Empties #15


This is an illuminating concealer, so it doesn't conceal in a regular way of adding coverage, but instead it has these light reflecting particles that brighten the skin. It's subtle, but it does work and helps counteract shadows. It's really expensive for the quantity you get and I actually didn't even use it that often, instead I saved it only for special occasions, but it ran out so fast.
Repurchase: Yes.


I love this, truly, but there is this one little thing - it breaks me out. It's a wonderful cleansing oil that removes makeup well and it's not too expensive, plus it also smells absolutely divine to me. I ended up using it as a shaving oil and it worked so great, especially because it emulsifies when water is added and washes off completely (so no greasy razors). This orange version isn't sold here, instead there is a gold version sold in Műller.
Repurchase: I would, purely for the scent.

Waterproof makeup remover
Hated this, apart from the packaging. It's not effective enough and felt odd around the eyes (and nothing ever irritates my eyes or skin). I was glad when I finished this and I had to really hold back to not just throw it away.
Repurchase: No.

CADEA VERA Hautverfeinernde Clear-up Strips
These are one of those nose strips that pull the blackheads out of your skin and they were ok. They worked decently, but weren't miraculous. I like that there is quite a few of them in one pack.
Repurchase: I'll try something else first, but maybe.


I adore this. I always rave about that Kérastase mask, well, this is the second treatment that I treasure just as much. While Kérastase one does the whole deal, this is the product that excels at nourishment. When my hair is super dry, coarse and drab, this works like magic in restoring it. 
Repurchase: Already did.

I had such high hopes for this. As someone who's been suffering from dandruff for years, I always wish that the next treatment will cure it, but unfortunately this one didn't work at all. I love Kérastase, it's my favourite hair brand, but this was a disappointment. It's a nice idea - a shampoo with exfoliating particles and an applicator with a nozzle that makes sure the product is deposited on the scalp, but it didn't manage to remove my dandruff nor cure it or prevent it. Baking soda mixed with any regular shampoo removes dandruff much more effective than this. It wasn't even a particularly nourishing shampoo, so this was an expensive fail.
Repurchase: No.


I've told this a few times before, but this is basically a dry shampoo for those who hate dry shampoos. It's not as effective as the real deal, but that doesn't matter to me as my hair pretty much never gets greasy and I just need something to refresh it and give it back some volume. It feels like a can of nicely smelling air, but it actually manages to give back a bit of volume without being an actual texturizing spray, so there is no powder residue or a hairspray feel. It sounds like it's nothing special and it really isn't, but for some reason I just really like this. By the way, it smells like raspberries.
Repurchase: Already did.

BALEA Trend It Up Dry Shampoo
Lovely Berries
This is a limited edition item, they basically just released a new scent of their regular dry shampoo. It was not my favourite as it was very white and it didn't really make my hair as fresh as Batiste. It's decent, but nothing special. The scent was of strawberry candy.
Repurchase: It was a LE, but I probably won't be buying a regular version.

A standard, but a lovely heat protectant. It's in a form of a silicone serum with small shimmer that actually makes your hair look more shiny. I liked it because I could use it on dry or wet hair and on dry hair, it also acted as a taming product. I don't find it heavy at all, but it is a thick serum, almost like Orofluido, so I can't be certain that it won't weight down thin hair, but when I used it on other people's hair, it always worked just fine. I also love the packaging with a pump. 
Repurchase: Yes.


A very liquid shower gel, but it still foamed ok. The scent was similar to Milka chocolate with strawberries, though this one had an artificial note in it, so it's not as good as the body butter's. I much prefer their new Orange and Rhubarb version.
Repurchase: No.

It's so ironic that they called it a cream because this is basically liquid and as such it's very difficult to use. It doesn't foam at all unless you use a mesh, but at least it smells nice - not exactly like honey, but it's a nice warm, sweet scent.
Repurchase: No.

REXONA Dry Deo Stick
Clear Aqua
My standard deodorant and the only one that actually didn't stop working before I had a chance to use it up. This was the first time I got Clear Aqua version and it smells like Nivea/just clean. I have the pink version now and I like the scent more.
Repurchase: Already did.


EBELINE Nagellack-Entferner
I just love these pot nail polish removers. This one is one of the cheapest one around here and I like that it's a bit shorter than Bourjois' as well as the foam is softer. There is a regular remover inside it, so there are no greasy fingers like at Bourjois', but this also means that it can be a bit drying. It also gets dirty far, far quicker, but I still like it.
Repurchase: Already did.

ESSENCE Studio Nails 4in1 Profi File
I don't fuss about my nails at all, so I just buy this nail file because it's cheapest and I'm used to it. It has four different textures that vary in roughness and it's good enough for me.
Repurchase: Already did.


Yves Rocher Hydra Végétal 24h Intense Hydrating Gel Cream
This is good. I compared it with L'Occitane's Pivoin Sublime Perfecting Creme side by side and they are similar in terms of that velvet finish they leave behind, though YR's is a bit greasier and doesn't feel quite as high quality as L'Occitane's, but for an average user they are very close. It's has a similar medium thickness consistency, it sinks in fast into the skin and leaves a velvet finish, but it's not as dry to the touch as L'Occitane's. This is a great base for makeup. As all YR stuff it smells so lovely - this one has a nice floral scent similar to lillies of the valey.
12.11 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: Yes. It's my favourite product out of these samples.

Yves Rocher Sebo Végétal Mattifying Gel Cream
The texture of this is a sort of a mix between a serum and lotion consistency that goes on quite wet/moisturising at first, but then after a minute it turns into a more satin-matte finish. It's not as good as L'Occitane versions of mattifying lotions because those contain either more or better powder particles and silicones. This one also contains alcohol on the fourth place, but I got no dry patches during the day, which is a good sign. The scent is great, just like freshly picked apples.
10.39 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: No.


Yves Rocher Nutritive Végétal Creamy Repair Mask
A super thick mask that is actually way thicker than Origins Drink Up or Balea Power Maske, but promises the same. It's like a very thick moisturiser that you're supposed to apply in a thick coat, leave for 5 minutes and then take the excess off with a cotton pad. I never do it like that, but I just apply a thicker coat and leave it on overnight. This product should work great for dry and dehydrated skin. The scent is strange - it has that fresh fruitiness like the rest of the product, but it's overshadowed by a stale, musky scent, so it's like walking into a cellar where the apples are kept.
 12.11 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: No. I might consider it if my skin was very dry and nothing else helped.

Yves Rocher Anti-Age Global Complete Anti-Aging Care Eye
A thick and very moisturising eye cream, which I'm surprised it comes in a tube since it's so thick, but I'm sure it works. It doesn't just sit on the skin, but most of it manages to sink in quite fast and it nourishes the under eye area well. It smells like margarine which is fine to me.
32.37 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: I really like it, but the price is too much for me.

Yves Rocher Sérum Végétal Wrinkles & Firmness Ultra-Plumping Serum
A light milky serum that sinks in fast, yet manages to hydrate the skin well even without any additional care afterwards. I had a few samples, but I could already see some positive effects on my skin, not in terms of wrinkles, but just in general of how my skin looks. It also works well as a base for makeup. It smells great - comfortingly professional, like walking into a salon. There is alcohol on the 8th place among the ingredients, but this is low enough for me and you can't smell it at all.
27.50 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: I would love to have it, but it's expensive.


Yves Rocher Sublime Skin BB Cream
Light
This is just a horrible BB cream. It reminds me so much of those cheap tinted moisturizers from 00's. It looks patchy/blotchy on the skin, no matter how much you try to blend it or what moisturiser you use under it. And when you start to blend it in more, it starts to flake off this little rolls. The coverage is really minimal, so it's not even worth putting it on. The only pleasant surprise is the shade. I just automatically assume that the lightest shade is ridiculously dark, but this one would easily fit someone who wears Healthy Mix 51 or NW 15-20. It's very pink toned, but I like that because it brightens up the skin a bit. It has that classic makeup scent which you'll recognize if you bought any makeup in the 90's.
15.92 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: No. 

Yves Rocher Serum Végétal Wrinkes & Lifting V Shaping Care
A very thick cream, similar in texture to the Creamy Repair Mask, however, it takes even more time to absorb. It's sits on the skin, so I would use this as a night moisturiser only, but it should be great for dry skin. It has a pleasant powdery YR-cream-like scent.
27.50 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: No. 


Yves Rocher Elixir 7.9 Youth Energy Day Care
A light moisturiser with a gel-lotion texture that sinks in fast and leaves a velvet finish on the skin. It's lighter than intense Hydra Végétal 24h Intense Hydrating Gel Cream, but has a very similar effect, except it's a bit more sticky after application. It has another one of those high-end-ish slightly fruity scent that reminds me of apples.
28.95 €, ingredients here.
Purchase: I liked it, but the Hydra Végétal cream is cheaper.

Yves Rocher Muguet en Fleurs eau de toilette
Lilly of the Valley
 Smells exactly like lilies of the valley. It's a great scent for spring, but it has such poor staying power. 
20.79 €
Purchase: No.

Yves Rocher Cerisier en Fleurs eau de toilette
Cherry Bloom
The cherry trees were blooming here when I tested this, but as far as our trees go, the blossoms have no scent. However, when I tried this, it was instantly recognizable as the cherry blossom scent. It's a very gentle floral cherry scent that I find so delightful, but the projection is minimal and so is the lasting power. I give it an A+ for the actual blend of notes, but a D for longevity and strength.
20.79 €
Purchase: No. 

In general I'm very impressed by Yves Rocher skin care. I've never tried their face creams before, but they feel so nice, they all smell lovely and just feel like they are expensive. Thanks to Katja for hooking me up with so many samples.

  
Have a great day!
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Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm 30 Redefined Rose


These didn't get as much attention as the Creme Puff blushes, though they were released at about the same time, but I remember Max Factor had a similar product before, though these definitely have a better pigmentation. These come in nine shades and I got the shade 30 Redefined Rose, which looks so gorgeous in the tube, but it's a different colour on my lips. I'm surprised that Max Factor showed restraint and called these balms because they get pretty intense if you layer them, though they still have that lip balm quality, but I'm sure most companies would exaggerate and call these sheer lipsticks.


Redefined Rose looks like a gorgeous warm pink in the tube, actually the shade looks similar to Nude-ist from Bourjois just pinker, while on my lips it's lighter and more neutral. This difference is kind of expected, since lip balms and sheer lip products rarely look on the lips like in the tube. It's gives me plenty of colour, but without being too much, so it's a great everyday colour. The pigmentation is surprisingly good considering the description - one layer is sheer, but several coats make it almost opaque. The finish it leaves is creamy to slightly glossy, in fact it reminds me a bit of Mac's Cremesheens, but the formula isn't as thick.


The formula is very comfortable to wear, as I expected, and it really feels like a very good lip balm. I find it more waxy than a regular lipstick and that actually helps with the staying power, so it manages to stay on well, especially if you apply a lot of layers. I can't tell you the exact amount of hours because each individual has different habits and I never check the time while testing these things. It survived a meal well enough, but then it was freshly applied.


The scent is not amazing as it does have this plastic note to it and it lingers, but it's not awful. I do think that people who are very sensitive to fragrance might have a problem with it.

The packaging is sleek and plastic. It's a thin tube that fits into any pocket, so it's very travel friendly. 


This is going in my bag. It's a simple product that I can use either sheer or built-up, the colour is a nice pink, it's moisturising and because it's a bit more waxy, I have no fear it will melt in the heat. Plus the packaging is thin and sleek. It's not an amazing product, but practical and nicely pigmented for a balm.

These cost 8.49 € in drugstores. 

Have a great day!

*The product was sent to me.
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L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Polish 205 Rose Bagatelle


Rose Bagatelle is a medium nude shade with pink tones, well at least it looks medium on me, but I suspect it'd be a perfect nude on people who don't sport such a porcelain complexion. Having said that, I'm currently a bit tanned (from the bottle, of course) and this is how it looks on my nails at the moment. I only discovered at home that it's actually very similar to Deborah's Smalto Gel Effect in 01, however, it is a shade or two darker. I love such nail colours because they make your nails look so polished, but they still have that bit of a twist on my skin tone with that rosy hue, which makes it look so modern. 


It has a nice smooth formula, though it's a bit on the sheer side, but with my thick coats method of application, two coats are enough, though those who prefer thin coats will need to apply three. The application is smooth even though it's not a gel inspired formula. The one thing I'm missing is shine, but I apply Seche Vite over it any way.


L'Oreal's Color Riche nail polishes cost 4.99 € for 5 ml, which is essentially a rip-off, but I bought it when there was a discount. I've used it three times so far and my bottle is already missing a fourth which I'm not terribly happy about. 


Have a great day!
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Essence Lipliner 15 Honey Berry


So apparently Essence has two lip liners with Berry in their names. I obviously didn't know that and when I went to pick up Soft Berry, I mistakenly grabbed Honey Berry instead. But all is not lost, at least I got an interesting new lip colour to experiment with and these are so cheap anyway. 


Honey Berry is a purple that leans more to the pink side, so it doesn't end up looking draining. I thought I'll hate it on me, but it actually looks decent, especially if I have my hair up. I would wear this colour in colder months, though. When it fades, it starts to get a bit darker on my lips and also less pink.


Texture is classically super soft as usual at Essence lip liners and people love it. I'm not such of a fan, but I don't dislike them. Since it's a darker shade, it manages to cling on a bit longer than the rest Essence lip liners and it fades nicely. These lip liners don't feel in the least bit drying on my lips.
 

Essence lip liners cost 1.19 € and can be found almost everywhere here. I already have seven of them, even though I'm not a massive fan of the formula, but they are a great way to experiment with your lip colour for very little money.


Have a great day!
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Max Factor Creme Puff Blush 20 Lavish Mauve and 05 Lovely Pink


The moment these hit the market, they were dubbed as the Hourglass Ambient blushes dupes. The latter are highly praised by the beauty community, so hearing that a cheaper similar product exist definitely piqued my interest, though I was never sold on the whole dupe thing (if I applied the term dupe so openly as some do, then any baked blush would be a dupe for Hourglass'). I got two shades - I first bought Lavish Mauve that was on my wishlist for a while and then I was surprised by Max Factor when they sent me another shade called Lovely Pink. I must say I love the latter one a lot more. Only four shades are available in Slovenia, while there are plenty more in this range. The other two shades are Seductive Pink, which is similar to Lovely Pink, but darker and more pigmented (swatch by Nadja), while Alluring Rose is a bronze shade that is most shimmery and pigmented out of the four, and it just didn't look like it would work on me (review and swatches by Sara here)


The texture of these is kind of creamy when you swatch them with fingers, but it's still a powder. I don't find these terribly pigmented, though I have the lightest two shades, but this isn't a bad thing. The catch is that because these are sheer, you can apply a lot more and therefore you get more of that glowy effect, but it's not like a bag of glitter was dropped on you because the shimmer in it is fine. 

I like the staying power of these. A lot of blushes don't last terribly long on me, but these definitely manage to cling on for at least seven hours.

LAVISH MAUVE


Lavish Mauve caught my eye, when I first saw swatches of these and I expected a natural shade, something along the lines of Catrice's Rose Royce or maybe I'm Nut's About You, but I realized at home it is very different. It's a light cool toned pink on my cheeks, which is completely unexpected from what it looks in the packaging. Swatched on the back of my hand, it's a light pink-violet-mauve shade with subtle violet shimmer that gives it that cool toned reflection on my cheeks. Lavish Mauve is the least shimmery out of the four available here and there is a bit of that sheen on the cheeks, but it's definitely nothing special when it comes to the famous "glow" . This one looks more "natural" on the skin, while Lovely Pink is a shade that "pops" more.

 
LOVELY PINK


Lovely Pink is a light pink that is a lot more shimmery than Lavish Mauve. It's also a warm shade, so I prefer it on my cheeks. Actually Lovely Pink and Lavish Mauve aren't that different: they are both light pinks, just one is more cool toned and less shimmery, while Lovely Pink is warmer, brighter and more shimmery. In terms of glow, it's faring better than Lavish Mauve, but it's not exactly like a highlighter plus blush. Though I think there must be something wrong with my skin because I just cannot get the famous glow on me. I saw how this exact shade looks on Lippie Hippie and I am so jealous because it does not look as awesome on me by at all. So I started pairing it with a creamy highlighter and it's better.


These cost 12.79 € in Müller and are probably similarly priced elsewhere. I find the price very high for a drugstore blush, especially since Catrice's are so good for a third of the price. As far as the famous glow is concerned, Lavish Mauve is a bit of a disappointment to me, even though the shade itself is pretty, but I can get a similar colour for less money. Lovely Pink is already better and I've been wearing it loads this and lasts month, however, I don't get the same glow on my cheeks than apparently everyone else. I can see the shimmer in it when I swatch it, but there is much less of it visible on my cheeks. Still I love pairing it with a creamy highlighter and then it works well. If you're planning on getting these, I'd rather go with Lovely Pink than Lavish Mauve.


Have a great day!

*Shade Lovely Pink was sent to me, while I bought Lavish Mauve.
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Summer Beauty


With all the summer heat, keeping makeup in place takes a bit more effort and that's where this spray comes into play. It's like a hairspray for the face that feels like nothing on the skin, doesn't have any type of scent and it manages to keep everything in place for a very long time, especially in combination with the Max Factor All Day Primer. 

This still remains my favourite sunscreen for the face. It's slightly tinted, so there is no white cast and it's very light, doesn't feel sticky, plus it's very affordable. With it I hadn't had a single burn in sight and I'm super pale. 

A matte version of Sun Dance's fluid for the face, though this one is a bit heavier than the tinted version, but it protects just as well.

Not only is it an excellent primer that is very light, but it also adds an additional layer of sun protection. It helps prolong the wear of foundation (or tinted sunscreen) as well as mattifies the skin, which is something a lot of people look for in the summer months. I would apply this in a thin coat for best performance.


Aside from the fact it has an SPF 15, this is also a base that has one of the most natural finishes on the skin ever and it's very light. It's similar to Healthy Mix Serum in terms of coverage and texture, but with a more satin finish. 

Missha's BB already feels a touch greasier on the skin than Bourjois' CC, but it has a higher SPF, 25, a higher level of coverage if you need it, as well as a really light shade that will suit the palest of Snow Whites, but it also comes in darker shades. 

Since the base is quite light or in some cases also sometimes no-existent, I go with a high coverage concealer with a good staying power and I use only little dots of product where and when needed. Collection's and Nars' concealers are very similar, but Nars' Chantilly is the lightest shade I ever found, which is what I need it at least at the beginning of the summer, but Collection's shade Fair is pretty light as well and it's much more affordable.


MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
Though it depends on what sunscreen you're using as well as if your skin tends to get oily, I use powders at lot more in the summer than in any other season. I've been using Mac's MSF for years, despite never being a fan of it, but in the summer in mattifies well enough. A lot of people love this powder because they say that it doesn't leave their face flat, but I find this powder too obvious, except in the summer months. It will appeal to those who want some extra coverage.
This might seem like some super extra special powder and it promises you the world - well at least to correct uneven skin tone with its different hues of powder, but the only thing it does it matiffly. And that's what we need in the summer, right? This is actually one of my most used products this summer even though it's nothing special.
I'm not at all a fan of this powder, but just about everyone else is, plus it's very inexpensive, so it made the cut. I actually do like this on bare skin or just over sunscreen and it mattifies well, but over a foundation it looks too much.
Bourjois' Poudre de Riz is a product for those who dislike powders as it doesn't leave a completely flat and powdery finish as well as it kind of blurs the skin and adds a bit of radiance. But if your skin it super oily, this won't cut it.

This is a similar product to the Bourjois' Java powder in a sense that's it's more of a finishing powder with some blurring capabilities, but it also mattifies and doesn't look powdery.


ESSENCE Lash Mania False Lash Mascara Waterproof
Essence might be the one who sells some of the cheapest waterproof mascaras here, so this one could be the most interesting to most of you who don't regularly wear waterproof mascara. Despite the price it's a very decent waterproof mascara. It's similar to Lash Princess and I <3 Extremes in terms of formula, which means that it's very volumising as it deposits a lot of product on the lashes. The brush is a bit clumsy, especially when it comes to lover lashes, but I expect it to be fabulous once it dries a bit. I tested it under a hot shower and it only flaked off a bit, so I would be comfortable to go with this one of the beach as flakes are easy to deal with and the most important thing is that there is no smudging. It also holds the curl well enough.

This is the only mascara I can count on being exactly as just applied at the end of the day. While shower will make it flake a bit, swimming with it should be ok (tested last year if you're wondering). This is a mascara that brings on the volume and big lashes, but you can just wear one light coat if you want a more natural look. This also holds the curl like nobody's business, but if water is involved, the lashes do drop a bit.

This isn't my favourite mascara by any stretch of the word, but as far as being waterproof, it should definitely be able to resist the sweaty panda eyes the heat inevitably brings. It's a very defining mascara that gives more of a natural effect, though with many coats you can build up the volume a bit. 


Summer means bronzer time, so again this year my trusted Bronze Goddess got its turn. This is the only bronzer I've found that works with my skin tone because it has a reddish undertone instead of the orange/yellow one. It actually creates a very believable tan colour and love that it's matte. It was quite an investment, but it was worth every cent and it's the only bronzer I've used for years.  


When else to wear a bright pigmented lip gloss than in the summer? Magique is a medium pink-coral shade with intense pigmentation and a very glossy finish. The formula feels so different to anything I've tried, as it's a bit cooling on the lips, but not in a minty way. Even though it's a gloss, it actually leaves a bit of a stain behind, so you don't have to reapply it too often. 
A cheaper intense lip gloss that I intended to include here as well would be L'Oreal's L'Extraordinaire in Rose Symphony, which smells amazingly like peaches.

It is rare to find a nice light, warm, peachy shade that doesn't look orange againts my pale complexion, but this one is a light peach with a tiny bit of pink in it. It's a type of colour that brightens up my face because of the peachy tones in it and it's a great colour for a natural look. The formula is one of those glossy lipstick ones, so it's not the most long-lasting, but it's moisturising, so very comfortable to wear.

This colour was at the top of my list of products to include in this post and for a good reason. I just feel that warm orange reds were made for this season. I have three such lip colours: Lady Danger, Mac's Dangerous, which is a bit redder and Essence's Lip Cream in Floral Glam, which was unfortunately a limited edition (Guerilla Gardening TE). All are matte and I would definitely wear this shade only in a matte version as it looks way cooler. This is a lip colour that attracts attention and it's no wonder why it's so popular.
I hear a nice similar colour is Milani's lipstick Matte Passion.


I could choose so many similar shades for this post as I appear to be very smitten with this colour and have many variations of it, but I choose Unapologetic because it's the brightest and I like that it's in a pencil form. I did a whole post about similar shades here. For those who prefer Mac's lipsticks try Relentlessly Red and Impassioned, while those who want a drugstore gem, give Catrice' Ultimate Stay Lipstick in 090 IrrCORALbly Pink a go.

I could not write this post without Bourjois' Velvets, not just because of the gorgeous selection of lovely summery bright shades, but also because I find them perfect for this season, especially if you plan on wearing bold colours as these don't smudge, but stay put for a long time. My favourite is, of course, Frambourjoise, which is a lovely pink-red shade, while Olé Flamingo is a super bright warm fuchsia shade.
Two other very long lasting products that are similar to Olé Flamingo would be Catrice Made to Stay Smoothing Lip Polish 060 Mission PINKpossible (about to be discontinued, so if you plan on getting it, be quick about it) and Me Now Generation II Long Lasting Lip Gloss in #36 (from Born Pretty store)


Even the name sounds seaside inspired, but basically this is the prettiest pastel blue nail polish ever as it looks almost a bit grey in some lights, so like the sky.

BARRY M Nail Paint 
Turquoise
I have almost forgotten about this beauty, but it's like summer in a nail polish bottle. As the name suggest it's a turquoise shade, so a medium blue with hints of green.

Contrary to Barry M's this one is a greener version of the turquoise shade. Actually, it has very little of the blue on my nails. The formula is widely considered to be very fickly, but I don't get what the fuss is about, as it's just a sheer formula that needs three coats and that's it.


Even though I think this shade isn't sold anywhere any more because it was a LE, it's my only neon shade and I wanted to include it anyway. It's a mix of neon orange with a bit on neon pink and it completely depends on your skin tone how it looks. A similar shade would be Models Own Beach Bag. My fellow blogger Taya loves neons and she showed her pretty collection here, where you might find a shade for yourself as well. If you're a bit scared of neons, then perhaps give a shade like Essence Indian Summer a go.

This shade is gorgeousness in a bottle! If you ever wanted to find a pinker Essie's Cute as a Button, this is it. It's a bright pink with hints of coral and if you ever saw pink flamingos' of Camargue, you'll agree with me that it is indeed properly named. It truly is stunning in real life and I highly recommend you go check it out if you can.

A warm medium pink that looks gorgeous on the nails, but best of all, the formula of this shade is outstanding. It's super pigmented, basically a one coater and you can easily get it right with one swipe of the brush due to a smooth formula. Excellent quality nail polish.


Beach Inspired Nails

I was inspired by several Pinterest images, some included a sea foam and waves design, but this is my first attempt at any nail art, so those things were too much for me. It's a gradient nail made out of three colours: L'Oreal's Colour Riche in 205 Rose Bagatelle for the beach base, Maybelline's Mini Colorama 96 Party Blue (discontinued) and Barry M's Nail Paint in Turquoise for the sea. I put the gradient over a white base - Catrice Colour Brightening Base Coat 01 On Top of the Alps. The gold sand is Catrice's Luxury Lacquer Liquid Metals in 01 Champagne Rain. The gold shells are from eBay.


DOVE Purely Pampering Nourishing Body Oil 
with Shea Butter and Warm Vanilla
a.k.a. DOVE Verwöhnendes Körperöl mit Shea Butter und Vanilleduft
Body oils give such a nice glow to the skin, which looks good especially on tanned legs, but this one goes a step further as it has very fine gold shimmer in it (finer than in Nuxe Or). It's quite a light oil and doesn't leave the skin terribly greasy, though there is a light layer of it left on the skin. The scent doesn't fit into this season that well because it's a warm vanilla scent, but it's not overly heavy.

SUN DANCE Transparentes Sonnenspray 50
I dislike the sticky feeling sun creams leave, so this year I got a transparent version. It has tons of alcohol in it, but I wasn't prepared to pay over 10 € for the Garnier version and besides I'll only wear it for a week in total. This one is a lot lighter than any sunscreen I had before, but it still leaves a tiny bit of an oily film behind. It smells like classic sunscreen, so no alcohol. 

SUN DANCE Selbst Bräunungs Tonik
This is a very light face self tan in a toner form. The texture is like a regular toner, so it sinks in fast and leaves no greasy or sticky residue behind. That's why it should suit so many skin types, even oily ones. Its effect is gradual, which means it's easier to get an even tan and it took three-four days for me to get a nice colour going. It also smells nice which is always a bonus.

This is instant tan and makeup for legs in a can. The colour is just right for my pale skin to breathe some life in it, as it's about the same colour I achieve with my self-tanner and not at all orange, but rather incredibly believable. It's not the easiest thing to apply, partly due to the spray not distributing the product well and it needs to be blended fast because it dries super quick and after that is doesn't budge at all. For me it's greatest downside is the lack of actual coverage which it promises, but it's the best such product I've tried so far.  

This and St. Tropez one are without a doubt the best self-tanners I've tried. Believe me when I say that it's a huge difference between this one and drugstore ones. The colour is more natural due to an olive hue it has, it's much darker with one application than its competition and it lasts about a week on me. It has a marzipan scent that tries to cover the self-tan scent, but the older the bottle is, the more the scent develops, however, it is not as bad as at cheap versions such as Sun Dance's spray.


Not only does it have this gorgeous gold shimmer in it, which also looks good on the hair not just the skin, but it also has a tiny bit of colour. It actually shows up on my milky skin and gives me a subtle tan effect. The oil is a proper dry oil, it is in fact drier than the original, so it sinks in fast.


This smells incredibly refreshing, but sweet and a tiny bit bitter, so it's like a cocktail or a tropical fizzy drink. I just love showering with this on hot days.

HAWAIIAN Tropic Protective Dry Oil Spray
Hawaiian Tropic has probably one of the most recognisable scents of the summer, a mix of tropical fruit with coconut and it's super strong, so you could almost wear it as a fragrance. This sunscreen is in form of an oil, so it will also give your skin a glow. 

KNEIPP Badekristale Immer cool bleiben 
Stay Cool Bath Crystals
Normally I don't associate baths with cooling down, however, this one contains mint and menthol, so I'll be giving this a try in the next few days.

Shell and Starfish Soaps (Müller)
To give at least your bathroom a summery vibe, these cost merely 30 cents a piece and I love the classic clean scent they have.


Now that we finally have the famous VS body mists here (miracles do happen it seems), I find that a great majority smells very similar to Love Spell, but there is something about this scent that just gets me. It's very Escada-ish in a sense that is smells like a cocktail or maybe more like a fizzy soda, so very refreshing and sweet. The staying power is poor, but that's a good excuse to keep respraying it to cool down on a hot day.

I know Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess is a cult favourite, but for me Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse's scent is just as beachy and summery. I only have a sample, which is hardly noticeable on the picture, but it deserves its place here. The scent is more intense than that of the oil, so staying power is actually very decent and I could smell myself after a few hours, which 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 - I don't find these notes terribly dissimilar to the Bronze Goddess ones. 
I have recently tested Guerlain's Terracota Le Parfum and it's stunning. I desperately need it in my life.


ESCADA Yearly Limited Editions
You can count on Escada to bring their latest version of cocktails inspired fragrances every year. They are sweet, fruity and smell like summer with a refreshing drink in your hand, but alas they never manage to get the staying power any more substantial than an hour or two. Despite that, these LE scents are some of my favourite scents ever as proved by my collection - I got these mini bottles from eBay and it's a selection of best scents they did, though my favourite is still Marine Groove.


When making any type of braids or some other hair styles, using some sort of texturiser makes it a lot easier. Especially those whose hair is very sleek and straight will notice that braiding isn't easy on freshly washed hair. Many such products exist, even regular dry shampoo will do it, but I really like this one because it's a dry shampoo, volumizer and texturiser in one. I just sprinkle a bit of the powder close to the roots and even a bit on the length of the hair, give it a bit of  a shake and I have tons of volume. It also smells amazing to me, peachy-floral, I just wish it lasted longer.

VO5 Give me Texture Dry Texturising Spray and CHARLES WORTHINGTON Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray
Two more texturising product that I consider being very similar. VO5 contains sea salt, so it's kind of like a dry sea salt spray. These two remind me of a dry shampoo on steroids, meaning they gives a lot of grip, volume and a bit of hold (Charles Worthingston's has stronger hold than VO5's). If you plan to wear your hair in a braid or you want to make your beachy waves look that bit better, I'd use either of these. 

JOHN FRIEDA Beach Blonde Ocean-Waves
I've never owned a proper salt spray before, but I did try to make it myself, though I didn't like it. This one is highly rated online and available in Müller, so it's worth a try also due to a beachy, coconuty-salty scent it has. I find that the formula would benefit with more hold, but this also means that you can spray as much as you want and it won't make your hair feel sticky or crunchy. It does leave that salt water feeling on the hair and it made decent enough beachy waves, though real salt water does it way better and I still find it works a lot better if you use a curling iron and spray each strand individually after. I used it like that on the right picture row one and left picture row three.


My hair is super long, so if it's really hot outside I always either braid it, put it in a high ponytail or a bun. Fishtail braid is the hair style I do very often and so many people ask me how do it. It's actually very easy, just more time consuming than regular braid and it's a lot more secure because if you lose the hair tie (happens to me all the time), it mostly still keeps in place. I learned how to do it by watching this tutorial years ago. 
The half up I've been doing recently is super simple and just involves twisting two strands, then pinning them on each side. I have a better picture of it here and you can find the tutorial here. The starfish hair clip is from eBay for 1 pound here.
Milkbraids are my choice for really hot days. It keeps all the hair away and it's very secure. I even sleep with it and by the morning it's just a bit messy, but nothing falls down. It's really a minimal amount of work that involves doing two braids and pinning in a halo form. The star fish hair pin is again from eBay for 1 pound here.
The beach waves on the second and fifth picture were made by a method used in this tutorial and using the John Frieda Beach Blonde Salt Spray
The last hair style is a bit more complicated, though a dutch braid is actually just inverted french braid. Here is Missy Sue's tutorial on How to Braid for beginners. I just did a side dutch braid  and finished braiding all the way to the end, then pinned it in a low bun. A similar tutorial here.

Have a great day!
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