.JPG)
09:10
Unknown
I think this is now here called Lash Paradise just like in the US and packaging is different. I've already included this in at least one of my favourites in the first months it was opened, so I've already shared my love for this formula, however, I've expressed my concern about it drying out quickly, since the regular formula of this L'Oreal mascara dries in record time (we're talking a month, two at most, which never happened to me with any mascara). Well, I'm happy to report this is holding up much better than the regular version. It's a drier formula overall, which suits my lashes that refuse to hold a curl, yet it's still functional after months since it was opened. I've said it reminds me of Essence's I <3 Extreme Volume Waterproof, except the brush is less clumsy. Essence still wins because it's cheap and I can get it in any local drugstore, but this one is a little bit nicer to use.
I've been sticking to more subtle highlighters over the summer, but now I went back to this one, though I often also use a Catrice palette from a New Year's LE (the one with a diamond pattern), which is quite intense and it'd be here if it weren't a LE. This is my strongest highlighter and it has very finely milled shimmer, so it looks like a nice smooth shine on the cheeks and is not chunky. Texture is powdery, yet creamy and on the skin it doesn't emphasize texture which I really appreciate at this one.
REVLON Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor
Unlimited Mulberry
I have this also in Always Sienna, which I got a couple of months ago and I was so impressed by the formula that I wanted a shade that fits my taste better. I picked this one, though Infinite Raspberry looks nice too (there are a lot of shades in the US, but here we have just four). I've said in my original review that this is the most longlasting lip product in my collection. I can apply this in the morning and at the end of the day it pretty much looks the same on the lips, only the shine is less intense. It's pretty amazing what this can survive. Now I won't claim this is the most comfortable lip product when you apply it so it's fully opaque in two coats, in fact you are aware it's on all the time because it feels like a layer that also a bit sticky when I press my lips tight together, but I can get past that and it doesn't feel drying on my lips. In one coat this looks more like a stain and on my pale skin tone it just defines the lips without looking much like makeup and applied like that I can't feel it on the lips. It's in two parts: like I said the colour part is more like a stain with one coat and on my picture there are two, the finish of it is matte. The glossy part seals the colour and it stays shiny for quite a while. The colour part doesn't wipe off on anything, only the glossy one comes off. Unlimited Mulberry is a light-medium pinky mauve.
Here is a picture of it after 9h.
CATRICE ICOnails Gel Lacquer
88 Pink Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
My first ICOnails nail polish. These have been around for a few years, but never check them out closely until the latest products update when I was standing in front of the stand for a long time and this colour caught my attention. It's not new, but it's my type of colour, so it's odd I missed it. Formula is great and easy to apply, so I might check more of their colours. I've been using some other gel ones recently (like Oriflame) and this one is so much smoother. Shade 88 is a medium muted pinky-mauve shade that's somewhat similar to Essence's 56 You & Me that I still adore, it's just a bit deeper and less nude.
For the past months I've dedicated myself to use up Biobaza Cleansing oil because it was the oldest in my stash and now this finally got it's turn again. It's so much nicer, thicker and I use a lot less of it. This and Oriflame are my favourite cleansing oils as they are very similar and both have a similar thick formula. If only they were as easy to get as Biobaza.
AVEO MED 2 in 1 Totes Meer Salz Duche & Shampoo
I like this a lot. I've had Aveo Med shampoos before, also with pH 5.0, but I guess never this one because this Totes Meer Salz formula is so good and the rest were just average. It reminds me a lot of my favourite L'Oreal Extraordinary oil, which is weird because this doesn't have silicones, yet it leaves me with a very similar silky feeling. I like this more than the Balea Urea one I've been buying for the last year, so I've stocked up on this one. It's only 1.26 €, so this is one great drugstore deal. Despite the low pH, my scalp still feels the same like with L'Oreal shampoos, so it's no different or healthier when I use this, but I like how it works for my hair.
I was still a bit careful with my praise for this when I first wrote about it because I've just used it a few days before, but I've since used some other hair masks and the difference is so stark I can't believe it. With this my hair was so much softer, nicer and just in general much better behaved. It took an overnight treatment to achieve this result on my thick hair, but it was worth it. Effects lasted a long time for my hair, especially since I used Cantu conditioner after, which is the most hydrating formula I know. This combination made my hair so soft that my curls didn't last as long as usual, meaning I've probably achieved the "average" hair softness that most people have (now I get what all of you are complaining about, but I was happy to have softer hair for once), while with the mask I used in the next wash, my hair was the usual coarse self and curls lasted like freshly curled for days (texture is key when you want your curls to last). Just no.3 by itself didn't get me such a drastic difference and I also suspect without Cantu the results wouldn't be the same, but I've found a combination that works for me when my hair is being overly difficult, dry, tangled and coarse. Though it's a liquid that is applied on dry hair, I didn't use nearly as much as I thought I will need, so one bottle will last me several uses, which is a good thing considering how much it costs. It doesn't do much for frizz, but in combination with Olaplex no.6 and some other products I got a smooth result too and not just soft hair. By the way in case you didn't know no.0 is meant to be used together with no.3 to boost its efficiency.
I've talked about this one in my hair care post, about how after hating it, it's now one of the best hair masks I've tried. The reason for this turn is apparently hard water, so it's absolutely wonderful to know I wasted 80% of the product and it wasn't even working its full potential due to one small reason. I've started doing acid rinse this summer, which I talk about more in detail in my hair care post and now this mask leaves my hair super soft and in fantastic condition that last for several days. It left my hair nourished with none of that heavy feeling that I was experiencing before. I still need a lot of other products for taming frizz, but that's will all masks and conditioners. So there you have it, I've completely changed my mind about this one.
This was an unexpected pleasant surprise. I haven't seen any reviews before I got it and I just put it in my basket because it was cheap and because it has hydrolised keratin right after two silicones. It's really nice and currently I use it most out of my oils because I think it helps me achieve a smoother blow-out than the rest, though it's still not perfect. It's one of the thicker silicone-oils, so it works well for my thick, coarse hair. Packaging needs some practice, as this has no pump or even just a large opening like at Orofluido, instead it's a squeeze bottle with a tiny hole, so if you squeeze a bit too hard you get half a palm of product, but I learned to squeeze just one side and you get the normal amount. This was only 10 € on Notino, so it's very good price for such an oil.
I've heard a lot of good things about this formula, but it's no longer in my local Müller, so I stick mostly to L'Oreal's Excellence because it's everywhere, but I snatched one of these in Leclerc Ljubljana. Unlike L'Oreal it's ammonia free and it has added keratin in the actual colour, not just the conditioner like some formulas have. I grabbed just one because there is 120 ml colour mixture and it was enough for my roots, but for all over I'd need an extra box. I really like this one. It's not drying, it doesn't burn, the colour turned out beautiful and it blended well into my lower half of lighter hair (where I didn't colour). It's liquid, so it's easier to spread than some, yet it wasn't messy. I used it to tone yellow-orange tones after bleaching and it worked great. But it has a pitifully small conditioner - just 12 ml, which isn't even enough for my ends, let alone the whole hair. I just used a ton of Cantu and my hair felt great. I like this as much as L'Oreal, though the latter has a bonus as it comes with a great big conditioner, but this one has the advantage in that it's ammonia free. I will buy this formula again
Revlon Colorsilk 70 just on the freshly bleached roots. I didn't colour the lengths, but the colour from before is L'Oreal's 9.1 and Spectra demipermanent 8/10 Ice Blonde regularly refreshed with L'Oreal's purple shampoo and Subrina Colour Refresh Mask in Diamond Blonde.
UPDATES
I don't count this as a proper favourite because the shade I got is much too dark and I have no use for this foundation because of it, but I really like the formula. It's very similar, if not the same as their Giordani Gold MasterCreation Foundation, which I count as one of my favourites particularly for colder months. It's got a similar creamy, yet feeling-like-liquid, weightless texture with the same light-medium coverage and dewy-glowy finish with a natural look. Even the scent is completely the same and the only real difference I see so far is that this one is cheaper. Staying power is good, this lasts well through the day and doesn't start looking patchy.
CATRICE Pore Minimizing Serum 10% Niacinamide
I was excited for this product because it's so far the only serum with so much niacinamide in my local drugstore, but thing did not go the way I had hoped. After a week I had to stop using it because it broke me out. It wasn't just that, but also the texture of my skin got worse so quickly and due to the fact it's clearly clogging my pores, I saw no classic niacinamide “healthy, bright skin” effect that I usually do with other products. However don't understand this as a bad review of the product, this is just an unfortunate reaction my skin had to this serum and it's not for me. You likely won't experience the same, unless you are sensitive to the same ingredient as me (I don't know which is breaking me out though. It's none of the usual suspects). Texture-wise it's a light serum that doesn’t absorb
completely, but leaves a lightly sticky layer on the skin and is easy to layer over. If I don’t apply a moisturiser quickly, my skin starts to feel tight. It has a fruity-ish scent that isn’t strong and doesn’t linger.
L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL Serie Expert Liss Unlimited Smoothing Cream
I got to play more with this and after initial disappointment, I got quite a good result with this. It can in fact make the hair a lot more straight than when I don't use it before blow-drying. There's still frizz on my hair, but not as much and some extra silicone-oil helps get it sleeker. It's not the same as straightening my hair with a proper straightener, but close enough. It's a medium thick cream that doesn't leave the hair weighed down or sticky.
CATRICE Powerfull 5 Liquid Lip Balm
050 Fresh Acai Berry
I got one of these new Liquid Lip Balms by Catrice, which I hoped where just the repackaged Dewy-full. They are very similar and have the same super comfy balmy texture, however, I guess they wanted them to last longer, which granted, they achieved, but it was by making the formula more sticky when it wears off a bit. I like it and I still consider it a nice drugstore buy, but I regret they got rid of the Dewy-full formula and honestly, I like Revlon's Ultra HD Vinyl Lip Polish (shade Birthday Suit on the picture) more. It's just a nicer formula overall and has the same balmy type of texture.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
CATRICE True Skin Hydrating Foundation
002 Neutral Ivory
Sadly, I’m not feeling this one. While I'm so glad Catrice finally has a foundation that is light enough for me, this formula doesn't work that well on my normal-dry skin. It looks very obvious and powdery-dry on me, especially when I don't use a heavy moisturiser or even better an oil under it. It's simply too dry, matte and makes my pores look terrible, also it's a foundation that sets fast, so I don't have much time to blend it in nicely on my skin. Having said that I suspect this would work a lot better on oily or combination skin and will likely appeal to those who like foundations such as Revlon Colorstay, Nars Sheer Glow, Maybelline Superstay and Catrice’s Liquid Camouflage. Coverage is high, it'd say at least medium to fill and like I said finish is matte. This wears off terribly on me, though it's still on after 9 h, but how this would perform on oily skin I don't know.
ORIFLAME The One Colour Unlimited Eye Shadow
Flash Rose
As far as stick eyeshadows go, this one is disappointing to me. Formula is overly creamy and slippery, so it doesn't stick to one place and due to that pigmentation on the eyes appears much poorer, since it moves so much during application and the slipperiness makes it impossible to layer well. Even on my never-oily lids where most eyeshadows work ok this creases considerably during the day, though most of the colour stays on. This shade is also much sheerer than it appears in the tube and is only a sheer wash of champagne-copper shimmer, though the shine is intense enough.
SCHWARZKOPF GLISS Oil Nutritive Nourish 2-in-1 Treatment
I did not get along with this one at all and it ruined all the work Olaplex did. This has shea butter, which is one of my favourite hair care ingredient high on the list and the rest of the list in nice too, plus it has an impressively high feedback everywhere I checked, so why the f does is suck on my hair I cannot fathom. It makes no sense and what's more this is the third Gliss mask this year, which by all accounts should work for me (good ingredients and nice thick formulas), yet disliked all. I've been using the "good stash" for a while before I gave this one I try, so I was kind of a shock how tangled and no soft my hair was after this. I had to use a ton of La Croa spray to comb my hair and even with it, the hair was tangled and unmanageable by the morning. Hair was already very dry on the second day and my ends felt like an old broom. I had to wash my hair again on the third day, I used Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Colour version and it was miles better. My hair just does not like Gliss masks, I don't know what why that is, but all leave my hair with almost no slip. However, reviews of Gliss stuff overall are very positive, so don't rely on my opinion too much. I also got the leave-in conditioner from this line, which luckily I don't hate, but I have very lukewarm feelings about it.
L’Oréal Paris Casting Crème Gloss
1010 Marzipan
Another product that ruined my day and I had to colour my hair again in the morning to fix the situation - that was fun. It's a demi-permanent colour, meaning it should be less damaging than permanent ones since the developer in such colours is usually about 3% and is more appropriate for use after bleaching to tone, which is what I used it for. It was crap at everything. For one it didn't tone at all, not even the lightest yellow. Subrina's Spectra Demi-permanent 8/10 Ice Blonde, which is the same level (10) is miles better (Subrina is in general the best brand if you want a proper cool very light blonde from what I've tried. L'Oreal Excellence 03 is second, which is the reason I assumed this would be good enough). But let's say that maybe their 910 would if they had it on Notino or the 801 which I still have in my stock. My hate for this stems from the fact that this left my hair so tangled and unmanageable that I couldn't comb through my hair despite using Joico K-Pack duo (that never, ever happens with those two) and it was just a dry mess (so basically it did a another "Gliss situation"). This is miles away from their Excellence formula that leaves the hair in great condition, which makes zero sense considering the developer so much more gentle.
WISHLIST
MAYBELLINE Total Temptation Mascara Waterproof - I've done quite a few "theme" posts like favourites and routines in the last two months, and I've realised that Maybelline is pretty much my favourite makeup brand. I love their Fit Me range (foundation, both powders, loose and compact), Eraser concealer, all lip products I've tried (lipliner, matte lipsticks), their Tattoo eyeliner is just the best and I probably forgot a thing or two. So I want to explore the stuff I haven't yet. I love their mascara in the yellow packaging, Colossal waterproof as well as Lash Sensational and I want to give this one a try next. Though I'm also eyeing their newest The Falsies Lash Lift in waterproof.
MAYBELLINE Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi Use Concealer in Brightener - I'm curious if this one actually works at brightening. I love their regular shades of this, particularly 00 Ivory, but I've never bought their brightener nor neutralizer.
MAYBELLINE Face Studio Chrome Extreme Intense Metallic Highlighter - I heard great things about this one, for one Gemma praised it a while back. It's hard to get in the lightest shade though. On our stands I've only seen the dark golden one.
BOURJOIS Rouge Velvet Ink 01 Beige de Jour - These came to our drugstores not that long ago. One of the shades caught my attention, a light pinky-beige and if they ever have a discount I might get it.
BALEA MEN Energy Augen Roll-on and L'OREAL Hydra Energy Augen Roll-on - Balea's is here just to draw attention to it, because I sadly discovered we don't have it in our DM's (nor apparently in the Balkans, but it's in Austria and Germany). It's got the ingredients I want - niacinamide high on the list, hyaluronic acid, panthenol and caffeine. Their other eye roll-ons and eye creams are not as interesting in terms of ingredients. I hope we get it at one point, though I doubt it. Another I found again at men cosmetic is L'Oreal's, which is a lot more expensive, but it has vitamin C, caffeine and peptides, however, it also has peppermint extract high on the list, which granted is cooling, but it's definitely not for sensitive skin. If only the had a version without it. Latest Catrice offering is a more bland when it comes to ingredient, though it has hyaluronic acid and caffeine.
CANTU Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer - This might be a replacement for Le Petite Marseillais Argan and Shea oil that I love, but can't find anymore. I'm a big fan of Cantu Shea Butter conditioner, so I'd love to try more of their products.
OLAPLEX no.4 and no.5 - I was against buying these two from the start, especially the shampoo because they wash off and it doesn't matter much what they are like, but now that's I've found that no.0 and no.3 work well for me and I also love no.6 and no.7 I kinda want to have the whole set, or at least the conditioner to follow up after no.3.
YEAUTY Serum Beauty Boost and Energy Elixir - I stumbled upon these while exploring Müller's website where I go through ingredients to find what's worth checking out and I also found these in my local Müller. The gold one caught my attention because it has Polyglutamic Acid, which is said to hold four times more moisture than hyaluronic acid. The latter also often breaks me out, so I've been thinking about polyglutamic acid as substitute, so it's great to see we have something with it in my local drugstore, even if it's not the cheapest as 16 €. The pink Energy Elixir has ascorbic acid, though I'm not too happy it's in a clear packaging (but it comes in a box). Ingredients of gold and pink.
ARTDECO Eyeshadows - I spent a few weeks in August-September exploring palettes to find a giveaway prize for you and I realised something - current popular premade palette suck. Why is after years still everything so warm? Would it kill them to make a taupe-greeny gold-bronze palette? Just one. And no the newest Huda Khaki one doesn't count because it's not it, there's no greeny-golds I love there. Essence Witch Side is close to my perfect palette, but they discontinued it and it's missing an eyeshadow or two. So I'm seriously considering making my own palette with Artdeco eyeshadows that are the only freedom system ones in my local drugstores. I have a palette already, with ancient eyeshadows and a blush, so I'll replace them with a combination of shades I know I'll use because I want a palette that has everything I like to use when doing eye makeup. I already went to check out what we have and I found so many shades I just loved.
My Artdeco palette. I will keep at least two of the shades I adore, 16 which is still sold (I might replace it with the same new one) and 245 which is not sold anymore, but it's one of those greeny-golds I love most. New 188 is similar from what I saw in Müller.
Posted in: Skincare
0 comments:
Post a Comment