Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to setting sprays and though my skin isn't oily, getting makeup to stay all day is not an easy task. I had a few special occasions coming, so wanted to invest into some products that would keep everything in place for as long as possible and All Nighter comes highly recommended. I had my heart set on the travel size for ages, but it was always sold out - luckily I managed to get a hold of it about a month ago. I can say that it definitely delivers.

The spray feels wet when applied, however, once it dries in about a minute it feels undetectable on the skin. There is no stickiness, no tight feeling, absolutely nothing - it's like an invisible shied on your face. It is also unscented. It says to spray it 20-25 cm away from the face 2-4 times in a T and X formation - very straightforward and simple. The spray works great and sprays a fine mist so it's evenly distributed on the skin. Some say that spraying All Nighter makes the foundation and powder look less cakey, but I don't notice a difference.  

I love the small, travel size packaging, I'm sure it'd prefer it to the full size as it's easier to handle. I don't quite get the function of the double lids, but I'm not too bothered. I'm really happy about UD also selling small sizes so you can trial the product before you splurge on the full size and they are always cuter than the bulky full-sizes. Sprays last me so long anyway, so I'm set for quite a while with these 30 ml. 

For this review I did a one day test. I took the first picture at 12.00 (A.M.) about an hour after applying makeup and the second at 22.00, so ten hours have passed between the photos. 

I wore Catrice Nude Illusion foundation, Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, L'Oreal Lumi Magique concealer, Bourjois Poudre the Riz powder, Catrice Defining blush, BeautyUK Eden palette, Kardashian Deeply Felt Liner, Bourjois 1 Second waterproof mascara and Dior Addict Fluid Stick. First picture was taken in natural light and the second under Phillips Economy Twister Cool Daylight bulb.

Eyeshadows, liner and mascara were perfect, the foundation has rubbed off a bit though not completely, the under eye concealing was still great, the blush was long gone and I did apply a lot,  Dior lip gloss was gone as well (obviously, it's a lip gloss) and there was some shine on the skin, but not excessively. You can see from the pictures yourself it looks pretty damn good for eleven hours. 

I used it on me and my cousin when we attended two weddings and our makeup lasted all day. All in all, this is pretty good stuff.

The pictures speak for themselves - All Nighter really helps to prolong makeup. It's quick and easy to use in addition to the fact that you can't feel it on the face. However, it does have a high content of Alcohol Denat., which can be drying, but I haven't noticed any ill effects from using this spray. Despite it being very good, I actually think that Max Factor All Day Primer works a bit better, especially when it comes to containing oiliness, however, the combination of the two is absolutely fantastic and perfect when you need your makeup to stay all day.

I bought mine from Feel Unique for 11.70 €.

Have a great day!

New In #20

URBAN DECAY All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

I finally managed to get a hold of the travel size of the famous setting spray. Hailed as the best setting spray that truly keeps your make up in place, I desperately wanted to try it, however, since I've never tried any setting sprays before, I didn't really want to splurge for the full size without testing it. It certainly works, however, although supposedly 88% of women claim it's the best thing to prolong makeup, actually I find that Max Factor All Day Primer perhaps works a bit better. The combo of the two is of course unbeatable. There will be a full review.

Feel Unique, 11.70 €.

BOURJOIS Cream Blush 

03 Rose Tender

I bought another one of these, since I absolutely adore 01 Nude Velvet. These are without a doubt my favourite cream blushes because they apply so easily and have a lovely velvet-matte finish. 03 is a classic pink blush - the kind that gives that adorable i-just-came-from-the-cold flush. There will be a review with swatches.

Feel Unique, 10.39 €.

BEAUTYUK Posh Palette 

Eden

Oh, how I wanted to love it. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it the first time and it has precisely the combination of colours I love, featuring matte and satin shades. But damn the pigmentation! It's so poor, especially the mattes, actually almost all the shades I really like are of poor quality. I'm so tired of these cheap palettes, I'd rather buy UD's Naked than faff around with these wannabe dupes, but that's just my humble opinion. I'll do a review with all the swatches.

Kozmo (Croatia),  49.99 kn (6.5 €).

CATRICE Beautifying Lip Smoother 

020 Apricot Cream

I didn't really plan to get this as I already owned Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in the past until someone nicked it (may your foundation always look cakey, whoever you are!) and I never thought of it as being anything particularly special, but when I saw these in DM, I just instinctively grabbed one. I actually really like it. It's such a wonderful, creamy and balmy lip gloss, it feels quite luxurious on the lips. My only issue with it is that it gets a bit odd when it's wearing off, like it's peeling, but I just wipe it off and apply it again. The colour is very nude for my liking, but pretty nonetheless. I'll do a review.  

DM, 3.79 €.

BOURJOIS  Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof

Wow it took me forever to buy this. I set upon finding a more affordable waterproof mascara that would hold the curl well. Based on my first use, it's a mascara that gives a lot of definition and some volume, however, not so much length. It's still pretty wet and prefer mascaras when they are a bit drier, so when that happens I'll give you a full report, but so far its curl holding abilities didn't not impress me.

Müller, 14.25 €.

CATRICE Nude Illusion Foundation

010 Nude Ivory

This is a brand new foundation by Catrice and I've already mentioned it in my recent wishlist post. It feels like a typical old school foundation with that thick texture and a lack of silicones that would provide slip, however, it still applies nicely and gives a matte finish. Actually the bottle says luminous matte finish - that's exactly right. None of that heavy, my-skin-can't-breathe mask finish, but light, healthy matte skin-like finish. What most impressed me about this foundation based my short time of owning it, is how fantastic it holds on the skin. Even after seven hours my skin looked matte (without any powder on top!), but in a healthy way and it just looked like my skin is flawless because the pores weren't so visible. I need more time using it, but there will be a full review. 

By the way, the lightest shade is similar to Healthy Mix 51, maybe a hint darker, but neutral.

DM, 7.69 €.

L'OREAL Color Riche L'Ombre Pure 

106 Breaking Nude (matte)

No one in the drugstore can make an eyeshadow quite like L'Oreal. After the Infallibles, they've scored again with L'Ombre Pures. This particular shade is soft, super pigmented, blends well and has good staying power - a dream texture. The colour is just stunning and perfect to apply in the crease. I completely adore it! I think I might pick up some more matte shades. I'll do a review with swatches.

Műller, 8.99 €.

CATRICE Ultimate Nail Lacquer

59 First Class Up-Grape

It is very rare that a nail polish catches my attention in the shop, but this one certainly did. The colour is stunning, a dark purple with red tiny shimmer giving it a very warm undertone, however, I finally get why everyone dislikes Catrice nail polishes - the formula and the brush are awful. I'll post swatches. 

DM, 2.59 €.

I <3 MAKEUP I Love Sin Palette

Hmmm… When I got this, I was immediately put off by all the bright colours. I'm very much a neutral girl at heart and one that just barely got into eyeshadows, so a neon pink is not something I'd wear (actually, I though this is such a Taya palette). I <3 Makeup is a subsidiary brand of Makeup Revolution and why exactly did they feel the need to create another brand is beyond me, as they have very similar products in their standard line. I Love Sin palette has 18 eyeshadows ranging from matte to shimmery, most are bright colours and there is a handful of neutrals. The quality differs from shade to shade - the neon yellow-green is absolutely rubbish, while the bronze shade is just lovely. I'll post swatches.

I was sent this by Ličila.si. Cena: 10.95 € (trenutno 7.45€).

Makeup Revolution, £7.99.

AUSSIE Miracle Hair Insurance Lightweight Conditioning Spray

I'll openly admit, I bought it purely for the scent. It has the same bubble gum scent as the Miracle Moist shampoo and the 3 Minute Miracle - divine! Based on one use I can say this has no frizz control whatsoever, but hydrates the hair well enough. Still, Sexy Heathy Hair leave-in is miles better. I need more time using it, but I'll report in time with a full review.

DM (Croatia), about 5-6€.

PHILLIP KINGSLEY Elasticizer

This is a very popular pre-wash treatment for damaged hair that helps reduce breakage. It is ridiculously expensive, but so many people rave about it, so I ordered a small size to try it out first. You're supposed to apply it on damp hair before washing your hair and conditioning. I've only used it once and so far I can say it's a good treatment, though, I'll have to use it longer before writing a review (here is a picture of my hair the first day after using it). By the way, this has no scent whatsoever.

Feel Unique, 19.50 €.

REDKEN All Soft Heavy Cream

I got this based on a recommendation from Petra from Adjusting Beauty and it's been on my wishlist forever. Haven't used it much yet, but so far I can report that it suits my super dry hair. It's not as good as Joico Intense Hydrator, but it's definitely one of the better treatments available. There will be a review in time.

Feel Unique, €20.67.

Lavender Hydrolate

I wanted this because I expected an intoxicating lavender scent (I love lavender), but much to my disappointment it smells like something's gone off. Lavender hydrolate  is supposed to be good for problematic skin as it is antibacterial, but it can be used on all skin types and it's said it's good for itchy scalp as well. I've been using it on my face for the past two weeks and my skin looks pretty good at the moment. I just wish it smelled better.

Random souvenir shop in Zadar (Croatia), 50 kn (about 6.5 €).

GATINEAU Melatogenine AOX Probiotics Youth Activating Beauty Serum 

Sample

I quite liked this serum. It's a light, milky white serum that absorbs quickly and I definitely needed something on top as my skin felt a bit tight after it absorbed, however, during the short trial my skin looked quite good. It smells very inoffensive and nice. Ingredients here.

CAUDALIE Vinosource S.O.S. Morning Eye Rescue 

Sample

Another thing that I liked and I don't even use eye creams. It moisturises well, yet it is light enough that I would apply makeup over it.

EBELINE Pinzette 

I have the most rubbish tweezers on the planet that I bough a million years ago and I've been avoiding buying a super expensive pair, though I'm aware it pays to invest. Taya recommended Essence tweezers and for the life of me I cannot find them (looked in three countries no less), so I settled on Ebeline's. These look similar to Tweezerman's with the sharp slanted edge and I've seen three different colours (aside from the hot pink also a baby pink and I think a navy or black). I have to report that I find them clumsy, too big, not particularly precise and they rip the hair. I need something smaller, perhaps the mini Tweezerman's version.

DM, 1.99 €

Molecule 01 Iso E Super

Me: (shoving my wrist under their nose ): Hey, do you smell anything?

Every-person-I-asked: "What? Erm..No. Well, maybe. A bit. Why?

Me: But would you say it smells nice?

 Every-person-I-asked: (shrugs shoulders): Meh.

Remember that fragrance by Escentric Molecules called Molecule One? The one that every British blogger was raving about forever and then some more because it supposedly attracts compliments? Well that famous molecule is called Iso E Super and it's not spectacularly rare or so exceptional that it might justify a 80 € price tag for 100 ml. There are a lot of these Molecule 01 dupes on eBay, which are just a dilution of Iso E Super in perfumer's alcohol. I didn't quite know what to expect as it's a fragrance that's supposed to smell different on each individual and you yourself can't smell it, but you smell nice to other people. I ordered a small bottle, so I wouldn't be too disappointed and so far I am a bit disappointed - it smells like, I don't know, almost like nothing. It's such a weak scent that smells like water, earth and wood, like walking in a forest or similar to the oris root note in Britney Spears' The Naughty Remix, but super gentle and it lasts just a few seconds. It's a bit too masculine for me and I guess my chemistry does not comply with this scent because I read tons of favourable reviews, but no one can smell anything on me. I'll try mixing it with other scents and if my opinion changes, I'll give you an update.

 I bought it from a Slovene seller on eBay for 13 € (50 ml, seller's name is Tributes 8 and he offers free shipping worldwide)

Invisibobbles dupes

These look so silly to me. I just don't get why anyone would want to wear telephone cable in their hair, but curiosity got the best of me and I picked up a pack of 5 in a Chinese shop. They hold well, but look odd on the hair. They supposedly leave no trace in the hair, but that never really posed a problem to me. Personally I prefer the soft elastic ties, the ones I make myself and the ones from O'Twist (they started selling these hair ties everywhere, even Eveline has their own version).

Chinese shop, 1.5 €.

Have a great day!

Product of the Week #17

Back in the days, when I went through the enough-with-the-black-eyeliner phase in my teens, I discovered this gem - Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stash. You know something achieved the coveted holly grail status when you're using it since secondary/high school. Stash is an olive green old gold shade with gold shimmer that just works so well with my grey-blue-green eyes. It's dark enough to give a sufficient amount of definition while not overpowering the whole look by looking too harsh, but it also gives you a bit of colour. I wear it either on the top lashline, waterline or on the lower lashline, it works everywhere.
I have a few of these UD's 24/7 eyeliners and all are amazing quality - so pigmented, creamy and smooth. They don't tug on the eyes, there is no need for a million swipes to show up, they really stay on and most importantly, they don't go hard after a while (looking at you Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil. I'm sorry to inform you that our romance is over). Despite the heavier price tag, these are absolutely worth the money. The black one, called Zero, is my favourite black eyeliner. 

Here is a comparison of Stash with L'Oreal's Infallible eyeshadow in Bronze Goddess (bottom).

What's your favourite non-black eyeliner?
Have a great day!

Urban Decay Naked Basic Palette

I already said in my favourites that if I was allowed to own just one eyeshadow palette, this would be it. I'm not much of an eyeshadow person, mostly because my eyes are hooded and I see no point in applying anything else than an eyeliner, but Basic palette has been a part of my every day routine since I got it. For me this is the perfect palette, especially for an natural, polished every day look. There are several different possibilities of combining the colours, but my favourite way of using it is: W.O.S. as a base, Naked 2 on the lid, Faint in the outer corner, Crave as a liner and Venus in the inner corner. 

Excuse the lousy swatches, but the colours are accurate despite the blueish tint of the skin. The ones of the finger tips are better:

The quality of the eyeshadows is very nice. I'm a fan of matte eyeshadows and these are smooth, blend really well and are nicely pigmented. They remind me a lot of Catrice's matte shade I own called 350 Starlight Expresso, but they are less buttery than ArtDeco 551, which is a matte skin tone shade.

Venus is the only non-matte shade in the Basic palette. Both Venus and Virgin (Urban Decay Naked) are highlighting shades with an iridescent finish. Virgin is pinker than Venus, yet on the eyes the difference is undetectable and both are excellent shades for highlighting the inner corners. In fact they are best I've found so far because they are both quite subtle and nice for every day (though Mac's Vanilla pigmented is super lovely as well).

Foxy and W.O.S. are the two blending shades. I like how they included two such colours in the palette since I used them the most (I have mentioned in my everyday makeup post that I use MUA's 16 every day). Foxy is yellow toned, while W.O.S. is pink toned, however, the difference on the eyes is to my eye minute.
ArtDeco 551 is almost a spot on dupe for W.O.S., while MUA matte eyeshadow in 16 is pinker, but again the difference is not that visible on the eyes, after all, they are blending shades.

Naked 2 is a light taupe shade and my favourite. I've been on a search for such a shade for years, but most were either too warm or too grey.
Naked from the original palette is less grey and warmer, while the only other similar shade I own, MAC's Wedge is more brown and much warmer. All are excellent crease colours, however, I mostly use them as lid colours. 

Faint is a dark cool brown shade which is very pigmented.
Revlon's Rich Sable is darker and cooler, as is a similar shade from Sleek's Storm palette (the one next to black). Buck from the original palette is much warmer.

Crave is a matte black and very pigmented. I use it as a liner.

Nxy's Black is even darker, while the black eyeshadow from a Sleek palette is very similar to Crave. Creep from the original palette is a dark smokey grey with shimmer.

The packaging is great, well made and with a really handy big mirror. The palette is about the size of a smartphone, so a nice size to carry around. The only odd thing I noticed about the eyeshadows is the weird scent. I only notice it when I use the mirror in the palette because they are close to me, but it's not bothersome.

I got mine on Look Fantastic for 19.50 €, but regular price is about 23 €. I don't find it too expensive for such a great collection of quality matte eyeshadows that I used every day. I'm really happy that it's a part of my collection.

Have a great day!

New In #7

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107

Dark berry or oxblood lips were all the rage last autumn and it looks they'll be pretty popular this one as well, so I finally ordered Rimmel's 107 on Asos, but mostly because it was 30% off. I quite like the colour on me.

Plastic Lipstick and Makeup Holder

This is my second one so far. The other one is a lipstick holder only and holds 9 of them, while this one is much bigger with space for 12 lipsticks and additional different sized spaces for other makeup. It was 11€ in Műller. I have the pictures of the small one here.

My purchases from iHerb. I'll do individual reviews for all the products:

Queen Helene The Original Mint Julep Masque

A basic clay mask, but seriously the tube is just massive. Must be one of the best value face masks on the market since it was less than 3€ for 226g.

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Rose

The packaging is much more flimsy than I expected, thought the product itself is a beautiful blush. I took so many pictures of it, so expect a picture heavy post. Price: 8.6€.

Badger Cuticle Care

The packaging is cute, but the scent is something I'll have to get used to. Price: 4€ for 21g.

Nubian Heritage African Black Soap Bar

First off I love the scent. It smells similar to Aussie conditioner, so like bubble gum. I'm using it in the mornings, so I'll report in time how I get on with it. Priced 2.5 € for 141g.

 Urban Decay Naked Basics palette

When I saw the offer for 20% off on Look Fantastic, I jumped at the chance and bought Naked Basics palette. I paid about 19.50€ for it. I love it - it's just perfect for me. I prefer matte shades and these completely suit my needs, since it's a collection of such shades I tend to wear every day, but in a palette form.   

 The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter

I got this from eBay without smelling it beforehand. I plan to do a honey inspired post next with a full review of this, but for those that are curious about the scent: it is indeed very freshly floral, especially when you smell it in the pot. Applied on the skin, the proper honey note finally appears, but it is still mixed with a fresh wildflowers scent. This is not a warm, fuzzy scent, but a fresher and very floral honey scent. 

The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter 

I got a sample of this with the Honeymania body butter. Unfortunately 8 ml was far to little for my hair (which reach end of my back now), so I can't give you a proper review. The scent was unpleasant for me, strange, a bit like being in a forest, but more exotic. The texture is more on the thicker side, however, average for a hair masks. Since the amount was to little, my hair was still dry after using it. Ingredients here.

 Lush Honey I Washed the Kids  

It smells exactly like Honey Bee bath bomb, Ma-Bar bubble bar and Soft Coeur massage bar which all have a caramel/toffee scent. 9€ for 200 g.

L'Occitane Amande Delicious Hands Hand Cream

Is the name odd or what? Why would my hands need to be delicious? Anyway, I wanted the honey version, which was LE, but I was too late. So I quickly grabbed this one because I only had a minute and I couldn't find the original Shea Butter one. This is just the Almond Milk Concentrate in a hand cream packaging (that super luxurious cream that comes in a glass pot). It's feels and smells exactly the same. It sinks into the skin literally in seconds, which is just perfect for me since I avoid hand creams because I can't stand touching things with greasy hands. It's moisturising enough for me, though my hands aren't particularity dry. It was 7.60€ for 30 ml.

Balea Duschöl 

(shower oil)

I got this for my brother who has been complaining about itchy, dry skin (I suspect the lingering effect of acne medicine Roaccutane). I tried it myself of course, and it's quite nice. Similar to L'Occitane Almond Shower oil, but not as luxurious and thinner. It works the same - an oil which turns to a milky consistency (it emulsifies) with water. The scent is medicinal and not too strong. I believe it was about 2€. 

Dove Maximum Protection deodorant 

This is in a cream/mousse form and has a similar applicator as Secret deodorants (twist and the product comes through mini holes). The scent is very lovely and powdery, though not strong. The effect is supposed to last 48 hours, but I haven't tested it for so long since I always apply it once a day. I'm not much of a sweater so I can't really give a good review, but it works fine for me. It was about 3€ in DM.

Seche Vite Top Coat

My favourite top coat and I have been using it for years. The nail polish is dry to the touch in about 30 seconds, which is perfect for a girl like me who has zero patience (I still don't touch stuff for a few minutes just to be sure, even though I probably could). Also my manicure lasts ages with no chipping, but keep in mind that I have very strong and healthy nails. I got it off eBay for 9€.

Balea Tropische Früchte Badezauber
(tropical fruit bath "magic")
I just got it today, so I haven't used it yet. It smells just like the Pina Colada shower gel by Balea - a pineapple/pina colada scent. There is also a citrus and vanilla version, though I haven't seen the latter yet in our DMs. It was 1.65€ for 500 ml.

Essence Metal Glam TE Gold Topper
Another product I just got today, but I used it on one nail and it looks so beautiful. I'll do a post with swatches in the next days since it's a LE. It was 2.19€

Balea Verwöhndusche Lavendel & Honig 

(mini "spoiling" shower gel Lavender and Honey)

Such an amazing scent of lavender with a hint of honey. Basically, it's a regular Balea shower gel, but they only sell these small packet (25 ml) for 0.55€. I hope they release a full size, I would buy it in a heartbeat. There is also a "lavender & vanilla" version available.

Yves Rocher samples of Un Matin Au Jardin scents
(A Morning in the Garden)

I really liked all of the scents, but they have poor staying power. None lasted more than a hour.

Lilas Mauve eau de toilete (Lilac) - a spot-on scent of lilac. I used to walk past a lilac tree every day and this evokes many memories. 

Rose Fraiche eau de toilete (Fresh Rose) - I usually dislike anything with a rose scent, but surprisingly I liked this one. It's a sweet rose scent - fresher and younger than rose scents tend to be. 

Agrumes en Fleurs eau de toilete (Citrus flowers) - Quite a sugary citrus scent and my favourite out of the three.

Muguet en Fleurs eau de toilete (Lily of the valley) - Smells exactly like lily of the valley. A great scent for spring.

There will be full reviews for Lush Honey I Washed the Kids, The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter, Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107, Urban Decay Naked Basics palette and all four things from iHerb. If you would like to see any of them first or have any quick questions, you can tell me in the comments (keep in mind I have to test the skin care stuff thoroughly for a proper review), otherwise I'll just post them in a random order, but starting with the gold topper from Essence. 

Have a great day!