Makeup

COLLECTION Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

I think this is still one of the best drugstore concealers, especially when it comes to high coverage. I've used up a few of these, though they aren't easy to get. I have the shade Fair which is appropriately light and fits me ok. It covers a lot, so I use this one for spots, stronger redness and under the eyes when I feel I look extra tired. But it can look obvious on dry skin that's one of its rare minuses. The packaging is a minus too because while I like the doe foot applicator, the cap breaks every time.

Repurchase: Yes.

BOURJOIS 123 Perfect CC Cream

The best BB/CC cream I found, though this is basically a classic foundation and it's very similar to my favourite Healthy Mix Serum. They both have light-medium coverage and an great natural no-makeup makeup finish, the main difference is that this one has a more satin finish, while Serum is more dewy. The only minus for me is the shade range which tragically overlooks very pale skin tones, so I couldn't use it on its own, instead I ended up mixing in with lighter foundations and recently with lightening drops by TBS. It has one more mini minus and that is that if you store it in a way that the applicator points down, once you open it, the product just starts to spill out and refuses to stop no matter how you turn it. If you're looking for a great drugstore base, I recommend you check this one out. 

Repurchase: I would love to, but all the shades are too dark for me. Maybe I will.

CATRICE Beautifying Lip Smoother

One of the most comfortable lip products ever. It's like a pillow for the lips. I liked it a lot, but I very rarely wear lip glosses so this has gone bad before I had a chance to use it up.

Repurchase: This shade isn't sold any more, but still I won't be buying new shades. I know I'd end up not using it again.

Skincare

QUEEN HELENE The Original Mint Julep Masque

I bought this massive tube a few years ago based on rave reviews on Makeup Alley. It's a great, simple clay mask in a traditional scary green shade and it really does work in getting your pores clean, but it's not a miracle worker. I heard some people say it works on their blackheads, but it doesn't on mine, it just makes the skin look more fresh and healthy. It's great for oily to combination skin, but I wouldn't use this on dry skin because this becomes very tight and removes all oils. My biggest complaint about this is that it's so thick, I could not get it out of the tube once I used up about a half. I literally had to jump on the tube to get a few centimetres out and I just do not have patience for that.

Repurchase: Maybe.

BALEA Beauty Effect Eye & Lip Serum 

This serum didn't do much. I didn't find it very hydrating and it left a sticky coat on the skin that was still there in the morning, then it even started to flake. I regret spending money for this, but the Power Maske from this line is really good.

Repurchase: No.

URIAGE Thermal Micellar Water Combination/Oily Skin 

This was just another micellar water in my seemingly endless stash and it didn't stand out. Average, but good performance in terms of removing makeup, only mascara occasionally posed a challenge, it feels like water and isn't irritating. It's meant for combination/oily skin, but I didn't notice a difference between other micellar waters.

Repurchase: No.

FIRST AID BEAUTY Exfoliating Pads 

I already spoke about these in my skin care post where I said that they are too gentle for me, so I didn't see any effect, but I hear these work with sensitive skin if you need something with AHA. 

Repurchase: No.

Body

SOAP & GLORY Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub

I really loved the texture of this one. It's a sugar and salt scrub, so it'll be harsh for those more sensitive, but I like my scrubs to be strong. It was nicely balmy, so my skin wasn't dry after a shower and it completely rinsed off. But as much as I love the texture, I'm not fond of the scent. It was barely passable to me from the beginning when it smelled like maple syrup, but the older it got the more it started to smell like a mix of coffee with a self-tanner, and I'm not a fan of either. I have two more S&G scrubs in my stash, Sugar Crush and Flake Away, both are lovely.

Repurchase: No, but yes to other S&G scrubs.

AFRODITA 100% Spa Sugar Scrub

Good for scrubbing, but this is just way too greasy to deal with. A thick layer of slippery oil just sticks to your skin and you need either a stripping shower gel or a bar soap to get it off. It's a hazard to use this in the bath.

Repurchase: No.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Or

I'm embarrassed to say I had this since 2012, but it only recently started to just smell a bit off, so I quickly used it up. I adore the original version and I've gone through several bottles, but a product with glitter is harder to use up. It's a drier oil than the original, it's hardly greasy on the skin and it has a ton of tiny shimmer plus even a bit of a bronze tint that did make my skin a bit darker. It's a product that it's mostly for summer, but I realised I don't like shimmer on my skin because it's emphasises my imperfections, plus the shimmer always ends up everywhere, regardless what type of the product it is. I used this mostly on my hair when it was very, very dry. 

Repurchase: No, I'm sticking to the original only.

BALEA Rasiergel

Frische Kick

A boring empty, I bought so many of these in a row. This one had a lemon cake scent and the one I have currently has a strange coconut scent. 

Repurchase: Yes

KNEIPP Herbal Bath Pure Bliss

This looked like blood when I poured it out the bottle. It was a thick, dark red liquid and it turned the water into a light shade of pink. It has a strong scent that for me was a type that I liked and didn't like because it was to me an unfamiliar warm floral scent that was a bit strange.

Repurchase: No.

Hair

TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray Heat Defender

I swore by this in the past when my hair wasn't in such good condition as it's now, or at least until I found products that are great defrizzers (Dove, Potion 9, Percy & Reed). It's basically an light oil, similar to Orofluido Sahara and it protects against heat tools, plus gives tons of shine, it makes the hair look healthier and it even feels a bit nourishing. Now I don't need that much extra on my hair (most thanks to Dove), so I can afford to buy something cheaper (Balea) and save some pennies. If you have very dry hair, I really recommend this.

Repurchase: Yes.

KÉRASTASE Forme Fatale Voluptuous Blow-Dry Gel

This was a miss purchase for my hair type. I just got too into the idea that since it's from Kérastase it'll surely be a less drying volumising product, but you can't have one without the other. This made my hair both too dry and too frizzy, but it gave a ton of volume when blow-dried with a round brush. I used it on very thin hair, quickly greasy hair and it worked so much better. There was no frizz, just a good amount of volume.

Repurchase: No.

EBELIN Polishing Nail File

I bought a few of these in a row. They are cheap and do their job. It has three sides that aren't that rough, one is completely smooth and it meant to polish the nail, which gives it a great shine.

Repurchase: Yes.

ESSENCE Nail File

A file with four sides varying in roughness. Again a product that I've bought several in a row, though this time I bought a crystal file by Ebelin as well.

Repurchase: Yes.

Samples

L'OCCITANE Divine Youth Oil - This smells like real floral honey, I love it. It's a light oil that needs time to sink it, but my skin liked it. Too bad it cost such a ridiculous amount of money. Full price 90.50 €, ingredients. Purchase: No, too expensive for the ingredients it has.

L'OCCITANE Shea Ultra Rich Comforting Cream - A very thick moisturiser that feels the same as their 20% Shea body lotion and hand cream. My skin got a bit less clear when I used this, but it could have been hormonal. Full price 30.50 €, ingredients. Purchase: No

AFRODITA Why Mask S.O.S - a mask meant for skin that needs calming, but based on ingredients it looks to me as a good mask for spotty skin (contains zink and clay). I've tried a few Afrodita's masks and this one is the only one that stands out. It's a mask that doesn't dry on the skin, but it's still a wash-off mask and it contains a good amount of niacinamide which brightens the skin and that's precisely what I noticed. The skin just looked more healthy and glowy. Very likeable. Repurchase: I might.

L'OCCITANE Almond Milk Concentrate - I've had this before, in a pot as well. It's a light, but very velvet feeling moisturiser with a lovely milky almond scent. It's popular for a reason. Full price 43.70 €, ingredients. Purchase: No

L'OCCITANE Shea Ultra Rich Body Lotion - Another thing I had before and I liked. A super rich body moisturiser with a nice neutral nutty scent. Full price 25.40 €, ingredients. Purchase: Maybe, it's really good.