New in: Swap from Canada

I've talked a little about this in one of my previous posts, but I've done my first swap and it was with a reader from Canada. I'm not that familiar with what is sold in Canada, I just know it's similar, but less than in the US, so I agreed to a surprise package for each other with products that fit our preferences. The wait for my parcel was crazy because despite the insane shipping costs from both sides (about 40-50 € for each!), it took two months to arrive, but at least it's finally here. You can see what I sent to Canada here (in the middle of the post). 

MAYBELLINE Volumin' Express the Mega Plush Mascara

270 Blackest Black

I remember this being featured on blogs several years ago before Sensational launched, but it's one of Maybelline's mascaras that never reached Slovenia. Most notable feature of this mascara is a bendy wand, while the brush is big and bushy, but of classic design. I've been using it for the past few weeks and it's a very natural looking mascara. It doesn't give much volume, but it excels at definition and has a great multiplying effect, since it catches every lash, combs them very neatly and fans them out. The bendy wand just means that the application feels softer, but it also doesn't allow much product to be deposited on the lashes at once, so a lot of layers are needed for a good effect.

COVERGIRL The Super Sizer by Lashblast Mascara

825 Very Black Waterproof

This one has a very interesting brush that has the shortest bristles I've tried so far. I thought that's going to be a plus, however, unfortunately it's very hard to comb the lashes with this. It's almost an opposite of the Maybelline one, meaning it doesn't define the lashes well, neither fan them out, instead the more you apply it, the more it clumps the lashes together. But it is a lot more volumizing than Maybelline's and makes more of an impact, creating much bigger lashes. Formula is waterproof and it's quite good in that respect. It holds my lashes perfectly curled all day and it also doesn't smudge, run or crumble. 

COVERGIRL Smoothers All Day Hydrating Makeup

715 natural ivory

I was truly impressed with this foundation right after application. It's got light/medium coverage and such a natural looking finish on the skin that is similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix (both including the Serum), meaning it's almost undetectable on the skin. It'd call it one of the best foundations I've tried if there weren't for a big snag: it oxidises terribly. My shade is 715 natural ivory, which is about NW13 with a strong pink undertone and fits me ok when I apply it, however in time it turns darker and orange. I had an orange face when I checked in a mirror a few hours later (luckily I wore a scarf that day and I avoided the floating head effect). I've worn it since and it was the same every time Staying power without a powder on a normal/dry skin with some shine of the forehead was not impressive. When I checked in a mirror maybe four or five hours later, it was basically gone from my face, however, I don't wear powder, which would improve staying power. I love the look of it right after application, I seriously thought it'll be one of my favourites, but the oxidising just ruins it.

MAYBELLINE Vivid Matte Liquid

25 Fuchsia Ecstasy

These were Maybelline's first attempt at a matte liquid lipstick before they've done it right with Matte Ink version. It's a similar formula to Revlon's short-lived Moisture Stains, so a type of pigmented liquid lipstick and has a sort of a cooling/watery feeling on the lips. Finish is creamy and it doesn't set to a matte one, but you can blot it. Due to not being matte, it's much more comfortable on the lips than the Matte Inks, but it's not as long-lasting and transfers a lot. My shade is a bright warm fuchsia. I believe these were taken off the stands here when Matte Inks arrived, but I'm not sure.

PIXI by PETRA Lip Lift Max

Honey Sheen

This is one of those lip glosses with a minty taste, so it tingles when you apply it for that plumping effect, which so far never worked on me at any such product, but some swear they see a difference. Formula is a typical new-age gloss, but not one of those super comfy ones (like newest Max Factor Honey Lacquer for example), just one of those non-sticky one with a nice level of shine. Staying power isn't anything special for a gloss and it's mostly gone within the first couple of hours. The shade is a warm slightly peachy nude with shimmer.

SALLY HANSEN Magnetic Nail Color

906 Ionic Indigo

I've skipped the whole magnetic nail polish craze a few years ago, so I've never tried one before this one and it was quite a fun experience. The magnet is included in the cap, which is actually in two parts, so you're applying the polish with a brush that has a smaller cap. The magnet top part has a build in guide that you rest on you cuticles and avoid touching the nail. You're supposed to apply one layer and let it dry, then apply a second thicker one and quickly use the magnet before it dries. It applies greyish blue-teal, but once you use the magnet, the base colour is revealed as a dark blue violet. The magnet created a wavy design with the original colour and it works really well. Entertaining, I must say, but this is one of those very rare nail polishes that even I notice doesn't have quite the same staying power as others.

NEUTROGENA Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover

This a classic duo-phase remover, though it's hard to see there are two liquids in the bottle, but it's one of those you need to shake before use and it's suitable for waterproof mascara. My sender swears by it and she's used up several bottles so far. I've been trialling it for a few weeks now and it struggles a lot at removing waterproof mascara. I feel it's not oily enough and it's not dissolving the formula, instead it comes of a lot in chunks and a lot of scrubbing is involved. However, Covergirl is a very hard-core waterproof mascara, so that might be it. I'm not a fan of the packaging because it just has a hole at the top with no type of rubber stopper, which isn't the most practical as you can easily pour out too much. It didn't notice it making my vision foggy which is a plus (like I said it's not that greasy) and it's not scented.

LIFE BRAND face masks

Moisturising Face mask with coconut, papaya & vitamin E, Nourishing face mask with strawberry & yogurt and Hydrating face mask sweet almond oil & vitamin A

These are from a house brand of Shoppersmart, a Canadian drugstore chain. The packs are quite large with a generous amount of 15 ml. I haven't tried them yet, but based on ingredients they are simple face masks, probably comparable to Balea here. The hydrating face mask with sweet almond oil has kaolin (clay) in the first few ingredients, so I can't see it being moisturizing as much as cleansing or detoxing and suitable for oily/combination skin. Similar goes to the Moisturising Face mask with papaya, though it has a some nourishing ingredients too before and after clay, while Nourishing Face mask with strawberry looks like a classic moisturising mask and it even has a tiny amount of vitamin A and hyaluronic acid. 

VASELINE Lip Therapy

Rosy Lips

These vaseline pots are not sold here, but I remember when I was in Boots many years ago they looked the same and were available in a few versions. Formula is much softer than similar lip balms in tins I've tried. It's closer to regular vaseline than a waxy lip balm formula that's more common. It feels moisturising and lasts long on the lips, plus it gives a rosy tint. It's got a candy type of rose scent that I notice only at application and for the next few minutes, but then it's gone.

NEUTROGENA Body Oil

This is quite a big bottle for a body oil with a generous 250 ml of product. So far I've mostly had only 100 ml ones that already lasted forever, so I'll probably have this one for years. It's a thin oil that absorbs quite fast, so I can say it's a good dry oil that nourishes the skin well, but I haven't noticed my skin being softer, just not dry. It's heavily scented with a classic floral soap scent from the 80's or 90's. I haven't smelled such soap in a long time, so I can't tell you which it was, I just remember it from my grandmothers' house. The scent also lasts on the skin for quite a while. 

BATH AND BODY WORKS Whipped Body Butter

Spiced Pumpkin Cider

I love the scent of Pumpkin Cupcake Pocketbac that I bought about a year ago because it's the most authentic cinnamon cookie scent I've tried, so I assumed all BBW such scents are equally amazing. However, this has a scent that I've smelled so many times in European products. It's the same type of scent that would be marketed here as maybe spicy vanilla or something like it. There is some fruitiness in it, but mostly it's an artificial warm type of scent that mixes sugar, vanilla and something nutty (maybe walnuts). Overall it comes off as fake and overly sweet, so nothing like BBW Pocketbac. Too bad. The formula is lovely and just the way I like it, so thick and very nourishing. It needs a lot of time to sink in and it's fantastic for dry skin.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Bubble Bath

Champagne Apple & Honey

The packaging of this like so cute, like those honey bottles for kids. I think this bubble bath comes in a different packaging too that's also bigger, but I not sure if that one has shimmer in it too. The scent of this is pretty much just apple, or better said like the kids apple champagne with a little bit of honey, so overall pretty nice. It's a bubble bath, but I've only used it as a shower gel so far and it actually didn't lather that much, but maybe it's better as a bath.

ASQUITH SOMMERSET Bath Fizzers

Bergamot & Ginger

A pack of bath bombs which I assume turn the water pink and blue. Both smell fresh and more like bergamot, instead of ginger.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Pocketbac

I have three other pocketbacs and I like all, especially because like the name says they fit in any pocket. I have Sweet Pea, Pumpkin Cupcake and Pumpkin Cranberry Cider from before, the last two are limited edition. Three of these new ones have a fall type of scent and one is citrus fresh.

Spiced Apple Wood

This one is my favourite and the name pretty much say it all. Wood notes are most prominent with some fall spices and there is a note of crisp apple that makes it more fresh. It's a very unisex fragrance and close to men's cologne. I just ordered Twilight Wood spray from BBW on Salma because I love that woody note in this.

Marshmallow Fireside

Again the name pretty much says it all. It's the sugary scent of marshmallows mixed with an outdoor fire smoke note. Not sure I like the smoke note, but marshmallows are nice.

Running (Late) is my Cardio

Great name. This one smells like orange candy and I keep it in my coat pocket because it's the most universally likeable scent (Spiced Apple Wood is by my computer).

Sorry I'm Latte

I don't think this smells like latte, at least I don't get any coffee from this which is good thing, since I don't like it. BBW mentions notes of almond, honey and tonka bean, which all together smells warm and kind of gently sharp. It's definitely a smell I've smelled before in some fragrance, I just don't remember which it was.

PANTENE Pro-V Ultimate 10 BB Creme

I read reviews for this and they are overwhelmingly positive. I have my Dove Quench which is an awesome product, so it's hard to meet my expectations when it comes to such products and this is another in a line that I wish would do more. It's one of those all in one product that claims to do everything apart from fold your laundry, but simply it's a leave-in conditioner with heat protection. At such products I expect nourished and frizz free hair that's easily manageable and all I noticed at this is that the hair a bit more tamed and I get a bit of extra hydration, but it's more or less just a light heat protection for me. But considering how many great reviews I read, I'm sure for someone who doesn't have such dry hair like me (it's so bad right now, I really need something spectacular to fix it), it might be great for you. Scent is just a classic cosmetic one, like regular Pantene conditioners. 

BATH AND BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist

Winterberry Wonder

I have one other BBW mist, Mango Mandarin, which was a big miss buy for me, but this is already a lot nicer. It's a typical Escada type of scent, so sugary, fruity and fresh, like a nice cocktail. It's a great mix of berries and apples, which makes it one of those sweet and tart mixes, not really a typical winter scent, but I can see myself wearing this a lot in the summer, as it's nicer than Victoria Secret scents. Staying power isn't the best as with all such scent, but the bottle is massive at 236 ml, so it should last a while. Mine is dress in a metal sleeve that is sold separably and it makes the bottle so much prettier.

JLO Glow

Edt

This has been a best seller for years, but I only recently got a chance to try it (it actually states "new" on the shelf in my local drugstore) and it was a great every day clean fragrance. It just smells like soap, washing powder and freshly cleaned clothes, so it's the type of fragrance I needed in my collection. I've been wearing it a lot since I got it because it's such a no brainier and I can definitely see why it's so popular. It's super cheap online which is an extra plus.

Highly Fragrance Tart Wax

Apple Cinnamon and Nutmeg Cinnamon

These are those waxes that you melt in a ceramic warmers, like Yankee Candle tarts. They are quite cleverly shaped into a chocolate bar, so you can break individual pieces. Both have a very similar scent that will be familiar to anyone who's tried anything that claims to have a cinnamon scent, so not an authentic reproduction, but something more artificially spicy and sweet. They just smell like most Christmas stuff. The scent fills the room nicely, so they are strong enough. It says "Imported for Walmart Canada" so they are probably only sold there.

Have a great day!