April Favourites


I've been so into Catrice blushes that I unwittingly neglected what was once pretty much the only blush I wore for years. But spring came along and I dusted off this beauty. Coralista is a pretty unique coral. It's definitely not like Nars' Orgasm that's been duped to death. It's a proper coral shade meaning it has a lot more of the peach-orange tone to it than most such blushes and it also has very finely milled gold shimmer, so it looks like you put a very good highlighter over it, one that looks like glow and not random shimmer. It's the type of colour that makes you look very fresh and perks up the skin. This is also one of rare blushes that manages to cling on to my cheeks longer than most and it smells gorgeously tropical.


There is little I love more than a powerful, bright pink-red colour on my lips and this is spot on. It's similar to Catrice's MATTraction lipstick, only pinker, so if you ever looked for a lip liner that would work with it (or a similar shade), this is it. The formula reminds me of a mix between Essence and Bourjois pencils, meaning it combines good qualities of both and did I mention it only costs 2.5 €?
   
How I wish there was a lipstick version of this shade because all the sharpening due to using it so much is so tedious. This is the prettiest natural peachy-light pink shade that just looks so gorgeous on the lips. It's a much drier pencil than Essence's, but my lips don't tend to get dry much, so it works for me and the slightly harder texture also means that you can be precise with this. 


What can I say, I cannot resist mint green shades on my nails. Last month it was Mint Candy Apple and this time it's its greener, more muted cousin. The formula of this one is so much better than Essie's (MCA is a black sheep among their generally excellent formulas). It's another pastel nail polish formula, but it's so much smoother and needs just two coats for a nice, even finish. If Kiko's pastels are so good, then their reds and pinks must be spectacular. 

I'm mentioning this yet again, but every time I wear it, I fall in love with it again. It's such a pretty nude shade with a cool undertone and the formula is just brilliant. It's one of those new "imitating gel manicure" formulas, which is so smooth and easy to apply, so there are no streaks whatsoever even though it's an opaque, cream finish nude and it also has a great glossy finish.

I just wanted some glitter in my life and this is a sparkle overload. Aurora is a light pink-rose gold glitter and I love the effect on the nails as it looks so glamorous and pretty, almost like crushed diamonds on the nails. I'm wearing this on my toes at the moment, which considering its lasting power due to the shimmer being firmly stuck on the nails should last until Christmas, also because I dread removing it, but no matter, it's so pretty to look at anyway


It's been one warm April for a change and I swiftly pulled out my trusted Sun Dance's sunscreen. This is the best sunscreen I've ever tried because it's super light, not at all sticky or heavy and due to the sheer tint, there is no white cast. It's a bit dark for me at the moment, but that only compels me to apply it all over the face, ears and neck. I saw they placed these back on the shelves in DM.


Since this is on its last legs it deserves one last well deserved shout out before the empties. Though I plan to repurchase it, I probably won't for some time as I have tons of heat protections to go through. This is a very basic heat protection serum and it's because of the texture that I love it. Since it's a silicone based serum, it can be used both on damp and dry hair, meaning it won't make the hair damp before curling or straightening, which is handy if you're in a hurry as you don't have to wait for the hair to dry. It also has this gorgeous shimmer, which actually makes the hair look more healthy due to the very natural looking shine. I love this because it pretty much works for any type of hair, I've used it on very thin hair once and it didn't weight it down at all and due to the silicone texture, it also makes the hair  sleeker and tamer.


L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinaire Oil Nourishing Shampoo
I haven't talked about this yet even though I've had it for almost a month, but since I can't find Elvital Glatt-Intense Pflege-Shampoo  (a.k.a. Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo) anywhere, I decided to try this and see if it's as good. In short: it is. They feel very similar, so they both remind me of a cheaper Oleo-Relax. 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. It doesn't leave my hair so squeaky clean that's it's dried out and I greatly appreciate that because such shampoos are rare. In combination with the John Frieda conditioner, it made my hair look and feel better that's been in months (I've been using up my "crappy" stuff). The frizz was significantly reduced, the hair felt a bit silky and looked healthy, so I was very pleased with the results. It smells a bit like cinnamon, but I actually prefer the scent of the Smooth Intense version. 

As I've said this conditioner made my hair look and feel so nice in combination with L'Oreal's shampoo and it made me again appreciate this goodness that has been in my stash constantly for years. It feels quite light, yet it is moisturising enough for my dry hair and it leaves the hair feeling silky when I rinse it off, but there are two things that it excels at: shine and scent. The scent is divine, like a mix of coconut and caramel, but not sweet rather a bit more sophisticated. I have the 500 ml size with a pump, which is so much more convenient than the tubes.


Have a great day!
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Kiko Velvet Touch Blush 07 Natural Rose


Though I'm a fan of cream blushes, I've only owned one in a stick form before this one, which I rarely used. This Kiko one caught my attention because of the shade as I wanted something more natural looking and not bright peachy or pink like a lot of cream blushes are. I'm a huge fan of shades like Catrice's Rose Royce and I'm Nuts About you, so a natural dusty rose colour and Natural Rose reminded me most of both these blushes, though there weren't many swatches of it online.


Contrary to what I expected, Natural Rose is in fact quite pink on me. It's a natural pink shade on my cheeks and I like it despite not being what I wanted. It's a nicely pigmented colour and one swipe leaves me with enough colour for a nice flush, while if I apply it with a brush, it ends up looking brighter and pinker. The finish is natural, so not dewy nor matte.


I also tried this on the lips and I think it's one of the most beautiful nude shades for my complexion. It's a nude shade, but not corpsy nude and it has a touch of warmth to it. It feels a bit dry on the lips, but it's not too uncomfortable and you can always wear a lip balm under it. I forgot to do a full face picture with this on the lips. 


The texture is buttery and transfers well on the cheeks in an even swipe, however, I find it's not as easy to blend it evenly on the cheeks with fingers. It's nothing major, but since you're swiping it directly on the skin and blending later, it moves the foundation around, so it can give a bit of a patchy effect, especially when it's fading. I find that it works a lot better if I use a stippling brush to blend. 

Staying power is quite a strange thing at this blush. If I use fingers it fades a bit patchy and fast, while if I use a brush it stays put a lot better and fades evenly. 


Packaging look nice and expensive, but the mechanism broke fast and the blush won't go back in unless I push it.

This is one of those blushes that is neither spectacular nor horrible and I do like, just not love it. I actually prefer this as a lip colour despite the dryness, but as far as cream blushes go these don't beat my favourite ones from Bourjois. I got this type of blush so I would have an easy-and-quick to apply product, but since I have to use a brush for a nicer finish, it turned to be not so quick. If you really like any shade of these, they are a nice buy. These cost 7.90€. 

Have a great day!
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Empties #14


MAKEUP

This is my favourite liquid eyeliner and the more liners I try, the more I stand by that claim. Due to a lovely formula, it glides on the eyes like a dream and flicks were super easy to do. It lasted all day without smudging or flaking, basically it was just perfect. The only thing that I can point out as a negative is that it dries out a lot quicker than L'Oreal's Super Slim and that the brush applicator frays in time.
Repurchase: Yes.

1 Fair
This is a very similar concealer to Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, especially when it comes to coverage. I have the whole side by side comparison in my review, but I'll say again that I don't notice much difference between the two, except that Nars has a far better shade range for us Snow Whites. The coverage is pretty much full and it has excellent staying power. It can look cakey under the eyes after a while if you use tons, but it's better than anything we have in Slovene drugstores when it comes to full coverage.
Repurchase: Already did.

SKINCARE

I think that out of all the drugstore micellar waters I've tried, this one is the most effective one, especially now that I've used up most of them. However, the packaging is stupid. The screw cap is positively medieval and the design of the top part of the bottle prevents you from getting the last drop out. I would buy this again, but I would move it to another bottle. Unlike most micellar waters, this one is scented.
Repurchase: Probably.

EBELINE Ultra Sensitive 20 Feuchte Washlappen
I just used these for taking of swatches or fixing mistakes, but even so these didn't leave me with a lasting impression. They could be softer considering they are meant for sensitive skin.
Repurchase: Only if they are the cheapest option when I'll be buying a new pack.


Lavender Hydrolate
I originally got this because I hoped it would smell like lavender and I could use it as a fragrance mist, but it smells horrible, like lavender vinegar - yuck. I used it as a face mist and I think it worked well on my skin. The effects were nothing drastic, but my skin did look better when I used it. Lavender oil has anti-bacterial properties and it helps regulate sebum, so maybe that's why. 
Repurchase: I will get something similar.

BODY

One of my favourite shower gel because of the gorgeous peach bubble gum scent. I have a few in my stash.
Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA Totes Meer Salz Dusche Pfirsich - Mango
Though this is marketed as being for dry skin, I find it's just a classic Balea shower gel. They don't dry out my skin, but I know many dislike Balea shower gels because they are just too basic. To me this was a pleasant shower gel with a nice mango tropical scent (candy version), but not much peach.
Repurchase: It's likely.

BALEA Rasiergel
Summer Garden
A staple in my bathroom and I always have a spare because you never really now when exactly it will run out. This was by far my favourite limited edition version and it features a candy tropical scent.
Repurchase: Already did.


This is the most authentic gourmand vanilla scent. It literally smells like vanilla extract for baking. It's quite an intense scent and because it's a one note fragrance, it's nice for mixing with other scents.
Repurchase: I'm tired of vanilla scents at the moment, but someday I might.


Probably my favourite body skin care item ever. It smells AMAZING and I aspire to have the whole collection. The texture is really moisturising and thick, which is how I like my body butters.
Repurchase: I already have another and yes, I would.

I loved the smell of this as it smells like strawberry chocolate or strawberry yoghurt, though I did get tired of the scent after a while. The texture was nice, somewhere between a cream and body butter, so it was nice for everyday use, but wasn't quite enough for super dry skin on my soles and elbows. 
Repurchase: No or maybe in a different scent.

HAIR

My absolute favourite hair treatment in the world. This makes my coarse, dry mane feel like normal hair. Time and time again I'm astonished at how well this works for me. I use it primarily for special occasions because it's quite expensive, but so worth keeping in the stash.
Repurchase: Already did.

REDKEN All Soft Heavy Cream
I can't say I was impressed by this. It's good, but not 20 € per pot good. In fact it reminded me of the conditioner in the same line. It actually has the same effect on my hair and the conditioner is cheaper than the mask. It made my hair more nourished than an average drugstore treatment, but the margin was rather small. It was so unremarkable, I never even properly reviewed it, even though I had the pictures ready. It has quite a heavy sweet deep scent. This should probably work better on someone whose hair isn't as dry as mine.
Repurchase: I'm not sure, probably not.

While this was a very nourishing mask, I never felt like it does all it should for my hair. I mostly missed the silkiness that conditioners and masks usually leave, which is important if you have such coarse hair like me (it's silicone free). I ended up always mixing it with some other silicone based conditioner. The masks smells lovely, like honey. 
Repurchase: No.


This disappointed me from the start. I expected a smooth, nourishing cream-serum-oil, but it turned out to be like I'm applying an actual face moisturiser to my hair. I never felt like it really fixed my dry ends whether I used it on dry or wet hair, but what bothered me most was that it leaves white bits in the hair, like the cream never completely melts, which on my dark hair looked like dust and as if my hair was dirty. I ended up mixing it with Nuxe shimmery oil for a better effect.
Repurchase: No.

TIGI Bed Head Urban Anti-Dotes Conditioner 
Damage Level 2
A nice conditioner, but not ground-breaking. Most people with moderately dry and damaged hair will like it because it not heavy, yet it moisturises well. It smells typically Tigi-ish, tropically sweet, like a mix of pineapple juice with Kiki sweeties.
Repurchase: No.


This was a massive disappointment for the price. I expected a lot because of the ton of raving reviews and because it's supposedly a cult favourite, but this doesn't hold a candle to Kérastase Masquintense. It's a pre-wash treatment that you apply on damp hair and leave on for 20 minutes (or overnight if your hair is really damaged). Apart from the hair feeling silky when I was rinsing it off before shampooing, I noticed no particular effect on my hair. It wasn't more manageable, or shiny, it really didn't do anything special.
Repurchase: No.


My favourite hairspray by far. It's super light on the hair, not sticky or stiff, but it holds very well. The scent is annoying, but worth putting up with.
Repurchase: Already did.

I don't have any kind words about this apart from that it smells nicely clean. It didn't do squat for my hair and I ended up using it instead of a shaving gel.
Repurchase: No.


PHYTO Phytosquam Intense
Sample
A new dandruff treatment by Phyto that is quite unique as far as my experiences with anti-dandruff products go. I've tried all of Phyto treatments before and so far they were the best ones, however, didn't completely help me get rid of the problem, just alleviated it. This product is one that you apply on dry scalp, leave for 5-7 minutes, then add water to emulsify it and rinse off. Regular Phyto's shampoos are very runny, but this is closer to how average shampoos are like in terms of texture. It's a thick gel that I had a hard time distributing evenly on my hair, simply because I was working with a sample bag, but also because I have very thick, long hair, so it's not easy getting product on the scalp. The full size has a nozzle, so that should work a lot better. One bag had a lot of product inside, 12 ml, but I used up all and I still could have a few ml more to completely cover my scalp. When it was on my scalp, I didn't feel anything, so no tingling or anything similar. Once I added water it emulsified well, like a normal shampoo, which is surprising since Phyto's shampoos, don't foam well. Once I rinsed it off, my hair felt super squeaky clean, which is not something I'm terribly fond off, but that's just because I have dry hair. Where I managed to get on a thick coat of the treatment, it did remove most of the dandruff that is stuck on my scalp (about 85 %), while where I only had a light coat, a lot of the dandruff was still left, which leads me to believe this is a product that would be empty very fast. But results are promising. It removed the persistent layer of dandruff and let my scalp breathe a bit. The itching was still a problem, but for the first day there was significantly less of it. Impressed by the sample, I purchased a full size.
Purchase: I did a few days ago (Leposana 20.50 €).


Have a great day!
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Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Black Limited Edition


If you're an old follower on my blog, you probably know how much I adore Huile Prodigieuse. It's been a part of my daily skin care routine since May 2011, so four years already - that is some serious loyalty on my part. Almost everything changed in my skin care routine, but this persisted through the years. There have been a few limited editions packaging in the past year or so and I managed to get my hands on the Eiffel Tower one, which I'm currently using. Nuxe surprised us yet again with an even more awesome packaging. The newest bottle is opaque black, a stark opposite of their usual clear ones and it looks infinitely cool, a bit mysterious and very elegant. It's kind of has the Chanel Coco Noir fragrance vibe to it, doesn't it?


The reasons why I love this oil haven't changed and this is one of those products I can hardly imagine being without (you can find my original review here. Review of the shimmery version is here). It keeps my skin super, super soft, radiant and healthy looking, aside from that I also notice that my skin heals a lot faster when I'm using this oil. My skin is combination normal, in winter combination dry and I just feel like this oil was made for me. It's a dry oil, so it actually doesn't feel that oily and it sinks in in minutes, still I wouldn't use this in the morning as a base for makeup (except if you have a very matte, heavy foundation) and I stick to using it at night after moisturizer, though sometimes I use it on its own. It's a multi-purpose oil, so I use what's left on my hair, which tends to get dry fast and this keeps it in good condition. Over the years I have got so used to the scent that I can't even detect it, but when I first got it I loved it. It's a comforting scent, a bit floral-nutty and mostly beachy. 


100 ml is priced at 31 € in our pharmacies and it's worth it because it lasts me well over a year since I need to use one spray a day for my face. The new black limited edition packaging is only available in 100 ml, but regular version also exists in 50 ml bottle, which costs about 18 €, but the packaging is a bit sucky and I much prefer the spray. If you can't find this in pharmacies, Feel Unique has them and ships worldwide.


Added to my bottle was also a Prodigieux le parfum sample, which I have been dying to try for ages. It smells exactly like the oil, but stronger, so staying power is actually very decent. I could smell myself after a few hours and I honestly didn't expect to. Top notes are orange blossom, bergamot, mandarin orange and orange; middle notes are rose, magnolia and gardenia; base notes are vanilla, coconut milk and pebbles. 


Moje navdušenje nad tem olje je na tem blogu dobro dokumentirano, saj ga redno uporabljam že štiri leta. Čeprav je večnamensko olje ga večinoma uporabljam za obraz, ker naredi mojo mešano kožo zelo mehko in zdravo, predvsem pa opažam, da se moja koža hitreje celi. O tem olju imam že štiri leta staro objavo in to še s časov ko sem blog pisala delno tudi v slovenščini, tako da če vas zanima več, je tukaj povezava do te objave. Nuxe je v zadnjih letih ustvaril kar nekaj lepih dizajnov stekleničk, sama imam tako z Eifflovim stolpom, ki mi je prekrasna, ampak z najnovejšo so pa prekosili same sebe. Nova črna steklenička izgleda tako elegantno in kar malo "Chanelovsko", ker me spominja na njihov Coco Noir parfum. Na voljo je le 100 ml verzija, kar je pravzaprav dobra stvar, ker imajo te za razliko od 50 ml stekleničk sprej. Danes sem olje videla v Leposani za 29.90 €, medtem ko je drugje skoraj dva evra dražja (31,57 eur). Ker olje uporabljam samo za obraz (en sprej na uporabo) mi steklenička zdrži več kot leto tako, da lahko upravičim višjo ceno.

Huile Prodigieuse je na voljo v lekarnah, Maxiju in v Leposani. 


Have a great day!

*Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Black Limited Edition was sent to me, while the other two were bought with my own money. 
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I Updated my Swatch Gallery


You may know I already have the lip Swatch Gallery for a couple of years now (you can find it under the banner). Some months ago a reader bisa asked me if I plan to do a nail polish swatch gallery, so here it is. It's added at the end of the Swatch Gallery and you can go check it out any time. I also plan to update it regularly, just as the lip swatches and the pictures as well as the text below are links to the original reviews. I didn't include discontinued shades because that would be pointless, except for one Essence one because there still might be bottles of it left and I kept a few limited editions ones as they can probably still be bought online. Essence nail polishes have been reformulated, but the shade names are the same, so I presume they also are the same colours. There might be a few nail polishes that aren't sold any more, but I couldn't be bothered to investigate for each which ones have been limited editions or discontinued.  













Any caught your attention? I bet you though I have more mint shades. I do, but they are discontinued or limited editions.
Have a great day!
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