Showing posts with label essence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label essence. Show all posts

New In #34


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 €)

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.
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 €


*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: 

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. 


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 €


*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 € 


*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 € 


*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 €

Have a great day!

Three Shades of Red, Three Looks


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!

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


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!

New In #33


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 €

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

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 €

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.