Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

I know I'm so late to the party, but Revlon Lip Butters aren't exactly sold in every drugstore here. In fact, there is only one shop, to my knowledge, that sells them in Slovenia (aside from the online shop Click2Chic). I finally had the chance to see them in person. They sell them in Illirija, Ljubljana (more about it here under Revlon), it's a bit shocking it took me so long to get there, I used to live 2 minutes away. I bought two shades as a treat for my birthday - Berry Smoothie and Sweet Tart. 

There were 9 shades available and I must admit, they look a lot prettier in person than online. I almost walked out with two more, but they are way to expensive. They cost 10€ and the shades available were: Cupcake (cool toned light pink), Strawberry Shortcake (light-medium warm pink, I was thinking of buying it), Peach Parfait (a warm medium peach with gold shimmer, I almost got that one too), Lolipop (very, very pigmented, fuchsia), Creme Brule (brownish nude), Berry Smoothie (MLBB berry), Sweet Tart (very pigmented Barbie pink), Cotton Candy (cool toned light pink, very similar to Cupcake), Sugar Frosting (almost no colour, just shimmer).

I wish they'd sell Candy Apple, I really want that one.

I used to be of opinion that these are just grossly over-priced tinted lip balms. Now I admit that yes, maybe they are bit more pigmented than that. But still, due to it's creaminess and they won't last more than two hours on the lips. These are very moisturising and quite a good replacement for a lip balm. I haven't experienced any dryness with these. All have a glossy finish, but more like creamy glossiness rather than a glass reflection shine. The texture is soft and buttery, so don't expect for one lip butter to last you long. It'll just melt away, especially if you'll keep reapplying it.

Berry Smoothie looks like a my-lip-but-better shade but with a berry twist. It has gold shimmer that is fine and you can't feel it on your lips if you rub them together. This is such an easy shade to wear, it goes with everything. It's less pigmented than Sweet Tart and it takes a few swipes to get the intense colour, but it won't be completely opaque. My mum fell in love in this colour and has been trying to convince me to give this shade to her, because in her words "it's not the type of shade you wear" (I wear really bright shades in everyday life). Nice try, mom. 

Sweet Tart is a pigmented, bright Barbie pink. It's very pigmented, one swipe gives you quite a lot of colour for such a balmy texture, however, it will take you a least two swipes to get maximum opaqueness. It's like a much, much more pigmented Labello Dragonfruit. Keep in mind I applied a lot here and I am very pale (NC 15). I imagine it would look more toned down on someone darker than me.

I also own a L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick which is the competition's answer to Revlon lip butters. I actually prefer the L'Oreal's version. They feel more lightweight on the lips, while Revlon's feel a bit sticky and a lot heavier. However, Revlon's darker shades are a lot more pigmented than L'Oreal's dark shades and Revlon's are glossier. I much prefer L'Oreal's packaging, it's prettier in my opinion. 

In all honestly, I do find them over-priced. However, I will admit that they are better than Essence lipsticks which have a similar light, glossy texture, since I find that some Essence ones settle in lines, don't last as long and even dry my lips (looking at you Coralize Me). I'll also admit they have a nice selection of colours. If you really covet them, get the darker shades (Lolipop, Peach Parfait, Sweet Tart, Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Shortcake). The really light ones (Cupcake, Sugar Frosting, Cotton Candy) are not that pigmented and you can get a cheaper alternative at Labello or something similar. I would buy more if they were half off.

Thanks for reading!

January Favourites

If you read my post about concealers then you know how much I love Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age the Eraser Eye. It's my favourite under-eye concealer. I have one in the shade Light and now I bought a lighter one called Fair. It's great for brightening under the eye and highlighting/brightening the high points of the face.

I'm still sporting red lips this month, I just love this look on me. I've worn MUA lipstick in the shade 13 almost every day in January. I didn't think much of it immediately when I got it, but it became one of my favourite lipsticks. Surprisingly, I have no dupes of such red shade. It's a bright tomato red that also looks so pretty as a stain because it doesn't oxidise and turn into a darker shade. And it's only 1£.

My nail polish matched my bright lippie and Depend 036 stayed on my nails for most of the month. Though, currently they're mint.

I got The Body Shop Vineyard Peach body butter in Gradz a month ago. It's been on my wishlist forever and holly cow does it smell a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Just like ripe peaches. My new favourite ever body butter.

I've done the whole hair oils series this month and these are the two treatments I'm using the most - Macadamia Natural oil and Kerastase Elixir Ultime.
I'm not to fond of the Macadamia's scent,  but I do like the results it gives. It won't replace my Orofluido, though. In fact, I just ordered a new 100 ml bottle.
I didn't expect for Elixir Ultime to grow on me as much as it did. It's too light for my hair, but for some reason I reach for it a lot. Partly, because of the gorgeous scent, but mostly because it's really light and it feels like nothing is on my hair, so I use it to tame the annoying frizz in the morning. Of course when my ends are dry, I still reach for Alverde Mandel Argan oil.

That little boring bottle in the middle is my Refan version of Roberto Cavalli eau de parfum. I got it for Christmas and I've worn it loads this month. It's a very heavy and strong oriental-floral fragrance. Notes are: orange blossom, benzoin, vanilla, pink pepper and tonka bean. And yes it does smell just like the original, I checked side by side. I should point out, it's only available in Croatian Refan.

I got Real Techniques brushes in December and a day has not passed that I wouldn't use them. These are seriously fantastic. So soft, dense and perfect sizes. My set includes the Core collection, Expert brush and Stippling brush. I multi-task all of them as I don't like to use one brush just for one thing. I got them from iHerb (they don't except Paypal, but you can pay with Visa Electron) and from HqHair (offers free shipping).

I just repurchased Maybelline the Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof. I've gone through a few tubes already. It's not my all-time favourite, but it is my favourite drugstore waterproof mascara available in our drugstores. (as if we have any selection of waterproof mascaras for a reasonable price at all *sigh*.).

The packaging is absolutely hideous, though.

Thanks for reading!

Beauty Wishlist

1. Macadamia Natural oil Deep Repair Mask - I already said in my Healing oil treatment review that I'd like to try more of their products and this hair mask intrigues me the most. A lot of people rave about it, so I'll have to check it out for myself.

2. Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Blacks waterproof - I really miss this mascara. It is the best I ever had, certainly the best waterproof one, but the price tag is outrageous. Review here.

3. Dermalogica Daily Microexfoliant - I received a sample in my HqHair order and I loved it. It made my skin incredibly smooth and soft.

4. Tigi S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray - I've been using this for years and I'm running out of my current bottle. It is the best heat protection product for someone with very dry hair. Review here.

5. Nyx Taupe blush - I want a nice contouring shade for my Snow White complexion and I hear good things about it. Also, I can't use Mac's Wedge forever.

6. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or - I love the regular version and I use it everyday as my face moisturiser. I want the shimmer version mostly for my hair and for my body when I'll self-tan again.

7. The Body Shop Vineyard Peach - I finally got the body butter which I wanted for so long. It smells divine! Just like ripe peaches and very similar to Balea's LE Traümgeschäft line. It is exactly what I was searching for (you can read about my quest here). I want the entire line now.

Thanks for reading!

Hair Oils Series: Conclusion

Time for a round-up. I want to point out that the differences between all apart from Osmo are really small.  If you checked out the pictures of my hair in individual reviews, you'll see there is little if any difference in how my hair looks. A bigger difference is in how your hair feels. Here is my ranking of the five hair treatments I tested.

Winner: Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment

2nd place: Orofluido Beauty Elixir

3rd place: Moroccanoil Original

4th place: Kérastase Elixir Ultime

5th place: Osmo Berber Oil

For me the winner is Macadamia with Orofluido not far behind. Macadamia provided the sleekest, shiniest and most moisturised results, also it is the best defrizzer. Orofluido and Moroccanoil are almost dupes in results, but differ in price and scent. Also Orofluido leaves your hair with more volume. The same applies to Elixir Ultime which made my hair feel very light, silky and bouncy, but left my ends dry. Osmo made my hair feel a bit greasy at first, but dry in a few hours. However, I still love my combination Orofluido Elixir + Sahara best and I'll stick to it.

Some general information about these treatments.

1. Please don't fall for the extravagant over-the-top advertising. These treatments are very good, but nowhere near the miraculous as they are described by the advertisers. It still baffles me why such high prices  of some these treatments. What am I actually paying for? Silicones are cheap and argan oil can't be that expensive if Alverde's Mandel Argan oil is only 3.5€. The only thing left are the fragrances. The nerve of some brands! On the bright side one bottle does last a long time. Please check the prices in online shops first before spending your money in a salon (Macadamia is around 20€ on eBay, while it's around 35€ in Simple salons).

2. These are described as treatments, I prefer to call them styling products, or better, smoothing serums. Even though they contain oils, the amount of them is small and I'm bothered by the first few ingredients: cones. You can use them as a pre-wash treatment and most brands suggest you do so, but I'd never use a product with silicones for several reasons. First, silicones coat the hair and don't nourish it, just conceal the problems. Second, too expensive. Why would I use the pricey oil and then wash it off. I don't think so. Third: pure argan oil, macadamia, coconut and even olive oil work better than these serums as pre-wash treatments. Not to mention how much cheaper they are. I just use regular oils instead. 

3. Don't over do it. A few drops is enough. A 100ml bottle should last you a long time. Mine lasted two years because I wash my hair once or twice a week and I only used it after washing my hair. But I do find that by using more product on wet hair before blow-drying, I get better results. My hair is then sleeker and less frizzy, specially when using Orofluido and Macadamia. I don't want to use too much silicone products, so I use Alverde Haaröl Mandel Argan which is silicone free for when my ends are dry.

4. They tend to be heavier than their silicon serum predecessors. If your hair is oily, they might be too much. However, they are marketed for all hair types, so if you want to make them work for you, the key is in the amount used and distribution. Kerastaste is the lightest and most appropriate for oilier hair. I heard L'Oreal's Extraordinary oil is quite light as well and Mythic Oil was also way to light for my hair when I tried it once at my hairdresser (all are from L'Oreal btw). The rest are quite thick and heavy. Osmo is really heavy.

5. Most have a strong fragrance. All the ones I tried have quite a heavy perfumey scent, so if you're sensitive to that, try to get a sample first or try it at your hairdresser (if they have it, of course). 

There are exceptions in the hair oils world that don't contain silicones. One of them is Alverde Mandel Argan, which actually deserves to call itself oil. Pure oils like argan, macadamia, coconut and olive are heavy and it's difficult to use them as styling products without leaving your hair greasy. I prefer to use them only as pre-wash treatments. Alverde is a great product for those who want a silicon free product for their ends. It's still an oil, but a lighter version. It won't make your hair as silky as those with silicone, but it will actually nourish your hair. I consider it an actual hair care, not just a smoothing serum like the rest. For that reason I didn't include it in this test and because it's drugstore. I use this on dry hair only, I prefer to use silicones on wet hair before blow-drying.
Ingredients: soybean oil, emollient derived from coconut oil, argan oil, walnut oil, almond oil, burdock oil, two Vitamin E variants, Vitamin C, sunflower oil, and six fragrances derived from essential oils.
Ingredients-wise this is a fantastic product. And best of all, it's cheap. It's around 3.5€ in DM's. It's not the best for oily hair, but if your ends are dry give it a go.

I hope this helped if you're on the fence of which one to get. There are so many on the market for such different prices that it's hard to choose which one is for you.  I would still suggest you go and try it at your hairdresser if they have it, or get the sample size bottle first. I'm sorry for such long posts. I try to keep them short, but I always end up writing so much. It's just that I have so much to say, especially when it comes to hair. Thanks for reading!

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Hair Oils Series: Orofluido Beauty Elixir

This is probably the most raved about product on my blog. It's been featured in numerous favourite posts and I purchased almost all the products from this line. What's so special about it is the absolutely gorgeous oriental vanilla-amber scent. I also love the Orofluido Sahara, which is a lighter version of elixir in spray form and the shampoo is nice as well. Two products that left me unimpressed are the conditioner (to light) and shine spray (too much alcohol, Sahara is better). My bottle lasted me two years and believe me, I used it a lot.

Packaging: A clear glass bottle with a gorgeous oriental design on the front. I think it looks most luxurious out of all, a real decoration on your vanity. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a pump. It's available in 50ml and 100ml version.

Ingredients (Updated ingredients here): Three cones followed by argan oil, cypress oil, fragrance, isopropyl palmitate (emollient and thickening agent, also anti-static), linseed oil, another fragrance and two dyes. It's most similar to Moroccanoil as it also contains argan and linseed oil.

Scent: One of my favourite scents ever. It's an oriental vanilla and amber scent, strong but not overpowering. Much to my displeasure, it doesn't last on my hair.

Top notes: bergamot, orange flower

Heart notes: amber, red pepper, lily-of-the-valley, cyclamen

Base: amber, vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood

Performance and Results: It has a thick texture that is similar to Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural oil. As with Moroccanoil, I can use quite a lot on wet hair and never have the feeling that it'll make my hair greasy and limp. During blow-drying it makes my hair incredibly sleek, combats frizz and gives a lot of shine. A few drops on dry hair after blow-drying just adds that finishing touch, again gives shine, smooths it down and helps the ends from feeling dry. I said before it's very similar to Moroccanoil, but it's not in any way far behind Macadamia Natural Oil as well. The only advantage that Macadamia has is that it keeps my ends moisturised longer. I do, however, find that this one leaves me with more volume, others sort of kill it a bit (with the exception of Kérastase, but that one is lighter). 

Where to buy: I bought mine through StudioMa (only for Slovene costumers). It's also sold in some hair salons (Simple) and several online shops including eBay (try this seller), Feel Unique, Cheap Smells, Beauty Bay. Slovenske strani: Mična gospodična, Lepo telo.si.

This is a product that deserves to be praised. It doesn't get as much publicity as Moroccanoil, but it performs the same, is cheaper plus it smells so much nicer. I do find this one leaves me with more volume than Morocanoil and Macadamia. It's appropriate for all hair types, but if your hair is really dry perhaps try Macadamia Natural Oil instead and if it's oily go for something lighter like Kérastase. Even after trying so many other treatments from other brands in the 20€+ range, I will repurchase it.

Hair Oils Series: Osmo Berber Oil

I bet a some of you are thinking: Osmo? Where did she find Osmo? I've never heard of it. Well, I never heard of it until a month ago when I started this test. It was reduced on Feel Unique, so I decided to try a sample size bottle. This one kind of shattered my theory that all oils are good, since it proved to be the most problematic.

Packaging: a dark glass bottle with a pump (100ml version), but with a clear label so you can still see how much is in there.

Ingredients: Three silicones followed by isopropyl myristate, argan, coconut, avocado oil, oxybenzone (sunscreen, a controversial ingredient, here disguised by an alternative name), fragrances and colours.  Isopropyl myristate helps absorption and lessens the greasiness.

Scent: It's a sweet scent. In the bottle, it smells to me like cherry candy, just like Nyx Mega Shine lip gloss. On my hair it smells exactly like strawberry and vanilla tea. Doesn't stay at all on my hair, not on wet nor on dry hair.

Performance and Results: It's very thick, the thickest out of all I tried. The product is clear with a slight pink hue. It's hard to get a small amount because of the very thick texture. I had quite a few problems with this oil. When I tried it the first time, I used the usual amount I use with other treatments on wet hair. During blow-drying my hair feel greasy and I thought that perhaps I didn't rinse my conditioner well enough. The end result looked ok, but my hair felt very weird, like there is to much product. I washed my hair the next day because of that, but this time I made sure I rinsed off my conditioner well and used a smaller amount of oil. Unfortunately, the result was the same. My hair felt heavy and odd, but it looked ok. It looked shiny, there was less frizz and my ends were moisturised. However, all changed after a few hours. My hair became really dry, and not just the ends but everywhere. I'm not impressed by it. It's too heavy and drying at the same time.

The first picture was taken on the first day, right after washing my hair. The second on the second day. As you can see my hair looks a bit dry on the second picture.

Where to buy: I got it on Feelunique.

This is my least favourite one. I find this oil problematic not just because of the results on my hair, but also because of ingredients. Argan oil is only the fourth ingredient, which means there's only a few drops of it in it. It managed to make my hair greasy and dry only a few hours later. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone. I don't hate it, but there are much better products on the market.

Links: