Showing posts with label Garnier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garnier. Show all posts

Garnier Fructis Wunder Öl


I'm a huge fan of hair silicone-oils, but I've only been using high-end ones, with Orofuido being my absolute favourite. It's not hard to justify paying high prices for these silicone-oils, since even with my long hair one bottle can lasts years, but I just wanted to check how the drugstore brands are doing in that department. I checked so many oils and most had completely disappointing ingredients mainly due to high alcohol content or just too many silicones instead of proper oils. Garnier Fructis' one appeared to be the best in the quite a big selection, so I chose the regular version, but there is also a version with added heat protection. 


I must say I was quite disappointed when I saw the texture of this. Considering that argan oil in on the third place among ingredients, this is very light and runny. It's closest in texture to Elixir Ultime, which I never considered to be amazing for dry hair, but good for quick fixes like taming the frizz a bit. Due to lightness if you use it on damp hair, it doesn't help tame the hair much when it's blow-dried, in fact it doesn't do much of anything if used like that apart from perhaps creating a layer of protection from the heat due to silicones. On dry hair it makes the hair sleeker and shinier just like any other oil, but on coarse hair it can't quite manage to tame it for very long, plus you need to use several pumps of it. Of course I think that people with thin hair will most likely love this product because it is so light that it doesn't weight down the hair much (quantity is the key here).


The scent is so blah to me. It's like Nivea with a slight fruity twist or some baby cosmetics, so nothing like the rich scents of other oils I've tried. Even after almost a year, I'm not a fan of it and I consider scents in hair products important because my hair is long and everywhere, therefore also close to my nose. 

The packaging is a plastic one with a good pump. There is 150 ml of product there, which is a huge amount. However, due to lightness it won't last long if you have thick hair as you'll have to use quite a few pumps, but if your hair is thin this should last you ages. 


I used it here on my mother's hair (in internet years an ancient Instagram picture), who has about the same hair texture as me and as you can see it does it's job of making the hair appear healthy and shiny, but as I said it's not the best for dry hair or at least we prefer thicker ones.


I may have expected too much from it. In the mountain of drugstore hair silicone-oils, judging purely from ingredients, absolutely none apart from this one and one other whose brand name I don't recall looked anything particularly special when I was in the shop. Given that the argan oil is supposedly not only in trace amounts since it's placed third on the INCI list, I presumed it was pretty much as good as the professional salon brands ones. It is not. I may be thoroughly spoiled by Orofluido and the likes (I've tried most of the popular high-end ones, which you can read in my Hair Oils Series), but yes, there is a difference between high-end and drugstore treatments that I guess most people won't notice on their hair, but on my dry hair there just is. I consider these silicone-oils more like styling products than care, but thicker ones still manage to keep the hair look nourished longer. This one isn't the best for thick, coarse hair, but those are afraid of these type of products and fear it might make it greasy, might like it a lot.

One "drugstore" oil did impress me. It's Avon's Advanced Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil and that one is close in texture to Orofluido, so it manages to tame thick hair a lot better. Petra, who also suffers from dry hair, gifted me that oil and she loves it as well. If you have a chance to try that one, it's definitely worth checking it out.

I got this oil in Müller for about 10 €. By the way, I saw a different Garnier oil recently and it was much cheaper.

How many of you have tried this and love/like it? Have a great day!
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Empties #13


This was a nice drugstore makeup remover, however, it's not as good as Bioderma. It feels the same, so like water and it's also unscented, but it just wasn't as effective and I needed to use a lot more of it. But considering the price, it's a great drugstore buy.
Repurchase: Yes.

This was one of the two drugstore creamy cleansers I tried when I was searching for a decent, budget-friendly replacement for Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm, but unfortunately this didn't wow me at all. It's a standard creamy cleanser that cleans well and keeps dry patches at bay, but my skin didn't like this as much as the cheaper Good Things one. The strong granny-ish rose scent wasn't appealing either.
Repurchase: No.

I did not like this at all. I picked it up quite a while ago when I couldn't find my regular remover from Maybelline and I was struggling to use it up. It's a classic two-phase oily remover that's meant for removal of waterproof make up, however, the two "phases" wouldn't stay mixed after shaking the bottle for more than a few second. It's not particularly oily and that's probably one of the problems as it proved to be much less effective than my usual one and it required a lot more rubbing to get the mascara off (and even then I wasn't convinced it removed all). There are better drugstore ones.
Repurchase: No.


Pure Melt has such a unique texture that starts off as a thick gel, which when massaged into the skin turns into a thick oil and when water is added it emulsifies. It does a great job of removing make up, especially when it comes to waterproof mascara (it is an oil based cleanser after all). There is a slight filter left when just rinsed off with water, so I prefer using a washcloth to completely remove it and as most oil-based cleansers it makes my vision very foggy. I liked it because it removes makeup very well and has a unique texture, however, my skin didn't look as good as when I used other cleansers and my forehead became bumpy again. 
Repurchase: I don't think I will.

My favourite ever moisturiser and I will miss it so much. It's light, yet intensely moisturising, sinks in super fast and leaves a semi-matte, velvet finish on the skin, so it's a perfect choice for under make up. If only it weren't so expensive…
Repurchase: Yes.

This was such a hit and miss. Each of the strips worked differently (there were three). I followed the instructions exactly for the first one meaning I re-wetted the strip before peeling it off, but instead of pulling the blackheads out, it separated and left sticky blue goo on the skin that needed to be washed off.  I used the second one as I'd normally use any other, so just peeled it off after 15 minutes and it worked very well giving the strangest feeling of satisfaction when looking at all that gunk on the strip. The third one again malfunctioned and did a mix of the previous two experience - it worked on some sections, but still left the blue goo on some areas. These smell weird, like that red stick glue everyone had in school (Pritt, I hated it). I'm going to try strips from some other brand. Any recs?
Repurchase: No.


This is my favourite foundation and it has been for years. I love it because it looks incredibly natural on the skin and gives a light-medium coverage. The shade is very yellow, but it still blends well in my skin tone. I'm on my third or fourth bottle.
Repurchase: Already did.

LIP SMACKER Coca Cola Cherry and Coca Cola Vanilla
I found these lying somewhere in the drawers as I must have completely forgotten about them probably due to them being unremarkable or just because of my general indifference to most lip balms. Cherry version smells just like the real stuff in the bottle, so that candy sour-sweet scent, while Vanilla smells close to the original Coca-Cola. The formula is creamy and moisturising, and I can't deny they're not good lip balms, but I barely used them because I always use Palmer's Swivel Stick or Labello Peach.
Repurchase: No.


Average. That's the best way to describe this shampoo. It foams marvellously and it smells great as well, but it's not moisturising, in fact, it stripped my hair a bit, but not dramatically. It's a nice shampoo for those whose hair isn't particularly dry and it might even work for those with oily hair, but I can't be sure. I just really loved the bubble gum smell.
Repurchase: I don't know, maybe.

I often raved about this in the past and it was in my top 5 favourite drugstore hair treatments post. I have very dry, thick hair that demands a lot of moisture and quality products, and this just delivers. The bubble gums scent is a huge plus as is the packaging. I'm happy that they finally started selling these in Slovenia, so I don't have to keep ordering online.
Repurchase: Yes.

(old packaging)
You may know that I'm a huge fan of Kérastase, especially of their Nutritive line which just suits my dry, coarse hair like nothing I've ever tried. Nectar Thermique is my favourite heat protectant because I really notice the difference on my dry hair. It feels more nourished and even silky after blow-drying. When my hair feels especially dry (usually it's in winter), I apply this more generously than usual and it fixes the problem. This is the old packaging and I must say that getting the last bits out was a chore, but I already have a new one, which is in a soft squeeze tube.
Repurchase: I've already got a new one.


I think it's safe to call this my HG and to this day it remains to be the only stick deodorant that I've repurchased (several times now). Every deodorant so far stopped working on me before I used it up, but this one is really doing its job. It keeps me fresh, but keep in mind I don't sweat a lot, the most important thing is that it keeps BO at bay. This with Nivea Pearl & Beauty one are my power combination.
Repurchase: Yes.

I really, really like this deodorant. It smells so lovely - powdery floral and just very feminine. It's far better than any of those Balea deodorants, which are just fragrance because this one has powder in it that absorbs moisture to a certain degree.
Repurchase: Yes.

I enjoyed this a lot. It looks like a cheap scented shower gel, but it actually lathers well and feels expensive. It has the same scent as the fragrance, which sort of reminds me of a vanilla version of Chanel N°5 as I find it has the same soapiness in it, probably from the jasmine note.
Repurchase: Maybe.


When I got this scent, it wasn't like I expected it to be. It's not a Rafaello type of coconut scent, but less sweet and has that touch of artificialness especially from the start. Otherwise it's a lovely coconut scent, in fact the closest to the real thing I found. It has a nice staying power and it's very inexpensive. I liked it especially for mixing with other fragrance to add a coconut note to the scent (vanilla-coconut-amber was a particularly nice combination). I've had this bottle for a really long time, too long in fact and the liquid turned grey, which was my cue to just use it up already.
Repurchase: Maybe.

Loved this. It's one of my favourite scents ever and one of those that could be worn on any occasion. I get a nice burst of peach from the start and then it settles into a nice clean-but-sophisticated/ fabric softener kind of scent. I purchased the La Rive Moon dupe of the same fragrance and it smells pretty much the same.  
Repurchase: Yes.


I will probably always have a bottle of this in my collection, you just cannot ever really let of the scent that was for a time "a signature scent". It's a scent for sweet tooths with a combination of kiwi and lychee notes over an even more gourmand vanilla with white chocolate base. It's the definition of űber girly and yet when someone wearing this walks by me, I can't help myself thinking: ''Man, does she smell great.'' Great fragrance and you can get it for a very reasonable price online.
Repurchase: Yes. I already ordered The Nice Remix version, which is very similar. 

Have a great day!
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New in #25


RIMMEL Velvet Matte 
014 Sumptuous Red
I'm so disappointed with this shade. On online swatches it looks perfect - a lovely mix of purple with a bit of pink and it does look like that on the nail wheel, however, on my nails it's a bland, cool toned dark purple. I have exactly the same issue with Catrice's First Class Up-Grape, so I'm 100% sure the problem is my skin tone. The finish is matte and it dries fast, but the formula is an odd one. It's pigmented enough, but it's so hard to get an even application. I needed three, on some nails even four coats.
Boots International, £4.49

A repurchase of one of my favourite concealers. This has such a high level of coverage and it's similar to the much more expensive NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer except it's not as creamy. 
Boots International, £4.19

MAYBELLINE Color Drama Lipstick
Berry Much
This is the problem with buying things online - the shade is nothing like I imagined based on online swatches. It's very purple toned and not much burgundy on me. Purples don't suit me well. The texture is wonderful, though. It's so pigmented and creamy, it applies without dragging, really the quality is absolutely superb. The lasting power impressed me as well and it wears off into this lovely even stain. I so wish I could exchange this for Red Essential, but what's done is done. These are already available in Croatia, so I hope they reach Slovenia because I'd like some more shades. 
I got another shade called In with Coral as a gift for someone and it's a much prettier shade (picture at the end of the post).
Boots International, £4.99


BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum
51 Light Vanilla
Another repurchase. This literally run out in the morning and I repurchased it the same day. It's my favourite foundation and it has been for years. It looks incredibly natural on the skin and gives a light-medium coverage. The shade is very yellow, but it still blends well in my skin tone. I'm on my third or forth bottle.
Müller, 15.19 € (the price has gone up)

ESSENCE Silky Blush 
70 Kissable
My first plum blush. I can't believe I missed this shade at the event, but I got the other new shade for autumn called Autumn Peach. Kissable is quite a deep shade compared to most of my blushes and it's a nice deep pink-plum colour with gold shimmer. It's super, super pigmented, I barely need to touch the surface of the blush to get enough pay-off for me. It needs a bit more effort when it comes to blending because it's such a strong shade on me and it gives a touch of illuminating effect due to the shimmer. A cute autumn/winter colour.  
Műller, 2.79 €

L'OREAL Infalible Eyeshadow 
033 Tender Caramel
I'm a huge fan of these and I have quite a collection already. I've never seen this shade here before, but I guess I never looked close enough. It's a taupe-brown shade that is similar to Satin Taupe, but with a lot more shimmery, glamorous finish. The formula is akin to the rest of the range - super, super pigmented and long lasting. I apply these with fingers.
DM, 8.45 €.


CATRICE ViennART LE Baked Eyeshadow
C03 Lovely Lace
Holy mother of eyeshadows this is so gorgeous. It may just be that after years of searching for the perfect gold eyeshadow, which wouldn't turn orange on me, I've finally found it. It needs some layering, but you can get close to metallic finish and it blends well as it is buttery soft. The lace embossing is absolutely stunning as well. What a beauty!
DM, 4.29 €.


Emma Hardie 4 Piece Starter Kit
This is way better than I ever expected. The excessive hype and the high prices put me off purchasing this for a long time, but this set is already at a more acceptable price range, so I took the plunge. The texture of this is like a dream, it's actually very, very similar to Balm Balm Frankincense Cleansing Balm, so it's like a solid oil that melts at body temperature. It removes everything, even waterproof mascara and leaves the skin clean, comfortable and moisturised. It smells very natural and a bit like mandarins, which is nice enough. Another star in this set is the cloth - it's amazing. There are two sides, a micro fibre one and muslin one. I want more of them ASAP, though I need to see how these survive frequent washing. The Age Support cream is very thick, but still suits my skin. 
The set includes: Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm (50ml),  Amazing Face Age Support Cream (15ml), Amazing Face Dual Action Professional Cleansing Cloth and Wash Bag. 
Feel Unique, €27.30. 


L'OREAL Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive 
Laetitia
I got it as gift for Miklavž/St. Nicholas from my cousin (hence the cute  chocolate decorations) after coveting it so badly. It's one of my favourite lipstick that I got this year and exactly what I wanted that Maybelline pencil to be. You may know how much I love Rimmel's 107 lipstick and that I wear it a lot. Well this is a prettier version of that lipstick. It's a deep red with no brown undertones and very little purple undertones, which I appreciate a lot. I adore this colour on me, it's just so striking. The texture is pleasantly creamy and more waxy or perhaps siliconey than most lipsticks I tried, but it glides on the lips like a dream and isn't drying at all despite the semi-matte finish. Swatch here.
These cost 13-14 € depends on where you buy them, but so far I find that in Müller they are cheapest.

BOURJOIS Contour Edition Lip Pencil
02 Cotton Candy
The second part of my gift and another thing I really wanted to have (by the way, my gifts for other people are at the end of the post if you're curious). It's a light warm pink that is similar to MAC's Please Me and it's such a great everyday colour. I think it makes my eyes more blue and pop out if I wear it on its own (which I do and will). The texture is a lot more creamy than the old pencil I own (Rouge Soyeaux), so it's almost like a lipstick, but it's still waxy, so it has a very decent staying power especially for a light shade. 
About 6€ in drugstores.


*BATH COSMETICS Chilly Wily Bath Bomb 
How adorable is this! I don't even want to use it because it's so darn cute and also because it makes my bedroom smell nice. Bath Cosmetics is clearly duping Lush's bath bombs, but they are more affordable and some designs are much prettier. This snowman bath bombs is supposed to smell like cinnamon, but I find it's not just that. It has a more masculine note as well, which distances it from gourmand scents. I don't know how it smells once it's in the bath, nor do I know yet if it has any cool effects, so I'll see that later because currently I have it as decoration. Check out other products from bath cosmetics here.
Bath Cosmetics so na voljo na Click2Chic. 
Click2Chic, 2,93 €.


*MODELS OWN Disco Pants LE
Copacabana
This is one of those metallic/frost shades that is great for the season. It's is an interesting one as it's somewhere between gold, silver and light green. The formula is thick, but it behaves like a regular frosty nail polish. 
Click2Chic, 5.95 €.


*MODELS OWN Diamond Luxe LE
Heart Red
This is the most Christmasy nail polish I've ever seen. It's a nice ruby red with tiny gold shimmer that looks bright red when it's on the nails. I've worn it twice already and it will be included in my upcoming December inspired post that I've been working on for a while.
Click2Chic, 5.95 €.


I LOVE… Honey Almond Nourishing Shower Gel
This is going to sound a bit pathetic, but where I live (NM) we don't have Tuš Drogerija. In fact, the nearest is in Kočevje and the road there from our side of the "hill" is just torture, so I don't go there often. Hence why I was a bit overexcited when I visited one after years in Kranj, even though they sell essentially the same stuff as all the rest. I had no idea they had I Love… there and two shower gels immediately caught my attention, this one and the chocolate one (which smells so good!). I adore honey scents and this one seemed very nice, so it went home with me. The scent is lovely, exactly what it says on the bottle - honey and almond, so it's a very comforting, sweet and yummy scent. However, the texture, oh my… it's basically a liquid. I can't even foam it up in my hands because it just runs off. It takes a bit of improvising under the shower, maybe a sponge should help, I'm still in the testing phase, but we'll see. So that's unfortunate, but it does smells delightful
Tuš Drogerija, 3 €

LA RIVE Moon
I wanted this for ages, but couldn't find it anywhere except online. I finally stumbled upon it in Tuš Drogerija and it had a 50 % discount - is that a lucky coincidence or what? It's a cheap imitation of my beloved Hugo Boss Nuit pour Femme and it does smell uncannily similar (ok, it's pretty much the same). I utterly adore this scent even though it's so unremarkable. It smells like peaches from the start and then turns into an expensive fabric softener scent. So it's a clean, but a sophisticated scent. I sprayed this on my wrist in the shop and it lasted all day, but now that I have it and I'm spraying it on my neck, I don't' think it lasts as long, but it certainly has nice lasting power. Either way, it's a wonderful scent for 4 € and I'm so happy I got it. Even the bottle is pretty, however, not as pretty as the Boss'.
Tuš Drogerija, with discount 4 €, otherwise 9 €; Interspar regular price 6 €


*KONJAC Sponge with French Pink Clay
I must admit, I wasn't really familiar with these sponges before being offered to try one, but I remembered Jana raving about them, so I agreed to trial one. It's so fun to use because it's all squishy and jelly like, I like it. It's hard when it's dry, but  when water it added it turns into a proper sponge. No soap is required with this, unless you are wearing makeup, but I use this in the morning and it's so fast and easy. It feels like it has a layer of something on it and it gently exfoliates the skin, so it feels silky to the touch after use and there is like a gentle moisturising layer on the skin. I was very apprehensive about this sponge, but I like it. There are several of these to suit different skin types and I got the one for sensitive skin.
These particular ones have are cruelty free, vegan and comply to the highest EU regulations, which sets them apart from other similar products.
Več informacij tukaj skupaj s seznamom prodajnih mest, 11.99 €


Another repurchase - yes it's been a month of repurchases for me. This is one of the best shower products I've had the fortune to try. It a gentle scrub with an unique oil-turns-to-luxurious-foam type of texture and it smells so lovely. It's bound to be repurchased many times.
Müller, 4.99€


BALEA 50's Forever Pflegecreme mit Kirsch-Duft
Universal cream with cheery scent
I was patiently waiting for this to arrive in our DM's and I wasn't disappointed. It looks so darn cute in person and I adore the retro design. This one smells like cherry soda and has a type of texture that is similar to Nivea, but a lot lighter. I think I'll be keeping this in my bag or near the computer as I love using it as a hand cream since it sinks in so fast. By the way, it can be used on the body, face and lips. Love this.
DM, 1.19€ (30 ml)


Another repurchase. I recently talked about this in my favourites and I said that it's a dry shampoo for people who don't like dry shampoo. It's a volumising spray that feels like nothing on the hair, so no powder residue nor any of that hairspray-ish texture. It smells lovely like raspberries, refreshes the hair, makes it more airy and manages to give a bit of volume. Nice stuff for what basically feels like a can of nice smelling air.
Tuš, 4 €

CHARLES WORTHINGTON Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray
This is very, very similar to the VO5 Dry Texturising Spray. It's something like a dry salt spray meaning it gives a bit of grip, texture and hold, and yes it does make your hair a bit "hairspray stiff" if you use a lot, however, if you use a small amount it feels like nothing is on your hair. It smells fruity, maybe like grapes with watermelon. I like both this one and VO5, they are way better than the L'Oreal's one because these two do not make the hair sticky. I'm liking this more and more.
Boots International, £6.99


L'ORÉAL Elvital Glatt-Intense Pflege-Shampoo
a.k.a. L'ORÉAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo
Polona from Uniqapoly talked about how she likes Fibrology line from L'Oreal and she made me realize that I have never tried anything from L'Oreal Elvital/Elvive shampoo/conditioners selection. Since it is a drugstore "sister (cousin?)" brand of Kérastase, I thought it was worth a try and after some googling I decided to get this highly rated shampoo for dry hair. I really, really like this and you don't hear that often from me when it comes to drugstore shampoos. I love the Kérastase Oleo-Relax shampoo and this promises the same things and it is like a less effective version of that shampoo, but it's still very good. It has a similar effect in terms that it feels like some conditioner was added in it and the hair feels a bit silky when you're rinsing it off (but not as much as Oleo-Relax, that stuff is perfection in a bottle). It doesn't leave my hair so squeaky clean that's it's dried out and it smells nicer than Oleo-Relax.   
Müller, 2.89 €

L'ORÉAL Elvital Total Repair 5 Intensiv Maske mit Reparatűr Serum
L'ORÉAL Paris Elvive Full Restore 5
This was in the best drugstore hair treatments post by Allure, at least I think it's this one, since things in USA have a completely different packaging than here. First thing I noticed is how the texture is identical to the Kérastase Maskeintense Epais-Thick, so it's the same pudding-slightly jelly consistency. I used both the L'Oreal's shampoo and this mask together and I got an insane amount of volume, even for me. The hair was nicely nourished, however, again as at all drugstore masks it dried out after a couple of days, so I had to use oils to fix it. But in general, I like this. It also smells lovely.
Müller, 6.39 €


BALEA Totes Meer Salz Duche Pfirsich-Mango Duft
I guess they released this to kind of replace the nectarine one, but it's very different. It smells so juicy, like a nice tropical drink. I don't really get a lot of peach in it, the emphasis is more on mango, but it's a nice scent. In terms of being more moisturising, I actually don't notice any difference between their regular shower gels, which aren't the most moisturising shower gels, and this (go for Dove if you need that).
DM, 0.99€.


I can't believe they are discontinuing this. That's so mean. However, there are plenty still left in our DM's and I bought several to last me a while. At a euro per bottle, it's a complete bargain for one of the best smelling shower gel ever (but scents are subjective). It smells like peach bubble-gum and I utterly adore it.
DM, 0.99€.


My favourite stick deodorant. Never in history have I repurchased a deodorant three times in a row, but I think that after years of searching, I have found an absolute favourite. This time I accidentally picked up a different scent called Clear Aqua. It's a very clean, I-just-came-from-the-shower/I'm-wearing-freshly-washed-clothes scent/Nivea cream. I like it, but I still prefer the pink one (Clear Pure) in terms of scent, but this performs the same. 
Tuš, 2.69 €


Funny story about this one. I'm a fan of this spray deodorant, in fact, it's my favourite in such form, but last time it had run out, I purchased a different Nivea one, because this one was out of stock. Nivea then contacted me, saying they read on my blog about how I purchased the wrong one and offered to send me my favourite. Kind of adorable, right? I really love this deodorant, together with Rexona one they create a powerful and effective combination, keeping BO at bay. It smells so good, so feminine, soft and powdery, I just love it. 
2.99 €


PROFISSIMO Parfüm-öl Zimt
Cinnamon perfume oil
I adore the scent of cinnamon and I've been planning on buying a cinnamon scented oil for a while, but I feared it'd smell too artificial. I'm sorry to report that this one isn't a proper cinnamon scent either as it does have a herbal-artificial note in it, but people really, really like the scent when they come into the house. 
Any recs for a true cinnamon scent, apart from baking cookies or strudel every day?
DM, 1.29 € 

YANKEE CANDLE Tart Wax Melt 
Soft Blanket
This smells sooo good! I can't really describe it well, but it's like baby powder and fabric softener. It's soft, warm and cosy, it invites images of a warm home and snuggling under a freshly washed blanket. I adore this so much and I wouldn't mind having a proper candle, but they are so damn expensive for something that basically burns away in hours. This is the first time I bought one of these wax melts and I'm wondering whether they are meant to melt/evaporate so loud or am I doing something wrong? All the crackling and sizzling, it's very distracting, but it does smell strong which I like.
Müller, 1.79 €

H&M Gold Bobby Pins
Just classic bobby pins, but one that are gold. I should be known as the queen of bobby pins, since I may or may not have more of them than a factory produces in a year, however, I use them almost every day as I love to experiment with hairstyles, but I only have black ones and this time I wanted something more glam as I've seen some nice inspiring images on Pinterest. I really like H&M pins, they are so much better than for example Ebeline's since the paint chips on those super fast and the tips don't fall off.
H&M, 1.95 €


I've also done a bit of gift shopping, so here are the bits some lucky girls got for Miklavž / St. Nicholas.
SLEEK Contour Kit Light
SLEEK blush in Suede
RIMMEL ScandalEYES Waterproof Khol Kajal in Nude
MAYBELLINE Color Drama Lipstick in In With Coral
JOHN FRIEDA Full Repair Flyaway Tamer (I'm really wondering how this performs. I wouldn't mind having it myself)


A quick comparison of NYX blush in Taupe and Sleek Contour Kit in Light. These are completely different shades. Taupe has strong grey tones, while Sleeks is much warmer, browner and darker in terms of pigmentation.

I hope you managed to get through this epic post. Have a great day!

*Products were gifted to me.
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Empties #11


My favourite scrub so far. I was so frugal with it just so it would last me longer because I can't get this brand anywhere else than on eBay. It's a very harsh sugar scrub, just the way I like it and it has a very moisturising, oily formula meaning there is no need for moisturisers afterwards. It smells like a gentler version of Miss Dior Cherie.
Repurchase: Yes.

Such a wonderful shower product. It's has quite a unique gel-oil texture that transforms into luxurious creamy foam. The scrubby particles aren't too harsh, so I used it as a regular shower gel. It also smells lovely, kind of sweet nutty-floral.  
Repurchase: Yes.

A fantastic dry oil in a spray that is so easy to apply. It literally takes seconds and you're done. It has the same scent as the scrub.
Repurchase: Yes.

This is my favourite gradual self tanner. Even from one application I get a decent amount of colour, but it's after three that people start asking where have I been sunbathing. I loved using this for my face because it is more moisturising than the Clarins lotion which I used before. I've actually stopped self tanning or at least I don't do it particularly often, since everyone has made it their mission to inform me of how pale I am, so I like to annoy them by being the human counterpart of Snow White, as it appears they can't wrap their heads around the fact that people with fair skin do exist and they like being pale (in their minds it's almost criminal). Therefore this tan is very old and as it's expected by now it does develop that classic self-tan scent by the morning, but when it was new, the scent was barely detectable and it had a melon-citrus scent upon application.
Repurchase: Yes.

Though it's a creamy cleanser that I had trouble adjusting to, since it doesn't feel quite as luxurious as a balm or cleansing oil, my skin adored this. In those three months that I've been using it, my skin looked so healthy and there wasn't a blemish in sight, even though I skipped AHA products during the summer (I didn't want to risk sun damage, which is ironic considering there were about three sunny days in total this summer). Only Balance Me kept my skin in such good condition. I know I said I find it unremarkable, but now I think it's bloody brilliant. I did use it up quite fast, however, it's inexpensive, so I don't mind.
Repurchase: Yes.

One of my HG items, I pretty much can't be without it for a day, so I always buy a spare well before the previous one runs out. I've been using it as a face moisturiser for three years now and my skin is in such good condition, it looks healthy and is super soft. I adore this stuff and one bottle lasts me ages.
Repurchase: Already did.

A nice shampoo that does its job, but that's it. It leaves the hair "too clean" for my liking, by that I mean too stripped, which is something that an an individual with dry hair don't particularly like. It's ok, but not exceptional enough to justify the price and I much prefer the Oleo-Relax. It smells lovely just like the oil, maybe a bit more masculine.
Repurchase: Not likely.

I've tried quite a few of these salon brands silicone-oils and this one along with Orofluido are my absolute favourites. I find it's the best one for dry hair and has great frizz reducing capabilities. The scent is a love-it-or-hate-it one, to me it smells like my grandfathers cologne, so masculine, but I've heard some say it reminds them of vanilla and sandalwood. I sometimes loved the scent and then sometimes not so much, but it definitely slowly grew on me. 
Repurchase: Yes.


REFAN fragrances 
I used a bunch of Refan fragrances, all 15 ml that I've had for a really long time. I love these, but I just want to warn you that these do go a bit off after three years, which is a period most people use up their fragrances already, but I'm obviously not such a person. By off I mean that the scent changes a bit, mostly it gets more alcohol smelling and more bland from the start, but it develops the same, so clearly the top notes are the first to go. 
A tropical hibiscus scent: floral, clean and a bit juicy. When you smell it, it's like - yeah that's what coral colour would smell like if it had a scent. Actually, it smells similar to Kérastase Chroma Sensitive Cleansing Balm, but it was never my favourite. 
Repurchase: No.

A creamy, woody fragrance with some vanilla. I hear others notice a strong plum note, but it doesn't develop on me. To me it lacked something that would make it special.
Repurchase: I'm not sure they sell it anymore. 

A sweet, fruity, yet a warm scent that has quite a lot of silage. I get strawberries and other berries with some musk and violets. I liked it, but I got bored with it after a while.
Repurchase: I'm not sure.

The wood, floral notes and musk combined create a simple, fresh, clean and classic scent that is slightly bitter and unisex. This is very highly rated on Make up Alley, but I just never really got it. It's not bad, just a bit odd for my liking and no one liked it on me.
Repurchase: No.

I'm a huge fan of peach scents and The Body Shop's version is my favourite, but this YR version doesn't even remotely resemble anything peach. It is quite a strange scent, like it's not even fruity, but completely artificial. I used it as a room scent to get rid of it. If you want to try any of these Les Plaisirs Nature scents, go for coconut or vanilla, because they are awesome and the scents are true to their name.
Repurchase: No.


Have a great day!
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essence all about matt! fixing compact powder


I've been putting off posting a review for this powder, in fact it's been in my drafts for three months now, but the first months of use left me with such a bad impression that the review would be very negative, so I waited for warmer months when my skin is a bit oilier compared to the rest of the year because I hoped it would perform better then. Before I found my beloved Bourjois Java powder, I purchased this to try first and to serve as a replacement for MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish, which I've grown to dislike because it always gives me either cakey look or nothing when I use a small amount. Essence's powder comes highly recommended and is a darling in the beauty community praised for its great mattifying abilities and affordability. However, I have found it anything but fantastic.


For the first few uses I though it was an ok powder, but with each use my displease grew. It does what it claims to do - mattifies and it does that quite well, however, my problem is with how it does it. I find it has several sides - one of how it looks over a foundation, one on bare skin and on a summer version of my skin.


On a "normal" version of my skin, over foundation it just makes the makeup look so flat and it's so obvious on the face. I don't even find it all that transparent, since I can see a slight white cast on my skin when I look at it closely and I'm not the one to use a ton of product. For me it just ruins the foundation by making it cakey and it's obvious from the space that I'm wearing something. I want my natural skin texture to show, so this does not work for me. Even if I use a super fluffy brush the effect is the same and if I try to use a very small amount of powder, it doesn't mattify nor set the makeup well. In general it mattifies well if you apply enough, but I get shiny in on my T-zone after about four to five hours.

In hotter months it is a different story for me. It works a lot better, doesn't look that obvious on the skin than in colder months and sets the makeup in place as well as mattifies, however, the makeup still looks a bit flat.

On bare skin, however, it looks great. I sometimes like to powder my skin when I'm not wearing foundation or I'm just wearing sunscreen to keep the shine away during the day and it look really nicely matte, but not flat.

This is a well loved product in the beauty community and many oily-skinned people love this, so please don't let my opinion discourage you from an affordable drugstore powder. I've actually tried it on other people and it looked very decent from which I've drawn a conclusion it must be my skin that doesn't comply with this powder. At Bourjois Java powder I see myself in the mirror after a few hours and I'm shocked at how great my skin looks, but with this it's just meh. I think the loose version must have been better, but essence discontinued it (obviously. It's what they do. Amiright?).

It was 3.29 € in DM.

Have a great day!
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Garnier Pure Active Fruit Energy Daily Energising Gel Scrub


Is that the longest name of a product, or what? It's been a while since I used a gel cleanser, even though they used to be the predominant version of cleansers I used, however, since I have discovered that they are the cause for my recurring dry patches, I swapped them go for more moisturising, less stripping options. Recently, I did find myself in need of a quick, morning cleanser and since Amelia recommended it in one of the videos as well as mentioned that it's similar to the new Origins Vitazing scrub, I gave it a go.
By the way I have the German version that is called Hautklar Fruit Energy Belebendes Peeling-Gel, but it's the same thing.


Texture: It's a thick gel with micro beads that aren't too scratchy. Most gels I tried were usually thinner, but this one feels nice, almost slightly cushiony.

Performance: Basically it just cleans well, though I wouldn't use it on it's own to remove makeup. The skin is left clean, fresh and matte, the gel washes off completely, so there is no residue left and it doesn't irritate my eyes. The exfoliating beads are very gentle and I wouldn't describe this as a scrub in the real sense of the word.
The first day when I used it as a part of my night routine and then just applied Nuxe oil, I was very pleasantly surprised at how great my skin looked in the morning - radiant, healthy and with a completely clear forehead like someone ironed it. I was like: damn, am I having a good skin day or what? It just looked good and I would sport a no-make up look if it weren't for a few old blemish marks on my chin. Unfortunately, with more uses my skin started to get drier with a dry patch forming on my cheeks as usual any time I use gel cleansers for a longer period of time. So I'm currently using it sporadically to avoid potential dry patches, but it's a great quick refreshing cleanser for the morning. I also think that I might only be able to use it in the warmer months, since in the winter my skin is a lot more prone to drying out.

Scent: It smells fabulous - freshly fruity like pomegranate.

Packaging: A simple squeeze tube that works as it should. I like that it's clear, so I can see how much product is still in.

Price and availability: 5€ and available pretty much everywhere, I've even seen it in smaller supermarkets.

I think it's a nice, simple cleanser for those with oily or combination-oily skin and it does it's job as well as smells delicious. However, I have since found a better morning cleanser (and much cheaper) for my skin that I use daily and I will discuss it in my future New in post.

Have a great day!
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