Lancôme Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume Waterproof Mascara

I finally found a worthy contender to my favourite mascara, which is Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Black waterproof. I have very stubborn lashes that refuse to stay curled unless I use a good waterproof mascara. So far I have rarely been truly impressed by any, a notable exception being the HR one. That one ticks all the boxes, but it is so expensive. There was an offer for 20% off on all mascaras in my local drugstore and since it doesn't carry Helena Rubinstein, I opted for Lancôme Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume waterproof mascara instead and I'm so glad I did. 

I had the regular Hypnôse years ago and I liked it, but found Dior's Iconic and Chanel's Inimitable a bit better, though I  only had regular versions of both. The design of the Hypnôse's waterproof version is the same as of the regular one's and it has the same classic brush. No fancy design, just a good old classic wand. 

The formula is on the dry side and also quite thick. It doesn't make the lashes clumpy except if I decide to really go for it (for comparison, HR keeps the lashes defined regardless of the amount of coats). It gives tons of length. Seriously, my lashes are touching my brows (I have small eyes and little lid space, but it counts). It gives a nice amount of volume, yet not quite as much as HR one, but it's more than enough for me. The lashes stay curled all day, just like with HR one and that's what is most important to me. Just for the formula, Lancôme gets my two thumbs up.

Picture of my lashes with no mascara is in this post.

Price-wise it's no cheaper than HR one. It's an eye-watering 32€ in my local drugstore, however, Feel Unique has it for a lot cheaper (25€ at the moment, while I paid the same amount with the discount). I still think HR is a bit better, but Lancôme is so much easier to get a hold off. If you're in need of a brilliant mascara that gives an almost hypnotic amount of length, holds curl all day and is easy to work with, I highly recommend it.

Have a great day!

August Favourites

Maybelline The Eraser concealer

It was already featured in my product of the week post (link^), so I won't go into much detail. In short, it's my favourite concealer and it was the only thing I wore in terms of base during the heat wave. It blends seamlessly into the skin and looks incredibly natural while offering medium coverage. I wear the shade called Fair.  

Lancôme Hypnôse waterproof mascara

Now this is what I call a fabulous mascara. It's one of the rare mascaras that actually hold curl all day, it has a normal wand (looking at you Majolica Majorca),  gives lots of length and some volume. I have the post with a detailed review almost ready and it should be posted shortly.

Bourjois Shine Edition 21 Rouge Making Of 

I have been on a search for an orange based Lady-Danger-like but more transparent red for a while and this is the perfect shade. It is the first shine lipstick that is actually worth the 12€ price tag because it has a far better formula than any I tried so far. Bourjois outdid themselves yet again.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Permanent Taupe

I started wearing more eyeshadow this month. For my go-to natural look I used Permanent Taupe as an eyeshadow and base in one. I like taupes on me because they emphasize and compliment the colour of my eyes. The best feature of this shade is the fact it's matte. 

L'Oreal Made for Me Natural Brow & Duo Eye Shadow

I never speak of this trio, but when I decide to wear a natural smokey-ish eye I always use it. I like all the colours, but the middle one suits my eyes best. The top colour is a matte light slightly taupe-ish brown shade (similar to MAC's wedge), the middle is a warm hazelnut brown with a satin finish and the last colour is a light pink with a satin finish. The quality of these eyeshadows is really nice; they blend well and are pigmented enough. I think this trio is discontinued, but you can still get it on eBay and Amazon. 

L'Occitane Supple Skin Oil

I bought this a while ago as a treat since it is flippin' expensive. There is annoying this thing I do when I buy something I really love - I hardly ever use it because it's so precious to me. I really need to stop doing that. Anyway, I decide to use it up. This oil is a part of the same line as the Almond Shower Oil and needless to say the scent is just divine. The quality of the oil is supreme and it was made to help very dry skin. It is one of my favourite body products (and can also be used on hair).

 Beyonce Pulse

I seem to always have a scent of the month. On a random moment, a memory of/craving for a certain scent just pops into my mind and then I wear that scent constantly. This month it was Beyonce's Pulse. It starts off with a sugary orange candy note which then evolves into a very powdery fragrance with a hint of vanilla. Much like Lady Gaga's Fame, it is quite different from typical celebrity scents even though it's super sugary, and I don't find it generic at all.

Have a great day!

Bourjois Shine Edition 21 Rouge Making Of

Finally. A shine lipstick I really like. Bourjois' Rouge Edition is my favourite lipstick formula and their newest Shine Edition does not disappoint either. What sets it apart from other versions of lipstick/gloss/balm hybrids is that it's actually very well pigmented, not as shiny and lasts a lot longer. Plus 21 is my favourite number and the shade is beautiful.

The texture is thick and creamy making it closest to Revlon's Lip Butters formula, yet I find it better since it's not sticky. It's very balmy and moisturising, therefore a good substitute for a lip balm. It's least glossy of the shine lipsticks I own and closest to a regular creamy finish. Staying power is great for such a product and though it won't survive a meal, it lasts several hours and doesn't wipe off that easy.

The packaging is very similar to the original Rouge Editions with the exception of a mirror imitation design. It is appropriately well made for the price and the coloured top is real handy when you have so many lip colours as me.

21 Rouge Making of is a bright tomato orange based red. It's like a more translucent and shiny cousin of Mac's Lady Danger, and exactly the shade I was looking for. Pigmentation is great for a shiny lipstick, especially compared to the other versions and it is no glorified tinted lip balm. I'm wearing the minimal amount on the left picture (one swipe on the lower lip then spread out the colour by rubbing the lips together) and I built it up for the second picture (three swipes).

Bourjois lipsticks are expensive and they retail at about 10-11€, but you get what you pay for. 

I like wearing bright, pigmented, matte reds and Bourjois Shine Edition 21 is a great compromise lipstick for me because it has a great colour pay-off, but it's not a full on colour and therefore easier to wear in public without attracting too much attention. You can wear it sheer or build it up.  

I've already done a comparison of all the shiny lipstick I own before, but I'll do an update here as well. I have so many of them: from Revlon Lip Butters (similarly thicker formula as Bourjois', but lacks it's staying power), L'Oreal and Maybelline (lovely lightweight formula, but poor staying power), Boots 17 Mirror Shine lipstick (best shine and a nice creamy formula), Catrice Ultimate Shine (great pigmentation), Isadora Jelly Kiss (rather average at everything) to Essence lipsticks (poor staying power and some shades are drying). Bourjois are my favourites, followed by Boots 17 and rounding the top three are both Maybelline's and L'Oreal's version. Out of all, Bourjois is the only one I feel comfortable paying 10€ for.

Have a great day!

New In #6

Xen-Tan Dark Lotion and Tanning Mitt

A repurchase. This one and St. Tropez are my favourites, so I just went for the one that was cheaper. I did a comparison review here. Xen-Tan's mitt, on the other hand, is better than St.Tropez's.

L'Oreal Ever Rich Shampoo and Hair Mask

I heard quite a lot of praise about L'Oreal Ever Rich line recently and I can't resist a hair product with a good feedback. I had the shampoo from the Ever Pure line (for coloured hair) and I really liked it. Ever Rich line is targeted for dry hair, but the shampoo it's very, very similar to the Ever Pure one. It's really creamy, foams nicely, is sulphate-free and doesn't leave my hair dry. The only thing that is different from the Ever Pure one, is a better scent. It is kind of a sweet caramel one (It reminds me a lot of a old DM's Reell'e products for brown hair) and it is strong enough to last even on my hair. Some say the scent is too sweet, but I don't think so. All in all, it's a really nice shampoo and one of my favourite drugstore ones.

L'Oreal Ever Riche hair mask is a really good mask for a drugstore range. It's medium consistency and has the same sweet caramel scent as the shampoo. It's definitely one of the better ones from drugstore, but maybe not as good as Dove Oil Repair 1 Minute and I would highly recommend you try it if you have really dry hair. Both the shampoo and the mask aren't cheap for drugstore products, they are about 8€ each, but great drugstore hair products for really dry hair are rare as diamonds. Ingredients for the shampoo here and for the mask here.

Aveo Nail Polish Remover Pads

They smell really nice, kind of lighty fruity and they are a bit oily, therefore moisturising, but the remover is so weak. I need a lot of rubbing to get the nail polish off as it so slowly (or barely) dissolves anything. 

L'Occitane Brightening Cleansing Foam

I really dislike cleansing foams, but this is so highly recommended on Makeup Alley that I decided to try it out anyway. I needed something for the morning that simply washes off, but usually gel and foam cleansers dry out my skin. I got the 50ml version to trial and I'm planning to do a cleanser comparison post, so a proper review will be posted then, when I thoroughly try all of them out.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

The lovely Slovenian blogger Maja from Pink Mascara had a giveaway recently and I won. She speaks so highly about it, so I really wanted to try it out and I was chuffed to bits, when I saw that she also included the bag. I know, what about that silly GWP bag? Well, it's mint green, which is my favourite colour, and I just briefly mentioned in one of the comments on her blog that I like Liz Earle's bags, I didn't even know she remembered and she just gave it to me. Thanks again! And go check out her blog. I will do a proper review in that cleansers post.

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel

Another small size cleanser (50ml) to trial. As the name suggests, it's a gel cleanser, but it first turns to oil on dry skin and then when water is added, it lathers into a foam. Again, review will be posted with other cleansers.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I only got the 30ml size of eBay, but I have a feeling it will last me quite a while. It's a super moisturising mask for dry/dehydrated skin with a fruity scent (some say peach, but I have a basket of them next to me and such claims only make me wonder if they ever really smelled a peach before). My skin is feeling really comfortable at the moment, so I think I will be able to test it's full potential in winter, but so far I really like it.

 Origins Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment

I got a sample of this moisturiser which lasted me a few applications. It's a thicker gel consistency and leaves a slight sticky finish making it not the best choice for under makeup. It has quite a strong herbal-ish/citrus scent and is all in all a nice moisturiser, but I probably won't purchase full size.

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 20 Meet Me at Coral Island

It's similar to the Bourjois 10 Days #25, but less pink and with a slightly better formula (there is still room for improvement). Comparison swatches will be in another post. I plan to get the Essie Cute as a Button as well, so I might wait with the swatches until then.

Lancôme Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume waterproof mascara

Oh, I how like this. It is remarkably similar in performance to my HG mascara Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Black Waterproof , but it's easier to find. I'll do a proper review of course. Currently, all mascaras in Müller are 20% off (until 24.8.2013) and also Feel Unique has a sale. If you need a good volumising mascara that holds curl all day, go grab yourself one.

Bourjois Shine Edition 21 Rouge Making Of

This is sooo lovely. An amazing orange based red that is actually properly pigmented for a shiny lipstick. You can tell you really like a lip colour, when you wear it every day two weeks in a row despite having a massive collection of other shades. Bourjois does not disappoint with their lipstick formulas, their Rouge Edition is my favourite one. Review soon.

 Cosmopolitan Beauty Expert Blend Perfection Sponge

I was never really into these sponges and while I'm certain it won't replace my Real Techniques brushes, I decided to try one out to see what the fuss is about. I didn't go for Essence one, because just about every one complained about them tearing, so I went for a Cosmopolitan version, because I am not paying over 20€ for the original Beauty Blender. I tested it once and it gives a fantastic skin-like finish, but it soaks up too much product, plus the staining will bother me. I doubt I'll ever get over the fact I need to use twice as much product and the finish is hardly any different than with RT brushes. I washed it once and when it was drying, it broke. Just greeeeaat. I was being gentle, I swear. Oh well, it's still useful and you can't see it when it's damp. I'll continue using it and if I happen to love it, it should pop up in some favourites post one day.

Body & Soul Massage& Glätte Styling (Massage and Sleek Styling brush)

I never owned such a brush before, but she used it this and this video, so I decided I should invest in one. It's such an essential, I really don't know why I haven't bought it years ago. I really like it, it makes the hair sleeker and properly detangled. It was about 8€ in Müller and I only latter noticed that a very similar brush is about a € cheaper in DM.

 Sun Dance Getöntes Fluid mit Soforteffekt (Wash Off Instant Tan)

Oh, the disappointment. I'm ghost pale and this did nothing. Not a hint of colour, nada. It's a tinted light cream with a strong chemical smell that applies nicely and evenly. I haven't noticed any staining on the clothes, but I'm still not a fan of it.

Have a great day!

New Essence Products for Autumn and my Wishlist

Essence will launch a ton of new products in September as usual every Autumn. I hear they should be reaching our drugstores in about two weeks. If you read any of the German blogs this news isn't really that new and also Nuša a.k.a. Moonchild has already diligently put all the information about the products on her blog here and here, while the  going away products are here. 

I have a shorter wishlist than when the Spring's new products were launched. I'm very excited about the Long Lasting Lipsticks, since the one I have from the Home Sweet Home TE has one of my absolute favourite formulas and I have a lot of lipsticks, so that tells a lot. I was really hoping they would make a whole range of lipsticks because I missed out on the other shade in that collection, which I really regret. Paddy already swatched all of them here and so far I want three shades. All you need is Red looks like a nice orange based red, basically the type of shade I really enjoy wearing, so I'm looking forward to getting this shade the most. They will cost 2.49€ here (and 2.29€ in Germany).

The second thing I'm interested in are the Blush Sticks. I hope these won't be a miss, because I don't like their soufflé touch blushes nor do I care much for their powder ones, but I usually like their creme blushes from trend editions.

The last thing is the Glow in the Night Top Coat. I hope this one works, because I bought their Glowing in the Dark Topper, which I have no use for since it only glows under UV light.

And here are all of the new products. Honestly, I was hoping for some new shades of their fantastic Stay Matt lip creams. At least they could add Floral Glam in the permanent range.

Is anything on your wishlist? Have a great day!

Product of the Week #13

Recently, I have been skipping foundation/BB's entirely. Not just because of the heat, which makes any foundation feel suffocatingly heavy, but primarily because my skin got a lot better since I completely revamped my skin care regime. So I've been only using just a bit of concealer. But not just any in my collection. I used Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Eye. Why? Because it blends seamlessly into the skin and looks incredibly natural while covering circles and any other redness. I have raved about this it extensively in the past and it remains firmly at the top of my favourite concealers. It has medium coverage, but covers my circles completely and can handle some small blemishes. I just swipe a bit under the eyes, around the nose and on the nose (it's darker than the rest of my face). It doesn't require much blending, because believe or not, the sponge actually works. I blend where needed with fingers or RT brush if it's handy. The result is pretty much flawless (at least in my eyes). I sure hope my skin stays as good, because I am loving the minimalism, even though I sometimes I like applying foundation even when I don't need it. Since my T-zone is oiler than usual, I apply a bit of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. For anything that needs more coverage, I still resort to Collection 2000 concealer, which covers everything, however, doesn't look as natural as the Maybelline one. 

I'm using the shade Fair, which is very light and pink toned. I have another in the shade Light, which is a bit darker and yellow toned. I have comparison swatches of both here.

For some unfathomable reason this drugstore gem is not sold in Slovenia, so I have to resort to buying it in our neighbouring Croatia and Austria. There is still eBay, though. Currently there is a set available in our drugstores with the foundation version of this, but I hear the formula is a lot lighter and not that good. Honestly, if this concealer would be a proper foundation, it would be one of my absolute favourites and definitely my favourite higher coverage ones.

Have a great day!

I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara

I talked about my renewed faith in Essence mascaras in my Product of the Week post a while ago, where I talked about get big lashes volume boost waterproof mascara. I was highly recommended to try I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume mascara by a couple of bloggers, who said it is really good (Passing Fancy and Summer). Of course, the next time I was in a drugstore, it landed in my shopping basket. Now normally I don't go for non-waterproof mascaras because I have the most stubborn lashes that don't just look completely unruly but are also very straight, some even grow downwards, and they refuse to stay curled. However, I heard it holds curl despite being a regular formula. 

Well, it doesn't. My lashes drop like a rock with it. But, I'm not going to make a bad review based on what is truthfully it's only fault. It's not mascaras fault my lashes are being annoying. 

It's quite a volumising mascara and the formula is among thicker ones. First application will leave you with defined lashes, but the second could get clumpy, but not necessary. It gives a nice amount of length. I love the brush. I really do. It looks a bit funny, but I like plastic brushes and this one has some bristles at the end that make it easy to apply mascara on smaller or corner lashes.

The packaging is super tacky and looks like it was made for 12-year-old girls, but so do all Essence mascaras. It's among the biggest mascaras.

It's a pretty good mascara for a reasonable price. It gives volume, length, separates ok and I like the brush. If your lashes don't have a problem with staying curled, give it a go. I can't remember how much it was, but around 3€. I wish Essence made a waterproof version of it, but mine is going either to the makeup graveyard a.k.a. my mother's makeup bag or to my cousin.

In še info za Slovenke. Müller ima 20% popust na vse maskare od 12.8.-24.8. če še ne veste. 

Have a great day!

Catrice Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm 070 I Don't Red It

Catrice joined the the chubby sticks/jumbo pens/crayons craze by releasing their version called Pure Shine Colour Lip Balms. Don't they look remarkably similar to Clinique's? I've had these pinned on my Pinterest Wishlist board from the moment I heard about them and there are 8 colours available. I bought the 070 I Don't Red It (There are swatches of this shade and 050 Cherry-ty on Adjusting Beauty here). This is my second such product. My first was Bourjois' Crayon, which I reviewed here.

These are waxier than the Bourjois Crayons, but feel just as moisturising. Bourjois Crayon melted in heat wave we had and I had to store it in the fridge, but Catrice's was just fine. The pigmentation is weaker though and honestly, I expected a more saturated colour. But, as Catrice named it well, it is closer to a lip balm than a lipstick.

I Don't Red It is a pure red. I know it looks a bit orange toned in the pictures, but I don't really detect any prominent blue or orange undertones. I wasn't blown away by it when used it for the first few times, because the pigmentation was really poor, but now that the top layer of the product is gone, it's much better. One swipe leaves you with some colour, however, I prefer more saturated colours so I build it up a lot. I'm wearing just a couple of swipes on the left lip swatch and I really, really built it up on the second, which is they way I wear it.

The finish is somewhere between glossy and creamy. Staying power is nothing special, I got up to four hours before reapplying, but it doesn't survive meals well. Contrary to Bourjois Crayon this one doesn't leave a stain and I kinda hoped it would.

My eyes look so grey when I wear this red, I really like it. 

My first impression were not all that great, mainly because of the lack of pigmentation, but that problem worked itself out the more I used it. I actually found myself using it constantly since I bought it. It's a nice way of wearing red without it being too much. It's going in my (makeup) bag, though another sheer red caught my eye the last time I was in a drugstore.

It's a nice balmy type of product that will appeal to many, but don't expect any good lasting power. These cost 5.19€, which is a bit much considering their lipsticks are cheaper, but it is the most affordable option so far in our drugstores.
Thanks for reading!

Bourjois Lip Crayon Peach on the Beach

The long awaited Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons finally reached our shops. I've kept away from the lip chubby sticks/crayons/jumbo pens craze and never found it even remotely interesting, but I caved when I saw Peach on the Beach. Now, granted every (British) blogger and their mother swatched this colour, but what's one more. 

This is my first such product if I don't count NYX Jumbo pencil in Deep Red that I've had for ages, and I bought one more since (Catrice if you're wondering). I'll just say it - I don't get what the fuss is about. It's not the easiest application and though I agree it looks practical, it feels odd. 

Texture is very creamy and the tip melted in the heat wave we're having. I had to store it in the fridge. It feels sufficiently moisturising on my lips. Pigmentation is nice for such a light colour, a couple of swipes is enough for a semi-transparent application. The finish is quite glossy at first, but becomes creamier in time. 

Peach on the Beach is a light peachy pink shade and it looks great swatched on my hand. However, on my lips it looks very pink, basically just a warm pink with a hint of peach. My cousin, who owns the same colour, commented that it looks more orange on her. It does stain my lips into a medium pink shade after an hour and latter applications look much darker compared to the first. I had difficulties taking pictures, not just because my camera can't handle coral or peach, but also because it looks so different after an hour. Staying power nice, but not ground breaking. The stain lasts up to a half a day, but usually less.

 

To be completely honest, I find the colour a bit boring on me. I own far prettier peachy shades, but it might grow on me more in time. It definitely looked very promising when I swatched it. I haven't even worn it a lot since I bought it and I completely switched to Catrice (I'll do a review soon).

Thanks for reading!