Mac Face & Body Foundation N1 and Mac Prep + Prime BB Cream Extra Light

Apart from the lipstick samples, I also ordered two foundation/BB samples from The Body Needs. You get a 3 ml sample of the Face & Body Foundation in a small squeezy bottle for 2.99$ and the BB sample comes in a small plastic pot for 2.79$. There is a big selection of shades, but I don't know if those are all the shades available by Mac.

Mac Face & Body Foundation N1

Texture: This is the runniest foundation I tried and it feels very lightweight. It needs to be shaken before use otherwise it looks a bit separated. 

Coverage: This has a very light coverage. It's like a tinted moisturiser with a sheer to light coverage and it only evens out the skin, but doesn't cover circles, freckles, any prominent redness, blemish marks nor blemishes themselves. It is buildable, however, I find that not much. Layering gives a bit more coverage, yet nothing like a proper light to medium foundation, but still more than the Prep + Prime BB.

Finish: This is the most natural finish out all foundations I tried. It's skin-like and even if looking very closely you can't see you're wearing anything. The finish is the same as your base is, so for example if you used a mattifying lotion it's matte. Due to light texture it blends in seamlessly into the skin. 

Colour: N1 looks too dark and slightly orange for my pale skin, but since the coverage is so sheer it blends in ok giving me an hint of a natural tan effect. 

It's lovely foundation for a those who prefer sheer coverage and the no-makeup makeup look as it is undetectable on the skin. However, the lightest shade in the N range isn't exactly light.

I layered it a lot on the right picture:

Mac Prep + Prime BB Cream Extra Light

Texture: It's very similar to thick moisturisers. Despite the thickness, it's easy to apply but lacks the silicone feeling that most foundations have. It reminds me of home-made tinted moisturisers that I used to mix (one part foundation, one part moisturiser).

Coverage: It's very light, again like a tinted moisturiser. The coverage is similar to the Face & Body in a sense that it evens out the skin, but doesn't cover circles, freckles, any more prominent redness, blemish marks nor the blemishes themselves.

Finish: It's a bit dewy from the beginning, but then it sets to a satin/natural skin-like finish.

Colour: Extra light fits me ok, though it is a bit too warm for my neutral skin, but since the coverage is so light it blends into my skin nicely.

Another very light coverage product, but with a much thicker texture and an SPF 35. The moisturiser type texture makes it nice for dry skin. The colour fits me much better than the Face & Body, however, not as well as other BB's I own. 

Have a great day!
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Mac Lipstick Samples from TheBodyNeeds #2

I ordered some more Mac's lipstick samples from The Body Needs. I already wrote about them in my first post here, where you can find swatches of nine other shades. I said it before and I'll say it again: I find the idea of Mac lipstick samples genius, especially for those like me who live in a country where Mac isn't sold and it's very difficult to get online.
I got five of them : Sunny Seoul and Peach Blossom are cremesheen + pearl finish, Full Speed is a sheen supreme, while Dangerous and Relentlessly Red are the latest retro matte finish.
Peach Blossom is a pale peachy pink shade in the cremesheen + pearl finish range. It's Hue's warmer and a hint darker cousin. The formula's of the two are also very similar - soft, very comfortable, slightly moisturising and a bit shiny/glossy. 

Sunny Seoul is a frosted light warm pink. On me it's more of a light to medium colour. The formula is the same as at Peach Blossom.

Full Speed is a bright warm watermelon-coral shade from the sheen supreme line. It's a great summer shade when applied full on, however, I also love it as a stain because it just brings so much life to my face while still looking natural (like a no-makeup makeup look). The formula is one of those lipstick/lip balm/lip gloss hybrids and this is a very pigmented version of such formula with a lovely shine.

Relentlessly Red is a gorgeous bright pink with some coral and a matte finish. I don't know why it's called red because it's pink. It's quite dry, but not like Ruby Woo. I adore this shade. It's so me since I love bright matte shades.

Dangerous  is an orange based red with a matte finish. It's Lady Danger's sibling, however, not quite a twin. Lady Danger is more orange and brighter, but the finish is the same. Formula is retro matte and not as easy to apply as Lady Danger. It's closer to Ruby Woo's yet not as dry.
Pictured left to right: Ruby Woo, Dangerous, Lady Danger and Russian Red (swatched in the previous post):

Have a great day!
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New In #9

I got more Mac lipstick samples since they released some new shades that I really wanted to try. I got Peach Blossom, Sunny Seoul, Full Speed, Relentlessly Red and Dangerous. I'll post swatches in the next post.
I also got samples of Prep + Prime BB cream in Extra Light and Face&Body Foundation in N1. Neither really impressed me, but more about them in full review.
They also included a generous sample of their Pink Lemonade Lip Lustre, which I swatched bellow.
Lipsticks samples were 3.79$, Face & Body 2.99$ and Prep + Prime BB 2.79$.

Sample of The Body Needs Pink Lemonade Lip Lustre
Pink Lemonade looks like a lovely bright pink-coral in the pan, but on the lips it barely shows up. I tried to get the intensity going, but the most I got was a gentle blush of colour and multicoloured shimmer. It feels like those lipstick/lip balm/lip gloss hybrids which means it's nicely hydrating and has a lovely glossy shine (I must admit that the shimmer in it is nice). It smells like cherry candy which I love. They have a massive selection of shades and I hope their darker shades are more pigmented because judging from this shade the formula and the scent are nice.

I'll start with venting my frustration at the discovery that some hateful imbecile opened my parcel and took off the top part of the pump. Why would anyone do that?! Luckily, I keep some old empty bottles for such occasions and I just replaced the pump with one from a L'Occitane serum.
I ordered it because I heard it is one of the lightest foundations. Honestly, this shade is nothing new in my collection as it is virtually identical to Dior's BB cream. I hoped it'd be lighter, something like Missha's BB #13. I've only worn it a few times and it's nice, but I don't really love it (yet?). There will be a full review after I test it properly.
It was 6.07 € with a discount on Asos.

I wanted a dupe for Essence's Deep Blue Sea and this is not it. It looks close enough in the bottle with a similar shimmer/frost effect and it is a pretty colour, but that frost doesn't show on the nails, plus it has greyish hue. The quality is nice, though. I'll post a swatch one day.
It was 2.49 € in Müller.

This is brilliant! I never owned a Catrice blush before, but after trying this one I will get more. It's super pigmented, soft, matte and actually lasts on my skin (which is unheard of). And the colour is adorable. Great product! I'll do a proper review and a swatch.
These cost 3.79 € in Műller.
Such an absolutely wonderful fragrance, but it lasts less than an hour despite being a strong scent. It'll appeal to anyone who loves La Vie est Belle, Can Can and Fantasy. I'll do an in depth review.
I paid 23.49 € for 100 ml on All Beauty.

I expected a lot and so far I'm disappointed. It has a great texture and it's hydrating, yet I see no positive long term results whatsoever. In fact, my skin got worse since I started using it. It's certainly less smooth and even spotty. I'll give it more time and then write a review.
 15.99 € in Müller.

 got2b Sprüh Kleber a.k.a Freeze Haispray
I expected great hold and this proved too weak. You know those lovely no-heat curls I make that I say last about an hour (picture here)? Well, I wanted something really strong to hold them in place. This unfortunately didn't and I used tons of it. It does leave the hair stiff, yet not particularly sticky, however, I did notice that it dried out my hair. It's not bad, but since it does about the same as the Lee Stafford one, which should obviously have a lighter hold (and feels weightless plus is just overall fantastic), I obviously prefer that one. This one smells lovely sweet fruity-candy-ish and the scent really lingers in my hair.
It was 5.59€ in Müller

Essie Nail Polishes: 
Turquoise & Caicos, Really Red and After School Boy Blazer
I had a 50% off coupon, what more can I say. I've only tried T&C so far, which I heard it's supposed to have an awful formula, but I was pleasantly surprised. All will be swatched here at some point. ASBB may look similar to the Colorama polish that's higher up, but in the bottles they don't look dupes. I'll try to do a comparison.
Sample of LCN Marry me Berry Hand & Body Cream
The texture is somewhere in the middle and feels like it has a lot of silicones in it. It takes about 2-3 minutes to sink in and moisturises ok. The scent is artificial berry yoghurt like. It's nice, but I won't be buying a full size as I rarely use hand creams.
I got this in that new pharmacy in E.Leclerc (Ljubljana). Have you seen than awesome place?! It's like a proper Frech pharmacy brimming with all the pharmacy brands and even samples. Paradise.

Cien Shower Cream with Almond Oil & Apricot
I just grabbed this in Lidl and discovered at home that it is actually good. For about the same price as Balea's shower gels, 0.85€, you get a very decent creamy shower gel. It smells pretty generic, but it feels like poor man's Dove shower gel which is good enough for me.

 Sweet Gold Sugar Hair Removing Paste
It's one of those sugaring pastes that some people make at home and I hate this thing. Profoundly. First you have to scoop it out from the pot where it isn't much product to begin with, then form a sort of a strip on the skin and pull it off. The problem is that as soon as it gets a bit warmer because of the body temperature (which is in like a minute or two), it get ridiculously sticky and sticks to everything. It's impossible to work with from that point on and the paste is ruined. In that one take you do get, it doesn't take all the hair off rather it only removes about a half. At least it washes of easily, but I just don't like it.
It was 6.49 € in Müller.
 Nair Cire Divine Monoi de Iles a.k.a Divine Wax
This is a hair removing wax that requires no strips, rather when applied to the skin it hardens and then you just pull it off. It comes with several A4 pages of detailed instruction and warnings (Slovene version, of course), which would scare off quite a few people, however, I find them grossly over exaggerating. It's actually relatively easy to use. It says to put in the microwave for 2 minutes, but I find that is not enough and it needs another minute. You get only one wooden spatula, which is not enough, with which you need to stir the wax to get a honey like consistency. It says that it can be messy, but I don't find it so, you just get a lot of strings. You apply the warm wax on the skin, which dries/hardens really quickly in about 20-30 seconds and then I pull it off. I find it super easy to take off, but removes only 1/3-1/2 of the hair. It's pretty much painless for me, but I have a really high threshold for pain that surprised even my doctor. It says not to use it in the same place twice, but I find that's just an another exaggeration. I went several times over the same spots, but it was never hair free. I used about a half of pot, but then gave up because it would take forever. I had no irritations, redness or anything and I didn't even need to use the towelettes that are included as all the wax easily comes off.
I'd love it if it were more effective, but I won't repurchase.
I got in in E. Leclerc for about 8 € (don't quote me on that price).

 Ebeline Thermal Ceramic Round Brush Small
I got another Ebeline brush, this time a smaller one for my fringe. I use the big one all the time. The orange strip turns yellow when exposed to temperatures that are damaging to the hair.
 8.45 € in DM.

L'Occitane Samples
I got tons of L'Occitane samples which I'm really looking forward to using as I have very rarely been disappointed by this brand. I'll do short reviews in my next empties post.

Have a great day!
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November Favourites

I feel like it's a more boring selection of monthly favourites this time. I still used most of the things from the October favourites, so I won't repeat them with the exception of Rimmel's lipstick. However, I have been using some new products that I got lately, but those will be a part of the upcoming New In post, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Also, as always, there are links to the original reviews.


Again this lipstick barely left my lips. I'm just so in love with this colour. It has one of the most comfortable matte formulas I've tried, though I'll say it yet again the staying power could be better. I'm trying to find a similar colour in a matte lip cream form (so far without success).  

I swatched a ton of liners in the shops to find one that would match Rimmel's 107, but I just can't find one! They're all ugly brown or too light. I think I'll just order Rimmel's Black Tulip online. So I use Boujois one instead. It's a matte blue toned true red, so not the best one to pair with a burgundy lip colour, but it still works well enough. It's a great quality pencil, though hard and a bit dry, but it does last very well on the lips and the colour is very similar to Ruby Woo. You can find comparison swatches to other reds and Ruby Woo here.

When I didn't wear Rimmel's lippie, I still stayed along the lines of the burgundy trend. I just went a bit lighter
 with Mac's Red. It's a light burgundy or a deep blue based red with a satin finish. The texture is so lovely - super pigmented, just right in terms of softness and applies evenly.  

I'm just loving this hairspray more and more. It gives flexible hold without being sticky, doesn't feel crispy or stiff at all and I don't even feel it on the hair. Despite the lightness it actually holds so well and works perfectly in combination with the got2b mousse. I think this might be my favourite hairspray ever.

I've mentioned this before that this is my favourite highlighter which I wear most, but I have especially been loving it this month. It's just a great subtle highlighter that is perfect for every day without looking over the top. It's actually meant to be used as a primer, but I just use it on top of makeup.

Holy unicorns does this smell amazing! It's the best cocoa smell ever and every time I use it, it makes me crave a nice hot cup of cocoa. However, sadly Balea decided to keep this only as a LE. I'm pretty sure you can't get this anymore, though I thought I saw I few more bottles in some DM's (but it might just be my mind is playing tricks with me).

 As I said in my original review this is healthy hair and shine in a can. It's a light silicon based product with argan oil in a spray form that gives tons of shine, helps fight frizz and doesn't weight down the hair. It's a great product for quick fixes.

One of the best styling products I ever tried. It's easy to use, isn't sticky, smells great and performs so well. With this my curls last at least three days.

Have a great day!
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Something Cute


I got this as a gift for someone, but I had to share them here because they are so damn cute. These are little rose shaped bath soaps that I got in Jysk (European furniture and home decoration shops). You're supposed to pop them into a bath like a bath bomb. They have that generic rose scent that I'm not a fan of, but there is another version with different shades of roses and scent. I believe they were about 2 €.

Have a great day!

Top 5 Drugstore Conditioners


I'm more of a salon brands buff myself, but that doesn't mean I don't use drugstore conditioners. I've tried so many and not a lot actually impress me, but these are the five I think are some of the best drugstores have to offer. These are for those with dry(ish) hair or ends, who don't want to track down salon treatments, but just grab one in a shop and go, of course not spending much. However, if your hair is really dry like mine, I would highly recommend using a leave-in conditioner since these are not as moisturising as salon brands, especially when it comes to how long the hair stays hydrated. From my personal experience, I highly recommend Healthy Sexy Hair Tri Wheat Leave-in conditioner. It has fantastic long term results and it makes a massive difference by itself (apparently Lauren Conrad loves this. I didn't even know that before as I'm not a fan of any celebrities, really). 

This is a very old favourite of mine and actually out of these five, it's the one I've been buying the longest. I've repurchased it numerous times and there have been rare occasions that I didn't have a tube of this in my bathroom. It feels quite light and is runnier than the others, yet it is moisturising enough for my dry hair. It leaves the hair feeling very silky when I rinse it off, but there are two other things that it excels at: shine and scent. It gives by far the best shine out of these five, but I should mention this is JF's line created for brown hair. The scent is divine, like a mix of coconut and caramel, but not sweet rather a bit more sophisticated. This is the only conditioner/mask after which my hair smells nice for days as normally my hair never retains the scent of the conditioner or shampoo I use for more than a few hours.

Price: 8.49 € for 250 ml in Müller and DM (also available on Feel Unique for 6.36 €/5.09 £). Picture of the ingredients here.
Best features: shine and lasting scent.

This has fantastic results for a drugstore treatment. It leaves my hair feeling really soft and nourished - a similar result as if using a high-end mask. The effect of the conditioner lasts a few days and my ends look surprisingly well for quite a while, which doesn't normally happen when I use drugstore stuff. It has quite a unique texture, something like a medium thickness gel-cream hybrid and feels slippiest out of the five. It smells quite strongly of Hubba-Bubba fruit fantasy bubble gum tape. The packaging is awesome, no screw off or flip lids, just squeeze and the product comes out. Of course, I leave it on longer than 3 minutes, like any other conditioner/mask before rinsing it off, but that's just me.

Price: 70 kn in Croatia's DM (about 9 €) for 250 ml. Widely available in the USA and UK for much cheaper. It's also available in some DM's in Germany and Slovakia, but I don't know about other countries.
Best features: longest lasting results and best effect. 

Dove Oil Care Nährplege 1 Minute Kur-Spülung a.k.a. Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner
This is the thickest drugstore treatment I've tried. It's almost like toothpaste and it even looks a bit like it because of the two colour stripes, white and yellow, when you squeeze it out. As with John Frieda, I bought countless of these and there is always a tube of this in my bathroom. It's a great drugstore find for dry hair for an affordable price. The scent is again very pleasant, along the lines of a typical Dove scent, but a bit better.

Price 3.99 € for 187 ml. I buy them in Müller.
Best features: a thick and rich hair treatment for an affordable price.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner
A recent find for me and the most affordable out of the five. For the price it is actually quite good. It's thicker than the Hello Hydration mask (another HE product that is really nice) and moisturises well even my dried up hair. It smells fruity-floral with a hint of honey, which is nice albeit a bit generic. My only gripe is the packaging. I've used about 2/3 already and it's getting really hard to squeeze out the product. I'd prefer it in a pot, which in fact does exist, it's just not sold here. 

Price: 2.45 € for 250 ml in Müller.
Best features: best value for money. 

L'Oreal Hair Expertise Ever Riche Mask Pot 
It's not the cheapest in the bunch, especially for the amount you get, however, it's a great drugstore treatment for dry hair. It's medium consistency, which doesn't make it too heavy, though in the conjunction with the shampoo from the same line, it could weight down your hair if it's not that dry. The scent is a sweet caramel one (it reminds me a lot of a old DM's Reell'e products for brown hair) and it's quite strong. I love it comes in a pot because I can get every bit of it out. Ingredients here.

Price: 7.99 € for 200 ml in Müller (also available on Feel Unique for 8.74 €/6.99 £).
Best features: nice results and best packaging.



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What Makeup Would I Buy at a Drugstore with 50€

I did a little interview/guest post for The Budget Diary blog. The lovely Megan contacted me and asked me to do a selection of drugstore products I'd buy with 50 € if I had no makeup. She plans to do a whole series with other bloggers, so subscribe to her if you want to see more of these. I'll post just a recap post here, but the original post is here if you want to learn more about the products. As always coloured text are links to original reviews.

1. Bourjois Healthy Serum (14 €)

2. Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age the Eraser Eye (8-10 €)

3. Maybelline Dream Touch blush (8.11 €)

4. MUA Matte 16 eyeshadow (1.2 €)

5. NYX Black eyeshadow (3 €)

6. Max Factor Khol Pencil in Natural Glaze (5 €)

7. Maybelline Colour Tattoo Permanent Taupe (4.95 €)

8. Essence get BIG lashes waterproof (2.69 €)

9. Essence Stay Matte Lip Cream (2.19 €)
Total: 49.14 €

So this is my selection and it contains my favourite drugstore choices, however, I'd still like to recommend a few alternatives:
For those who don't want a waterproof maskara: I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara  (2.69 €)
For those who want a powder blush: Catrice Defining blush (3.79 €)
                              - higher coverage concealer: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer (4.19 £ in UK, try eBay)
                              - an eyeliner instead of a black eyeshadow: Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil (about 5 €)
                       - powder eyeshadow instead of a cream one: Catrice Eye Colour Mono (2.89 €) (350 Starlight Expresso is a lighter version of Permanent Taupe) 
                             - a lipstick: Catrice Ultimate Colour (4.19 €)
                             - a lip gloss: Essence Stay with me (about 2 €)

What are your favourite drugstore makeup products? Have a great day!
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