Wednesday, 27 December 2017

Best Buys in 2017

07:10 Unknown No comments

MAKEUP

It took six years, but I finally found a foundation that I love more/as much as Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. I still utterly adore the latter and think it's one of the best foundations ever, but Matte + Poreless has my perfect shade and if you're as pale as me, a combination of a fantastic formula + a matching shade is almost impossible to find. It's got light-medium coverage, just what I like and a very natural finish that's neither too matte and neither shiny, so it also completely sets without any stickiness and it hides the pores a bit. 100 Warm Ivory is one of the palest shades I have and it has a warm undertone that isn't intense, which fits me since my skin tone is neutral. Unfortunately I have to buy this shade abroad, but our drugstores have 110, which is just a bit darker. This is one of the best buys I made this year.


I so needed this in my collection. As someone with a pale skin tone that finds it almost impossible to find any shade of foundation in Slovenia that would fit me, this is such great product to have for lightening any foundation and liquid concealers. The drops are off-white with a slight pink hue, which also means they neutralise yellow toned foundations. These don't affect the original texture nor finish of foundations, so they can be used with any formula. The only thing I can complain about is the unfortunate packaging, but otherwise this is a brilliant product that I recommend to anyone that struggles with finding pale enough shades. Another big thing this year - The Body Shop is finally in Slovenia, which can only be described as a miracle.

I've been using this pretty much every single day since I bought the first one six month ago. I got it based on a recommendation from my reader who said it's the best liner ever and I'm so glad I listened to her. The formula is super black and very matte, it lasts all day with no smudging, flaking - anything really, it just lasts. The applicator is a felt tip that's comfortable, flexible enough, but not flimsy like a brush. So far it's my favourite liner, though it's not the most precise, but it has never let me down. 


I've never tried L'Oréal blushes before this year, but these are seriously impressive and some of the best in the drugstores. There are two versions of the palette, but I use Ambers most, in particular the shade called Amber Love (4th) which is a warm muted peach meets mauve shade that has the pigmentation of a buttery eyeshadow and this beautiful metallic finish, which translates into a gorgeous glow on the cheeks. I know no dupe of shade and it's makes the whole palette worth it for it alone. These have a great pigmentation (granted I am very pale, so most things show up on me, but the last two are like eyeshadows) and staying power that rivals that of my favourite blush brand TheBalm. 

Honourable mentions:


SKIN CARE

I've completely changed my skin care this year and my skin took a drastic turn for the better. My skin's texture improved and it just looks healthier. Another big plus is that my makeup is applying so much nicer, especially foundations. For those who are new: my skin type is combination-dry and not at all sensitive. I get from visibly dry skin if I don't care for it in cold months, to slightly oily T-zone in warmer months. Spots are rare, but again if I don't care for it, I'll have a couple which tend to leave a mark and I know that at least mineral oil clogs my skin.

I've realised the importance of pH balanced skin care and I think it's one of the things that made the biggest difference in stabilising the skin. This gel is an excellent inexpensive cleanser with a pH 5.5 that I use after removing makeup with an oil cleanser. It's a thick, slippery gel that doesn't foam much and has a strong masculine clean fragrance, but I got used to the latter.


This became my new favourite micellar water, even though there are a lot of really nice such products in the drugstore, but this one just works so well for me and it's pH 5.5 just like Bioderma. It's a powerful makeup remover, so it removes makeup very effectively, even the pesky eyeliner + mascara, so I actually don't even feel like I need to cleanse (I still do because of habit and because you never know what's still there). It's light, but not drying, it leaves my skin feeling good and the scent is a gently pharmaceutical one.

I've been avoiding mechanical scrubs for years because every skin care expert says they are mostly bad for the skin (not saying they are wrong), but honestly no chemical exfoliator ever made my skin as soft and smooth as this. I was so unhappy with the texture of my skin before I found this, especially the area around nose and on my chin, but this works a treat. It's a very harsh scrub, like sugar scrubs for the body, but this also functions as a mask that you leave on the skin for 10 minutes and with this my skin feels incredibly smooth after use. It's by far the best face scrub I ever found and I'm planning to try the honey version too.


I originally got this because I heard it's the best thing for getting rid of blackheads, however, I've been using this for most of the year and my nose & forehead are still full of sebaceous filaments (after trying this method so many swear by, I've realised I'm a hopeless case anyway), regardless this is the product I've come to rely to keep my skin spot free, including in "those" days. It's a light, toner-like product that contains BHA, meaning it clears out the pores and helps with spots too, but it's relatively weak, so I feel no tingling. The longest streak I went completely spot free was two months and that includes also those tiny whiteheads.

I've been searching for something effective since Essence's roll-on type of product was discontinued many years ago, but everything sucked, until I found these. They are patches that you stick on a spot and it sort of sucks out the gunk or helps the spot to ripe. These work brilliantly on those big, brewing volcanos where you know the spot will turn white and you can't pop it because it'll become infected, making your life miserable for several days. It helps reduce it significantly and assists in making it heal faster with less damage to the skin. They aren't 100% reliable, especially when it came to spots on my cheeks or those painful spots that are deep under the skin, but still these are the best thing I found so far.


Overall this is really nothing special, it's just a regular type of light moisturiser with that gel-meets-cream type of texture that's the norm for normal/combination/oily skin type of products, but my skin loves this. In a thin application it works like a regular moisturiser that absorbs fast, leaves a velvet type of finish and is a great base for makeup, but in a thick coat it creates an layer of moisture on the skin that lasts until morning. It just agrees with me, so I already repurchased it. Also the panda packaging and the clean type of scent are extra pluses.

BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence and Gel SPF50+ PA++++ 
These two are hands down the lightest sunscreens I've ever tried. There is no stickiness or that annoying greasy feeling, instead you get a got a light formula that applies with ease, like a lotion/serum which after a minute or two sets to a velvety smooth finish. You can feel them under the fingers, but otherwise they super light, like you're not wearing anything. Neither leave a white cast, but they have a bit of a shine which is more of a K-Beauty dewy shine and not a greasy sunscreen one. For every day exposure these are fine, but for the beach I still trust western sunscreens more. Both gel and essence feel the same to me, especially when on the face, but you get more bang for your buck if you take the gel. Asian sunscreens in general are so much easier to wear than what we can get here and I've also liked Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish, A'Pieu Pure Block and Innisfree Daily UV Protection Cream Mild.



This was the year when I discovered what a good sheet mask can do and I've tried a lot of them. Plenty of them are good, but Papa Recipe Bombees impressed me most, especially the Whitening version that brightens the most out of all such masks I've tried. I also love the original Bombee and the Rose Gold version, which has the most beautiful sheet with a rose gold mesh design. All are nourishing, they even the skin tone, improve the texture and just in general make the skin look healthy and happy. The scent is an extra plus, since all smell like honey.  

Honourable mentions:
COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Essence (only had samples, but it's amazing and I ordered it in November, but it's not here yet)
THE BODY SHOP Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil (I only have a sample, otherwise I'd add it in the post. I think it beats my trusted Nuxe oil)
BANILA CO. Miss Flower & Mr Honey Essence Oil (used up two bottles and consider it one of the best buys I made this year, but unfortunately it has been discontinued)
BIOBAZA Micellar Oil (using my second one and it works great with my skin, but it's different from the sample I based my purchase on and it doesn't remove makeup well)
Best sheet mask available in Slovenia: brand MY HOIN NI 


Body 

This was my first such product, so a shower mousse that is very much like whipped cream in a can and I just love it. It's texture is so fluffy, but firm and the scents of these are amazing from what I could smell in the shop (this Fizzy Berry one is delicious, like a fizzy forest berry soda). I've been using it for a few months now and it's still not empty. Truly an enjoyable product, too bad they don't sell them in Slovenia.

I'm not too upset that Bilou isn't sold here because this Balea formula is a dupe. The scents admittedly aren't as nice, but the fluffy, yet firm texture is the same and it's just a pleasure to use. It's one of my favourite shower products.

I finally bought myself a tube of this cream that I've only had a few samples of before and despite the hefty, unreasonable price tag, it's worth it because there is nothing as good. It's thick and nourishing, but at the same time it absorbs in a minute and doesn't feel greasy at all. I don't know how they did that, but hands down the best formula for dry hands and for us who despise using hand creams due to greasy feeling. The lovely shea butter scent is a big plus too.

Honourable mentions: 
AVON Mesmerize Black (a very underrated fragrance IMHO)

So these were the products that impressed me most and were new to me in 2017. Of course a lot of my favourites from previous years stayed the same and you can read about Best Buys in previous years by selecting a label "Best Buys". For my all-time favourites the link is in the top bar.

If I quickly update you also on the products that I loved last year and I bought additional shades or versions:
COLOURPOP Lippie Stix - I bought four more and Matte X is still my favourite formula
L.O.V. LOVinity Nail Lacquers - bought/got a few more, including a great top coat and they remain my favourite.
SOAP & GLORY body moisturisers - I bought the Smoothie Star version, plus a few body scrubs, all products are lovely. I also bought two more of their Hand Maid hand sanitizers
L'OREAL Professionnel Série Expert Absolut Repair Lipidium - bought a large 500 ml pot and it's been pretty much the only hair mask I've been using all year.
DOVE Style+Care Frizz Free Cream Serum and Quench Absolute Supreme Crème Serum - still use both and I bought three more of Quench Serum ones.

What impressed you most this year?
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