April Favourites

  Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in 009 Rich Sable

I've had this eyeshadow for more years that I care to remember, so I'm not sure if it's still sold any more. Rich Sable is a matte cool deep brown that I love wearing in the outer V of the eye to give it definition. The shade is similar to Faint in Urban Decay Basic palette only a bit darker and more cool toned. It's super pigmented and blends surprisingly well for a drugstore matte eyeshadow.

Mac Eyeshadow in Wedge

This is one of those perfect natural looking crease colours that every girl with a pale skintone should own. It's a cool medium brown with a matte finish that blends wonderfully and gives the crease subtle definition without looking like you're wearing a lot of makeup.

 Lancôme Rouge In Love Lipstick 340B Rose Boudoir

The season calls for coral shades and my first pick this month was Rose Boudoir. It's a vivid pinky-coral with a creamy finish that is a proper spring colour and it brightens up the face. It's actually very similar to Bourjois Rouge Edition 11 Fraise Remix if anyone is interested in a cheaper dupe.

Maybelline Colour Whisper in Coral Ambition

I so like this shade on me. It's a colour I've searched for years - that perfect light coral that doesn't look orange on my pale skin and just goes with everything. The formula is one of those shiny lipsticks that is not my cup of tea since I'm more of a matte girl and it doesn't last long on the lips, but the shade is worth it.

 Balea Carambola Lambada Shower Gel LE

This is my favourite scent in any tropical/summer edition by Balea. It's so juicy-sweet yet refreshing and similar to a grapefruit scent. They should make it permanent. 

 Essie Cute as a Button

Every time I put this shade on I'm astonished at how perfect the formula and the colour are. The application is always impeccable and the shade is the perfect pink-coral that doesn't look orange on me as most corals do.

 Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

It shouldn't be too surprising that this is in monthly favourites since I just raved about it in a review. It's another great base by Bourjois with a light-medium coverage and a satin/matte finish. I'm a fan of light covering foundations that look like you're not even wearing makeup rather that your skin looks so great and this CC cream ticks all the boxes.

The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter

I've had a craving for honey scents again and this in combination with Lady Gaga's Fame is divine. This body butter has a floral-honey scent that I've really grown to love and the texture of it is one of the best I've tried. Why do the best thing always have to be LE?

Lady Gaga Fame

As I said, this is perfect in combination with Honeymania BB. Fame is a honey-floral fragrance with a strong apricot note in the beginning (which smells like grape on me) and a hint of smokiness from the incense. In combination with the body butter that honey note stands out even more making a super cosy, sweet combination.

Have a great day!

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

Every time Bourjois releases a new foundation I get a bit excited. All bases I've tried from their brand are fantastic with Healthy Mix Serum standing proudly at the top of my favourites since it was launched three years ago and Bourjois nailed it yet again with this CC Cream.

Texture: It's very similar to Healthy Mix Serum, so a light formula, it just feels a bit drier to the touch. All application techniques work with this foundation be it using a brush, fingers or a sponge, but my preferred method for best result on my skin is using fingers.

Coverage: Light to medium. Again it's very similar to HMS in a sense that it's more blurring imperfections rather than completely covering them. Strong redness still peaks through, so for more coverage you'll have to use a concealer. 

Finish: Satin/semi-matte. As HMS this looks fabulous on the skin. It just melts in pretty much without a trace except around the nose where my skin is never completely smooth, but no one should be able to tell you're wearing anything if they're not looking very closely. It doesn't settle into and emphasize pores as Rimmel's Match Perfection does, it just looks like skin. Absolutely beautiful.
I should warn you that due to the more matte finish and texture this can stick to dry patches, so if you have problems with that go for HMS rather than CC Cream.

Shade: I have the lightest of the four called 31 Ivory. It's a touch darker and more yellow toned than the lightest shade of CC Eye Cream (also called Ivory). It's about a shade darker and much less yellow than the lightest shade in HMS. It's not the best match for me as it is too dark, but I either use a self tanner or mix it with a lighter foundation I have.

Staying power: It's not the best. Redness starts to peak through quite fast if I don't put a concealer over it and set it with powder. As fantastic as Bourjois bases are they are not known for its great staying power, but I forgive them because they look so great on the skin.

Scent: As most Bourjois foundations it has a scent which is something I really like. This one has a lovely baby powder-floral scent. 

Packaging: A squeeze tube with a precise small nozzle. In my book great. 

Price and availability: I bought mine in DM where I believe it costs about 14 €.

Another fantastic foundation by Bourjois this time with a more matte finish. It's very similar to Healthy Mix Serum, which is my favourite foundation, but I prefer the dewy finish of HMS to the more matte one of the CC, it just looks that tiny bit better on my skin. I love that Bourjois finally made a more neutral shade. Most brands cater only to either yellow or pink undertones, but us with a neutral one are pretty much forgotten. I just wish that the lightest shade was lighter. If 31 Ivory were the same shade as the 21 Ivory in CC Eye Cream, I'd be a lot happier.

Have a great day!

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel Bordeaux

I known I'll end up sounding very shallow, but I bought this nail polish mostly because of the packaging, so would keep it displayed in a decorative plate I have placed on my vanity. I was also intrigued by the idea of scented nail polishes.

Bordeaux is as the name suggests a burgundy wine shade, so a deep red with a bit of purple hues in it. I love this type of shades, I think they look so classy. A similar shade I own is Essence 113 Do you Speak Love, it just lacks the purple undertones.

The formula is nice as at most red nail polishes. One coat can be enough, but I apply two coats for an even and opaque application. The brush is smaller than I'm used to, though I don't find that fact annoying since my nails are quite narrow. I know a lot of people find the round handle impractical, but I have no problems with it and it's easy to work with.

I heard that these nail polishes have a very strong scent that lasts, but at this shade I barely detect any scent at all. You have to wait for the nails to dry for the scent to appear. It's a very nondescript scent, maybe they tried to imitate the scent of Bordeaux wine, but it's a bit too fruity sweet for a wine scent (then again I'm from Dolenjska. The only wine scent I'm really familiar with is of Cviček, so what do I know). In the scent department this is a disappointment, I was looking forward to lovely smelling nails as strange as this idea may sound. 

Parfumerie nail polishes cost 6.99 € in Müller.

Have you tried any of the Revlon's Parfumerie nail polishes?

Have a great day!

New In: Makeup Revolution London

Makeup Revolution London is a brand that is new to me. Their products are sensibly priced and they actually have some nice dupes of UD's Naked Palettes called Iconic palettes. A Slovene online beauty shop Ličila.si started selling this brand and on this occasion I was sent a few bits to try out. Because I just got these products yesterday, this is just my usual New In post, but there will be reviews with swatches when I test them out properly.

Makeup Revolution London je na voljo v spletni trgovini Ličila.si.
For those abroad there is also an official shop that ships internationally. It's similar to MUA and E.l.f in terms of shipping costs, which means expensive in my book.

 Lipstick Dazzle

Šminka Dazzle 1,95 €

A toned down fuchsia pink shade. I haven't worn it on the lips yet, but there is a swatch at the end of the post. I'll do a proper review.

 Mono Eyeshadow Naive

Enojno senčilo Naive 1,95 €

A peach skin tone shade with a satin finish that is great as a base colour for pale skin tones or as a highlighter under the brow if you're darker. First of the quantity and the size of the pan is a pleasant surprise, it's much bigger than most eyeshadows and it's closer to some blush sizes. The brush picks up enough product quickly due to the softer texture, but it is a bit chalky though that doesn't really matter because it's a light shade and it still creates a nice even base. For the price this is quite nice.

Vivid Blush Lacquer O'Boy

Tekoče rdečilo za lica O' Boy 4,95 €

Man is this pigmented! It's a light pastel blue-toned pink liquid blush with amazing pigmentation, I actually had to use an oily makeup remover to get the swatch off my hand. My cousin immediately feel in love with the shade and tried it on the lips where it looks like a mix of MAC's Overtime and Please Me. You need the smallest amount so it should last a long time. There will be a full review with a picture of how it looks on the cheeks and I'll swatch it on the lips as well.

Salvation Intense Lacquer A Love Like That

Intenziven lip gloss A Love Like That 4,95 €

A basic red that is more or less neutral, maybe a bit warm. As you can see from the swatch it's super pigmented and glossy. It smells lovely, like vanilla. There will be a review.

Is there something you'd like to see first?

Have a great day!

H&M Lip Tint Raspberry Red

H&M is not known for their make up line though it's not that modest especially abroad. We get only occasional bits in Slovenia and these lip tints were placed at the registers (H&M Citypark LJ). There were a few colours to choose from, I remember a blue toned pink and one was red. The warm pink caught my eye called Raspberry red. 

Texture: I wouldn't call them tints since that usually means a product with a sheer but long-wearing texture, however, these are actually very pigmented liquid lipsticks. The smallest dot of product goes a long way and it's really hard to wash it off the skin if you swatch it. This type of texture plus the small nozzle applicator means that you need a lip blush to apply it, especially if want a nice precise look. You can apply it with fingers if you're skilled, but mostly it looks too messy.

It can be used as a blush and it gives a cute pink flush to the cheeks. 

Shade: A warm, bright pink. Such warm pinks are rare since most are very blue toned that's why it got my attention.

Staying power: Based on the fact it took a lot of soap and water to get the swatch off my hand, I expected great staying power, but for some reason this doesn't last long on the lips. It starts to fade within an hour even if you don't eat or drink. After a few hours on a faint trace of colour is left. So staying power is not impressive.

 As a blush:

Packaging: A soft tube with a small nozzle. It holds an impressive 12.5g of product.

Price and availability: I found them at the registers in H&M and they cost 3.95 €.

It's a cute product with great pigmentation and a lovely shade, but staying power is a disappointment for such a bright colour. Still, I wouldn't dismiss them if you come across these lip tints in H&M, maybe the red one's staying power is better, I actually have a mini H&M red lipstick and it's fabulous.

Have a great day!

Maybelline Colorama Bleached Neons 242

Mother of nail polishes was this a hard shade to take an accurate picture of! I fixed them with software to get it as close as possible, but they still lack that "neon-ness" that is noticeable in real life.

This is a shade that looks so pretty in the bottle where it appears as a bleached (muted) neon coral-pink and I had every hope that it will look like that on my nails. But as it happens so often with anything coral on my skintone, it's a more orange shade on me. On my nails it looks like a pastel neon orange with a hint of pink, which looks more pink under some artificial light. It's a bit lighter and more neon than on my picture, but if I lightened it then it just looked pastel apricot, so that's the best you can get from me. It's definitely bright and will get noticed, that neon-ness is actually not that bleached if you ask me. I think this would look nice on someone who's tan or just as a fun summer shade.

The formula is like a classic pastel shade with it's signature thick formula that is difficult to apply evenly (think Mint Candy Apple-like). The brush is a standard one. 

I paid 2.49 € in Müller.
Have a great day!

Essence Cookies & Cream Shimmer Pearls

It's been quite a while since I purchased something from essence's TE, but I found a full display of Cookies & Cream TE and I grabbed these shimmer pearls. As I said in my New In post I've been on a search for a new powder and I'm considering maybe taking a plunge and buying the famous Guerlain Meteorites, so I got these essence ones first to see how I get along with a product in pearl form since I'm more used to compact powders. 

There are three colours of pearls - light pink, gold-beige and peach. Peach ones have the strongest pigmentation, however swatched together there is just a slight golden hue. The brush picks up a lot of product, but on the skin it's a very, very subtle highlighter and barely noticeable, so not at all super shimmery and there is no massive glitter. It manages to look very natural on the skin and I even go as far to use it all over the face as a finishing powder to achieve that subtle radiance or a natural glow. Though the shimmer is completely invisible in most lights, it is noticeable in strong yellow light like in strong sunlight or under artificial lights. I'd wear this all over on cloudier days or during the day indoors, but in other cases I'd just use it as a normal highlighter. 

These pearls have a scent and I can smell it when it's on my face, so keep that in mind if you're sensitive to fragrance. They smell perfumery candy sweet rather than proper cookie/cupcake sweet.

I hope you can see the swatch. Even in real life it's very, very subtle. I tried to take a photo of the effect on my cheeks, but my camera couldn't capture it.

It's a cute product that will appeal to those who want a very natural looking highlighter. It is pretty much impossible to overdo, so nice for beginners and the lovely sweet scent is a plus as well. It's a limited edition, so if you really want it you should hurry.

These cost 3.59 € in DM.

Have a great day!

New In #13

 Lancôme Hypnôse Star Waterproof mascara

Müller had a 20% off some high-end mascaras and I couldn't pass up the chance to repurchase one of my favourites. This time I got the Star version of Hypnôse which is in a glamorous shimmery packaging and has a different wand, however, the formula is the same as the original waterproof one (I actually wanted the Doll version, but the only one there was already opened, used and put back in a box. Who does that!?). I'll do a post where you'll see the difference between the original, but so far I'll say I prefer the original wand. 

Regular price in Müller is 33.99 € (27.19 € with that discount).

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream 31 Ivory

The lightest shade is a bit dark for me, but the formula is very similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in terms of coverage and how almost invisible it looks on the skin, but the finish is different, it's more satin/matte. There will be a review, but you can read a review of the CC Eye cream here.

It's priced probably around 14 €, I'm not sure because I bought it with a coupon.

H&M Lip Tint Raspberry Red

I grabbed this at the registers in H&M because I liked the colour and I was curious about the formula. There are several shades, I remember a couple of pinks and a red, this one is a warm, pink-raspberry shade. These are like liquid lipstick that are very pigmented, but staying power is not that impressive. Review with swatches will be posted.

Priced 3.95 €.

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel Bordeaux

Look at that adorable packaging! It's supposed to be scented and after reading a few reviews I expected a heavy scent, but I barely smell anything at all. The colour is beautiful and the quality of the polish is nice. I'll post swatches.

6.99 € in Müller.

 essence Cookies & Cream TE shimmer pearls

I've been on a search for a new powder and I'm considering maybe taking a plunge and buying the famous Guerlain Meteorites. Whilst researching online, I found a review comparing essence pearls (not sure which TE was it) with Guerlain's (not is a sense that they are dupes) and the reviewer said that it's a lovely highlighter, so I picked them up also to see how I get along with the concept of powder pearls/balls. I only purchased them a couple of days ago, but first impressions are good. It's a very subtle highlighter, nothing exceptional, but cute and nice to have if you manage to still find them. I'll post a review with swatches soon.

3.59 € in DM.

Maybelline Colorama Bleached Neons 242

This shade immediately caught my attention in the shop and I have nothing similar in my collection. It's a bleached (muted) neon coral-pink that is quite a statement shade. I'll post swatches. 

2.49 € in Müller.

essence all about matt! fixing compact powder

I'm so fed up with my Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and as I said, I've been researching online for my next powder. Honestly, I'd never even look at essence powder in a shop, but a lot of people seem to love it and it's cheap so when I had a discount in DM I just tossed it in the shopping basket. It's has a high rating on Make up Alley, but I suspect it's more due to the affordable price than it being absolutely fantastic. First impressions are ok, I like it better than MAC's, but I've only been using it a few days. I'll update you on how I like it in time, I think I need to get through the top layer first to see how good it actually is.

3.29 € in DM.

 Pantene Expert Collection Anti Age conditioner

I haven't bought anything from Pantene in about a decade. I never liked the brand and their ridiculously retouched advertising campaigns make me angry, but I heard good things about this conditioner and I can't resist trying a supposedly nice drugstore treatment. I've only used it once and I need a bit more testing before giving my assessment, but so far I'm not impressed.

7.49 € in Müller.

Sebastian Professional Potion 9

One of my readers alerted me that there was a 20% off code on Look Fantastic (thanks Sunshine!) and I couldn't pass on buying Potion 9 and Bumble and bumble Pret-a-Powder. Potion 9 is a leave-in conditioner and styling product in one. I am very, very impressed by it and it's my favourite thing out all the stuff I bough recently. I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw the ingredients and it's fantastic for my super dry hair even though it feels almost weightless. There will be a review.

Regular price 11.75 € for 50 ml on Look Fantastic. There also a larger size available.

Phyto 9
Nourishing day cream with 9 plants

This is a very hyped up moisturiser for hair that is silicone free and after reading a ton of very favourable reviews I expected a lot, but I was disappointed. I'll do a full review, however, I can say that this is not enough for my dry hair and it feels weird, like applying a face/body moisturiser.

15.85 € in Leposana (Leclerc), which is a lot cheaper than online. I love that shop!

 Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

I don't know why, but I really, really wanted this. It's an interesting concept of a dry shampoo, volumising powder and style extender in one that really appealed to me, even though I use dry shampoo only occasionally, usually on the 3rd or 4th day after I washed the hair and only to make it smell nice and refresh volume, not because it's greasy. There will be a full review with more details, but I'll just say that is smells absolutely divine and gives a lot of volume. 

I paid 21.16 € with a code on Look Fantastic, regular price is about 26 €.

Redken diamond oil shampoo and conditioner samples

Shampoo: I had a 10 ml sample that I used up in one wash. It smells so lovely, it reminds me of something, but I think it's something tropical. The texture is somewhat creamy, but not hydrating. I find it leaves my hair too squeaky clean, but I can comb through it after washing. I wouldn't market this as shampoo for dry hair, but it should work for other types of hair.

Conditioner: A bit too thin and runny for my liking. It has the same scent as the shampoo. 10 ml was not enough for my hair, so I couldn't properly test it, but it certainly wasn't moisturising enough for my hair.

Ingredients of both shampoo and conditioner here.

 Balea Summer 2014 LE Carambola Lambada and Mango Mambo

Like last year, Balea released a tropical inspired LE that includes shower gels, body lotions and a deodorant.

Carambola Lambada shower gel - I think this is my favourite out of all tropical scents by Balea. It's fresh like a grapefruit scent, but with some sweetness. Lovely!

Mango Mambo shower gel - the same mango scent as last year. Super sweet, like a cocktail or candy (Haribo bears).

0.99 € in DMs (Did anyone else notice that they are 14 cents more expensive than last year?).

 Balea Dusche & Creme Cocos and Nektarine

I repurchased one of my favourite shower gels.This smells so flipping amazing, it always makes me smile.

0.99 € in DM.

Garnier Ultra Doux Honey Treasures Reconstructing Shampoo

An average drugstore shampoo with a creamy formula. It doesn't strip the hair nor nourish it and it leaves the hair quite tangled. It foams a lot, which I'm really enjoying because I've been using sulphate free shampoos for a long time now and I've developed this contempt for them. It smells very generic, soapy clean but a bit sweet, though nothing like a proper honey scent. It's a shampoo for those who just grab something at the drugstore and don't really put much thought into hair care because they don't need to. I'm disappointed, but what can you really expect from a shampoo this cheap.
Ingredients here.

2.89 € in DM for 400 ml, there is also a smaller size available.

Nivea Double Effect Auger Make-Up Entferner

I couldn't find my regular Maybelline remover in DM, so I picked up this one. It's the same concept, a two-phase oily make up remover that I use for removing waterproof mascara. It's less oily than Maybelline's and this one doesn't make my vision blurry either, but it's less effective and it takes a lot more rubbing to get the mascara off, hence why I'm not impressed. I like the packaging of this one more because it has a flip lid. 

Ingredients of Maybelline's and Nivea's side by side here.

4.29 € in DM.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair mask

I've said on several occasions that I genuinely dislike this hair mask and I still do. However, my mother adores it (go figure) and I bought it for her as a Mother's Day gift after she ever so "subtly" implied with an empty pot in her hands that her favourite mask had run out. It usually happens this way, I give her something I don't quite like and then I end up repurchasing it for her because she loves it (I bought three of Deborah lipsticks in a row). The bow is the maximum extent of my decorating abilities.

15 € on eBay from this seller (much cheaper than elsewhere).

Have a great day!

Kérastase Chroma Sensitive Caressing Cleansing Balm

Ever heard of co-washing? It's a very interesting concept and this is my first cleansing balm as well as my first experience with co-washing. I got Kérastase Chroma Sensitive Caressing Cleansing Balm as a very generous gift with purchase which I'm very happy about since I doubt I'd ever pick it up myself. It's a part of their line for coloured hair and it's sulphate, paraben and silicone free. The idea is that it has no harsh cleansers and it conditions the hair at the same time. It doesn't foam, which reduces frictions of the hair fibres, therefore the hair colour should stay last longer.

What is co-washing? Short for washing with a conditioner, co-washing is nothing new and it's an interesting method for people with dry hair who find that shampoos strip their hair and leave it dry. You can use a regular conditioner, preferably a silicone free one, but recently companies started to sell specific cleansing balms or conditioners such as Wen, Macadamia, Herbal Essences, Ojon, L'Oreal and of course, Kérastase. You may be wondering whether co-washing actually cleans the hair. Well, according to this test, it does a pretty good job, however, shampoo is still more effective.  

Texture: A very thick cream that feels like a heavy conditioner. This thickness means you need some elbow grease to squeeze it out of the tube (now I understand why 200 ml version comes in a bottle with a pump).

How to use it: It is used alone, every other wash, in alternation with a usual shampoo and treatment. I use it as it's shown in the video on the official Kérastase channel. I apply a two walnut size amount (as on the picture above) on soaking wet hair, distributing it gently all over. I then add a bit of water and emulsify it by gently massaging it in the hair. It actually feels like a very moisturising, creamy, sulphate-free shampoo that barely lathers. It is silicone free and yet it feels so silky when it's on the hair and when you're rinsing it off, however, the hair is a bit tangled, especially compared to Oleo-Relax shampoo. It needs a lot of water to rinse it off, but it washes out completely. 

Effect: The hair feels clean and very moisturised. It does weigh down my super dry, coarse hair a bit, however, that is one of the features I like. Why? Because my hair is then a lot more manageable, there is less frizz and I don't have to worry about every hair competing which one can stick out more obviously. Despite that heaviness, I still get volume in my hair. It feels gentle on the scalp. I tend to not use much of my leave-in conditioner or other products after using this, otherwise it's quickly too much. This is very strange for me, since I'm used to essentially saving the situation of dryness after washing my hair by applying every product known to mankind to get my hair to stay hydrated, but after using this I can use just the lightest heat protectant I own and maybe a few sprays of Soy Tri-Wheat conditioner.
I should add that this is my natural colour, so I have no experience in whether this helps preserve the colour longer.

Scent: A bit strange chemical one. I'm used to lovely smelling products by Kerastase, but this one is a bit odd and it lingers.

Ingredients:

Price and availability: I got the 300 ml tube as a gift with purchase, but a smaller 200 ml version with a pump costs 19 € on Feel Unique.

I'm so happy I got this as a gift with purchase. I really like it. It's like a Kérastase quality shampoo plus mask in one, but cuts the washing time by a considerable amount for me (I tend to leave hair masks on for about 30 minutes). The effect of this is amazing on my dry hair - clean, yet moisturised super shiny and healthy looking hair but still with some volume. Even the frizz is a lot more tamed which is a mini miracle when it comes to my hair.  

If you have dry hair this is a wonderful product to try. I'm not sure how this would perform on other types of hair, but you can give co-washing a try with a regular conditioner first to see if it suits you. 

Have a great day!