Product of the Week #8

This tropical LE by Balea finally reached our DM shops. I'm a sucker for tropical scents and have been patiently waiting for this LE to arrive from the moment I saw the picture of it on their facebook page (I borrowed the second picture from there). I decided to get two shower gels for now, one is Hawaii Pineapple and the second Brazil Mango. The third Fiji Passionfruit, which I was most excited about because I adore passion fruit scents, isn't sold in my nearest DM (Did anyone see it anywhere else in Slovenia?). There are also three body lotions, a deodorant Brazil Mango (also wasn't in our shop) and a body spray in the same scent.

Hawaii Pineapple smells like straight up Pina Colada from the bottle, but smells more like fresh pineapple in the shower. The gel is coloured green - very pretty. The body lotion has the same scent, but I didn't get it because I have enough body moisturisers to get through. 

Brazil Mango smells like candy, I'll be very specific - the white Haribo gummy bear in the gold packaging (my favourite colour, I always eat those first. It's pineapple flavour). The gel is bright yellow.

This might be the best Balea's LE ever. The packagings are gorgeous, they bring a bit of Summer into the bathroom. If you love tropical scents and lucky enough to live in a country with DM's, give it a go. These shower gels cost 0.85€.

Rimmel Apocalips Stellar

You have no idea how long I've waited for this lip lacquer. Rimmel's Apocalips have been all over the internet for months and almost every blogger is raving about them. I ordered mine as soon as feelunique.com had them in stock and given my current luck, the package got lost. You have to wait 30 days to contact them and by then they were out of stock, so I received a refund. I finally found one on Asos and I got it in four days.

Lip lacquer is just fancy wording for a liquid lipstick and this is a very pigmented, thick liquid lip colour. It reminds me a lot of Essence version of matte lip creams, but this is thicker and glossier. It's better if you apply a small amount otherwise you'll end up with too much. The scent is just awful. I can't describe it, it's just weird, but you only smell it when you're applying it and not when it's on your lips. Now that I've been wearing it every day for a week, I don't notice it as much. It lasts so long on the lips and leaves a lovely stain behind. Like Essence matte lip creams, it does transfer on the glass when you're drinking, however it does survive a meal. It has quite a glossy finish that lasts for hours, but gets less shiny as it's fading and ends up matte at some point. After a week, I can report that it doesn't dry out my lips at all.

Stellar is a very interesting colour. It's like you'd mix a bright red with bright pink and coral. It looks more red in dim lighting and more pink in sunlight. It's also quite bright, like there is a hint of neon in it. All I can say is, I freaking love it.

Here is a comparison of Stellar with Essence matte lip creams in Smooth Berry and Silky Red. I think it looks like a mix of the two, but brighter. Click on the picture to see a larger view.

Though I prefer the texture and scent of the Essence ones, I just love the colour of Stellar and I think that Apocalips has a beautiful selection of shades.

Rimmel is available almost everywhere with a notable exception of Slovenia (I'll probably will never get over that, we used to have Rimmel about 10 years ago). You can get Apocalips lip lacquers on feelunique and Asos. I paid 5.90€, while it's 7.49€ on feelunique.

So what do you think, does it suit me?

And another thing that I completely forgot to mention, even though it's been more than a week since I created it. I made a directory of every product reviewed on this blog, which you can find in the bar under the blog banner. It sure took a long time to make it, but it makes everything more organised. Truth be told, it was more meant for my use, because I got tired of searching for my own reviews to link in new posts. I hope you find it useful. 

Thanks for reading!

DIY Hair Ties

I ruin, overstretch and break about a gazillion hair ties (or hair bands, elastics, however you like to call them. Let's throw in a Slovene version as well: gumice za lase). Basically I'm the place where hair ties go to die (exhibit A). I change my hair style about ten times a day, from loose to a pony then to a bun or a braid - you get the gist. You won't see me without a hair tie around my wrist or in my hair and I buy a lot of them in one year.

If you're on Pinterest, you've seen this idea of DIY hair ties, so technically I am a bit of a copycat *bows head in shame*, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. These ties are sold for 11-13$ in USA (Emi-Jay elastics) and I've seen them in H&M here (they look like this click). These ties are supposedly more gentle to your hair, because they're softer and also they don't leave a crease in your hair. They are the easiest thing in the world to do, a five year old could do it and you can do them in so many colours. 

You will need:

- 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) fold over elastic (I got mine from this UK based seller, they have a great selection of colours for a reasonable price 1£ for 2 m - there are different lengths available. You can also get them in places where they sell fabric or just google 5/8 fold over elastic, there are plenty of Etzy and eBay sellers as well as online shops. I couldn't be bothered by looking in our fabric shops, so I have no idea if they sell such elastics here.)

- scissors

- a lighter

- a hair tie you like most (optional)

- a ruler or measuring tape (optional)

- thread and needle (optional, only for headbands)

I took my favourite hair tie in terms of size, which also fits perfectly on my wrist (which is abnormally tiny) and measured it. You can also just measure it by wrapping the elastic around your wrist or eyeball the length you need. Add a few cm for the knot and cut it. For me it was around 18-19 cm, for others it was 21-22 cm, basically it completely depends on your preferences and needs. I like a tie that fits on my wrist and I can wrap twice around my hair. Next you tie it, I'm sure you know how to do a basic knot, then you use the lighter to seal the ends (barely touch it with the flame). And it's done.

They do stretch a bit with time, about a cm, but in general they last longer than my regular hair ties. These are the only hair ties I've been wearing since January and I love them. I chose the colours that match the clothes I wear, which are mostly mint green, some red and the pink was for my mum. I got navy because it's something different than black and well, because I love navy blue. 

I also did a headband and I used my most worn headband for size (again you can just measure it around your head). The only difference is that I sewed the ends together, because in my experience headbands move a lot around and I didn't want the knot to show.

There are plenty of such tutorials online, though mostly with measurements in inches, which tell anyone who lives in a country with the metric system nothing. Google a bit to see what colour combinations others did (search for no fray elastics, diy elastics, hair ties, etc.).

Here is a comparison of just made elastics and the navy one is the one I've been using for about two months, just so you see how they look after a few months of use.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sleek i-Divine Palette Sunset

The colours of the sunset packed into one palette. The moment I opened it, I thought these shades are perfect for blue eyes. It's a nice mix of wearable, everyday shades and some statement colours. Most of the shades are very warm toned with exception of the bright blue and black. All are iridescent, only black is matte. Sleek palettes have one of the best black eyeshadows I've ever found. It's a really pigmented charcoal black that I use everyday for an invisible liner. Textures differ from shade to shade, the 3rd shade on the top is very, very soft, almost like butter, while black is the hardest. All are very pigmented and you get a lot of colour pay-off, however, they have a bit of a fall out. They blend nicely and last long on the lids, but I do get some creasing after a few hours.

Barve sončnega zahoda zbrane v eni paletki. Takšni odtenki so super za poudarjanje modrih oči. Moje so mešanica med sivo, modro ter zeleno in takšni topli odtenki z oranžnimi, rumeni in rdečkastimi toni naredijo moje oči bolj modre. Paletka ima lepo kombinacijo nosljivih in bolj živih odtenkov, ki pa so večinoma topli, z izjemo modre in črne. Vsi odtenki so zelo pigmentirani, tekstura pa je odvisna od odtenka. Na primer, tretji odtenek v zgornji vrsti je zelo, zelo mehek, že skoraj kot kakšno kremno senčilo, medtem ko je črna najmanj mehka. Vsi odtenki imajo svetleč/bleščičast finiš razen črne, ki je mat. Sleekova črna senčka, ki je v večini paletk, je ena izmed najboljših črnih kar se jih našla. Je izjemno pigmentirana, prava črna, kakšno uporabljam vsak dan za t.i. efekt nevidnega eyelinerja. Ker so tako mehke, padajo na lička, če dobro ne otreseš čopiča. Senčke se lepo blendajo in  zdržijo dolgo na vekah, ampak mi malenkost zlezejo v gubo po nekaj urah nošenja.

The 1st in the second row in my favourite. It's a plum-brown shade that is in the same colour family as Satin Taupe, but with more plum. 

Prva barva v drugi vrsti je moja najljubša. Je rjav odtenek s pridihi slive, ki je kot nekakšen bratranec Macovemu odtenku Satin Taupe. 

I also own Storm and the Original palette that I got from London three years ago.

Imam pa tudi paletki Storm in Original, ki sem jih dobila kakšne tri leta nazaj iz Londona.

Storm & the Original:

I received Sunset palette to review from Slovene online shop Za piko na i.

Sunset paletko so mi poslali v oceno s spletne trgovine Za piko na i, kjer prodajajo tudi ostale Sleek izdelke, ki ji najdete tukaj -> Sleek.

Sleek Sheer Cover Lipsticks

Sheer cover lipsticks are a collection of frosty, semi-opaque shades. The texture is nice in a sense that it is soft and a bit moisturising. These are frosty, however, not in a retro kind of way (do you remember the obnoxiously frosty light pinks that were popular in the 90's and early 2000's? I still see a few girls wearing them today). You can see the tiny shimmer from really close, but from far away it looks more like sheen (not a glossy one though). Staying power is average, the colour lasted around four hours, but it doesn't survive eating or drinking. It fades evenly, unless you drink something, then you are left with a ring of colour on the edges of lips and no colour in the middle. They don't dry out my lips at all and don't feather. The packaging is a bit special, because the tube is oval and the colour is bright fuchsia. 

Sheer Cover so Sleekove manj prekrivne šminke s frosty finišem (z drobnimi bleščicami). Tekstura je med mehkejšimi in lepo zdrsijo po ustnicah, malenkost jih tudi negujejo. Frosty finish je viden od blizu, od daleč pa izgleda bolj kot rahel sijaj (ampak ne tak kot npr. pri Lip butterjih). Ni tako intenziven frosty efekt kot pri tistih svetlo roza odtenkih, ki so bili tako popularni v 90ih in okrog leta 2000. Bledijo enakomerno, razen če vmes ješ ali piješ, potem ti ostane barva le na robovih ustnic. Obstojnost je povprečna, na meni so zdržale dobre 4 ure in mi niso niti malo izsušile ustnic. Embalaža je malo posebna, ker je tulec ovalen in precej žive roza barve.

From left to right: Calico, Cashmere and Organza.
Od leve proti desni: Calico, Cashmere in Organza.

Calico is a nude-brown shade with a frosty finish. It's would probably be a nice nude on someone who's darker than me. It has the least pigmentation out of the three, but you can build it up to be more intense.  

Calico je nude rjav odtenek s frosty finišem. Na nekomu, ki je temnejši kot jaz bi bil to lep nude odtenek. Je najmanj pigmentiran od treh, vendar se lahko dobi kar nekaj barve z več sloji.

Cashmere is a dark brown-purple shade with frosty finish.

Cashmere je temno rjav odtenek, ki na ustnicah precej vleče na slivo s frosty finišem.

Organza is a medium blue toned pink with frosty finish. It reminds me a bit of Revlon Sweet Tart lip butter, with the difference that Sweet Tart is a bit warmer.

Organza je hladna srednje roza s frosty finišem. Primerjala sem odtenek s Revlonovim Sweet Tart lip butterjem in sta si podobna, le da ima Sweet Tart toplejši podton in nima bleščic.  

I received these lipsticks to review from Slovene online shop Za piko na i.

Šminke so mi poslali za oceno s spletne trgovine Za piko na i, kjer prodajajo tudi ostale Sleek izdelke, ki ji najdete tukaj - >Sleek.

Garnier Body Ultimate Beauty Oil

This is not the hair version, that one has silicones in it, but this one also contains argan oil and is meant for body. I call it the ultimate lazy girl moisturiser. I swear this is the easiest thing to apply I've ever had. It's a dry oil in a spray, much like Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, however, this sprays a finer mist. You barely need to rub it in, you can easily get away by just spraying it from 20 cm away and you're done. It's a dry oil, which means it doesn't leave you super greasy and it sinks into the skin very fast. The scent is nothing special to me. It's a musky floral scent and all in all quite pleasant. It's definitely something I've smelled before, but I can't put my finger on it.  It leaves your skin feeling moisturised and gives a sheen to the skin, but it's not a greasy one. This should be nice in the Summer, if it ever comes (is anyone else losing hope?).

I tried in on my hair, I just sprayed a bit on it and it made my hair look greasy, but not feel greasy. The weirdest thing ever. Anyway, I won't be using it for hair, but I do like it as a face moisturiser. It's not as good as Nuxe Huile Prodigeiuse, but it's close. 

The packaging is plastic, but what bothers me is the fact that when it's greasy, it's so hard spray because it's slipping from your hand.

I ordered one from feelunique in February, but the package got lost. It turns out you have to wait 30 days to pass before contacting feelunique to resolve the issue. Who's going to wait that long? In the mean time, I found they finally started selling it in Müller. So, I got it there and I haven't got the foggiest how much it was, but on feelunique it around the 8€ mark. The replacement from feelunique is still on it's way, which means I'll have two. It's also called Schöne Haut Öl in German speaking countries and consequently in countries with their shops, like Slovenia. Is anyone else annoyed by that? I think it just makes it more confusing. 

Even the laziest girl will find this easy to apply. If you're one of those who can't be bothered by applying body moisturisers this should be right up your alley.

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.