Showing posts with label Macadamia Natural Oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Macadamia Natural Oil. Show all posts

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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New In #13

Müller had a 20% off some high-end mascaras and I couldn't pass up the chance to repurchase one of my favourites. This time I got the Star version of Hypnôse which is in a glamorous shimmery packaging and has a different wand, however, the formula is the same as the original waterproof one (I actually wanted the Doll version, but the only one there was already opened, used and put back in a box. Who does that!?). I'll do a post where you'll see the difference between the original, but so far I'll say I prefer the original wand. 
Regular price in Müller is 33.99 € (27.19 € with that discount).

The lightest shade is a bit dark for me, but the formula is very similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in terms of coverage and how almost invisible it looks on the skin, but the finish is different, it's more satin/matte. There will be a review, but you can read a review of the CC Eye cream here.
It's priced probably around 14 €, I'm not sure because I bought it with a coupon.

I grabbed this at the registers in H&M because I liked the colour and I was curious about the formula. There are several shades, I remember a couple of pinks and a red, this one is a warm, pink-raspberry shade. These are like liquid lipstick that are very pigmented, but staying power is not that impressive. Review with swatches will be posted.
Priced 3.95 €.

Look at that adorable packaging! It's supposed to be scented and after reading a few reviews I expected a heavy scent, but I barely smell anything at all. The colour is beautiful and the quality of the polish is nice. I'll post swatches.
6.99 € in Müller.
I've been on a search for a new powder and I'm considering maybe taking a plunge and buying the famous Guerlain Meteorites. Whilst researching online, I found a review comparing essence pearls (not sure which TE was it) with Guerlain's (not is a sense that they are dupes) and the reviewer said that it's a lovely highlighter, so I picked them up also to see how I get along with the concept of powder pearls/balls. I only purchased them a couple of days ago, but first impressions are good. It's a very subtle highlighter, nothing exceptional, but cute and nice to have if you manage to still find them. I'll post a review with swatches soon.
3.59 € in DM.

This shade immediately caught my attention in the shop and I have nothing similar in my collection. It's a bleached (muted) neon coral-pink that is quite a statement shade. I'll post swatches. 
2.49 € in Müller.

essence all about matt! fixing compact powder
I'm so fed up with my Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and as I said, I've been researching online for my next powder. Honestly, I'd never even look at essence powder in a shop, but a lot of people seem to love it and it's cheap so when I had a discount in DM I just tossed it in the shopping basket. It's has a high rating on Make up Alley, but I suspect it's more due to the affordable price than it being absolutely fantastic. First impressions are ok, I like it better than MAC's, but I've only been using it a few days. I'll update you on how I like it in time, I think I need to get through the top layer first to see how good it actually is.
3.29 € in DM.

 Pantene Expert Collection Anti Age conditioner
I haven't bought anything from Pantene in about a decade. I never liked the brand and their ridiculously retouched advertising campaigns make me angry, but I heard good things about this conditioner and I can't resist trying a supposedly nice drugstore treatment. I've only used it once and I need a bit more testing before giving my assessment, but so far I'm not impressed.
7.49 € in Müller.

Sebastian Professional Potion 9
One of my readers alerted me that there was a 20% off code on Look Fantastic (thanks Sunshine!) and I couldn't pass on buying Potion 9 and Bumble and bumble Pret-a-Powder. Potion 9 is a leave-in conditioner and styling product in one. I am very, very impressed by it and it's my favourite thing out all the stuff I bough recently. I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw the ingredients and it's fantastic for my super dry hair even though it feels almost weightless. There will be a review.
Regular price 11.75 € for 50 ml on Look Fantastic. There also a larger size available.

Phyto 9
Nourishing day cream with 9 plants
This is a very hyped up moisturiser for hair that is silicone free and after reading a ton of very favourable reviews I expected a lot, but I was disappointed. I'll do a full review, however, I can say that this is not enough for my dry hair and it feels weird, like applying a face/body moisturiser.
15.85 € in Leposana (Leclerc), which is a lot cheaper than online. I love that shop!
I don't know why, but I really, really wanted this. It's an interesting concept of a dry shampoo, volumising powder and style extender in one that really appealed to me, even though I use dry shampoo only occasionally, usually on the 3rd or 4th day after I washed the hair and only to make it smell nice and refresh volume, not because it's greasy. There will be a full review with more details, but I'll just say that is smells absolutely divine and gives a lot of volume. 
I paid 21.16 € with a code on Look Fantastic, regular price is about 26 €.

Redken diamond oil shampoo and conditioner samples
Shampoo: I had a 10 ml sample that I used up in one wash. It smells so lovely, it reminds me of something, but I think it's something tropical. The texture is somewhat creamy, but not hydrating. I find it leaves my hair too squeaky clean, but I can comb through it after washing. I wouldn't market this as shampoo for dry hair, but it should work for other types of hair.
Conditioner: A bit too thin and runny for my liking. It has the same scent as the shampoo. 10 ml was not enough for my hair, so I couldn't properly test it, but it certainly wasn't moisturising enough for my hair.
Ingredients of both shampoo and conditioner here.

 Balea Summer 2014 LE Carambola Lambada and Mango Mambo
Like last year, Balea released a tropical inspired LE that includes shower gels, body lotions and a deodorant.
Carambola Lambada shower gel - I think this is my favourite out of all tropical scents by Balea. It's fresh like a grapefruit scent, but with some sweetness. Lovely!
Mango Mambo shower gel - the same mango scent as last year. Super sweet, like a cocktail or candy (Haribo bears).
0.99 € in DMs (Did anyone else notice that they are 14 cents more expensive than last year?).

I repurchased one of my favourite shower gels.This smells so flipping amazing, it always makes me smile.
0.99 € in DM.

Garnier Ultra Doux Honey Treasures Reconstructing Shampoo
An average drugstore shampoo with a creamy formula. It doesn't strip the hair nor nourish it and it leaves the hair quite tangled. It foams a lot, which I'm really enjoying because I've been using sulphate free shampoos for a long time now and I've developed this contempt for them. It smells very generic, soapy clean but a bit sweet, though nothing like a proper honey scent. It's a shampoo for those who just grab something at the drugstore and don't really put much thought into hair care because they don't need to. I'm disappointed, but what can you really expect from a shampoo this cheap.
Ingredients here.
2.89 € in DM for 400 ml, there is also a smaller size available.

Nivea Double Effect Auger Make-Up Entferner
I couldn't find my regular Maybelline remover in DM, so I picked up this one. It's the same concept, a two-phase oily make up remover that I use for removing waterproof mascara. It's less oily than Maybelline's and this one doesn't make my vision blurry either, but it's less effective and it takes a lot more rubbing to get the mascara off, hence why I'm not impressed. I like the packaging of this one more because it has a flip lid. 
Ingredients of Maybelline's and Nivea's side by side here.
4.29 € in DM.

I've said on several occasions that I genuinely dislike this hair mask and I still do. However, my mother adores it (go figure) and I bought it for her as a Mother's Day gift after she ever so "subtly" implied with an empty pot in her hands that her favourite mask had run out. It usually happens this way, I give her something I don't quite like and then I end up repurchasing it for her because she loves it (I bought three of Deborah lipsticks in a row). The bow is the maximum extent of my decorating abilities.
15 € on eBay from this seller (much cheaper than elsewhere).

Have a great day!
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Empties #3

I love this cleanser and so does my skin. It's a balm cleanser in a liquidy form with small oatmeal scrub particles. I love the scent, it works great and keeps the flakies at bay. The only bad thing is that it's expensive. Original review here. 
Repurchase: Yes.

Mavala Double-Lash
I got this a long time ago because I wanted to strengthen my lashes and stop them from falling out so much. I had no results whatsoever the first time. Then I stopped using it for a while and started using it months later, however, again I saw no positive changes. My eyelashes did stop falling out, but that happened when I wasn't using this for a long time. Original review here. 
Repurchase: No.

These remove the most stubborn waterproof mascara, but they are too oily. I need to use a separate remover to get rid of all the oil. I prefer the Maybelline remover.
Repurchase: No.

Balea Makeup Removing Wipes 3 in 1 for dry and sensitive skin
These are too harsh compared to my favourites from Speedy Care. It hurt my skin when I was using them.
Repurchase: No.

 Nivea Soft
I buy a pot or a tube of this every now and then. It's a standard cream that is quite light and refreshing. Honestly, I buy it because I love the typical Nivea scent.
Repurchase: Maybe.

Skin Doctors Ingrow Go
This is a liquid lotion that smells horrible and contains a lot of glycolic acid that should help with ingrown hair. I have the worst ingrown hair, literary the worst (even if I just shave and/or scrub everyday, flm), and this doesn't do squat for me, neither to prevent them nor help them get out. Waste of money.
Repurchase: No.

Skin Doctors Hair no More
A spray that is supposed to inhibit/stop the hair from growing. There were promises of having to shave less often and the hair becoming finer. All a load of crap. It does smell nicer as the Ingrown go.
Repurchase: No.

Yves Rocher Noix de Coco Malaysian Coconut Silky Lotion
This feels and smells the same as the silky cream, it's just a bit runnier. It's ok, but not for dry skin. The scent is barely coconuty, it's more of a milky scent that is similar to Lush's Sympathy for the Skin.
Repurchase: No.

A very decent lotion that is nicely moisturising. The scent is a great as well - peach mixed with cream.
Repurchase: It's really nice, but no.

 L'Oreal Ever Rich Mask
A great drugstore treatment for dry hair. It's quite light for a mask, however it still manages to moisturise well. The scent is a sweet caramel one and it's quite strong. Original review here.
Repurchase: Yes.

This made a great first impression, however, with every use my enthusiasm was fading. I mentioned before that I have awful dandruff, dry and itchy scalp, so I'm trying the whole sulphate free thing (and I'm not liking it, to be honest). The shampoo is really creamy, foams nicely, is sulphate-free, smells nice and doesn't leave my hair dry. Sound nice, right? However, my scalp hates this. I think it's building up on my scalp and that's why it's ridiculously itchy literary right after washing my hair. Strangely, I had much better experience with the Ever Pure one. One more thing, it's so thick that towards the end, it get really difficult to get it out of the tube.
Repurchase: No.

Me and this mask do not get along. Almost everyone loves it, but I find it painfully average. It leaves my hair dry and abnormally frizzy. There are so many better cheaper products as well as salon treatments. Original review here. 
Repurchase: No.

This is a protein leave-in treatment that helps prevent breakage and split ends. There is 250 ml of a very light lotion with a sort of artificial sweet fruity scent in the bottle. I've had mine for about a year and I used it almost every time I washed my hair. As far as results go, I noticed my hair was more tamed and it was definitely less damaged. Why I love this is because I started using this right after having my hair cut and my hair was in such great condition that I didn't feel I need to get my ends trimmed for a year (honestly, it saved me a lot of money since I pay 30€ for a simple trim. The joy of having long hair, greedy bastards). I got it cut when it got too long since it reached the end of my back.
I often get a question how do you get the hair to grow faster. Well, first off, everyone's hair supposedly grows at the same rate, however, if your hair is damaged and breaks off easily, you have the felling that your hair doesn't grow or it's growing really slowly. If you're one of those people, I highly recommend giving this a try (also anything with protein). Ingredients here.
Repurchase: Yes. But since it's not that good to use protein treatments for too long or you might risk making more damage, I'll buy it in a year or so.
Though some people find Balea's shower gels drying, me and my skin actually like them. These three were a part of this summer's limited edition and they all smelled great - one like fresh passionfruit, one like Haribo candy and one like Pina Colada.
Repurchase: I would if they weren't limited edition.

L'Occitane Angelica Face Toner
A run-of-the-mill hydrating toner. Smells similar as the hydrating cream - herbally fresh and I like it. It leaves the skin slightly sticky. There are cheaper ones that are similar. Ingredients here.
Purchase: No.

L'Occitane Sublime Essence Skin Perfector
The texture is thick for a serum, but not greasy. It feels super light on the skin and gives that silicone like feeling, despite that it doesn't have them. It's leaves a great velvety matte finish, like using a super light primer. I think it's not hydrating enough on it's on in the winter for dry skin, but it should be enough for combination, normal and oily. The scent is nice, flowery (rose perhaps) and closer to something by Vichy than L'Occitane. Based on two samples I can't really report on results, but it did help to make my forehead smooth again. I really like it. Ingredients here.
Purchase: Yes.

L'Occitane Angelica Ultra Matte Fluid
When I was a teen with oily skin, their previous versions, the Lavender and Red Rice fluid, were my staples and I adored both. This is very similar. It has pretty much identical light, yet hydrating texture that leaves a matte finish, again like using a light primer or powder. L'Occitane excels at this. It has the same fresh herbal scent of the angelica line that I like. It's on my wishlist together with their Hydrating cream. Ingredients here.
Purchase: Yes.
I must say, L'Occitane's skin care works wonderfully for my skin. I had a bad skin moment and these samples made it all right again. Their products deserve more praise and attention that they get.

Sante Shower Gels: Grenadine Spirit and Coconut Dream
How this get to be sold?! Saying they are awful is an understatement. Both smell horrific and there is nothing dreamy about that coconut scent. Both have a revolting alcoholic rotten scent and the texture is ridiculously runny. Thankfully, I only had samples.
Purchase: No Way. 

L'Occitane Sublime Beauty Cream BB Cream SPF 30 
The texture is light and runny, very Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum like. It feels light on the skin and I wouldn't say moisturising, which considering it's a BB cream, is a bit odd. So this not for dry skin, rather better suited for normal to oily skin. It leaves a satin finish and it's slightly dewy, but not from the moisture like other BB's. It lacks that silicone feeling, which makes it not blend that well on dry skin. It's the type of product that I have a feeling might cling to dry patches. It's pretty much immediately dry to the touch, a feature I love. Coverage is light, maybe light to medium. It has the same flowery scent as the serum, but it's stronger, so not the best product for those sensitive to fragrance. I had samples of both of the shades they offer, light and medium. Look at the swatches. In what universe is that light? Yet another western company released only dark BB shades as if everyone in Europe spends their entire lives sunbathing in friggin Ibiza. Light is slightly darker than Bourjois BB in 21, but close, while medium is very dark. Ingredients here.
Purchase: Until they stop screwing around and make actual useful shades the answer is no.

Have a great day!
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Worth the Hype? Aussie and Macadamia


Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner and Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair mask are both highly recommended by so many. As a hair care junkie, I first became familiar with the famous Aussie 3 Minute Miracle through Makeup Alley, where it's been holding an impressive total score for ages. Macadamia became popular in the past couple of years and it's a favourite of many bloggers. After trying both and having them for several months, I can say I've been impressed by one and sadly disappointed by the other. 


Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle is very popular abroad, particularly USA where it's already sold in a new purple packaging. The first time I used it, I wasn't impressed at all. I even expressed my disappointment in this post, so I put in on a shelf and didn't use it for a while. But I gave it another shot and this time I was quite impressed. It left my hair feeling really soft and nourished, it was a similar result as if using a high-end mask. I don't know why it didn't work the first time, but now I really like it. The packaging is quite awesome, no screw off or flip lids, just squeeze and the product comes out. The scent is amazing and quite strong - it smells like Hubba-Bubba fruit fantasy bubble gum tape. The texture is quite unique as well, medium thickness gel-cream hybrid. Honestly, I find 3 minutes a bit ambitious, so I leave it on for about an hour as any other conditioner/mask before rinsing it off (but that's just me). The scent lasts well even on my hair, the effect of the conditioner lasts a few days and my ends looked surprisingly well for quite a while. I've been using it most out of my conditioners in the past month (and I have a lot of them, so that tells something). I got Aussie a few months ago from Croatia  for 9 €/70 kn, which is expensive compared to how little it costs in the USA.
By the way, still no sign Aussie will be available in Slovenia. I guess they're using the same stupid excuse as for not selling Bourjouis creme blushes. I've been told by my reader they stated that apparently cream blushes "don't sell well in our country".



I've done a detailed review on Macadamia mask months ago (here) and even then I expressed my dissatisfaction with it. Yet, I kept trying to like it and used it every now and then to see if it finally works for me. But last week, when I used it again, the state it left my hair in was the last drop. My ends were ridiculous dry and straw like, so I'm done with it. I gave it to my other family members to use it, maybe one of them will like it. I'm quite angry because it's not exactly cheap (I got 250 ml size for about 22€). It might just be my hair, since it's odd that so many people would rave about it for no reason, but in my opinion it's not worth the hype. The Healing oil from this brand is great, though.


Have a great day!
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Colours of the Rainbow Tag


This tag was really popular a few months back, but I still see an occasional post popping up. So the rules are to take all seven colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) plus pink and multi-coloured, and talk about your favourite beauty or fashion item that fits with those colours. I honestly enjoyed doing this tag and this definitely one of the most colourful posts I ever posted.

I could choose any of my red lipsticks here, as I really enjoy wearing them and I wear them frequently. I chose Floral Glam not just because it's currently my favourite red, but also because it's a lip cream and they are my favourite type of lip colours as they are very pigmented, last so long and have a matte finish. I did a comparison of most my red shades in the review for this lip cream and Floral Glam is an orange based red that bears a lot of resemblance to Mac's Lady Danger and MUA's 13 (again some of my favourites).


I never realised I have so many thing that are orange! And all the good stuff actually. So naturally I had difficulties picking one and I cheated a bit by making a second picture of my other choice - The Body Shop Vineyard Peach body butter here. I could include the entire Nutritive line from Kérastase here, well at least the products I got, because all of them all fantastic. I just keep getting more and more impressed by this mask. Every time I use it, everyday is a good hair day and I think that sums it up just nicely.


It was the most obvious choice out of all. I have, after all, been using it every day for more than two years as a face moisturiser. It made my skin so radiant and healthy looking not to mention very soft. It is a multi-purpose product and I also use it for my body and occasionally on my hair, it even works as a lip balm if you don't have anything else handy. Definitely a product worth the hype.


MACADAMIA NATURAL OIL Healing Oil Treatment
I would be really odd for me not to include at least one of the hair "oils". Since Nuxe oil took top place in the yellow category leaving no place for Orofluido, Macadamia was the best choice for green. They all perform so similarly that the only thing really differentiating them is the scent. Macadamia might not have the best scent in the world (mind you, some adore it, but get the sample size first just to be sure), but it is great for dry hair and I find it to be the one with the best defrizzing and shine properties.


I had difficulties choosing the blue product that deserves the top spot. I have many, but none really stands out. I decided then on what is the most obvious choice for me because I've been using this hairspray for years, particularly when I curl my hair. I never really talked about it apart from saying it has a tropical scent, but it doesn't make your hair stiff or sticky and manages to hold my curls in a decent condition for days.


MAX FACTOR Khol Pencil in Natural Glaze
This is one of those unsung heroes that I've been using everyday for years on my waterline and a bit in my inner corner to make the eyes look more awake and bigger. It's a fantastic fleshtoned eyeliner with peachy tones for an affordable price. If you don't have it yet, you need it.


VICTORIA'S SECRET Love Spell Fragrance Mist
This is my signature Summer scent which smells like a refreshing tropical fizzy drink. Sadly it doesn't last long, about an hour, but respraying it offers an instant refreshment on hotter days.


Fantasy eau de Parfum
This was the only scent that I wore for over a year, so it definitely deserves the top spot among "the pinks". It's a very girly fragrance, featuring a delicious blend of kiwi and lichee notes with vanilla and white chocolate. Yeah you'll smell like sweets and cupcakes, but to me it's a comforting scent and I'm a fan of such sweet fragrances. The projection and staying power is exceptional for a celebrity fragrance and you can find good deals online, so it's reasonably priced.


Finding a multicoloured item wasn't an easy task, I don't even have any apart from the palettes. Sleek's Original one has been in my collection for quite a while, but I use it very rarely. The reason is that I rarely wear bright coloured eyeshadows (or any really) but if I need a bright blue, violet or green this the place to look. It's an affordable palette for those who want to experiment with colours. By the way, Sleek palettes have one of the best black eyeshadows.


I added a category with the mint green/teal/turquoise/ blue-green shades, since it is (are) my favourite colour(s) and selected Essie Mint Candy Apple. It's THE mint nail polish and has received many raves not just from me, but also from other beauty bloggers. I must admit, it is not the easiest polish to apply, yet I wear it the most out of all of my nail polishes. I have a few dupes, Depend 245 is pretty much a spot on dupe as is the already discontinued You Belong to Me by Essence.

If you find this tag fun, feel free to do it yourself.
Have a great day!
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Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque


I'm a hair junkie, you probably gathered as much if you read my posts regularly. Deep Repair Masque is really hyped up by beauty bloggers and naturally, I had to try it. I really like their Healing Oil Treatment (review) and I wanted to try more things from their brand, so this was first on the list. My hair type is described under About page, but just to recap: very dry, coarse, frizzy, curly and thick. It's never soft no matter what I use. I can get it softer with hot oil treatment and heat styling, but it doesn't last long. I've had this mask for a month now and I've used it a lot, combining it with different products to see how it performs. I have to say, I'm not particularly impressed. 


This is a very thick product, about as thick as S-Factor's Serious Conditioner, imagine it as a medium thickness body butter. I favour thicker conditioners, because for some reason I believe they just work better. Due to it's consistency, it does take a bit of effort to apply it evenly. I'm never frugal when it comes to hair treatments, so I apply it generously on the 2/3 of my hair length, leaving out the top of my hair. I always leave treatments for at least 20 minutes, but usually longer. It washes off ok and doesn't leave any residue behind, but immediately when I was washing it off, I could feel it's just was not enough for my hair. It made my hair feel and look like I just used a better drugstore treatment. Dove Oil Care works the same on my hair for a fraction of the price.


I used it in a conjunction with their Healing Oil Treatment and I was very disappointed to see that it left my hair crazy frizzy. It's so odd, because their oil on its own works wonderfully as a defrizzer. Every time I used it, I had the same result. The only time I finally got a sleek result was when I used a hot oil treatment before and then a lot of Healing oil with Tigi Spoil Me before blow drying  The same as with drugstore treatments, my hair didn't stay hydrated for long, I had to resort to my Alverde Argan Mandel oil to keep the dryness and frizz at bay. 


I've had such an odd experience with this product. I'm not saying it's bad, because it's not. I just think it's not enough for my hair. I believe all the rave reviews are truly genuine, it's just that most reviewers have  moderately dry hair or ends and an oily scalp, so it probably works wonders for them. However, Dove Oil Care treatment from drugstore for 4€ works just about the same and this mask is really expensive. I love S-Factor Serious Conditioner, Joico K-Pack Hydrator and Moisture Recovery Treatment balm for my hair, but I'm still looking for that magic product that would finally make my hair super soft. It's just that I've been told by someone that my hair feels prickly and it didn't exactly inspire much confidence. If you have any recommendations for a heavy duty treatment leave a comment, but please no advertising, because I'll simply erase it.

Deep Repair Masque comes in different sizes. You can get a sample 30 ml size for about 3.5€ and the 250 ml, which I have, was 21.75€ on eBay.

You have the rest of my hair reviews under label hair, or go to All-Time Favourites page for favourites (also if you click the picture Hair Care it will take you to hair label). Thanks for reading.
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New In #1


These are the things I bought in February and the beginning of March, so I've had a few products for a while now and there will be full reviews for some things in the following months. If you have any request for which ones should I do first, leave a comment. 

Tigi s Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray Heat Defender
I repurchased my favourite heat protectant for my dry hair. I did a review here.

Balea Dry Shampoo
 I got this because it was a lot cheaper than Syoss  (the one I usually use). The scent is nice, but I find this one does leaves my hair a bit white and that doesn't happen to me when I use Syoss. I'll go back to my old favourite.

Tigi Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out 
I got this when Cheapsmells had an offer on Tigi. I normally use Redken Anti Snap for heat protection, but that one has proteins in it and it's not a good idea to use it all the time. This reminds me of John Frieda Brilliant Brunnete Shine Shock, because it has shimmer in it. I don't notice my hair being sleeker with this, but I've only used it once so far.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque
This is such a hyped up product and sorry to all who love it, but this is average. It's no where near as moisturising as Tigi S Factor Serious conditioner or Joico K-Pack Hydrator and Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment balm, but more about it in the review.

Bioderma Sensibio Micelar Water
Another repurchase. I've been using it almost every day for the past two years. I love this stuff.

L'Occitane Honey Foaming Gel 
It has a gorgeous honey scent and is basically the same thing as the discontinued Honey Harvest Foaming Jelly.

L'Occitane Ambre eau de Toillete 
a warm, balmy, amber-vanilla scent. It smells very comforting, snug and slightly smokey at times, but not sweet. I absolutely love the bottle, it looks so classic like something you would find on a vanity from the 1920's.

Calvin Klein Euphoria Blossom 
I got this for Valentine's Day and it was 50% off in DM. I have two other Euphorias which I love, but blossom is very different than the original. To me it smells like pomegranate and spring flowers, basically a great fragrance for Spring.

 My growing CK Euphoria collection, I have this picture as my screensaver.

Missha Signature Real complete BB cream 
It reminds me of Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, which is my favourite foundation, but with an SPF. The shade 13, which is really, really light matches me perfectly right now. I suspect it will be one of my favourites, but I have to give it a proper test.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer 
A very hyped up concealer and for a reason. This has high coverage and is superb for blemishes, however, I still prefer Maybelline the Eraser for under eyes.

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner 
It's not as siliconey as I expected it to be, I liked the Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector by Clinique more. I'm not that impressed by it.

TonyMoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar
The cutest tinted lip balms ever! I'll do a review soon, but these are  nicely moisturising with a decent pigmentation.
I also ordered the following:
 - Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar
 - Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil
 - Nyx blush in Taupe
 - Milani Liquif'Eye eyeliner in Gold
 - Nyx Rouge Cream Blush in Natural
Man those are some slow packages. I ordered the NYX and Milani stuff on my birthday at the end of January and there still no sign of it. I don't know why I even bother ordering from Cherryculture, I've had problems with them before, one of the packages got lost and arrived after four months. When will I learn!
Apocalips and Beauty Oil were supposedly shipped on 28.2. from feelunique, I'm not worried yet, but it's sure taking it's time! I've had packages from UK arriving in three days, but usually it takes six days.

Thanks for reading!
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Hair Oils Series: Conclusion

Time for a round-up. I want to point out that the differences between all apart from Osmo are really small.  If you checked out the pictures of my hair in individual reviews, you'll see there is little if any difference in how my hair looks. A bigger difference is in how your hair feels. Here is my ranking of the five hair treatments I tested.

Winner: Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment
2nd place: Orofluido Beauty Elixir
3rd place: Moroccanoil Original
4th place: Kérastase Elixir Ultime
5th place: Osmo Berber Oil
For me the winner is Macadamia with Orofluido not far behind. Macadamia provided the sleekest, shiniest and most moisturised results, also it is the best defrizzer. Orofluido and Moroccanoil are almost dupes in results, but differ in price and scent. Also Orofluido leaves your hair with more volume. The same applies to Elixir Ultime which made my hair feel very light, silky and bouncy, but left my ends dry. Osmo made my hair feel a bit greasy at first, but dry in a few hours. However, I still love my combination Orofluido Elixir + Sahara best and I'll stick to it.

Some general information about these treatments.

1. Please don't fall for the extravagant over-the-top advertising. These treatments are very good, but nowhere near the miraculous as they are described by the advertisers. It still baffles me why such high prices  of some these treatments. What am I actually paying for? Silicones are cheap and argan oil can't be that expensive if Alverde's Mandel Argan oil is only 3.5€. The only thing left are the fragrances. The nerve of some brands! On the bright side one bottle does last a long time. Please check the prices in online shops first before spending your money in a salon (Macadamia is around 20€ on eBay, while it's around 35€ in Simple salons).

2. These are described as treatments, I prefer to call them styling products, or better, smoothing serums. Even though they contain oils, the amount of them is small and I'm bothered by the first few ingredients: cones. You can use them as a pre-wash treatment and most brands suggest you do so, but I'd never use a product with silicones for several reasons. First, silicones coat the hair and don't nourish it, just conceal the problems. Second, too expensive. Why would I use the pricey oil and then wash it off. I don't think so. Third: pure argan oil, macadamia, coconut and even olive oil work better than these serums as pre-wash treatments. Not to mention how much cheaper they are. I just use regular oils instead. 

3. Don't over do it. A few drops is enough. A 100ml bottle should last you a long time. Mine lasted two years because I wash my hair once or twice a week and I only used it after washing my hair. But I do find that by using more product on wet hair before blow-drying, I get better results. My hair is then sleeker and less frizzy, specially when using Orofluido and Macadamia. I don't want to use too much silicone products, so I use Alverde Haaröl Mandel Argan which is silicone free for when my ends are dry.

4. They tend to be heavier than their silicon serum predecessors. If your hair is oily, they might be too much. However, they are marketed for all hair types, so if you want to make them work for you, the key is in the amount used and distribution. Kerastaste is the lightest and most appropriate for oilier hair. I heard L'Oreal's Extraordinary oil is quite light as well and Mythic Oil was also way to light for my hair when I tried it once at my hairdresser (all are from L'Oreal btw). The rest are quite thick and heavy. Osmo is really heavy.

5. Most have a strong fragrance. All the ones I tried have quite a heavy perfumey scent, so if you're sensitive to that, try to get a sample first or try it at your hairdresser (if they have it, of course). 

There are exceptions in the hair oils world that don't contain silicones. One of them is Alverde Mandel Argan, which actually deserves to call itself oil. Pure oils like argan, macadamia, coconut and olive are heavy and it's difficult to use them as styling products without leaving your hair greasy. I prefer to use them only as pre-wash treatments. Alverde is a great product for those who want a silicon free product for their ends. It's still an oil, but a lighter version. It won't make your hair as silky as those with silicone, but it will actually nourish your hair. I consider it an actual hair care, not just a smoothing serum like the rest. For that reason I didn't include it in this test and because it's drugstore. I use this on dry hair only, I prefer to use silicones on wet hair before blow-drying.
Ingredients: soybean oil, emollient derived from coconut oil, argan oil, walnut oil, almond oil, burdock oil, two Vitamin E variants, Vitamin C, sunflower oil, and six fragrances derived from essential oils.
Ingredients-wise this is a fantastic product. And best of all, it's cheap. It's around 3.5€ in DM's. It's not the best for oily hair, but if your ends are dry give it a go.

I hope this helped if you're on the fence of which one to get. There are so many on the market for such different prices that it's hard to choose which one is for you.  I would still suggest you go and try it at your hairdresser if they have it, or get the sample size bottle first. I'm sorry for such long posts. I try to keep them short, but I always end up writing so much. It's just that I have so much to say, especially when it comes to hair. Thanks for reading!

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