September Favourites, Updates and Wishlist

HADALABO Gokujun Cleansing Oil

I think I found a new favourite cleansing oil. This ticks all the boxes for me:

- Rich texture that emulsifies into a lovely thick emulsion.

- It removes all makeup even waterproof mascara and eyeliner, though a thick coat of mascara is too big of a challenge for it with only one cleansing.

- It doesn't irritate my eyes nor make my vision foggy.

- There's not much of a scent.

- It washes off completely.

- It doesn't break me out.

-The pump is working as it should and is not leaking.

- I need one pump instead of three like at Biobaza. 

- It's the cheapest oil I like.

I see no minuses at this one apart from that I have to order it online, but actually I got this in a week from Japan with no shipping charges, so the seller I got this from is great (seller on eBay kyotoarashiyama). 

THE BODY SHOP British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask

TBS has made me very happy because someone has been checking my wishlist, probably on Pinterest where I've had this for ages. Some time ago when TBS first came to Slovenia they sent me a sample of this mask and it left my skin soft and radiant like a good sheet mask would both time I used it, so I always wanted a pot of this. It's a gel-jam type of mask with some crushed bits of petals (I think) that remains on the skin instead of sinking in and it needs to be washed off as it's quite sticky. It delivers a good boost of moisture and it's the type of formula I think would suit just about any skin type - dry, combination or even oily, I really can't see how this type of formula would feel heavy for anyone, yet it's enough for my dry skin too. I've used it a couple of times already since I got it and it left my skin in lovely condition. It also smells so good. I do not like rose scents, but this smells like proper fresh roses, the yellow climbing ones blooming every summer outside our house, plus I get some some sharp/fresh peppermint-like note. It's expensive, but you actually don't use a lot and a pot should last a while.

THE BODY SHOP Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil

This was high on my wishlist so I'm so happy I finally have it. I had a very generous sample a while ago which lasted me a long time and my skin loved this oil so much. Even though I was already using a relatively new bottle of my beloved Nuxe oil, I couldn't resist not cracking this one open immediately and I've been using it ever since. It's thicker than Nuxe and it doesn't smell as nice, but my skin is enjoying this one. This leaves my skin soft, clear, nourished and with a healthy glow. Since it's thicker than Nuxe I can use it without the extra moisturiser step, as it stays on the skin almost overnight, though in the morning it's fully absorbed. I do facial massages every night with this one, just like with Nuxe.

JOICO K-Pack Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil

I usually use Orofluido and I still do, but I love K-Pack line and this has the same Quadramine complex. I'm still waiting for Olaplex n.7 oil to become more easily accessible and I assume it's going to take a while, so while I wait and since my oil stash was low (at least of the good oils), I got this one instead. I checked the ingredients before and that complex is very, very low on the list, but so is at the other K-Pack products I love, so maybe (and I'm really hoping this) it's effective in low concentrations (I know, wishful thinking probably). Formula is very similar to Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil, so the same thick texture that fits my hair best - obviously I loved this from the moment I tried it. It tames the hair as it should and feels nourishing, meaning it deals with the dryness too, at least for a while (at thinner oils effect on my hair this effect is very temporary). It's got a really nice salon scent - you'd recognise immediately if you smelled it. Unlike Orofluido it's got a pump which is a big plus (I actually added one from COSRX on my Orofluido). I'm a fan.

NIVEA Curl Styling Primer

This is new in the drugstores, along with two other versions, Sleek and Volume (I could only find the latter and Curl in Müller). I have the curl spray from this line and it's pretty good. I got this primer because it has shea butter right after water on the ingredients list, so I thought it should be great for dry hair, as shea butter helps keep the moisture in the hair. It also contains glycerine high on the list and it's a heat protectant. It's meant to be used on damp hair after washing. I expected a much thicker and heavier texture that would be more similar to Dove Super Quench, but though it's not super light, it's still closer to a lotion than a cream. It leaves the hands slightly sticky, but not the hair and from the start when the hair is wet, it's noticeable on the hair, but as soon as I started drying my hair, I noticed that despite using a couple of protein leave-in treatments which always leave my hair frizzy, my hair stayed sleek the entire time I was drying it. It leaves the hair feeling so smooth and almost silky (for my hair that's a miracle, for most silky feeling will be more noticeable) like there is nothing on the hair. This is a great tamer for when hair drying and I find my curls lasts a longer than usual, though I use the curl spray after as well.

MOROCCAOIL Intense Hydrating Mask

I did the whole post about bleaching and colouring my hair, which happened at the beginning of September. In the middle of the process I used the very expensive Kerastase Chonologiste mask which was a total disappointment and I ended up using Pantene Superfood conditioner after I rinsed that off to give my hair some silkiness. So at the next washing I dug out this from my stash instead. This is one of the most impressive hair treatments I've tried, especially from the purely moisturising ones, so with no proteins. It never fails to leave my hair really hydrated, soft, silky and in great condition. This actually has argan oil on 3th place among ingredients which is really high compared to most stuff when it comes to any oils. It also smells so good, which is an extra plus, but even without it this is one of my favourite ever hair products.

BATH & BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist 

A Thousand Wishes

Warm your heart a thousand times over with a festive blend of sparkling champagne, crystal peonies & almond crème

I ordered five BBW mists in the last month and this one appealed to me most. This reminds me of a younger, sparklier version of Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty, with a similar champagne note, but it's much nicer because it's sweeter. To me this smells like almond macarons with champagne, however, without the sour wine notes. It's not a cutesy girly scent, but a more grown up still sweet fragrance.

In The Stars

Make every moment glow with an addictive fragrance that radiates from start to finish like the stars above. In The Stars is a warm, sparkling blend of starflower, sandalwood musk, sugared tangelo, white agarwood & radiant amber.

This one seems to be beloved even on Fragrantica, where I get to read some descriptive reviews than on BBW's official site. I don't know how to describe this one, not that's it's unique, but I know of nothing similar. It reminds me of the 90's or more likely 00's, some fragrance someone must have worn. I could have been mom, though she mostly wore Poeme. It's a warm scent, however, not sugary or overly vanilary, it's more about amber, sandalwood and wood. I don't know how else to describe it, but when I smell it, this image of a warm sunny day comes to mind, it smells radiantly warm - yes, I know how stupid this sounds. I think tangelo gives it this unique citrus note that isn't zesty, though I wouldn't call this a fruity fragrance at all. For some reason I can't smell this a few minutes after I spray it and at first I was sure that this is low quality scent that disappears in minutes, but then I was standing 2 meters away from someone and they said I smell really nice and what I'm wearing. The thing is I sprayed this the night before after a shower and my cardigan was drenched in it, so it must just be my nose that is somehow immune to this scent, however, I still like it because it's both unique and I feel it's universally appealing.

Kaleidoscope

 Effortless. Beautiful. You. Kaleidoscope mixes with your body chemistry for a fragrance that’s uniquely yours. With notes of iris, cedarwood & pink pepper 

This was love at first spray. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists, it's so good! BBW says that it smells different on every individual, which I supposed is somewhat true for most fragrances, though maybe at this one the differences are bigger, creating more unique scents. It's a type of fragrance I've never smelled before, this fantastic clean, yet not typically "laundry detergent" clean scent. It's like one of those smells when you enter some stranger's house and it smells uniquely theirs (my cousin says my house & me have such a scent). It's not like Molecule 01 since it doesn't have the e iso super ingredient, but this combination of notes creates a smell where I can't pinpoint any of the notes mentioned in the description. I often get a strong scent of pears on me even though it's not mentioned among the notes. This is definitely one of the best scents BBW made.

HUGO BOSS Ma Vie

This is one of my favourite fragrances ever, tied with BBW Twilight Woods. I've been using it for ages, actually since it launched and I never got tired of it like I do most fragrances (I can't stand Olympea anymore, nor any of my old favourites like CK Euphoria). It's completely different from what I normally like, this isn't that cosy comforting scent I gravitate towards, it's just the opposite. It's floral-woody fragrance, with the most prominent note of cactus, something not very common in fragrances, but I like it. It's got almost a tropical vibe because of it, it's quite a fresh & almost juicy-citrus note, but freesia makes it less "summer cocktail" and a lot more "office ready", however, not in a typical fancy fabric softener way like their Nuit Pour Femme is. I very luckily get no rose note in this, since I dislike it, but the woody-cedar base in noticeable. To me this is a very typical springtime fragrance like Avon Luck La Vie, though richer, not sweet and more long-lasting. I don't think this is a fragrance most will love, or possibly even like, it's likely going to be a boring springtime floral to a lot of people, but I really like it. And the bottle is gorgeous, though by now it does bother me that I can't see how much is still in there, at least the bottom could be clear.  

UPDATES
GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

INSTANATURAL Retinol Serum

I got a few samples of products with retinol and this serum was the first one I started using. It also contains a form of vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate), hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and Q10. I like the texture of this. It's a light orange serum that absorbs fast (under a minute), so it's great for layering and it has a nice orange-ish scent. I'd definitely consider buying a full size, but I'll try the other two first. Those two are Retinol Moisturiser also from Insta Natural and Artnatural Retinol Serum with 2.5% of retinol. 

PALMER'S  Cocoa Butter Formula Perfecting Facial Oil 

I promised myself I won't open this since I already have Nuxe and The Body Shop, but I caved and I'm glad I did. It's a lot lighter than TBS and it absorbs quickly, so it's excellent for including in my morning routine, which I felt was lacking something. Since it's lighter it's also easier to use for my night facial massages, though I'm going to stick to TBS since it's more nourishing. I've used quite a lot of it for a massage and it was still completely absorbed after 2 hours on my cheek area, while it remained longer on my T-zone, but by the morning it was all absorbed like my other oils. A "regular" quantity of a few drops absorbs in several minutes (on my dry skin), leaving a nice glow. It smells the same as Palmer's other Cocoa Butter Formula products, so like chocolate cake batter, which I immediately liked. This contains a ton of different oils (sweet almond, grapeseed, camelina, macadamia, sesame seed, coconut, argan and rosehip), plus some smaller amounts of retinol, a form of vitamin C and centella asiatica extract. If you're looking for an affordable fast absorbing light oil, this one is nice.

ORIFLAME Tremendous Big Volume Mascara

I got this about a week ago, so I'm not going to put it up in the favourites just yet, but first impressions are so good. I'm not a massive fan of Oriflame mascaras, actually I haven't really liked any I've tried so far, until this one. This was big like from the start. The brush reminds me of Essence <3 Extreme waterproof, as it's the same type of a regular wand with very densely packed bristles. This results in about the same effect, nicely separated, "multiplied" lashes with a fanned out effect. It's very new so I expect some more volume in time, though even by now it's really good and I've been using it every day. Formula isn't gloppy or wet which is a big plus, as because of this it's not a messy mascara and it doesn't drop the lashes. In terms of holding a curl is as good as a regular mascara can be, so it holds them up half way, which is good in my books for such a formula. I'm really liking this one.

DISAPPOINTMENT

NIVEA UV Face Q10 Anti-Age & Anti-Pigments SPF 50

I got this because I couldn't find the mattifying version in three shops I went to (four as of today), but I was desperate for something with an SPF 50 and this was the only thing in Interspar where I had a decent discount. I remember when I was asking about sunscreens in early summer, a lot of you strongly discouraged me from getting this version, so I had an inkling I screwed up badly buying this version. It's not absolutely terrible, but it's very problematic. Though the texture feels the same as at the mattifying version, so a thick cream, this never dries/sets. My face is still sunscreen greasy several hours later - my skin is dry, so this really saying something. What's worse it's moving a lot during the day and is constantly slipping into my eyes, making my vision cloudy, my glasses dirty because it ends up on my eyelashes, I'm constantly blinking since I can feel something is in my eyes causing me discomfort and occasionally it gets so bad they start watering. Every minute with this sunscreen is an annoyance if I apply it anywhere near the eyes. I simply can't wear makeup with this, as my eye makeup just smudges off. It's impossible to apply this one in a recommended amount, it's just too much, but as a plus I can say it doesn't have a white cast. I don't understand how this is still sold, while the mattifying version is gone here, maybe it just ran out, but there were no empty spaces for that version in the shops.
By the way I went to the shops again today to find at least the Garnier face spray SPF 50 version as a top up and my local Müller has zero sunscreens as of this week (apart from what's in skin care stuff). DM also has barely anything left. If I knew this was going to happen, I'd stock up earlier.

WISHLIST

My wishlist got out for control this month - this list is not everything I added to my Pinterest wishlist recently, which you can see here.

FACE MISTS - I have no such products in my collection apart from an ancient travel size of UD All Nighter, which is almost empty and shouldn't be used anymore, so I'm looking for something new. Considering that every foundation I apply looks matte on my skin due to dryness, I'd like something dewy. Four made it into top choices, though I heard many other recommendations (Mac Fix +, Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, other Pixi mists). For a proper dewy spray I'd go with L'Oreal Lumi Shake & Glow Dew Mist, Maybelline Dream Satin Mist or Pixi Glow Mist (I'd get this one for the ingredients alone) and for a "regular" version, which I hear might also be dewy Catrice Prime And Fine Multitalent Fixing Spray (can anyone confirm? The praised pink one is discontinued).

FOUNDATIONS - I'm down three foundations in the last month, well four if I count a mini cushion foundation, all pale shades that matched me and a pump broke on one more, so I'm open to expanding my collection. I'm thinking between Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation in 095 or 100 (not because of the claim it's a dupe for It Cosmetics since it's not and not because of SPF, as it doesn't have sufficient UVA protection, but the shade selection looks great and I like exploring foundations with pale shades), Maybelline Super Stay 24h Foundation in 03 (I grabbed a sample today to test in the next days), Revlon PhotoReady Candid Natural Finish Anti-Pollution Foundation in 110 (I grabbed a sample of 150 today to test the texture) and Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Porcelain (based on online swatches it looks a good shade for me, similar to Milani 00A). I also found a light shade in my local Müller of Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrating and Repairing Makeup in WN 01 Flax, but how they managed to price it 47 € (!?) when it's 32$ on the official website is beyond me. I also grabbed a sample, as well as of Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in 005 and a great looking shade from Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Fluid Foundation in N1, as these were the lightest foundations I don't have yet I could find in Muller. Picture of swatches here.

POWDERS - This some also something my collection lacks. I only have two ancient ones: Bourjois Poudre de Riz Java Powder and Physicians Formula Nude Wear Powder. My skin is dry and I went through so many reviews where most reviewers have oily or combination skin, so it was hard to tell which one would work for me. I'm mostly interested in Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder and Fit Me Set + Smooth Powder which a lot of people with dry skin praise. RMCA No-Colour Powder is also praised for dry skin, though I hate the look of the packaging. I'm very interested in a travel size of Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder, which is highly rated and if I decided to do the crazy thing and splurge (which I won't) I'd go with Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder Mousseline Pastel or the famous Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre. In our drugstores I was only able to find loose powders from Trend it Up, Catrice, Max Factor, Revlon Candid (I hear it's too much for dry skin), ArtDeco and Clarins, all are still options on the list to pick from because they are easily accessible.

L'OREAL Color Riche Matte Nude Lipstick 06 No Hesitation - I tried the testers in the shop and the texture of these feels amazing. It's so creamy and rich, yet actually matte. I'd love to have one of these in my collection.

OPI Nail Lacquer Scotland Collection You Have Got That Glas-Glow - this shade looks so gorgeous and it's so my colour. It's a similar mauve-pinky shade like the discontinued Essence's shade Me & You. Too bad OPIs are so expensive here.

PANTENE Hair Biology Collection - I was so pleasantly surprised to see this in DM. I saw it on some blogs a while ago and apparently they are good. I'd love to try at least some products, I'll probably got with one of the masks first and see how I like it.

A'PIEU Pure Block Natural Daily Sun Cream SPF45 and GARNIER Ambre Solaire Sensitive Hydrating Face Sun Cream Mist SPF50 - Since Nivea Anti-Age sunscreen is a bust and with the end of September our drugstores believe you don't need sunscreens anymore, so they can just stop selling them, I'll order something online. I'll go with the cheapest K-Beauty one from A'Pieu which I already had a sample of and I liked it. I already mentioned the Garnier mist above which I'd like to have to top up when my makeup is already on. I couldn't find it, nor could I find the Hydra Bomb version. I know La Roche Posay version exists, but the price it too high. How is it September and there's barely any cheap/affordable under 10 € face sunscreen in the shops?

Have a great day!

Posted in: Skincare