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Catrice Eye'Matic Eyepowder Pen 050 Al Cappuccino

December 1, 2015, 7:02 am
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I'm always up for eyeshadows that are easy and quick to apply. I have a few cream ones, but I've never tried a powder one in such a form. Catrice released a collection of stick powder eyeshadows, with the colour/product in the lid and a sponge applicator. A majority of the shades are light and act more as a sheer shimmery wash, while Al Cappucino is already packing a bit more of a punch. These take seconds to apply and you can easily blend them with fingers if you wish, so I find these perfect to throw in the bag for either "beauty emergencies" or if you're simply not a morning person and you end up quickly slapping on makeup in your workplace/school. It actually came handy a lot in these months since I got it. 


The shade I got is called Al Cappuccino and it's a shimmery taupe-brown shade that is a browner version of L'Oreal's Infallible in Tender Caramel, though on the lids the look very similar. It's a simple neutral colour that isn't too much and but it gives a bit more definition to the eyes as well as a touch of a sheen. As I said before the actually product is in the lid and it has a spring in it, so the applicator is squished in the cap thus ensuring that it get a new coat of product every time.


The colour transfers well to the lids, at least most of the times. Sometimes you need to shake the product or open and close it again to get the colour on the applicator, but strangely it doesn't annoy me that much. It sticks on well, so there is not much of the shimmer falling down and landing on your cheeks, which is surprisingly considering this is a loose product.  For a more intense look I like to apply it over a cream eyeshadow (Kiko's stick one that are also super easy to apply and blend). The sponge is a big version of those that are added to cheap palettes and I actually like it because it also helps you blend the product around the edges. The pen is very sleek and travel friendly, plus the top of the cap is in the colour of the eyeshadow inside.


Staying power is ok, but this does crease on me after several hours if I don't use a base. 

I didn't expect to like this as much as I do. First impressions based on the press release was that this is certainly just a gimmicky product, but it is lazy girl's best friend. It's easy and quick to use and the colour is everyday appropriate. 

I got mine in Müller for 4.29 €.

Have a great day!
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Catrice Nail Lacquer 18 Bloody Mary To Go

December 2, 2015, 8:03 am
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There is nothing like a good old classic red for the nails, am I right? You would think such an essential colour would be one of the first ones in my collection, but I will sheepishly admit I only got it a few months ago when I was making my post about reds and realized I have nothing like it. For shame. As far as I know Bloody Mary To Go was a very popular colour a couple of years ago, but you know when Catrice (Cosnova) decides to discontinue things, they do it with such a zealous attitude which is unmatched by any other brand apart from Essence (rule number one: do not get too attached to things from Essence and Catrice *sobs quietly for Essence's Stay Matte Lip Creams*). I remember being very disappointed when I first went in search for this shade a year or two ago, it was one of the first things I put on my Pinterest wishlist, but alas I was too late and it was already gone. Luckily Catrice came to their senses and re-released this shade again probably sometime this year. A company that actually listens to their customers - nice.


Bloody Mary To Go is a very classic blue toned medium red. It's one of those standard shades like a nude that everyone should have in their collection. This kind of shade that makes you appear like you give a damn in looking very classy as well as professional. 


Red nail polishes are usually all great when it comes to formula and this one is no exception. The formula is really pigmented and smooth, so you can settle for one coat, but it might look a bit see-though on some nails (it's a jelly/crelly). I stick to two layers like always. I love the new brush of these nail polishes, it fits my nails perfectly, though on the pinkies I turn it sideways.

I picked up my bottle in DM for 2.59 €. 

Have a great day!
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Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Cheek & Lip Beauty Balm

December 3, 2015, 9:12 am
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You may remember this little ball from my big pile of Physicians Formulas stuff from a couple of months back. I just have so many reviews to go through here and on the other blog that this slipped through the cracks, but no matter, it's here now (Slovene version has been up for a while now). The design is very similar to those EOS sphere lip balms that have been popular for at least a couple of years now, but this one isn't a lip balm in anyway, it's actually a tinted blush and cheek product.  I don't know about you, but I always fall for these cute designs, whether the product inside is good or not.


The shade is just as the packaging - adorable. It's such a sweet girly colour, but it's actually not the same shade on the lips or cheeks as you see in the container. It looks raspberry medium pink, but on the lips it's a light, almost Barbie pink that is semi-transparent. I don't think you can get a fully opaque colour out of this, so it actually may be a nice product for a young girl. This is more of a silicone based product, meaning it's not at all moisturising, which does suggest it was more intended to be used on the cheeks than on the lips. I would advise you use a lip balm under it when worn on the lips. 


On the cheeks that semi-translucent characteristic keeps the blush from being too bright and it looks far more natural. It performs better on the cheeks than the lips and creates that cute baby doll flush. The ball design makes the application easy, you need a couple of swipes and it blends ok with fingers, though you don't even need much blending so it's a nice product on the go.  


The packaging is obviously a sphere. The lid screws on, so there is no fear it may open. I'm not going to say that this is easy to hold and before you misunderstand me, I just mean that it can slip out of your hands because of the round design. It would be better if they decided on a rubbery outer layer instead of plastic, but it's fine, it's not a thing to fuss about to be honest.


It smells so good, like those candy raspberries from Haribo. 

I got mine from Click2Chic where it cost 8.91 € (I got it to review for their website), but international readers can get it on iHerb. Another shade exist called Natural Peach.


Have a great day!
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Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara

December 4, 2015, 8:16 am
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Since its release this mascara has received a fair amount of attention. I've read quite a few of very positive reviews of both the regular and waterproof formula, but in general its rating on Makeup Alley is average, still I was itching to try it, especially since I heard this was close enough to Benefit's Roller Lash. We only have regular formula in Slovenia (if I don't count the online shop Salma, which got it recently) and I had the hardest time finding a waterproof version for months, until it magically appeared on Look Fantastic. I was so unimpressed by this mascara the first week, but things took a dramatic turn and now it's in my top three.


Brush: It has a plastic curved brush that has short bristles on the inner part of the curve and longer on the outside. I think I used it wrong at first as I used the short bristles side first, but it's much better if you use it in the reverse order. The longer bristles comb and separate the lashes, while the short bristles deposit the product and add volume.


Formula: As I said things were really bumpy from the start. I was almost at the point of hating it. The formula was too thin, but at the same time it stuck the lashes together, so it gave the appearance of half less lashes than I have. Then on a completely random 8th day of use, it got fabulous. It  now makes my lashes absolutely huge, adequately separated, long and with tons of volume. It behaves like a mascara that doesn't have a plastic comb. No idea what made this switch, but now I love it. This mascara holds curls like nobody's business. It's in the rank of Lancome's Hypnose and Essence's I Love Extreme waterproof, however, it makes the lashes more stiff than the two. In fact so stiff that I have to use an eyelash curler otherwise it's quite painful for me, since I wear glasses a lot and the lashes hit the glass, so they need to be either soft or very curled (such a stupid problem, but it's the reason I started curling my lashes at a very young age). The formula is classically very black, but be careful not to get this on the skin or do the makeup afterwards because it's difficult to clean off (almost impossible without an oil-based remover). It lasts forever on the lashes and doesn't smudge at all.


Price: Mine is from Look Fantastic where it was €11.26. 

I think it's a great mascara once it's opened for a while, but it's no smooth sailing from the start as at Essence I Love Extreme. I still love the latter more than this one, not just because of the price, but because it's amazing the moment you open it and it gives some pretty fabulous lashes. But Lash Sensational definitely gets top marks from me, especially because it manages to hold a curl on my stubborn lashes, plus I love the fabulous volume and length it gives to my lashes. Some real great stuff here and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up repurchasing it (especially if Essence discontinues I Love Extreme out of the blue).

Have a great day!
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TheBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

December 5, 2015, 8:16 am
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Hot Mama holds a special status among theBalm fans (reviews on Makeup Alley). It's often described as a dupe for Nars' Orgasm, but I disagree and you'll see swatches bellow which confirm that. Hot Mama is a much more unique shade and dare I say even prettier, actually it's one of my favourite blushes I got recently and I ended up wearing it a lot. 


It might surprise you how gold it looks in the pan. There is a considerable amount of gold sheen in this, much like in Nars' version, but compared to that one Hot Mama is a lot more coral. In fact, I'd compare it more to Benefit's Coralista, however, it is already a bit more pink. The sheen gives you that healthy glow on the cheek, so it's like a mix of a highlighter and blush in one (it's described as a highlighter + blush in one and I agree. Actually it's almost like Mary-Lou Manizer was added to the blush). If you have a warm skin tone you'll love this shade. I actually like it more than their Frat Boy because I've always been a fan of Coralista and this is very close. They describe it as a blush and eyeshadow, but I wouldn't wear this on the lids because such shades around the eyes would make me look ill, but it would probably work on someone with green or hazel eyes.


The formula excellent, it's pretty much a standard high end blush and it also performs that way. It's nicely pigmented, blends well and lasts so well on the cheeks (I wore it with another blush on the other side and this one lasted so much longer that that drugstore one, basically until the day was over). You get a very nice blush in this one.


The packaging is cardboard and it also has a mirror, though it is small. It has a retro inspired image on the front which you either like or you don't, I fit in the "it doesn't appeal to me" camp.


I'm a fan of this blush. Everything that looks like Coralista is my jam and this is a slightly pinkier version, but with the same awesome gold sheen. The quality is excellent, especially the staying power, so I'm impressed. But it is a blush that is very warm and I'm not sure if it will work for cool skin tones, even I sometimes feel it's too golden if I wear a foundation with a pink undertones. If your skin tone is warm this will look awesome on you. It costs a bit over 19 € in Müller.

Have a great day!
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Deborah Smalto Gel Effect

December 6, 2015, 8:48 am
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I've had these nail polishes for quite a while now. I got them to review for another website where you may have already seen my swatches (post is in Slovene) and I didn't plan on posting them here as well, but it can't hurt if I do, after all these have a pretty damn good formula. There first one in the row, 01 Pink Fusion, is the one I got myself about a year ago and it's one of my favourite nail polishes ever. I already have a review for it, but I'll repost the swatches here as well. The other four new colours I have, which were released this year, are 49 Peonia Pink, 52 Starlette Violet, 54 Amaranto and 58 Delhi Curry. I'll admit these are not the colours I would have chosen for myself, maybe just Amaranto, but the rest aren't really me, however that not what's important at this review. A few more colours were added, but I haven't seen them in person yet. 


I wrote about the formula in my review of 01 Pink Pulse, but it's a gel formula, so super smooth, fully opaque and very shiny. These are excellent quality nail polishes and there is a reason why I rave so much about shade 01 (it's also the most "borrowed" nail polish in my collection by other people). 

01 Pink Fusion

01 Pink Fusion is one of the original colours and one of my favourite ever shades. It's a nude with a rose-violet-taupe tone and I just love it on my nails. It's close to my skin tone, but those cool hues keep it from looking like mannequin fingers. It's a perfect nude on a skin tone that is around NC20-25 (Catrice Velvet Finish Foundation 010 Light Velvet). In terms of application, I think this one is the smoothest in the bunch.


49 Peonia Pink

49 Peonia Pink is a pastel Barbie/bubble gum pink with a cool undertone. Formula isn't as good as at the rest, it's less smooth, but considering it's a pastel, it's still nice. Two coats are needed for an even finish, on some nails even three.


52 Starlette Violet

52 Starlette Violet is a Milka chocolate violet. It really is the same shade as the Milka wrapper, so if you ever wanted such a shade, look no further. The formula is very smooth and pigmented, but it still needs two coats for an even finish.


54 Amaranto

54 Amaranto is a muted red-vine colour with a retro feel. It's another very pigmented and smooth nail polish, so if you're used to thick coats like me, one is enough, two if you need to fix anything, but despite that I always like to apply two, so it lasts longer. 


 58 Delhi Curry

58 Delhi Curry is an olive green shade that needs two coats for an even finish. It's probably my least favourite colour in my entire collection, but my preferences don't matter, I'm just showing you the shade. 


These cost 5.75 € on Click2Chic and I think they are a couple of cents more expensive in DM's. I don't know if you can get these online with international shipping.

Have a great day!
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Jordana Matte Lipsticks

December 9, 2015, 8:19 am
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Jordana is a new brand to me, though I've heard about it before, at least about their Best Lash mascara (which I have and find impressive for a regular formula),  I didn't know they have matte lipsticks that are so highly rated on Makeup Alley as well. I've got four shades that a bit of everything, but they have quite a large selection of shades, so these are great also if you want to experiment with colours as they are really affordable.

Texture: These are thick, but still creamy enough for an even application. They remind me of some Mac lipsticks, to be more precise their Please Me and Lady Danger which is are both Matte finish. The colour is fully opaque and have that classic lipstick matte finish, which isn't as matte as lip creams, but still a bit on the creamy side upon application. I don't think I've ever tried a more impressive matte lipstick for such an affordable price. Essence has nothing on these, while Catrice's are already as impressive, but cost a bit more. I don't find these actively drying, but they are not moisturising, however, on my lips this does not present itself as a problem. I find these comfortable on the lips and as far as I read reviews on Makeup Alley, an overwhelming majority feels the same way, but as I always say it also depends on in what condition are your lips.


Colour: These come in tons of shades and I picked four that I thought might be more interesting to you. I got the good old classic red called 10 Red, something for nude lovers - 28 Natural, a light pink 48 Pink Passion which I got to compare with Please Me by Mac and the wild card in this selection 60 Plum Obsession because I suspected it may be a pretty popular colour. 

10 Red

I wanted a good selection of red shades that would be useful for future posts and this was my choice for a warm red. It's a bright orange based red that isn't as punchy as Mac's Lady Danger, so it's a lot easier to wear. I chose Matte Style from the Modern Mattes for a cool toned red and I wear it more often because I think it suits me a bit better, but if you have a warm skin tone, this one will look amazing on you.  


 28 Natural

Natural was my choice for a warm nude. It's a peachy nude that is very easy to wear and is appropriate for almost any occasion. Such shades differ the most on different skin tones, so keep  that in mind. If you're not as pale as me, this will look more nude on you.


 48 Pink Passion

I picked this shade because I heard it's close to Mac's Please Me and because it's such a standard everyday colour. It's a warm light pink that is indeed similar to Please Me, but it's a bit less vibrant. In terms of formula and finish they are very similar as well.


 60 Plum Obsession

This is a shade that I wouldn't pick up if I were in a shop, but I chose it deliberately because it looked like it might be interesting to you. And you know what, I ended up really liking it. It's a cool toned fuchsia-violet/orchid shade, a fun and bright colour that might appeal to fan of lipsticks like Flat Out Fabulous by Mac. 


Staying Power: is comparable to Mac's matte formula, so really good, though it depends on the intensity of the shade. Darker ones obviously last longer than the paler ones.

Scent: The intensity of the scent varies from shade to shade, but they all have a fruity vanilla scent.


Packaging: the only thing that isn't impressive at these lipsticks. The packaging is seriously cheap. When I was in my very early teens I got those cheap lipsticks from our version of a dollar shop (199 SIT če se kdo spomni) and the packaging of those was exactly the same as these. It's very fragile, so don't plan on carrying these in your bags. However, it's the product inside that matters and that one wins hand down. I'd rather have a cheap packaging and a great product inside than vice versa. The shape of the lipsticks is different at every shade, which means you might have a problem creating a nice shape, but at matte lipsticks I always like to use a lip liner anyway. 


Price and availability: Mine are from Click2Chic where they cost 2.60 € (I got them to swatch for their website). I hear you can get them for a dollar in the US in some shops, but I don't know their regular price. Europeans can get it on the official Jordana Cosmetic EU site where they cost 1.96 € (but the shipping is crazy expensive at 7.74 €). By the way, I was told that Jordana is a sister brand to Milani.



If I overlook the cheap packaging, which is forgiveable considering the price, these are some of the best budget lipsticks I tried and the cheapest most impressive ones. The formula is outstanding, I really wish Essence would take the page out of their book and attempt to do something similar. I think Milani's one are even better, at least in terms of finish, while the formula is very similar, but in general this is a company that knows how to make a good matte lipstick for an affordable price. The selection of shades is also impressive which is just another plus. These don't have such a high rating on Makeup Alley for nothing.


Have a great day!
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Jordana Modern Matte Lipsticks

December 10, 2015, 7:54 am
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I already talked about the "regular"matte lipsticks by Jordana and these are their younger sisters. I read reviews about these and a lot of them are not positive, however, I don't share the same experience. Maybe it's just these two shades, but they perform similar to their other matte lipsticks and they are actually pretty good. It is possible that the rest of the shades aren't as good, but I haven't tried them, so I can't say. But any way, I have two shades, 01 Matte Bare and 12 Matte Style, out of 18. 


These are thicker than their original matte lipsticks, but both of these shades apply ok, not completely smooth, they can skip a bit, but it's still fine. On my lips these actually behave the same as the original ones, despite the difference in texture. Both shades  are fully opaque with a rich pigmentation. I don't find these drying and I've been wearing Matte Style a lot since I got it, but they aren't moisturising, so it depends on the condition of your lips whether you'll need a lip balm or not. Because they are thick, they stick on the lips well and have quite good staying power.

01 Matte Bare

Matte Bare is a rosy brown medium nude shade. A standard everyday appropriate shade that will suit so many.


 12 Matte Style

Matte Style is a classic Hollywood blue-toned red. I've been wearing this shade loads since I got it, it's a perfect budget shade for us Snow Whites. 


These come in a better packaging than their original lipsticks, but it's still very basic. The lid holds so tight that I need to use considerable force to open it, but I am a weakling. This of course means that they won't randomly open inside the bag, so they are travel friendly unlike their other matte lipsticks. The clear plastic outer casing is like a separate packaging of its own and can slide off (probably happened unintentionally to me when I was opening them), which again isn't a sign of the best packaging. The shape of the lipstick is quite wide and the fact that they are cut straight doesn't help at precise work, so a lip liner is actually a must, especially at Matte Style. These have a scent of vanilla, though it's quite subtle at these two shades. 
 

I find these just as good as the original ones, but I am a bit confused about all the bad reviews I read, so it is possible that these are the stand-out shades. Matte Style is absolutely beautiful and I've been enjoying wearing it so much, there something about a matte good old classic red that just makes me feel so posh. These cost 3.79 € on Click2Chic (I got these to swatch them for their website. I keep repeating that for transparency reasons) and 3.16 € on Jordana's EU site. They are 3 $ on the official Jordana site.

Have a great day!
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Milani Color Statement Moisture Matte Lipstick Darling

December 12, 2015, 7:43 am
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These lipsticks have been on my wishlist for quite a while, well the shade Passion that is. I've heard so many good things about them and as a fan of matte finishes, I always get excited when I find a new matte lip product. I got this shade as a part of my blogging on Click2Chic and it's my first ever Milani product, but it's one of the newest ones that were added recently to their original selection of shades. I have to say I'm very impressed. I loved this lipstick from the first time I used it and I'd love to have more colours. I already included this lipstick in my November favourites.


Colour: The colour is beautiful and it reminds me of one of my favourite lip pencil Catrice's I got you Babel, in fact they are a really good match to use together. It's a medium peachy-pink with a gorgeous matte finish. The finish is a true matte one, though not exactly as at some lip creams, but one of the best ones when it comes to classic lipsticks  and I just love it. 


Texture: The formula is thick, as it's standard for matte lipsticks, but feels creamy when you apply it, though not in a moisturising way, rather in that smooth silicone way. Jordana and Milani are apparently sister brands I hear and the texture is similar to Jordana's original matte lipsticks, but even better. It doesn't dry my lips, but I don't feel like it's moisturising. I think this is my favourite matte formula so far in terms of how it applies, looks and feels on the lips.


Staying power: Since it's a matte lipstick with a thick formula this manages to cling on a lot better than most such light shades. I can't say in hours because I never check these things, but it's good.


Packaging: Light plastic packaging that is painted with a very convincing metallic colour, so the packaging looks a lot more expensive than how it feels. The end has a neat colour cube that lets you know what colour is inside.


Scent: It has a light vanilla scent.

Price and availability: Mine is from Click2Chic were it's 6.83 €. It's 5.56 € on Milani.eu site and £5.00 on Beauty Crown, which both ship to Europe. It's 6 $ on the official US site.


I truly love this lipstick. I love the colour, the formula is spectacular and it's properly matte plus staying power is great for such a shade. I would love to have more shades of these, I have my heart set on Flirty, Confident and Passion. Currently there are four shades I just reach for any occasion: Kiko's Lavish Lipstick in 01 Lusty Peony, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 07 Nude-ist, Mac's D for Danger and this one, though I reach for this one the most.  

Have a great day!
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Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain

December 13, 2015, 8:24 am
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These have a crazy high feedback on Makeup Alley and I've heard that they are pretty good substitutes for the original such balms - Clinique Chubby Sticks. I don't have those, nor Revlon's which are also said to be similar, but based on my swatches made in the shop I can say that they are similar enough. When it comes to lip colours, I'm a matte girl through and through, so these don't appeal to me as much as Jordana's matte lipsticks, but as a good blogger (ok, semi-decent) I decided to take these two shades to swatch because I know how many people utterly adore such lip products.


These are that classic crayon design and are a mix of lip balm, lipstick plus gloss and at these there is an actually stain component as well. On the lips they feel like a waxy lip balm, so that type that tends to stick better on the lips, but you can feel that layer of product on the lips. They are moisturising enough and feel comfortable on the lips. The shine wears off, as does that waxy layer of product, but these leave an actual stain behind. Especially Fresh Fig will leave a pretty intense stain on the lips. 

09 Gorgeous Peony

 Gorgeous Peony is a natural, muted brownish light pink shade. 


 10 Fresh Fig

Fresh Fig is a lot more intense that Gorgeous Peony, it's a dark red that is semi-transparent, but you can build it up for more intensity. As I said before this one leaves a strong stain as its wearing off. It's a lovely choice for those who want to wear red, but in a more subtle way.


These have the same type of packaging than Clinique's and Revlon's version, so they don't require to be sharpened. I notice no particular scent.

They cost 4.20 € on Click2Chic, 3.56 € on Jordana's EU website and 3$ on Jordana's US website.

Have a great day!
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Manhattan Easy Match Make Up in 30 Soft Porcelain

December 14, 2015, 8:16 am
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This was the other foundation I got when I was searching for the lightest foundations in Slovene drugstores (the first was Revlon's Colorstay in Ivory). I never really check Manhattan to be honest, it's kind a boring stand or at least you don't hear much about their stuff on blogs, which is never a good thing, though I think I need to give it more attention in the future. I had no idea they had such a light foundation and I'm delighted that they didn't just decide to sell it only in Germany and Austria, but also in Slovenia. I've noticed recently that some of their products are suspiciously similar to Rimmel ones (not sure if they are owned by the same brand) and I have to say that this foundation reminds me a lot of Match Perfection, so much so that I could just copy that review here and make only minor changes. Are they actually the same thing or not, I don't know, but since we don't have Rimmel here, I'm glad we have a decent alternative, especially because of the shade.  


Texture: It's the same as at Match Perfection, a thin-medium liquid foundation that it's easy to blend in and you have a lot of time to do so. Again the same as at MP, it leaves this tacky finish on the skin that I don't like, but it does settle after a while. It doesn't look the best on my skin. I think it's kind of an ageing foundation because overtime it slips into every pore and line, just like both Rimmel foundations I tried. This sounds bad and yes, I don't really like how this foundation looks on my skin, but I got it for the same reason as Rimmel's ones - for mixing with my darker foundation. Having said that, I hear that people like this foundation, so I think it's more of an issue of my skin that it doesn't look the best on my skin and you should certainly give it a shot if it's on your wishlist. 


Finish: This is the one difference with the Match Perfection (unless my skin changed and became drier, which is possible), but this one has a satin finish, not a dewy one. I'm not sure who this foundation is really suited for. It says it adapts to all skin types and I guess they do have a point here. It's a foundation that is in a way moisturising, but it has this satin finish and doesn't cling to patches, so it could work on both dry and oily skin (with some powder after a while).

Coverage: It's a light coverage foundation, with two layers I might squeeze out a light-medium. It's not the best coverage, redness shines through, it doesn't cover circles or spots, it really mostly just even's out the skin and that's it. Concealer is a necessity with this foundation. I keep my before/after pictures large, so if you want to see the coverage up close then click on the picture as you can't really see it realistically from the small version.


Shade: A very pleasant surprise. Soft Porcelain is a very fair yellow-neutral shade that fits me amazingly well. Revlon's Ivory and Rimmel's 010 Light Porcelain are its pink toned counterparts. If you're a Snow White like me, who wear shades like Nars Siberia, Missha BB #13, Rimmel's Light Porcelain and the likes, go check it out.  

Staying power: like Match Perfection it's not the most long-lasting foundation. At the end of the day, it almost completely gone. I say that often, but I really don't check in the mirror during the day, but I don't think it can manage a full work day.

Scent: It has the same scent as Match Perfection, so a fresh cucumber scent.

Packaging: It's a plastic bottle with an airtight pump. The pump squeezes a lot of product at once, if you press it do the end, but you can control it. 

Ingredients: 

Price and availability: 9.99 € in DM. It's not the cheapest and I remember Manhattan's prices being lower, but it's still reasonable enough.

This isn't my favourite foundation in terms of how it looks on my skin or its staying power, but the shade is so perfect. I would never regret buying such a foundation, despite its shortcomings because I always finish them up since I use them to mix with darker foundations. If you have great experience with Rimmel foundations, this one might be right up your alley, especially if you find their lightest shade 010 Light Porcelain too pink.

Have a great day!
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Essence Winter Wonderful! TE

December 16, 2015, 9:43 am
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Not surprisingly Essence released a winter inspired edition. They do it every year and they tend to pass me by. The only item that was of any interest to me in this one is the hand cream and even that because of the snow flake design, though I have to admit that some of those nail polishes and the topper do look rather good. Unfortunately I found myself standing in front of a completely empty stand in Müller. That never happens where I live, I guess it must be a super popular collection, but I don't think this has reached DM's and other shops, so there should be more coming. I got sent four products to swatch for the other blog I write on. They haven't posted my review yet, but I like to work fast when it comes to LEs, since these things tend to run out fast.


ESSENCE Winter Wonderful! TE Blush
01 Winter Kissed Cheeks
There is only one blush in this collection and it's a mix of warm pink-coral, peach and kind of a golden tone. To be fair the other two colours don't really matter much as the pink-coral star provides most pigmentation. If you focus your brush on that star you get a very decent amount of pigment, though it might take you some layers to get a nice flush. Use a denser brush if you have a feeling it's just not happening with this blush, but I got it to look pretty intense on my cheeks. It's a pretty classic colour - a warm pink with a matte finish. The design is adorable, snowflakes inside stars - Essence knows how to impress when it comes to these things. Unfortunately I almost ruined the design already when making the swatches (*sobs quietly*), though just using a brush shouldn't ruin it straight away.
It costs 3.29 € on Click2Chic. It's probably a similar price elsewhere.


ESSENCE Winter Wonderful! TE Highlighter
01 You Melt My Heart

 I was worried how I'll swatch this since it does not look like a highlighter in the pan. However, it's not too subtle, which I hope you can see on my picture with the blush. It's a mix of light pink, lavender and peach, but it swatches basically white, not even shimmery, instead almost like a powder, though on the cheeks it gives that cool toned pink glow. It's not a Mary-Lou Manizer glow, but pretty decent. I used a Jessup eyeshadow brush which is dense, but quite big, so I got the most out of this highlighter, but I also used a big fluffy brush to dust it all over the face as a finishing powder and it works without being to shimmery, just a bit glowy. 
It costs 3.29 € on Click2Chic. 



ESSENCE Winter Wonderful! TE Tint & Oil  for lips
01 If Kisses were Snow Flakes… and 02 …I'd Send you a Blizzard

Lip oils are having a sort of a moment and at Essence they are always quick to follow the trends, so here is their version. Well sort of. These are actually just clear moisturising lip glosses that react with your skin's pH levels and tint the lips, or better said stain them. I've tried Clarins' oil for lips and it's miles better, really something different and innovative, but these Essence ones aren't different to me than their regular lip glosses (their old discontinued Stay All Day ones I mean, which were my favourite budget ones). They are moisturising, but no different than any other lip gloss. As I said these react to the pH levels creating a unique lip colour and they go on clear, but very quickly start to change. On my lips both of these turn into a sort of a fuchsia shade as do all such products and once the shine wears off the stain sticks. 01 clearly has less of that ingredient that reacts with the pH, so it ends up lighter than 02. These could end up looking completely different on you than on me, both in terms of tone and intensity. 

01 If Kisses were Snow Flakes… 

02 …I'd Send you a Blizzard

If you apply these on the back of your hand and wait for a few minutes, you'll see how it tints the skin and when you wipe off the gloss, the skin stays stained and it's difficult to get them off. The lips stay stained after the shine wears off or even if you blot/remove the gloss. Barry M's Touch of Magic lipstick works the same, but more intensely. The packaging is metal which makes them look a lot more expensive than they are. I notice not particular scent though I hear they are supposed to smell sweet, but I get only some faint chemical scent.
These cost 3.29 €.  


A pretty collection to look at, there are very cute designs and the quality is typically Essence - ok for the money. The blush is cute, the highlighter glows well enough on the cheeks and the experimented with the tints or at least tried to, but they need some more work to be the real deal. I guess calling them colour changing lip gloss was just too mainstream.   


Did you get anything from this collection?

Have a great day!
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Essence Longlasting Lipstick Nude 05 Cool Nude

December 17, 2015, 7:46 am
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This shade and 03 Come Naturally are incredibly popular or at least they were at the time this new line of nude lipsticks was launched. While every other Central European blogger I know got one or both of these shades, I stayed on the sidelines. I did swatch them back then, but they just all looked so ashy on me, so I decided to pass on the entire Nude collection. I don't know what suddenly possessed me to finally get this shade. Those Essence's Facebook and Instagram pages are so convincing with their airbrushed images, so after much resisting for months, this landed in my shopping basket. 


Shade and finish: Cool Nude is a natural pinky-brown shade. I wouldn't say it's a cool shade, but it does have this almost grey-ish tone to it. I've seen it looking much warmer on some people (like on Sara), while on others it looks like on me. Initially I really didn't like this and I actually still think it looks a bit draining on me in some lights, but in outdoor daylight it's quite a pretty natural shade. It's nothing special though. It's close to my natural lip colour, so it just looks a bit plain. The finish is creamy-glossy.


Formula: It's a classic Essence lipstick, so not particularly impressive, at least to an experienced lipstick enthusiast like me. It's a very light, moisturising formula that is almost excessively creamy and lacks staying power. I think opinions about Essence lipsticks are quite polarised, but it's because most people value moisturising properties over staying power, however, I'm not that person.


Staying power: Don't expect much from it, but it does manage to cling on for a couple of hours. 

Scent: It has a chemical scent.


Packaging: The same classic plastic tube as at Longlasting lipsticks. I like that they decided to make it in the colour of the lipstick inside. It's very handy, when you have a large collection of lipsticks.

Price and availability: I got mine in Müller for 3.49 €, but it's sold pretty much everywhere where Essence is available. I actually had to make several trips to different drugstores to find one that was untouched, so check the lipstick before you buy it.

So I got it. Not sure it was the best decision. It's pretty, but nothing special and I'm not sure how often I'll wear it, not just because of the shade, but also because I'm still not loving the formula of these. As far as these type of shades are concerned nothing beats Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 07 Nude-ist. I think Essence should rather include the shade from the Happy Girls are Pretty TE called  01 Pretty You in their standard line - it would make a nice addition.

Have a great day! 
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Jordana Easyliner Rock n' Rose

December 18, 2015, 8:33 am
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This shade was chosen because of its high rating on Makeup Alley, but I have to admit that when it landed on my doorstep, I couldn't help to wonder why is it so popular. Granted I'm probably completely the wrong person for such as shade as I'm super pale and such shades look far better on medium skin tones, but still it's is very brown for a lip liner. 


Rock n' Rose is a caramel brown shade with some pink-orange tones. Not my personal favourite as I dislike brown lip shades, but Mac's Spice and Subculture are also brown and so many people love them. Must be something about brown on the lips. It should look a lighter on medium skin tones. I tried to find some more pictures how it looks on other people, but there aren't that many full-face ones, check Pinterest for comparisons and some looks with it.

The texture is very similar to Essence's Longlasting pencils, so it's soft, but not too soft, meaning it's still precise enough and you can easily apply it all over the lips. It's a retractable liner and thankfully it doesn't break. Staying power is ok, again similar to Essence's Longlasting pencils. Don't ask me in hours because I never check these things. 


It costs 3 € on Click2Chic, 2.37 € on the Jordana EU site and 2.49 $ on Jordana US site. 

Have a great day!
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New In #37

December 19, 2015, 7:46 am
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ESSENCE All About Nude and All About Bronze Palettes
I never thought much of Essence eyeshadows. The ones I tried were rubbish, so I avoided buying more, but I heard some good things about these palettes and after swatching them in the shop, I put them on my wishlist. To be fair, since I got theBalm Nude'Tude palette I didn't plan on getting any more cheap eyeshadows, but I bought these because I need them for my work and they were the only ones I could just go and buy in the drugstore - stupid reason, but whatever. When I first tried these, they got a double "hmm" from me. That's the sound I make when I'm feeling underwhelmed by the product, basically it's not a good sign when I do this. They are nice... ish. Well nice for drugstore eyeshadows, but based on those swatches I made in the shop I expected a lot more pigment. They are just sheerer than I expected, though the bronze shades are nice. I don't know.. .they're not bad, but  theBalm palette is miles better ( and 8-times more expensive). It could just be the top layer and I do have a feeling they are improving the more I use them. 
You can find a few looks I did with them here. My fellow bloggers already wrote a review about these, you can find them here: Adjusting Beauty and Chunky Cheeks.
Müller, 4.39 €


 GOLDEN ROSE Velvet Matte Lipstick
12
I got my first products from this brand. I've heard about it, but they only recently came to Slovenia. They remind me of Kiko in some ways, with the large selection of products and shades as well as very affordable prices. I was highly recommended to try Velvet Matte Lipsticks and I decided on shade 12 after checking Instagram pics and saw a comparison with Mac's Mehr (they're not dupes just to be clear). I like this. It's a nice matte lipstick, quite creamy once you get through the top slightly harder layer and it reminds me a bit of Maybelline's Matte lipstick. Shade 12 is a medium muted rose, a natural shade, but darker than my lips. It's like a darker Nude-ist and I'm quite liking it at the moment. I did a swatch on the lips bellow, but I hate winter for taking swatches, so it's not completely spot on, but close enough.
Golden Rose, 3.90 €


GOLDEN ROSE Matte Lipstick Crayon
02, 03 and 05
Another product I was recommended to try and heard raves about. I get quite a few e-mails and messages from readers and friends about really dark, plumy shades and the darkest shade I own is Mac's Diva, so I wanted to explore some more affordable and ever darker options. I choose two very deep shades, 02 and 03. The first is a deep red that is similar to Diva and 03 is a deep brownish plum, which I'm not so sure about, it's not terribly pretty, but it very close to some pictures I got sent (from Pinterest obviously, which are all so clearly photoshopped). My cousin also lend me shade 05 which is a deep red. The formula is a bit creamier than of Velvets and it's not that easy to get very precise edges with it, so a lip liner is still a must at such dark shades. I noticed that some shades in the Velvet Matte range and Matte Crayon are basically the same, 02 is 23 in Velvet, 03 is 29 and 07 is 12 (Ajda is wearing Velvet 23 here). These need to be sharpened which I'm not a fan of. 

Not the best swatches, but I wanted to post them now, since I have a feeling it will take me some time to do proper reviews.
 Golden Rose, 3.90 €


GOLDEN ROSE Extreme Sparkle Eyeliner
103
I wanted a gold eyeliner for my holiday look and when I was checking the Golden Rose website before going to the actual shop, I chose Metallic Eyeliner in 02, but when I swatched them, this one looked more special, so I chose glitter over metallic. It looked a bit thin when I swatched it at home again and indeed it is a product that requires two layers, but I love the effect of it. It sparkles so nicely on the eyes, which looks so glamorous. The colour is a very yellow gold, which isn't the best, but I'm pleased with this and would love to get the silver version as well. You'll see it in action in my holiday inspired post (still working on it).

 Golden Rose, 4.50 €


 GOLDEN ROSE Eyeshadow Crayon
14
Since I discovered Kiko's Eyeshadow Sticks, I've been loving these type of creamy products as bases because they make even the cheap eyeshadows work perfectly, not to mention how quick they are to apply. I got the shade 14 which is  a warm hazelnut brown shade with a metallic finish. It's not as good as Kiko's, by that I mean it's not as intensely pigmented, it just means that the products need to be layered and when it comes to eyeshadows that's not the best thing as thick layers are prone to creasing, however, I do really like this. It blends nicely and works well as a base. The one thing I'm not a fan of is that it needs to be sharpened, which is a hassle and you essentially throw away some of product when you do it. 
Golden Rose, 3.30 €


 GOLDEN ROSE Jolly Jewels Nail Lacquer
103
Golden Rose has the most impressive nail polish collection I've ever seen. They truly have an astonishing range of colours and finishes. I wanted a dense gold glitter nail polish, which I actually searched for all over my home town. This one isn't quite it, but it caught my eye because it has an interesting combination of small gold glitter with large copper hexagons. It's not fully opaque even with several coats, instead it's more of a top coat. It sparkles under the artificial light, though when you look at it closely, it's a bit strange, since the base is warm gold and then the hexagonal flakes are copper. The removal process is understandably a nightmare, those copper hexagons stick to the nails so fast you need some ungodly power to get them off. Picture of it on my nails here.
Golden Rose, 3.10 €


 ESSENCE The Gel Nail Polish 
50 i feel good
I got this purely to do some nail art, which failed so miserably. I never owned a green nail polish, frankly it's a weird colour to wear on the nails to me (and the comments I got were hilarious). This one is a dark forest green. The formula is lovely, it's one of those gel formula ones, so it's excellent.  
Müeller, 1.69 €


 eBay Metallic Rose Gold Brushes
Blush brush and contour brush
These are beyond amazing for the price! I got then immediately after seeing them of Petra's Instagram and got only two to try, but I'm getting the whole set for sure or at least the powder one and another set of these two. These look expensive, though the handle is plastic, which is actually much better to me as I would hate to have a heavy brush to handle. The bristles are amazingly soft and these just feel well made. 

 The blush brush fits my cheeks well, some might find it a bit small, but I prefer more precise blush brushes. It's the type of brush I would use with more pigmented blushes as it's not very dense. By the way, the bristles are synthetic. 


The contour brush is dense, just the way I like it and it can work as a great foundation brush. I tried contouring with it which ended up very well. Great brush.


 Petra already wrote an awesome and comprehensive review, so I probably won't write any more than in this New In.
eBay, blusher brush (contour) £1.70, facial brush (blush) £1.66


YVES ROCHER Exfoliating Bubble for Bath 
Spicy Vanilla
Last year I won a shower gel in Yves Rocher's Christmas/December giveaway and I loved it. It was really good, so this year I decided to give their holiday collection a go. These bubbles looked the coolest and when I saw they have three version, all of which mention cinnamon in one way or another, I really wanted one. I checked all of them in the shop, the Orange-Cinnamon version, the Orange-Almond one and this one, Spicy Vanilla, and to be completely honest they all smelled the same, just like Jaffa Cakes. I'm not a fan of the latter, I mean jam with chocolate, where is this world going, but it's kind of a nice scent for Christmas I guess. The gel is thick, which I like and the exfoliating particles aren't just for show, though it's not a proper scrub. The one thing I hate about this bubble is that there is no proper "delivering system", it's just a gaping hole when you open it and it's hard to control the amount you want. Nice, but the packaging needs an update.
Yves Rocher, 5.90 €

YVES ROCHER Perfumed Bath Oil
Spicy Vanilla
This has an even more unfortunate packaging than the Bubble for Bath. It's seriously so stupid. There is a tiny hole through which the product should be delivered, but unless you shake this vigorously, nothing comes out. So you spend a better part of the shower shaking this like a moron for a few drops of the oil. The scent is more vanillary that the Exfoliating bubble, but it's still all about the Jaffa biscuits. It's light oil compared to L'Occitane's, but it emulsified to a thin foam and doesn't dry out the skin. The ingredients are cheap, main is mineral oil, then there is some maze oil plus fragrance. It's nice, but I need to figure out how to fix the packaging problem. It's also a very pretty decoration on the shelf. 
Yves Rocher, 7.5 €


MILANI Powder Blush 
01 Romantic Rose (borrowed)
This isn't mine, but I sure wish it was. These have been on my wishlist for absolutely ages and when my cousin came round enthusiastically waving the new Milani lipstick in Darling she got because of me, she also showed me this and asked me if I'd like to review it. I adore this. It's so good, like HG material. The shade is so lovely, a natural brownish-muted pink-mauve, complicated to describe but something along the lines of Catrice's I'm Nuts About You. It's very pigmented, blends nicely and looks superb on the cheeks. And the design is sooooo pretty! You shall hear a lot of gushing about it here in the future. Basically I want all of these, well the natural shades, I'm not sure I can pull off Coral Cove, it looks very intense.
Milani EU 9.16 €; Milani USA $7.99; Beauty Crowd, £7.20; Moja Drogerija, 14.41 €; Click2Chic, 10.46 €


YANKEE CANDLE Cranberry Pear
When it comes to Yankee Candle, I'm one of those that is mainly unimpressed, but constantly tempted especially at Christmas. I fell in love with this scent instantly. I won't write this poetic description of the scent, I'll just say what it actually smells like and that is wild strawberries and a bit of pine, which actually ends up smelling like picking strawberries in the forest (something I do every year and I just love that smell). I've actually never found any scent that would mimic wild berries, they smells so much nicer that garden ones and taste far better too, so I'm delighted to have found this. The scent it very intense and even unlit/melted it fills the room. But basically it doesn't smell like neither pear nor cranberry. 
Yankee Candle, 1.99 €

YANKEE CANDLE Season of Peace
This one reminds me of my late grandmother, or at least the smell of her house. It's somewhat like Soft Blanket, so a clean and warm scent. It's like a fabric softener, I'm sure my grandma had a laundry detergent or a fabric softener with this scent, so it must be something that was sold here 15 years ago, but I haven't a clue which one she used (maybe Silan. I think I saw a bottle of it in her house). 
Yankee Candle, 2.60 €

YANKEE CANDLE Shea Butter
Another gorgeous scent. Shea butter doesn't smell as nice as this, but I can smell it mixed in the scent. It's warm, creamy and clean. It like a generic body cream in the scent that everyone likes. Love this. 
Yankee Candle, 2.60 €

YANKEE CANDLE Snowflake Cookie
This is pretty much the same as their Christmas Cookie. There's loads of gourmand vanilla and this baked note. It sounds strange I know, but when you bake cookies and you just take them out of the oven, there is this smell of baked. It's kind of a classic candle that you burn when you want to make it appear like you baked something, but were too lazy to do it and you just sneakily bought them in the supermarket.
Yankee Candle, 2.60 €


L'OREAL Elnett Heat Protect Spray - Straight 
Elnett Hitze Styling Sprays 3 Tage Glatt 
A couple of weeks ago I met the lovely Petra from Adjusting Beauty blog, whom I mention a lot on my blog and we even did my first (an only) collaboration a while ago. She surprised me with a set of samples when we were saying goodbye (thanks again <3) and this was among it. This has been on my wishlist for quite a while, but I always have other products to finish, so I'm been putting off purchasing it. It's a very basic heat protectant that is light and simple, so it fits many hair types and I've been enjoying using it precisely because of that. Actually it's no different to me from the Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat UV Protective Primer, which is a lot more expensive. If you're looking for something similar, but for a lot cheaper, this is it. I will buy a full size one day. It has a simple, hair care scent.   
I think it's about 7 €

AVON Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask
I have this prejudice that Avon't stuff isn't all that impressive when it comes to dealing with very dry hair. I always imagine they have some diluted, super liquid hair masks, but his one is thick and feels like it will do something. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't quite enough for my hair, however, I could see it working for moderately dry hair. Full size looks like this (also a pic of shampoo)
Avon, regular price 5.70 €

AVON Advanced Techniques Supreme Oils Shampoo
This was a pleasant surprise to me. It didn't leave my hair stripped and that is a sign of a good shampoo to me. If you have dry hair, this is worth trying out. 
Avon, regular price 4.60 €

AVON Planet Spa Sleepy Serenity Pillow Mist
Petra raved about this a while ago and remember being intrigued as I love such scents. It smells very calming, they describe it as a mix of lavender and camomile, but the latter is much more dominant. From the start this is a dead ringer for the Kamagel's scent to me (camomile based ointment made by Slovene pharmaceutical company Krka), but it then switches to a more lavender based scent. Very calming and very lovely. I can't find this in the catalogue, so I don't know how much it costs or if it still exists. Petra's review here. 


EBELINE Nagellack Entferner
Nail polish remover
I got this one because of the packaging. It's one of those where you press the cotton pad at the top and it pumps the product up, soaking the cotton pad. One pump delivers pretty much the perfect amount of product for me, others might be used to more, but it can start spraying/dripping if you're too greedy for the product. It's nothing special when it comes to removing. It's not particularly strong, so I probably won't repurchase.  
DM, 1.39 €


 ESSENCE Quick and easy Sponge Nail Polish Remover
This one is more expensive than the Ebeline one I usually buy, but that one gets dirty so fast, so I'm looking for something better (Bourjois' is excellent, but too expensive. Ombia's is total crap). So far I've only used it with light nail polishes because I don't want to ruin it straight away, but it's ok. It does the job.
Interspar, 2.99 €


ESSENCE Holo Stripes Nail Stickers
I got these to do that design that is on the nail wheel next to Golden Rose 103 above. It kind of failed which isn't a surprise. Anyway, there are three thin strips in the set: a silver one, a dark silver one and violet-pink one all with a metallic look, not really holographic. My picture isn't the best, but it's hard to photograph these with a camera phone. They tend to fall off fast without a good layer of top coat. 

 Interspar, 1.39 €


YUMMY Wild Things Shower Gels
Happy Boost and Sexy Boost 
There are new Yummy shower gels called Wild Things which all feature animal prints. I got the zebra Happy Boosts and the snake Sexy Boost, but there are more: the giraffe Classy Boost, leopard Energy Boost, tiger Power Boost, and peacock Vanity Boost. These are pretty basic shower gels that smell nice. They foam well, clean well and that's it. Happy Boost will appeal to many, at least that my experience when I gave these two to people to sniff. It's a classic girly scent, but a bit more sophisticated. It's candy-vanilla sweet, but a bit floral and woody, so it's gourmand without being properly gourmand.


Sexy Boost won't be for everybody though, at least not for those who like simpler scents. It's a proper unisex scent, almost more masculine than feminine. The best way that I can describe it is if I compare it to Axe (Lynx) scents, not the super douchey Dark Temptation, but those green ones. It smells a lot more masculine in the bottle, but in the shower it's more tame. The base is citrusy, I get lime, though its described as earthy. The sharper note that gives the scent defining character is spice, cardamom in particular. I actually like this scent a bit more than the Happy Boost and I'm not a girl for unisex scents. 
Click2Chic, 4.95 €

Have a great day!
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Holiday Inspired Beauty

December 21, 2015, 7:47 am
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Continuing my tradition of season inspired mega posts, the time is right for a holiday inspired one and I set out to do it a bit differently this time. I did a collection of four looks that actually didn't quite pan out the way I wanted to (damn the weather - the curse of the beauty blogger), nonetheless I hope you'll find some inspiration for your holiday makeup or at least feast your eyes on tons of pretty makeup (some of my favourite bits actually).

MAKEUP

Red Lips and Sparkly Eyeliner
Holiday season and particularly New Year's Eve give us an excuse to dust off our glitter products and go to town with them. I've been seeing glitter and metallic eyeliners everywhere in the past weeks, which inspired me to do something similar, but I discovered all of my glitter liners are actually completely dried up (considering I bought them years ago, not so shocking), so got a new one - Golden Rose Extreme Sparkle Eyeliner 103. It's quite a yellow gold and it needs two layers for an intense effect, but it's soo pretty and sparkly under the lights (way prettier in real life than on my pictures). The other star of the look is a red lipstick. I used my all-time favourite L'Oreal's Blake again because it's awesome and so richly pigmented (seriously the more lipsticks I try, the more I realize how brilliant this one is), but I also included a very budget option - Jordana's Modern Matte in 12 Matte Style. I did a similar post on the other blog I write on. It's more of a classic glam look and I used that one instead of Blake. On my cheeks is my new love Milani Powder Blush in 01 Romantic Rose, which unfortunately you can't see well because my camera phone does not like the weird weather we're having, but it's perfect to pair up with red lips. Unfortunately you can't see the highlighter theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer either, so you'll have to take my word and just image that is was indeed super glowy.


All of the makeup 
Base: my princess foundation NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Bourjois Poudre de Riz Java, which is still my favourite powder (the new navy blue one isn't the same. It's way more glittery). 
Cheeks: the super glowy theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer and Milani Powder Blush in 01 Romantic Rose.
Eyes: theBalm Put a Lid on It eyeshadow primer, Urban Decay Naked2 Basics palette just for a bit of definition, Artdeco High Precision Liquid Liner, Essence Big Bright Eyes eyeliner like in 99 % of my looks,  Lancome Hypnose waterproof mascara and Golden Rose Extreme Sparkle Eyeliner 103.


You'll see the manicure I intended to pair up with this look below the looks, but I used the deep red Revlon's Parfumerie in Bordeaux and my favourite glitter nail polish Rimmel's Star Dust in Aurora. For my fragrance I chose La Rive Moon which is essentially an excellent 10 € rip-off of Hugo Boss Nuit pour Femme.


Statement Lips
Of course I had to include one of my favourite lip colours ever and the one I think I'll wear a lot this festive season - Mac's D for Danger. As a cheaper version chose Catrice's Ultimate Colour in 360 Mattraction, which is different, but still incredibly gorgeous. The eyes are simple, a very neutral look with big lashes using theBalm Nude'Tude palette's shades Selfish and Sophisticated and the super awesome Essence's I love Extreme waterproof mascara. Revlon's Colorstay and Collection concealer took its place as the base duo this time, a contrast to the previous high-end set, yet both pairs provide a high coverage, satin-matte look. Part of the look was Mary-Lou again (to be fair it's my only proper highlighter) and the cutesy pink Physicians Formula Nude Wear blush in Rose on the cheeks.


All of the makeup
Base: Revlon Colorstay foundation for normal/dry skin,  L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer (under foundation for some extra glow), Bourjois Poudre de Riz Java and Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.
Cheeks: Physicians Formula Nude Wear blush in Rose and theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer.
Eyes: theBalm Nude'Tude palette, Collection Extreme Eyeliner, Essence Big Bright Eyes Eyeliner and Essence I Love Extreme waterproof mascara.
Lips: Mac D is for Danger (retro matte) and to neat up the edges I grabbed Kiko's Smart Pencil in 709 Magenta.
Other products on the pictures:Yves Rocher Perfumed Bath Oil Spicy Vanilla (smells like vanilla and Jaffa cakes), Aqualina Pink Sugar fragrance, Yankee Candle Season of Peace (smells like clean sheets) and eBay rose gold blush brush, which is all kinds of awesome.


Smoky eye and neutral lips

I'm not the best at smoky eyes, at least on me and my camera didn't even pick it up well, but to be fair all it really takes is a black eyeliner and tons of mascara. I used Kiko's Eyeshadow Stick in 06 as a base because it intensifies the looks and keeps everything in place for ages, the good old classic Urban Decay Naked palette (shades Sin, Smog and Darkhorse) and Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero in the waterline. I had two options for the lips, even took two sets of pictures, but the weather was so awful that I chose not to include the version with L'Oreal's L'Extraordinaire in 101 Rose Melody, so I'm only showing you the version with Kiko's Rebel Romantic Lavish Lipstick in 01 Lusty Peony, which I wear a lot, but it is unfortunately a limited edition. However, it would be a travesty not to include it here as it the most glamorous lipstick I own (yes, prettier than YSL's Rouge Volupte). For the base I went for something a lot lighter as well as more appropriate for dehydrated skin, the combination of my old favourite Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and 123 Perfect CC cream, both look incredibly natural on the skin.


All of the makeup
Base:Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer (works great as an eyeshadow primer too), Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, Bourjois 123 CC  Perfect CC Eye Cream and Bourjois Poudre de Riz Java
Cheeks: the universally loved theBalm Frat Boy which really perks up the cheek and theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer.
Eyes: Kiko's Eyeshadow stick in 06 Golden Bronze as a base, Urban Decay Naked palette, Urban decay 24/7 Eyeliner Zero and Maybelline the Sensational Waterproof mascara.
Lips: Kiko's Rebel Romantic Lavish Lipstick in 01 Lusty Peony


Dark lips

If you though I'll use Laetitia again, you were wrong. I got several new vampy shades in the lasts month which inspired me to add this look as well. I bought Golden Rose's Matte Lipstick Crayons in 02 and 03, both excellent vampy choices. 02 is very close to Mac's Diva, so it's a more classic, glam option and that's what I chose. If you want a slightly lighter option, 05 is a great choice. For the eyes I busted out two of my old favourites - Mac's Patina and L'Oreal Infallible 024 Bronze Goddess. Both have that antiqued gold look, but not in bronzy way, rather they are more green. Rose Royce was the blush of choice here, a shade I highly recommend to anyone, but the emphasis was on Catrice's Contour Palette as such a strong lip needs some sculpting of the face if you don't want to look completely washed out. Two more of my favourites for the base: the matte L'Oreal's Infallible foundation, which hides pores better than any primer I tried and my HG concealer Maybelline the Eraser.  


Rest of the makeup
Base: L'Oreal Infallible 24h Matte, Maybelline the Eraser concealer, Bourjois Poudre the Riz Java and Urban Decay Setting Spray.
Cheeks: Catrice Prime and Fine Professional Contour Kit, Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce and theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer.
Eyes: Mac Patina, L'Oreal Infallible 024 Golden Goddess, Artdeco High Precision Liquid Eyeliner and Essence I Love Extreme waterproof mascara (Physicians Formula Va Va Voom on the picture. It's great, I just needed waterproof for the pictures)
Lips: Golden Rose Matte Lipstick Crayon 02
Other products on the picture: Essie nail polish Sole Matte, Essence Merry Berry TE nail polish 03 Pink and Perfect, the warm and cuddly Taylor Swift Wonderstuck Enchanted, Yankee Candle Shea Butter (smells creamy and warm, better than the real deal), eBay metallic contour brush, metal hair pony tail clip (which is too small for my thick hair. It's from a Chinese shop) and crystal gold cat ears headband from eBay.


NAILS

You may have already seen all of these manicures, but this was my experimenting phase in the last month. I wanted very simple manicures because I'm not good as these things, but some of these turned out rather well considering I've never done them before. The rings are from H&M.

Black matte base and shimmery triangles
All you need is sticky tape to do this one. I used the latex finish Essence Effect nail polish in 32 The Black Cat as base and then Rimmel's Star Dust nail polish in Aurora for the triangles. Use the regular clear sticky tape because it's the thinnest and it works best. This one was pretty simple and even if the triangles don't look the same size, it doesn't really matter much. Everyone loved this one. Picture tutorial here.

Ice Queen Manicure
I used Maybelline's Colorama Party Blue as a base (discontinued, it just has to be light blue) and silver glitter Catrice Luxury Lacquers Million brilliance in 01 It's Showtime. The ombre thing was causing me some issues, but I think I got a hang of it now. Just get all the excess base fluid off the brush using a tissue and slowly build up the shimmer. Patience is greatly rewarded at this look. 

Pink and Gold
Again a very similar design as at the previous one, except that it's inverted and the shimmer is at the tips of the nails. I used Essence the Gel Nail Polish in 13 Forgive Me as a base and Alessandro Nail polish 297 for the shimmer.

Sparkly Christmas Tree
This one was a hard one and took me several tries. It's similar to the first one, so again it's all about the sticky tape. Use a dense glitter nail polish, one that you know will stick well, I used Rimmel's Aurora. The sticky tape design will take you some time, you can assemble it before sticking on the nails if you wish. Wait for the nail polish to dry completely and then remove the tape by pulling it sideways. It was truly a trial an error for me and this is the way I find I got proper results. I used Revlon Parfumerie in Bordeaux as a base, but I waited a whole day before doing the design. Picture tutorial here.


My most recent addition - a very festive shade with interesting combination of small gold glitter with large copper hexagons. It's not fully opaque even with several coats, instead it's more of a top coat, so you could combine it with a different colour, but here I used it on its own. 


You may have noticed that I'm incapable of taking just a few pictures and be done with it, so this post ended up crazy long (*coughs*…1.84 GB big folder…*coughs*). I still didn't want to waste it, so this last part is like a continuation of getting ready with me and includes the products that I would/will use for special occasions, but no extra descriptions of products, you have links to reviews anyway.

HAIR
Pulling out the big guns for my hair routine 
Care:

Styling:
SAPPHIRE 8 in 1 Complete Curling Wand (I tend to use the 2.5 mm barrel)

SKINCARE

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great day!
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TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

December 23, 2015, 8:14 am
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This is probably one of most hyped up highlighters in recent years and it actually didn't interest me much when the hype started because I was not into highlighters, at least not strong ones. But so many people raved about this that it kind of automatically landed on my wishlist. This is actually my second powder highlighter that own and my only gold toned, so yeah, my stash of highlighters isn't the most extensive one, but I'm still using Jemma Kidd's one (cream) and L'Oreal's Magic Lumi Primer (liquid) which are both my favourite (but my absolute favourite is actually Mac Vanilla pigment of which I only have a sample).


Mary-Lou Manizer is a gold toned highlighter with an intense shine. The reason why I avoided buying this was because I was concerned it would look too gold on my pale skin tone. I've heard conflicting reviews about how it works on pale skin, so I didn't want to risk it, however, I can report that it's fine, just don't overdo it. I'm currently at my palest, so Nars Siberia/Revlon Colorstay Ivory/Rimmel Light Porcelain 010 plus I have a neutral undertone and this does look a bit golden on me, but as long as I don't go to really to town with it, it's fine. I applied a lot of it on my picture because I camera phone doesn't pick up highlighters well, so it looks gold. I would normally apply less.


At first I did not get this highlighter, it seemed like a nice average one, but the more I use and dig though the top layer, the softer it gets and now it's giving me a very intense glow. This is a highlighter for glow lovers, but most might end up saving it for a special occasions. Currently I'm in a phase where I crave for anything glowy, that's why I love Physicians Formula Sexy Booster blush so much, however, suspect I won't be using this in the summer as I feel the intense sunlight will make it very shimmery looking (it happens with most highlighters anyway), but will see. So far, I'm really enjoying using this. It even landed in my latest month favourites and I would love to give Cindy-Lou a try as well.


The packaging is well made, a plastic case with a handy big mirror and the typical comic retro design (check the charges on the board).

Mary-Lou is for those who adore the glow. There is nothing subtle about it and I can see why it's so highly regarded in the beauty community. Is it the glowiest highlighter I tried? No. But that's a good thing as I think any more glow would look terribly tacky. It would look fantastic on warm and medium skin tones, so if you're looking for something truly glamorous looking, check this one out, but even if you're very fair, don't be afraid to try it. 

Available in Müller for 23.99 €.

Have a great day!
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Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow 06 Golden Brown

December 24, 2015, 8:04 am
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After being seriously impressed with the shade 38, I really wanted to get my hands on more of these. I planned on getting more colours, I still do, but settled on one more shade for now - 06 Golden Brown. These are the most amazing cream eyeshadows I tried and some of the quickest to use, which is something that always appeals to me.


06 Golden Warm is a bronze shade that is actually very similar to Maybellline's On and on Bronze, but it's a bit darker and cooler. Thankfully, this one does not have the chunky shimmer like shade 38, it's just a simple metallic bronze. Despite being so similar to On and on Bronze, both in terms of colour and texture, I prefer Kiko's version because it's so much easier to use. It's almost as a thick eyeliner that you apply it over the lid and blend with a fluffy brush. It takes seconds and you're done. 


The texture of these is so creamy and even now that the 38 is a bit older, it hasn't dried up so much that is would start tugging on the lids. These just glide on the skin and leave a fully opaque streak of colour. This shade is very pigmented, but of course as you blend the intensity diminishes, so you have to build up the colour if you want a nicely blended look with the intense colour on the lid. It blends so well and with any blending brush I've tried, from the classic MAC's 217 to the inexpensive synthetic eBay one. 


Once it sets it won't budge. The colour is still on the lids late at night, it may be a bit creased if you didn't set it with a powder eyeshadow, but most of the colour is still there. These are really the most long lasting eyeshadows I've tried. 


I got mine is a Kiko shop in Palmanova for 4.90 €. I paid 6.90 € for the first one online.

These are so worth it and if you happen to go to Kiko or order online, these are my top recommendation, even above their nail polishes. I use them as a base a lot, but also individually and they perform so well. I really need to buy more of these.

Have a great day! 
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TheBalm Autobalm California Face Palette

December 26, 2015, 5:10 am
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When it comes to theBalm, their packaging is either a win or a total fail to me. This one is such a winner in my book. I think that the driving license design is really clever, especially for a palette that is meant to be above all travel friendly. I  think these were released last year, but I'm unsure whether they are LE or permanent, however, they are certainly sold here in Slovenia as well as on Feel Unique. I already put this in my November favourites, which proves how much it appealed to me. My version is the California licence and the other version is a Hawaii one.


There are four powder products inside the palette: 
• A matte bright peachy-pink blush/shadow
• A champagne highlight/shadow
• A medium matte brown eyeshadow and brow powder
• A deep reddish brown with shimmer that works as an eyeshadow and eyeliner.

It's a basic collection of shades, but definitely ones I wear a lot. These are the colours I use for a simple everyday makeup and I was using different products in bulkier packaging, however, here I have them in a small travel friendly compact, which makes it a lot easier.


The blush is one of those peachy-pink brightening shades that makes your skin look more healthy. It's matte which was a good decision considering they added a highlighter already. I own two other blushes from theBalm, Hot Mama and Frat Boy, and I have to say this isn't quite that same awesome quality, though still nice, it just takes a bit more effort to blend, otherwise it's a nicely pigmented, lovely blush. It's a bit small for proper blush brushes and I think this may be the reason why I feel it could blend a bit better. It's similar to Frat Boy, but less pink and deeper.  

TheBalms eyeshadows are amazing, probably the best I tried so far (or it's tied with Urban Decay's and L'Oreal's L'Ombre Pures) and these inside this palette are no exceptions. They are super smooth, pigmented and blend so nicely. 
The highlighter shade isn't as strong as for example their Mary-Lou, but this still packs a punch and looks super pretty both as highlighter and as eyeshadow. Compared to Stand-Offish from the Nude'Tude Palette it's a bit pinker. 
The eyeshadow/brow shade is a matte medium neutral brown and another great matte eyeshadow by theBalm. Compared to Sultry from Nude'Tude it's a bit lighter. I do wish it were a bit cooler, especially considering it's a brow product.
The last shade is the deepest  and similar to Nude'Tudes Silly, which is not the best quality and though this one also isn't as opaque as their other similar shades, it performs much better than Silly and works for deepening the outer corners.


The packaging is cardboard as most of theBalm palettes and it contains a mirror. As I said it the intro, it's designed to look like a driving licence and around the mirror there is a map design as well, which appeals the geographer side of me.


It costs about 19 € in Müller. It's not the cheapest, but it is very versatile and very travel friendly. 

Have a great day!
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Best Buys Under 5 € in 2015

December 27, 2015, 4:50 am
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At the end of each year I make an overview of all the best product that I got to try that year. I do my monthly favourites where all products are included regardless when I got them and you may have spotted a special page called All Time Favourites, which I regularly update with my absolute favourite product, but these posts are only about new discoveries of the year (links to these yearly posts are at the end of my All Time Favourites page). First up is all the goodies that fit tight budgets and despite their low cost, are truly impressive. 
I don't consider Essence being particularly good when it comes to powder products, but they totally nailed these. In the year of illuminating blushes,  Essence decided to go matte against all expectations and did very well. These are so smooth, it's almost like they are not even powder blushes because there is none of that tell-tale powdery finish on the cheeks  so it looks like your cheeks are naturally such colour and staying power is impressive as well. They only made two shades, which is a bummer, since neither of these shades are what I usually wear (I think I'll always be a Catrice I'm Nuts About You kind of girl), but they are the classic peach and pink shades that should suit so many people. 
2.79 €

We witnessed a miracle in 2015 - we can now walk into a drugstore and pick up a decent contour powder here in Slovenia. Well, at least one that fits us super pale girls. The shade of the contour powder is a nice taupe brown that manages to fake a shadow well, while the highlighter is a subtle champagne shade. I've heard very conflicting opinions about these palettes. Some absolutely hate it, however, I think they are the ones that picked shade 020, but I'm not sure if that is the case for all. I have a review that includes a look with it where you can see how well it shows up on my face, but I also use this on others when I do their makeup and it works just fine.  
4.69 €


I think I just love this mascara more and more. It gives me big lashes with a ton of volume, it doesn't smudge or flake and most importantly it keeps my lashes curled all day. I really love this mascara and just hope that Essence never discontinues it because I plan to repurchase it for eternity. 
2.99 €


Do not be turned off by the cheap looking packaging because the product inside is amazing, especially considering how much you're paying for this lipstick. These are all fully opaque creamy matte lipsticks that are not that different from Mac's Matte finish lipsticks. There is a huge variety of shades available, so they are excellent also for experimenting with colours. 
$1.49 - 2.60 €


Golden Rose products are my latest addition on this list, they don't even have their individual reviews yet, but I wanted to include them because I can already say that they are really impressive. Just like Jordana's, these are beautiful matte lipsticks with a lovely creamy formula, though these are slightly harder the first few uses. I tested them on their stall and they have a lot of wearable shades, but I only grabbed shade 12 to try which is a medium muted rose that I've been truly enjoying wearing recently. 
3.90 €

Another matte lip product by Golden Rose, but in a different form. I find these are slightly creamier than the lipstick form and they are again another great set of lip products by this brand. I only own the darkest shades in this range - 02 and 03 (05 on the pic isn't mine), but I actually noticed that a lot of the shades are the same as in the Velvet Matte range, so you can pick in which version would you prefer to have your lip colour. These are not as precise as you would expect them to be (unless you intend to sharpen them constantly), but if you prefer the pen design, you may like these more than Velvet Mattes, though both are great.
3.90 €


ESSENCE Longlasting Lipliners
Essence added another line of lip liners, this time retractable ones and with a different formula than their originals. Considering their lip products usually don't wow me, I think they did a great job. The formula is creamy, but still firm enough to be precise and thankfully isn't nearly as fragile as Catrice's retractable lip liners. These can easily be worn on their own or used for lining. I have two shades for now: the stunning cool pink-purple 03 Yummy Berry and the perfect 90's shade for me 05 Lovely Frappuccino. 
1.59 €

This was the year when I finally got to try Kiko's products and I ended up being pretty impressed with the brand on a whole. Smart Lip Pencil in Magenta is a stunning bright pink-red shade that is similar to Catrice's lipstick in MATTraction, so a type of shade  I adore. The formula reminds me of a mix between the original Essence and revamped Bourjois pencils, meaning it combines good qualities of both.
2.50 €


Told you Kiko is an impressive brand. They have a massive selection of nail polish shades and among them I found my favourite mint green shade. Obviously I have a lot of similar mint shades from before, but the reason I love this one is because it has by far the best formula of such a shade. If you ever tried Essie's Mint Green Candy (or Fiji), especially the one with the old formula and thin brush, then I'm so sorry you had to go through that, believe me I feel your pain and I can tell you that this one is miles better. It's so much smoother and needs just two coats for a nice, even finish. Jade Green is a slightly greener, more muted shade of mint green than Mint Candy Apple and I actually find it prettier. 
3.90 €

I've been wearing nail polish since I was ten, possibly even younger, yet I only got the classic red one this year. A travesty, I know. Bloody Mary to Go is a medium blue toned red that is a type of shade that everyone should own. Since Catrice finally changed the shape of their brushes, their nail polishes are so much easier to use, so they are finally worth buying.
2.59 €


Self-tanning Toner
Might not be the best idea to include this here because I'm not sure whether is a limited edition or not, though I hope they will release it again next summer and some DM's may have some of these left. Finding a good self-tanning product for the face is incredibly hard, but finding one that is also very budget friendly is impossible. At least it was until Sun Dance made this one. This might be my all-time favourite such product and I find no fault in it. It's like a regular toner that you apply with a cotton pad, it's almost immediately dry to the touch, it's not sticky and I love that its effect is gradual because that means you easily get a very even tan (before and after is in my original New In post). 
However, I have heard from a few people that this burns on their skin. My skin isn't sensitive at all and I find this toner to be very gentle, but if your skin is sensitive or you ever had some sort of a reaction to skin care, this might not work for you. 
3.49 €

If your skin is anything like mine and gets dehydrated as well as a bit drier in the colder months, this is a fantastic mask to treat these problems. It's similar to for example Origin's Drink Up intensive - in my humble opinion they work exactly the same, except that this is a lot cheaper. You apply a thick coat of it after cleansing and leave it overnight. By the morning the skin feels so much better. It also has hyaluronic acid in it, which is always a plus. 
about 3.50 €


I've tried a lot of Balea's body butters but this one is by far the best. It has the best texture so far, but it's still very thick and takes a long time to sink it, however, that makes it excellent for really dry skin. The scent of it is amazing, it's exactly like Monte dessert, so a rich chocolate hazelnut scent that just makes you want to eat it. I've seen a few of these in small DM's but I think they are slowly disappearing from the shelves.
2.99 €

The gods of irony must be laughing that one of the cheapest things on this list is actually a fragrance. Ok, it's a cologne that's actually for men, but it still counts. I discovered it whilst exploring E.Leclerc's beauty section which is a real treasure trove of products that aren't sold anywhere else in Slovenia. I always wanted a lavender fragrance and this one smells so good. It's a eau de cologne, so it won't last all day, but the bottle is truly massive, so you can completely drench yourself in it. I added a spray pump, just to make it easier to use, otherwise it's like any other men cologne just with an opening.
E.Leclerc, 1.51 € (250 ml) 


Oh eBay. Sometimes you just blow me away. These brushes are beyond amazing for the price! I only have two so far, but I'll sure be buying some more. They look expensive, though the handle is plastic, which is actually much better to me and the bristles are amazingly soft. The blush brush a classic rounded, but flat design and it's among the smaller such brushes, but I love more precise brushes for blush and it's quite soft, so well suited for very pigmented blushes. The contour blush is very dense, wide on one side and flatter on the other. It's a great brush also for foundation due to the density of the bristles and it of course works well for its original purpose, contouring, as it fits into the hollows of the cheeks perfectly.  
1.66 - £1.70


So that is my selection for best under 5 € this year. Other products will follow in the next days.
Have a great day!
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