Max Factor's first refillable mascara. The outer rose gold casing holds a basic black tube. It has a hourglass silicone brush that's very similar to Milani's Anti Gravity mascara. After a month of being open this is still quite a wet formula that has a tendency to stick the lashes together if you don't wait enough between coats or apply too much of it. It creates a lot of volume + length, and it's one of those formulas that creates a more dramatic big lash effect than a natural one. It doesn't hold the lashes curled, which is typical for regular formulas on me, but it's difficult to remove for a washable formula, in this respect it's more like a waterproof formula, meaning it needs oil to get it off. My normally great performance cleanser Nuxe oil struggles with it, so a good dual-phase oil remover is needed. It runs in contact with tears and it irritated my eyes on a couple of occasions. It's also somewhat oily, so my glass lenses are constantly smudged. The refill pops out easily and replacement is not difficult.

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I don't remember a concealer ruining my day quite so much as this one, nor one that would make me run to buy a bunch of anti-ageing skin care, but this concealer makes me look so old. It emphasizes every small wrinkle I had no idea I had. It's so dry under my eyes and it cracks. They describe this as a hydrating formula with a glowy, natural finish and medium coverage. It's an odd formula that's glowy, but at the same time drying, flat and obvious under my eyes. This doesn't feel hydrating on my skin. Formula is medium thick, easy to blend with a sponge, but it dries a bit quick for blending with fingers, thought it'll get the job done, it just won't be as nice as with a sponge (on dry skin, of course). Coverage is quite high, medium-full, though I tried covering my freckles and they are still visible. Staying power is really good even without powder. Most of it was on my skin at the end of the day, just very dry, flat and unlikeable on my dry skin. Shade 002N looks yellow on me and obviously off, but it was the lightest shade on the stand.

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The colour of the packaging has nothing to do with the actual shade of this. It's much darker on the lips, a medium-deep berry on me, so don't buy without testing. It's like using a sharpie. It's very precise and it's got excellent pigmentation, but the lighteight formula is still a stain, so I never managed to apply this evenly and it tints the dry parts of the lips darker than the rest. Essence is the only company that managed to make probably close to 20 different products featuring the same pH-reacting lip tint that I'm so fed up with because it's in stuff you don't even expect it in. This again has that same bright magenta tint that stick to the dry parts of the lips and it's impossible to get off for a couple of days. Formula is the lightest I ever tried, basically like a sharpie. That also means it's not at all moisturising and this quickly sets, then it can't be wiped off. There's no transfer anywhere, except on paper straws. If you enjoy that pH reacting tint and don't mind this looking uneven, you might like it, especially since it's very long lasting, but bare in my that if you slip during application, this won't come off easy.

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I made an instant stupid mistake with this - I twisted the base like I was using a normal lip balm because I didn't know this doesn't retract back in. I had to put the excess lip balm in a separate pot so the cap would close again. You have to twist up only a small amount if you don't want a mess. This is super glossy, close to a proper lip gloss. It's nicely nourishing and feels very comfortable - I was checking other shades and they need some light nude-pink because I really like this formula for dry lips (I still haven't managed to find an untouched clear one to pair with a lip liner). Shade Pitaya is very pigmented with one swipe, you get a semi-opaque look that doesn't need much building up. It's a medium neutral-cool pink, I think it doesn't suit my skin tone best. In typical Essence style I think they added their trademark pH reacting tint to it, as when the lip balm disappears from the lips, my lips are still tinted pink. I wish they stopped doing that so often. I tried this on the cheeks too and it looks quite nice.

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This was marked -50%, so I guess it's being discontinued. Shade is terrible, so I'm not surprised. I can't pull of sheer black, my pale skin tone just makes me look like a Disney villain even though this is sheer, but it's makes my lips look grey and dead. Formula is pleasant, it's a nice lip oil, but surprisingly not as nice as their discontinued Cranberry Oil. Formula is thick, nicely glossy, nourishing and it sticks on the lips well. Still, I think Catrice's version is better. This one has a soapy scent that makes me feel like I have a bad taste in my mouth, so it's not the best. I've only had this for about a month or two, but it's more than half empty, since there's only 4 ml and the applicator is big, so it get a lot of product on at once.

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This is quite strongly tinted red. It's a bit more than semi-opaque, but I haven't been able to build it up to full coverage. Formula is typically for Labello nourishing at first, but the moisturising feeling doesn't last and the lips become flaky in time. I tried this one the cheeks too and it's ok, it's not as smooth looking as Essence's Baby got blush Stick or even Melem's balms. It has SPF and like some such lip balms it has that bitter, unplesant taste.

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I guess it was time for a nail polish bottle update. Shade 004 is quite thin for a gel formula. One coat gives a good level of opacity, but two are needed so everything evens out. Colour is quite pale, more of an off white than a nude. 031 is almost opaque with one coat with a smooth formula, but it's best to apply two. Electric Turquoise is a "Tiffany" green-blue and it stains the nails like crazy without a base.

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Catrice's Quick Dry Top Coat is quite good, so I tried the slightly cheaper Essence's to compare. Formula is lighter than Catrice's, but maybe it will thicken like such top coats normally do. I tested it after the promised 45 seconds over two coats of Catrice's Gel Affair and it's dry to the touch, but still very prone to dings or smudges. It takes a while for the nails to be completely dry. So far every time I used this I ruined my manicure, even if I waited for 5-10 minutes after application, so I find it a frustrating top coat and I'm going to stick the better Catrice one.

This is quite good. It's thicker than Laneige lip mask and I sometimes prefer it because it sticks on the lips better and for longer (Laneige is still better for soothing flaky dry lips). It’s nicely nourishing and it has the scent of Kiki candy (soft taffy candy scent). It’s tinted and gives the lips a nice light shade of pink. I use the silicone applicator from the Laneige mask, I think this product is missing such a tool, I don’t like dipping my fingers into lip balm pots.

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A repurchase. I bought this years ago when micellar waters first came out. Since then I've tried many and because there's always something new, I never repurchased it. Currently I'm using Cerave, which is my favourite, but I have to order online and I wanted something cheap. This comes in a travel size 100 ml, which is just what I wanted. It's as good as I remember, though it says new formula, but I don't notice anything different. It feels like water and removes all regular makeup. It's not scented.

One of the thickest, greasiest cleansing oils I've tried and it smells like cooking oil that's been used for fries. It doesn't emulsify and wash off with water, so a second foamy cleanser is a must. It's fairly effective as a makeup remover, though it can't remove a red liquid matte lipstick even with a second cleanse. It doesn't irritate my eyes. Balea's, the new Hautsache (from DM) and CV Rose (Műller) cleansing oils are all lighter. They are a bit better at removing makeup, but I'm not impressed by these cheap offerings in my local drugstores, so I'll keep using my favourite Nuxe Very Rose one. I also noticed Alverde breaks me out (just like all cheap oils).

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Unlike The Ordinary's version this is a thick gel that's clear. It's a wash-off AHA mask and you're supposed to leave it on the skin for 10-15 minutes. Just like as The Ordinary version despite the high percentage of glycolic acid I don't feel this on the skin at all. I get no stinging or burning, but my skin is far from sensitive. My skin felt a bit softer after use, but not like when I use Skin Food Black Sugar scrub (a harsh, mechanical scrub that the only thing makes me feel like my skin is actually exfoliated, but I use it very, very rarely). This has no scent.

I'm a fan of the 5-minute lamination and the serum from this line, so I shelled for the overpriced for drugstore shampoo and conditioner. Shampoo is like pretty much all L'Oreal shampoos I've tried - great. I have no complaints. It foams well on the first wash, produces enough foam, it cleans well and doesn't feel drying at all on my very dry hair. They could have picked a nicer scent for this line.

This trend of small conditioner tubes must end. This has merely 150 ml of product which won't last me many uses. Formula is quite rich, but easy to spread on the hair. I left it on for about half an hour and then followed with the lamination product. I didn't use my usual hair oil and Moroccanoil All in One Leave in, I just used the serum from this line, so I could see how nourishing this line is and it's on the light side for me, meaning I need leave-ins to make this work better for me. As far as shine goes - the thing is this has zero frizz control and frizzy hair does not shine. My hair needed some extra help of overnight rollers and serums to become straighter, then I noticed a decent level of shine, but not the "glass hair" effect.

A repurchase, though Pantene changes things up so often this may or may not be the same Repair mask I used in the past. Pantene's hair products in general suit my super dry hair a lot and this one is fine, though surprisingly I after trying it, prefer the Bond Repair Conditioner. This one nourished my hair ok, but my top layer of the hair quickly became coarse as it usually does when I use drugstore products. Still, it's a good affordable option.

A repurchase, though it looks like they changed the packaging to an opaque white tube instead of partly clear one. Together with the shampoo from this line they make properly nourished, it feels silky and the ends feel better.

This is apparently a best-seller among masks in DM - at least in Slovenia. I didn't have much expectations, especially since it's silicone-free, but it's a very decent protein mask for the price. Texture is quite rich, it didn't feel like I'm using a mask without silicones and my hair was moisturised enough. It's better when it comes to frizz than L'Oreal's Glycolic Gloss set, but my hair still dried with some frizz and not smooth, so I had to use a serum and rollers overnight for smooth hair. With some extra leave-ins this mask should do just fine. I'll likely try the Oil Repair too.

DM finally came out with a proper shine spray. I have a bunch of them and Schwarzkopfs (from their brands Gliss and got2B) are my favourite. This one is not quite as shiny as Schwarzkopf's, but it is a bit less greasy, which some may appreciate (I want more oil, not less).

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I expected I would like this, but it's effect is nothing special on my hair. As I was rinsing it off, I missed that silky feeling you should get from a conditioner, so I added a lot of leave-ins to make sure my hair wouldn't be tangled and dry. I'm not impressed by this one. Texture is thick for a conditioner.

A repurchase. This a tinted hair mask in a cool dark brown shade that matches my natural hair colour perfectly, so it hides my bleached ends. Formula is nourishing enough for my hair (together with Moroccanoil All in One leave-in that I always use, of course). It's messy so I colour in the shower.

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I wanted a cheap body oil that comes in quite a large packaging and isn't just sunflower oil with smaller amounts of other "fancier" oils. This was supposed to be mostly almond oil, but it looks like they recently made changes that aren't on DM's website yet, as this new version has mostly rapeseed oil with some almond oil. The packaging is not good, as the oil always spills on the side of the bottle, so the bottle is always greasy and the label is half peeled off already. Texture is rich and feels very nourishing. It takes quite some time to absorb. It smells unsurprisingly of rapeseed oil. I've been using this daily for my dry skin and it's fine for the price, but next time I'll probably try to find something else.

Moisturising socks with urea, panthenol, avocado oil, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, squalane and ceramides. These are very big and fit large sizes of feet. The sticker that holds this wrapped didn't hold well, so I had to improvise and I also wore my regular socks over it, so it was a better fit. Without socks over it, this can get slippery when walking. My feet were very dry before I used it, I already had some small cracks forming on my heels and this fixed it. I used an electric foot file before for a better effect and my heels felt much softer after use, something I didn't manage to achieve with moisturisers and oils. But the effect lasted about 2-3 days. I'll likely buy this again for an ocassional treat.

I liked the hand mask version from this line too, which surprisingly wasn't annoying to use. The gloves didn't stop me from doing my usual stuff, including using my phone. It also improved my dry cuticles and hangnails situation, as much as a single use mask can.

A repurchase. I like this scent and it lingers on the skin. It's not a tropical scent in my book, more of an almost powdery, cosy one with some fruity touch, but it's difficult to describe it. In my small way it reminds me of scent like Yankee Candle Soft Blanket.

A repurchase. I buy this when my skin is very dry because it's the cheapest shower oil and very decent for the price. But the scent is so bland and I don't like it at all. They had this product for over a decade probably and the newer came out with a nice scented version. Formula is an oil that emulsifies with water. It's not as rich as L'Occitane's, but it's great for dry skin that's flaky.

A new line of antiperspirants and a deodorant - you might know the hand cream from brand 48 or the disinfectants. I have all versions of roll-ons, but I bought another (Fresh) as a gift for someone. The science behind these is that they have probiotics, which support natural microbiom and help prevent bad scents by encouraging good bacteria to grow (instead of those that cause bad smells when breaking down the molecules of sweat). Two, Fresh and Clear are anti-perspirants with aluminium and Sensitive version is aluminium-free. All have very neutral, unisex fragrances, I like Sensitive’s the most, but all are nice. They come in soft tubes that can be squeezed, but have a classic roll-on ball.

A repurchase. I always buy deodorant in advance and since I bought this backup, Borotalco sadly stopped working on me. I'll switch and then go back to it in time. It was very reliable up until now and it has a pleasant, sort of retro powdery scent.

This mascara is usually in black packaging (I believe before it was dark blue or purple), I just happen to have one of the LE versions, but it's the same thing. Oriflame calls it its icon and it's been popular since it launched back in 2007. The 5-in-1 means that it promises 1. volume, 2. length, 3. a curling effect 4. definition and 5. care.  

Regular price is 12 €, but it's often on offer. 

 

*PR product. Not a paid review.

A BB cream (foundation) that claims to also act as a smoothing primer and it has an SPF 20. As far as skin care ingredients are concerned it has niacinamide, acetyl glucosamine, panthenol, allantoin, green tea extract and a peptide.

Texture is creamy, moisturiser-like and it blends easily. You can apply this quickly with fingers if you wish.

Coverage is maybe about a light-medium - it's hard for me to say, as the depth of the shade provides a level of coverage on my pale skin, but it is lower than is usual for Asian (proper) BBs and it's higher than a tinted moisturiser. Finish is nicely glowy without looking or feeling greasy. If the shade fit me, I'd like this. It doesn't slip into lines, but it doesn't hide them, nor does it blur pores. Overall this looks quite fresh and natural. I can see why it's popular (it's been a best seller in Slovene DMs for a long time, but I don't know popular it is abroad).

There are sadly only two shades. I got the lightest of the two and despite lower coverage, this is noticeably too dark for me. 001 is quite dark for a lightest shade, but this will fit those that wear shade such as Revlon's Colorstay Full Cover foundation 200.

These are so far the best liquid eyeshadows I've tried so far, though admittedly the bar was pretty low, as most such formulas are either sheer and/or crease fast, but these perform a lot better than most.

Pigmentation is strong, but once you start blending they sheer out a lot, so just like at most liquid eyeshadows, they need to be built up for an opaque look. They blend ok, though the matte one stands out in this respect, as being the best in the bunch, while the shimmery shades are expectedly a bit less smooth due to the shimmer particles. It takes more time to blend them than creamy stick eyeshadows, but it also depends on the shade, the lighter they are, the easier it is. Once these set, they don't move. If I try to run my finger over them, they don't smudge. These can be applied to look very metallic.

I'm a fan of the Vamp! "original" regular and waterproof mascara in the silver tube. This version is similar in terms of how quickly it builds volume and creates big lashes, but the formula is more wet when freshly opened, so it's not as successful at fanning out the lashes and definition. It improves within weeks after opening and becomes a great volumising formula, but it's perhaps not quite as impressive as the silver Vamp! version, though they are close.

This became my most used mascara, since it dried a bit. The effect is now much nicer than on the pictures I took when it was freshly opened. It defines the lashes well, it doesn't crumble or smudge. It can't hold a proper curl, but it also doesn't drop them immediately, so it's kind of decent for a regular formula. I can remove it with a double cleanse using just a baby shower gel.

I would never know about this eyeliner if I didn't find it while searching for an alternative for Catrice's Ink Eyeliner online, as this is so hidden on the Trend !t up stands, it's takes some effort to find it. It's an eyeliner with the added lash growth serum. It's not the Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 that's in many serums, but instead it's arganine and caffeine, both supposedly promote blood circulation. It promises to curl lashes (I only found that out when reading the description for the review after months of use), make the lashes fuller and stronger.

Applicator is very similar to the Catrice liquid eyeliner one, a good shape for general application, but it's not extra precise. The felt tip material feels soft enough and comfortable on the eyes, plus it's not flimsy. Formula isn't the most intense black, as on some parts it can look watery/see thorough, so it has to be reapplied. 

Staying power is where this fails for me. At the end of the day it's mostly faded and wiped off with black flakes under the eyes. 

This has a serum that should help boost eyelash growth, but I didn't notice anything special in how my lashes look, though my lashes currently look nice without any gaps, but they are not fuller than normal. The curling claim is not true on me either.

In short, it's not the best eyeliner, especially after I was spoiled for years by the now discontinued Catrice Liquid Eyeliner Matt formula. While you can get a nice application, the staying power isn't the best.

It was 3,49 € in DM.

Oriflame had an Age Defying foundation before, which was sent to me in a dark shade, but regardless the formula impressed me and I used it on others, on who it always looked so good. This formula is different. I also own Oriflame's Giordani Gold Pure Uforia foundation, which is one of my favourites especially in the winter months and honestly, I don't see a difference between the two. The old Age Defying version had a medium coverage and a dewy which turned to satin. New formula has a prebiotic serum, promises to smooth & blur fine lines, cover dark spots, is hydrating and promises a radiant finish.

Formula: It's a light liquid foundation, thinner than I remember the old formula. It blends easily, especially with a cushion sponge applicator. I don't find it blurs lines or pores, but it doesn't make them look worse like a lot of matte foundations do.

Coverage and finish: It has light-medium coverage and a very glowy finish. It's a great formula for dry skin and is very hydrating. Like I said it's very similar to Pure Uforia, though the latter may look a bit better on the skin. This is a foundation that doesn't look best on photos and camera, but it's great for every day for dry skin - this is type of formula my skin likes best.

Staying power: due to dewyness this has a tendency to wipe off and it never really sets, so a powder is almost a must to set it.

Shade: I got probably the lightest shade, which is called Vanilla Neutral, though based on Oriflame's swatches, there are three shades in about the same depth, just with a different undertone. It's the same depth as Porcelain I use at Uforia, except the undertone is yellow. Pure Uforia is my perfect match, but I can pull of this one too.

Packaging: This has the same bottle as Pure Uforia. Both are make from glass and have a precise pump. Only difference is the plastic gold cap design.

This foundation isn't always in Oriflame's catalogue, I don't know why. But the full price is 27 €, which is often reduced a lot. I buy Oriflame on Notino.