Best Buys in 2013: Skincare, Hair and Fragrance

And here is the second part of my traditional best buys of the year post. You can find the first part with favourite makeup products here and posts from previous years here: 2010, 2011 and 2012.

 Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

Not a traditional solid balm cleanser, but one with a very runny texture and small oatmeal scrub particles. It removes all but "industrial strength" waterproof mascara and leaves my skin feeling clean yet moisturised. Out of all cleansers I've tried so far, this is the one that makes my skin look best and it really keeps the flakies at bay. The only bad thing is that it's expensive.

REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate

A very light liquid serum with AHA's that is nothing revolutionary, however, it does help those pesky blemish marks to fade faster. It doesn't work overnight, but long-term this is very effective.

I must report that since I revamped my skincare routine by using balm or oil cleansers and adding AHA's, I haven't had a single dry patch nor the feeling of uncomfortable dryness. A pretty big win in my book.

 Balea Dusche & Creme Cocos & Nectarine

Balea's shower gels are not the most luxurious, however, the peach bubble gum scent of this one is just amazing. It's become one of my favourite shower products ever. 

The Body Shop Honeymania and Vineyard Peach Body Butter

TBS body butters are the best one's I've tried. Honeymania in particular has a fantastic texture, while the scent is an interesting and nicely blended mix of soft honey note with a fresh wildflowers scent that I have really grown to love. Vineyard Peach is the best peach scented product I've ever found, however,  unfortunately it was LE, but you can still find it on eBay.

Kérastase Nutritive Bain Oléo-Relax Smoothing Shampoo, Masquitense Épais - Thick and Nectar Thermique

These are the creme de la creme of hair care products. Targeted for dry to very dry hair, Nutritive products are those gem products that leave my hair amazingly soft, silky and healthy looking, and that feeling lasts for days. Kérastase sure is expensive, but you really get what you pay for.

Kérastase Elixir Ultime

This smells soo divine! I still use Orofluido every time I wash my hair because I find it best for my dry hair, however, on later days I love using a much lighter Elixir Ultime to reduce frizz and give some additional shine to my hair. It also has the best packaging that comes with a pump. I carry the travel size in my bag.

 Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor 

Such a great drugstore conditioner that makes my hair feel quite silky and it's moisturising enough to keep my poor dry ends in shape. The bubble gum scent is fantastic as well.  

 Sexy Healthy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

 Honestly, I wasn't convinced it was all that amazing from the start, mostly because I was using it wrong, however, I forgot to use it once on damp hair before blow-drying and I was a bit shocked when my hair wasn't really complying as usual. It was then that I realised how brilliant this actually is. It helps with the frizz, tames the hair and keeps it more moisturised. Using this, I can easily use a drugstore conditioner without having my hair dry by the end of second day after washing it. I don't even have to resort to using oil every day on my ends. I also use a small amount mixed with Orofluido on dry hair right after blow-drying and then put it in a high bun overnight, so I get volume and lovely waves. Best leave-in conditioner I ever tried.

got2b Volumania Volumizing Spray Mousse

This is one of the best styling products I ever tried, certainly the best mousse. It's in a spray which means it's easier to control the amount you want and easier to apply evenly. It isn't sticky, smells like raspberry soda and performs so well. With this and Lee Stafford hairspray my curls last at least three days (curled with a Remington 2.5 cm/1 inch barrel curler).

got2b Öl-La-La Styling Öl-Spray 

Healthy hair and shine in a can. It's a light silicon based product with argan oil in a spray form that gives tons of shine, helps fight frizz and doesn't weight down the hair. It's more of a styling/shine product, since the argan oil content is minimal and it doesn't actually nourish the hair much, however, it's much better than your average shine spray because most of those have a high content of alcohol. This is a great product for those, who find that silicone-oils are too heavy for their hair.

Lee Stafford Hold Tight Hairspray

I never though hairspray will be among my favourites, but this one sure deserves it. It gives flexible hold without being sticky, doesn't feel crispy or stiff at all and I don't even feel it on the hair. Despite the lightness it actually holds so well and works perfectly in combination with the got2b mousse. I need to buy the full size.

Lady Gaga Fame

I knew I'd like this from the moment I saw the notes, particularly because I like honey. It's a lovely blend of a honeyed apricot with smokiness of the incense. It's not a typical celebrity juice since the usual notes of vanilla and sugar are replaced by a darker incense. It is an eau de parfum, so it's more of a heavy scent, but I wore it almost all year regardless of the season.

Refan 022 H.Boss - Nuit Woman

This is a more classic scent and I find it perfect for an everyday daytime choice. It starts with a fantastic proper peach bust and then the scent evolves into a more flowery fragrance (white flowers) with some sandalwood. It ends up smelling a bit like fabric softener, but an expensive kind.

Have a great day!

Best Buys in 2013: Makeup

As tradition dictates, here is the first part of a (rather large) selection of my favourite buys in 2013. The second one will feature skincare, hair products and fragrances. You can find posts from previous years here: 2010, 2011 and 2012. All blue text are links to reviews and swatches.

Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme (001)

Finally a very light western BB cream and one that is immediately dry to the touch. It is a lovely, light coverage BB with a skin-like finish. I wore it a lot, especially because it takes so little time to apply and blend, so it's great for when you need to apply your makeup in a hurry.

Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream (13)

I am ridiculously pale. Even my doctor found this so odd that she had me tested for anemia about 10 times when I was a child (she also apparently has a case of bad memory). So, it's not every day that someone a ghostly pale as me finds a perfect match, but number 13 is it for me. Texture-wise it's really light and runny, and similarly to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, it has light to medium coverage. It looks very natural on the skin, however, like most BB's it leaves my skin tacky and sticky, which means it needs time to set. 

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer (Fair)

A great full coverage concealer in the drugstore range that covers everything from circles to those pesky spots. I think all the hype surrounding it is justified, especially because of it's great staying power. The only bad thing is that it can look a bit obvious later in the day.

Urban Decay Naked Basics palette

I was never not much of an eyeshadow person, but this palette changed that completely. I use it on most days and I actually use every colour in this palette, which is unheard of for a two-tops-eyeshadow-girl like me. It's such a gorgeous combination of matte shades that are great quality and can be used for natural, everyday look or a more intense, smokey eye. If I were allowed to own only one eyeshadow palette, this would be it. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo Permanent Taupe

This is a great quality cream eyeshadow and it's matte, which I love. It's really pigmented, blends nicely and really stays put for hours. I mostly use it as a base, but I like it as a quick eyeshadow look on it's own as well.

Lancôme Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume Waterproof Mascara

Now this is what I call a fabulous mascara. It's one of the rare mascaras that actually hold curl all day, while giving lots of length and some volume. I love how at the end of the day when I take my makeup off, my lashes are still curled even without the mascara.

Ardell Demi Wispies

Absolutely stunning falsies that don't look over the top, but still give the eyes a bit of drama. These are so comfortable to wear and you can't even feel them on your eyes providing you place them correctly (not too close to the inner corner), plus they can be re-used so many times.

Bourjois Cream Blush 01 Nude Velvet

This is my favourite cream blush so far. It blends nicely, it's super easy to apply especially on the go (I use fingers) and I like the packaging. It's very similar to Maybelline's Dream Touch blush, only more siliconey and in a more practical packaging.

Nyx Blush Taupe

This is a great shade for contouring for pale skin as it doesn't have any orange or warm tones in it. It's a cool brown-grey shade that imitates a natural shadow. It's become a part of my everyday routine.

Catrice Defining Blush 040 Think Pink

I just love everything about this blush - the colour, pigmentation, staying power, packaging and affordable price. A great drugstore find!

Mac Lipstick Samples from The Body Needs

I adore these. I have a large selection of Mac shades on hand without spending too much. I wore Lady Danger for most of the summer and other shades I loved to wear this year were Impassioned, Coral Bliss and Relentlessly Red. Swatches here and here.

Catrice Ultimate Colour 240 Matt About Pink

This was my most worn shade this year. It's a bright peachy pink colour with a matte finish and it's a great way of wearing something bright without being too much. The formula is not exactly brilliant, but the colour makes it worth it. 

Bourjois Shine Edition 21 Rouge Making Of

After Bourjois brought out their fantastic formula of lipsticks last year, this year they launched their version of lipstick/lipgloss/lip balm hybrids and again the formula is brilliant. It is the first shine lipstick that is actually worth the 12€ price tag because it has a far better formula than any I tried so far. 21 Rouge Making of is an orange based Lady-Danger-like but more transparent red and I wore it loads.

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 107

I finally dipped my toes into the deep berry pool and I am loving it. This lippie rarely left my lips since I got it and I love how I can wear it either as a stain, full-on or something in between and it looks like three different lipsticks. The formula is a great matte one, however, the only gripe I have is the staying power.

Essence Stay Matte Lip Creams

These have the most amazing formula out of all lip products I've tried. They are super pigmented, apply like a dream, last amazingly well on the lips, smell nice and leave a lovely velvety matte finish. Amazing quality for the price. They need to add more shades. Swatches here and here.

Rimmel Apocalips Stellar

This shade is stunningly beautiful. It's such a bright, fun colour, sort of a mix between coral and pink. The quality of these lacquers is great because they are so pigmented and wear off to a nice stain, but the scent is horrible. The finish they leave is glossy at first, but then sets to a more creamy leaning to matte finish when it's wearing off. I recently bought another shade called Eclipse.

Essie Cute as a Button

I adore this colour - a beautiful brightened pink-coral. What impressed me most is the formula which is such a pleasure to use. I wish every nail polish were like that.

Second part is here. Have a great day!

April Favourites 2013

Benefit Coralista

The perfect coral blush with gold shimmer that makes your cheeks look glowy. It's my most worn blush not just because I love the colour, but also because it lasts long on my cheeks. An old swatch here

Nyx Taupe blush

I use it every day for contouring. It's a great shade for pale skin as it doesn't have any orange or warm tones in it, but it's a cool brown-grey shade that imitates a natural shadow. I did a review with a picture where I'm wearing it here.

Essie Mint Candy Apple

A beautiful mint nail polish that is perfect for Spring. Admittedly, I have many dupes, but this month I wore mostly this one. Wearing it here. (Btw, a very good dupe is Depend 245)

Refan version of Burberry Body

Normally, I dislike rose scents with passion and I wasn't really loving this scent from the beginning. I guess my taste has changed (at least temporarily) this month and I have been wearing this fragrance on most days. It smells like roses, but not like a grandma type of rose. There are other notes that temper the rose scent, which makes it smell more fresh and powdery. It's a clean skin scent, floral and woody. There is supposed to be peach in it, but I don't smell any fruity notes at all. Oh, and if you're wondering, yes it smells like the original. I checked. And it lasts as long as the original, about 5-6 hours. 

Rimmel Apocalips Stellar

A super bright pink-red-coral liquid lipstick. I wore it every day in the beginning of the month. Review and swatches here.  

Catrice Ultimate Colour 250 Matt About Pink

I found my new every day shade that I wear everywhere. It's a bright peachy pink colour with a matte finish. Review and swatches here.

Mac Lady Danger (matte) 

A vivid orange red. I have a sample size, but I would love to have a full size lipstick. Swatch here.

L'Oreal Colour Infallible in 24 Bronze Goddess

My love for Infallible eyeshadows has not waned. I still think these are some of the best eyeshadows out there. Bronze Goddess is one of my favourites, it an olive shade with gold shimmer. Review and a rubbish swatch here.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Stash

One my favourites liners ever. UD liners are so soft and pigmented plus they really last on the lid. I have a few colours, but Stash is my favourite. It's a dark olive colour with gold shimmer that I wear often in the waterline and smudged on the lower lashline. Swatch here.

Balea Bodycreme Sunny Peach  

A really nice moisturiser with a peach scent (my kryptonite) that is affordable and comes in a huge pot (available only in DM's). Review here.

Thanks for reading!

March 2013 Favourites

Alverde Coconut body oil

I use oils a lot as a body moisturiser, hair oil, makeup remover and instead of shaving gel (makes your legs feel really soft). This one smells like coconut muffins, it's not too greasy and has a pump.

Catrice Made to Stay Metall of Honour

I wore nothing but neutral, skintone colour on my lids for months, but I decided it's time for a change. I wore a brown smokey eye for most of the time and Metall of Honour acted as a base to get the intensity and longevity of the eyeshadow. It's a dark brown-bronze colour that can be applied sheer or very intense. Unfortunately, it was discontinued a few months ago. 

Naked Palette shade Smog

On top of Metall of Honour I wore Smog, which is one of my favourite shades ever. It's a bronze with gold shimmer and makes my eyes look more blue (it's next to Half Baked).

Nyx blush in Taupe

I finally found a good contouring shade for my super pale skin. I wore it every day this month. I haven't done a review yet, but I will soon.

Nyx Rouge Creme blush in Natural
I just got it this month and it's quickly become one of my favourite cream blushes. It's a pale pink that is actually quite pigmented. Review will be posted soon.

Essence Hang Loose from Surf Babe TE

I tend to wear the same nail polishes over and over again, but this month I decided to wear something I haven't worn more that much. I went for a LE shade called Hang Loose from Essence, which is a light lavender shade. It's really pale, so it looks more like a nude shade but with a twist.

Missha M Signature Complete BB cream #13

So far the lightest shade I have ever found and it matches me perfectly right now. Texture-wise it's really light and runny, while the coverage light-medium.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection

A great full coverage concealer, I absolutely understand the hype. I think it deserves all the praise, especially because of the great staying power.

Tonymoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in Juicy Peach

Possibly the cutest lip balms ever. They are nicely moisturising and have enough pigment. Juicy Peach is light pink with some peach and it actually reminds me a bit of Mac Hue.

Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion  and L'Occitane Ambre eau de toilette

The combination of the two creates the most amazing amber-vanilla scent. Coconut Passion by itself is a very gourmand scent and Ambre adds a more woody, Mediterranean twist.

February Favourites

My skin and hair have been super dry this month, because of the central heating and all. Orofluido Sahara is a miracle in a bottle. I didn't really appreciate is as much before this month, but now it became one of my HG's for treating dry hair. My hair was so dry, even my trusted Joico treatment failed to moisturise my dried up mop, but as soon as I spritzed some Sahara on my hair, it immediately restored it to a normal state. You know what, I dismissed their claim about the product being tested in Sahara as extravagant marketing, but there may actually be some truth to that. I think it is protecting from extreme dryness, as I find that since I applied it generously, my hair hasn't felt as dry as usual even on later days.

Nuxe Prodigieuse Or is another product I used on my hair to give it some shine, but lately I've been using it as an illuminating base under foundation and it works brilliantly. The shimmer is quite discreet, so it gives that Victoria Secret bronze glow to the skin almost every girl is after.

I featured Omnia Botanica Argan oil in my product of the week post and I've been using it every day. It has been saving my poor parched skin. It leaves it supple, moisturised and helps with dry patches. A great oil for dry skin.

I had my tin of The Body Shop's Coconut oil close to me all the time. Right now, it's next to my computer so that tells something. I put a small amount on my ends whenever they're feeling dry. I'm normally not a fan of it, but it is the greasiest thing I own for the ends, making it perfect for this time of the year.

I came across a small tin of the long discontinued L'occitane eau des Vanilliers in one of my drawers and it brought back a lot of memories. I loved that fragrance. Feeling all nostalgic, I went to L'Occitane and I purchased/added to my wishlist a few things, but more about that in some other post. 

I was very tan (fake of course) in the beginning of the month, so I sported some coral lips, most often L'Oreal's Rouge Carress in Dating Coral, which looks so much prettier on me when I tan.
Revlon's Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie is such an easy colour to wear, it just goes with everything (btw some info for Slovene readers: lip butters are sold in Müller on Čopova. Lollistick wrote about it here).
For darker lips I loved Essence Berry Me Home from Home, Sweet Home TE. Essence (or Cosnova) should really bring this formula into permanent range.

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB is my current choice of BB, because it is the only moisturising enough BB/foundation I have. It works so well on dry, flaky skin and creates a nice, dewy base that looks very natural. It was in my products of the week post.

Catrice Mr.Brightside from NeoNaturals LE is a very interesting shade. It looks bright, close to neon, pure pink in the bottle, however, on my nails it turns more coral pink. It's a brighter cousin of Barry M's Pink Flamingo and truly a wonderful shade. Too bad it's LE.

I'm ending this post with a short summary of this year's February: Snow. Snow everywhere. We have over 90 cm of snow here. Unfreakingbelievable. I don't like Winter. If anyone is interested how much snow we have, click here. 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!

Best Buys in 2012

Exactly a year has passed since I posted my Best Buys in 2011 post (I still love all the products mentioned there) and now it's time for the 2012 version. 

How can this year be summarized? BB creams enter drugstore, sheer lipsticks trend continues with Revlon lip butters and L'Oreal's Rouge Caresse, the more and more popular ombre hair and berry lips. For me it was all about fragrances - mostly from Refan, bright lipsticks and finding great hair care products. I found some great products in this year and I've been doing a list of which ones deserve to be on it for the past few months. All have been reviewed, so I won't bore you with my endless raves, but there are links to original reviews if you want to find out more.

Makeup

L'Oreal Lumi Magique - gives the most natural glow to the skin. Can be used under foundation for a more glowy skin or as a highlighter on top.

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age the Eraser Eye - My favourite ever concealer for under the eyes. Never looks cakey, looks like skin and covers very well. I went to Graz yesterday and bought another shade called Fair. 

Maybelline Kohl pencil Glaze - a freshtoned eyeliner. I've been wearing it loads this year.

Maybeline Liquid Effect eyeliner Brown Blaze - great alternative to black. It's very creamy, but very longlasting once it sets.

Essence Season of Extremes Bright Alert - a bright coral pink shade. Such a difficult colour to photograph. I wish it was permanent.

Depend Holographic 2025 nail polish -  a very affordable, holographic nail polish. 

Maybelline Vivids 910 Shocking Coral - bright medium pink with some coral. I just got it for Christmas and  I haven't posted swatches yet, but I will shorty. It's a part of the newest range by Maybelline called Color Sensational Vivids and I have my eye on another shade called Neon Red.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Fraise Remix - bright coral with a hint of pink.

Catrice Ultimate shine 210 Kiss Kiss Hibiskus - bright watermelon pink.

Shiseido Glowing Matte PK224 - light peach.

H&M Perfect red mini lipstick - blue toned red.

Skin care

Victoria Secret Love Spell body spray and body butter - a fantastic tropical sweet scent and the body butter is really good.

Soap & Glory the Righteous Butter - smells like a mix of Coco Mademoiselle and Miss Dior Cherie. Formula is great and the scent lingers forever.

Soap & Glory Flake Away - has the same scent as the Righteous Butter. It leaves an oily residue, so I don't need to use a moisturiser, plus the scent lasts so long.

Palmer's Swivel Stick - my absolute favourite lip balm and it doesn't feel waxy. I finally don't wake up with my lips dry as a Sahara. 

Dove Deeply Nourishing shower gel - a great shower gel with a thicker, moisturising formula. I really like the typical Dove soapy scent it has.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum - I miss it so much. My skin looked so well when I was using it. I rarely got a spot and my skin looked more healthy. Why does it have to cost an arm and a leg?

Dermalogica gentle cream exfoliant - a great exfoliator with high percentages of salicylic and lactic acid. Works wonders on problematic skin.

Hair care

Phyto Pytopolléine universal elixir - my miracle worker for my problematic scalp.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration - one of the best smelling hair products ever. A nice hair mask for a really affordable price.

Alverde Mandel Argan oil - an absolute drugstore gem. An actual oil with absolutely no silicones, just a mix of argan, mandel, walnut and soy oil. Been using it almost every day to treat my ultra dry ends. Run and get it.

Orofluido Sahara - a lighter spray version of my beloved Orofluido oil. Makes my hair super shiny, managable and smelling fantastic.

Ebeline round ceramic brush

Joico K-Pack Hydrator - the best hair treatment I ever had and I tried a lot of them, but it does have an odd scent.

Fragrance

Paris Hilton Can Can - a super sweet, sensual scent. Girly, but a bit more grown up than Fantasy.

Yves Rocher Noix de Coco Malaysian Coconut - straight up coconut scent. Costs a mere 9€ for 100ml and is very long lasting.

Beyonce Pulse - orange candy mixed with powdery notes in a fantastic looking bottle. 

Coco Mademoiselle Refan version - a less sweet version of Miss Dior Cherie. To me it smells like camomille tea with lots of honey mixed with patchouli. Even though it's a Refan version, it smells identical as the original. In fact all my Refan fragrances do and I have a lot of them. I drew (well, redrew and perfected) the picture on the label myself.

Here is the collection of all my 15ml Refan fragrances with customised labels made by me. As you can see I am a regular on Memebase and 9gag :) . Refan sells imitation of popular fragrances for a fraction of the cost of the original. So basically for the price of one original scent in a pretty bottle I got all these. From left to right: Deep Red (Hugo Boss), Body (Burberry), Chance (Chanel), Magic Woman, Coco Madeimoselle, 1 Million (for men, hence the "like a sir" meme. I know I'm weird for having a man's scent, but I just love it so much. I don't wear it though), Black Xs, Venezia, Emporio Armani for her and my latest that I got for Christmas, Roberto Cavalli eau de parfum (available in Croatian Refan). By the way, here is an updated list of all the scents Refan (Slovenia) sells at the moment.

Room scents

Saubär spray - a relaxing gorgeous smelling spray for pillows and room that smells like lavender and camomile. 

Pajoma Schokolade - a scented oil that smells like melted chocolate. Makes my room smell like a candy shop. I love it!

Now for a kind of a random thing, but in the last month I've been loving Pinterest. I haven't been this excited about a website since 9gag and I've been there for years. It's so much fun. You can find my pins here and there is also a link under follow me in the sidebar. 

Since this is the last post in 2012, I wish you a Happy New Year and may 2013 be an awesome year. Thanks for reading!

November Favourites

Can Can by Paris Hilton (review here), Essence nail polish 02 deep blue sea, red lips, moustache necklace, H&M bright neon pink-coral scarf, H&M mini red lipstick, Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick 11 Fraise Remix (review and swatches here) 

 Essence 02 deep blue sea 

dark blue with subtle shimmer, one of my all time favourites, sadly discontinued.

Embracing my paleness and channelling my inner Snow White with: 

Essence lipstick 44 Almost Famous (swatch here), Essence Home Sweet Home longlasting lipstick 02 Berry Me Home (review here), Manhattan Soft Mat Lipcream 45H (swatch) and favourite combination of Bourjois lip pencil 20 Rouge Soyeux (swatch) + H&M mini lipstick in Perfect Red.

H&M mini lipstick in Perfect Red (1.95€)

It was just hanging there by the register and I thought it was super cute. It is one of the best red shades for me and so soft, ultra pigmented, easy to apply (because it's so small, you can be very precise) and lasts forever on the lips. Looks gorgeous combined with Bourjois lip pencil 20 Rouge Soyeux.

In the spirit of Movember, I've been wearing this adorable Moustache necklace every day.(0.79€, eBay from this seller) 

H&M bright, almost neon pink-coral scarf (10€)

The most gorgeous scarf ever!

Thanks for reading.

Drugstore Make up Favourites

FACE PRODUCTS

Foundation 

Bourjois has some of the best foundations among drugstore brands and their Healthy Mix Range is my favourite. We, pale ''Snow Whites'' in Slovenia, are terribly overlooked in the drugstore foundation market. There is a handful of foundations available in shades that are appropriate for (in Mac terms) NC15 or lighter. Bourjois Healthy Mix range is one of those. Shade 51 in both original and serum version is light enough, though perhaps a bit too yellow, but thankfully Bourjois realises that not all pale people have pink undertones. I love both versions. Serum has light to medium coverage, while the original foundation has medium coverage. Both look extremely natural, feel very light on the skin and leave a lovely dewy finish. (I did a review of the serum version here.)

Concealer 

I've already done a post on drugstore concealers (here), but the one that stands out is Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser. It has a light formula, but offers a lot of coverage. It manages to look very natural on the skin and basically undetectable.

Highlighter/Primer

L'Oreal Lumi Magique is definitely my favourite everyday highlighter. It gives a really nice glow without looking too shimmery. I much prefer liquid/cream highlighters and this one comes in a nice sleek packaging with a very precise pump, so you are not wasting any product. Review here.

Blush 

I favour cream formulas over powder ones. They are just easier and faster to apply plus they look more natural to me. Maybelline Dream Touch are really creamy, pigmented and apply like a dream. The shade range is very limited though, there are only four shades in total. I have two, Peach and Berry. There is another, previous version, called Dream Mousse blush, which I think is discontinued, but I love the shade Peach Satin. Review and swatches here and here. 

EYE MAKE UP

Gel eyeliner

 Essence has a great quality gel eyeliner for the price. It's really pigmented, applies nicely and lasts all day without fading or smudging. Honestly, I don't notice any difference between the much more expensive Mac one and this one. Review here. 

Cream eyeshadows 

Essence Stay All day eyeshadows win this category. They are very pigmented, apply nicely without looking patchy and last brilliantly on the lids. Another honourable mention with a similar formula, but just a touch more expensive are the Catrice one's. Reviews of both here and here. 

Eyeshadows 

A definite winner for me is the L'Oreal Color Infaillible range. I already own 6 shades and I want more. They are extremely pigmented and last so long on the lids. At about 9€ a pop they are quite expensive for drugstore eyeshadows, but the pots are big and you get a lot of product. My favourite shades are 21 and 24, which are probably my most worn shades. My preferred method of application is with fingers, then I blend the edges with Mac 217. I only wish there were more shades, preferably some matte. Review and swatches here, here, here and here.

I also can't get pass Catrice mono eyeshadows. They are really cheap (only about 2€), pigmented, lovely quality and have the best colour range in drugstore. There are shades similar to Mac's Copperplate, Satin Taupe, Patina and Retrospeck. I highly recommend you check them out.

Eyeliner 

Max Factor has some of the best eyeliners in drugstores, both in terms of quality and shades. It's the only drugstore brand available here in Slovenia that, to my knowledge, carries a flesh toned shade called Glaze. I wear it almost every day. I also own a white and a brown shade from their khol line. Their newest range called Liquid Effect is just amazing. The pencils are so soft and long lasting. I have the shade Brown Blaze, a dark coffee shade, which is the perfect everyday replacement for black. I wear it everyday on the top lash line. Reviews and swatches here and here. 

Mascara 

As far as mascaras go, there are several mascaras I like, but if I'd have to go for one brand, it'd be L'Oreal. I liked most of their mascaras I tried. Volume Million Lashes Carbon Black is fantastic, another great one is Lash Architect 4D False Effect Black Lacquer. Voluminous Carbon Black is also nice. Currently I like Maybelline the Collosal Volumin' Express. I did a drugstore mascaras comparison here, more reviews here and here.

LIP PRODUCTS

Lipgloss 

I don't like wearing lipgloss too much, but the ones I really like are the Essence Stay With Me. I have almost all colours now. They are not too sticky, there is no annoying shimmer, the colour range is beautiful, they smell great and are nicely pigmented. Reviews and swatches here and here.

Liquid lipstick

I know I might be cheating a bit by adding this category, but Manhattan Soft Mat Lipcream and Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream definitely deserve their place in my favourites. They are full coverage matte liquid lipsticks that last exceptionally well on the lips and don't transfer once they dry. I love matte lip colours, so these at the top of my list. Reviews and swatches here, here, here and here.

Lipsticks 

Catrice have great lipsticks in drugstore range, especially for the price. They are really pigmented with a good staying power, apply nicely and they have one of the best colour ranges. I believe there are no annoying mega shimmery, frosty shades in their Ultimate Colour range and there are also some non-shimmery creamy shades in the Ultimate Shine line (like 210 Kiss Kiss Hibiskuss, also a supposed dupe for the famous Mac Impassioned). Swatches here. 

Another line that deserves praise (even though we can only order it online) is the E.l.f. Mineral lipstick range. The two shades I own, Runway Pink and Natural Nymph, are matte and look great on my skin tone. An ancient review and swatches here. BeautyUK is also a brand we can only get online. I own the shade called Passion and it's so pigmented, long lasting and the colour is just gorgeous. Review and swatch here.

NAIL POLISH

Essence Colour & Go line offers a great selection of shades of great quality for an affordable price. They recently revamped this line, the bottles are different, there are new shades and the brush is a bit wider. Swatch and picture of one shade from the new line here. There are also a lot of Trend Edition shades released throughout the year. 

 Catrice and BarryM have inexpensive and really lovely quality nail polishes too.

TOOLS AND RANDOM

Brushes

I use E.l.f. Powder brush for applying and blending foundation. It's so soft, dense and doesn't shed. A really nice and inexpensive brush.

Ecotools range is widely available here in supermarkets. Bronzer brush is fantastic quality, so dense and soft. I use it for applying powder and bronzer. Eyeliner brush is one of my most used eye brushes and the eyeshadow brush, though quite big, is nice for applying eyeshadow all over the lid and also blending. More on my favourite brushes here.

Eyelash curlers 

I can't imagine my make up routine without Tana eyelash curlers. I actually have two, I had one at home and one in Ljubljana. These are the best curlers I ever had. I never pinched myself or got any eyelash ripped out (this happened to me a lot when I had other curlers). I got mine in Műller (they are in a dark blue/white box). Highly recommended.

Lip balm

This is kind of a random category, but since I apply lip balm under lipstick or use tinted lip balm instead of them, I'll do it anyway. My absolute favourite lip balm (which is not technically a lip balm, but a multi-task product) is Palmer's swivel stick. It's the most moisturising and soft lip balm that doesn't feel waxy like a lot of lip balms do. I love it. I also like Rosal Milk and Honey lip balm. It smells nice and moisturises well. Best tinted lip balms are Labello (or Nivea, depends on where you live), in particular the taste/shade/version with dragonfruit. I've bought several in a row.   

So this completes my favourites ramble. There will also be a post about drugstore disappointments and probably one that is going to be a sort of a guide thought drugstore brands in Slovenia and my experience with their products in general (if anyone is interested in reading about that).

Thanks for reading!