MILANI Powder Blush 

01 Romantic Rose

You know when you have something on your wishlist and it then turns out to be even better than you ever imagined? Well, this is such a product for me. I wanted it mostly because of the design and didn't really care much if it's particularly good, but this is my dream blush. Yes, the design is fantastically gorgeous, but it's not its only plus. The pigmentation is great as well, as is the staying power, but most importantly, this is my favourite ever shade. It's very similar to my other favourite, I'm Nuts About you by Catrice, it's just a touch warmer, but the same type of natural brownish-muted warm pink that I love wearing. It's just amazing and I hope I get my hands on more of these.

BOURJOIS 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream

This is one of my favourite concealers, but I tend to save it a lot because it runs out quite fast and it's not cheap for the amount you get. If you love Maybelline's the Eraser, you'll like this too, as it has a similar very natural looking effect, yet it still provides a decent amount of coverage (about medium, won't cover everything, but it's good enough). The shade 21 fits me better than The Eraser's Fair, it's a bit lighter and more neutral. I really wish they made these with more product inside because so far because it the best concealer I found for me in our drugstores. This is my second one so far.

GOLDEN ROSE Matte Lipstick Crayon 

02

I reviewed three of these this month and 02 is my favourite. It's a great autumn/winter burgundy shade that is similar to MAC's Diva, but a bit cooler (by the way, shade 23 from the Velvet Matte range is the same), so if you ever looked for a nice, cheaper alternative, this is it. These are lovely creamy pencils, similar to Maybelline's Colour Drama, pigmentation is great, they last fine on the lips and are very affordable. They need to be sharpened, which is a minor inconvenience, but you actually don't end up doing that very often.

GOLDEN ROSE Velvet Matte Lipstick

12

This is the darker sister of my beloved Nude-ist. I haven't posted a review for it yet, but I've been wearing so much this month and it's become one of those shades that I just grab when I'm in a hurry because it brings some colour to my face since my natural lips are quite pale. It's a medium muted rose shade that looks so polished and modern (it's not that different from MAC Mehr I hear), so one of those perfect everyday colours that goes with everything. I like the matte lipsticks more than the pencils and that's because the finish is closer to a true matte (in a regular lipstick way), but they are still creamy and easy to apply. I'll try to post the review for this soon.  

BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet 

07 Nude-ist

If I'm already talking about Golden Rose 12, I might as well mention this one. Yes again, even though it's my all-time favourite and it keeps popping out in my favourites posts (and I wore it in two other recent posts). It's so damn gorgeous. I think it's the only liquid lipstick I have where you can see how empty it is. I love the colour, the formula, staying power and that great matte finish after it sets. By the way, I treated myself to two new shades for my birthday, Plum Plum Girl and Happy Nude Year (love the first, not too thrilled about the second).

OPI Nail Lacquer Starlight Collection Fall 2015

Give Me Space

When I saw swatches of this nail polish, I knew I desperately need to have it even though I wasn't sure how we stand with limited editions in Slovenia, but apparently we are well stocked - a minor miracle in my book. I've dreamed of a starry sky inspired nail polish for years (I like the galaxy/night sky patterns so much), but they aren't exactly something you pick up in every drugstore. It's a navy with holographic glitter and trust me, no picture I've seen does it justice. It applies quite sheer for the first coat, but two give you full coverage. It was my choice to wear for New Years and my birthday, which considering how much I love Bahama Mama is quite a statement. 

DOVE Advanced Hair Series Quench Absolute Supreme Crème Serum 

I planned to talk about this product first in my New in post, but that'll have to wait as it's been a weird shopping month since my birthday is so late. This is a true product of the month to me, a rare fantastic drugstore hair product discovery that really impressed me and I've been using it the entire month consistently. I never heard a word about this before I bought it, but I grabbed it purely because it was 50 % off and I was curious what's it like. You know how demanding I am when it comes to hair care and I expect a lot from products since my hair is always dry and annoying to deal with. The first plus at this product is that I can easily use it on damp and dry hair. On damp hair it makes my hair noticeable sleeker, frizz is reduced, it nourishes the hair to a degree, but the biggest difference this makes is in the shine. In combination with La Petite Marseillais Agran and Karite oil it made my hair looking and feeling fabulous. My hair actually looks healthy with these two after blow drying. On dry hair it performs brilliantly alone, it tames frizz, hides damaged/dry ends and adds tons of shine. It's way better on dry hair than any serum I've tried and that includes Orofluido. The scent is lovely too, classically Dove, but also a bit perfumey. The texture is a bit on a heavy side, so if you have thin hair you might want to use a small amount if you'd like to try it, but I of course slap it on like there is not tomorrow since my hair can handle anything. I love this.
By the way, I bought this in my local Müller sometime at the end of December.

PALMERS Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick 

This is my favourite lip balm and the only one I actually use, but regular readers might now that already. Anyway this landed in my favourites because of a different reason. It's actually like a SOS-stick for dry patches and this month I've been suffering from dry cheeks again (completely my fault. I've been using gel cleansers because I haven't worn makeup as often as I normally do (I mainly wore just lipstick) and when I don't, I don't want to waste my good balm and oil cleansers, so I use the cheap stuff. Rookie mistake) and when I was putting lip balm on my lips I thought well why don't I use this on my cheeks, since my usual oils (argan for heavy-duty) don't work and a couple of applications later, my cheeks were feeling much, much better. It also gave me such a wonderful glow, like a super natural looking highlighter. Again it proved itself to be some great stuff. I also used this on my elbows. By the way, it smells like cocoa/chocolate.

THE BODY SHOP Vineyard Peach Collection

Oh, my beloved Vineyard Peach. I save you far too much. I just hate that The Body Shop isn't anywhere near me in Slovenia. Vineyard Peach is one of my all-time favourite scents in the world and since it was my birthday month, I cracked up my favourites, this included of course. I managed to use up the scrub, though it actually wasn't my favourite as it's too weak for my taste, but the body butter is beyond amazing, such a creamy, but thick nourishing texture. This is the best peach scent ever. It's the proper one, like a mix of vineyard peaches (my favourite summer treat) and peach yoghurt. Adore this so much. The mist doesn't last long, but it smells sooo good. 

eBay Metallic Rose Gold Brushes

I keep mentioning these, but they well deserve their spot in this post. I ordered the whole set, but it hasn't arrived yet (I really hope it's not lost). I started using the contour brush for foundation and it works so well. I love the shape because I can blend around the eyes better that with others. It terms of performance it's similar to Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but it's less dense. The blush brush has served me for its original purpose as well as highlighter and powder. These look expensive, though the handle is plastic, which is actually much better to me as I would hate to have a heavy brush to handle. The bristles are amazingly soft and these just feel well made.

Have a great day!

I never like to say much in such posts, again the emphasis is more on the pictures. I'm sharing my makeup choices for today, so my celebratory makeup that includes my favourites at the moment and I'll show you what I got myself for my birthday. You can find last years such post here - actually there aren't that many recurring products because I found so many new favourites this year. 

I has been close to eight years since I last got an OPI. I usually buy much cheaper nail polishes, but I stumbled upon Michelle's (All Lacquered Up) post about the best nail polishes in 2015 and when I saw this one, my eyes widened. Since forever I wanted a night sky inspired nail polish in the style of Essie's Starry Night, but they aren't easy to come by, so when such a gorgeous shade comes by, even I make an exception and splurge, though I was lucky enough to get this one as a belated Christmas gift.

Give Me Space is a deep blue with a mix of fine holographic and blue shimmer. The effect is just stunning and my pictures don't do it justice. It applies more sheer for the first coat, but the second gives it that depth an it's fully opaque. It applies nicely and evenly, but it can feel a bit dry at times, so I prefer to work with thick coats.

The brush is medium width, so it fits my nails well, but I always manage to paint the cuticles since my nails are so narrow.

I got it as a gift for the holidays, that's why it's from Müller where it costs 12.99 €, but you know you can get it much cheaper online and to be fair, the bottle is huge (15 ml). This is definitely one of my favourite nail polish discoveries in a really long time.

Have a great day!

I was asked to share hair curling routine and tips a while ago and even though I don't do anything revolutionary and most probably won't find anything new, I've been itching to write another hair post, since they are my favourite to write. You may have noticed that I like to have my hair curled, actually when it was shorter, it was naturally quite curly/wavy, but in a very messy way. Now it's has only a bit of a wave due to the length, as the weight of the hair is straightening it. Since I was twelve my hair has been dry, frizzy, messy-curly and unmanageable, but I only started using curlers about six years ago (before I was trying to define my natural curls), anyway I use them just because I like more polished hair styles than the air-dry texture. Aside from that, if I curl my hair, I don't have to do anything to it for almost a week, while if I leave it natural, it feels dry and so bland that I constantly need to apply product to keep it in check (I tend to wear it braided when I'm giving my hair a break from the heat). My hair is thick and has natural texture to it (it's never soft), so it holds curl well, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to make it last longer. I'm a hair junkie so I have a lot of products and I included them here to maybe help you with possible product recommendations, but of course you don't need anything more than a heat protectant and a curler as the basics. 

Starting with the most important thing - the curler. I've tried a few in my many years of curling, but the two that made the cut are Remington Ci6325 Pro Soft Curl (bought in Interspar) and Sapphire 8 in 1 Wand (got it from Irresistible Me). I've tried many types of barrels and the 2.5 cm/1 inch is by far my favourite. I know a lot of people use 3.2 cm (1 1/4 ”), but honestly, I'm certain their curls last no longer than a day just like at me and that's a waste of time and effort. Still if you wish to see how those types of curls look, I have a picture in the review of Sapphire. I've used the Remington one for years and it's excellent for the price, but I'm currently using Sapphire a lot more because it's lighter, it doesn't have the annoying clamp, heats up a lot faster and I can see how it's heating up on the screen. Curling with a straightener is a massive waste of time at my hair as it lasts an hour or two (and ironically almost all hairdressers use this method. That's why I prefer to do my own hair). 

I always wash my hair at night because it weird to me to do it in the morning. I blow-dry it straight using medium heat and a round brush from Ebeline to reduce frizz and then pin it up in a high, very tight twisted bun, with which I go to sleep. This gives the hair volume, texture and a natural wave which is an excellent base to work on. If I blow-dry the hair when it's still damp and put in in a bun while it's still hot/warm, I get lovely natural waves in the morning, but if I don't want to torture my hair too much and let it air-dry till it's about 90% dry before I make it sleek with a hair-dryer and a round brush, I only get some volume and a messier texture. Both cases are fine. I'm currently doing the latter version and that's also why my hair looks more straight than curly, but here is how it looks if I do it in the first way.

I apply a heat protectant before I start doing anything. My favourites for dry hair are Kérastase Nectar Thermique and Tigi S Factor Flat Iron Spray.

I also love:

Others I have are:

I also have a sample of L'Oreal's Elnett Heat Protect Spray - Straight, which is very lovely and affordable, probably my top recommendation for a budget friendly heat protectant.

I set the temperature to 200°C. I've tried curling with lower temperatures, but then the curls last a day at most. However, I have thick hair that need more heat for an actually effect and if your hair is thin, don't mess with high temperatures. I curl my hair in two sections. I pin the top part away and curl the bottom half first, then I curl the top part. I don't really take care of how big the sections are, but they are about 2-3 cm wide and I wrap them flat against the barrel so I get ribbon curls. That's just the way I like it, but if you twist the strand before, you'll get more messy, beachy waves. I start wrapping in the middle of the strand and leave the ends out.

After I finish doing the lower half, I pin the curls into a loose bun while it's still hot, only then do I start curling the top half, which I also pin in a bun after I'm done. Sometimes I then merge both parts into one bun, it really doesn't matter much, but what does matter is that you're gentle at pinning and keeping it very loose. I use regular bobby pins for the job as I find that hair ties don't affect the curls well. I'm sure you know this, but only when the hair is cool, it sets into shape. If you leave hot curls just down, they will straighten to a degree or even completely. I used to pin every curl individually, but now I can't be bothered to do that any more. I release the buns only after they are completely cool. Even if they feel cool on the outside, they may be warm inside, so to be safe I leave it for at least 10-20 minutes, but the longer the better if you have time.

I then release the buns and I have these defined curls, which some may even like it like that already, so you can just add some hair spray and be done with it and by the way, if you do it like that, also maybe just comb the hair a bit with fingers, the curls will last the longest this way and will look its best on the second day. I gently brush out the curls with a Tangle Teezer(-like brush), so I get nicer waves. Brushing doesn't destroy the curls if you're gentle.

I then shape the waves/curls with my fingers and some hair serum. Mostly it's Orofluido, but I also use Kérastase Elixir Ultime or Avon's Advanced Techniques Moroccan and lately I've been really loving Dove's Advanced Hair Series Quench Absolute Supreme Crème Serum because it makes the hair look so healthy, tamed and shiny. I keep another oil in the bathroom and that is Aussie's 3 Miracle Oil Reconstructor. It's very light, so similar to the Kérastase one and I tend to use it when I want my hair to smell like vanilla-strawberry ice cream and bubble gum.

For hold I mostly rely on three products or two sets of products. Charles Worthington Texturizing spray creates a more lived-in effect, the curls look more messy and it also adds texture plus hold. It's a product that will make your hair more stiff and matte, so if you don't like that I'll tell you about an alternative later. I've tried a few texturizing sprays and this one and the VO5 Give Me Texture are my favourite, but both aren't sold here. I haven't found a decent one in Slovenia yet (I'm not a fan of the most popular one, L'Oreal's TXT Excess Volume), but you can use a dry shampoo to add texture. To seal all in place I use my all-time favourite hair spray Lee Stafford Hold Tight, which provides good hold, but feels like nothing on the hair. Unfortunately someone decided to stop selling this in Slovenia and has therefore gained my eternal wrath. I have tried a few others since and hated them, but before I was using Tigi's Mastermind, which I like and I had a small size of L'Oreal's Elnett, which is decent too.

 Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 07 Nude-ist on the lips

When I want my curls to look more polished and put together, I use a hair wax and my favourite at the moment is Got2b Rise 'n Shine Soufflé. It's has a very light, almost airy texture and apart from hold, it also helps define the waves. Used it on the picture bellow (don't mind the frizz, it was my 4548th picture of the day and it's from my "work blog post"), above it's Charles Worthington plus Lee Stafford.

Milani Matte Lipstick Darling on the lips, Rimmel Velvet Matte 014 Sumptuous Red on the nails.

And it's done. I make it seem like it's a long task, but it's 10 minutes of curling or even less, pin the hair up and after it cools, I use a brush (or fingers) and hair oil to break up the tight curls, then add a product(s) with hold and it's done. Nothing new, nothing exciting, but that's how I do it, that's what I learned over the years from my experience and tips from other places. I do curls on other people and some report it lasts days like on me and on some they drop at the end of the day, but those are the ones with thin hair. As I said before, when don't brush out the curls, but only break them apart with fingers, they last the longest.

I hope this was helpful and have a great day!

I've already done a fair amount of gushing about this blush and included it in my favourite products of 2015, even though it technically wasn't mine at the time, but now it is, since my cousin just decide to give it to me (thank you!). These have been on my wishlist for absolutely ages, actually ever since I've seen them at Holly from Eating Lipstick, when I fell in love with the design, despite not loving the original selection of colours that much. Luckily, they expanded their shade range since and I got the shade Romantic Rose which is a part of the permanent selection, but I still have some of their limited edition ones on my wishlist. 

Colour: This is basically just a touch warmer than Catrice's I'm Nuts About You, a shade I've been completely nuts about for a couple of years now and it's my favourite blush ever - well now it's tied with this one. It's one of those difficult to describe shades because it's like a mix of a blush and a bronzer, but best I can describe it is as a muted natural brownish warm pink shade and it's a type of shade that goes with literally anything and it's excellent for combining with red and vampy shades. I think it's perfect.

Texture: It's nicely pigmented and I quickly get enough colour for my (pale) cheeks. Some say it looks a bit powdery and it takes more work to blend, but I don't find it so and it's like a regular good blush to me. The finish looks matte to me. 

Staying power: Staying power is comparable to Catrice's blush, which tends to last well on me. It lasts at least 8 hours (that's when I checked once and it was still looking good), but at the end of the day, it's mostly faded.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 07 Nude-ist on the lips. 

Packaging: It comes in a plastic case in that typical Milani greenish gold tone, but the stunningly gorgeous design inside steals the spotlight, so you don't really take notice of the exterior that much. The design will disappear with use, which is a tragedy, but it's just makeup. I already dropped a nail polish on it while taking pictures, I'm still disgusted by myself, but luckily it survived well. 

I'm completely smitten with this blush, I seriously just adore it. It shot up into my all-time favourites lightening fast. I love the shade, the quality is great and the design is out of this world. I just feel a bit silly now for not getting it sooner. I still have shades American Beauty Rose, Blossomtime Rose, Awakening Rose and maybe also Flora Passion on my wishlist and I hope I won't be delaying again until they disappear from the shelves as the first three are limited edition. 

You can find them on these websites: Milani Cosmetics EU 9.16 €; Milani Cosmetics USA $7.99; Beauty Crowd, £7.20; Beauty Joint, $9.99; Moja Drogerija, 14.41 € and Click2Chic, 10.46 € (last two are Slovene). 

Have a great day!

From what I was told about Golden Rose when I asked about what's worth checking out, I gathered that their lip products are the bomb. I was particularly recommended to try their matte lip products, so their Velvet Matte lipsticks and these Matte Crayons. I said in my New in that I got a few e-mails and messages from readers and friends about really dark, plumy shades and I wanted to find really affordable options, not just that I could share my finds with them, but of course also for me as I didn't have a proper really dark vampy shade. I picked up two of the darkest shades, 02 and 03, later I also got 05 to swatch as a loan from my cousin, who bought it not knowing the brand.

Texture: These are very creamy for matte pencils and are similar to Maybelline's Color Drama. There is no annoying dragging with these, they glide on the lips just nicely. The formula is actually a bit creamier than their Velvet Matte lipsticks, which is perhaps a bit unexpected. Even though they are in a pen form, I didn't get that precise, crisp edge with these. At most shades that would be unimportant, but when it comes to dark shades you'd want the nicest possible application, so pick up a lip liner for these. They are nicely pigmented, but you might need an additional layer to get a full impact of colour. The finish is quite a decent matte, but still has a bit of the creamy shine. These do transfer.

02

02 is a deep burgundy red that is very similar to Mac's Diva, but a bit more cool, so if you ever looked for a cheaper alternative here you have it. Shade 23 from the Velvet Matte range is basically the same. 

 03

03 is a deep plum with some brown tones. I must admit it was not love at first sight, as anything purple or brown tends to look awful on me, but I gave it a shot since I have nothing similar and it's deeper than 02. It's not my favourite on the lips. I feel it lacks some vibrancy and red tones. Shade 29 from the Velvet Matte is its equivalent. 

 05

The last shade, 05, is a classic burgundy colour that is a shade lighter than 02, but closer to a true red than that one. 

Staying power: I can't say these are the most long lasting lip products, especially considering how dark the shades are that I picked, but it's still very decent and these will last hours one the lips. They can also survive drinking, but at eating the edges are the first to go. If your lips tend to get dry during the day, you may find these drying, though they aren't actively drying, it's just the the formula isn't providing any additional moisture or care.

Scent: I notice no scent. 

Packaging: These need to be sharpened. It's good because you'll get more precision, but bad because it's one of those annoying chores and you lose some of the product each time. However, I've used these several times so far and haven't sharpened them once. Ingredients here.  

Price and availability: These cost an affordable 3.90 € (price in Slovenia) in Golden Rose shops/stalls.

For the price these are pretty good. The texture is nicely creamy, pigmentation is good and they last decently on the lips. If you're looking for cheap vampy shades, now you know where to check, but they also have a nice selection of more natural looking colours. I don't quite get why so many shades are the same as in their Velvet Matte range, but at least you have an option of choosing between the two. 

By the way, Jasmina from Makeup Arena swatched most of these here and a comparison with shades from the Velvet Matte range is here.

Have a great day!