MAKEUP
*BOURJOIS Eye Catching Mascara
The latest mascara by Bourjois which comes in an adorable packaging with cats embossed on the cap. The brush is a classic one and it's dented (has shorter bristles) on one side, while the opposite side is very bushy. Formula looks thick and very creamy, but it's not a super messy type of formula like Catrice Lashes to Kill Pro. At first it created a natural & separated look with one coat, while several coats gave a moderate amount of volume. Now it's dried a bit and the volume is built up faster, though it's not as defining as it was from the start. For an "eye opening" mascara I expected it to both lift and hold lashes, but it does neither of these things. In fact I really put an effort in curling, plus added a thin layer of a waterproof mascara under it and yet this just dropped my lashes completely. It's an ok mascara in terms of being volumizing, but it's not for me because I want lift too.
13.49 €
I finally repurchased one of my favourite mascaras, even though I currently have a few opened, but none I actually bought and picked myself, so none really work for me. I was going to buy Lash Sensational which I also love and it's cheaper, but I couldn't find a single full stand in my town - so weird. There are a lot of good mascaras in the drugstores in terms of how much volume they give and how they define the lashes, but very rare ones do the thing that I want - keep the lashes lifted and without being waterproof. This is one of those mascaras. It does everything - gives volume, defines the lashes and keeps them lifted enough so I don't look like I have no lashes. It can't compare to a proper waterproof mascara, but it does enough and it's easy to remove. It's only minus is the price. By the way, I also like the cheaper Essence Volume Stylist Curl & Hold Mascara, but I decided not to repurchase that one this time because it's almost as difficult to remove as a waterproof mascara.
DM, 11.99 €
This is the liner that I wear every day and I've bought several in the last year since I discovered it. I had a spare tube that I got in in January and when I opened it, the formula was watered down, so it looked grey which is weird because these are the most intense black liners I've tried. I was afraid they messed with the formula when they changed the packaging a bit, but luckily this new one is just as intense as all others I bought and that January one is a dud. Very annoying that Catrice has such loose quality control. I hate I had to spend extra money for a new eyeliner, even though it's not that expensive.
Müller, 3.79 €
A repurchase of my favourite concealer. I love this one so much I even used it instead of foundation on occasions. It's got only a medium to full coverage, but it looks so natural and hides imperfections without drawing attention to them by looking too matte or cakey. I have the lightest shade 01 Ivory which swatched looks a shade too dark on me, but this blends into the skin so well, you could never tell the shade is slightly wrong. If you like concealers like Maybelline's the Eraser, you'll love this one.
Salma, 7.77 €
*RIMMEL Good to Glow Maxi Bronzer
002 Amber
There are two shades of these bronzers, I got the darker of the two and both are described as having a soft glow. The latter is subtle, the finish is actually more of a satin, so it's closer to a matte bronzer and there is no fear that any shimmer particles will ruin the look. Formula is crumby soft, though it applies smoothly and it's a very pigmented bronzer, so I need to be careful. The shade is too dark for me as well as too warm, almost orange, so it'd be best suited for medium skin tones with a warm undertone.
*MAX FACTOR Colour Elixir Cushion
035 Baby Star Coral and 030 Majesty Berry
These just landed in my mailbox, so I'm reporting the very first impressions. These have exactly the same packaging as Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors and the discontinued Catrice versions, so they have a comfortable foam applicator. The formula is similar to Honey Lacquers in terms of how they feel on the lips, so very comfortable and like they are mixed with a lip balm. Pigmentation is sheer and these only give a tint to the lips. The coral one gives a gentle orange hue to my lips, while the berry, which I prefer, gives it a natural looking rosy shade. These have a nice vanilla scent. There are 7 colours available in Slovenia.
8.99 €
NAILS
*SALLY HANSEN Color Therapy Nail Polish
180 Chai on Life
A nail polish formula that contains argan oil, which I don't know if it does anything, but I'm sure it can't hurt. My shade is a warm toned beige nude that looks absolutely perfect on my toes, so this was already in my last monthly favourites. The formula is a bit too liquid, similar to Essie Fiji, so when I try to apply a thick coat, it spills around the nail. It's better to do thin coats with this, though it's pigmented enough and it's a standard two coater.
About 10 € in DM.
*SALLY HANSEN Miracle Gel Nail Polish
550 Hunger Flames
For a gel formula this is quite thin and not like other such formulas. It's like a standard frosty, pigmented formula that needs three coats for the best result. Hunger Flames is a purple with red frost that can look pink-purple with a thin coat, while thickly applied it looks more true purple.
Swatches of both shades are in a highlighted stories "Updates" on my IG.
About 10 € in DM.
ESSENCE 4 in 1 Profi File
I've bought so many of these through the years. It's a simple nail file with four sides of various roughness that does its job.
Műller, 1.59 €
SKINCARE
BALEA MED Ultra Sensitive Waschgel
I got this before I could find the new updated Erfrischendes gel version, which is the gel I've been using regularly as a second cleanser for quite a while now. This is more expensive and not scented, however, I don't see a difference between the two formulas. Both are slippery gels that do their job of cleansing the skin and don't feel too drying. I'll keep on buying the blue version because it's cheaper.
DM, 2.99 €
BALEA Erfrischendes Wasch Gel (New 2018 version)
Balea not only changed the packaging of my old favourite, but also they tinkered with the formula. They added aloe vera quite high on the list and I can also report that the strong, masculine scent is now much fainter. Formula still feels the same and does the same job. I like the change, but the price is 80 cents higher now.
DM, 1.99 €
BIOBAZA Exclusive Face Cleansing Micellar Oil
My fourth or fifth bottle is a row. I use this every day as my first cleanser, but I only use it because it works so well with my skin, while in other respect, namely removing makeup, I'm being consistently let down as it doesn't remove mascara well. Until I find another (cheaper) oil that doesn't break me out, I'm stuck with this one.
DM, 12.79 €
I already raved about this one in one of my favourites, so I ordered more of these. It worked wonders on an infected spot and just in general made my skin look good.
eBay, $7.40
*SHIELDS OF GLORY Hydro Delight Ultra Hydrating Face Cream with Saffron
A deceptively light moisturiser that actually reminds me of sleeping packs because despite the light formula, it needs some extra time to absorb, so it leaves a layer of product on the skin before it sinks in completely. I prefer it as a part of the night routine, even though it works just fine under makeup and I've used it for most of the month in the mornings. This feels to me as a moisturiser that's more suited for dry, normal skin & dry-combination skin, while those with oily skin might find it's a bit heavy because it needs time to sink in. Scent is floral creamy of moderate strength. I still prefer Creatures de Monoi moisturiser from moisturisers sold on Click2Chic. Shields works as an average moisturiser on me, which is just fine and it has saffron high on the list, so ingredients-wise it's better, but CdM works great for my skin and it's still one of my favourite face creams I've tried so far.
Click2chic, 16.49 €
BODY
This smells exactly like Angel fragrance. It's got a strong oriental vanilla scent that if I judge from the Angel notes has patchouli (I notice it most), chocolate, vanilla, honey, amber plus a ton of fruity and floral notes, but basically it's smells either of two ways depending on peoples chemistry: a delightfully sweet and sexy vanilla spicy scent, or horribly strange spicy (it's the patchouli that's so hard to handle). If you like Angel, you will love this oil. The formula is a great one, very similar to L'Occitane's in almost all respects, so it's a medium thick oil that emulsifies into a rich emulsion with water. Too bad they only have this scent. Angel is something you need to be in the mood for, but I like the formula a lot and I'd like an lighter, more basic scented version. Ingredients-wise it's good, only the perfume is quite high up, but it has tons of oils and extracts.
Click2chic, 11.49 €
NIVEA Pflegedusche
Sun Welcome Shine
Nivea made a shower gel that smells like their original sunscreen scent, so this is not that typical summery coconut/tiare sunscreen scent that you get in other such products, but it's the actual scent of sunscreen, so that slightly bitter creamy scent that some really hate, but I like it. I never owned a Nivea sunscreen because they are way too expensive when you want to buy a SPF 50, but regardless I'm familiar with the scent because it smells the same as SunDance and Lavazon sun creams that I usually buy. So again don't expect a Hawaiian Tropic/Guerlan Terracotta scent like you get in Balea's version, Nivea's smells like a classic sunscreen. Disappointingly, the bottle lasted only two weeks when two of us were using it.
Müller, 1.85 €
A repurchase, twice in the last months actually. I use this to wash my hands and it works great. It's a very runny oil, which surprisingly forms a thick emulsion and the only thing I'm not 100% happy about is the bland scent.
Müller, 1.95 €
BATH & BODY WORKS Ultra Shea Body Cream
Country Apple
After I found the Twilight Woods version of Ultra Shea a complete success, I wanted more and Country Apple was the first on the list. The texture of these Ultra Sheas is amazing. They really feel like rich body butters in a tube. This and The Body Shop's body butters and my favourite formulas ever. I have another BBW apple scent called Champagne Apple Honey, which was an autumn LE, but it's the most amazing proper crisp apple scent, so I hoped this was the same. It's similar, but more musky, so it doesn't end up smelling as fresh, but it's also not bad. I'll likely buy more versions of these when I used up my stash. I highly recommend you try one of these if you like rich moisturisers.
Salma, 13.10 €
BALEA Rasiergel
Peach Love
My standard shaving gel. They finally made a peach version and it's a pretty good one. I think it's my favourite so far.
DM, 1.99€
BALEA Elektrischer Hornhaut Entferner
I've been eyeing this for a while because I find using foot files such a chore. I've used those famous acid peels (from Etude House), but unfortunately they are too weak for my hard skin and they didn't leave my feet soft, though the removed the top layer like they should. I checked some reviews before buying this and they were mixed with the negative side focusing on it not being good enough for very rough skin, but I still took a chance. I was picking between this one and Barefuss one from Müller, while I find Scholl's too expensive in the long run because the replacement rolls. Balea won because you get four rolls in the box, one very fine, one medium and two rough ones, plus you also get batteries. Design is very 80's or 90's and it's very basic, but that doesn't matter to me. I tried the medium one first and I could see it works, still I switched to the rough grey one for better results. I took a while, but it did a decent job. My feet didn't feel soft, but they felt smoother and the skin wasn't as hard. I was satisfied with the results, though it could be rougher and I can't say this will work on very rough skin or bunions. It's also not fast, so you need to take your time, but I also feel this won't take off too much.
DM, 19.99 €
FRAGRANCES
BATH & BODY WORKS Body Mist
Oahu Coconut Sunset
This was already in my last favourites and I can only repeat what I've said there. It's a deeper version of a beachy coconut scent that reminds me of Lolita Lempicka Elle L'Aime. The traditional creamy coconut-tiare combination is here mixed with sultry amber and incense that give the scent depth, while there's also a sweet juicy (Taj Sunset mango-like) note present, but only at the start. It's a going out/night time version of a beachy scent that can be worn in colder months as well. I'd really love to get more of BBW mists, they are such amazing value with 250 ml.
Salma, 12.90€
AVON Luck La Vie eau de parfum
Admittedly I got this in part for the gorgeous packaging, but I also liked the notes listed in the description. I already tried the original Luck once and loved it, so it's still on my list to get, but La Vie version drew me in with its woodsy notes that I'm obsessively seeking in fragrances now since I absolutely love them in BBW Apple Wood sanitizer and Twilight Woods mist. The wood notes are not nearly as apparent in La Vie as in those two, instead it's a fresh floral fruity fragrance with a cedar base that reminds me of Marc Jacobs Daisy and its flankers. First burst is sweet strawberry with the florals starting to make their appearance. Then the fresh, green florals take centre stage with lily-of-the-valley being the most apparent note. It's the latter than reminds me of the Daisy fragrance since they are both so green and fresh. The base reveals the cedar note, but it's still got that a fresh fruity-floral and green character. It definitely smells more like a designer fragrance that celebrity scents which tend to me more sugary vanilla. It's youthful, but still serious enough that you'd be comfortable wearing it to the office. Compared to the original Luck, La Vie feels greener and less smooth, that's why a lot of people prefer the original. The main notes of that one are berries and sandalwood, so it's warmer. La Vie also has notes of peach which I can't detect, which is a shame. It's about medium strong and lasts a few hours.
Top: strawberry, mirabelle, mandarin orange
Heart: lilies-of-the-valley, Lime (linden) Blossom, mandarin orange
Base: marshmallow, peach, white cedar extract
Salma, 13.90 €
HAIR
HEAD & SHOULDERS Supreme Feuchkeit
Supreme Moisture Conditioner
This is the first anti-dandruff conditioner that I saw in our drugstores (I only knew about KeraCare up until now, which I never got round to ordering). It's got zink pyrithione on 7th place among the ingredients, but otherwise it's a pretty standard conditioner with the usual mix of moisturising ingredients and silicones. I've been battling dandruff since I was 11 and I wrote about it here many times, as well as documented some of the stuff I tried over the years, but I never tried a conditioner, which sounded like a great idea, since my scalp is everything from super dry (I never have oily hair) to flaky and itchy, so this sounded like a nice moisturising treatment. As a regular conditioner, I like it because it left my hair very silky due to a lot of silicones, which my hair loves. It could be a bit more nourishing, but for drugstore stuff it's one of the best. I applied it generously on the scalp too, but unfortunately, it didn't help with the dandruff much and actually the state was pretty much the same, my scalp was a bit less dry, but still flaky and as usual occasionally itchy. It doesn't work the way it promises, but I still like it as a regular conditioner.
Müller, 4.29 € for 220 ml
SCHAUMA Nature Moments Honey Elixir & Barbary Fig Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
I got this because they were offering it at the register in DM as a part of a promotion and I've always been interested in Schauma because I remember hearing someone talking about it being good. Well this was a complete waste of my money. The best description of a shampoo is average - cleans well, but not nourishing and neither too drying, it's got this basic "trying-to-smell-like-honey" scent and is in general just a boring shampoo that's not good for my very dry hair. The conditioner has very promising ingredients with keratin high on the list and it smells nicely of honey, but it's very light and it did nothing for my hair. Washing my hair with these made me wash it again using more nourishing products. They are probably completely ok for normal hair with slightly dry ends, even maybe oily hair because they are light, but I'm using the shampoo as a shower gel and the conditioner instead of a shaving gel.
DM, it was about 3 € as a part of the promotion where the conditioner was a gift.
*L'OREAL Magic Shampoo Invisible Dry Shampoo
Fresh Crush, Tropical Splash and Sweet Fusion
L'Oreal released these a couple of months back in five versions, but I only saw three in our Müller. I never have greasy hair, so I'm sorry that can't say how well they perform on oily hair, but I can say that these have absolutely no white cast. In fact when you spray them there is no powderiness in sight. For my dark hair these work really great as a refreshing type of product that add fragrance to my hair. The don't create as much volume as Batiste do, which is expected given that they don't create that powdery texture, but it's still enough on my hair.
Fresh Crush has the most classic type of clean scent, though this one is a flowery version and not the typical aldehyde "clean laundry scent"
Tropical Splash has a flowery tropical scent, which reminds me most of a hibiscus scent Balea used to make.
Sweet Fusion is the most girly and sweet type of scent, which is again very floral with (maybe) some vanilla notes (it's something warm and sweet).
4.60 €
The collection consists of two ranges: Repair and Colour, I've given Repair a try. Colour has only a shampoo and conditioner, while the Repair has an extra hair mask and hair oil. I'm very fussy when it comes to hair care because my hair is so dry, so I won't say this is the best hair care line I've used, but when it comes to drugstore it's very decent, especially the hair mask. Shampoo is one of the rare ones that doesn't leave my hair striped and it doesn't leave my hair too tangled, so I give it a 4/5. The conditioner is thick and I can feel it'll be nourishing enough for most people, but for me it's on a light side. The hair mask again feels similarly thick as conditioner, but it's got a much better effect on my hair and it gives a good hydration boost. Sadly the nourished effect lasts only a day or two on my hair, but that's usual for every good drugstore mask I've tried (that's why I mostly use more expensive, hair salon stuff). For very dry hair, the mask is great, but those will thin hair will find it too much and for those the conditioner is a better choice. Oil is quite light, so I need to use a lot of it, especially on dry hair, but it does its job of taming the hair and giving shine. The shampoo-mask-oil on damp hair combination pleasantly surprised me because my hair dried so sleek and super shiny with a hair dryer and that doesn't happen often. Scent is the thing that I have mixed feelings about. The shampoo and oil have a nice creamy coconut scent, but the conditioner and mask smell more like coconut water, so on the sour side.
Click2chic and Müller, everything apart from the oil 5.49 € per piece (shampoo and conditioner 500 ml, hair mask 250 ml), oil is 9.49 € (100 ml)
Have a great day!
* - PR products
New in #71
Reviewed by blogsott
on
July 07, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by blogsott
on
July 07, 2018
Rating:
No comments: