I've tried a fair share of concealers in my years, mostly drugstore and as my skin became drier, I realised formulas for dry skin are not easy to find, especially in my local drugstores, bearing in mind I also have a very light skin tone, which not all brands cater to. Even those concealers that claim to be hydrating, turn matte on my skin and can look heavy. While reseaching for a new formula, this one came highly recommended for dry skin and it's also available in light enough shades for me. It's one of the nicest concealers I've tried so far, very much the type of formula I was looking for.



Formula: This feels more like a liquid foundation than a concealer, as it doesn't have that average thick texture. It's a very spreadable formula and a small dot of product goes a long way. It's a hydrating concealer that blends into the skin without visible edges and feels lightweight on the skin even when layered. It doesn't set fast, so you have plently of time to work with it.



Coverage and finish: This covers a lot with a small amount. I'd say about a medium-full, but it needs to be layered on spots and under the eyes if the circles are strong. I like it for spots because the hydrating formula prevents it from looking too cakey, however, it doesn't stick well to oily areas, as it's not like matte high coverage formulas and needs to be well powdered. Finish is glowy and in time satin on my dry skin. 

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Staying power: I don't notice when it's gone, apart from spots when it can slide off quickly (if not powdered). It wears off evenly.




Shade: I got the lightest shade Fair and it fits me well. It's one of the lightest in my collection and it has a neutral-warm undertone.

Packaging: The packaging has a pump dispenser which is very precise and can squeeze out the smallest amount. I've had this concealer for a while now and I'm not loving the pump packaging as much as a doe foot applicator, but that's just my preference.

 

Ingredients: It has green tea extract, centella asiatica and allantoin, all three ingredients are usually described as calming.

Price and availability: I ordered it on Cult Beauty, but it's in many places online and in drugstores abroad. It cost about 12 €.

I'm a fan of the original It Cosmetics CC in the silver tube and I rely on it especially when my skin is very dry, as it's one of those formulas that can handle rough-to-the-touch, dried-out skin and it doesn't emphasize flakes or dry texture. However, they so far haven't made a shade in that original formula range that would be light enough for me. They gave me hope when they expanded the range, but the Fair Ivory turned out to be very similar to their shade Fair. CC Nude Glow is a formula which promises to brighten the skin, as it has niacinamide, so like the original CC it's makeup with skin care and SPF. This line has a shade that is very light and suits me, so it quickly became my most used formula, though if you love the original CC, this formula is different and you might miss more coverage.

Formula: This formula has few similarities with the original CC. The latter feels like a CC or BB cream, so a thicker creamy formula, similar to moisturisers and it has a lot of coverage. Nude Glow is a lighter formulation and it behaves like a classic liquid foundation. It's easy to apply with any method, though I prefer one of those cushion foundation sponges. It's quite a hydrating formula and it's one of those foundations that doesn't set for quite a while. That suits me, as my skin is dry and most foundations quickly set matte and flat on me, while I want the feeling of a moisturiser and a more fresh-looking finish. I prefer not to powder in except around the eyes because of glasses, but most may want set it in some way, as it can wipe off easily as it's slowly setting.

I found a cushion foundation with a shade that matches my pale neutral skin. I've tried several Missha's BB creams, I particularly love their discontinued Perfect Cover RX formula and I tried their Magic Cushion foundation, which doesn't include Missha's lightest shades, so it's too dark for me. Radiance Perfect Fit is finally something I was looking for: Missha's light shade in a cushion compact. Ingredients-wise it's not as impressive as their great discontinued RX BB cream, still it has niacinamide high on the list, then centella asiatica, several extracts and oils, adenosine, and ceramides.

Formula: This is a liquid foundation absorbed into a sponge. It feels very lightweight on the skin and is similar to their RX BB in that respect. I never need to pick up a lot with the sponge, I just dip the edge of it and it's enough product to spread over large part of the face. It blends easily, essentially melts into the skin (the shade match works for me here), there's no obvious edges and it's easy to build up.



Coverage and finish: Coverage is about medium and you can build it up, but it doesn't go up to full coverage. Finish is glowy in a non-greasy way, but I have dry skin and I'm not sure this is a good formula for oily-combination types. It doesn't slip into lines, but it also doesn't hide their appearance, nor does it disguise pores.

Shade: I got shade 19 Ivory, which is an excellent match for my neutral skin tone. It's not the same as shade 19 Rosy in Misha's Perfect Blanc BB range, as that one is lighter and more pink. Shade 19 at the cushion foundation is closer to the Missha's discontinued Perfect Cover BB Cream RX #17.




Packaging: A classic cushion compact with a sponge soaked in foundation. There's an extra lid that ensures the foundation stays fresh longer. The added sponge for application is soft and a nice quality - it creates a beatiful finish with no visible edges or streaks. There's also a mirror. As is usual for cushion foundations the amount of product is much smaller than in a regular foundation or a BB cream, which is something to consider when you're buying it. But these are some of the quickest foundations to apply, so real time savers.

 
Price and availability: I ordered it on Stylevana for about 10 €.

This is a shade that matches me very well and it's almost like using an eraser - if you ever found perfect match for your skin tone, you'll know what I mean. But I also enjoy this formula, as it suits my dry skin and it doesn't look obvious. Coverage is about medium and finish is glowy. It doesn't slip into lines, but it also doesn't hide their appearance, nor of pores. It has niacinamide high on the list, then centella asiatica, several extracts and oils, adenosine, and ceramides.

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My most used foundation all year round, but especially in colder months when my skin is more dry than usual. Formula is a typical liquid foundation and different for a rich moisturiser-like original CC in the silver tube. Coverage is light-medium and it has a glowy finish. Ingredients are good, just as at the original and it has niacinamide high on the list, as it's meant to be a brightening formula. It doesn't photograph well, but in person it looks fresh and it doesn't settle much into my smile lines.

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One of my favourite concealers especially since formulas for dry skin are not that easy to find as I realised. It's more like a foundation, than a typically thicker concealer. It layers well, it melts into the skin, looks natural, yet covers quite a lot for such a lightweight formula. I'd say the coverage is about medium, it's not full, but it covers circles well and red spots reasonably well. I quite like this for blemishes because it looks a lot less cakey than pretty much all concealers I've tried, though it doesn't stay on as well as matte formulas and it can slide off.

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A beautiful peachy pink that doesn't pull too warm-orange on me. It has gold shimmer that's in a lot of such shades and this gives a lovely glow to the cheeks. I should have also included shade 50 Pink Pop in the picture, which is a baby doll pink with a silver/highlighter glow. These are some of the cheapest blushes you can get, but the quality for the price is great. Pigmentation is good (for my pale skin obviously) and the formulas apply smoothly.

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Last year shade 10 Tickle Me Pink was one of discoveries of the year, but since I got this one, I use it almost exclusively. It's so easy and quick to apply. It blends seamlessly and gives the cheeks that healthy peachy-pink flush. I just use my fingers to do it and it's a shade that also looks good on the lips.

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A creamy lipliner with great pigmentation and better staying power than most formulas. 006 Line Leader is the type of colour I wear most, a muted nude-pink with some peachy tones that's similar to SuperStay Ink Crayon in Lead the Way, but a half a shade lighter and more pink and Maybelline's Color Sensational Lip Liner in Dusty Rose, except it's just a hint more peach.

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Max Factor has yet to disappoint me when it comes to their lip glosses and this is another great formula. It's thick and comfortable, it feels balmy almost like a lip oil, so it's a great substitute for a lip balm.

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A decent alternative to Seche Vite that's more easily available. It dries the nails almost as quick, though it's not the promised 40 seconds, but in a minute or two it's dry to the touch.

An eye cream with a low amount of retinal. I've been using all over the face for most of the year and I already repurchased it once. It has 2% liposome retinal, but also ginseng extract (10%), niacinamide, adenosine, hyaluronic acid, cholesterol, ceramides, a peptide and a couple of oils/butters. Texture is a light lotion, but it feels like a moisturiser on the skin. It has a typical gingseng scent that I encountered at Sulwhaso products. My skin likes it, I feel it has improved a bit overall and there was no irritations or dryness at this formula.

Though it's an eye cream I use it as a regular face serum. It promises a lot - to smooth out under eye wrinkles and minimize pores. It's a claim that's clearly too bold, but it has an insanely long ingredients list that has everything you can imagine, though likely in trace amounts, but it has everything from hydrolysed collagen niacinamide, centella asiatica, a ton of extracts, allantoin, adenosine, ceramides, peptides, arganine…. It's a medium thick cream and it sits on the skin for a time. I've been using it daily for a big part of the year and my skin likes it.

The SPF I was most fond of this year. It doesn't feel greasy and I can easily apply 2-3 fingers worth of product. It's has some shine at the start, but it quite quickly settles to a matte/invisible one on my (dry) skin. It has no scent and it doesn't irritate my eyes. It's just nice. I've spent a lot of time in the sun with it and it protected me well.

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I've loved the hand cream and the scent of it for years, but I never tried hand soaps before and I was delighted by this formula. Texture is unique, as though it feels light and doesn't really foam well, it's like a body lotion has been watered down, so it feels nourishing on the skin, yet it doesn't leave any residue. The scent is also heavenly, their classic shea butter scent, the same as the hand cream.

I loved this immediately. It's very similar to the hand cream, so it has rich texture, but not super thick and it spreads easily on the skin. It absorbs fast enough, but the best part for me is that it leaves this velvety finish on the skin. The latter feels softer because of that than if I use the lotion - maybe I should have included the lotion as well, as I've been using it daily as a face moisturiser.

Both of these smell very, very similar to Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream/Cheirosa 62, especially the shower gel is a good approximate. I compared the body cream to my original cream and I smell more plain vanilla instead of the much richer salted caramel and pistachios, so they are not the same, but it’s instantly recognizable as a sort of a dupe, especially if you’re not fussy. Texture is lighter that SdJ, but it still does the job. Both of these are a fraction of the price of the originals.

These are both lovely and specially the conditioner works great for my very dry, difficult hair. The shampoo foams well on the first wash already and it doesn't leave the hair with that squeaky clean, overly-stripped feeling that I need to avoid.The conditioner has yellow beads in the formula and instructions say to rub the formula in the palms of the hands to make them burst before application. Together with the shampoo these two make my hair feel so nice, essentially high-end level care. My hair is properly nourished, it feels silky and the ends feel better. Both smell exactly like the (discontinued?) Herbal Essences Hello Hydration line, a sweet tropical scent mixed with a type of creamy coconut scent.

This is hailed as a dupe for Olaplex - it's not, it's more of a dupe Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator as both are packed with hydrolised proteins and aminoacids. I also like it has Amodimethicone high on the list as that always works well for my hair. It has ceramides (a.k.a. "hair cement") and a bunch of extracts. This is one of the best products I've tried. It makes my hair feels so nice - airy, nourished and silky. Along with some leave-ins even the bleached part of my hair dries smoother. It's a protein treatment that doesn't leave the hair stiff, so there's no need for an extra conditioner after it. Texture is easy to spread in a small amount, which is nice to see, since this is only 100 ml and if it were thicker, I'd probably use it up in 3 uses. Many people mention scent in reviews of this, but it's nothing special, just a classic hair salon cosmetics scent.

A classic silicone hair serum with dense shimmer. This adds a nice amount of glossy shine, plus it's a type of serum that can be used anytime, so on dry or damp hair.

Black XS was my fragrance in the past and this barely shares any DNA with it, but it was love at first smell when I tried it years back in the shop. To me Pure XS is what I wanted Olympea to be - it starts with this amazing salty popcorn note that makes it so unique. Then I most smell orange blossom, but it quickly becomes a soft vanilla scent. The rest of the notes include coconut, ylang-ylang, peach, white musk, ambrette, sandalwood and amberwood. This is the 30 ml size so it comes without the gold snake, which might make this bottle more recognizable to you.

Based on the name I imagined this foundation very differently, something more lightweight and hydrating, but to me it looks like they just reused the formula of their True Skin foundation when I compared them side by side. It's a thick formula with medium coverage and a matte finish. On my skin this looks a bit dry in places and I need a good hydrating or oily base to make it blend into the skin better. Due to the thickness of the formula I find it has the ability to fill in the pores, but it doesn't always look good and I don't like how it looks on textured skin. The shade range looks very good. I picked 012 C which isn't the lightest one and it's perhaps a bit pale for me. It's a shade with cool undertones while they have a version of this depth with warm and neutral tones. Shades don't correspond to their True Skin range, as 002 at the latter is about the same depth as 012C at Invisible Cover.

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I was hoping Essence used the same shade as at the stick version of under eye brightener, which is a good match for me and has a nice brightening effect, but the stick format isn't brilliant on my dry skin. This shade is deeper, closer to Catrice's Under Eye Brightener in a pot, the lightest 010 shade, meaning it's not a pale pink, but a light salmon pink. Since I'm so pale, I find this doesn't work as well for me. When I use it under a concealer or foundation, that pinkness shines through and just looks like I still have circles, but on skin tones deeper than mine this should work well. If you like Catrice's version, but would like a liquid format, this is it, though it is a touch lighter. Formula is a nice hydrating one, good for dry skin and it reminds me a lot of their Stay All Day concealer.

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A powder with three colour correcting colours: a pink and peach for under eye brightening and a lilac for counteracting yellow tones. You can also mix all the shades for a neutral powder. There are three separate compartments and a removable disk that allows you to shake the powder out of just one compartment. I saw no colour correcting or brightening on my skin tone. I checked the before/after pictures and videos and I don’t think there's a difference, just that it mattifies. Mixed together it also appears to be just a basic mattifying powder. Maybe the colour correcting is more obvious on deeper skin tones. I don't notice any blurring or smoothing on my skin and currently my skin is so dry that this can look obvious on the skin, especially over Catrice's Invisible Cover foundation.

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I have the pink shade 10 Tickle me Pink, which is one of my favourites. I picked this one online, so it was a blind buy and the colour of the packaging is luckily deceptive. This is a peachy pink, less bright than the Blush Affair Stunning Strawberry, but in the same colour family. Formula is creamy and I can easily swipe it on the cheeks, then blend with fingers. Pigmentation is more intense as at Tickle and the shade is deeper. This shade looks good on the lips too. This is currently my most used blush because it's so quick and easy to apply.

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The textured part is the cream blush and the other a classic powder one. This is a very intense and pigmented formula on both sides. Both sides are nice quality, as is usual for Catrice's blushes. I only need the smallest amount of both shades, since I'm so pale. Stunning Strawberry is a vibrant peachy pink shade, much stronger than anything in my collection and both shades have a natural/matte finish. The cream side is a hint more pink. This is best suited for deeper skin tones.

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I have this formula in 03 Soft Beige and 07 Classic Red so I already reviewed it. Formula is soft and glides on the lips easily. There's an added sharpener in the back, but I never sharpen such pencils, since I find them precise enough. It can feel a bit dry on its own, but not always. It doesn't wipe off easily, so it has quite a decent staying power. Cushion Talk is a light-medium mute pink with peach tones.

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A new line of lipliners by Maybelline. Formula is nicely creamy, this glides on the lips with ease. If I try to rub the colour off the lips with fingers, only a small amount wipes off, so it lasts well on the lips, though it doesn't survive a meal completely intact (oils break it down, like all makeup). 006 Line Leader is the type of colour I wear most, a muted nude-pink with some peachy tones and it looks great. I'm not sure if they have a corresponding lipstick, I tend to always just wear a lipliner on its own, but it's a better version of SuperStay Ink Crayon in Lead the Way, as it's a half a shade lighter and more pink. It's very similar to their Color Sensational Lip Liner in Dusty Rose, it's just a hint more peach.

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Usually pastel pencils suck, but this is creamy and has a good colour payoff, though this is a very pale shade, almost off-white. In the waterline it looks more white than blue, but it does brighten the eyes. On the top lash line it doesn't glide as smoothly as for example Deborah 24 Ore Waterproof Eye Pencil, but going over the line twice gives an almost fully opaque look.

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Revlon expanded their well-known line of lipsticks by twelve shades and we got seven of those in Slovenia (and Croatia). It's a mix of crème and frosty finishes like at all classic Super Lustrous formulas and these are hailed as being hydrating as well as lightweight. Apparently this is still the number one lipstick in the USA, despite all the new launches (their Suede Ink are my faves, but they are matte). After Glow is a frosty nude, Daylight Delight a creamy nude, Candied rose is a cool dusty rose, Electric watermelon a vivid pink watermelon, Fire Peach a vibrant coral, Dirty Shirley a frosty warm peachy red and Wild Saffron a warm red. Formula is nicely comfortable, has a good colour pay-off (though not like Suede Ink, but this is a cream finish lipstick) and they feel very pleasant for dry lips. Some shades don't look appealing to me in the tube, but Daylight Delight is a nice surprise and most of the shades look ok on my skin tone.

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Reviews for this were quite positive, so I was expecting a lot from it, but this is by far the worse waterproof mascara I've tried. It doesn't just fail at holding the lashes curled, the lashes just drop back down when you start applying this, despite investing several minutes in curling beforehand. It's also the only waterproof mascara I've tried that smudges and as soon as I wipe off the black line that transferred on my upper eyelid, it just reappears the next time I open my eyes. I have never encountered that even at regular mascaras. It adds a lot of volume because it's a type of formula that deposits a heavy coat on the lashes quickly, but it's poor at separation despite the silicone brush with a good length and position of bristles and you quickly get a spidery lash effect. Taking pictures of this mascara for a review and going a video was a nightmare. I'll toss this one to the bottom of my drawer, maybe give it a chance in a few months to see if it thickened and dried, but so far I'm very disappointed. Also this can't be removed with a regular micellar, you need an oil. It behaves as a regular smudgy mascara with no hold, but it's equally hard to remove as waterproof mascaras. Just awful.

I didn't check the reviews for this, I just put it in the basket for free shipping, but just like the mascara, this didn't impress me. While it's not as bad as the mascara, its watery, partly sheer black formula and a hard, short, non-flexible applicator just don't deliver the results I'm used to from for example Catrice's eyeliners. It's hard to create a thin, precise line with this - actually impossible for my level of skill and the formula stays sheer in places even if I got over it again. I haven't tested how long it lasts, but it's not waterproof and the swatch on my hand was quite quickly removed with regular hand washing.

I've been using Seche Vite for many years, but it's hard to get, so I wanted to find a decent alternative. The only thing I care about at top coats is that it dries the nail polish as quickly as possible. Seche Vite does that well, but it thicken quickly, way before you have a chance to use up the bottle. This Catrice version is very decent and easy to get (provided they don't discontinue it, which knowing them will likely happen). It dries the nails almost as quick as Seche, though it's not the promised 40 seconds, but in a minute or two it's dry to the touch, but you still have to be careful to avoid dings for maybe 15 minutes or a half an hour.  

This applies glossy and it slowly turns matte. It takes over a minute for it to become fully, velvety matte.

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This is a good gold shade. The first coat is sheer with a lot of golden tiny shimmer, so it can be used as a topper, but with three coats you get a really nice golden effect. It's medium annoying to remove.

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A deep cool red with a glossy creamy finish. It's opaque in one coat, but for better staying power it's best to apply two.  

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I expected more from this, especially after seeing it on video what a nice holographic effect it has - I'm doing something wrong, for sure. The holo effect is not that visible, not like at my ancient Depend nail polish that looks like has been discontinued. It's more like a basic silver nail polish - still pretty, but I miss more holo reflects. First coat is quite sheer, while full opacity is achieved with three coats.  

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A new cleansing oil in DM. It has 7% squalane, but the main ingredient is sunflower oil. It also has Centella Asiatica Extract at the end of the list. Formula is light and it doesn't emulsify much, in other words it's very similar to most cleansing oils I've tried. It washed off quite well, but a second cleanse with something foamy is needed to get it off completely. It makes my eyesight foggy. It doesn't remove waterproof mascara and it's not best for regular mascara either, but it can remove most makeup ok. I did a test with my most lasting makeup and Catrice's liquid eyeliner and Revlon's Limitless liquid matte lipstick proved to be too much of a challenge for it, so I needed a second cleanse to get it all off. It's more on the weak side of makeup removers, but for those who don't wear heavy coats of it, it should be ok. It has no scent. I suspect it's breaking me out like a great majority of cleansing oils, but that's just my skin.  

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I think I got the right thing. I was going to repurchase the Atopicance Baby cleansing oil, but I only found this in the DM. Ingredients look similar, but I haven't tried this yet. It use the other one every day as a basic cleanser because it's gentle and effective.

An oily retinol serum that's quite light. I like the texture and I've had zero irritations or dryness despite this being 1%. But I have concerns this isn't as strong as it claims. I find it suspicions that I've had zero reaction to it, not even a mind warming sensation like at Afrodita Professional Retinol Shot, but it's probably squalane keeping that dryness and other side effects at bay. This is easily accessible in local drugstore and it's affordable. I've been using this for almost a month and I don't see anything special in my skin.

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A serum with peptides. It's a light formula that's easy to layer, so I quite like it. Whether it's doing anything apart from a hydrating effect, I don't know.