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Catrice Illuminating Blushes

October 28, 2014, 12:02 pm
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I've sung many praises to the Catrice Defining Blushes, which are my favourite powder blushes ever, so I was pretty excited when I heard the news of Catrice adding a new line of blushes to their standard range, but this time the illuminating kind. Two shades out of three that are available are a part of my collection -  Coral Me Maybe and I'm Nuts About You.


Catrice gave these an eye-catching 3D pattern, with rhombi in two hues of the same colour. They are described as illuminating, so I expected a very luminous/shimmery finish, which honestly kind of scared me a bit, however, the illuminating finish is very, very subtle, actually pretty much almost non existent. I obviously don't mind that because I hate how shimmer always shows up under artificial light, but some might find it a bit disappointing. 

The pigmentation differs between these two shades. Coral Me Maybe is the weak link here, though I notice that now that the top layer has gone, it's performance is better. I'm Nuts about You has a wonderful pigmentation and needs little building up (I'm using quite a fluffy, soft brush at the moment for application).


I wore Coral Me Maybe on one cheek and Pink feat. Coral from the Defining Blushes range on the other to check how they compare in terms of staying power. As I've mentioned in my previous reviews,Defining blushes last an impressive amount of time on my cheeks. I find that Illuminating blushes are not as long lasting as Defining Blushes, but they still last a fair amount of time on my cheeks.

010 I'm Nuts About You

Well I sure am nuts about this shade. It's a natural, slightly pinkish warm shade. It's so strange that the colours I'd least expect, become my favourite, I suppose I should just stop with the peachy-pinks and switch to natural shades completely. You may know of my "slight obsession" with the Rose Royce shade from Defining Blushes line - this is similar. Again it looks dull in the pan, but on the cheeks, sweet mother of blushes, it's bloody amazing. Basically I've been wearing it every day, since I grabbed it at the Essence event. I actually paused in front of a mirror in H&M and gasped at how adorable my flushed cheeks looked when I was wearing it in combination with MATTraction lipstick. Do give this a swatch the next time you're near a Catrice stand.



020 Coral Me Maybe

Coral me Maybe is a classic peachy-pink shade, one of so many on the market, not to mention in my collection, yet I think this is the shade that most would pick up first from the stand. I've had it for weeks now (I picked it up the moment these reached our drugstores) and from the start it had an unflattering yellowish sheen that clashed with my skin tone, but once the top layer was gone, the sheen disappeared. Perhaps it was just an over-spray. Now it's an adorable shade that gives that baby doll cheeks effect, but it's still a more muted version of the brighter Pink feat. Coral from the Defining Blush range. When I swatched this in the shop it appeared that it has the weakest pigmentation of the three shades available, however, it still shows up well on my cheeks (but, I'm super pale). 


These cost 5.29 € and I believe they can only be found on the 2 m long Catrice stands, though I could be mistaken.

My choice is definitely I'm Nuts About You - I utterly adore it. Coral Me Maybe is cute, but maybe a bit too generic for my taste, which begs the question why I picked it up first. However, if you don't have a peachy-pink shade in your collection, it's worth picking up, though I think that Pink feat.Coral from Defining Blushes is better and almost 2 € cheaper. These aren't better than Defining Blushes in any respect, even the finish is similar despite the illuminating label, but they are great drugstore blushes nonetheless.  

Have a great day!
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October Favourites

October 30, 2014, 12:32 pm
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I've praised this gorgeous plum-bordeaux shade enough already this month and it certainly deserves its spot in the favourites. It the perfect vampy shade for autumn and has an amazing quality formula. Just a classic win-win case.


I just raved about this shade in my most recent post, but the rave won't stop there. This is one of the most beautiful shades I own, which is saying something, since I don't have the most modest collection of blushes. There's something about this natural shade that just compliments my pale neutral skin tone so well. It's not a classic blush colour, actually it's an interesting shade that kind of looks like someone mixed a red-toned bronzer with a warm pink blush and the illuminating effect isn't impressive at all, but I don't mind that at all, since I feel insure about shimmer on my cheeks. Basically, it's just a perfect every day, goes-with-everything blush.


I never expected I'd like an Essence eyeliner, since my previous experience with them left me very underwhelmed. However, they somehow managed to do an excellent shade that is neutral, yet has just enough of the pink hue in it too be delicately brightening. I put this in the waterline as well as in the inner corners of the eyes every day to make the eyes appear more awake. Staying power pleasantly surprised me as well, since it is still some in my waterline after five hours, which for an eyeliner is like forever. It's a very soft pencil and transfers very well on the waterline, one swipe is enough. Perhaps I my only little complaint would be that I'd prefer it if it were a thin version instead of the jumbo, so I wouldn't colour my lashes as well when applying it on the waterline, but I suppose they wanted a product that could also be used as a brow highlighter.

What more can I say about this liner that wasn't covered in the last few posts. I love the formula, applicator, ease of application, lasting power - basically everything. It's an amazing liner, though the price is admittedly not the cheapest. I shall see in the long run how it fares in terms of drying out in comparison to the a bit cheaper L'Oreal's Perfect Slim, but so far I am loving it.


It looks like a classic red in the tube, but it's such a lovely surprise on the lips - it's actually a warm deep pink-red, just check the swatches in my review. I wholeheartedly adore the colour, it's exactly the type of shade that I identify most as being my colour. The pigmentation, staying power and finish is great as well. Fabulous drugstore lipstick.


I still wore Rimmel's 107 this month, but more often I reached for this purely because it's very simple to apply it as a stain as well as it doesn't need a lip liner due to a precise applicator. Eclipse is a deep red shade (or oxblood or bordeoux, however you want to call it) that is a bit darker than 107 and it has greyish undertone plus a glossy finish, but I really like how much easier it is too apply.

Oh, the luxury. If I start with the obvious - the packaging is drop dead gorgeous, however, the product inside matches what's outside. If I just call it what it is without unnecessary embellishments - it's a very pigmented lip gloss, so it's not like Apocalips, which is an actual liquid lipstick. The colour is a very wearable coral-pink with a very glossy finish that I'd call a classic spring/summer shade, but I just felt like wearing such a colour in the gloomy autumn as well.


The combination of these two is out of this world - quite literally because it makes an awesome space/galaxy/night sky effect. Black is Back is just a simple black nail polish, but of a very nice quality, however Icy Fairy is the real star here. It doesn't look like much in the bottle, in fact, you'd probably miss it a million times among their vast collection of (effect) nail polishes, but on the nails it just shines. It actually has a duo chrome blue-purple base that turns the black nail polish into a navy blue. There are also different sizes of glitter or maybe I should call them flakes and shimmer, that give a starry sky effect. My pictures don't quite give it justice, but here is one nonetheless (check Essence's one for an even more accurate representation).


Have a great day!
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Kardashian Beauty Nail Polish Perfection

November 2, 2014, 1:50 am
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Perfection is a classic apricot colour, basically a pastel-ish orange shade that has the tinniest hint of pink tones in it. My cousin feel in love with it in an instant and so I gave it to her to try it out first on her artificial nails by Kiss (she really liked the finished look). Almost all such shades look very orange on me with no pink tones, but I think it'd be a great colour for summer or if you're tan, as that pinkness should be more prominent.


The formula is a creamy pastel type, meaning it needs two coats to even it out due to the thickness, even though it has a very pigmented formula. It's actually quite a simple formula to work with, especially for a cream finish nail polish and you get nice results with it. The brush is a standard one and works great. Regarding staying power, I notice no difference between other nail polishes, meaning it's great on my nails, but I don't know how it would perform on someone who has issues with making their nail polish last.


Perfection je klasičen mareličen odtenek oziroma kar pastelno oranžen z malenkost roza pridiha. Takšni odtenki ob moji bledi polti izgledajo čisto oranžno, ampak na temnejši in bolj zagoreli polti bo ta roza podton bolj očiten, zato je ta lak super predvsem za poletne mesece. 

Ima tipično bolj gosto formulo pastelnih lakov, kar pomeni, da je zelo pigmentiran, ampak potrebuje dva sloja, da se zagotovi enakomeren nanos. Pravzaprav je za pastelno-kremni odtenek precej enostaven za uporabo in ga ni težko lepo nanesti. Čopič je standarni ozki in deluje dobro. Glede obstojnosti ne opazim razlike med ostalimi laki, ki jih imam. Na meni pač vsak lak zdrži zelo dolgo, kako pa bi se ta obnesel na nekomu, ki ima večne težave z obstojnostjo pa ne morem oceniti. 


Kardashian nail polishes can be bought on Feel Unique for 11.64 €, but due to shipping restrictions if you're not from the GB, check elsewhere.

Lake Kardashian Beauty lahko dobite na Click2Chic za 9,96 €. Odtenek Perfection je tukaj. 


*The nail polish was gifted to me by Click2Chic. / Lak mi je bil podarjen.
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Maybelline Color Tatoo 24HR 35 On and one Bronze

November 3, 2014, 8:51 am
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Color Tattoos were a big deal a couple of years ago. There was certainly a lot of hype surrounding them, however, I feel that people have mostly forgotten about these fab drugstore gems or at least don't talk much about them any more. I'm a huge fan of the shade called Permanent Taupe, a classic taupe shade, and I like the formula of these as well, so getting another shade was merely a matter of time.


On and on Bronze is, unlike Permanent Taupe, a shimmery - metallic shade and as the name suggests, it's a warm bronze-brown shade. I love wearing this on the lid with a bit of a dark brown eyeshadow in the crease to add definition (I'm wearing it in combination Catrice's Absolute Matt Palette on the picture). It's has a nice metallic finish if you apply it generously, but it's still a classic neutral shade that is very every day appropriate.  


This shade works excellent as a base, even better than on it's own and it intensifies the colours as well as gives them a hint more warmth, while prolonging the staying power (I'm wearing it with a combination of UD's YDK over it and Mac's Mulch in the outer corner).


It's quite a pigmented shade and transfers nicely on the lids as well as it applies smoothly without any dragging. It blends well (I use fingers), the formula is light and it doesn't crease on me, at least for the first several hours.


I notice the price went up in the past two years. Before they were 4.95€, now the are 5.59 € in Műller. Still, these are a great drugstore buy and On and On Bronze is a lovely neutral, everyday shade.

Have a great day!
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Kardashian Beauty Whip Lash Mascara

November 4, 2014, 9:07 am
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I didn't expect much from this mascara. For one the packaging looks ridiculously cheap and the wand looks like Great Lash is having a comeback, not to mention it's a regular formula, which right off the bat means my lashes will drop in a microsecond. But I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's not fantastic, but it is very decent.


Packaging and wand: The packaging feels so cheaply made. It's not just the plastic, the label looks wonky as well. The brush is very 90's - a classic wire brush, but with bristles that vary in length. In practice it turns out that the different bristles actually come handy, with the shorter side giving definition and the longer length and volume due to having more formula to deposit on the lashes.

Effect: The whole idea of this mascara is that you can gradually apply it to get the desired effect, so natural or glamorous lashes. You can get natural look if you apply a light layer, but built-up it never quite achieves the Hypnôse level. It gives a bit of length and some volume, basically it's a nice everyday mascara, but for something more you'll have to turn to something else. It defines more than I expected from the brush, but as you can see from the picture, it can get a touch clumpy if you're not careful, especially when it's new. It's definitely more volumising that the last mascara I reviewed, Bourjois Volume 1 Second, but less than Essence Lash Princess. I notice that unlike all regular mascaras, with this my lashes don't drop immediately after application, the curl does hold for a while, but then as always my lashes drop. I think that if you don't have such stubborn lashes as me, but still need something that would hold curl a bit better than most regular mascaras, this might just work for you.


It claims that regular use will make your lashes look longer, thicker and blacker. I've been using it for about two months and I noticed no such changes. For me it's not surprise that it doesn't do what it claims and I'm not disappointed as my lashes are in pretty good condition anyway, but all those who may buy the mascara purely for the claims, I'll just tell you that there is only as much a mascara for 15 € can do.


Staying power: I noticed no smudging, neither on the lids not under the eyes. It doesn't crumble and fall down on the cheeks. For the price that's what I'd expect. 

Price and availability: It costs 15 €, which is a lot for a mascara, though as you know I pay more for my waterproof Hypnôse, but that one does everything I need and expect from it. 


The packaging is a joke at this mascara, just look at L'Oreal or Bourjois for such a price, however, the product inside is nice, so they are forgiven to a certain degree. It's a nice lengthening and volumising mascara, it needs a bit more caution if you want defined lashes and it holds the curl a bit longer than regular mascaras. In general I can say that I expected a lot less from this mascara and I was quite pleasantly surprised. It's not amazing, but it is good. 

Have a great day!

Izdelke Kardashian Beauty lahko najdete na Click2Chic.

*The mascara was gifted to me by Click2Chic.
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Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique + a GIVEAWAY

November 6, 2014, 12:28 am
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You may know that I'm a huge fan of Kérastase, especially of their Nutritive line which just suits my dry, coarse hair like nothing I've ever tried. Their products make my hair look and feel almost like from an ad, which I never though was even possible, but due to a high price tag, I tend to use these products mostly only on special occasions, when I need my hair to look its best, especially the Masquitense hair treatment, which is just beyond brilliant. I do, however, use Nectar Thermique regularly, since heat protection is something I take very seriously because I need a good blow-out to make my hair feel less coarse and dry-looking (I know it's quite the opposite for most people, but not when it comes to my hair). I've been using the old version of Nectar Thermique for about a year now and it's recently been updated, both formula-wise and the packaging. There wasn't much to improve from the original in my opinion, but they did manage to do some nice changes nonetheless.


As far as effect on the hair and results go, it is still the same Nectar Thermique, however, the texture of the product is a touch lighter and, what I find a huge improvement, it now comes in a squeeze tube. I still have a bit left in my previous bottle version and it's hard to get the product out now, due to the hard plastic (I admit, I'm a helpless little girl when it comes to hard plastic, especially Lush's bottles - the bane of my existence). It's a heat protection as well as a leave-in conditioner in one, designed for dry hair. It's a light cream, truly nothing too heavy, in fact I find it hard to overdo on my hair, but others whose hair aren't so dry might find it heavy if used too much. It's easy to apply it evenly on the hair and even a small amount can be distributed nicely. I use this before blow-drying the hair and it makes it feel more silky and look more shiny, however, not much less frizzy(I have Sexy Healthy Hair Leave-in conditioner for that. The combination of the two is amazing and of Potion 9). But what really makes me adore this product is how my hair looks and behaves in the following days. When I use this, I have, for example, a great fourth day hair. It just looks so healthy and shiny for days after washing, any tangles are easy to brush out and my curls look so polished for a long time. 


The scent is kind of a classic creamy one, similar to all those universal creams like Nivea. I like it.

The ingredients have been changed a bit from the original, but it's not a massive change and they certainly didn't ruin the product like so many companies do when they revamp their most popular stuff. You can see the new ingredients here and the old ones here.


I've said in my original review that if you have dry hair and you just want to try something from Kérastase for the first time or you can only afford one thing, I'd pick this in a heartbeat, especially if you use heat to style your hair. It is one of my favourite ever hair products, also featured on my All-time Favourites page and obviously, I would have repurchased it if L'Oreal Slovenia hadn't send me the new version to try, since my old one is running out.

Kérastase can be bought in hair salons or online (V Sloveniji vem, da imajo izdelke v frizerskih salonih Simple. So postavljeni v izložbi). The price of Nectar Thermique is set at about the 20 € mark, but it depends where you buy it. One bottle 150 ml lasted me a year and I have lower-back-length hair that I wash every 4-5 days. 

 Giveaway

I have another heat protecting milk to give away, which was generously provided by L'Oreal Slovenia (thank you again) and it is from the Discipline range designed for unruly hair called Keratine Thermique Smoothing Taming Milk. I must admit, I was terribly tempted to keep this one and give away Nectar Thermique, but I know most of you don't have dry hair like me and Keratine Thermique should fit a much wider range of hair types (fine, normal and thick). Keratine Thermiqueis designed to help fight frizz, especially one occurring due to humidity, as is the entire Discipline line of which I've spoken in one of my wishlist post, since I'm dying to get my hand on the entire line. It also contains keratin, which will make the hair stronger.

The same rules apply as in my previous giveaway. It's international, it will last one week (ends 13. November 2014 at 00:00/12:00 A.M. CEST) and one winner will be chosen. After the winner is drawn, I will contact them through the e-mail address that they are signed up with on Rafflecopter (check out which it is. I hit a bit of a snag with my last winner, but it all turned out ok). If the winner doesn't respond in two days, a new winner will be chosen. Also those who are under 18, please ask your parents or guardians for permission.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!


And just for the kicks, my growing Kérastase collection. I'm not even sorry. Most of the products were already reviewed, just search the Kérastase label or my directory.

*Both products were sent to me. Thanks to L'Oreal Slovenia for their generosity. 
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Forever Repurchased #4

November 8, 2014, 6:42 am
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This is a very old favourite of mine. Actually I've repurchased it numerous times and there have been rare occasions that this wasn't in my conditioner stash. Currently, I have the 500 ml salon size with a pump that is super handy. It feels quite light, which is the total opposite of how I typically like my conditioners, however, despite that it is moisturising enough for my dry hair. There are two areas that this excels at -  shine and scent. It gives by far the best shine out drugstore conditioners I've tried, but keep in mind that this line was designed for brown hair and my hair is dark brown. The scent is divine, like a mix of coconut and caramel, but not sweet rather a bit more sophisticated blend. This is the only conditioner/mask after which my hair smells nice for days as normally my hair never retains the scent of the conditioner or shampoo I use for more than a few hours.


I've been using many other cleansers for the past few months and I haven't come round to repurchasing this just yet as I need to use up most of the stuff I have, but I must say that I miss this cleanser so much. This was the best cleanser I've ever used, I bought two in a row, which is very uncommon for me when it comes to cleansers, but that's what happens when you find the one. Unfortunately, it is not a budget cleanser, so I searched the drugstore ranks to find something similar and nothing comes close. My skin felt so good when I was using this and it looked its best. It's a balm cleanser which just feels so luxurious on the skin, though this one has small oatmeal scrub particles in it that provide a very gentle exfoliation. 


A standard in my bathroom. It's cheap, comes in many scents (though they are mostly limited editions) and the formula is superb. Basically, it's a gel that transforms into a thick foam that really sticks on the skin and provides enough slip to allow for a comfortable shave. Great stuff for the price . 


Ok, I know it's the Star version on the picture, but it doesn't matter because I'm referring to the Hypnose formula rather than different brushes. This is one of the rare formulas (one of two actually) that is capable of keeping my annoyingly stubborn eyelashes curled all day. It's also volumising and lengthening, so my lashes look so good with this. It's expensive, but well worth it if you have the same issues with keeping the lashes curled as me. 

Have a great day!
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My Ideal Palette Tag

November 9, 2014, 5:50 am
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I was tagged to do this post ages ago by Taya and I actually had the pictures ready for months as well. Now I'm actually thinking I may have done this tag too fast because I just got the Urban Decay's Naked2 Basics palette and Catrice's Absolute Matt palette, which I both use daily and love to bits. But then my choice of eyeshadows would be even harder, so let's just keep the original selection and I'll talk about those two awesome palettes at a later date.


This tag was created by a Youtuber Carah Amelie, here is the link to her video. The rules are simple, the choices are hard, but your ideal palette should contain 10 eyeshadows combining 2 highlighting shades, 2 lid colours, 2 crease colours, 2 outer V shades and 2 extra colours. The last detail is that you describe your ideal packaging.

I'm still very much a newbie when it comes to this eyeshadow business and I'm a matte eyeshadow girl through and through, but still my choices were not that easy. Here they are.


Highlight Colour: URBAN DECAY W.O.S.
from the Naked Basics Palette
A matte pink-toned skin colour base colour. I don't actually use a highlighting shade under the brow due to my hooded eye shape, as it emphasizes the hooded part of the lid, but I do use this shade as a base all over the lid and as a blending-out colour. This shade fits my undertone a bit better than Foxy from the same palette, though they are very similar on the skin.

 Highlight Colour: URBAN DECAY Sin 
from the Naked Palette
A shimmery light rose-pink toned highlighting shade. Though I don't use a highlighter under the brow, I do use it sometimes in the inner corner and I find this shade the best for the job. I also love this shade all over the lid paired with a matte taupe-brown in the crease.

Lid Colour: MAC Satin Taupe
frost
A taupe-brown with a purple hue and a satin finish. This is such a classic eyeshadow and one of the most popular MAC colours. It works so well with my eye colour. It's nice for an everyday look or a smoky eye, it just depends on with what you pair it.  


Lid Colour: URBAN DECAY Smog
from the Naked Palette
A bronze-brown with gold shimmer. This is a fantastic colour for a bronze smoky eye and again it's a colour that emphasizes my eye colour. I don't usually wear strong eye looks because due to my hooded shape they don't really come to focus, but when I do wear it, I use this on the lid with a darker shade in the outer V. I also love this shade on the lower lash line paired with a classic neutral taupe look that I do everyday, to add a bit of a twist to the makeup.

A classic matte taupe. This is my favourite eyeshadow ever and by far the best performing matte ever. I adore the colour, the texture, staying power - everything. I tend to wear it in the crease.

Crease Colour: MAC Wedge
matte
A matte medium neutral brown shade. It's a classic crease shade and a transition colour.The texture is hard, especially compared to Urban Decay's, L'Oreal's or Catrice's , but I love it for the colour. This is perfect for contouring as well.


Outer Corner Shadow: URBAN DECAY Faint
From the Naked Basics Palette
A deep cool toned brown. I adore this for the outer corner. It adds just the right amount of depth and definition. 

Outer Corner Shadow: MAC Mulch
velvet
A red-brown with bronze pearl. I struggled which shade to put here and I didn't pick my favourite because I believe it's discontinued or at least hard to track down. I'm talking about L'Oreal's Infallible eyeshadow in Endless Chocolat. Mulch is similar, but a bit lighter and not as pigmented. Most companies have a deep chocolate shade with gold shimmer, Catrice's Liquid Metal in 090 Nougat It Right comes to mind as the most affordable and of great quality. 



A very shimmery soft golden taupe. I used to wear this all the time as it's such a quick eyeshadow do use - just apply with fingers and blend a bit with a fluffy brush. It has a very shimmery, almost liquid metal finish, so it's nice for special occasions.


Bonus Shadow: MAC Patina
frost
A light antiqued gold with gold shimmer. This is without a doubt one of the most unique eyeshadows I've ever seen. I've never ever heard of a dupe for it. It doesn't look like much in the pan, but on the eyes it's a stunner. Again, it brings out the blue in my eyes. My only little complaint is that I wish it'd be more pigmented as it needs to be build up for intensity even on my super pale complexion. 



Palette Packaging
I like things small and compact, so something like Naked Basics palette is superb, but an even more appealing packaging to me would be that of a Smashbox Full Exposure Mini, which fits into the palm of the hand. The colour would, of course, be mint green and I'd also like a decent mirror.

So that would be my ideal palette, however, I could easily just pick these three palettes in the last picture and have everything I need. Both Naked Basics palettes and Catrice's Absolute Matt are palettes I use on a daily basis, plus that L'Oreal Breaking Nude eyeshadow, of course. They contain all the taupe-neutral colours I'll ever need and the quality of the matte eyeshadows is brilliant.


I'm not going to tag anyone specific because it's an old tag and I don't know who's done it already, but feel free do to it if you like it.

Have a great day!
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New In #24

November 10, 2014, 9:38 am
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RIMMEL Lasting Finish Nude Foundation 
010 Light Porcelain
You wouldn't believe how much I'm struggling with this foundation. I bought it because I ran out of Match Perfection in the same shade, which is one of the lightest colours I ever found, but I disliked the formula, so I mostly used it for mixing with other foundations to make them lighter. I hoped the new Lasting Finish Nude foundation has a more tolerable formula, so I could just use it on its own, but I just can't get this to work for me 90% of the time. Figuring out a method of application that would make this look decent on the skin is more difficult than defusing a bomb. On the first day I applied it with a Real Techniques Expert Brush and then went out - I actually had my cousins say that my foundation looks so weird, like I have a band-aid on my nose. Literally my nose looked all patchy with redness shining through and it looks normal without foundation. I find that out of my brushes only E.l.f. Powder Brush works with this and I can use just a small amount of foundation, which means I can only get a light-medium coverage, instead of medium-full, which it's fully capable to do. God forbid you put powder on this, it will look intolerably cakey and it will ruin your day. I had to take the entire makeup off one time in the middle of the day, good thing I carry makeup wipes with me. I'm currently on the-mixing-it-with-different-foundations stage of testing. 
I just don't get along with Rimmel foundations. They feel a bit gross on the skin and look so obvious, but I just adore the their 010 Light Porcelain shade because it's such a great match for me. I will try working with this foundation further and do a review.
Feel Unique, €10.39

URBAN DECAY Naked2 Basics Palette
It had to happen. I'm a huge fan of the original Basics palette and I use it almost every day as it's just the perfect palette for me. I squealed like a little girl on helium when I first saw the press release for the Naked2 Basics and it instantly went on my wishlist. I patiently waited for a discount and then placed an order for this pretty palette. I love it. Simple as that. I love all the colours, they combine so well, the quality is again amazing. So happy I got this. I was thinking of doing a little comparison with the Catrice Absolute Matt palette.
Feel Unique, €28.60


CATRICE Longlasting Lip Liner 
040 ...And the Cherry on the Top and 150 Vintage Rose
I had a sudden urge a few weeks ago that I "desperately" need lip liners, since I had only a few and even those I disliked apart from the Bourjois one. I asked on Instagram which lip liners you recommend and Catrice was by far the most recommended brand, so I grabbed four in the shop literally three hours after posting that picture. I took two classic liners that need to be sharpened - a dark red one and a nude one. They are harder than Essence's, something I like, but not as hard as Bourjois', which means staying power isn't impressive, especially of the lighter shade. Swatches and pictures have already been taken, so expect a post about these shortly.
Müller, 2.29 €

CATRICE Ultimate Stay Lip Liner 
040 Love the Way you Plum and 080 Mauve Me, Tender
I grabbed Love the Way you Plum based on Taya's recommendation as I needed a better match for my Rimmel's 107 lipstick and Apocalips in Eclipse than Rimmel's Black Tulip. It's perfect. It matches both beautifully, so I'm very happy I got it. I got the other one Mauve Me, Tender because I wanted to try a bit of a darker version of the 90's trend, but without going brown (which is so not my colour), but this is just too purple on me. You'll see in the review how it looks on me, but I'm not a fan. These are twist up pencils, however, the quality of the packaging is shoddy at best and these break off ridiculous easy.  
Müller, 2.49 €


CATRICE Absolute Eye Colour Mono 
790 I Wear My Plum Glasses At Night
One of the new shades for autumn I believe. I'm a fan of Catrice's matte eyeshadows and I fell in love with the shade, so I had to get it. It's a taupe with strong purple tones - basically a plum tonedStarlight Expresso (also by Catrice).
Müller, 2.89 €

CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm
 I was send a very generous sample of the famous Beauty Flash Balm (remember when Lisa Eldridge started the hype? I've been itching to try it since) along with some other samples, which I'll discuss latter. It's a primer and you have to be very careful to really apply the smallest amount as a tiny dot can be distributed on a large area. It's not particularly silicone-y and it reminds me a bit of the Max Factor Stay All Day primer, but it's more moisturising and more spreadable, so essentially you get to use a lot less product. I'll do a review. 
Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique

CLARINS Gloss Prodige 
03 Rose 
Why is this shade named Rose? I don't get it. Anyway, I was sent this as well, you might surmise that, since it's not the colour I'd pick from the counter, at least not any more. It's not as nude as it looks and the coverage is more on the sheer side, however, the formula is excellent. In fact, it reminds me a lot of their Instant Lip Perfector in a sense, that it's again that buttery, very comfortable formula to wear, but it is a thick gloss. It smells fantastic, like candy (Kiki soft candy). 
Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique.


THE BODY SHOP Vineyard Peach Body Mist
Finally! *angels singing* I have been lemming this body mist for ages. I even went to Celovec/Klagenfurt primarily to track this down and received a shock when I was told it was out of stock due to popularity. I finally found a seller on eBay that was willing to send this overseas, but I did pay a lot for shipping, though still it's less than for petrol to Celovec or Gradec again. I'm a massive fan of the Vineyard Peach collection and I utterly, utterly adore the scent. I have the corresponding body butter and scrub as well, so I am one happy bunny right now.
eBay, 8 € (without shipping).


KÉRASTASE Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant Anti-Dandruff Moisturising Shampoo
If you don't know yet, I've been suffering from dry itchy scalp and dandruff since I was 11 and nothing ever helped, while my dermatologist refuses to prescribe me anything. Anyway, this is the latest shampoo I'm trying out. Kérastase in my favourite brand, so even if this doesn't help with my dandruff, at least I have a great shampoo. This is one of those exfoliating shampoos that has beads in it and it should help removing that coat of dead skin on the scalp (sounds delightful right? Welcome to my life). I've only used it a few times, but I think that the applicator is simply genius because I can get the shampoo directly to the scalp and the exfoliating beads actually reach my scalp. It smells nice as well.
Feel Unique, €17.68

KÉRASTASE Nutritive Nectar Thermique
My HG heat protection for my dry hair. I reviewed this a few days ago, click here for review with a giveaway  - the prize is another heat protectant Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique Creme.
About 20 € (depends where you buy it), available in some salons and online shops.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer
Too many people raved about this and I can't resist a new hair product, especially an all-in-one heat protection. Based on the name, I expected something like Orofluido Sahara, but this is closer to a very light lotion. Honestly, I'm a bit underwhelmed. It may be that I'm too spoiled by Kérastase, but for the Bumble and Bumble price, I pretty much expect the same type of miracle product. It's a nice heat protection that much is certain. It's easy to apply because of the spray and can be used on damp or dry hair (I advise moderation on dry hair), however, it doesn't control frizz well (I tested it on me and on someone else), it doesn't hydrate the hair as well asSexy Healthy Hair leave-in or Kérastase Nectar Thermique, though it is moisturising and it smells very blah, like a classic soap scent mixed with porcini mushrooms (SLO jurčki)and cream. I have been using it a lot though because it's a fast way to apply heat protection, but it does make the hair feel wet, unlike the Tigi S Factor one. I need more time before I say my final verdict, but it should pop up in a post one day. By the way, I used it here.
Look Fantastic, €24.70

PALMER'S Coconut Oil Formula Strong Roots Spray
Sunday Girl recommends this for soothing an itchy scalp and though I have my Alpencin Forte to help me with that, I wanted to try something else, since Alpencin smells like herbal schnapps and is hard to get now. Palmer's also hydrates the scalp, which is something I need, since my scalp is very dry. However, when it comes to alleviating itchiness, it's not nearly as effective as Alpencin. It smells a lot nicer, like coconut with mint and the application method is a lot better, still it's not as effective and it can make my hair greasy, which if you know how dry may hair is, is not something I'm used to at all. However, I haven't used it on damp hair yet, just on dry. I'll keep using it and report in time if I have more to say. 
Feel Unique, €4.93


REFAN N.135 imitation of Lancôme Pôeme
Oh, the smell of the 90's. This was my mother's fragrance for a certain period. It's a difficult fragrance to describe, since like all the "before 2000's fragrances", it has a ton of notes, so it's not like now when you can clearly smell a certain note due to there being so few. It's a strong and warm scent, but it's nothing like cookie vanilla celebrity scents, though it does have vanilla in it, rather it's more of a balsamic, floral and even a bit green scent. Basically, it smells very expensive and classy. In fact, it's similar to Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli, but the latter smells more modern and better in my opinion.     
15 ml  5.80 €

NIVEA Powder Touch Anti-Perspirant 
I screwed up. I planned to repurchase the pink version called Pearl & Beauty, which is wonderful - it smells lovely, actually works for a spray deodorant (I layer it over my trusted Rexona) and leaves little white marks despite having powder in it. However, they didn't have it in the supermarket, so I picked up Powder Touch instead, thinking surely it's just as good. It's just horrible when it comes to white marks! This actually sprays white powder and my armpits are like covered with flour. Holy smokes! It also doesn't smell the best. I mean it's ok, but Pearl & Beauty smells a lot better. Oh, what am I going to do with it…
Interspar, 2.99 €


ECOTOOLS Bamboo Tapered Blush Brush
Since my Bobbi Brown Blush Brush and Art Deco Blush brush are both ancient, I thought it was high time to get something new, but still on the budget. I have several Ecotools brushes and I think they are excellent, plus their blush brush has an excellent rating on Makeup Alley, so this is the one I've chosen. I am very happy with this brush. It's super soft, softer even that Real Techniques brushes, which I thought was impossible. It is tapered and flatter on one side, but most importantly it's not too big for me, which I'm frequently concerned about when buying brushes. It picks up the blush well and applies it nicely on the cheeks. I really like it.

iHerb, $6.99


TWEEZERMAN Mini Slanted Tweezers
Green Tea
I have been searching for a pair of super precise tweezers that would grip even the tinniest hair and pluck it out. Tweezerman's are a cult favourite and the minis are very small, so I expected great precision. The are quite precise, though not amazingly so, however because they are very, very sharp, they cut through about half of the hair instead of pulling them out. I'm not terribly pleased, but as far as precision goes they are the best I've tried so far and way superior to the clumsy Ebeline version. These come with a plastic holding tube.

Look Fantastic, €16.25



JESSUP 5 pc Eye Makeup Brushes
I was really curious what these will be like. I'm not going to say that I didn't expect much for the price as I have very cheap brushes that are so good and I've been using them for years. These feel very well made. 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 don't know how to use it yet.


One is a classic dome brush, though to 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 kind of changed my world a bit as they make it so easy and flawless. 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, very happy with these.

eBay, 4.75 € 


ECOTOOLS Six Piece Essential Eye Set
I got this as a birthday gift for my cousin, but I'm posting a quick picture here nonetheless. The handles are short and based on a quick unpacking we did in the restaurant, they looked really nice, dense and soft - basically classic great quality Ecotools brushes. There is a
large eye brush for applying a base shadow over the lid, an angled crease brush for definition to the outer corner, a blending brush, a highlighting brush and a smudge brush.
iHerb, $7.99

CLARINS Samples
As I said before I got several generous samples of Clarins skincare and I'll planning on doing an empties type of post soon where I'll talk about the products. So far I am in love with the Instant Eye Make-Up Remover - brilliant stuff.

Fragrance Samples
I received a slew of fragrance samples, which I so chuffed about because I adore fragrances. I'm planning a sort of a Christmas guide on fragrances maybe later in the month or in December, though I can post it sooner if you wish. I'm loving several scents - Reveal, Sheer Beauty and Forbidden Euphoria all by Calvin Klein as well as Just Cavalli.

I also ordered NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Copenhagen over a month ago and the package hasn't arrived. There is quite a bit of angry emotions brewing under my, in general, cool exterior. I hate dealing with all the back and forth messaging on eBay, but it happens way too often. Too many parcels just get lost. I really wanted that lip cream. At least I got a refund.

Have a great day!
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The Winner of Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique is...

November 12, 2014, 4:20 pm
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to Gab J.! I will contact the winner through the e-mail she's registered with on Rafflecopter, so she can give me your information on where to send the prize (please check your Hotmail, Gab). If she doesn't respond in two days, a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who participated. I wish I could give you all the prize.

Have a great day!
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Catrice Lip Liners

November 13, 2014, 9:19 am
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I may have a substantial lipstick collection, though as far as I'm concerned that is still up for a debate, but when it comes to lip liners, up until recently I only owned a couple of Essence ones that I dislike, a Rimmel one, which I also dislike and a Bourjois one, which is great. I few weeks ago, I had a sudden urge to upgrade my lip liner collection and since Catrice was by far the most recommended brand when I asked on Instagram, I grabbed four in the shop, two of each versions that Catrice sells and later grabbed another one at the Cosnova event. Queue a very picture heavy post featuring a lot of swatches, pictures of my lips and my boring mug. I promise you will get so tired of my face at the end of this post, I sure am after preparing for this post (I hate taking selfies). 


Longlasting Lip Pencils

Longlasting Lip Pencils are classic liners that need to be sharpened. These are much harder pencils than Essence's and are closer to Bourjois' formula, but not quite as dry. Personally, I prefer harder liners as they allow a very defined line, and don't wipe off so easy, but a more dry texture is, of course, not as comfortable to wear. These are still creamy enough to transfer easily on the lips and can easily be used all over as a lip colour, however, it also means that they need to sharpened very regularly. Since the formula is between soft and hard, it means that though they don't smear or at least wipe off as easily as Essences, they still don't last amazingly well on its own on the lips, especially the light colours, but in combination with a good lip colour they should. These cost 2.29 €, which is a bargain and I do recommend these.

040 ...And The Cherry On The Top

This is the best one in terms of quality in the bunch. The formula is smooth and applies nicely without dragging on the lips, but it's not so creamy that it would smear everywhere like Essence liners. ...And The Cherry On The Top is s deep red with a touch of a pink hue and it's the most useful colour I picked up because it goes well with a lot of lip colours I own. 


070 I Got You Babel

This is the one I grabbed at the Cosnova event. I cannot believe I missed this the first time I went to pick up liners. It is so pretty. My absolute favourite one to wear on its own. In fact, I have been wearing it for the past couple of weeks as a simple, everyday lip colour. It's a nude-pink-peachy colour that is close to my natural lip colour, but a touch darker, warmer and peachier. Truly such a flattering colour because it gives my lips definition as well as a natural hint of a warm colour. The texture is on the hard side, but I still wear it on its own, despite that it is dry. 
Love this.


  150 Vintage Rose

Vintage rose is an almost exactly the same colour as my natural lips making it perfect especially for defining my natural lips or cheating the lip line, which I have none as my lip colour just slowly transitions into my the skin tone (I literally have no idea where my lips "end"). It's a soft natural nude-pink and the same shade as the discontinued Soft Rose lip liner by Essence. The texture is hard, especially compared to the Essence lip liners, so I wouldn't wear this as a stand alone product on the lips because it will emphasize imperfections.



Ultimate Stay Lip Liners 
These are twist-up pencils meaning they needn't be sharpened, however, this also means that the tip will always be more on the blunt side than of those that can be sharpened. The twist-up mechanism works fine on my two liners and it gets the product out as well as back in the tube. But there is an issue with these liners - they are ridiculously fragile. I have to be very careful that I don't twist up too much before applying it on the lips as the product just breaks off in that case. In terms of staying power, I must admit I haven't paid much attention whether these are any better than Longlasting Pencils. To me these seem quite similar, perhaps a bit thicker when it comes to texture. Again as the Longlasting Pencils these are more on the hard side, but they still transfer well.  These cost 2.49 €, which is again very inexpensive.
Edit: I just discovered these have a pencil sharpener on the other side. You just have to pull it out. Unfortunately, I find it useless because due to the fragile nature of the product, the tip just breaks off and lodges in the sharpener. 

040 Love The Way You Plum

Love The Way You Plum is a deep plum shade and I love how this shade looks on me, though I thought it looked more burgundy in the shop, but no matter. I saw this shade in a post Taya made and I got it despite the warnings that it's very fragile. It's a very good match for Rimmel's 107 lipstick, which leans more to purple on me than on most, so I'm very happy I finally found a matching lip liner. While it can be worn on it's on as a lip colour, I wouldn't because it doesn't look completely even when applied all over and it's sticky when it's on the lips.



 080 Mauve Me, Tender 

I openly admit, it was a mistake for me to buy it. I bought this shade purely for the 90's trend and it's not working for me at all. It's a mauve-medium purple shade that is just too cool and grey toned for my skin tone, I'm just not pulling it off. There is a high possibility that this should look a lot more wearable on someone darker than me. 


 ESSENCE Lipliner 
14 Femme Fatale

I got this shade at the Cosnova event and I'm just sticking it here with the rest of the liners because it's convenient. I've said before that I'm not a fan of Essence liners because I find them too creamy, smudgy and lacking staying power. However, I am aware that most people love a creamier formula instead of a hard pencil as me, so to each their own. Femme Fatale is a warm bright red and to me the super smooth and creamy formula resembles much more to a lipstick than a lip liner. My problem with it is than I can't get such a crisp line than with a Catrice liner, but you get a very pigmented, non-drying  lip colour for 1.19 €.


Any recommendations for nice lip liners? I'll probably get a few new ones from Bourjois.

Have a great day!
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Catrice Velvet Finish Foundation and Concealer

November 15, 2014, 8:55 am
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I wanted to avoid doing a review for this foundation simply because the lightest shade is way, way too dark for me meaning that I obviously wasn't going to do a "regular testing routine" by wearing it every day for a while, but I did wear it a few times when I was at home. The concealer, on the other hand, fits me a lot better, so I wore it quite a lot already. Velvet Finish range was designed with mature skins in mind and it promises to create an optical illusion of a lifting as well as to disguise wrinkles.

Velvet Finish Foundation with Hyaluron SPF 30
010 Light Velvet 


Texture and finish: This review is going to sound very similar to the one for Nude Illusion, in fact I consider these two to be close. Again as at Nude Illusion this feels like an old school foundation and the texture is even thicker, so the product comes out the pump in a very condensed and firm form. Despite the lack of the silicone slip, it still applies well without dragging and forms a smooth surface, but I prefer liquid foundations just because I'm more used to them. I wore Illusion and Velvet foundations side by side on each side of the face and the finish on my skin looks pretty much identical. It's what I call a luminous matte (it's described as velvety- matte by Catrice on this foundation) meaning it's a healthy, natural matte finish and not by any means the cakey, draining one of the for example Estee Lauder Maximum Cover. I must say Catrice does it's matte finishes flawlessly. 

Shade: I was given the lightest one in the selection of four called 010 Light Velvet. And now my rant begins. How, just how, can this be the lightest shade? This is at least two if not three shades too dark for me. It's not just too dark, but due to the undertone (peachy?) it looks orange on me, which doesn't happen at the Nude Illusion that has a neutral undertone. I think that even if I used a self tanner, it would have a very hard time making it work. I'd say it's similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix 53 or probably NW 25-30. 


I originally though that Nude Illusion's 010 and Velvet Finish's 010 are similar with the chief difference in the undertones. While they are wet/freshly swatched that is indeed the case, however as you can see from my swatches below, which I applied very thick and left to dry completely, it is obvious just how much darker Velvet Finish is. 


Coverage: It's hard for me to determine the level of coverage since this is so dark for me and the actual darkening of the skin disguises much of the redness. I don't think it has any more coverage than Nude Illusion, so it's a medium coverage foundation.


Staying power: As at Nude illusion I find that it wears very well on my skin. The luminous matte finish lasts for hours, the skin looks fresh a long time and there are no dry patches forming. However, again as at Illusion on some random days it's doesn't perform as well on me because it settles into pores and lines, but I think that problem has its roots in the condition of my skin rather than being the foundation's fault. At the end of the day there is a  lot of foundation on the pad when I use micellar water.

Scent: It has a gentle baby powder- sweet scent. To me it's pleasant, but it is barely noticeable upon application and completely absent later.


Packaging: A smaller glass bottle than Nude Illusion's, but with the same good pump that dispenses the desired amount of product. The matte glass makes it look a lot more expensive than it is. 


Price and availability: 5.29 € and it's available in four shades.

I actually don't find this all that different from Nude Illusion. As I said, I wore them side by side on the skin and I honestly see no difference. Velvet Finish has a thicker texture and the lightest shade is much darker once it sets, but in terms of finish, coverage and staying power it's the same thing on my normal/combination skin. I'd obviously still go for the Nude Illusion instead of this, but if you find a shade that matches you better in the Velvet Finish range then go for it.


Velvet Finish Concealer
010 Velvet Ivory


Texture: For a doe foot concealer it is slightly thicker and creamier than for example Maybelline's Fit Me, but it's still very much the standard liquid-but-not-really concealer. It blends very well, it actually melts into the skin seamlessly with no visible edges and that's what I really like about this concealer. In this respect it's similar to Maybelline's the Eraser. The finish is dewy and stays that way rather than it sets, so it looks quite different than the foundation. Due to a creamy texture, it's nice to use under the eyes, but for blemishes it's not ideal and I prefer something less slippery as it just "slips" of the spot if you try to blend the concealer in, even if I'm super careful.

Shade: Unlike the foundation, it is light and fits me ok. The lightest shade is is similar to Collection's shade Fair, but peachier. There are three shades available and as far as I know, all are on the light to medium side.


Coverage: The coverage hasn't wowed me. It's about medium and it doesn't cover my circles completely neither does it blemishes, but it also doesn't look cakey on a spot even if you layer it. I always have to apply at least two layers under my eyes and I still can't get a satisfying level of coverage for my needs. See how the redness still shows through under the eyes? I think I actually applied three layers here.


Staying Power: Due to creaminess, it's not as impressive as for example Collection or Nars', but it's decent for a drugstore concealer. Let's just call it average.


Packaging: A tube with a classic doe foot applicator. 

Price and availability: 4.49 € in drugstores.

Honestly, this is a very average concealer to me. There are so many better ones. It's a classic doe foot concealer, it reminds me a bit of the Essence Stay All Day one and I would prefer a higher level of coverage (compare for example the coverage of Collection concealer or Nars). I do like the shade, though.


There is also a powder in this collection, but I haven't tried it.

Have a great day!
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Essence Colour & Go Nail Polishes Black is Back and Juicy Love

November 17, 2014, 6:34 am
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I have to ask: when did Essence nail polishes become so good? I have a few old ones and they were nice, probably some of the nicest drugstore nail polishes, but I don't know if they were reformulated or is it just these two shades, but they are amazing quality. Without a doubt the shiniest nail polishes I've tried to date (most nail polishes don't look shiny on my nails even with a brilliant top coat. I don't know why). These look like straight from an ad even without a top coat. I'm very impressed. The formula is super smooth and easy to apply, though we could argue that every company can make a good quality red, but the black one is harder to do. I used to have the old Essence's XXXL formula in black and it was the most annoying nail polish to work with due to the thick pastel-nail-polish-like formula, while this one is a jelly-meets-cream (crelly) type of formula that is fully opaque with two (thin) coats and is just a pleasure to work with. The brush is just the right width and fits my nails well, except on my little fingers. I still don't get why Essence nail polishes have pretty much the perfect brush, while Cosnova decided to use the, frankly put, useless round shaped one on Catrice nail polishes. But that is none of my business.

144 Black is Back

A classic black with a crelly formula that is opaque in two coats. This is a great base for all of those effect nail polishes, such as Icy Fairy, I <3 Magic, Sparkle Sand and Catrice's Million Styles Effect Top Coat if you want the maximum effect (I'll swatch all those on the nails as well).


 187 Juicy Love


A classic red that is leaning more to the warm territory, but it is distinctly less orange than Polka Holga. Again it has a crelly formula that is opaque in two coats.


Colour & go nail polishes cost 1.69€. I'm so going to go check out some more shades, but usually nothing catches my eye when I stand before the entire selection. Any recs?

Have a great day!
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Catrice Ultimate Stay Lipstick 120 Looks Like Coral

November 18, 2014, 6:52 am
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In Catrice's most recent "autumn update" they released a new line of lipsticks called Ultimate Stay. I, of course, immediately grabbed one as soon as they reached our drugstores and I went for the quite obvious choice for me - a classic pink coral. I actually got another brighter shade, IrrCORALbly Pink, at the Cosnova event, but I'll post swatches of that one later, since I haven't come round to taking pictures of it yet. 


Texture and finish: It's a classic good quality lipstick, which is not too creamy so it would move around or settle into lines and not by any means drying. Basically it's just a simple, lightweight formula that applies smoothly on the lips. These feel similar to the matte shade called MATTraction from the Ultimate colour range, though maybe they are just a touch lighter. The finish is satin at first, but it gets more matte with wear.


Colour: Looks like Coral is a medium pink-coral or peachy-pink, however you want to call it. I really appreciate that there is more pink in it because corals mostly look unflattering orange on me. Instead of the bright tones like in the 250 Matt abour Pink shade from the Ultimate Colour range, this one is a more natural, subdued shade. I actually love wearing this as a stain as well on occasions when my usual bright lipsticks might not be particularly appropriate as this just gives a gentle flush of colour on my lips that brings warmth to my face, since my natural lips are quite pale.


Staying power:Very nice actually. Catrice lipstick in general tend to last superb on my lips, especially considering the price, but I never expect spectacular staying power from a light shade no matter the brand, so this colour surprised me. It lasts several hours on the lips (I don't check my watch to be fair), it wears well, doesn't dry out my lips (but neither hydrate them) and it fades evenly. If you're looking for quality affordable lipsticks, Catrice certainly delivers.


Packaging: A thin, sleek tube, essentially just a bit smaller and more compact than the regular Catrice lipsticks.

Price and availability: At 5.29 € Ultimate Stay lipsticks cost a € more than Ultimate Colour range. I don't find them any better, but both lines are exceptionally good for the price.

What can I say than another excellent lipstick by Catrice. Great formula, staying power and pigmentation. Of course, the colour is lovely as well. If you don't own any Catrice lipsticks, you're missing out. 

Have a great day!
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Beauty News #3

November 19, 2014, 4:24 am
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Artdeco Glam Moon & Stars Collection

I rarely do beauty news, but I get a lot of e-mails and since December is approaching, I selected a few things that interest me.

Look at that gorgeous packaging of the blush and eyeshadow case. I love starry sky.  The whole collection is unashamedly sparkly and definitely very Christmasy. I'm wondering if those two cream highlighters resemble the discontinued Jemma Kidd's one.

 I believe this is sold already.
Kolekcijo ARTDECO dobite v drogerijah Muller, Tuš in Beautiqe, ter v spletni trgovini www.mojakozmetika.si. Moonlight Dust bleščice za telo so na voljo eksluzivno v Müllerju.

Deborah Secrets of the Smokey Eye

Well, well, well, look who decided to release some lovely looking palettes. I don't know the finish of these, but I'm secretly hoping for a lot of matte shades. There are four palettes in the collection, I'm not sure if it's limited edition or permanent, but I suspect the neutral one will be very popular.

Nude Rose Smokey Eyes

Nude Beige Smokey Eyes

Black Smokey Eyes

Violet Smokey Eyes
The palettes will be available in December and should cost 12 €, though there is a possibility that this already reached other countries.
Na voljo v začetku meseca decembra v izbranih parfumerijah po Sloveniji. PMPC: 11,99 €.

Balea
There are many new products by Balea, but I chose only those that interest me. I particularly love the look of those retro creams - I'm really digging the packaging. I'm excited about the honey vanilla batch cube as well and I hope it smells nice. You can find more new releases here. By the way, I just saw that Ebeline will have a konjac sponge.

Mislim, da tole velja samo za Slovenijo, ampak pri nakupu nad 30 € na blagajni dobiš USB ključek 8 GB. Velja do razdelitve 4.000 ključkov. Vir. 

Calvin Klein Euphoria Gold
Eau de parfum

I am SO excited about this fragrance. I'm a fan of the original Euphoria's and its flankers, but this one states honey and apricots in the notes - we all know how much I love both (they are also in Fame by Lady Gaga, my favourite fragrance). However, it does make me sad that it's only a limited edition. I need to sniff this ASAP.

Euphoria Gold for women
It'a fruity-oriental edition of Euphoria. Notes and reviews on Fragrantica.
 Top notes include a juicy union of cumquat, tangerine and sweet apricots. 
The heart incorporates warm shades of honey sweetened with scents of gardenia and daffodil.
Base consists of white patchouli, sandalwood and musk.

Euphoria Gold for men
A oriental-fougere composition. Notes and reviews on Fragrantica.
Top notes include fresh blend of ginger and lemon. 
The heart is dominated by honey, cinnamon and basil.
Base consists of amber, patchouli and vanilla. 

Britney Spears Rocker Femme Fantasy
eau de parfum

Another fragrance I'm very, very excited about. Again I'm a huge fan of the original Fantasy and this one will surely be another jummy fragrance judging from the notes. 

The fragrance is announced as a gourmand - fruity - oriental. The composition opens with sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur and coconut cream. Flowers of violet, gardenia and jasmine are in the heart of the perfume. Amber, musk, cashmere and vanilla provide lasting finish. 


Shiseido Zen Moon Essence 
Eau de parfum intense

The scent is floral-woody-ambery. It opens with accord of rose accompanied by bergamot, pineapple, grapefruit and pear. The heart captures intense notes of jasmine, magnolia, freesia, tuberose, violet and raspberry. The base wraps the composition up in patchouli, cashmere, white musk, vanilla and amber. Notes on Fragrantica.

La Roche Posay

A generous offer by LRP - when you purchase 400 ml bottle of Solution Micellaire Physiologique, you receive another 400 ml bottle for free. It's possible this is valid only in Slovenia, though I doubt it (here it costs 13.72 €). Sounds very generous to me.

Another package by LRP, but in this one you get a nail polish and a 50 ml micellar water when you buy one of the Hydreane products and the full size micellar water. Again I'm not sure if this is only in Slovenia.

 Vichy

When you puchase any Aqualia Thermal product (except the eye cream and lip balm) you receive complimentary 7-days worth of samples. 
When you purchase any of the Idéalia products you receive a complimentary bag with 8 samples of Idéalia Life Serum.

See anything interesting?
Have a great day!
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Empties: Samples Edition

November 19, 2014, 10:47 am
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CLARINS Instant Eye Make-Up Remover
I like this a lot. You may be aware that I wear waterproof mascara to keep my lashes curled all day, so I need a good oil-based remover to get it off. I've been using two pretty rubbish ones for the past several months (they just won't run out!) and using this for the first time was like a choir of angels came singing under a double rainbow with a unicorn flying over it (too much?). It's a duo-phase product as most oil-based removers and it smells really lovely, like roasted chestnuts and linden tea. Unlike most other cheap ones I've tried, when I shake this so the two parts mix, the lighter part actually stays suspended and both fluids are mixed meaning they don't just separate after a second as most do. This removes my eye makeup with such ease and what I really, really appreciate is that it doesn't make my vision foggy like every other duo-phase remover does and it doesn't leave my skin quite as greasy as the others. I'd definitely purchase a full size if it weren't so expensive, though I find I need to use a lot less that other removers. It's on my wishlist.

CLARINS Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover 
Another remover I liked, this one for sensitive eyes. Though I wear contact lenses, my eyes are far from sensitive, so I can't report whether it irritates the eyes of those who are more sensitive to some skin care. However, I can say that it takes of makeup with ease (regular mascara plus eyeliner) and that it smells like a hospital. It doesn't leave a greasy residue behind, but it's not as light as micellar waters. Nice stuff.


CLARINS Multi-Active Day 
Early wrinkle correcting lotion
SPF 15
This is a lotion targeted at young women and it promises to guard against UV damage and visibly correct early signs of ageing. It's a light day moisturiser that smells like a man (I'm just getting weirder by the minute, aren't I?). Despite the SPF it doesn't feel greasy on the skin, but it does need a bit of time to completely sink it. It's a lovely moisturiser, just the way I like them, but I can't say much about its "anti-ageing"/repairing properties, since I only had a sample. The full size comes with a pump.

CLARINS Tonic Body Treatment
Apparently this is Clarins' #1 selling body oil. It promises to help firm, tone and improve elasticity of the skin as well as reduce the appearance stretch marks. I don't any have any of those, but I can say that it's quite a thick oil, in fact, it reminds me of the L'Occitane Almond Supple skin oil, so it's intensely moisturising, but it due to being a dry oil, it sinks in quite fast. A little goes a long way, so this small vial lasted me a lot of applications. The only thing I wasn't a fan of, is the strong herbal scent (most prominent I think is rosemary), but that is a completely subjective thing. 


CLARINS BB Skin Perfecting Cream
I received samples of the lightest shade called Fair. Again it's like someone is having a laugh at pale people's expense. This is not by any definition fair. Why is it so bloody hard to comprehend what fair means?! I looked orange with this and that makes me angry more than it should. I'm guessing the shade is close to NC30 or Healthy Mix 54.
Venting and shade aside, it's a classic tinted moisturiser or BB if you want to call it that way. The consistency is like a medium-thick moisturiser and it has light coverage that can be layered to light to medium coverage. On my normal skin the finish is just regular skin-like with a bit of healthy dewiness and you can't tell that you're wearing anything, provided the shade fits you. I love how it doesn't settle into and emphasize pores as most foundations started to do that on me recently. It has an SPF 25 (titanium dioxide). In short: the texture and finish are lovely, this will appeal to those who want to just even out the skin a bit, but the shade is a complete fail.


L'ORÉAL Paris Revitalift Magic Blur 
Instant Lift Smoother
Blurring + Anti-Age Moisturiser
I really like this. It's more on the thicker side, however, feels super light on the skin. There is a huge amount of silicones in it, so it leaves a matte satin-velvet finish and it's immediately dry to the touch. It's a primer-meets-moisturiser type of product making it an excellent base for makeup, though it's not particularly moisturising (neither drying, of course). It's similar to L'Occitane Angelica Ultra Matte Fluid, but less moisturising and cheaper. I don't find it all that blurring, at least it doesn't disguise my pores, though so far I haven't found a primer that would. I think this is a great product for those with oily skin, as it might help keep oil at bay quite well. I might buy full size, I actually just saw it in a local super market for 15 €.

CAUDALIE Polyphenol C15 Overnight Detox Oil 
I love using oils on my face, actually I've been using Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse for three years now. First off this Caudalie one smells terrible and it's so strong. It's a weird earthy-herbal scent, I really dislike it, but it's the type of smell that I know some people will really like. This dry oil promises to help tired skin regenerate itself overnight and to detoxify the skin. It's quite a thick oil, so those 6 recommended drops feel a bit to much for me. I've been using it a few days and my skin turned for the worse and when I switched back to Nuxe, it was ok again. I'm afraid my skin doesn't like this very much and neither does my nose, but I have heard some raves about it.

That Beauty Flash Balm and the lip gloss in the first picture will have separate reviews.

 Izdelki Clarins so na voljo v Müller drogerijah, Maximarketu, Nami, Beautique drogerijah in Kompass shop-ih.

Have a great day!

*Clarins samples were gifted to me.
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Catrice Nail Polishes

November 21, 2014, 10:01 am
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Luxury Lacquers Metal
03 My Satin Ballet Shoes

A pink-rose gold shade with a metallic/über frosty finish. The formula is very pigmented and reaches about 80% opacity with one coat. If you're not bothered with a hint of the tips showing through, then it's a one coater, otherwise a two-coater. The formula is quite thick, but it applies smoothly and evenly. Despite being a shimmery nail polish it's easy and quick to remove if you use a pot remover.

All of the nail polishes in the Luxury Line have a normal, "useful" brush.


Luxury Lacquers Brilliance
05 Plum Fiction

This is a colour that will probably pop out in the stand the most to people. It's a warm purple shimmer with a few red shimmer bits in it, you don't see a nail polish like this often. I expected it to look more spectacular on the nails and more shiny, but I do love the colour. The base is almost translucent and just slightly tinted purple, however, for the full effect/opacity two thick or three thin coats are needed. The removal process was incredibly long, even with the pot remover, which usually removes glitter polishes with ease and the shimmer went everywhere, so I will really consider it before using it again.


Luxury Lacquers Brilliance
01 It's Showtime

An eye-catching glittery silver that looks super glam on the nails. The base is translucent and again as at Plum fiction two thick or three thin coats are needed for full opacity. I love this shade, but again the removal process was so irritating. 


Colour Brightening Base Coat 
01 On Top of the Alps

I never had a white nail polish, but always wanted one. Remember how we painted our nail with Edigs (correction fluid) in primary school. Or was that just me?  Colour Brightening Base Coat is a white nail polish with a semi-matte finish. It needs two/three thick coats to be even, so I'm not sure how would it work as a base because that would mean a hell of a lot of nail polish coats.
Unlike at the Luxury Line, this one unfortunately has the roundly shaped brush, which only slightly less annoying than the angled Bourjois' 10 Days one, but truly only by a small margin. It pretty much makes it impossible to apply the nail polish nicely, so it can result in the manicure looking like it was made by a two-year-old during an earthquake. It needs a lot of clean-up is what I'm trying to say as a lot of the polish ends up on the cuticles.



  Million Styles Effect Top Coat 
02 ¿Holo, Que Tal? 

This looks a lot prettier in person than in pictures. It's a topper with a duo-chrome or perhaps even slightly holographic gold-green shimmer. It really makes for a glamorous manicure, but I find so far it works best over black. I applied three coats one the ring finger and on others it's one. It's easy to remove.
 

See anything you like?
Have a great day!
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Neutral Matte Palettes: Urban Decay Naked2 Basics & Catrice Absolute Matt

November 24, 2014, 11:34 am
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I am a huge fan of matte neutral palettes, especially of those with prevailing taupe shades. The original Naked Basics palette (review here) was what I used for my every day makeup since I got it last year and now I have two more such palettes - an Urban Decay's spin-off named Naked2 Basics and a very budget option by Catrice called Absolute Matt. Both have fast become my favourites and I use all three palettes in combination, depending on what kind of look I'm going for.

URBAN DECAY Naked2 Basics Palette


Naked2 Basics is quite different from the original one, it's definitely different enough to justify having both. I look at it almost as a complimentary palette, so what I thought was missing from the first one, is in this one. Perhaps this one might be more appealing to those with a medium skin tone who found the shades in original Basics too similar and mostly too light, since Naked2 excludes the light skin toned shades and replaces them with medium browns. 


The shades in the palette are:

Skimp - the only shimmery shade in the palette, just as Venus in the original Naked Basics. 

Stark - a matte warm medium skin tone shade. On me it's already a shade that is darker than my skin tone, so I have to limit the use to only the lid. This should be a great base for medium skin tones. W.O.S. from the original and the second shade from the Catrice's Absolute Matte are the shades I use all over the lid as a base since they are lighter. 

Frisk - a matte light taupe shade. It's cooler than Naked 2 from the original, but doesn't look too different when blended out on the skin. I adore such shades.

Cover - a matte medium warm-ish brown. Again a shade I love.

Primal - a matte cool-toned brown. It's like a cooler version of Cover, but a bit darker. Great colour that I use a lot.

Undone - a deep grey. I would prefer a charcoal black here, but it's a nice shade to deepen the crease if you're not as fair as me. I prefer Faint from the original or that dark browh shade in Catrice's Absoloute Matte for that job.


The quality of the eyeshadows is again superb. It's a collection of fantastic quality matte eyeshadows, all are very pigmented (since I'm pale, with most shades I only need to barely touch the surface of the eyeshadow to get enough pay-off), they are so smooth, blend well and last decently on the lids without creasing even without primer (I have normal eyelids). The packaging is small and compact with a big mirror and a rubbery surface. To me this is just the perfect palette.



CATRICE Absolute Matt Eyeshadow Palette 010 Eyes Wide Matt


I love Catrice's single eyeshadows because they are of great quality and they certainly have some of the best matte eyeshadows, but I never tried any of their palettes because I heard somewhere than the quality is far worse and that it lacks pigmentation. Whoever said that is wrong. At least when it comes to this palette. The quality is amazing, I would even call it high-end-ish, though I admit that the eyeshadows are not quite as smooth as Urban Decay's, but on the lids they behave exactly the same. They are certainly better than, for example, Mac's Wedge, which I find quite hard. 


The palette contains:

A matte white - on my skin it's actually no different to the second shade in the palette, so I can use it all over as a base, but I don't often. It's the best performing white eyeshadow I ever tried, since most were so chalky.

A matte pink-toned skin tone shade - I use this shade so much, I use it interchangeably with W.O.S. from the original Basics as a base all over the lids.

A matte cool-toned medium taupe - this is a similar shade to Frisk from the Naked2 Basics. I use it either on the lid or in the crease as the initial "base" shade that ensures a softer transition.

A matte warm-ish medium taupe - a slightly darker shade than Cover from Naked2 Basics. It's a shade I use a lot in the crease.

A matte deep cool-toned brown - one of my favourite shades and one I use pretty much every day. It's a shade that adds a lot of depth and definition to the crease just like Faint from the original Naked Basics, but this one is darker and cooler.

A matte deep grey/black - again another shade that is not quite dark enough just as Undone in Naked2 Basics. I don't mean that they are bad shades at all, but I would prefer black because I use it as a liner and I have no use of such deep grey's. But it's a nicely pigmented shade that blends well.


Another great set of eyeshadows that to me is like a mix between both Basics in terms of variety of shades, They can be used for a subtle every day look or a more smoky effect, but in general they are really good, they perform so well, are very pigmented (again I need only to touch the deeper shades to get enough pay-off for me) and they blend well. The packaging does feel cheap even with an added brush/sponge applicator, but it suffices. It's an amazing palette and I highly recommend it to every one, whether you're on a budget or not. 


As you may have established, I love both of these palette. Well, all three actually. If you're into matte neutrals, I highly recommend all three, but if you're on a budget or you just want a nice cheap thrill, I highly recommend that you at least get the Catrice one. Naked Basic and Naked2 Basics cost about 28 € (I waited for a discount when buying both), while the Catrice Absolute Matte costs 5.29 €.

Have a great day!
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Wishlist #15

November 25, 2014, 11:39 am
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1. L'OREAL Collection Exclusive Lipsticks Pure Reds
in Laetitia and Blake
This is on the very top of my wishlist, especially the Laetitia shade, which is a gorgeous deep burgundy colour, while Blake is a glamorous cherry red. I swatched both and compared them with some other shades in this Instagram photo. I think the finish of both of these is almost matte or creamy-matte, which is just up my alley. I need these in my life.
Drugstores,  around 13 €.

2.  MAYBELLINE Color Drama Lipstick
in Berry Much and Red Essential
Everyone talks about how these are a nice drugstore alternative to the NARS' Velvet Pencils, so naturally I'm intrigued. I sneakily already ordered Berry Much since Boots has a 3 for 2 offer at the moment (a little tip for you), but I'm still waiting for package. If happen to like these, I'm also interested in the shade called Red Essential, which is supposedly very similar to NARS' Cruella.

3. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
in Siberia
You may have seen in my latest New in that I purchased a new Rimmel foundation that fits me so well in terms of shade, but the formula is so hard to work with. Since I'm so fed up with crappy, very light foundations that I put up with purely for the shade, I think it's finally time that I take the plunge and get the highly praised Sheer Glow in the lightest shade called Siberia. It's going to be painful to fork out so much money for a foundation, but I feel like I have no other choice, since almost every drugstore brand refuses to make a really light shade (why am I being punished for being naturally pale?).
HqHair, 39 €.

4. ESSENCE Colour & Go
in 167 Candy Love and 175 Be Berry Now!
After being blown away by the quality of Colour & Go line, I asked you in that review, which shades you like. Katja from Viva La Vida recommended Candy Love, which based on her swatch looks amazing - I love full coverage nude shades. The other, Be Berry Now, I found by checking the swatches of all the nail polishes and it's the colour I'm so into at the moment, a purple-red shade a.k.a. berry (I've got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to it). Both should end up in my shopping basket very soon.
Drugstores, 1.67 €.

5. ESSIE Nail Polish 
in Bahama Mama 
I've heard so many people say that Bahama Mama is their favourite autumnal shade and it's a shade that has intrigued me for a while now. It looks like a beautiful deep berry shade, again a colour I'm really into at the moment. I'm kind of hoping for a discount soon in DM. Swatch here (tell me it looks like this?).
DM, 9.99 €.

6. DEBORAH MILANO Smalto Gel Effect 
in 01 
Yes, another nail polish. I don't think I ever wanted so many new nail polishes. I saw this on Zlatana's blog and it immediately went on my wishlist. It reminds me of Essie's Spin the Bottle, so it's again an opaque nude shade that looks very classy on the nails.  
Drugstores, about 5 €.

7. BOURJOIS Lévres Contour Edition 
in T02 Cotton Candy
I've recently spoken about Catrice's lip liners and my thirst for more liners hasn't been quite quenched yet. I swatched this in the shop and it's a very cute pinky-natural shade. I also tried the shade T01, but my cousin and I established that shades like that don't suit me, nonetheless it's a beautiful colour for the 90's trend.
Drugstores, about 6 € or Feel Unique,7.14 €.


8. CLARINS Instant Eye Make Up Remover
I still have a generous sample of this and it's so good. I use waterproof mascara practically daily and my current rubbish drugstore removers aren't doing their job. This removes mascara and eye liner with ease, it doesn't make my vision foggy, isn't super greasy and it smells so lovely. But the price is just extortion, though as I said in my original review, I find I use a lot less of it than at cheaper removers.
Müller, about 20 €.

9. CHARLES WORTHINGTON Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray
I heard this is a dupe for Oribe Texturising Spray, though I must admit I'm reluctant to believe that. But even if it's just a similar enough product, I'm intrigued by it, since I like using such products right after I've curled my hair as I find it makes them look better. I actually already ordered it (remember 3 for 2?), I'm just waiting for it to arrive.

10. EMMA HARDIE 4 Piece Starter Kit
I saw this offer thanks to Almu from Feel Bella and I didn't even hesitate to place an order, especially since it was an additional 10 % off (I'm basically just sharing this offer with you before it's too late). It contains Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm (50 ml),  Amazing Face Age Support Cream (15ml), Amazing Face Dual Action Professional Cleansing Cloth and a wash bag. I'm not going to say it's a generous offer because I don't' find it is, however, I wanted to try the Cleansing Balm for so long, but under no circumstances am I ready to fork out almost 50 € for a pot, especially since I might end up with a full size product that I may not even end up liking. I'm looking forward to trying this.
Feel Unique, 27.30 €.

11. BOMB COSMETICS 
Just look at how adorable are these! There are obviously duping Lush stuff, but trying to stay at a more reasonable price range, which I appreciate a lot, especially considering Lush's prices in Slovenia are just not normal (as if I'm going to pay 6 € for something that fizzes out in 5 minutes, though I admit these aren't the cheapest either, they are lot more reasonably priced). I think these look even cuter, especially the snow man bath bomb (Chilly Willy, smells like cinnamon), the cupcake bath (Milk & Honey), the ice cream sundae bath bomb (Cherry Bathe Well, smells like cherries, cookies, coconut and white chocolate), the heart shaped massage bar (Summer Honey) and that Honey Bee looking dupe (Goodnight Honey). They have some great looking gifts as well.
Click2Chic, starting at 2.93 €, Official site (UK) with a list of retailers.

Have a great day!
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The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Scrub and Body Mist

November 28, 2014, 11:34 am
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My love for The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach remains strong even after more than two years since I first purchased the body butter and recently two more products joined my collection - the body scrub and the highly coveted body mist. The scent of this line is out of this world to me and it's probably my favourite scent ever. It's the best peach scent I've ever had the pleasure to smell. Being a huge fan of vineyard peaches, I can attest that it is indeed very close to the real thing, perhaps there is a bit of a peach yoghurt mixed in it. Mouth-wateringly juicy and sweet, to me it's the scent of happiness and I wholeheartedly adore it. I tip my hat to the creator of this scent and I hope this stays on the shelves for a long time.  

Vineyard Peach Body Scrub


The texture of the body scrub is pleasantly creamy with scrubby particles (silica). It's not a harsh scrub by any means, in fact, I'd prefer it if the scrubby bits were not so sparse, but it does its job and it leaves the skin moisturised without the greasy filter meaning it rinses of completely. The scrubby particles do collect on the bottom of the shower/bathtub, so be sure to do an extra rinse after you're done. It's not the best scrub I've ever tries, in fact, I prefer sugar scrubs because they are harsher (my favourite is Soap & Glory's Flake Away), but it's a good one and I'm glad I got it. You can see ingredients here.

I paid 10 € for 200 ml in an Austrian The Body Shop, while it's $20 on US website. (Slovenke lahko dobite nekatere The Body Shop izdelke v trgovinah Travel Free ob meji).


Vineyard Peach Body Mist


You have no idea how much I wanted this. I even went to Austria to get this and it was sold out due to popularity. I then found it on eBay, paid an extortionate amount for shipping, but I finally got it. Obviously, it smells amazing, however, as you might expect from a fruity body spray, it doesn't last terribly long, but I really don't mind since just one spray makes me inhale deeply and smile. The bottle is glass with a metal pump and cap, so it looks a lot more expensive than it is. This is one of my favourite purchases of the year.

It was $8 without shipping on eBay and it's currently $12 on US The Body Shop site.


In a world where so many peach scents are some synthetic, sweetened disappointing weirdness, The Body Shop really delivered. If you're a fan of peach scents, look no further. 

What's your favourite The Body Shop scent or any scent really?
Have a great day!
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