Empties #9

  BATISTE Dry Shampoo Tropical

I must say that I completely get why Batiste is so popular and it has fast become one of my favourite formula of dry shampoos. It's not white (except if you apply it on one spot too close), it really refreshes the hair well and it doesn't leave too much of the powdery residue. I had the massive 400 ml can of Tropical version, which smells like coconut bread or coconut pastry and personally I'd prefer something more Rafaello like, but it's all right.

Repurchase: Batiste dry shampoos in general - yes (currently I have the Wild version). Tropical version: Maybe.

SEXY HEALTHY HAIR Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

I've often sang praises about this hair hero and for good reason. It has come to a point where the mere though of being without for a single wash is almost unbearable. I am being dramatic or what? But in all seriousness, I find it a brilliant product that nourishes my hair, keeps it hydrated longer, reduces frizz and it has made my hair a lot more healthy since I started using it - a fact even my hairdresser noticed. I should also note that it's extremely light-weight, so I would recommend this to pretty much all hair types. I've been using it after every wash without fail on damp hair and one bottle lasted me about a year - at about 12 € per bottle (on Beauty Bay) I consider this a bargain.

Repurchase: Already did.

KÉRASTASE Nutritive Bain Oléo-Relax Smoothing Shampoo

Now this is what every shampoo should be like. It's the one shampoo that I consider as being exceptional and well worth the price. My hair is dry, as I've often complained, and this is like a shampoo plus conditioner in one in a sense that it leaves my hair clean, yet nourished, untangled and smooth. The scent does become a bit annoying with frequent use because it is one of those that has a sharp, potentially headache-inducing note in it, but it's worth putting up with it. I currently have Elixir Ultime version and Oléo-Relax is much better for my hair type.

Repurchase: Without a doubt.

MORROCANOIL Treatment Original 

As I've said in my Hair Oil series, I find there is very little difference between this one, Macadamia oil and Orofluido. All three are seriously good and I believe the main difference is just in the scent as well as the price. This one has my least favourite scent out of the three because it's sort of a generic fabric softener type of scent and I much prefer the rich, oriental version of Orofluido (which is also cheaper). 

Repurchase: Maybe, but I prefer Orofluido.

 BALEA Carambola Lambada Dusche

A nice, simple and affordable shower gel that smells very lovely tropically fresh (I described it before as similar to a grapefruit scent, but sweeter). Out of all summer LE by Balea this one is my favourite so far. 

Repurchase: It is a LE and I have enough of shower gels at the moment, so I suspect not.

ALVERDE Aroma Pflegeöl Kokos

I love these Alverde oils and I use them for so many things. This is my second or third bottle of this scent, which is a coconut muffin type of smell and it's ok, but I've grown a bit tired of it. One of the best features of this oil is the packaging, which is just perfect due to the brilliant pump.

Repurchase: Already did, but a different version.

BALANCE ME Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm 

I'm quite sad I've used this up. This is my favourite cleanser so far because it just suits my skin so well and it looks its best when I use it. It's a balm with scrubby particles and it cleans well, removes makeup and leaves the skin moisturised, so the dry patches are the thing of the past. It smells wonderful, the texture is nice and I love that it comes in a tube, which makes it very hygienic. The only bad side is that it's expensive. I have three other cleansers at the moment and none live up to it.

Repurchase: Yes.

NIVEA Anti-Perspirant Stress Protect

I actually liked this one. It worked ok for a spray deodorant and it smells pleasantly generically fresh, but I've used up this little 50 ml bottle in about a week or two. Currently I have the Pearl & Beauty version.

Purchase: Maybe.

 YVES ROCHER Mango and Passion Fruit eau de toilette

I'm a huge fan of tropical scents, with Escada's yearly LE's being my favourites, but this YR version was the one I never truly loved. It's a very simple, fresh, yet sweet scent that doesn't last particularly long and it does smell like a tropical drink with a prominent note of mango, while the passion fruit is more subdued. Both mango as well as passion fruit are my favourite scents in products, but in this combination it just didn't really work for me. 

Repurchase: No and I believe it's not available any more.

KATY PERRY Purr eau de parfum

This was a blind buy for me because it was 50 % off at the time of the purchase. It was never my favourite scent, but it's still a lovely, everyday fragrance. It's a mix of fresh bamboo, juicy apple and floral notes (gardenia, freesia) with subtle sweeter notes of coconut and vanilla that get more prominent with time. I think the bottle is adorable and I'll keep it as decoration.

Repurchase: No.

 L'OCCITANE Almond Shower Oil

Since 2007 there hasn't been a day when I was without this shower oil. I keep repurchasing it and I buy these eco-refills with 500 ml (that's two regular bottles) with which fill my old bottle. It's a fantastic shower oil and it provides a true pampering experience in the shower due to a super luxurious oil texture that transforms into a thick, creamy foam when water is added, not to mention that it smells bloody fantastic. It is a great product for those with dry skin as I find I never need to use a moisturiser afterwards. You should try it at least once in your life.  

Repurchase: Yes.

AVENE Cicalfate

This is just a simple, super thick ointment with panthenol (B5) for treating any type of damages on the skin from cuts, grazes and wounds. It was fine, nothing more to say about it.

Repurchase: I found something cheaper, so probably not.

ESSENCE 4 in 1 nail file

I buy these all the time. It's just regular nail file with four different textures that vary in roughness. It does its job and it does it well.

Repurchase: Already did.

BADGER Cuticle Care

I never liked this for it's original purpose as I find it not moisturising enough for my cuticles and I am not a fan of the strange herbal-lemon scent, but I did love this for my very dry soles.

Repurchase: Probably not.

BALEA Hygiene Reinigungstűcher

I bought a few packs of these before even trying them out first and I'm not a fan of them. They are nice and thick, but they have a strong hospital-disinfectant scent and Preven's don't. They do their job, but I probably won't repurchase. 

Repurchase: Probably not, I prefer Preven's ones.

 MAX FACTOR Khol Eye Liner Pencil

20 Black

I used to like this one and before the gel/khol hybrids such as Supershock by Avon came on the market, it was one of my favourite khols, but now I find it not black enough, too smudgy and not long-lasting. It has nothing on my favourite black eyeliner UD's Zero.

Repurchase: No.

Things that are discontinued:

TIGI Curls Rock Curl Booster

After years of collecting dust, I'm finally tossing this away. I never got this product. Is it a hairspray that's just super wet or is it like a replacement for mousse? I tried using it in so many different ways and it did nothing. Curls Rock Amplifier, on the other hand, I loved and I've gone through several bottles (if you'd like to define your natural curls, try it). 

BALEA Body Spray Aqua

I used this on hot days as a refreshment and it worked a treat. I also sprayed this on my face, when my foundation/powder looked cakey. I really liked how the spray did a very fine mist and it never just dripped. However, I'm still not sold on the whole water in a can fad, so I've refrained from purchasing the more expensive version from pharmacy brands.

BALEA Hawaii Deospray

I really liked this version of scent and I've owned several cans, but it's now discontinued. These Balea ones are, as described, just deodorants, so fragrance in a can, rather than actual antiperspirants such as Nivea's, but they always have some nice scents.

BALEA Bodycreme Sunny Peach

I loved the scent of this - it was a good peach scent, but I didn't find it moisturising enough for my legs as the skin was dry again in the morning. It was simply too light. I presume the still existing coconut version is similar.

After almost four years of blogging and more that a million views, the day has finally come and I have created a Facebook page, Instagram as well as decided to finally start using my Twitter account (which is also four years old). If you'd like to follow me on any of these social media, feel free do to so and if you decide to check them out on a later date, the links are also in the side bar. I can't promise you I'll be particularly interesting, as the tittle of my biography could be named: The Unexciting Life of the Unremarkable Woman,  but you might see new posts faster than now. Out of all social media, I still love Pinterest most and I'll probably be most active there.

Have a great day!

New in #19

 MAYBELLINE Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Concealer

03 Fair

I finally had the chance to repurchase one of my favourite ever concealers. I have missed it so much, nothing I bought since compares, only the much more expensive NARS has properly wowed me since. I have several rave reviews about it on my blog, but a quick sum up: it's my HG concealer for under the eyes because it looks like skin, blends seamlessly and covers enough.

DM, 9.95€ 

ESSENCE XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss Matt Effect 

15 Coral Mousse

This shade was on my wishlist forever, but, of course, it wasn't sold in Slovenia (it is now I think, though mine's from Austria). Stay Matt lip creams were my favourite matte formula ever, but they have discontinued the original ones and are now offering a reformulated version (they didn't even manage to leave them alone for one year since their first release *shakes head in disappointment*). The new ones smell like coffee and I hate coffee, also the formula is not as good any more and it doesn't last as long, though the fault of this can be attributed to the lightness of the shade. Coral Mousse is a nude peachy-pink, it's actually very different when swatched and it's a nice every day shade if you like nudes, but a tad boring to me. I'll do a review.

Müller, 2.25 € 

L'OREAL Super Liner Perfect Slim

Another repurchase, but this time of one of my favourite eyeliners. I tried to get along with the Manhattan's version, however, it has started to dry out in less than a month which I find so disappointing, hence why I have promptly picked up another L'Oreal's one. I still have to do a review for this (and Manhattan's), but in short: it's incredibly easy to use, it's super black, lasts well on the lids and it's super precise. I adore it.

Müller, 7.99€ 

MAYBELLINE Lasting Drama Black Shock 36h Liner

This a new release and from what I can tell, very similar to the new Benefit Push up liner which has very mixed reviews, but I was curious about how this one performs. Basically, it's a gel liner in a pen form, so you twist up the bottom and the product comes out of the rubber nib. I've used a few times and you have to apply it on the back of the hand first to avoid weird blobs. I managed to a do a thin as well as a thick line and the shape of the applicator does allow to create a nice flick. However, this is not a liner for beginners. It is intensely black and it managed to last all day on me and that is including the flick which is usually the first thing that wipes off. By the way, it is very difficult to remove at the end of the day and needs an oil remover. I'll do a review.

Müller,13.99€

THE BODY SHOP Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

I really stocked up on cleansers recently. Silky Cleansing Oil has some great reviews and I was eager to try it because it was on my wishlist right from it's release. It's a light oil that emulsifies when water is added and has a very gentle scent (not of camomile, mind you). I have tried it a few times so far, once on a full face of makeup with waterproof mascara and it removed about 98% of makeup, only a touch of eyeliner that was hiding between the lashes remained.  I'll do a review after a longer use. 

13 € 

THE BODY SHOP Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub

Yes, I picked up another Vineyard Peach product, it is after all my favourite scent. I was so hoping to get the body mist, but to my shock and bitter disappointment they were sold out in Celovec/Klagenfurt. I wanted it so badly, however, I partly consoled myself with the scrub. To me this is more of a gentle scrub, although I think most might consider it just perfect. It's super creamy and smells the same as the body butter. I'll do a review of it.

10€

Samples THE BODY SHOP

The super nice shopping assistant at TBS also gave me a ton of samples to try. I adore samples, we hardly get any in Slovenia.

Shea Body Butter

The texture of this is to die for good. Thick, yet creamy, super easy to apply and intensely nourishing. I think I had this version before and I loved it (or perhaps it was Almond?) The scent is the same as L'Occitane's Shea butter line, kind of a nutty, but clean scent if that makes sense? I hope it does.

Satsuma Body Sorbet

As the name suggests it feels like a sorbet, so it's a light gel-lotion type of product that is excellent for warmer months. I imagine it should be really refreshing if kept in the fridge to apply on a hot day. The satsuma scent is amazing, I've had it before in the body butter version and it is a strong sour-sweet juicy scent.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter

This has such a soothing, parfumey floral scent and it's very familiar to me, I think it's similar to L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom body milk, but less intense. The texture is similar to the shea one only less thick, so again awesome.

Jasmine Body Lotion

This one is very, very runny and I've never been fond of such body moisturisers, but that's a personal preference. The scent is a very creamy floral one, though I wouldn't describe it as jasmine one.  At least it's not similar to other jasmine stuff I've tried.

BALEA Dusche & Creme mit Maracujaduft

Shower gel Passion Fruit

I was expecting to see this in our DMs and I don't know what they are waiting for, so I picked it up in Austria instead. It's another nice, simple shower gel by Balea and it has a very fresh version of a passion fruit scent. 

DM, 0.85€ 

ESSENCE Eye Blender Brush

Again another product I wanted to try, but it wasn't sold here. I bought two affordable blending brushes to compare, Essence's and Ebelline's version. Eye Blender Brush is soft and has different sizes of bristles, so it's more of a duo fibre sort of brush, but for eyes. I wish it was a bit denser, however, it still does the job, though it takes a bit longer than at Ebelline's. It's a nice brush for the price.

Müller, 1.45 € 

EBELINE Blender Pinsel 

Blending brush 

I really like this one. It's dense, yet soft, works wonderfully in the crease and apart from blending, it can also be used to apply the colour on the lid. Why the hell is this not sold here?! I'd love to have a few back ups. I can do almost an entire eye makeup with this brush, however, I have determined that it performs best with high quality eyeshadows. It's about the same size as MAC's 217 and similarly flatter on one side, but it's softer and synthetic, so I just want to point out that I'm not in any way calling them dupes. I recommend it.

DM, 2.95 € 

Sexy Healthy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner

I actually just ordered it and this is a pic of my old bottle because Beauty Bay has been processing the order since Saturday. I hope everything is fine and it'll arrive shorty. 

This leave-in is a must for me. I haven't used up current bottle, but the mere though of being without it was just too upsetting for me, so I repurchased it before that happens. I believe this is the product that most transformed my hair in the past year. It keeps my hair hydrated longer, helps tame the frizz and has in general made my hair more healthy. Love it.

Beauty Bay, 11.70 €

I just want to inform Slovene and Croatian girls as well as other locals that there is MAC available in Celovec/Klagenfurt - Douglas, City Arkaden shopping centre. In the same centre you also have DM and Müller with a much larger selection of stuff than here, The Body Shop (the super nice sales assistant speaks Croatian and understands Slovene), Bipa, Yves Rocher and Mariounaud. Definitely worth visiting.

Have a great day!

No-Heat Curls with Sexy Healthy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

Have you ever woken up, looked in the mirror and exclaimed: "Holy cow, my hair looks gorgeous!" Well, it has happened to me. My hair has been suffering lately, with temperatures reaching as high as 39°, the heat hasn't exactly been beneficial to my locks and it dried out like a sponge. While Orofluido Sahara is an absolute god sent for dry hair, it is a dry oil, and I wanted a leave-in conditioner that makes the hair damp, I'll explain why later. I always turn to Makeup Alley when I'm researching products and Sexy Healthy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner comes very highly recommended by so many reviewers. I've heard promises of less frizz and more hydration - honestly, how can I hair junkie like me resist such praises.

I'll start with the good hair day story, the actual review can wait a bit. I washed my hair with Kérastase shampoo (which is flippin' fabulous, I should repurchase it), conditioned it with Dove Nourishing Oil Care, used Kérastase Nectar Thermique (another hero) and then sprayed a very generous amount of Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner. After blow-drying my hair still felt a bit dry and a bit frizzy, so I mixed Orofluido Elixir and some more Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner to make it slightly damp again, put my hair in a high bun as I always do after blow-drying and slept with it. Once I took out the pins in the morning, I had the most amazing voluminous messy curls, I was literally gob smacked. They don't usually look as good and I've been using this technique for a long time. I have years of experience with (almost) no-heat curls, which can look great, but they have one massive fault - they last about a half a day. And that's if you use tons of hairspray or mousse. I prefer to use a curling iron as the curls last 2-3 days then, especially if I use all Kérastase products.

I took some pictures, but I had to make them smaller because they where really blurry:

Now granted, the Kérastase products are a freaking miracle for my hair and they probably contributed a lot to the general healthy look of my hair despite skipping the Masqueintense, however, Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner definitely had a significant role in how well the curls formed. If only they hadn't dropped in the middle of the day. But then, I just put it in a high bun again, it's a cool look after all or just leave it as it is if i'm not that bothered.

This is my first proper spray leave-in conditioner in years. I used to use them all the time, but then stopped when I started styling my hair differently since as I mentioned before no-heat curls don't last long on my hair. I'm sure most of you has used such technique to get your hair curly and it doesn't even matter if you use just water to dampen your hair, but I prefer a spray conditioner (that makes your hair damp, of course. So no shine sprays or dry oils). I did this technique practically every day before I was using a blow-dryer and a curler, but now I do it on the days when I want an additional good hair day before I wash it and style it again. I just put my hair into a high bun (or two-three buns, depends how you want your curls to be) overnight and wake up with voluminous curls. Now, they can be completely heat free, but for better results, it's good if you heat up your hair with a hair dryer (still a lot less damaging than a curler). My choice of a spray conditioner for years was Gliss 19 Total Repair and I bought at least six of them in a row - it really is good, best available in our drugstores and it smells fantastic. A little tip I learned over the years, use bobby pins or hair clips to keep the bun in place. Don't use a hair tie because you'll end up with odd creases and kinks.

All right, enough rambling and onto actually reviewing the Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In. It says it should be used on towel dried hair, but I also used dry hair and it helps to keep the dryness at bay, but it's not as effective as Orofluido Sahara. It is among heavier spray conditioners and spraying it too much might weight down the hair, especially if it's not as dry as mine. This doesn't take the place of a regular conditioner and it works best if you use a regular conditioner beforehand, topping it with this spray for extra hydration, but I have heard people use it instead of a conditioner. I've had it for a couple of months and I can say it works best as it is recommended by the company, used on damp hair before blow-drying. I also like to use a bit on dry hair after as it gives the best results. However, for use on dry hair during the day, I like Orofluido Sahara more. So onto claims:
Provides lightweight moisture: Yes and no. It provides moisture, but it's not that lightweight, a fact I as a person with mega dry hair, don't mind, but it could be too much for some, especially if you use it on dry hair every day several days in a row (which if you follow the instructions, you won't do). Even my hair felt a bit coated after a few days, but I have been very liberal with it. Moderation is the key word here.
Helps prevent static electricity: When I'm blow-drying my hair, I don't notice that big of a difference when it comes to taming frizz, especially compared to Orofluido Sahara. But if I put my hair in a bun after drying and let the hair cool down, then yes, there is a lot less frizz than if I hadn't used anything.
Detangles hair: It'd be a pretty rubbish and pointless conditioner if it wouldn't. So yes.

It has a weak and a bit sweet scent, but it's no aromatherapy session like Orofluido Sahara or even Gliss Kur Total Repair 19. It sprays an even, thin mist so that's a plus.

As far as helping fight dryness, it won't knock Orofluido Sahara off the throne, but it is pretty damn good and I rate it very highly. Besides, I consider them completely different products, more like cousin really, I can't use Orofluido for creating no-heat curls. I got mine on Feel Unique for 14€.

Have a great hair day!