forever on the lips.  It can get drying after a while, so expect that if your lips tend to be dry without a lip balm for a long time. 



D for Danger

D for Danger is a shade I declared my love for the second I applied it on my lips. It's precisely what I was looking for a very long time and a shade I thought Rebel will be like. It's what I call Tyrian purple, which is a warm purple-pink-red that is my second favourite colour after mint green. It's again a retro matte finish, but creamier than All Fired Up and it applies much easier. Again it can feel drying on the lips after several hours of wear, but I need to share my experience, so you don't just immediately write it off. I wore on a day that included a lot of travelling. I applied it at 8 AM, had lunch and it did not budge at all, it basically survived the entire day, it was almost 7 PM when I came home and it was still in good condition as far as colour intensity was concerned. At about 4 PM it did start to feel tight on the lips, not enough to bother me, but people with dry lips will find it drying (I did not use a lip balm that day or the day before). 



Diva

Diva is a deep burgundy red. It's a proper vampy colour and it claims to be matte, but I think it's more of a satin-matte. It feels comfortable on my lips, but it's neither moisturising, neither drying. On the pictures it ends up looking uneven, but only because my camera picks up contrasts too strong, in real life it looks fine. If you're wondering how it compares to L'Oréal's Color Riché Laetitia and Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 107 - it is darker than these two. It's a shade darker than Laetitia as well as more brownish-red (Laetitia has a berry tone to it) and it's about two shades darker than Rimmels 107. It's a shade for the really brave and a gorgeous autumnal colour.



Patisserie

Patisserie is a warm, beige nude that is very similar to my natural lip colour, so it ends up looking a bit boring on me. When you remove it, gold shimmer remains behind, but it's not visible on the lips, which is strange. I see the appeal of it (apparently this is the wedding shade of choice for many brides), but on a pale girl like me, it doesn't really stand out. This is a lip colour that not a lot of people would notice I'm wearing. It's a lustre finish, which means it's a soft, comfortable lipstick with a shiny finish. Staying power is a bit better for a shiny creamy lipstick than at most such product because Mac's version is a bit waxier than the rest, but don't expect it last to all day.



Rebel

Rebel is super popular, especially every autumn/winter. On most other people it looks more like D for Danger does on me, but I knew this will likely look a bit off against my skin tone. On my lips it's much more purple and it has much less of that magenta tone to it, but my skin tone is known for emphasizing violet tones. It's not bad at all, but not what I was hoping for, at least it's not the type of shade that I would pick up a lot like D for Danger. It has a satin finish, which makes it comfortable for me to wear. I hear dupes include Wet'N Wild Sugar Plum Fairy and Makeup Revolution's Velvet Rebel.


And the recap:


I'm happy with all of these shades. Two, All Fired Up and D for Danger, became an instant favourite. Diva is currently the darkest shade I own and it's perfect for this season. Rebel is a bit purple for me, but I'm sure I can make it work, only Patisserie is a bit boring, but the easiest to wear out of these and it will probably appeal to most. 


I buy these samples on The Body Needs. They also sell pigment and other MAC samples.


Have a great day!
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New In #35

October 21, 2015, 8:42 am
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KIKO Rebel Romantic LE Intensely Lavish Lipstick
01 Lusty Peony and 04 Mild Sangria
So I died and went to heaven when I first visited Kiko Milano shop (for real this time) and saw a full Rebel Romantic collection. Sara from Passing Fancy and Ana from Beautysaur both talked about it weeks/months ago, so I had little hope I would get anything, but I got everything I wanted *cheers*. Lipsticks were the priority, I planned on getting 01 and 02, but 04 convinced me more in person. The packaging of these is unreal. Not only is it super pretty, but these actually feel like 30 € lipsticks. Heavy rose gold metal tubes with a magnet closing system - Kiko shows us you can make an absolutely fantastic lipstick for 7 €. The formula is outstanding as well, sooo creamy and lovely to apply. Honestly, these are probably the best lipsticks I've tried so far. They have a creamy finish from the start, but they do dry down a bit after a while to a more matte finish. If you get one product from this collection, get the lipstick. I have the shade 01, which is a medium powder pink shade with brown tones (apparently similar to Soar and it does have that 90's vibe on me), and 04 which is a dirty rose-red shade. I'll post swatches in my next post.
Kiko, 6.90 €


KIKO Rebel Romantic LE Rebel Bouncy Blush
03 Treasure Rose
Again I got a shade that I wasn't planning to, 01 was on the top of my list, but this one looked better in person, which is incidentally the same shade that Sara has. The texture is described as something new and unique, but it's the same dry-to-the-touch, play-doh-like texture that E.l.f. Studio cream blushes have. It looked better in the shop, at home when I tried it on the cheeks I wasn't as impressed. It's very dry and it lacks a touch more slip, so it's a bit hard to blend, especially since I got a dark shade. The colour is a rose-retro red mix that translates into a pink-red flush on the cheeks. It's a colour I don't have yet, so that's a good thing, but I think the formula leaves something to be desired.
Kiko, 9.90 €


KIKO Midnight Siren LE Matte Muse Lipstick
03 Enthrall Pink
And another product I got a different shade that I originally intended too (this trip just proved to me that seeing things in person is everything). I actually liked all the colours, they really made a lovely selection of shades, but I went to the peachy-pink 03 and I'm really liking my choice. I assume that the applicator didn't escape your notice, but look who decided to copy Essence. There were actually some of my favourite shapes of applicators, however this one isn't as soft as the old Essence's, it's also a bit smaller, but it still works ok. The lipstick is very pigmented and fully opaque, just as almost all such products and it dries to a matte finish after about 15 minutes. These aren't the best matte liquid lipsticks I've tried, but also not bad. It's a bit sticky on the lips and it can feel drying. I like the interesting packaging, but they should work a bit more on the formula.
Kiko, 6.90 €

KIKO Rebel Romantic LE Mirror
Apart from the lipsticks this is my absolute favourite item from RR collection. It's pure luxury for a fiver. The mirror is rose gold and it comes in a pouch, so it's protected from the evil sharp unidentified objects in your bag. It has two mirrors, a classic one and a magnifying one. Such a gorgeous item.
Kiko, 4.90 €


KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow
06 Golden Brown
I already have the shade 38, which made me fall in love with these. They are the most amazing cream eyeshadows I've tried. So smooth, so pigmented, they blend nicely and once they set they don't budge. I swatched them in the shop and didn't have a makeup wipe - they didn't budge a micrometre with a dry tissue. I had to use a remover when I got home. Golden Brown is a bronze shade that is very similar to Maybelline's On and on Bronze, but it's a bit darker and cooler. I regret not getting shade 04 as well.
Kiko, 4.90 €


KIKO Nail Lacquer
375 Bois de Rose
I wanted another shade called Pink Sand, but was met with disappointment when I saw how little of the tons of shades they actually had in Palmanova's shop. I got the one I thought was closest, I just wanted a nice greyish powder pink, but this one is already darker and brighter. I still really like it and Kiko's nail polishes are so lovely that I'm sure I'll use it a lot. 
Kiko, 1.90 €


MISSLYN Nail Polish
610 Night Club
I've been on quest to find a dupe for the discontinued Essence's Deep Blue Sea for a while. Barry M's Navy was evading me for far too long, it just wasn't meant to be I guess, but I stumbled upon this shade that someone left away from its usual place, which was a real stroke of luck. I remember checking all the stands for a dupe, but the cheeky buggers hid this one really well (it's right at the back and barely noticeable). It's good dupe for it, a navy blue with blue shimmer, just as my old dried-up favourite. So glad I found this. The formula isn't terribly impressive though, as it's kind of on the dry side.
Müller, 4.99 €


ESSENCE Lipliner
11 In the Nude
I got this because I heard it's a dupe for Velvet Teddy. I don't have the latter, so I can't make a comparison like I did at the Wish Me a Rose shade, but Andria did that admirably anyway. They changed the packaging, in case you haven't noticed yet. The silver caps are gone and I strongly suspect they tampered with the formula, just as one of my readers told me. It could just be this shade, but the formula isn't nearly as creamy as the other Essence lipliners I own. Personally, I don't mind, but there might be riots in the beauty community. In the nude is an unexpectedly flattering and lovely warm nude shade that actually doesn't look terrible on me. 
Müller, 1.19 €


ESSENCE Eyeshadow Brush
So I go on this rant in my last Wishlist post about how I need to buy more quality brushes and the next week I buy another cheap Essence one. I have no words for myself. Anyway, this one looked interesting to me because it looks similar to MAC 239 and I only have one such decent brush, which is not enough. The cute shade of peach also appealed to me, but i really just wanted to see if it's any good. It's a bit stiff, but picks up colour well and does its job. It's not the best though.

Müller, 1.39 €



MA PROVENCE Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
I've been largely avoiding buying this shampoo because of the price. 8 € for something I might not even like you isn't what I'm willing to pay that easily. Thankfully I spotted it in E. Leclerc for 2 € cheaper than in other places and it sounded much more reasonable. Monika from the Sugarlove blog recommended this to me, saying it helped her with the dandruff issue and I'm always trying to find the miracle product that'll finally do what it promises. 
This. Is. So. Weird. 
I've never tried any Lush solid shampoos, but I'm guessing this is the same. It's so strange massaging a bar of soap on your hair, it truly is an experience (my code for: I'm not feeling it, man). It lathers well enough,  I wish for more and it's not so easy to spread the product all over the hair. It's the damn hole in the middle that just makes it even harder to use. This says that you don't need a conditioner after, a claim to which I laughed for 15 minutes, those people clearly haven't met my hair. My hair does feel stripped after washing and it's very hard to comb though compared to when I use other shampoos. Dandruff-wise, I don't notice any improvement so far, if anything my scalp might even feel a bit itchier, which is just fab, but we'll see how it goes. You get this stick-on handle thing to keep on the soap on and it's crap because doesn't even stick to the surface. The positive sting is that it looks like the bar will last a while as you use up a small amount at a single wash.  



I know Monika will feel bad now and will wish to apologize profusely - don't. Seriously. It's my scalp that's being a douche. Listen to her experience with the product, not mine. I'm super bitchy about hair products.
E.Leclerc, 5.99 €



BALEA Dusche & Creme 
Hibiscus & Nectarine
I haven't quite got over the fact that Balea decided to discontinue their Coconut & Nectarine version, but I had high hopes that they'll make something similar. They went with the hibiscus and nectarine combo, an interesting choice, but when I smelled it in the shop, it did not resemble the old nectarine scent at all. I still grabbed one anyway because I wanted to see if that scent perhaps develops in the shower. It does not. It's a very different scent that is a lot more floral and not as fruity. It's mostly hibiscus at this scent and it also reminds me of their summer limited editions, mango maybe. It's ok, but not repurchase worthy.
DM, 0.79 €



BALEA Pflegecreme Best Wishes
Violet & Freesia scent, Orange & Grapefruit scent
I have quite a few of these because I really love them as hand creams. The texture is light for a universal cream, but very moisturizing and it sinks in super-fast, so no greasy hands touching the keyboard. These do go bad if you don't use them up in about 8 months. Best Wishes are a limited edition created to celebrate 20 years of Balea. Violet & Freesia has a similar scent to Golden Twenties one, but warmer and it reminds me a bit of a less intense version of La Vie est Belle from Lancome. The Orange & Grapefruit one smells really authentically of oranges, but at times it has a strange note to it. I really like these two editions and the packaging is divine. 
DM, 1.09 €


BALEA Rasiergel 
Pink Grapefruit
I had this version on my wishlist for months, but I could never find it. Balea has the best shaving gels for the price, that's the obviously part, so let's concentrate on the scent. I love it. It's citrusy, but a bit bitter - it's grapefruit, there is no better description. I think I may even love it more than the previous mango version. 
DM, 1.99 €

BALEA Badesaltz
Kokos & Cassis
When it comes to coconut and peaches, no Balea's product can evade me and the only thing sure in this world is that it'll eventual tumble into my shopping basket. These new bath salts have a handy sniff sticker in the back, so you can check how it smells. This one has a mostly a clean coconut scent, I can't really make out cassis. I haven't used it in a bath yet, I just checked the colour of the salt - it's crystal lavender colour. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Ingredients.
DM, 0.79 €



ESSENCE Happy Girls are Pretty TE Sheer Lip Balm
01 pretty you
You already have a full review of this here. It's an unexpected surprise by Essence. I don't buy their limited editions because what's the point of buying something you can't get any more when it runs out, but in the spirit of expanding my autumnal lip colour collection, I got this rosy-brown shade (mostly because Sanja made me). It's surprisingly lipstick-y for a "sheer lip balm" (someone get Essence a beauty dictionary stat) and it's actually more pigmented than a lot of their lipsticks, but it still has that comfortable and moisturizing feel of a lip balm. Nice product if you can still get this.
DM, 2.49 €

ESSENCE Happy Girls are Pretty TE Multi Colour Blush
01 you Sweeten my day
Oh, the disappointment. It's not terrible, but after trying their matte blushes in the regular line, I expected they finally got a hang of creating nice blushes. Clearly I was wrong. I like the colour of this, but the pigmentation is extremely weak. Well, at least it looks pretty. Review with swatches here.
DM, 3.29 €

You'll laugh at me, but I got a back-up even though there is no heart-stopping news of this being discontinued. But this is Essence we're talking about. They make you fall in love with the product and crush your dreams every autumn and spring (I will never get over the Stay Matte lip creams. Never!). I use this every day in my waterline and it creates that awake, big eyes effect. It's super soft and pigmented, it transfers to the waterline instantly and even sticks in it quite well. The slight pinky hue of it is just perfect for me. I love this. A yellow toned version exist as well. 
Műller, 2.19 €



YANKEE CANDLE Soft Blanket
So I may have been going to Müller to check this candle embarrassingly often, yet I could never justify buying the big or medium candle because of the tear-inducing prices. But last week I confidently walked to the scented candles section and just grabbed myself a medium. Ok, there might have been a fair share of dawdling before, but the point is I finally have it. This is one of my favourite scents ever. I can't really describe it well, but it's like baby powder and fabric softener. It's soft, warm and cosy, it invites images of a warm home and snuggling under a freshly washed blanket. But it is a candle that doesn't give much of a scent when actually burning, their other scents as much more potent. Still, I shall treasure it.
20.99 €

YANKEE CANDLE Turquoise Sky
This was a new scent on the shelves of our Müller. It actually smells exactly the same as Sunshine fragrance from The Library of Fragrance (Demetre Frangrance). It's a very clean scent, like fresh laundry, but also a bit warm. The scent is so powerful. Even wrapped in plastic it made the room smell of its scent.
2.99 €



*THEBALM Frat Body Shadow/Blush
You've probably heard already that TheBalm hit some of our Müllers in Slovenia (and Croatia). I got a few bits to try out, the blushes were a sent as a thanks for me helping them with some things and I'm so chuffed that they surprised me like that (so these are not really PR products to be fair). Frat Boy is a very popular blush from TheBalm and apparently it's THE universal blush that is flattering on almost everyone (check the reviews on Makeupalley). It's a matte peachy-pink matte shade on the cheeks and it has quite a brightening, cute effect . 
Müller, 20 €

*THEBALM Hot Mama Shadow/Blush
Another super popular shade, just check the rating on MUA. Again it's supposedly a universally flattering colour and it has that NARS Orgasm vibe to it. It is however, much more golden-peachy in the pan than NARS' version. On the cheeks it's a golden coral with a lovely glow. I actually like it more than Frat Boy because it reminds me of my favourite Benefit Coralista, but it's a touch pinker.
Müller, 19 €



*THEBALM Nude'tude Eyeshadow Palette
The review of this palette is already up if you're interested. It's such a lovely neutral palette with great quality eyeshadows that are in the same rank as Urban Decay's. They are very smooth, pigmented and blend so well, it's such a joy creating looks with this palette. 
Müller, 35.70 €

*SMOOTH SEXY HAIR Smooth and Shine
You may know that I'm a massive fan of Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Three-Wheat Leave-In conditioner, which didn't go unnoticed, so I was kindly offered to try Smooth and Shine spray. I only have the travel size, which should come very handy. It's an anti-frizz spray that works in a similar way than Lee Staffords Dehumidiffier. Basically it's a light oil in a spray, but it's lighter than got2b Oillicious spray, so people with the type of hair that tends to get greasy fast might like it more. I've used it on dry and wet hair. On dry hair, it had a bit of effect, but not what I hoped for. The results on wet here were already better, but nothing in the rank of Sebastian Professional Potion 9. It's nice and people with greasier hair might like it more, but I need something even stronger.  



I was sent this unexpectedly, I guess they don't read my blog and therefore aren't aware I talk about this constantly and that I already have a bottle of it at home. This is the gold version of the "prodigious oil", which means it has tons of gold shimmer as well as a tiny bit of a bronzy tint I already did a review with pictures of it on the skin a while ago, you can read it here. I use this version mostly for my hair because it's an oil that fixes my hair when it very dry, but it doesn't make my hair as greasy as coconut oil would, but it still means that I need to wash my hair the next day, it really is just a one day fix (I'm currently also mixing it with L'Oreal's Extraordinary oil-in-cream). It also gives my hair some shine due to the shimmer. It's drier than the regular version meaning it sinks in faster, but the moisturizing effect is the same. The gold shimmer looks lovely on tanned skin, but it's a bit late for that this year.
50 ml 25.80 €, 100 ml 40.24 € 



*NANSHY Eye Brush Set
That Zoeva Rose Gold set will have to wait for a bit because I have these babies to try out. There are seven brushes in this set: the large shader, eye crease, tapered crease, blending eyeshadow, flat definer, precise bent definer and angled detailer. I've given them a whirl yesterday, creating a classic smoky eye with Nude'tude palette and I liked the quality, but I did miss a couple of brushes. These are synthetic, vegan, cruelty free and antibacterial. The quality and general shape reminds me a bit of Jessup brushes, but these are much smaller and more precise.

Ličila.si, 41.95 €



*My Beauty Box
Slovenia got a new beauty box service and a few of us bloggers got the first box before they open shop. I already showed the contents on my Instagram and got a mixed response. Don't click if you want to be surprised >>click.
 I've written a review of all the products inside, I just need to press post, so expect that in the next days. 
My Beauty Box ima za zdaj samo Instagram, kjer boste izvedeli več informacij o tem kdaj bo trgovina odprta. 



*BELLE MARINE Soothing Serum
I got a new serum to test out. Belle Marine uses sea extracts from different algae and promises a lot from being anti-ageing to protecting against UVA/UVB. It's a light lotion consistency that sinks in fast and leaves a very velvet finish on the skin (it contains silicones), so it almost works as a primer as well. It has a strong scent of Nivea or baby cosmetics.
Click2Chic, 18.00 €



URBAN DECAY Naked Palette
I got another Naked palette as a gift for my cousin, so now all three of us own one. Some things have changed since I got mine years ago. Now you get a brush with it, before we got an eyeliner and a deluxe sample of the original Primer Potion (now you get smaller samples of four versions). 
Feel Unique, €52.06
Ok, I need to vent. It's been almost a year, since I last ordered from FU because they seriously screwed up my last order, I waited for over two months I think and I wowed not to buy from them for a long time, but they had a discount of the Naked palette and it was a good opportunity to finally treat my cousin. I ordered two other things as well - repurchases of two absolute essentials that are on their lasts legs, Healthy Sexy Hair Leave-in and Palmer's Swivel Stick. I immediately found it odd that the order needed to be shipped in two parts with no explanation and then only Naked palette arrived, but not the other two things, even though they have supposedly been shipped the next day. And there is no sign of the package for almost a month now. And their stupid policy that they won't deal with you until a month has passed. So basically they screwed me twice in a row and I'm boiling mad. I don't think I'll be purchasing anything from them for a very, very long time.


PAJOMA Duft-Kerze
Roses & Berries
A cheap candle from Müller that I got just to try it out. It has a strong scent of berry candy, but I detect no rose scent, which a good thing.
Müller, 1.99 €

BOLSIUS Aromatic Candle
Baked Cookies
Another candle I got just because I found it interesting. It smells like Ggngerbread cookies, but our version because we don't put ginger in them here. It's basically just a mix of honey, cinnamon and vanilla, but it doesn't really smell of anything much when it burns.
Müller, 0.99 €

Have a great day!
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Kiko Rebel Romantic

October 22, 2015, 9:00 am
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I had a spontaneous trip to Kiko in Palmanova last Saturday. It was actually the first time I was there for more than a few seconds and I relished every moment of it. Actually Rebel Romantic collection initially sort of passed me by. I almost subconsciously dismiss all limited editions for a few reasons: what if I like it and I can't repurchase it and also as a blogger it sucks to talk about limited editions because they are only current for a short time and you need to hurry with reviews (kinda late with this one as well, sorry). First Sara teased me with this collection, but it wasn't enough yet to make me properly ready-to-buy-now interested. It was actually Ana who really nudged me in a proper direction and I finally started checking the products in their online shop more seriously. I actually had it in my cart for a few times, but I was always short of 50 € that would entitle me to 2 € of shipping costs instead of 8.90 € (they're crazy!). I happened to end up in Nova Gorica for some very trivial thing and it's only 20 or so minutes from there to Palmanova. I didn't expect to see a lot of Rebel Romantic products, but I was shocked to see the entire collection fully stocked, same goes for Midnight Siren. And that was last Saturday, so there is still hope you'll find most of the products there. I'm glad to see not every brand is so intensely exclusive with their limited editions (looking at you Essence and Catrice).  


The whole collection is stunning. The main feature is the expensive-looking rose gold packaging and it's actually really well made for a budget brand. Even the cardboard packaging is beautiful, especially the one of the mirror. I just love that shade of pastel peachy-pink.

Intensely Lavish Lipsticks

There were six shades available and I took two, 01 Lusty Peony and 04 Mild Sangria. I heard nothing but praise about these and they so deserve it. These are some of the best, if not the actual best lipsticks I've tried so far and you've seen my lipstick collection a few months ago. The formula is outstanding. They are incredibly creamy, apply like a dream and feel so comfortable on the lips. They have a creamy finish, though they do settle a bit later to a more matte finish. The staying power is nice as well for a creamy lipstick and Lusty Peony actually survived a meal, which I didn't expect given the creamy nature of the texture. These have no scent which I think will be another plus for a lot of people. The only little thing is that these are already so creamy that it's hard to apply them precisely. I regret not buying the matching lip liners.


The packaging of these is unreal. The tubes are made from metal and have a magnetic closing system, not the mention that they are in a modern rose gold shade. These lipsticks could easily pass as 30 €+ products, but they only cost 7 €. This just begs the question what exactly are we paying for at high-end lipsticks? If you get one product from this collection, get the lipstick. 


01 Lusty Peony

01 Lusty Peony is a medium powder pink shade with brown tones on me. It's a very 90's inspired shade and it's simple to wear, but makes an impact. I've been wearing tons since I got it and I really like this shade on me. I hear it's close to Soar lip liner, but I suspect it's lighter. It's a shade lighter than Essence's Lovely Frappuccino, which is said to be a close enough dupe for Soar. I assume it looks nude pink on medium skin tones, but you should ask Ana that, she's much tanner than me. 
By the way I took pictures of these three times because once the weather was all wrong and the second I ran out of light, the third I wore black for the first time with a new camera and it was a mistake. I'm not totally happy with the colour accuracy, but at least the first one is dead on and I fixed the others well enough. 

 
04 Mild Sangria

04 Mild Sangria a dirty rose-red shade. It's like a less intense version of a proper red, but it also has that bit of a pink hue to it. It's quite an interesting shade and one I have no dupes for, nor any similar colours. I am glad that I stepped out of my box and got two shades that I have nothing similar in my collection.


These cost 6.90 € and are so worth it. They should make them permanent, the gorgeous packaging included.


Rebel Bouncy Blush
03 Treasure Rose

Four shades of blushes were made for this collection. I initially considered taking a peachy shade 01, but I thought that Bourjois' Nude Velvet is too similar and I wanted to get something I don't have yet. Treasure Rose is a rose-retro red mix that translates into a pink-red flush on the cheeks. It's a dark and pigmented shade, so very appropriate for medium skin tones. 


The texture is described as bouncy and you might remember Maybelline has a similarly named range of blushes. I never tried those, so I can't compared them, but this one reminds me of another formula - E.l.f.'s Studio Cream Blush. It's a very dry texture and it reminds me of play-doh. It lacks some more creaminess in my opinion, especially since this is such a dark shade, so it would blend a bit easier, but you can still blend it in well, better if you use a more dewy foundation. The finish on the cheeks is matte. 


The packaging is plastic, again in a rose gold shade and it contains a mirror. The blushes cost 9.90 €.

 
Rebel Romantic Mirror


Apart from the lipsticks this is my absolute favourite item from RR collection. It's so gorgeous and it even comes with a pouch, so the rose gold metal coat won't get scratched off to fast. It has two mirrors, a classic one and a magnifying one, but even the shiny outer layer works as a mirror. So happy I have this.


 The mirror cost 4.90 €, which is a total bargain considering the quality you get.


I'm completely besotted with this collection. I actually have the pictures on it as my screensaver. The packaging is gorgeous, the formula of the lipsticks is amazing (I love the Lusty Peony shade), truly this LE beats many high-end brands. The blush isn't the best to work with, that would be my only little complaint, but it's very pigmented and lasts well on the cheeks. The mirror is stunning as well and it's already got its place in my bag. A part of the collection is still available online, but I think you might have a better chance if you visit one of the shops. It is though almost two months since it was launched.

Did you get anything from this collection?
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Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

October 24, 2015, 8:28 am
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I always like to try new felt tip eyeliners and last time I was ordering from Boots I noticed how highly rated this liner is as well it's inexpensive, so I added it to my shopping cart. To be fair, I do not get what all the raves are about. It's not by any means a bad liner, but it's certainly not amazing. It's kind of average, but in a good way and nice for the price.


Thenib is quite big or maybe I should say thick, especially compared to most other eyeliners I've tried. The material used is that classic felt that is used in sharpies and it's the same kind than at Essence. It's a hard nib and doesn't bend, which would allow a more comfortable and precise application, but you can still get a nice line with it. You'll see that the line with this liner is thicker that at others I've swatched, that's the consequence of the larger nib. The formula isn't as black as most I tried, not even as Essence's. It's not as intense, though on the lids it's hard to tell. It's easy to create a flick, but it's not as precise when it comes to making an even line mostly because it doesn't bend, so it takes a lot more patience.


Staying power is better than I expected based on the fact it's not as pigmented as the others, but it can get through the day on my normal lids. The wings rub off, but the main line remains.
 

I'm not in love with it and I actually think that even Essence's is better, so I don't get rave reviews, but it's a decent liner for the price, mostly due to nice staying power. In the strangest twist of events ever, after posting a rather harsh review of ArtDeco's liner (to be fair it was fully justified if I judge its performance from only the first few months), I've been reaching after it far more that the Collection's one. The nib is softer and more precise, so it's easier to use. Collection's one is nice if you're on a budget, but it's not the best one out there.

It costs £2.99 on Boots International.

Have a great day!
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Physicians Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush

October 25, 2015, 10:30 am
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I'm just in love with the packaging of the Nude Wear line. It's seriously gorgeous and so well made. Even before I learned I'll get this blush to review, I was researching Nude Wear online because I wanted a few pieces of the collection - who doesn't like pretty makeup on displayed on their vanity, right? There are several items in that line, but I got the blush in the shade Rose.


I got the shade Rose (Natural is the second shade in this line) and it consist of four shades, while the silver/white letters are just an overspray and it disappear after the first or second use. Two of the shade are warm andtwo cool, but overall the coolness prevails. There is a cool pink almost a violet pastel shade, a pastel peach, a very classic warm pink and a cool fuchsia shade, which is the darkest. If you use a very small brush you might be able to use them individually, but it's very hard. Blended together they create a light cool pink shade that almost verges on pastel violet shade. It's a shade that will look amazing on people with a cool skin tone. It's very light as my swatches indicate and I though it's a shade that will work exclusively for pale girlies like me, but I tested it on someone several shades darker than me (about NC25) and it showed up well, I didn't even had to put loads on. And she loved it because it gave her that cute porcelain doll pink cheeks. 


The texture is medium soft, basically it's pretty standard in terms of quality, it doesn't look too powdery and it blends well. The finish on the cheeks is satin with a slight sheen.
 

The packaging is so divine. The main feature is the faux beige leather and inside it's muted pink satin. The rose gold bow is just adorable and because of it I actually use this blush as a background item in many of my pictures. Like all Physicians Formula's cheek products it has an additional compartment with a nicely-sized mirror (actually came handy several times now) and a flat brush with a rose gold handle.  


If you're a porcelain princess with a cool skin tone you'll love this. But even those with a warm and a bit darker skin tone can use this, though on warm skin tones I'm more used to seeing peachy shades like Sexy Booster blush. The packaging of the entire line is a complete winner for me and I proudly display it on my shelves. I will buy at least one more product from this line, Nude Wear Glowing Nude powder, which is apparently a fantastic setting powder that gives you a bit of a glow. They also have a foundation (in liquid and stick form) as well as a concealer, but they are all sadly too dark for me. 

Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush costs 15.90 € on Click2Chic (objava v slovenščini).


Have a great day!

*A product I got as a part of being a blogger at Click2Chic.
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