New In #33

August 21, 2015, 9:25 am

≫ Next: Catrice Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette 010 Ashy Radiance

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CATRICE Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

010 Choc'Let It Be

This is such a gorgeous palette, I truly love every colour in it, however, the pigmentation is disappointing. I was so looking forward to this palette, but I think this time Catrice focused just on how it looks and forgot about the quality as this just isn't what I'm used to from their previous palettes. All shades need a lot of layering for a decent colour pay-off and even now that I've proper swatched it for the review, which took off the top layer, they are not much better. The third shade is particularly disappointing, while the fourth is the most creamy one and thankfully the pretties one as well. I so want to love this, but as much as I love the colours, I wish the quality was better. I had several people tell me that they are disappointed too, so I'm not the only one. I did a look with this palette here (I used a primer).

Tuš Drogerija, 5.29 €

CATRICE Eye'Matic Eyepowder Pen

050 Al Cappuccino

This was on my original wishlist I posted a while ago, but I then changed my mind when I saw swatches of these after German bloggers had the event. However, when I saw them in person, I just loved these. They are stick powder eyeshadows, with the colour in the lid and a sponge applicator. I got the shade that I predicted in my wishlist I'll like the most, Al Cappuccino, which is a shimmery taupe-brown that is just a classic everyday colour. They are sheer, giving you more of a nice shimmery wash of colour, but they are super handy to keep in your makeup bag.  

Müller, 4.29 €

CATRICE Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette

010 Ashy Radiance

Finally a drugstore brand that is available in Slovenia launched such a product. I was very intrigued by this ever since I've seen the press release, but at the same time I was concerned that I'll be too orange as it often happens to drugstore brands. I have to say I'm impressed. It's more brown than my old favourite NYX's Taupe, but its sculpting abilities are really good nonetheless. The highlighter is subtle, which some might not like, however, it's a nice champagne tone. I'm wearing both shades here. 

Müller, 4.69 €

CATRICE Lumination LE Powder Blush 

C01 Flushed-Fiction

I loooove this so much. This is what I wanted Max Factor's Creme Puff in Lavish Mauve to be. It's similar to Catrice's I'm Nuts About You and Rose Royce, but it has that actually glow on the cheeks. This needs to be added to the regular line. I did a review of it here.

Müller, 4.29 €

*MAX FACTOR Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara

Max Factor launched a new volumising mascara that promises not to weigh down lashes even if you like to apply tons of coats. The packaging and the brush is very similar to the classic False Lash Effect, so it's a big plastic brush that defines every lash. It doesn't give much volume though. I'm waiting for the formula to thicken a bit, but for now it gives a very natural, defined effect. As far as weighing down the lashes goes, my lashes don't hold a curl for a minute with this mascara. This is definitely a mascara for those who prefer a very defined look and want more of a natural effect.

14.35 €

There is also a new eyeliner in this collection, but I haven't got a chance to try it. I am very intrigued though and I'll definitely buy it one day, though the price is a bit steep.

 10.55 €

*MAX FACTOR Smokey Eye Drama Kit 

02 Lavish Onyx

Also new on Max Factor stands are these eyeshadows quads. Mine contains a shimmery champagne shade, a shimmery rosy-taupe, shimmery dark grey with navy tones and a matte cool dark brown. I love this, well at least the quality, the colours are a bit of a half-half. These are sooo pigmented and  I did not expect to like this as much as I do, but that shimmery medium brown is gorgeous and I also like the darkest shade in the palette, though when blending, a lot of the colour disappears at this shade, so it needs layering.

I saw a nice bronze-coppery quad on the stands and I'm very interested in it.

12.99 €

ESSENCE Matt Touch Blush

10 peach me up! and 20 berry me up!

These two were a part of the preview collection and I grabbed both. I'm not a massive fan of Essence blushes, but these are matte, so I just wanted to check them out. I really like these. The quality is much better than at Silky Touch blushes because they are more finely milled, the apply nicer and have plenty of pigment, for my pale skin at least. These are quite hard blushes and unlike their Silky Touch blushes they don't dust/flake when you swivel your brush in them. Peach me up is a classic peach shade that brightens up the skin and Berry me up is a darker pink shade that gives a rosy-pink I-just-came-from-the-cold-flush.

Müller, 2.79 €

COLLECTION Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

I just became that person that buys liners all the time. But actually, I love trying out felt tip eyeliners, even though I've already found my favourite. This one has such good reviews on Boots international and it was very reasonably priced, so I had to try it. However, I'm not blown away by it. It's similar to the Essence one, but not as black and the nib is thicker, consequently a bit clumsier. The formula seems more watery or at least not saturated enough, so it feels cheaper to what I'm used to, but on the eyes it's hard to tell that it's less black than others. It's not a bad liner, it still does its job very well, but there are so many better ones.

Boots International, £2.99

CATRICE CC Care & Conceal Nail Polish

04 Apricot Skin-Fit

This caught my eye on the Innen & Aussen blog (respect to Karin for swatching everything) and I liked it straight away because it's an interesting nude. On me it's more of a pastel apricot than a nude, but of course the darker your skin tone, the less apparent that apricot tone will be. Formula is a thick pastel one that requires two, sometimes three coats.  

Müller, 2.89 €

ESSIE Nail Lacquer

Fiji

My cousin got this colour, but found it too light for her skin tone so she gave it to me (thank you!). It's a very pale pink shade with that annoying pastel nail polish formula that Mint Candy Apple has.

DM, 9.90 €

BARRY M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint

Road Rage

I know what you're thinking - mint green Mateja, how original. Well, I just can't help myself. It's greener version of Mint Candy Apple and brighter that Kiko's Jade Green, but the formula is about as annoying as the previously mentioned Fiji's.

I have a few other colours from this range on my wishlist because they all look drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't manage to get shade Navy from the regular range because it was out of stock and that makes me a bit sad.

Boots International, £3.99

L'OREAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

Boots had a two for three offer and I found that they still have this shampoo that disappeared from our shelves just as I found it and fell in love with it. This is hands down the best drugstore shampoo ever (though basically the new Extraordinaire one is exactly the same) and similar to my all-time favourite Kérastase Oleo-Relax, but for a fraction of the price. I wanted to stock up on these, but either the site was glitchy or this was the last one(I seriously hate how problematic and difficult to navigate Boots International site is). At least I got the 400 ml bottle.

Boots International, £3.99

L'OREAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Conditioner

I didn't even know this existed, but in the shopping basket it went straight away as I spotted it. I've used it a couple of times so far and I'm not blown away by it. It's a bit light for my hair, despite hearing it's very thick. I washed my hair and it looked nice for a short time, but my ends got dry by the morning. As far as frizz control goes, it works halfway. With a hair dryer the hair is noticeable sleeker, but the frizz pops back up fast. It's not a bad conditioner, just not enough for my super dry hair, but if your hair isn't like that and isn't as thick, give it a try if you can find it. It contains argan oil quite high on the list, plus it claims it contains heat protection.

Boots International, £3.99

L'OREAL Elvive Extraordinary Oil Oil-in-Cream
Dry, Rough Hair

I swear when I see this kind of new hair products my eyes glow like a Christmas tree. I saw this presented as PR samples on a few blogs and I straight away loved the idea as I was actually searching for something similar for a while (I had Kérastase and L'Oreal Professional's versions on my wishlist). It's basically a cream leave-in conditioner, but's it's not one of those that makes your hair all limp and weird with bits of unmelted cream lingering in your hair, rather it feels like there is more oil inside, but it doesn't make your hair greasy and it also doesn't leave that silicone felling on the hair. It has coconut oil on the second place among ingredients, which is pretty amazing considering we are talking about L'Oreal here. There are also some other extracts, but they are after the sixth ingredient, so there are probably minute amounts of them inside. My ends were so dry in this year's summer heat, plus I've been using mostly drugstore conditioners because I'm saving the good stuff too much (classic me *rolls eyes*) and this hydrated them so well as well as made them feel silky. Best of all, I can use this on dry and wet hair. It smells like the rest of the Extraordinary line, so a bit like cinnamon. I am liking this a lot.

By the way, there is also a version for normal hair, but neither are sold in Slovenia.

Boots International, £6.99

DOVE Style + Care Dry Shampoo 

I'll again say that my hair never gets greasy because it's so dry, so I can't properly assess how well this works on greasy hair, but even I feel like that the hair isn't truly refreshed like at for example Batiste. This of course doesn't matter to me because I use these just to quickly refresh my hair, but there is a reason why this has such polarising reviews. But the most important thing to me is the scent and this smells so good. It's kind of sweet, but a typically Dove clean scent. 

Boots International, regular price £4.59

CHARLES WORTHINGTON Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray

I actually have a ton left in my old bottle, but since I was already making a purchase on Boots plus there was an offer, I got a backup. I seriously love this, which might be obvious since I'm already bought another one, but I use this every time I curl my hair. It makes the curls look a bit better, it adds some extra volume, hold and it smells nice. It's very similar to VO5 as I've said before, but somehow there is so much more product in the can, which must be one of the greatest mysteries of the world, since VO5 claims there is 50 ml more product than CW.

Boots International, £6.99

THE LIBRARY OF FRAGRANCE Sunshine 

This was on my wishlist for a while, but I got it purely because I love the word sunshine. This brand is called Demeter Fragrances in its native USA. I'm not sure why the name change was necessary, but they have an impressive collection of interesting scents, ranging from one note fragrances like Peach, Green Tea and Lime to some very unique scents like Baby's Head, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Storm and even Pizza - their creativity appears to have no limits. Sunshine smells like much its name, believe it or not. Imagine yourself hanging the laundry on a warm sunny day. It's a warm and clean scent that I think nobody would be bothered by. The staying power is much better than I expected, but it's still not amazing, which is not that odd considering the notes and that it's a cologne spray.

Boots International, £15

BALEA Beauty Effect Eye & Lip Serum

I got so vain. A year ago I just woke up one day and noticed these two smile lines staring back at me in the mirror, so that's the reason I got this. I know it won't erase them, but I'd at least like them to stop deepening. It's a light gel that you apply on areas around the eyes and lips and if you rub it in, it kind of emulsifies a bit. It sinks in fast and hydrates the area, but I still need to apply a moisturiser over it. It has a gentle, classic moisturiser scent and the packaging has a handy pump, which I really appreciate. The main ingredient in this is hyaluronic acid and the ingredients of this in general  look really good. But does it work? I don't know yet as it's more of a long term investment product in my skin, however, I like using it.

Ingredients here.

DM, 4.29 €

BALEA Soft & Clear Anti-Mitesser Nosestrips

These are just classic blackhead removing nose strips and I notice no major difference between these are the Cadea Vera ones, except that in one pack of those, you get more strips. They are simple to use and they do remove some of the black heads, but not all of them. These have a strong, sort of chemical scent, but I don't dislike it.

Ingredients here.

DM, 1.99 €

L'OREAL Elvital Total Repair 5 Reparatur-Maske

To my horror someone nicked this mask and completely emptied it (I know who it was, since their hair was suspicious shiny and healthy looking that day), so I basically ran the next day to get a new one. I really like this (obviously), especially since I've seen what an effect it has also on other people's hair (seriously the shine was amazing). It's a great drugstore buy for dry hair and It's no wonder it's one of the most popular budget hair products.

Müller, 6.39 €

ESSENCE Rock Style Hair Dye Powder

01 pink punk and 03 bright blue

I got these after being seriously impressed with the hair chalk from the Arriba! TE and these were going to be discontinued anyway, so they were super cheap. I don't like the packaging of these, they are so much harder to use that that one from the Arriba TE. The colour pay-off is a little bit poorer, but I again use a sticky, wet hairspray as a base and it works great.

Müller, 0.99 €

ESSENCE Smokey Eyes Brush

These next couple of brushes were bribery for getting me to go on a quick trip and honestly I chose them because they are mint green. The size and shape is perfect for my hooded eyes and it works well with very soft and pigmented eyeshadows, but it's more of a brush that deposits a strong line of colour, rather than a brush that would also blend. It shows that it's very cheap, but it's not useless. I have a couple of smokey eye brushes from before, the "old" version that is (I think they still sell them) and they are softer, not so dense, therefore in my eyes better.

Müller 1.39 €

ESSENCE Make Me Pretty TE Precise Eye-shadow Brush 

01 eye to eye

Again it's mint green. And it has polka dots. I mean come on, did someone read my mind or something? It's another very dense brush, too dense in fact. You get an intense line of colour with this, but it's not designed to create softer looks or blend at least a little. I feel about the same about it as about the Smokey Eyes Brush.

Müller, 1.99 € 

ESSENCE Make Me Pretty TE Liquid Brush Cleanser

Against all my expectations, this works better than expected, but it doesn't make the brushes sparkling clean. You spray it on the brush, leave it for a minutes or two and then wipe it in a tissue or a cloth. It cleans well enough and disinfects the brushes, which is handy if you really need a decently clean brush fast. I wish the bottle was larger because 50 ml is such a small amount. Maybe Essence will include this in the next permanent line update, I'd certainly love to see that. 

Taya did a much more comprehensive review of this TE, including this brush cleansers, so have a look at what she thinks about it here.

Müller, 2.79 €

Have a great day!

* - PR products.

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Catrice Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette 010 Ashy Radiance

August 24, 2015, 7:59 am

≫ Next: Catrice Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

≪ Previous: New In #33

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High five to Catrice for finally taking the plunge and take on the contouring trend. I think that aside from Sleeks version, which is only available online here, the pickings when it comes to a taupe-ish contour shade are very, very slim with actual eyeshadows being probably our best option. So I'm delighted to see this in a permanent range and Essence will have their versions as well. The palette comes in two shades: this cool toned brown with a champagne-peachy highlight designed for pale individuals like me, while the other is darker and with a gold highlight.

The highlighter is more on the sheer side, which I actually like since I'm more of an subtle highlight girl, but it can be built-up to a stronger glow, though it takes several layers. The actual tone of the highlighter is lovely. It's a warm champagne, slightly peachy shade that doesn't end up looking too white on the skin, unlike like their newest Highlighting Powder in 010 Stardust. It reminds me of my favourite Jemma Kid Iced Gold in terms of shade, but not in texture, since this is a powder and that one a much glowier cream.

The bronzer/contouring side is nicely pigmented as far as my light skin tone is concerned and I pick up only a bit of the product at at time and build up slowly to avoid a random strip of colour on my face, but people with darker skin tones have said to me that this is too light for them. It's warmer and less taupe than NYX's Taupe as well as much more pigmented, but it still manages to fake shadows well. Ana Ina compared it to the Sleek palette in light and it shows how much more taupe-ish it is. The powder is quite silky, but it does dust/flake off, nonetheless it blends ok and doesn't look patchy on the skin. 

Staying power is nice as per usual when it comes to cheek products by Catrice.

I know I'll get this question: NYX Taupe or Catrice? I'd still go with Taupe for my skin tone, well at least in the winter when my skin matches the colour of snow. But I have a neutral undertone, so I can go either way. If you skin tone is pink, go for Taupe and if it's warm go for Catrice. Also pick the latter one if you're not as pale as me because Taupe is quite sheer compared to this one (by the way, my Taupe blush is quite old and I hear they have been messing with the shade since then. Petra recommends Essence I Heart Nude eyeshadow in 05 My Favorite Tauping instead).

I built-up both powders a lot for this picture, so my camera would pick it up. Normally I'm quite shy when it comes to contouring. 

This was a hit for me in the latest Catrice update. They managed to create a lovely taupe-cool brown "faking shadows" shade for super pale people like me, which is incredibly rare among the drugstore brands. The highlighter is more on the subtle side, which some will like and others not, but the tone of it is very pretty. In general it's a great budget buy. 

I bought it in Müller for 4.69 € and as far as I know, this is only available on the 3 m stands. 

What is your favourite contouring powder and highlighter? Have a great day!

Catrice Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

August 26, 2015, 7:10 am

≫ Next: Drugstore Challenge: What Makeup Would I Buy with 50 €

≪ Previous: Catrice Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette 010 Ashy Radiance

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When I first saw the preview for the new things that were launching in autumn, this was the thing I was most excited about. I've been craving a nice chocolate palette for a while and have both I <3 Makeup Naked Chocolate and Too Faced Chocolate Palette on my wishlist, but never got round to buying them. I'm a fan of these Catrice palettes and including this one, I currently have four, however, as absolutely gorgeous as the shades in this palette are, in terms of quality this disappointed me. It's of course not a total fail, but it's not what I'm used to when it comes to Catrice. 

I love the selection of shades - it's a half-half mix of matte and shimmery colours and it contains all the colours you need, from a matte skin tone base to a deep shade for outer corners. Surprisingly for Catrice, this time it's the matte shades that lack in pigmentation and quality, especially the third shade just isn't what I'm used to when it comes Catrice's eyeshadows.

First shade is a shimmery light champagne gold that I tend to use as an inner corner highlighter, but it looks lovely on the lid as well. This is one of the better performing ones as it's nicely pigmented. Second shade is a matte yellow-beige skin tone colour that serves as a base colour. It's more on the chalky side, but since it's a light base colour, this doesn't matter so much. But the next colouris very disappointing. It's dry, chalky and very difficult to build up as well as make it look even and blend. Otherwise the shade colour is lovely -  a matte, medium brown, but how this passed the tests to be included in this palette, eludes me. Shade four is a shimmery version of the previous medium brown shade and it's much, much better in terms of quality. Fifth shade is a gorgeous coppery-bronze shade that was just made to make blue eyes pop. It's the most buttery shade in the palette and it reminds me of some shimmery shades in the Makeup Revolution palettes. It still needs a lot of building up the colour, but I love the final effect. The last shade is a warm deep brown with a matte finish and it's the best matte colour in the palette, however, it still leaves something to be desired. For one I wish it were darker because now it doesn't add enough depth to the outer corners.

These perform better with a primer, but still several layers are needed for a decent look. The eyeshadow that you see on my look is that coppery one, even though I used all shades in the palette. the outer corners just can't be deepened enough with that last shade, so it all looks more like one eyeshadow. Staying power on the other hand, isn't' bad and these also don't crease on me. 

I expected so much more. Compared to other such palettes from Catrice, this just is not the same quality. I absolutely love the colours, so I'm gutted that the pigmentation isn't the best and I'm planning on getting a similar palette from a different brand. Absolute Matte is still my number one recommendation, closely followed by Absolute Nude. Absolute Rose lacks variety, but it's a lovely palette nonetheless. 

I got my palette in Tuš Drogerija for 5.29 €

Have a great day!

Drugstore Challenge: What Makeup Would I Buy with 50 €

August 28, 2015, 9:35 am

≫ Next: August Favourites

≪ Previous: Catrice Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

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Years ago I did a challenge: what makeup would I buy with 50 € at the drugstore? It was a fun task, but a difficult one because things aren't exactly cheap around here. I still stand firmly by my choices made back then and go check it out to see a different version of this challenge, but I wanted to make a new one that would include new products I've tried since then. In my 2013 version I included my favourite foundation, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum as well as Maybelline's the Eraser and I would still pick both, but they are very expensive for drugstore products at 15 € and 10 € respectively, so they eat a huge chunk of the budget. Essence Stay Matt Lip Creams were discontinued, which broke my heart, so I had to choose a worthy replacement for those as well. I had nine products in the first challenge and in this new one I have twelve. Most of the products are from Catrice and Essence simply because they are the cheapest brands here and they have some excellent products that I use every day, while the rest are just getting more and more expensive.

FOUNDATION

CATRICE Nude Illusion 

7.69 €

I chose this foundation not just to switch it up from my previous selection, but also because it's half cheaper than Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. Nude Illusion is a wonderful foundation in the drugstores and the cheapest one in my top 5. It's gives about a medium coverage, has this lovely luminous matte finish and lasts very well on the skin.  

CONCEALER

COLLECTION Lasting Perfection Concealer

4.19 £ (currently 5.8 €)

This category got a bit tricky because in all these years, I still haven't found a decent concealer that I could just pick up in our drugstores. I could choose Bourjois' 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream, but the coverage is only medium, so it's best suited only for under the eyes, plus I have this huge issue with the fact there is only 1.5 ml in the pen. So I said sod it and chose one of my favourite concealers, the famous Collection's one, even though it's hard to get here in Slovenia (try eBay or Boots International). It has full coverage, comes in light enough shades and can be used on both spots as well as dark circles. 

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Concealer

6.8 € (Salma)

So I cheated and added this one as a replacement for Collection's one since that one is hard to find. It's a euro more expensive (price is from Salma, where it's cheapest that I could find) and it's again not sold in Slovene drugstores, but at least it's sold online and in neighbouring countries. It has less coverage than Collections', but it's less thick and better suited for under the eyes. 

BLUSH

CATRICE Defining Blush

3.79 €

Whether you're on a budget or not, these blushes are a fantastic drugstore buy. They have excellent pigmentation, they apply and blend nicely, plus they have great staying power. Their shade range is lovely, but the one shade I recommend you to try is Rose Royce.

HIGHLIGHTER

ESSENCE Soo Glow! Cream to Powder Highlighter

2.99 €

I never talk about this, but this is a pretty good highlighter. It's very glowy for what I'm used to, but I love a good cream highlighter. The formula is indeed cream to powder, well at least in a sense that it dries fast on the skin. There are two colours of this, I got the pink toned Bright up your life (similar to Benefit High Beam).

POWDER

CATRICE Colour Correcting Mattifying Powder

4.69 €

I admit I haven't tried a ton of powders from the drugstore, but the one thing I know is that I dislike the Essence all about matt! fixing compact powder despite the fact it's a euro cheaper. So I chose this one because I do use it a lot and it's a decent product. The colour correcting bit is a total lie, but it mattifies and sets the makeup without looking powdery and cakey.

MASCARA

ESSENCE Lash Princess Mascara 

3.59 €

I could choose pretty much any other Essence mascara because they do some really good ones, but I chose this one since it gives the most massive, voluminous and long lashes ever when it's new. It's not waterproof so it doesn't hold a curl on my lashes, but most of you don't experience such a problem anyway. Essence does have some good waterproof formulas if you need that instead.

EYELINER

ESSENCE Eyeliner Pen Waterproof 

2.79 €

Essence has a pretty good felt tip eyeliner for the price. It's nicely black, the nib is of a normal shape and it lasts quite well on the eyes. It dries out fast though and it's not as amazing as some other more expensive liners, but it's worth purchasing.

ESSENCE Big Bright Eyes 

2.20 €

Basically you just need this. I use it every single day. Every. Single. Day. Even if I'm not wearing makeup. This became such a staple to me and I much prefer it to the Max Factor Khol Eyeliner in Glaze that I mentioned in my previous version of the challenge. This is a super creamy eyeliner that transfers into the waterline with ease and it makes your eyes appear more wide and awake. My shade is called 01 Highlight it...Nude and it's a pinky toned nude. Amazing product.

EYESHADOW

CATRICE Absolute Palettes

5.29 €

Boy did Catrice did a great job at these, especially the Matt and Nude versions. They are very pigmented, apply nicely, aren't chalky and last well on the lids. Matt is an excellent neutral, matte palette that is great for a basic, "contoured" taupe look which is just such a classic, while Nude has a lovely collection of shimmery nudes that should suit just about anyone. Whichever you choose, you'll be set in the eyeshadow department for a classic neutral look.

MAYBELLINE Colour Tattoo 24hr

5.59€

I was deliberating whether to include Catrice's Contour Palette or this here, since I already put Tattoos in my previous version of this challenge, but they won again because they also work as an eyeshadow base, plus they are so easy and quick to apply. I put only On and on Bronze here because this is the shade I'd choose as it's so universally flattering.

LIPS

CATRICE Ultimate Colour Lipstick

4.29 €

These are amazing quality for the price. If I compare them to the a bit cheaper Essence or Makeup Revolutions ones, these are much better quality. They have an excellent pigmentation, lasting power, don't dry the lips, don't bleed and they are very smooth. Their colour range is beautiful, but shades are discontinued and new added often, so don't get too attached to one colour. 

ESSENCE Lipliner and Longlasting Lipliner

1.19-1.59 €

So I had some money left and I just threw these in. The reality is that it's almost impossible to walk out of the drugstore without one of these (queue exhibit A). I'm not a massive fan of their "regular" lipliners as they are too soft for my liking, but that's just my opinion and just about anyone I know utterly adores these. I'm more of a fan of the Longlasting range and I love the shades Lovely Frappuccino and Yummy Berry (you'll have to dig out some more change, if you want these to fit the 50 € budget). Both of these can easily be used instead of a lipstick and they don't feel drying at all, so they are a great way to experiment with colours. From the regular lipliners range I highly recommend you check 14 Wish me a Rose because it's a good dupe for Mac's Please Me (at least on my lips) and those who are a fan of the 90's trend, try Satin Mauve. It looks awful on me, but gorgeous on most I've seen. 

A grand total comes just shy of 50 €. The prices used are those that are set in Slovenia or online (in case of Fit Me concealer) and the price of Collection concealer is from Boots International. Some prices are either lower or higher depending on the country you're in.

LITTLE SNEAKY CHEATS 

MAX FACTOR Facefinity All Day Primer 

12.99 €

I couldn't resist cheating yet again, but I'd be a really bad blogger if I didn't mentioned this primer. I mean what if you have a nice discount or you decide not a buy a few of the products above and you have some spare cash from those 50 €? All Day Primer is an absolutely wonderful product that is very light, doesn't feel like your skin will suffocate under a layer of silicones, it prolongs your makeup and it mattifies. It also doubles as a pretty good eyeshadow primer as well. 

CATRICE Prime and Fine Professional Contour Palette

4.69 €

As I mentioned above at the Maybelline's Tattoo, based on your preference you can swap it for this palette. I've only tried the light version called Ashy Radiance, but it works for my pale complexion. The pigmentation is enough for me (it's more pigmented than NYX's Taupe, which would be another recommendation of mine here), it blend nicely and fakes a shadow pretty well. The highlighter is subtle, so if you like thing more glowy, I'd still buy that Essence one.

BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet 

12.99 €

If you treat yourself with one thing, pick up one of these. These are so lovely, I'm a huge fan since day one and am dreaming of three more shades. These are liquid lipsticks with a matte finish and an excellent staying power. Grand Cru won't blow you away with its formula, though the colour is gorgeous, but I would definitely recommend you check shades Nude-ist, Frambourjoise and if you're feeling brave, Olé Flamingo.

So these are my choices for this challenge. My draft of course contained more products, but I tough decisions had to be made. So what would your choices be? I would love to see your version of the challenge. 

Have a great day!

August Favourites

August 31, 2015, 8:07 am

≫ Next: Essie Fiji

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L'OREAL Infallible 24H Matte Foundation

This was in my last monthly favourites and it deserves its place here once more. I love how this foundation looks on my skin. It's matte, but not flat-looking, it gives me about a medium coverage and it disguises pores like nothing else I've tried. The shade isn't the best, though this part is kind of expected at L'Oreal foundations, but it's not a horrible match. 

MAYBELLINE Anti Age the Eraser Eye Concealer

This is the ultimate concealer for lazy human beings. No, seriously, you barely need to do anything, just swipe or stipple it where needed and the sponge does most of the work of blending anyway. The coverage is about medium, but I find it covers well enough for me and I love the thin and light formula of this because it blends in so seamlessly, making it look as if you're not even wearing anything. It's been three-four years that I've loved this concealer and I'm still waiting for it to actually be sold in Slovenia. Thank you Maybelline Slovenia, you spoil us way too much #sarcasmON.

CATRICE Lumination LE Powder Blush 

C01 Flushed-Fiction 

No surprise this is here, since I've been gushing about it this month. The colour is so me because it's similar to one of my all-time favourites I'm Nuts About You, except that it's glowy. Flushed-Fixion is a warm natural shade or kind of a muted pink and it's only a hint cooler than Nuts About You, while it's less intense as well as less warm than Rose Royce. Things haven't been rosy from the start, but once I got through the top layer, it revealed its true potential. Too bad it is a LE item. 

CATRICE Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette

010 Ashy Radiance

A miracle happened. That magical year came when I can walk into a drugstore here and pick up a decent contouring powder. And one that fits pale girls, imagine that. The contour powder is taupe brown, so it manages to fake a shadow well and it's pigmented enough to show up on my cheeks. The highlighter is subtle though, but in a nice champagne shade for a neutral skintone like mine.

I checked the Essence version as well and I' not a fan. The powders are softer, which I like and the highlighter is a lovely warm beige-gold shade (speaking of the lighter duo), however, the contour powder is too warm.

REVLON Ultra HD Lipstick 

Rose

This is such a comfortable product to wear. I much prefer it to wearing a chapstick. It's super, super soft and moisturising, but has plenty of pigment. On me Rose is a lovely, neutral pink shade that is a shade or two darker than my natural lip colour, so it's a great every day colour. It think my favourite part about this lipstick is the scent - it smells like Planica ice cream, so it's absolutely yummy. 

BOURJOIS Contour Edition Lip Liner 

02 Cotton Candy

I just love this colour. It's such a cute, warm pink, which makes it a great everyday colour. In terms of texture this is my favourite lip liner because it's soft, therefore comfortable on the lips, but it's not smudgy soft like Essence lip liners, so it has better staying power and it's more precise. 

ESSSENCE Longlasting Lipliner 

03 Yummy Berry 

I "discovered" a colour combination that I'm totally digging and it's this liner together with the Essence Be Berry Now nail polish. They aren't exactly the same, but close enough. Yummy Berry looks a lot cooler on me than on most, so it's a cool toned fuchsia on me and it is such a striking shade. 

ESSENCE Colour & Go

175 Be Berry Now

Of course Essence had to discontinue this fabulous colour, though they replaced it with a similar enough shade in their Gel Nails called True Love. Be Berry Now is Bahama Mama's lighter, rosier sister and it's such a pretty shade, one of favourite colours ever that is best described a raspberry-purple.

L'OREAL Elvive Extraordinary Oil Oil-in-Cream

Dry, Rough Hair

L'Oreal Elvive/Elseve is proving to be my favourite drugstore brand for hair care and I'm really kicking myself for not trying anything from them up to less than a year ago because I had this prejudice that L'Oreal does only mediocre products filled with nasties (the things that internet does to you). This is such a great leave-in product and unique in terms of texture from what I tried. It really feels like a hair oil in a cream and coconut oil is actually on the second place among the ingredient. This fixes my dry ends without the high silicone content (though there are silicones in it) and without making my hair greasy or limp. It can be used on either dry or wet hair, which is just awesome, plus it smells lovely. This is all I wanted Phyto's famous 9 to be, but a lot cheaper.

KÉRASTASE Chroma Sensitive Caressing Cleansing Balm

I save this like crazy because I get so nervous about using my good stuff since it's so expensive, but damn it does it make my hair feel like new. Cleansing conditioners are basically conditioners that are used as shampoos, so you're literally done with hair in three minutes, but these should be used only on hair that isn't that dirty, but preferably when you hair is feeling dry. This one is like a Kérastase quality shampoo plus mask in one and the effect of this is amazing on my dry hair - clean, yet moisturised super shiny and healthy looking hair, but still with some volume. My hair feels so great when I use this. But I have to warm you that this is a heavy product and even I need to use it completely on its own, so no additional care later (I'd recommend this only to those with dry hair). It's so hard to get out of the tube because it's so thick, but I think that the new packaging is actually a bottle with a pump.

THE LIBRARY OF FRAGRANCE Sunshine

I think this was appropriately named because it smells like freshly laundered clothes hanging in the warm summer sun, so it does make you think of sunshine. It's a simple fragrance, which to me just means it smells clean and ended up I wearing it every single day since I got it.

Have a great day!

Essie Fiji

September 2, 2015, 7:49 am

≫ Next: Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer

≪ Previous: August Favourites

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Similarly to Mint Candy Apple, Fiji has a special status in the beauty community. I have to admit, I never got the hype. I mean it's an off-white pink, so what? But so many people adore it and highly recommend this shade. Actually, I didn't buy this myself, but my cousin got it and found that this colour doesn't suit her complexion, so she asked me if I want it and put it on my blog. Isn't she nice?

Fiji is a very pale milky pink with a creamy finish. That's it, a nude-pink nail polish. I still don't get what all the fuss is about to be honest. It's pretty, but rave worthy? Nah, not really. Apparently this looks great with a tan, but I wouldn't know that since I am very pale.  

The formula is a pastel from hell. There I said it. It's like Mint Candy Apple and Fiji are these evil pretty cousins that make you spend applying nail polish way longer than you planned to. It's a thick formula that is also runny, so when you go to apply it on the nails, it messes up everything around. At least three coats are needed for a decent even finish. The brush is lovely and fits my nails perfectly, but what does that help when the formula is behaving like a little disobedient child.

Ok, I might be thoroughly spoiled by gel formulas, but it's 2015 people. Essie you need to let go of these old school classic pastel formulas. Even Catrice, which is less than a third of the price has better behaving pastels. When I was swatching this for a review, I applied three pastels in a row and this one was a nightmare compared to Catrice's CC nail polish.

So tell me, any one of you a die hard fan of this shade? Do you also find the formula hard to work with?

Fiji, Spin the Bottle (LE), Cute as a Button, Watermelon, Really Red, Bahama Mama, Sole Mate, After School Boy Blazer (LE),  Turquoise & Caicos and Mint Candy Apple.

Essies cost 9.90 € in DM.

Have a great day!

Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer

September 4, 2015, 8:13 am

≫ Next: Essence Matt Touch Blush 10 peach me up! and 20 berry me up!

≪ Previous: Essie Fiji

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Many, many lines were written about the Eraser concealer on this blog, by that I mean pretty much glorifying epics expressing my love for it, yet I never did an actual proper review of it. Well, here is it, only a few years too late. It was almost four years ago that on one faithful day, I stumbled upon this in an Austrian DM and bought my very first tube. In all this time, I was never without one in my stash, but damn is it a hard concealer to find and that is not a good thing when you love this concealer as much as I do. So many people are completely repulsed by the idea of the sponge applicator, but I find it absolutely brilliant because believe it or not, it actually does its job quite well. My tube is undoubtedly very battered looking which isn't unexpected considering I use it tons, so no pretty pictures of unspoiled products today.

Texture: The formula is very light, but it contains a lot of pigment for such a texture. It's in a way a dewy formula, so you have tons of time to blend and it does not stick to dry patches at all. This formula blends seamlessly into the skin and looks incredibly natural while covering circles and any redness.
However, I don't think I'd be comfortable using this on oily skin because it's prone to sliding off on such skin, but it should work for other types.

Coverage: I always say that the coverage is medium because I feel that's how others would describe it and it does indeed cover less than for example the Collection's one, but actually it covers all I need on my skin. Admittedly I do not suffer from monstrous dark circles, at least I think so, but this concealer covers that redness I have under the eyes well. That's how I see it and you can be the judge yourself if you think it doesn't look covered enough on my pictures. I actually always use only thin layers, so you can get more coverage out of it. It can even manage to cover spots, though some redness might still shine though, so I actually end up using either Nars' or Collection's for more heavy duty tasks. I especially love using this on my nose since it's darker than the rest on my face due to freckles and I need an extra layer of coverage. This works fantastically because it doesn't look like I have a ton of foundation on my nose, but it looks so much more natural. I have on occasions used this as a foundation and it looked so good.  

On my before/after pictures I'm wearing only the concealer (just under my eyes, on the nose and a mini tap on my chin), so no additional base. My freckles are still visible, but the skin is much more even and that is how I like my makeup, just looking as natural as I can get it. Insert awkward full face pics:

Colour: I use the shade called Fair (03), which is kind of a pink equivalent of Bourjois' Healthy Mix Serum 51 Light Vanilla. It's not the best match for me, but it's decent, still I wish they sold another even lighter shade. I used to have another shade called Light. That one is about a shade darker and more yellow toned. I have swatches of both here and you can find swatches of Fair in concealer reviews (1, 2, 3). There are more shades available: Nude (Medium in the US) and Honey, while there are a couple other shades sold in the USA and they are Brightener (pink toned) and Neutralizer (yellow toned).

Staying power: I always hate this category because I never check my makeup during the day. It's obviously gone by the end of the day that's all I can say. It's not like Collection's or Nars which last forever on the skin, but if you take into account how much lighter and moisturising it is, than it's not such a surprise it doesn't last ages. One thing I have to warn you about this concealer is that it creases. However, this never bothered me much, I use powder to set it anyway and it's fine.

Packaging: It's very unique and one of my favourites. It has a twist up mechanism which delivers the product to the sponge and then you simply apply the product by swiping it or tapping, whatever is your preference. I've seen some people take off the sponge, but honestly in all these years I've never had a single breakout because of this concealer. Whether it's an unhygienic applicator or not, this doesn't affect my skin at all. The sponge is super handy, it does 90 % of the job for you, sometimes all the work actually, especially if you're like me an use thin layers, but the rest you can just quickly blend out with fingers or a brush and that's it.  

Price and availability: For some unfathomable reason this drugstore gem is not sold in Slovenia (why, why, WHY?! Maybelline Slovenia you're doing a great job of pissing me off), so I have to resort to buying it in our neighbouring Austria where it cost 9.95 € the last time I was there. I used to buy it in Croatia, but they stopped selling there. Boots International and Feel Unique started selling it about a year ago, but they don't stock the shade Fair, only Nude and Light are available there. There is still eBay though, but prices vary as do the shipping costs. 

I have raved about the Eraser extensively in the past and it remains firmly at the top of my favourite concealers. I've used up a few tubes already and there will undoubtedly be more of them. If you want full coverage, this is not for you, but if you're like me searching for the most natural looking base and concealer products, don't hesitate to try this. The combination of a very light formula and the sponge application make this a concealer that is super-fast to apply, requires very little blending and one with such a natural "of course I'm not wearing makeup" effect. I really recommend you try it, but I can't promise you that you'll like it as much as me. By the way, you can read about my favourite concealers here. 

Koliko si vas želi, da bi ta korektor prodajali v naših drogerijah? Roke gor. 

Have a great day!

Essence Matt Touch Blush 10 peach me up! and 20 berry me up!

September 6, 2015, 7:20 am

≫ Next: Catrice Ultimate Colour 350 MATTador

≪ Previous: Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer

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Essence decided to go matte with the blush formulas. I've always considered them a company that follows trends (*khm* skilfully copies. I'm not judging), so the next logical move would be to release illuminating blushes, but I love they went into the other direction because they did an great job with these two. I'm not a massive fan of Essence Silky blushes, they just aren't the best, but these matte ones are really good. They only released two shades, but I suspect there will be more in the next update.

These are ironically a lot silkier than the Silky Blushes. They are quite hard blushes and unlike Silky Touch blushes they don't dust/flake when you swivel your brush in the pan, but the pigmentation is still good. It's not an amazing and I need to build up the colour, but it good enough. These blend nice, way nicer than Silky blushes and the finish of these on the cheeks is sooo nice. It's like they're not even powder blushes because there is none of that powdery finish on the skin. It's like your skin is actually that colour. What I'm trying to say is that they just look so smooth and well blended on the cheeks. 

peach me up!

Peach me up is a classic peach shade that brightens up the skin and it's a matte version of Autumn Peach form the Silky line. That one also looks matte on me, so there is no need to own both, but I'd pick Peach Me up because it looks prettier in terms of texture on the cheeks.

berry me up!

Berry me up is a darker warm pink shade that gives a rosy-pink I-just-came-from-the-cold-flush. It can get quite intense on my cheeks if I build it up.

Staying power of both is unexpectedly excellent. The manage to last at least a full work day on the cheeks and I actually checked after four hours what they looks like, Peach me up faded only a smidgen, but Berry Me Up looked like it was freshly applied. I used L'Oreal's Infallible foundation underneath.

The packaging is not the best. It's classic Essence packaging, but the blushes aren't glued well, so I have I feeling they will fall out. The closing mechanism works fine.

I love the quality of these, the finish is just so natural for a powder blush, however, I know I won't end up wearing these two tons because I tend to wear shades like I'm Nuts About You and Rose Royce. If they ever make a shade like that, it'll surely become one of my favourites.

These cost an affordable 2.79 € and I got mine in Müller.

Have a great day!

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Catrice Ultimate Colour 350 MATTador

September 8, 2015, 8:26 am

≫ Next: Zeliščni Vrt Cvetka Bio Masažna Kocka z Vanilijo in Jojobo

≪ Previous: Essence Matt Touch Blush 10 peach me up! and 20 berry me up!

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Have I been neglecting this lipstick pretty much since I got it. It was released at the same time as MATTraction, which is one of my favourite shades ever, so it was easy to sort of forget this one. I talked about it in one of my New In posts and in one of my Season Inspired posts where I also included some swatches, but I've been wearing for the past couple of weeks and decided that it definitely deserves a proper review.

MATTador is a warm red with a creamy-matte finish. It's a much tamer version of orange red shades such as Lady Danger, but it's still has that bright, summery quality to it. This would be a nice choice for those with warm skin tones.

The formula is similar to MATTraction's, but I think it's not quite as good because this one seems a bit lighter, creamier and therefore not quite as long-lasting, though they are similar and probably the best matte lipsticks you can get for under 5 €. Catrice's matte lipsticks are so creamy, they just glide on the lips without tugging and the finish isn't completely matte, so they don't end up being super drying on the lips. 

Staying power is nice and you'll get several hours of wear from this one. It does have a scent, but I don't know how to describe it other than it's a classic Catrice lipstick scent. The packaging looks and feels so much more expensive that what you're paying for.

Catrice Ultimate Colour lipsticks cost 4.29 € and they are sold in almost every drugstore here in Slovenia. These are my favourite budget lipsticks, so if you have a chance give at least one a go.

Have a great day!

Zeliščni Vrt Cvetka Bio Masažna Kocka z Vanilijo in Jojobo

September 9, 2015, 10:25 am

≫ Next: Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray

≪ Previous: Catrice Ultimate Colour 350 MATTador

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Sorry to my international readers, but post will be in Slovene because it's a product that is sold just here for now. It's a very nourishing Bio Massage Cube with Vanilla and Joboba that is handmade by Herbal Garden Cvetka and it smells kind of similar to Lush's Soft Coeur Massage Bar, so it has that vanilla essence mixed with cacao butter which makes it smells a bit like chocolate, but this one smells more natural, more waxy and a touch more herbal.   

Zeliščni vrt Cvetka se poleg ekološke pridelave zelišč ukvarja tudi z izdelavo negovalne kozmetike iz svežih zeliščnih izvlečkov. V njihovi spletni trgovini boste našli kar nekaj izdelkov, od tekočih in trdih mil do raznih mazil za ustnice, obraz, roke in telo. Mene je najbolj pritegnila tale masažna kocka. Sodeč po opisu, ki obljublja čokoladni vonj zaradi dodanega vaniljevega ekstrakta, me je spominjala na Lushevo ploščico Soft Coeur in bodimo realni, kdo se lahko upre vonju čokolade. Ploščica je prišla lično zavita v prikupno škatlico iz papirja s pentljico, tako da jo lahko uporabite za kakšno darilo. Kocka je pravzaprav navadna ploščica, ampak mene to ne moti, ker jo je v takšni obliki lažje uporabljati. Je zelo topljiva in mehka, jaz jo pred uporabo dam kar v hladilnik, da se ne topi tako hitro, ker drugače bi kaj hitro porabila celo. Res diši še kar podobno Lushevi Soft Coeur, ampak je vonj veliko bolj nežen in tudi bolj naraven, zraven voham še vosek in zelišča. Masažne kocke so na voljo še v dveh drugih vonjih in sicer s sivko in z mešanimi zelišči.

Med sestavinami najdemo olivno olje, čebelji vosek, kakavovo in karitejevo masko, sezamovo olje, izvlečke arnike, poprove mete in ognjiča. Že po sestavinah je jasno, da gre za zelo hranilno zadevo, ki se lepo maže in se dobro obnese pri masaži, ker se ne vpije tako hitro. Meni je super za razne suhe predele, npr. komolce, noge, podplate, ker kožo zelo nahrani in navlaži. 

Masažna Kocka stane 3.90 € (25 ml). Njihovi izdelki imajo ekološki certifikat in so ročno izdelani, kupite pa jih lahko v spletni trgovini ali pa na več prodajnih mestih, seznam lahko najdete tukaj. 

*PR product.

Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray

September 11, 2015, 10:50 am

≫ Next: Three Shades of Red, Three Looks

≪ Previous: Zeliščni Vrt Cvetka Bio Masažna Kocka z Vanilijo in Jojobo

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Well I sure took my time to make an actual review of this spray and the irony is that I've been using it all the time since I got it. I even got a back-up of it because I was worried I'll run out and I'll be without it for a while. I never thought I'd be that girl - the one who swears by texturising sprays. My hair has tons of natural "texture" due to being coarse and thick, so such products aren't what you'd expect I'll like. I also have a fair amount of natural volume, though even I'm never really happy in that department because I always see girls with way prettier and thicker hair than me. I use texturising sprays for one task and that is to make my freshly made curls look better and last longer. The first texturiser I tried was from L'Oreal #TNT and it's useless, but I loved the second one VO5 Texurising spray. Charles Worthington's one is very similar to the latter, but it has a stronger hold and that's why I prefer it, but both are great. 

Just like the VO5 one it's something like a mix of a dry salt spray and hairspray. It's a product that can feel almost like nothing on the hair if used in moderation, but it can also create a bit of that crispy-hairspray feeling if you apply it liberally. Personally I don't mind if it makes my hair a bit hard as I'm used to having loads texture in my hair because my hair is coarse and never soft, but it might bother all those who have silky soft thin hair. As far as volume goes, I'm pretty much set with what nature gave me anyway, but this does give that bit of texture and hold, so it holds the volume once the hair is "tousled" or messed. I like to apply this right after curling the hair to get the curls to look better and in conjunction with a hairspray it actually helps keep the hair curled a lot longer - something I greatly appreciate. With this my curls last for days, or better said, a day or two longer than normally as you may know that my hair keeps curls very well anyway.

It has a fruity scent that I can't point out exactly what it is, but I think that it may be grapes and watermelon, though it doesn't last long on my hair.

I've been trying out my new curling iron, Sapphire Complete 8 in 1 Wand, so I did two looks meaning I used two wands (you'll hear more about the curler sometime in this or the next month). For the first I used the pearl wand for messy, beachy waves. 

For the second I used the 3.8 cm wand for very loose waves, it's more about volume than curls. So far I'm in love with this curling iron.

Ingredients:

If you read my lip colour and blush reviews then you've seen me after I used this spray many, many times. Basically it's on my hair in probably over 90 % of such posts since December last year. I love using this spray when I've just curled my hair because it adds a lot more hold, it makes the curls look more lived in, adds volume and basically it just makes it look better. I'd definitely give it a try if you have thin hair with no volume or if you have the type of hair that doesn't hold curl well because it adds that grip and texture that silky hair needs to retain a curl. To my delight this is a winner in my book and I'm glad I ventured into the world of texturizing spray as they have become indispensable to me.

I buy it on Boots Intenational where it costs £6.99.

Have a great day!

Three Shades of Red, Three Looks

September 13, 2015, 9:09 am

≫ Next: Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara

≪ Previous: Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray

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Red is such a classic shade that never goes out of style. You can be bold, glamorous or even a rebel with reds on your lips and nails. I'm a huge fan of reds and because I have a neutral skin tone, I feel like I'm not restricted to wearing just warm or cool toned reds. I prepared a selection of three shades of red worn on the lips and nails so it's a bit matchy-matchy and created three different looks. I included alternatives to all these shades as well, so you'll be seeing a lot of red.

The Bold One

Orange reds are such fun shades and they make me instantly think of summer. I feel as if every time June comes around so many bloggers dig out their Lady Danger lipstick and wear it with pride. I have a little dinky sample of Lady Danger, but for this look I chose to wear Essence's Lip Cream Floral Glam, which is essentially an almost the same shade, but it was unfortunately a LE (Guerrila Gardening). On my nails I'm wearing Depend's nail polish in 036, which matches the lip colour very well. For a lip liner I chose Essence Lipliner in Femme Fatale, which admittedly isn't the best shade for this category, but it's the closest I have to an orange toned liner. 

As I said the quintessential orange red is the super popular Lady Danger, but I find a newer Mac's shade called Dangerous a little bit prettier. For those who don't want to commit to a bold pout, Bourjois' Rouge Edition Shine in 21 Rouge Making Of is a nice sheer option. The most budget choice would be MUA's lipstick in 13 that'll cost you a quid and for those who want a warm red that doesn't have such a strong orange tone try Catrice's Ultimate Colour Lipstick in MATTador. For nail polish option I also have Essence's Juicy Love in my stash, but Essence has been messing with their formulas, so I'm not sure it's the same. I also found you some alternatives/dupes for Lady Danger: Milani Matte Lipstick in Passion, Nyx Matte Indie Flick, Wet n' Wild Megalast Purty Persimmon, Maybelline Craving Coral, ...

The Glamorous One

Nothing screams glamour more than a classic blue toned red lipstick. These types of lip colour also make you teeth look more white, so it's no wonder they are so popular. My absolute favourite is L'Oreal's Colour Riche in Blake which is a part of the Collection Exclusives. The colour is stunning and the finish is matte, plus the formula is the absolute best I've tried - it's way better than the more popular Mac's lipsticks. I paired it with Catrice's Ultimate Nail Colour in Bloody Mary to go, which is a type of shade everyone should have in their collection. For a lip liner I used Catrice's Longlasting Lip Pencil in 040 …and a Cherry on the Top and I also added Ardell's Demi Wispies to bump up the glam.  

Though I stand firm that Blake is by far the best choice here, I have some alternatives. The most obvious choices are from MAC - the good old Ruby Woo, Russian Red and MAC Red. For cheaper options I have Makeup Revolution's Pro Iconic lipstick in Propoganda, Salvation Intense Lacquer in A Love Like That and Freedom Makeup's Pro Red 108 Expression, but you might know already that I'm just not feeling these three, well at least you'll still hear that soon about the last one, but they are very budget friendly. The other closest other nail polish I have is Essie's Really Red, but it's a neutral shade, so almost doesn't fit here any more.

The Vampy One

Not everyone can muster up the courage to go so dark and yet I find such shades of red the easiest to wear, especially in colder months. Classic reds look too classy for everyday and orange reds look super punchy, but with burgundies I feel much more at ease. There was a time when I wore Rimmel's Matte Lipstick in 107 every day, but I have to say that the days of that lipstick came to an end the moment I found L'Oreal's Colour Riche in Laetitia. It is everything I dreamed of a burgundy lipstick to be. It's from the same collection as Blake and it has that same gorgeous matte formula. I paired it with Essence's Colour & Go in Do You Speak Love on the nails, which Essence discontinued in this formula, but I believe the shade is still the same or possibly very similar in the new Gel Nails line. The perfect lip liner to pair up with such shades is Catrice's Longlasting Lip Pencil in Berryson Ford.

I have no shortage of burgundies in my collection, it is after all my favourite colour for autumn. For lip colour alternatives I already mentioned Rimmel's 107, others include Bourjois's Rouge Edition Velvet in 08 Grand Cru and for those who don't want to go matte, Rimmel's Apocalips in Eclipse. Nice nail polish options are OPI's Malaga Wine, Revlon's Parfumerie in Bordeaux and for those who want to amp the vamp factor go for Essie's Sole Mate.

So what's your favourite red? I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great day!

Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara

September 16, 2015, 8:01 am

≫ Next: Wishlist #19

≪ Previous: Three Shades of Red, Three Looks

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Max Factor added a new mascara to their family and it's another version of the űber popular False Lash Effect. I had the latter when it first launched and poked myself in the eye with that huge brush so hard that I barely contained myself not to throw it out the window, though I actually liked the effect of it (I then sneakily gave it to my mom). This one has a smaller brush that is easier to handle, but the basic design is the same. Velvet Volume promises a very lightweight formula that doesn't weight down the lashes, no matter how many coats you apply. 

The formula is indeed light and so far it hasn't thickened (1 month since I got it), which is a bit odd, as most mascaras do. The thicker the formula, the more volume you get, so I'd like to see it thicken at least a bit. Despite the fact that the formula is light in it promises not to weight down the lashes, consequently the curl shouldn't drop, with this mascara my lashes drop within seconds. It's actually quite annoying to me because you know how long my lashes are, but if they aren't curled, it literally looks like I have no lashes at all #hoodedeyesproblems. As far as effect goes, it's a very defining mascara that gives a natural effect and only with a ton, and I mean a ton of coats, you get some decent volume going. That's why I find that this mascara should suit those who like a very natural effect. It's the one I'd give to my mom, who does not like big lashes, but just a bit of definition.

The brush is a plastic one with evenly distributed bristles. Because it doesn't bend and the material also appears to be quite hard, I find that when I'm applying it close to the lashes, it feels a bit harsh. I had the same problem with the False Lash Effect, their brushes are just too clumsy and harsh for me. Its strong point is definitely definition as it combs and applies the product on every lash.

Mine is a regular formula and it doesn't flake nor smudge during the day, but I never really had issues with that anyway.

This mascara costs a fairly unreasonable 14.35 €, which is in my opinion just way too much for a drugstore mascara. I'm just not happy with how pretty much painful the application is on my eyes (it could be my eye shape, I don't know) and I'm just not feeling the effect of it, but if you like defined lashes that look very natural, this might be a mascara for you. Plus Karin and Klavdija rate it very high, so don't listen to the grumpy old me.

Have a great day!

*PR product

Wishlist #19

September 17, 2015, 9:11 am

≫ Next: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

≪ Previous: Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara

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1. MILANI Rose Powder Blush

I had my eye on these for so long, but I didn't like the original colours, so I'm happy that they came out with more, though I hear they are LE. There are several shades I'd love to have, but I think that American Beauty Rose and Blossoming Rose look most like my type of colour. Knowing myself I actually think I'd be afraid to use them because I wouldn't want to destroy the gorgeous pattern and I think wouldn't be the only one.

Milani EU, currently 7.73 €; Click2Chic, 10.46 €

2. TOO FACED Love Flush Blush

Another set of blushes that I just find so adorable. The heart shaped design was a stroke of genius, though it's been done before, but these are the first I'd like to try because of the formula. I'm not sure which shade to get yet, maybe something in the peachy-pink range  (How Deep is your Love? or Love Hangover) or something nude (Baby Love). These are quite expensive and I don't even know where to get them yet that they would ship to Slovenia, but there's no hurry.

Too Faced, $26.00

3. HUGO BOSS Ma Vie Pour Femme

EDP

I used up four fragrances in the past month and a half (can I get a high five?), so I deserve a new one. I have three on my priority list, one is L'Occitane's Peony which I cannot get out of my head, but it was in my last wishlist post, the second is Elle L'aime Lolita Lempicka, but that one is very beachy and the third one is Ma Vie, which I also mentioned in one of my wishlists beforeand it's a lovely fruity-floral scent that reminds me of a shampoo, so it's very easy to wear on all occasions.  

Salma, 38.60 € - 47.60 €

4. THE BALM The Manizer Sisters

I was going to include just Mary-Lou here, but then I saw the news of this release and it's just the best idea ever. I have one powder highlighter and even that was gifted to me by the queen of highlighters Petra (thank you again) because she found it too pink for her, so I don't have the best selection of undertones, like something gold. Everyone and their mother is raving about Mary-Lou and though I'm concerned it'd be too gold for me, I want that glow, which is a bit strange coming out of my mouth, but I don't want to do subtle highlighting all the time. The palette contains all three the Balm highlighters, the original Mary-Lou Manizer, the pink and probably more of a blush for me Cindy-Lou Manizer and the bronzy Betty-Lou Manizer. If I won't be able to find this palette anywhere, I'll probably just get Mary-Lou one day.

The Balm, $28

5. MAKEUP FACTORY Mat Lip Fluid Longlasting 

61 Velvet Rosewood

I found this randomly once in Műller and it's been on my mind ever since. It's that popular rose-marsala shade that is everywhere this year, but I don't have anything like it. I swatched it next to Bourjois Nude-ist, which is one of my favourite lip colour ever, and it's darker and less pink, but in the same colour family. The formula dried very matte and I love a good mate finish.  

Müller, 11.95 € (price in Germany)

6. ZOEVA Rose Gold Complete Eye Set

I am in a desperate need of new eye brushes. I'm serious. All of mine are those that were a couple of dollars online or euros in drugstores and they are all so old, I'm embarrassed to tell you (bought way before my blog), plus a lot of them started feeling scratchy. Plus I don't' even have a lot of them. I have three"fancy" brushes that are from Mac - 239, 217 and 219, but they are again super old and they aren't enough. I hear a lot of great things about Zoeva and though the prices are way, way too high for what I'd normally be prepared to pay, I might do something totally out of character and get a set of them. These new Rose Gold ones caught my attention because they are drop dead gorgeous and that is that little plus that might make me want to open my wallet more willingly, I just hope that when I finally make up my mind, I won't discover they are gone.  

Zoeva, 65 €; Moja Drogerija, 68.85 €.

7. MILANI Color Statement Lipstick 

Matte Passion

I hear that this is a good dupe for Lady Danger, which I only have a sample of, but I wear it frequently in the summer, so I'd like to have a proper lipstick in this shade. I'm also really interested in what the formula is like as I just love matte finishes.

Milani EU 5.56 €; Click2Chic, 6.83 €

8. HEALTY SEXY HAIR Soy Renewal Creme Oil

I'm a massive fan of the Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In, it's a product I use every time I wash my hair and it really makes a difference in how long my hair stays hydrated. I heard that this is actually an even better product for dry hair like mine, basically it's an upgrade and of course, I'm itching to try it, but it's ridiculously expensive, almost twice as much as the leave-in conditioner. I'm hoping that it'll be cheaper around Christmas.

Beauty Bay, £20.48

9. MA PROVENCE Shampoing solide bio Anti-pelliculaire

solid anti-dandruff shampoo
I'm currently without any anti-dandruff products, so I'm again on the search for something new to try. I'm not a fan of natural shampoos at all, but Monika from Sugarlove blog says this helped her a lot, so it's worth a try. It's a shampoo bar and I never tried one in solid form, so this will be interesting to test, but I do have my concerns about it being drying. It's very expensive for something that I'm not a 100 % sure I'll like or that'll work, so I'm still putting off actually purchasing it.

DM, 8-9 €

10. L'OCCITANE Pivoine Flora Bi-phase Bath Oil

I found this on my recent visit of L'Occitane's online shop, where I like to look at the Peony fragrance and weep in my keyboard about the price, but I had no idea that such a product existed. From what I can gather it's bath oil made out of two phases and it turns milky white in the bath, but I think I can use this as a shower oil, like the almond one. I'm basically interested in it mostly for the gorgeous peony scent.

L'Occitane. 20.30 €

11. BALEA Dushe & Creme Hibiskus & Nectarine

I knew Balea wouldn't just completely stop doing product with nectarine scent as it was to good not to use it somewhere. You might remember the shower gel in the coconut-nectarine combination, so now they swapped coconut with hibiscus. We'll see how this works out.

DM, probably 0.99 €

12. BARRY M Nail Paint 

292 Navy

I asked on Instagram what nail polish would be similar to the long discontinued Essence's Deep Blue Sea, which is one of the most perfect deep blues with blue frost and I got a reply from Katja (Nail2Express) that Barry M's Navy should fit the bill. And she knows her stuff. I tried buying it on Boots International already, but the site was so glitchy or this was actually out of stock, so I couldn't add it to the bag. I will get it one way or another, mark my words.

Boots International, £2.99

BALEA Mizellen Reinigungs Wasser

Micellar Cleansing Water

Picture here.

Two new exciting launches are coming to DMs, I just don't know if also in Slovene ones, but Balea made a micellar water (two versions) and a cleansing oil. I've seen first reviews of the oil and it's supposedly good, but you end up using it a lot. I might give it a try, but I'll definitely try the one of the micellar waters.

DM, price for micellar water to be announced, the oil will cost 2.45€

BALEA Pflegecreme Best Wishes

Picture here.

New versions of Pfelegecreme are already available in Germany. One is with an orange-grapefruit scent and the other with violet-freesia scent. I'd like to get both, but the citrus one is a priority. 

DM, here presumably 1.19 €, but it's 0.95 € in Germany. 

Have a great day!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

September 19, 2015, 8:03 am

≫ Next: Mateja's Beauty Blog Turns Five (Giveaway)

≪ Previous: Wishlist #19

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Yes, I am very aware I talk about this foundation all the time, but I love it to bits and you know what? After three bottles and four years of love, I finally set out to do a proper review. It's about damn time, right? It just bothered me that every time I mention this I don't have a decent review of this to link and at least you should see the before and after side by side, but I do wear this foundation in a majority of my lipstick and blush posts. This is a foundation that made me fall in love with foundations. Before I had the worst problems with flakes, every foundation made them visible from space, so I avoided applying them all together or at least left out the forehead, where the situation was most dire. But this just glides over patches and it's the first foundation I wore foundation all over the face with no worry and it just looks so natural, radiant and pretty. 

Texture: It's light and runny, and you can blend this very long if you want. Whether you use fingers, brush or a sponge, pretty much any technique works with this, but I like applying with fingers best. You can layer it as much as you want and it won't cake up, but blend in seamlessly.

Coverage:Light to medium. My freckles still shine through and it doesn't cover spots or dark circles well, but I prefer it like that and just spot conceal where needed. I was never a fan of completely covering my skin and why should I? It's not like I'm not happy with its state.

Finish: It has that dewy, healthy glowy finish and it's almost invisible on the skin. There are no tell-tell signs that you're wearing foundation, but the skin looks fresher, perked up and healthy. This is the perfect foundation for dehydrated skin because it just glides over dry patches and doesn't emphasize them at all. However, if your skin is oily, you won't like it. I've never heard of anyone with oily skin praising this.

Colour: I always get the lightest shade 51 Light Vanilla. Bourjois foundations run very yellow, but it is a light shade as far as drugstore foundations go. I swatched it in pretty much every foundation review and I use it as a standard comparison, so it's easier to compare all the different foundations I've reviewed so far.

Find more comparisons in next posts: 

• Bourjois BB Cream 21 Vanilla 
• Catrice Nude Illusion Foundation (010 Nude Ivory) 
• Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B10 
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover 11 Very Light
• L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation 10 Porcelain 
• L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint 100 Porcelain 
• Mac Face & Body Foundation N1 and Mac Prep + Prime BB Cream Extra Light 
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Foundation 010 Light Porcelain plus NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Siberia 
• Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation 010 Light Porcelain 
• Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream 31 
• Diorskin Nude BB 001 
• Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream 13 
• Skin79 Pink Label BB Cream 
• Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream 21
• Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer 1

and there are actually more, check under About or Directory for links.

Staying power: Due to the light texture and a dewy finish, it's not the most long-lasting foundation. I don't really check in the mirror during the day and it depends on the day, but it last somewhere in the ballpark of 5, maybe up to 7-8 hours with a primer. The oilier your skin is, the faster it'll slide off.

Scent: It has a lovely fruity scent that I've loved from day one. Some will find it too strong, but I like fragranced stuff.

Ingredients: Someone once asked me if that alcohol content is apparent. Do not worry yourself with that alcohol, it's only on the 14th place. Usually it's only the first five ingredients after water that really matter, so those lychee, pomegranate and goji berry extracts are almost non-existent here - don't fall for the "vitamins-rich fruit therapy" claim on the bottle. 

Packaging:Plastic bottle with a handy pump. It's one of the best foundations for travelling because it's slim and the there is no fear the bottle will break. One of my bottles survived five hotels in as many days, three countries and a lot of travelling. 

Price and availability: Price is going up, which is making me very angry. You just kind of feel betrayed because it's like they are punishing loyal customers. It's currently about 15 €, but on occasions there are some discounts so it pays to wait.

So here it is, my good old trusted friend. We've been through a lot together and I still love it to bits. I wish they had more neutral shades and one that is lighter as well, but 51 is good enough for my skin. The coverage is on the light side, which I know a lot of people don't like, but I've never been a fan of obvious makeup, so I gravitate towards the most invisible bases, that still have coverage. Any of you fans of this foundation? 

Have a great day!

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Mateja's Beauty Blog Turns Five (Giveaway)

September 21, 2015, 3:18 am

≫ Next: New In #34

≪ Previous: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

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This is a big one people. Five years. I've been relentlessly babbling about makeup and other trivialities for five years. I remember the day I created my blog and promptly posted several posts right after midnight the next day. I posted 21 reviews in 8 days! I was a blogging machine back then. Just kidding - truth be told, they were just a collection of swatches that I already posted on different forums, so it wasn't that big of a feat. I also remember my first subscriber or should I say subscribers - the pioneers of Slovene beauty blogging Parokeets. How they found me I have no idea because I never mentioned to anyone that I'm planning on creating a beauty blog, but high five to them. My blogging style evolved so much, but it's still based on doing all those detailed reviews that I'm sure some people say "Ain't nobody got time to read all this". That's why I put pictures between the paragraphs and try to separate each thing, so you can pick what you'll read.

I've mentioned this in The Secrets of Blogging Tag, but today it's also my Name day. It's an old, sadly mostly forgotten tradition, but I celebrate it every year and it's like my second birthday (I made a ton of muffins yesterday). Happy Name day to all Matejas (and Matthews, Matjažs as well as every version of the name)!

Top Reads

Want to know what top reads were in all these five years? Here they are:

My favourites

And of course I want to point out my favourites. These are the ones I'm most proud of and pretty much all of them took me ages to do or I just really enjoyed making them. 

I'm going to bore with statistics now. A total of 676 posts were posted in these five years and my dear readers plus me created 8390 comments - boy we had a lot to say. The blog had a mind blowing 1,8 million views and it gets about 65,000 views per month. Most searched keyword was "matejas beauty blog", followed by "manhattan soft mat" and "essence stay with me"

Thank you for every subscription, comment, like, pin, just for reading my posts - thank you for everything. It's been a wonderful five years with all of you and I hope it'll be like that in the future as well.

Giveaway

I promised to myself that when my blog turns five I'll actually make a giveaway. I've made a little bit of money from it, so it's only fair to give some back. I gave it a lot of thought what I'd give away and I decided on a Feel Unique Voucher for 30 € because that is what I'd most love to get and it gives you a chance to clear something from your wishlist. I don't want this to turn into one of those giveaways that just attracts free stuff hunters, so I'm asking you not to share anything and I'll also make you work for it because I want that the prize goes to someone who's actually a subscriber and reading my blog. Ideally it'd be someone who commented here because you just feel that bit closer to the person, however, I'm very aware that there are probably a lot of people, who read me regularly and never comment because I do the same thing to like a hundred bloggers. You have to answer this question correct to be able to participate:

What camera do I use for my blog photography?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm sure regular readers know the answer, as a hint I can say that there was series of blog photography posts and also that the answer is literally one click away. Do not write the answer in the comments, write it in the Rafflecoppter box, so you don't diminish your chances. Following me on social media increases your chances, but you don't have to subscribe to everything. Giveaway will last a week, so it ends on 28. September 2015 at 12 PM (CEST) and I'll try to announce the winner as soon as I'll be able to, at the same time they'll get an email from me. If the winner doesn't respond in two days, a new winner will be chosen. The giveaway is international and it's not sponsored.

Best of luck in the giveaway and thank you for reading!

New In #34

September 23, 2015, 8:33 am

≫ Next: Sapphire 8 in 1 Complete Curling Wand

≪ Previous: Mateja's Beauty Blog Turns Five (Giveaway)

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ESSENCE I Love Extremes Volume Mascara Waterproof

I was very impressed by the Lash Mania waterproof mascara that I bought a couple of months ago, but just as I found my favourite drugstore mascara, Essence discontinued it. This one appears to be a sort of a replacement for that one and I just had to try it. I loved the volumising effect of the non-waterproof version, but my lashes do not hold a curl with a normal formula, so I'm delighted they came out with a waterproof version. I flipping love this mascara! It gives tons of volume, doesn't clump up the lashes even though it's new, it gives tons of length, holds the curl all day, doesn't flake or smudge - it's near perfect. 

DM, 2.99 €

CATRICE Nail Lacquer 

18 Bloody Mary To Go

I had an idea for a reds inspired post and I when I went through my stash for the products, I realised I don't even have the most classic, cool toned red nail polish. I never even had one. I have Essie's Really Red, but that one is already brighter and warmer. I compared a ton of nail polishes that looked almost the same, but I choose this one because that's what others picked from the ones I showed them and I'm quoting the reason :"Because that bottle looks the biggest". Classic. I had this nail polish on my wishlist eons ago, but for the longest time I was sure it was discontinued. I guess it's back on popular demand. It's a lovely classic red with a good formula. I'll can see myself wearing it loads. 

DM, 2.59 €

EBELINE Concealer Ei 

Concealer Eggs

These were so darn cute, so I really wanted to have them, but I did ask around before if they are any good. Even dry, these are very soft and bouncy, way more than any sponge I tried. I like the size of these because I just feel that all those big sponges are too much for my small face even if they have a pointy tip. They expand to about 30%, fit perfectly and blend well enough, but I've never been a huge fan of sponges anyway. They drink up some of the concealer and foundation, but it's not that bad. I like this for the finishing touches as it creates a much more natural look, which comes handy at high coverage stuff. They wash ok, I use regular bar soap as with everything, though it's hard to get them completely clean. 

DM, 2.95 €

MAC Lipstick Samples

Diva, Rebel, D is for Danger, All Fired Up and Patisserie

Boy have these become expensive! I have tons of them already, but I haven't ordered any new ones for a really long time. At first because they switched to pots instead of tubes and then because the prices grew. But they had 40 % off and the prices were finally a lot more reasonable. I got a deep vampy red Diva, the purple Rebel, the perfect red-purple D is for Danger, the warm pink All Fired Up and the classic "wedding" nude Patisserie. I really wanted Brave, but apparently they don't sell it. I was most looking forward to Rebel because I hoped it's the perfect warm purple, but as I suspected it's very violet purple on me, however D for Danger turned out to be all that I ever wanted. All Fired Up is amazing as well. I'll post a proper review post, but you can see swatches on my hand here with D for Danger on the lips and here are the two previous posts of these TBN samples: 1& 2. 

The Body Needs, $4.99 in a tube

MAYBELLINE The Eraser Concealer

03 Fair

Thanks to Petra (Adjusting Beauty) I got a back-up of my favourite concealer. I just properly reviewed it a couple of weeks ago after nattering about it relentlessly for three or four years and this is actually my fourth or fifth tube. For those who haven't read any of my dozens of posts where I mentioned this - it's a medium coverage concealer that looks incredibly natural on the skin and has a sponge that does most of the blending for you already. 

DM Austria, 10.45 € (one of my readers tells me that it's a lot cheaper in Italy, where it's 8.5 €)

Le Petite Marseillais Huile Elixir Karite & Argan

In the spirit of buying back-ups, I got another one of these, which I once described as my ultimate "über dry hair fixer". It's a very, very rich pre-wash treatment that transforms my dry mop into decent hair. Wonderful stuff. 

E.Leclerc, 6 €

AUSSIE 3 Miracle Oil Reconstructor

I saw this on some German girl's Instagram and I never dreamed this will be sold here. But it is! I'm still astonished. I didn't hesitate before putting it in my basket, especially since we ran out of our "household serum/oil", but I of course checked the ingredients first. It's a classic silicone serum with oils, just like Moroccaoil, Orofluido and others. First two ingredients are silicones, which are then followed by fragrance (not the best thing), jojoba, avocado and macadamia oil. It doesn't smell typically Aussie, but it's a sweet fragrance that it reminds me of a mix of vanilla and strawberry ice cream with a bit of bubble gum. The formula is light, similar to Kerastase Elixir Ultime, so it should work for most hair types, but don't expect extra special nourishment. It's pretty basic as far as serums go, but nice. I've used it on both dry and wet hair, and so far I like it. It's not Orofluido, but decent, especially for the price and I like it way more than Garnier's. The packaging has a handy pump, however, the cap won't stay on for some reason.

Ingredients.

Műller, 8.99 € (100 ml)

NIVEA  3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water

I heard tons of good things about this, but also some bad, anyway it had a nice discount, so I decided to try it. I've tried a lot of drugstore micellar waters and this one didn't blow me away. It doesn't stand out in any way. It again feels like water, doesn't have a scent and it removes non-waterproof makeup ok enough, but mascaras seem to be an issue with this. Some say this is the best drugstore version micellar water they tried, but to me it's just one more on the market. It takes three cotton pads for my face to be clean of makeup and that's average. I kind regret not buying the Green Line one or just finally getting Bioderma again.

DM, 3.99 €

Ingredients

*FREEDOM MAKEUP Pro 32 Jewels and Riches Collection Eyeshadow Palette

When it comes to Makeup Revolution and MUA, I don't really follow current events, even though I follow them on all social media, so I missed this launch as usual. Freedom Makeup is apparently a sister brand to both of these and I have to say that my eyes nearly rolled out of my scull because, I mean come on, it looks exactly the same as MR. The quality is the same as is the packaging, so what is the point of creating yet another brand, but just calling it professional. Rant over, I know I'm a super grumpy annoying person, but this palette is basically any MR palette, which means that the quality of eyeshadows varies, but they are mostly nicely pigmented and soft, the matte eyeshadows can be a bit chalky, but I've tried far worse. The range of eyeshadows is good, though that's not so hard to do when you have 32 places to fill. You get some nice neutrals and some bold shades. For the price this is a pretty decent palette and I've been using it quite a lot, which I didn't expect to.

Ličila.si, 10.95 €

*FREEDOM MAKEUP Pro Blush Palette 

Pink and Baked

My first ever blush palette and the first time I've tried these "cheapy" blushes. Again the quality varies, but all in all, these are not bad at all. Some are very creamy and pigmented, like the bottom left (peachy-pink) and bottom two right ones (peach and plum-pink), but the second on the left (fuchsia) is the most disappointing as it's the lightest on the skin. The highlighter is waaaay too shiny and I think that even the most hard-core glow lovers will find this only appropriate for a sci-fi cosplay. I swatched all the shades here. 

Ličila.si, 8.95 €

*FREEDOM MAKEUP Pro Lipstick 

Pro Red 108 Expression

I'm still not impressed by these cheap lipsticks. This one swatches quite sheer and surprisingly pink, but on the lips is a cool toned red. It needs a few layers for full coverage, which is not a big deal and it's more on the glossy side. It's nice if you want to try a cheap red for the first time, but reds enthusiasts will find it's not the best. 

Ličila.si, 1.95 €

 

 *BORN PRETTY Bottom Eyelash Mascara

I wasn't planning on getting anything from BP, but when I saw this, I just so wanted to try it. Clinique's version is so expensive and I always manage to mess up my lower lashes with all those clumsy huge wands (is it just me, or are they getting bigger with each new launch), so I'm glad a cheaper version exists, though this one isn't super cheap if we're honest. The brush is indeed super tiny and it catches every lash. It doesn't deposit a lot of product, but it's more of a mascara that adds colour, so the lashes stand out more. It claims it's waterproof, but my test revealed otherwise. It wasn't running, but it also wasn't completely clean under the eyes. I've been using it daily, since I got it, but I don't consider it as an essential item. I adore the polka dot packaging, it's so cute.

Born Pretty, $7.15 (currently 4.99 $)

*SAPPHIRE 8 in 1 Complete Curling Wand

I never except anything so expensive for a review, let alone a product from outside of EU due to insane custom changes (I had to pay 40 €!), I've actually written so many rejection e-mails that I have a pre-written form, but I was sooo excited about this curling wand. It has eight different barrels, so it's super versatile and it's a huge step up from my old Remington curler. I've been using it for the past 3-4 weeks and I reached a point where I'm basically completely in love with it. I hate to say that about a product that is so flipping expensive, but I do and I feel stupid for not having something similar before, but to be fair you can't get anything like in Slovenia (I think). It shows in real time the wand is heating up (it can be set to both °F and °C) and it's so much lighter than my Remington, plus there is no annoying clamp (such a useless thing). The temperatures can be set as well, from 180° to 210°, I use 200° as always and my curls last for days (proof here, last day of these same curls is here). Even though it's an US product, it has dual voltage, so you can use it in the EU, but you'll either need an adapter or like I did, change the plug.

I've made a big deal out of the review, even going as far to show you the results of five barrels, so if you're interested make sure you don't miss it. As another preview, here I used the pearl and the 3.8 cm one and here are third day curls with the spiral one on the first look, but it isn't my favourite and again the 3.8 cm on the last look: 

Irresistible Me, 199$

Life Update

From September you can read me on another blog because I became a blogger for a Slovene online shop Click2Chic. I write in Slovene there, but you can still check out the pictures. I'll get a lot a products to swatch plus do a short basic review of, and it's a completely separate thing from my blog, so I'm not paid for posting here, but I'm allowed to post about them here if I choose to. I've been holding back this past months and didn't include anything from my job here, which was so hard as I actually love a few products, but I don't want it to look like I'm being sponsored by them and I want you to understand that they have zero influence over what I post here. I was thinking of doing these kinds of New Ins and posting reviews of only the things that I loved or just feel that you'd be interested in. But if you don't want me talking about those products here, I won't do it and reviews in Slovene will be on that blog anyway. Just please let me know what you think about this in the comments. It's important to me that we keep our trust. You can check what brands they have here, but they sell stuff like Milani, Physicians Formula, Revlon, BH Cosmetics, Models Own,…  so that's what you can expect from future reviews. These next things are all from C2C, but next time I don't plan to talk about every single thing I get. 

By the way, I don't post just reviews there, but also "Pinterest inspired" tips, such as this post about concealers, which I just so enjoyed making. However, not all posts there are mine. 

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush 

Rose

I actually already have one of these that I bought myself a while ago and I post it quite regularly where I want the picture to look pretty. I wasn't happy with the pigmentation from the start, but once the top layer is gone, it gets a lot better (you'll see it on my cheeks, how pigmented it is now). The flush it gives is a classic warm pink, so that I-just-came-from-the-cold one and gives you those cute cheeks. Apparently it has a: "Happy Boost Blend, featuring Happy Skin and Euphoryl, natural plant extracts which have been shown to promote a feeling of happiness by mimicking the effect of Endorphins and helping protect the skin from environmental stress." *rolls eyes* I trust you're smart enough not to fall for this, though admittedly it does make me happy when I look at this gorgeous beauty. I remember it had a floral scent, but it's all gone now (I didn't open the new one). It has an added compartment under the blush that hides a handy mirror and a brush - You'll see this is a recurring thing in PH blushes and it's a brilliant idea, though the brushes aren't the best. My packaging is still broken and the blush part just flaps around, which is super annoying, but I saw on the Argan bronzer, which has the same type of packaging that there the closing mechanism works, so it must just be my Booster that’s broken. 

Click2Chic, 15.90 €

*PHYSICIANS FORMULA Super BB All-in-1 Cheek & Lip Beauty Balm

Berry Pink

They made an EOS inspired sphere blush in lip colour - not bad. Again this one promises all sorts of things apart from making you coffee in the morning, but all the exaggerating aside, it's medium neutral pink cream blush. I'm reluctant to call it a lipstick, not because it doesn't work, but as usually when they try to do both, as a lip colour it ends up a bit drying. The colour is pretty, girly and a light almost Barbie pink on the lips that is semi-transparent, but I'd use a chapstick under it. On the cheeks in performs better and creates those bubble gum pink cheeks. The sphere packaging is so cute and great for travelling. 

Click2Chic, 8.91 €

*PHYSICIANS FORMULA Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush

Rose

Sweet Jesus lawd, this is so gorgeous in person! I was actually going to order something from Nude Wear myself just because those things are so pretty and then I got the news, I'll be testing this out, but I had no idea it's actually so well made. The packaging is beige faux leather in inside it's a pink satin, while on the other side it's again a nicely sized mirror and a brush. And the final touch - a rose gold bow. The definition of perfect packaging people. The blush itself is made out of fours shades, two are warm and two are cool, there is a silver overspray on the letters, but it goes away with one as and the letters disappears soon as well. The texture of this blush is medium soft, but I'm still at the top layer. The colours are all light and mixed together create a cool toned, almost violet-pink shade that's more on the sheer side, but shows up well on my porcelain complexion. If you like blushes like Essence's Adorable, which is more for people who are scared of wearing too much or are very pale, this will work for you. 

Click2Chic, 15.90 €

*PHYSICIANS FORMULA Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil

This is 100 % argan oil and that's basically it. I've used argan oil before in my skincare and it saved my skin when I had the worst case of dryness in my life (my cheeks were rough like sandpaper). I also used it on my hair as a pre-wash treatment as it's great for really dry hair. Basically you can use it almost everywhere. The packaging has a dropper with which you can precisely administer the desired amount. I guess the selling point of this exact one would be that it's completely scent free, which is the first such oil I've tried, since argan oil does not have the most pleasant scent. 

Click2Chic, 19.90 €

*PHYSICIANS FORMULA Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Bronzer

Light Bronzer

A bronzer that's infused with argan oil and is just stunning to look at. It is a mix of three tan colours and the gold glitter bits are again just an overspray. It has a very strong oriental scent that I could smell even before I unwrapped it, but I really like it as I just love scented stuff, however, if you don't like scented makeup, this really isn't for you. It doesn't smell on the face, just in the packaging. The texture is a lot softer than at Happy Booster and Nude wear, I'd almost describe it as buttery, which also means that the pattern will be quickly worn off. I was really concerned about this one because it swatches golden yellow with a sheen and from the start with huge gold glitter particles due to the overspray. Yup, totally unexpected. But it actually works one me, well at least once the huge glitter chunks are gone. I don't know what kind of sorcery this is, but I think I really like it, not as much as my Estee Lauder one, but considering I hate most bronzers, liking this one is surprising. However, I have strong doubts this would work on many people because for one, it's very light for a bronzer, it's also shimmery-glowy and it's very yellow toned. Maybe people with darker skin tones could use it as a highlighter. 

Click2Chic, 17.90 €

 *PHYSICIANS FORMULA Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush

Rose

This looks a thousand times better in really life than in any picture I've seen. The packaging is on point - red satin covered with black fishnets, it's just perfect burlesque-inspired box. It never convinced me when I was looking online, but now that I've seen it in person, it'd be my first choice also because of the shade, not just the packaging as at Nude Wear. The blush is a mix of two shades - a shimmery pinky-peachy colour and a shimmery hot pink that is in the centre (it's not just an overspray). It's my favourite product in this Physicians bunch because it has the glow and I mean a proper one, not like Max Factor's Lavish Mauve, but the real deal, like Benefit's Coralista. It actually showed up on my pictures, which is unheard of. The fine shimmer in it is ice gold colour, so it doesn't end up looking too cool or too gold. It's lightly scented of vanilla and it again has a mirror plus a brush in the back. 

Click2Chic, 15.90 €

*PHYSICIANS FORMULA Sexy Booster Va Va Voom Volume Mascara

This is without a doubt the most gorgeous packaging of a mascara I've owned. It's similar to Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Sexy Blacks as both have lace details, but not in other respects. It has one of those big plastic brushes, like Max Factor's False Lash Effect and Cover Girl Lash Blast and surprisingly I like it more that the Instant Lash Extension kit below. It's not waterproof, so it doesn't hold a curl on me, but that's not important to you, however, it creates a lot of volume for such a mascara, especially considering it's new. The first coat is a bit shy, but the second and third give you nice voluminous lashes. If you like mascaras such a MF False Lash Effect (original), you'll like this as well.

Click2Chic, 14,90 €

*PHYSICIANS FORMULA Eye Booster Instant Lash Extension Kit‎

Hmm… this is a mascara that I feel needs a very long review with every aspect explained in detail because it's a bloody hard mascara to use. I've had fibre mascaras, but this is nothing like I've tried before. The fibres actually come separate and they are dry, so it is vital that you first apply a thick and wet coat of mascara, then quickly apply the fibres so they stick to the lashes and then seal them with another coat of mascara. Using this mascara has been a trial and error, I've got a horrendous result and I got a nice one, basically it's a mascara that you have to learn to use. I read reviews about it and they are very polarised, but it seems to me that mostly girls with short, stubbly lashes like this and I get why. To get the important question out of the way - does it work? Yes, it does, you get a lot of fibres on there, but if you're not very careful you'll get clumpy, spidery lashes. You are applying something a lot more substantial than just mascara, plus a very wet, thick mascara on which the fibres stick, so it can get messy. I’d also suggest you stick to just one coat of fibres, I did two once and it was just like spiders are crawling out of my eyes. So don't do that, I do stupid things like that, so you don't have to. The fibres go everywhere if they don't stick on a wet enough coat of mascara and they can get in the eye, which isn't terribly pleasant (contact wearers don't use this. I made this mistake just once in my life). But once you master the application, you get some nice results. The formula also promises to make your lashes longer and fuller in time. 

Click2Chic, 23.90 € 

 *ESSENCE Sheer & Shine Lipsticks

01 My First Love, 04 Hidden Secret and 07 Sparkling Miracle 

Essence discontinued their original line of lipsticks which have been around since the beginning and upgraded them to these. As the name suggests they are sheer and with a shiny finish, so they are those lip balm/lipstick-lip gloss hybrids and I think they are better than the one before, which didn't really set the bar that high. I got three shades: 01 is super nude when you build it up and I'm just not feeling it on me, concealer nude years are thankfully gone. 07 is the darkest and it's a cool toned fuchsia that I also don't dig on me, but 04 is such a flattering nude. It looks ugly brown in the tube and I'd never pick it up, but on the lips it looks pretty and a great office/school/everyday shade. They again don't last long on the lips. 

Click2Chic, 2.20 €

*ESSENCE Liquid Lipstick

04 Show Off!

Essence's version of those liquid lipstick-lipgloss hybrids. They are the thickest version I've tried, but luckily not sticky, they are very pigmented and have a high shine finish. The shade is a pretty bright coral-red. I don't like it as much as L'Oreal's because those are sooo comfortable to wear, but these definitely pack a punch and they are of course a third or fourth of the price, so go for it if you want.

Click2Chic, 2.79 €

Review with swatches.

*REVLON Matte Balm

255 Enchanting

I'm actually not supposed to talk about this yet, but it's coming soon on the virtual shelves of Click2Chic. I already have Unapologetic and I love the formula of these. This is one of the brand new shades for Fall 2015 and if you'd like I can post a review of it here once it's posted on the other blog. 

Click2Chic, 10.89 €

*REVLON Photoready Prime + Anti-Shine

You might have seen the adverts for this already, but it's a primer in form of a balm. They decided to put it in a compact, so it's easier to carry with you for any touch ups, which is not a bad idea, except that's you'll be applying it over existing makeup, but since it's clear it should be fine. It promises to reduce pores, combat shine and prolong makeup. It's very light and feels very silicone-y, so creates that velvety layer on the skin and it mattifies very well, that's a plus, but does only a half of the job of disguising pores (compared to Infallible foundation), though the foundation does look better over it. So far I like it, but I don't think it'll knock my trusted Max Factor off its throne, however, people with oily skin will probably prefer the Revlon one.

Click2Chic, 13.59 €

*REVLON Photoready Kajal

350 Matte Expresso

I'm really digging this pencil. It's soft, it transfers well on the waterline, it's not harsh at all when you're drawing with it on the eyes and can be easily smudged if you want to. The staying power is insane. I applied it at 11 am in the waterline and checked again at 11 pm and it was still there. You don't want to know when took my makeup off and I went to sleep, but it was still hanging in the waterline. I'd say less than a half was gone, but from far away the effect was still the same, so pretty damn good. The colour is a deep cool toned brown that is a great alternative to black. 

I think this is also new and not yet on the virtual shelves of Click2Chic.

*LIP SMACKER Disney Frozen

Elsa (Cool Vanilla Mint) and Sven (Berry Slush)

I actually had my eye on these for a while because they are so adorable and Elsa was the one I wanted most and the second was Olaf because it supposedly smells like Coconut Slushy, but I'm happy I got Sven nonetheless because Berry Slush sounded great as well. Elsa smells to me like coffee and there is not a trace of mint or vanilla (I really don't like coffee), while Sven smells fruity, like cherry-berry candy and it's mint green which makes me happy. The formula is classic for Lip Smackers, so soft and not as waxy as Labello/Nivea. I get why these are so popular in the USA.

Other scents/tastes: Elsa & Anna (Chilled Cranberry Grape), Anna (Strawberry Shake) and Kristoff (Ice Pop). You can get all in a box or individually.

Click2Chic, škatlica 9.99 €, posamezni (druge verzije) 2.49 €

*DEBORAH Smalto Gel Effect

49, 52, 54 and 58

These are new colours and you may remember how much I adore shade 01. It's the same gel formula that is just so nice to apply. I got four shades to swatch:

49 Peonia Pink is a pastel Barbie/bubble gum pink. Formula isn't as good as at the rest, but good enough considering it's a pastel.

52 Starlette Violet is a Milka chocolate violet. It's a one coater with a very smooth formula.

54 Amaranto is a muted red-vine colour with a retro feel. Needs two coats or even just one if you're lucky on some nails.

58 Cinnamon Suede is an olive green. Needs two coats. 

I don’t' have a single colour that would be similar to any of these. Essence's Forgive me comes kind of close to 49, but it's a warm pink.

Click2Chic, 5,75 €

*CREATEURS DE MONOI Face Cream

Some of you might know of my love for L'Occitane Angelica face cream, but my skin has been enjoying this one just as well. It contains monoi oil, which is basically just coconut oil that had monoi flowers soaking in it for a month, so if you find that coconut oil is blocking your pores, this won't be for you. But my skin loves coconut oil, I use it as makeup remover and it makes my skin look so good. This cream does the same thing. It's quite thick or maybe I should say medium consistency, it takes longer to sink it that L'Occitane's and it also doesn't have silicones as that one, but it still works well under foundation. It has this lovely, indescribable scent that reminds me of Yves Rocher skincare. Does it make my skin smooth? Well, I don't have any dry patches and no spots, so yeah my skin is smooth. I've been using it for over a month now and my skin is in a really nice state, so I kind of really like this.

It's made by the same company as Yummy, so some German company and I don't know where else you can get this. 

Click2Chic, 12 € 

Review (includes ingredients)

*THE SCENT MANUFACTURE Extra Nourishing Body Lotions

Vampire Saga, Cashmere Sensation, Madagascar's Treasure and In Love

These look way more expensive that they are, but they are scented body lotions. They're not lotions in a true sense of the word because they are thankfully thicker and remind me of body creams. Each has a different scent ranging from teenage-y sweet to oriental, so it's a very diverse mix.

Vampire Saga looks like it'll smell the strongest and deep, but surprisingly it smells like candy. Blueberry candy that is, so it ends up smelling similar to Britney Spears's Midnight Fantasy and Escada's Moon Sparkle. If you like Tigi's scents, you'll like this.

Cashmere Sensation is the strongest and deepest scent out of these. It smells like a mix of Sariko shops (oriental spicy) and a nice fabric softener. It's a lot more spicy from the bottle, but on the skin it smells more powdery. It really reminds me of Avon's Herve Leger Femme once it settles. It's so strong I can easily wear it as a fragrance.

Madagascar's Treasure smells like vanilla dessert and caramel sweets. It's good enough to eat.

In Love is the most generic smelling out of these, but still pretty. It smells floral and fresh, there is a hint of fruitiness as well. 

It's another brand made by CPEurope, that German company and I have no idea who else sells these.

Click2Chic, 4.99 € 

Review

*THE BRAZILIAN ORIGINAL Conditioner

This promises to reduce frizz, but it's too light for my hair. My hair was screaming for moisture on the second day, so it's far better suited for hair that is less dry than mine or even greasy hair. It smells divine, tropically sweet like pineapple and coconut, but not in a pina colada way. They do have an oil in this line, which I think would work way better for me because it has jojoba oil on the second place among ingredients, but the conditioner wasn't enough for me.

Click2Chic, 8.95 € 

Review

*BEAUTY & CHIC Hair Line

Colour, Repair and Hydro Shampoos and Conditioners

Beauty & Chic is a new Slovene brand created by Click2Chic. There are three lines: for Coloured hair (pink), Repair (orange) and Hydro (blue). I was trying the Repair version and I really like the shampoo because I doesn't leave my hair dry, but it actually already nourishes the hair a bit. The conditioner wasn't for me though, because it's too light, but it should work for those who want some nourishment, but without heavy care.

Click2Chic, 5.90 €

Review

Have a great day!

Sapphire 8 in 1 Complete Curling Wand

September 25, 2015, 5:50 am

≫ Next: Max Factor Smokey Eye Drama Kit 02 Lavish Onyx

≪ Previous: New In #34

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A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Irresistible Me, who sells mostly hair extensions and they offered me some to try out. At the time my hair was 72 cm/28 inches long (I know, I know), so trying extensions would be a little bit ridiculous and that was almost the end of it, but then they kindly offered me to try out a curling iron instead. You might have noticed that I love wearing my hair curly, so this is totally up my alley. I've been using Remington Pro Soft Curls for years and it doesn't really offer that much variety, I do have another one from Babyliss with a 3.2 cm barrel, but it's astonishingly rubbish. I've been googling for the best 32 mm curling wands several times before and for some reason nobody talks about these things and the only brands that I could find were only available in the US, which was remarkably unhelpful. Sapphire Wand comes with 8 barrels, so you can make basically any type of curls you want, which should come very handy for me as I do others people hair occasionally. I'll admit that the price isn't the kindest to an average individual living here, especially considering we have to pay custom charges as well (expect a bill for 40 € in Slovenia), but I'm seriously impressed by it and just feel in love with it. I don't think we have anything similar in Slovenia, at least not something that would be of some decent quality, which is a shame, but luckily online shops exist.

First off, the important technical details you might need to know. The curler is dual voltage (110-240V 50/60Hz), which means it works in the US as well as Europe, so there is not worry about that. The original plug is American, so you'll need an adapter if you live elsewhere, which isn't that expensive or you do what I did and just change the plug.

I love how this shows the warming up process. It shows the exact temperature when it's heating up and that is so handy, because at my old Remington I have no idea how much time I have before it's ready. It heats up pretty fast, I'd say about a minute or so. You can set the temperature with those two arrow buttons. It goes up to 230°C (450°F). The temperature is in °F when it turns on, but you can easily change it by holding the right button for a few seconds. Totally cool to use in Europe is the summary. I also appreciate that the screen blinks when it's plugged in but turned off, so I don't forget to plug it out. It has an auto shut off feature as well.

There are 8 ceramic, tourmaline infused barrels ranging in sizes and shapes. There is a super thin 13 mm, the classic 19 mm, 25 mm which is the same as my Remington Pro Soft Curl, the big 32 mm, smaller cone shaped 18/9 mm, bigger cone shaped 25/13 mm, a pear shaped 13/25 mm and pearl.

The base is very light, to me it almost felt cheap at first because I'm so used to my Remington that's much heavier and my Babyliss one weighs a ton compared to this one, but actually the quality is pretty good. The buttons should be separated more because now they all move inside when you press them, but they don't interfere each other’s functions. I'm a weakling so it takes me a bit more effort of push the barrels in or pull them out, but for most of you it'd be easy. You're supposed to twist the round part at the base, so the barrel is locked in place. 

So far I've tried five barrels, the thin ones don't really interest me to be honest. The pearl one was the first because I really wanted to see what kind of curls it makes. It creates those beachy waves - very textured and messy curls. The pear shaped one was interesting to me as well. It creates curls that start high on the head giving you a more voluminous look. My absolute favourite is the 25 mm one. It’s the same as at my Remington one, which is the one I use all the time. The effect it gives is the same, I went for retro waves and it was my favourite style by far. The reason I might like it more than Remington is that it's lighter and more importantly; there is none of that annoying clip. I've never been a fan of clips, I always wrap my hair around the barrel and leave the ends out because that gives a more natural effect and the ends are the most fragile part of the hair, so I don't want to damage them with the heat. My second favourite barrel is the 32 mm. I have an old such curler form Babyliss and it completely useless because my curls drop within an hour with it. This one managed to create the same soft, curls that later dropped but not completely. They turned into very loose waves, more reminiscent of a blow-out. It's basically way better than my old one. I also tried the spiral one, which I also used to own a similar one (Remington Pearl) and its again better than that one I had before because at that one my hair got tangled in the bit between the barrel and the plastic cap at the end, but I’m not a fan of the curls this type of barrel creates. They are just so chunky.

Apart from retro curls, these are all pictures from already posted or upcoming reviews, so are you essentially having a sneak peak.

Curls last well at this curler, though that is also due to my natural hair texture, the techniques and products I use. Retro curls lasted particularly well at this curler, I've just happened to take pictures every day for all the swatching and future posts, so I though I might as well include it here. I kept the curls in a bun that was twisted in the direction of the curls over night. This was the last day of the curls. 

You get a very useful and well-made bag with the curler. The faux leather is soft to the touch and the inside has compartments for each barrel, the curler's base and even one for the heat resistant glove. With seven years of curling experience under my belt, I don't use the glove at all, they are actually very clumsy, but it's nice that they added it for all the beginners because they'll need it.

I'm really happy with this curler. I know I've only used budget versions so far, so I might be dazzled by a fancier one, but it's really good. I like that it's light, displaying how the wand is heating is super handy, there is a nice selection of barrels - I really find no fault in it. The price is really high, I know it's eight different barrels, but even so it's not something you just casually buy like groceries. It's an investment, but if you like playing with your hair like me, you’ll enjoy this. It has a 1 year limited warranty and you can get it on Irresistible Me website for 199$ (it had a discount once during the time I have it and I think it was 159$. I don't know if that happens often there). 

Have a great day!

*PR product

Max Factor Smokey Eye Drama Kit 02 Lavish Onyx

September 26, 2015, 2:18 am

≫ Next: Nebli Bottom Lash Mascara (Born Pretty)

≪ Previous: Sapphire 8 in 1 Complete Curling Wand

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This was pleasant surprise from Max Factor. I've never tried their eyeshadows before, but if they are all anything like these, then I've been missing out. I got this at about the same time as Catrice's Chocolate Nudes, which unlike the rest of their palettes, did not impress me and it's a lot less pigmented compared to this one from Max Factor. The new quads are available in several combinations of shades, but this one is most "me".

These are very soft, pigmented eyeshadows and I actually like to apply them with the sponge applicator that is added to the palette because it picks up and deposits a lot of colour on the lids, plus it's actually easier to use than a brush, since the middle two compartments are very narrow. The only problem with this palette is fall out which is a consequence of the eyeshadows being so soft that they almost remind me of pressed pigments. 

The lightest colour is a champagne gold with intense shimmer. It's the loosest of out the four and has considerable fall down, but I use it in the inner corners for a more awake appearance. The second shade is my absolute favourite, a medium bronzy-brown shade that is similar to colours like Urban Decay's YDK and one of the shades in the Catrice's Nude palette. It's buttery and very pigmented, also it blends nicely. The shade below it is a bit out of place to me. It's a dark grey-navy with a similar texture than the one above, but I can't seem to combine this shade into the look. The last shade is a matte, dark cool toned brown that is perfect for outer corners. The one thing that bothers me at this shade is that a lot of the colour is quickly blended away when doing makeup. 

Also wearing it here.

These last decently well and don't crease a lot on my normal lids, but I can't tell you how they would behave on oily ones.

These palettes aren't the cheapest at 12.99€ for four eyeshadow that are actually quite small, however, these are really good quality. They're not Urban Decay's, but they are very pigmented, blend well and last well enough for powder eyeshadows. They have fall out, though it's mostly the lightest shade that is problematic. I can't really figure out what to do with that navy-grey and I'd prefer something brown instead, but I love the second shade in this palette and wear it often. The packaging is small and very travel friendly, but I can't get over the price for a drugstore eyeshadow quad.

Have a great day!

*PR product.

Nebli Bottom Lash Mascara (Born Pretty)

September 26, 2015, 9:55 am

≫ Next: Essence I Love Extremes Volume Mascara Waterproof

≪ Previous: Max Factor Smokey Eye Drama Kit 02 Lavish Onyx

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It'll be a couple of years now since Clinique's Bottom Lash mascara was just about everywhere. I don't think we can even get it here, but it's too expensive anyway, so I'm happy cheaper options popped up on the market since.

The wand is really tiny, it's so cute. The bristles are very short, which is supposed to minimize the chance to make a mess, but I still manage to get some mascara on my skin (I must be extra clumsy). Because the bristles are so short, you don't get much product on the lashes in one go. It's more like it's tinting the lashes and making them more visible, but not too much.

The formula is thin, hence why also so little product is deposited on the lashes, but you can of course build it up should you wish to, though you won't get the same effect as with a proper mascara with a volumising formula. Anyway I think that with lower lashes moderation is always a good idea. It claims to be waterproof, but my under eye area wasn't completely clean after a shower. I wore Essence's I Love Extreme waterproof on the top lashes and that one is completely waterproof, so I know only this one was smudging. It wasn't a lot of it, but bits feel off. It doesn't smudge or run on me during the day, but I actually never have problems with that and I'm a poor judge of how it would perform on people with oily skin.

The packaging is really cute, I love polka dots, so I like keeping it on display. The product is in the smaller section, while the larger polka dotty one is the actual wand.

It costs 7.15 $ (currently 4.99$) on Born Pretty, which is not the cheapest, but it's still a much more affordable than Clinique's. I'm quite happy I got this and I've been using daily. It's not an essential item, but one of those little luxuries and it's fun to use. You can get 10 % off with a code MKOH10.

Have a great day!

*PR product