Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer Eclipse

After Rimmel's 107 came the Apocalips Eclipse, another stunning burgundy shade that can't get enough of.  These deep berries have been my signature lip colour since November. Apocalips is a liquid lipstick with a doe foot applicator, which means that even a bumbling idiot like me can apply it nicely. I've been wearing it in many ways, from stain, blotted for a matte effect and at full intensity with a glossy finish.

Fantasy eau de parfum

This month I was like - I smell like a cupcakes and I'm not bothered what others think of it. Fantasy is one of my all time favourite fragrances and for a while it was my signature scent, though I will admit I am not digging the über girly pink bottle hence why it's always hidden in my cupboard. While we're on the topic of Fantasy, did you know there are two new flankers coming out in February - The Naughty Remix and The Nice Remix? It's safe to say, I'm a bit excited.   

Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm 

I discovered another great balm cleanser. The pot may be tiny and the scent is so not for me, but the texture is fabulous and it leaves my skin more balanced. I must say I'm very happy with the state of my skin right now and this is definitely contributing a lot. 

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

For the longest time I didn't want to admit it, but this is the reason my skin looks so clear and smooth particularly on my forehead. But it's so damn expensive! There were only two occasions when my forehead was completely smooth, one was when I was using Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and the other since I've been using this toner. I honestly notice the difference when I don't use it for a few days/a week. My forehead gets bumpy again, my skin isn't as clear any more and it basically reverts into the not-being-cool-any-more state. Now it's on it's last legs and as much as I don't want to admit it, I need it in my skin care routine. I see a repurchase in my future.

e.l.f. Powder Brush

This was my old foundation brush before I bought Real Techniques, but it has since stood forgotten in my brush pot. It's a great brush that is incredibly soft, but I switched it because I find it a bit big for my baby face. However, I started using it again this month and it blends the foundation so flawlessly I was floored. It particularly works well with Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream and gives me an absolutely flawless finish with medium coverage. A winning combination.

Coastal Scents Round Crease brush

I have not idea why I stopped using this brush. It's so soft and perfect for applying eyeshadow in the crease. I've been using the Essence Smokey Eyes brush for this task and I have to say, now I find it too scratchy compared to this one. I have no idea if this brush is still sold, but I love it.

L'Oréal Super Liner Perfect Slim Intense Black

I already spoke highly about this liner in my New In post, when I only just got it. Now that I've had more to test it, I have to say again that this is a fantastic, really black and super precise liner. I've pretty much been using it every day and I can even draw a decent line with it.

There aren't many favourites this months all due to this - I have been diligently using stuff up and managed to get two full bags of them. So prepare yourself for a few empties posts in the future. I already wrote my reviews/impressions, I just have to take and edit the pictures, which is going to be a lot of work.  

I wrote about my birthday in my previous post and yesterday I got a "secret" package in my mail. Still dazed and confused after being woken up by the mail man, I opened the two packages I got. One of them were these ASOS Pasha High Heel Shoes that were supposed to arrive on my birthday and the other mystery package had these thee beauties from Yves Rocher's Vanille CollectOR. I checked who sent it and it was Živa "McAwesome" (yes, this is your name from now on) from the Nothin' Fancy. Really. blog. My jaw dropped so hard it made a hole in the floor. She sent me a birthday gift just out of the blue! What an incredibly kind gesture. So I'll say it again, thank you Živa for being such an awesome person!

And again I want to say thank you for every comment on my previous post. They really made my day, you are all the kindest and most incredible people ever.

I hope you can see in the picture that the lotion and the shower gel have gold glitter/shimmer inside. These all have a vanilla extract scent, you know the one for used for baking, so basically you smell like a giant vanilla cake (which is never a bad thing).

Have a great day!

As you might have guessed from the title, it's my birthday today. In three years of blogging I never made a birthday post, mainly because for the past five years I've grown to kind of dislike this day. However, I wanted to do something new for a change, something that is very uncharacteristic of me and share a bit of this day with you as well.

My Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly arrived today, just in time for my birthday / The blushes I'm using today are Catrice Think Pink and Nyx Taupe, both my favourites at the moment / I'm also wearing Dior Nude BB cream, Naked Basic palette, Lancome Hypnose mascara, L'Oreal Super Liner and Bourjois lip liner in Rouge Soyeux / Not the best picture as my camera won't pick up details too well, but here it is, my first FOTD.

On my lips is Russian Red, the two concealers I used are Maybelline the Eraser and Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection, highlighter I always use is Lumi Magique / wearing Fantasy today, which I absolutely adore and Essence Do you Speak Love? on my nails / another random picture of FOTD which was taken with the intention so you could see the eye makeup, but my camera isn't good enough (that's the best you're going to get) / another pic of Nars Radiant Creamy concealer (btw I ordered it from HqHair.)  

Champagne with strawberries (yummy!) / home made cake and yes, it's mint green. Those are chocolate chips on the top to cover the fact the cake is uneven *gives a big grin* / Essence Do you Speak Love? / I-had-an-empty-space-pic-of-the-birthday-girl (confession: I hate taking pictures of myself as I find myself generally unphotogenic. Have you ever taken a picture of yourself, looked at it and it kind of ruined your day? I do like my hair here, though.)

Have a great day!

Back in the days, when I went through the enough-with-the-black-eyeliner phase in my teens, I discovered this gem - Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stash. You know something achieved the coveted holly grail status when you're using it since secondary/high school. Stash is an olive green old gold shade with gold shimmer that just works so well with my grey-blue-green eyes. It's dark enough to give a sufficient amount of definition while not overpowering the whole look by looking too harsh, but it also gives you a bit of colour. I wear it either on the top lashline, waterline or on the lower lashline, it works everywhere.
I have a few of these UD's 24/7 eyeliners and all are amazing quality - so pigmented, creamy and smooth. They don't tug on the eyes, there is no need for a million swipes to show up, they really stay on and most importantly, they don't go hard after a while (looking at you Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil. I'm sorry to inform you that our romance is over). Despite the heavier price tag, these are absolutely worth the money. The black one, called Zero, is my favourite black eyeliner. 

Here is a comparison of Stash with L'Oreal's Infallible eyeshadow in Bronze Goddess (bottom).

My fellow Slovene blogger (also a youtuber), the lovely Sandra from The Puzzle of Sandra's Life, opened her own online shop called Destination Pretty. I am genuinely happy for her since I know how much she wanted it. The shop is filled with adorable beauty products as well as some dainty jewellery and scented candles. They ship internationally.
I've had a look around the shop and compiled a list of things I find most interesting. So here it is:

1. Etude House Vivid Pop Sticks Lipsticks

My heart skips a beat whenever I hear matte and lips in one sentence, and these are matte lip crayons, so obviously they sparked my interest. The shade range certainly looks lovely.

2.  Etude House Missing U hand creams

These are adorable! I'd like the mint one to match the decor in my bedroom. 

3. Etude House Minnie in the Nails 

Nail polishes are never my first choice, however, I love the shades of these. There is a lovely burgundy, a pink and glitter polishes with interesting bow shaped glitter.

4. Refillable Perfume Atomizer Bottles

5. Adjustable Knuckle Rings - Double Persian

I'm not the jewellery type of girl, but these are so pretty and cool. I would happily wear them.

6. Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher

I like the look of Grapefruit Jelly the most.

7. Etude House Rosy Tint Lips

Another matte lip product and I actually want every colour. Maybe not Tea Rose, but the rest of the shades look very pretty. 

Have a great day!

Since I fell in love with Rimmel's Kate Matte Lipstick in 107, I've been on a search for a similar shade in a matte lip cream form which is my favourite formula to wear. I didn't find a matte version yet, however, I stumbled upon a post about new shades of Apocalips by chance (is it just me, or did this launch go mostly unnoticed in the blogging world?) and the deeper shade called Eclipse landed in my cart in minutes.

I already own the shade Stellar which is an absolutely gorgeous, bright pink-coral and it landed in my Best Buys in 2013 post. Apocalips are very pigmented liquid lipsticks with a glossy finish that gets more satin/matte when it's wearing off. The doe foot applicator is excellent for a more precise application (you'll notice in my review for 107 how difficult it is to apply nicely based on my lip swatch, but I managed to get some nice results with this one). The applicator has a small depression on one side of the applicator where the product gathers, so there is no need to dip the applicator in the tube several times. Due to the pigmentation, it's better to apply it gradually. I apply it in dots, then spread the product by rubbing my lips together and fix the edges with the applicator. I'm not a fan of a shiny finish, so I almost always blot it and I'm left with a matte finish, but there is enough intensity left for my taste. I also love wearing this as a stain as shown in the last picture. I apply a dot of product and rub it in with fingers. What's left is a nice berry stain that is very everyday appropriate.

Eclipse is a deep burgundy, a very vampy colour and perfect for autumn/winter if you're into such shades. Compared to Rimmel's 107 it's more red/burgundy and less berry. When I saw it in the tube, I thought this is not what I expected. It looks different in the tube than on the lips, almost a bit grey and brown.

What bothered me most at Stellar was the horrible scent, but it looks like they fixed that problem since Eclipse has a much more mild and a bit different version of the scent. 

It lasts so long on the lips and leaves a lovely stain behind. Like Essence matte lip creams, it does transfer on the glass when you're drinking, however it does survive a meal well enough, providing you don't eat anything greasy. It looks great as it's half worn off since it fades evenly. It doesn't dry out my lips at all.

Rimmel is available almost everywhere with a notable exception of Slovenia. You can get Apocalips lip lacquers on Feel Unique, All Beauty, Fragrance Direct and Asos. I paid 7.49€ on Feel Unique.

I've been feeling über crappy today, but writing this post made me feel so much better, so I hope you enjoyed it and have a great day!

My skin loves cleansing balms. Before I started using them, dry patches were my eternal nemesis, but I haven't had a single one in months and my skin is definitely more balanced out. This is my solid cleansing balm and my second cleansing balm in general, the first being Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm. Despite the not so good first impression for which I lay the blame entirely on the awful scent, this has become one of my favourite cleansers ever.

Texture: It's a solid balm that is so smooth and soft. I scoop out about a fingernail sized amount and while massaging it into the skin, it just melts into an oil. It stays solid even in my always-warm bathroom, unlike the Balance Me, which was always so runny I really needed to be careful when pouring it out of the tube (there was never any squeezing required at all), but Balm Balm melts only on the actual skin. 

Performance: It cleanses the skin well and breaks down the make up, including the waterproof mascara. It's one of the rare cleansers I've used that tackles the stubborn layers of waterproof mascara I wear, but it doesn't remove it completely as I still wake up with a bit of panda eyes if I don't follow up with Maybelline's Makeup Remover Waterproof. I remove the balm with a wet flannel that also provides some gentle exfoliation. My skin is left soft and balanced in a sense that the drier areas are moisturised and the T-zone cleansed. It makes my skin more normal and never leaves it tight or oily.

Scent: Keeping in mind that scents are subjective, I find it awful. It smells strongly of incense and citrus, so the overall effect is like being in a church on a holiday at the moment when the priest is swinging that smoke thingy (yes, that would be the technical term) while you're sitting next to someone wearing a D&G Light Blue. I genuinely dislike it and it kind of lingers, but thankfully the longer I'm using it the less I notice it. But honestly, they could have an unscented version.

Packaging: It comes in Balm Balm's standard, brown glass 30 ml jar that they sell all of their other balms in. It's dainty and cute, though I'd prefer it came in a bigger size as well. However, I like that they offer a small size because is handy for anyone who wants to try balm cleansers first, before committing to pay 40+€ per pot (looking at you Emma Hardie) or need something small for travelling. I've had it for over a month and used up about a half or 2/3, but I'm not the one to pile on skincare.

Ingredients: Looking at the ingredients, I must say this is so simply made. Some sunflower oil, shea butter, beeswax, jojoba oil, marigold extract, frankincense extract oil and grapefruit peel oil. It looks like it's easy to make at home if you're into such things, but it would take a lot of experimenting to get the quantities right.

I love the texture and the performance of this balm cleanser, but it's a crying shame that it smells so strong, especially since the scent is not exactly pleasant. Also they could offer a bigger version of it as well. But all in all, it's a fantastic balm. I still love the Balance Me and considering it's cheaper per ml plus it smells so much better, I'd probably still choose it over this one. Though, I must admit I prefer the texture of Balm Balm's one as it feels so luxurious to use, so I would repurchase it.

I wish someone came up with a balm like this one in bigger size and for an affordable price (so not something that costs one month's food budget), maybe even with such a lovely scent that Balance Me has. 

Have a great day!

 Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm 

My first solid cleansing balm and I absolutely love it. The scent is so weird, but the texture is perfect and after a month of use my skin looks great. Just to warn you, they only offer a 30 ml pot and that is why I bought it, to dip my toes into the solid balms pool first. This small pot costs 10€, but after a month I still have about a half, maybe a bit less left. I'll do a proper review.

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer Eclipse

I was on a search for a dark berry matte lip cream and though this isn't matte, it's the perfect colour. This is such a great autumn/winter shade that will appeal to fans of deep colours such as Kate's matte lipstick in 107. Review with swatches will be posted soon.
It cost 7.49€ on Feel Unique. You can find a review and swatches of another shade called Stellar here.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lipliner Pencil Black Tulip

I needed a lip liner to match Rimmel's 107 and this looked closest on swatches I found online. It's not the prettiest colour as it is too brown for my liking, but it works nonetheless. Again, swatches will be posted.
 It cost 3.74€ on Feel Unique.

 Lancôme Rouge In Love Lipstick 340B Rose Boudoir

I got this as a gift in December from my cousin (thank you) after it was on my wishlist for over a year. It's a stunning, brightened pinky-coral that is in the same colour family as Bourjois' Fraise Remix and Maybelline's Shocking Coral. I also love wearing it as a stain (I'm wearing it like that here). The quality is, as expected, excellent. There will be a full review of this.

L'Oréal Super Liner Perfect Slim Intense Black

I just got it and I already love it. Talk about precision - this eyeliner has such a thin and fine felt tip that allows me to draw the thinnest line if I want to. The formula is super black and it lasts all day on the lids without smudging or fading. It's very similar to the L'Oreal's Super Liner Carbon Gloss eyeliner, but with a matte finish and a more precise applicator. My one concern is how long will it take to dry out. I'll do a proper review and report about that after a couple of months of use.
It was 7.86€ on Feel Unique. This isn't sold in Slovenia (Obviously. I wonder what pathetic excuse they have this time).

Catrice Defining Blush 020 Rose Royce

Since I was seriously impressed by the Think Pink shade, I got another more neutral one. It's less pigmented, but still such a lovely blush. I'll post swatches, but you can find a review for Think Pink here.
These cost 3.79€ in Müller.

Catrice Ultimate Colour 260 It's a Matt World

One of the lipsticks that is about to be discontinued. I already reviewed it here.

Essence Pure Skin Purifying Nose Strips

Years ago I tried the Nivea's version and apart from the feeling of ripping your face off, I found them useless. I heard some good things about these strips from Taya, so I decided to give them a go. The principle is the same - you stick them on clean, wet skin and leave them to work for 10-15 minutes before removing them. They smell weird, like that red stick glue everyone had in school (Pritt, I hated it). The instructions say to re-wet the strips before peeling them off, but instead of pulling the blackheads out, it separates and leaves sticky blue goo on the skin that needs to be washed off. In terms of results, I didn't notice any effect at all.
They cost 1.89€ for three nose strips in a pack.

Tigi Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Intense Nourishing Mask 

I finally got this after one pot got lost in the mail the first time I ordered it. I haven't tried it yet, but the pot is only 3/4 full. I used to use the old Oatmeal & Honey shampoo and conditioner (I was buying the 750 ml sizes) and they were some of my favourite hair products. They were repackaged as well as reformulated (I heard for the worse. For shame!) and they added the mask, but as far as I can tell so far at least the scent is still the same. It smells like Christmas - gingerbread, cinnamon, honey and clove. I'll do a review when I test it out properly.
I paid 13.08€ for 200g on Feel Unique.

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Hydrating Conditioner

My standard repurchase, but this time I went for a salon size 500ml that comes with a pump. My review is here.
It was 11.24€ on Feel Unique, which is a bargain.

Dove Intensiv Reparatur 1 Minute Kür-Spülung a.k.a. Intensive Repair

I've used up most of my conditioners this month, among them Dove's Oil Care mask that I've repurchased numerous times. This time I decided to try the blue version for a change. It's a bit lighter than the gold one and it also doesn't have the two colour "toothpaste" look, yet it's still a thick and creamy treatment. It has similar results, maybe it's a touch less moisturising, but it really is a minute difference. It has the typical Dove-ish scent, though I find the gold version smells better. It's a great drugstore treatment, though I'll stick with the Oil Care one, but if they didn't have it in stock, I wouldn't dismiss the blue one.
It cost the same as the other one, 3.99€, in Müller.

Joico K-Pack Intense Hydrator

Another repurchase. This is my favourite conditioner ever (and as that featured on my All-Time Favourites page). The texture is creamy and it has a bit of an odd scent that is difficult to describe in any other way than chemical. It truly hydrates the hair and I can feel it when I'm rinsing it off that it's not just that silicone coat. The current colder conditions along with the central heating being on all the time are causing my hair being even drier than usual and this does the job of keeping it moisturised, especially the ends don't dry out as fast.
It's not the cheapest hair product at 20€ for 250 ml, but if you have really dry hair, give it a go.

Herbalife Hand and Body Gel 

I have this in a generous 50 ml sample size that I got for Christmas. It's a very creamy shower gel/hand wash that foams nicely despite being SLS free and smells like fresh apples. The texture reminds me of Dove showel gels, but more gel like. It's quite nice actually, just don't ask where you can get this because I haven't got the foggiest.

La Petit Marseiliais Peche Blanche & Nectarine

As a fan of anything peach scented, I couldn't resist grabbing this in E. Leclerc despite the very retro packaging. It's supposed to be for dry skin, but I think the formula is too thin and not particularly moisturising. It smells like fresh nectarines from the bottle and under the shower it develops a slight artificial sweet note along side the nectarine. If you like peaches and nectarines, this is nice.
It was a bit over 2€.

Rexona Clear Pure Crystal Dry Deo Stick

I've never repurchased a deodorant in my life and I'm not sure if I had this before, but it smells so familiar. I immediately liked it. It smells great (fruity), but not overpowering and has a nice texture. I works for me and keeps BO at bay, but I don't sweet much. One thing that does bother me is that it leaves white marks.
It was about 2€.

Nyx Butter Gloss

I got these as a gift for my cousin. I didn't try or swatch them, but I did snap a few photos before giving them to her (she doesn't mind). The three colours are Peaches and Cream, Apple Strudel and Maple Blondie. I saw them swatched on my cousin's hand and they all look pretty much the same to me, especially if taken into consideration that they are glosses. I was updated that they are really good and smell amazing.

I got them on Cherry Culture.

Have a great day!

Two navies for you today. Anyone who's not a nail polish enthusiast would most likely regard these two as dupes, however there are differences between them. 

Essie After School Boy Blazer is a dark, inky navy with a cream finish. It's superbly pigmented, though thicker than other Essies I own. One coat is enough for full opacity, however, I apply two on nails where the first coat is uneven.

Maybelline Colorama 103 is another navy, but one that is leaning slightly to purple and has a frosty finish. It's less vibrant than most navies I've seen due to a grey hue. The pigmentation is much weaker than Essie ASBB's. The first coat is sheer and it needs two or even three coats for full opacity.

Maybelline Colorama 103 :

Maybelline 103 is lighter than Essie, however, from far away, the two look very close. I also don't notice a difference in how long they last, but then all nail polishes last super long on me. I believe Essie's ASBB was a limited edition, but if you still find one, I'd highly recommend it as the formula and the colour are amazing. You might like Maybelline more if you're looking for something that doesn't look almost black.

Essie After School Boy Blazer and Maybelline Colorama 103 on the ring finger.

It's a Matt World is one of the shades that is about to be discontinued, so I snatched it up at half price. Normally it takes me about a month before I review a product, but I decided to speed it up for this lipstick since it would be pointless posting about something you can't get any more. If you're interested in what else is going out, Moonchild has a post about it in here. These products currently have a huge discount, so grab what you want before they're gone. I posted the upcoming new products by Catrice for Spring/Summer 2014 in this post if you haven't seen them already.

It's a Matt World is a warm, but leaning more to a neutral red. It's not the most pigmented or bright shades as it needs a few layers to get the maximum intensity and compared to my other reds this is a more subtle red. The pigmentation instantly reminded me of essence's long lasting lipstick in 02 all you need it red, though It's a Matt world still packs more of a punch. The formula is a winner. This is one of the smoothest formulas I've tried, like it's packed with silicones and very reminiscent of the discontinued Revlon's mattes. This is such a pleasant lipstick to apply, it doesn't cling to patches and is not drying. It's not a matte finish rather more of a satin.

It fades evenly and looks really nice when it's half worn off. It lasted a decent amount of time on the lips, approximately 4 hours. Drinking wears it off a bit, but it survives through enough that you don't need to reapply it you're not fussy about such things.

It's a Matt World is a decent red that might not blow away those who love richly pigmented lip colours, however, it's a nice lipstick for those who want something more than a reddish lip stain or a balm, but aren't sure they want to venture into bright colours just yet. For 1.99€ that it costs now, I find it better that 02 all you need is red, so if you're interested go check it out.  

Sun Glow Shimmering Bronzing Powder. 4.99€ 

Made To Stay Smoothing Lip Polish- a lipstick, lip tint and lipgloss hybrid in six shades. 5.19€.

Infinite Shine Lip gloss - three new shades: a poppy red, pink and warm berry. 3.29€.

Crushed Crystals Nail Polish - Endless Nail Dimensions. 3D effects set new limits and are the ultimate trend. The new Crushed Crystals offer a brilliant and sandy finish. You have a huge choice of fashionable shades with high coverage ranging from taupe and rosé gold to classic red, pink and coral. The fine crystals cover your nails like diamond dust to create an incomparable structure as well as an exclusive and wearable nail design. Available in a total of six shades. 3.29€. You can see one of them here.

Ultimate Nail Lacquer - thirteen new colours. 2.79€.

I'm interested in how those Made To Stay Smoothing Lip Polish will look and in that berry lip liner. Anything caught your eye?

Have a great day!