LANCÔME Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume Waterproof

You know that awesome moment, when you're reunited with one of your all-times favourites? I treated myself to a fresh/new Hypnôse for my birthday and it's just outstanding. It does everything I want a mascara to do. Most importantly for me, it really holds the curl all day and even after I remove it, my lashes are still curled. I just love that! It also gives a ton of length and since my lashes remain curled, when I open my eyes wide, I can feel the lashes touching my eyebrows. Great stuff.

BOURJOIS Contour Edition Lip Pencil

02 Cotton Candy

Probably my favourite lip liner in terms of texture out of the ones I own. It's very close to a proper lipstick, but it's not too soft like Essence's lip liners, so it still manages to stay a decent amount of time on the lips, while being comfortable enough to be worn on its own. Cotton Candy is a beautiful, warm pink that is similar to MAC's Please Me, so it's a great every day colour, when you want something neutral, but not completely nude.

DEBORAH Smalto Gel Effect 

01

My absolute favourite nail polish at the moment both because of the colour and the formula. It's such a lovely nude, but one with rose-violet-taupe tones that keep it from looking to mannequin-hands-like and it just suit my skin tone so well. The formula is so smooth and surprising easy to apply for an opaque nude nail polish, but what impressed me more is how shiny is the finish. Plus that glossy finish lasted all week on me, which is very surprising for my nails.

BALEA My Golden Twenties & 50's Forever Pflegecremen

I adore these two and I keep them near me all the time. My preferred use for both of these is as hand cream because, though they are thicker in texture, they are not at all greasy and they absorb so fast. I even use them on my face occasionally, since I'm currently moisturiser-less and they work great. My Golden Twenties smells like lavender with a hint of honey to me (it's the more neutral smelling of the two), while 50's Forever smells like cherry soda/candy.

YVES ROCHER Pear Caramel Shower Cream

The scent of this is really lovely and it smells very authentic like pears, but it's the texture that has convinced me even more. It feels very expensive, with a pleasantly creamy formula that foams well. I've tried a few Yves Rocher's shower products and this is my favourite so far, but the packaging needs a pump.

L'ORÉAL Elvital Glatt-Intense Pflege-Shampoo

a.k.a. L'ORÉAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

I declare that I have found my absolute favourite budget-friendly shampoo. It performs like a very high-end shampoo and believe me, I have tried tons. The only one that is better than L'Oreal's is Oleo-Relax by Kérastase (which is owned by L'Oreal) and even that one is just like Elvital on steroids, meaning that if you have very demanding hair like me, you'll notice the difference between the two, otherwise no. L'Oreal's has a similar effect, so it feels like some conditioner was added in it and the hair feels a bit silky when you're rinsing it off. It also doesn't leave my hair so squeaky clean that's it's dried out and it smells nice. I'm a huge fan of this.

LE PETITE MARSEILLIAIS Huile Elixir Karité & Argan

This may just be one the best pre-wash treatments for super dry hair I've ever tried. It's a combination of soy oil, argan oil and shea butter oil, so it's super greasy and heavy, which is what makes it brilliant. My hair was very dried out, so I applied this very generously all over the hair and left it on overnight. It was completely transformed and it hasn't felt this nourished in a long time. It washes off completely and even when you're shampooing the hair, it feels in such good condition. The spray nozzle isn't the best one, but it's probably because the product is so thick that it doesn't spray evenly, however, I just spray it in my hands and apply it that way. I've used it just on my bottom third of the hair before every hair washing so far, but only left it for about a hour and it still performed very well. This will definitely become my first-aid product for dry hair.

LEE STAFFORD Hold Tight Hair Spray

Sometimes you only realize how much you like something once it's gone. I've been using this hair spray for over a year and I love it because it feels like nothing on the hair. There is no stickiness, wetness, stiffness and yet it holds so well. I only noticed they stopped selling this here, when my spray can was all but out, so I tried to replace it with another brand, which turned out to be a big mistake. I was lucky enough to find the last Hold Tight in Müller that is almost 100 km away from me and I'm so glad I did. They only thing that bothers me at this hair spray is the heavy Angel-like scent.

EBELINE Polishing Nail File

I know it doesn't look pretty. but that's how files look when you use them. It's been a while since I've used a polishing file and I forgot how nice they make your nails look. My nails look so healthy and shiny, so it looks like I've used a clear nail polish. The nail polish application is nicer as well and when I remove it, the nails underneath still look shiny.

So it's my birthday today and I felt inspired to do a picture heavy post that includes my favourite things at the moment, which I used today, as well as a portion of things I've treated myself for this occasion. So the end of the post is like a quick preview of the next New In post. Just sit back and scroll down through a ton of pictures.

Starting with eyes first. I used Urban Decay's Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics palettes for a general definition of my eyes and then Maybeline's On and on Bronze as a base on the lids with one of my favourite eyeshadows ever, L'Oreal's Infallible in 21 Sahara Treasure, on top for a more shimmery effect. 

Just like every day Essence's Big Bright Eyes pencil is on my waterline for that "yes, of course I went to sleep at 10 P.M." effect. Kardashian Beauty Deeply Felt eyeliner is on my top lash line and on my lashes the best mascara in the world Lancôme Hypnôse in waterproof formula that keeps them curled all day. 

Base consists of Max Factor All Day Primer, L'Oreal's Lumi Maqigue Primer/highlighter, NARS Sheer Glow foundation (still have a bit of that sample left as I have been saving it for today), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, L'Oreal's Lumi Magique concealer and finishing with the fabulous Bourjois Poudre the Riz de Java (awesome, awesome stuff). I sealed the whole makeup with a few sprays of Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray.

On my cheeks I'm wearing the most obvious choice Catrice's I'm Nuts About You. I've basically been wearing this non-stop since I got it, so why make a change today. 

On my nails today is Essie's Bahama Mama, though I seriously considered wearing Deborah Smalto Gel Effect 01. Bahama Mama is a Tyrian purple/ a deep warm purple shade, so my second favourite colour after mint green.

I got this beautiful infinity necklace from H&M for about 3 € and I've been wearing it non-stop since.

I also bought 21 pairs of earrings - a 20 pack from Tally Weijl for 9€ (full picture here) and a pair of adorable moustache earrings for 2 € from a brand called La Luna, which is sold in Tuš. I believe the last time I bought earrings was in 2007 and I've been wearing basically the same pair all the time since. I have no idea why people are so shocked when they hear that *finds it amusing*. 

I've finally treated myself to these three fragrances that have been on my wishlist for quite a while. First is Britney Spears Fantasy the Nice Remix (a slightly fruitier version of the original), Aqualina Pink Sugar (basically a sugar + vanilla attack, but I like it) and Katy Perry Royal Revolution (the softest and least sugary one of the three).

My "hair" inspired purchases from Feel Unique. Basically, I just repurchased all the things my hair loves, but there are also some new comers that I'm trying out. Just a quick shout out to Kérastase Nutritive Masquitense Épais - Thick because it's just phenomenal.

I just adore the bottle of Royal Revolution. This will so stay on my vanity as decoration for a long time. 

I hope you enjoyed this picture heavy post and have a great day!

I finally came round to using up this little snowman. I've kept it for quite a while as decoration, since it's just so adorable and also because its scent filled the whole room when it was new. But I wanted a nice relaxing bath and I had (well, have) zero other bath products, so I had to say good bye to the snowman as it fizzed away in the bath. The next few pictures were taken in low light, but I'm sure you don't mind.

As far as bath bombs go, I've tried my fair share, mostly from (the more expensive) Lush, and this one falls into the category of "pretty to look at, but doesn't do much in the bath". The official description says it smells like cinnamon. While the cinnamon note is instantly recognizable, it's certainly not a yummy, gourmand type of scent, which I'd love. There are several other notes in the mix, something soapy-clean and to me an unknown masculine note. The scent is strong and it fills the entire bathroom as well as the adjacent room. Once in the bath it does the usual amount of fizzing and that's it. No colour, no effect, apart from smelling nice, but honestly I don't mind. Once it dissolves, what remains is the carrot nose (cute) and cloves (a.k.a. eyes and mouth), so there is little, if any, clean up needed after the bath. I noticed no moisturisation and my skin was bit dry on my legs (which is usual for me after a shower), but not in a uncomfortable way. The fragrance lingers on the skin for quite a while.  

It may not be spectacular in terms of effect, but it's still a nice and fun bath product. I'm tempted to try more of Bomb Cosmetic's bath bombs as I find most of their stuff looks so adorable, but I'd like to have sniff of the products before buying. You can find their products here and Chilly Willy is currently half off.

Bomb Cosmetics je na voljo na Click2Chic. Chilly Willy snežak stane 2,93 € in ga lahko najdete tukaj.

Have you tried any of their products? Any recs? Have a great day!

* I was sent the product // Izdelek mi je bil podarjen.

I wanted this lipstick for quite a while because I fell in love with the shade when I swatched it the shop the first time, but avoided purchasing it because honestly, I don't like the formula of these. I know so many people love Essence Long lasting Lipsticks, but I find them so mediocre and I'm not a fan of the formula. I have (had, actually) three other shades and I almost never wear them simply because I have so many lipsticks of a far superior quality. So, this is one of those lipsticks of which I love the shade, but the formula is very average, especially compared to lipsticks from Essence's sister company Catrice.

The formula is very light, in fact, too light, meaning it emphasizes imperfections. I miss something more waxy or siliconey in this formula, so it would make it stick on the lips more or at least a denser formula that would be more moisturising rather than just sit on top of the lips. I find that Catrice lipsticks are far superior in terms of formula and the price is still reasonable. However, I really like the shade range of long lasting lipsticks. There is one shade called Natural Beauty that I really, really like, but again avoid buying it because I know I'll find the formula disappointing and I won't wear it.

Staying power is nothing to write home about. Most shades in the range usually disappear in a few hours, this one even faster due to lightness of the colour. But the shade… isn't it just stunning? It's a warm pink with peachy tones that is hard to find if you're as pale as me, since most similar shades either look too orange or too cool toned. If you're darker than NC/W 10, keep in mind that this shade will most likely look more nude on you. The pigmentation of this shade is nice and doesn't need to be built-up much. The lipstick smells strongly of crayons, which to me it's not that annoying, but it is to some people I know.

The shade is a beauty, but I wish Essence put more effort into the formula of these. They aren't bad at all, but you get what you pay for and there are a lot of really good lipstick for an even more affordable price. If you don't mind reapplying regularly and exfoliating the lips before use, it's worth checking out.

I'll start by saying that this is one of my favourite nail polishes I've bought in the past few months, not just because of the colour, but also because of the formula. I have a thing for opaque nude nail polishes and this is one of the most beautiful as well as best performing ones. 

It's a nude with a rose-violet-taupe tone and I just love it on my nails. It's close to my skin tone, but those cool hues keep it from looking like mannequin fingers. If I compare it to Essie's Spin the Bottle, this is a cooler and darker shade of nude, while Essence's Candy Love is a lot lighter, brighter and warmer.

The formula is so smooth, especially for a nude nail polish and it feels like such a nice quality. It performs so much better than Essences Candy Love because, even though both formulas are thick, as I said before it's smoother and therefore a lot less streaky.  I apply two coats for that perfect, even finish. This nail polish is super shiny. Seriously, the shine lasted all week and usually on my nails the shine disappears very quickly (I don't know why). The brush is one of those great wide ones and it performs great.

I made a huge mistake when I did a blind buy of this shade, but I really wanted to try at least one of these lipstick pencils. Berry Much is nothing like I imagined it'd be based on online swatches, however, the texture of this is marvellous, so I really regret not going with another colour. 

Colour: Berry Much is a deep plum shade with an intense purple tone, while I expected it to be a classic burgundy shade, so something like L'Oreal's Laetitia. Unfortunately for me, purples don't suit me well and it doesn't help that this has a hint to greyness in it, so it's a draining colour on me, but of course that doesn't mean it won't suit you. I don't know why, but when freshly applied this colour makes my lips look a bit bee stung and overdrawn (it's clear on the picture bellow that I didn't overdraw my lips, but on most full-face shots it looked just ridiculous). By that I mean obnoxiously pouty-looking, you may notice that on the last picture (top lip), though I deliberately chose one where I don't look like a douche as I hate pouting.

Texture and staying power: Despite the shade being a miss for me, the texture is fantastic. It's like someone took the best formula of a classic lipstick and put it into a pencil form. It's so pigmented and creamy, so it applies very smoothly without any dragging or tugging of the lips. The finish is creamy or creamy-matte once it sets a bit. It's similar to Revlon's Matte Balm pencils, but with a better staying power. The size and shape of the pencil is a hit as well as it enables a very precise application meaning there is no need for an additional lip pencil. It does require frequent sharpening if you want a super precise edge every time (by the way it fits into Essence' sharpener). The staying power impressed me as well as it lasts several hours (though admittedly darker shades last long almost by default) and it also fades so nicely into this lovely even stain.

Price and availability: It was  £4.99 on Boots International. These haven't reached Slovenia yet, but I hear they're already available in most European countries including our neighbour Croatia.

I should have just bought Red Essential and I really regret buying a miss shade because the texture is amazing. I just assumed that it'd be a nice berry shade, which usually suit me very well and I tend to wear them constantly in colder months. It's not awful, but I'd prefer something less purple and more red (I have tried mixing it with a red on top, but it doesn't look that good). Maybe next time.

Have a great day!

(Besedilo v slovenščini je na koncu objave) 

Though I'm a beauty blogger, I'm slightly ashamed to admit that these konjac sponges escaped my notice completely. I'm dubious about these "miracle do-it-all" products such as these and when it comes to skin care I prefer not to experiment too much. I was offered to try one sponge and I remembered Jana praising one of these, so I accepted. I was recommended the version with French Pink Clay which is meant for tired and devitalised skin after describing my skin as normal/combination but at times partly dry and prone to dry patches. There are several versions designed for different skin types and you can see them here. 

The concept behind konjac sponges is that they're made from fibres of a konnyaku potato or konjac plant native to Asia. They are supposedly 100 % natural, vegan, cruelty free and biodegradable. The sponge comes packed in a plastic bag and it's bone dry, so it's hard as a rock. You're supposed to wet it and then gently squeeze out the excess water by flattening it between the palms, so you don't damage it. Once it's wet, it's so squishy and soft, it's like jelly and actually fun to use. No soap is required, unless you plan to use it to remove makeup. It does feel like there is a light layer of something soapy on the sponge and the lightly textured surface provides a gentle exfoliation. Both of these features appear to be responsible for an incredibly silky feeling on the skin, almost like a silicone primer was applied. The skin is so smooth and there is a light layer of something moisturizing left behind. I really like to use this in the morning because it's so fast and convenient, it takes seconds to wash my face. I prefer to use it without any soap, but I have tried using it with it and I didn't really like it, as it took forever to get the sponge free of soap again, plus it didn't perform any better than without soap. I would, however, not consider this as a stand-alone cleansing method, especially if you wear makeup often. I still like to use a "proper cleanser" at the end of the day to make sure that my skin is completely clean. When it comes to long term performance, I must say I haven't noticed any particular effects and my skin is just the way it usually is.

After washing, I rinse it off and put it on a radiator (though, you're supposed to hang it in a dry place) so it dries completely and reverts to its hard state. I disinfect it by pouring boiling water over it, however, I have noticed that this process is slowly removing that soapy layer and  after a month of use that silky feeling isn't really present any more. The sponge is supposed to last 1-3 months before you have to change it.

I wasn't going to address this originally because I've only had experience with this particular sponge, but I was informed by Tamara from Cherry Colours on Instagram that there are much cheaper sponges that could be found on eBay, so a little debate formed there and was later contacted by our importer to explain to me why these particular sponges cost so much. I find it important to share these information to perhaps help someone decide in which direction to go. These particular sponges are cruelty free, vegan and comply to the highest EU regulations, which sets them apart from other similar products since as we know, the origin of products on eBay can be sketchy (especially from China). The plants used to make these sponges grow in an area under UNESCO protection (Jeju island) meaning the pollution levels are regulated and minimal. The konjac fibres used are the highest quality and their company esteems themselves on high work ethic. So basically the decision of what to get is completely yours based on what you find more important.

In general I do like this sponge. It's quick and easy to use, it provides gentle exfoliation and I loved that silkiness that it left behind in the first few weeks of use. These cost 11.99 € where I live and 7.99 GBP on the official website.

Konjac gobice so narejene iz posebnih gomoljev, ki izhajajo iz Azije in so 100 % naravne, veganske in biorazgradljive. Sama imam gobico s francosko roza glino, ki je namenjena utrujeni ter občutljivi koži in ta dobro ustreza moji kombinirani dehidrirani koži, ampak obstaja več verzij gobic, katere lahko vidite tukaj.

"Vsi gomolji vzgajani za izdelavo naših Konjac gobic rastejo na otoku Jeju, ki je pod UNESCO-vo zaščito, kjer je onesnaževanje okolja nadzorovano in tako minimalno. Konjac vlakna, ki jih uporablja The Konjac Sponge Company so najvišje kvalitete in tako prehranske kakovosti ter ročno predelana v gobice. Vse sestavine (dodatki francoskih glin, bambusovo oglje) imajo znano poreklo, vrhunsko kakovost in zelo pomembno, so vse 100% naravne. Vse gobice izpolnjujejo tudi najvišje EU standarde varnosti in kakovosti in so prestale vse mikrobiološke teste. In še ena značilnost naših gobic, visok nivo etike, vse imajo certifikata Cruelty-free in Vegan ter so izdelane v The Konjac Sponge Company tovarni kjer skrbijo tudi za visok nivo etike na delovnem mestu. Gobice, ki se preko eBaya prodajajo za 1-3$ so večinoma Kitajskega porekla. Kot pri drugih vrstah izdelkov, to sicer zagotavlja nizko ceno, a na račun popolnoma nenadzorovanega okolja v katerem nastajajo in popolnoma nereguliranih pogojev delavcev, ki kitajske izdelke proizvajajo. V nekaterih primerih pa vsebujejo tudi dvomljive dodatke, npr barvila, parfume in konzervanse. Čeravno smo danes vsi pozorni na ceno, sem mnenja, da višja kakovost same gobice skupaj z naravno in etično  filozofijo produktov The Konjac Sponge Company, odtehta razliko v ceni."

Meni je gobica precej všeč, še posebej zaradi tega svilenega občutka, ki ga pusti na koži, čeprav zdaj ko je gobica že starejša, tega učinka praktično ni več. Je enostavna in hitra za uporabo, edino kar je manjša nevsečnost je da jo moraš nekje posušiti, torej ne more biti ves čas shranjena med ostalim izdelki za nego kože. Gobice stanejo 11.99 €, več informacij, spletno trgovino ter seznam prodajnih mest lahko najdete tukaj tukaj. 

Have a great day!

*The product was sent to me // Izdelek mi je bil podarjen.