RIMMEL Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

500 Fire Starter

As far as matte liquid lipsticks go, this is one of my favourites out of the ones that are sold in our drugstores. Maybelline's last forever on the lips, but these are more comfortable and still perfectly matte, pigmented and last enough to get you through the day. It's one of those lipsticks I can apply in the morning and just forget about it because there's no need for fixing or reapplying it, plus if I apply one coat, I can't even feel it on the lips. Rimmel did a great job with these.

REVLON Ultra HD Matte Lipcolour

Embrace

I've worn this one on most days because it's such an easy to wear nude shade. Compared to the pinker Devotion this dries (almost) matte faster, likely because it's one of the new shades and they might have tinkered with the formula, but these are still so comfortable and despite the creamy finish from the start, they also last well too. 

ESSENCE I <3 Extreme Volume Mascara Waterproof

I've been using other mascaras for a while now because I'm always testing something new (though I'd rather stick to my favourites to be honest, however, I can't justify buying a new mascara if I have a PR sample at home to use up), but I opened a new tube of this formula and it just reminded me how awesome it is. It's more volumizing and lengthening than the stuff I've been using in the last months and since it's waterproof I finally had my lashes perfectly curled all day. The formula is on the dry side, which also means it defines well and doesn't create clumps. 

BOURJOIS Satin Edition 24h Eyeshadow

03 Mauve your Body

As time consuming as this is to apply because it's in liquid form and needs two layers, I like this because it just lasts though anything. It applies nicely with no fear of a patchy look, so even one layer is nice, the second is only added for the intensity of the shade, so it's almost a foolproof product. Once it sets, which doesn't take long, it doesn't move, doesn't crease or smudge, so it's a very long-lasting product and the best eyeshadow in such form I've tried. Mauve your body is a great, universally flattering shade and it reminds me a lot of Mac's Satin Taupe.

BALEA Duschgel

They see me rollin'

I think this is one of the best shower gels Balea made, not just because of the scent, but also the formula is much thicker than their other shower gels which means you use less. The gel is tinted blue with white frosty shimmer, so that's another cool thing apart from the packaging which always makes me think of those funny "they see me rollin" cat videos in the shower. It's one of their best smelling shower gels for my taste because it smells like berries, but more specifically like that kids pink toothpaste with a crocodile Vademecum, so it's not super sweet, but a bit fresh.

BATH & BODY WORKS Ultra Shea Body Cream
Twilight Woods 

This by far my favourite product in this post, I'm just so blown away by the quality of it. I'm a big fan of the Twilight Woods scent and I use the body mist all the time, but I wasn't sure if the rest of the products are nice too, especially BBW's body lotions always looked suspicious to me like they have that thin, non-nourishing texture of Aveo and Balea LE scented stuff, but then I read this review from the Sunday Girl and I went straight on eBay to buy the Ultra Shea Body Lotion. This is amazing! The texture is so rich and creamy, it's pretty much a body butter in a tube. I'm loving this so much and I'd like to get more versions like Country Apple.

 GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream

Full size looks like this.

This has great ingredients, as niacinamide is 4th on the list and it also has hyaluronic acid, adenosine and a bunch of extracts, though the latter are very late on the list. It's a medium thick moisturiser that is somewhere between a cream and a gel formula, similar to Etude House Moistufull Collagen, but less jelly. I've used this morning and night for a couple of weeks untill the sample all but ran out and my skin really loved it. I'm not sure if niacinamide had any effect, but my skin just looked a picture of health - it had that lovely healthy radiance, zero spots or other pore problems and it felt comfortable. The scent is floral which is ok to me, but some might find it too strong and that's the only potential minus I can find at this. At the moment my top three moisturisers are this one, Tony Moly Panda's Dream Sleeping Pack and EH Moistfull Collagen.

THE BODY SHOP Body Yogurt

Banana

This is a brand new product that'll launch in June and it will be available in several scents, but Banana is that one special one that doesn't exist in their body care lines, just the hair care so far. The scent of this is addictive and I don't even like banana scented stuff, especially those that smell like that Casali candy, but this is close to real ripe and sweet bananas, though not exactly spot on. I use it in the morning, mostly because I like the fragrance it leaves on my skin for a couple of hours, plus it's also cool I use at least something moisturising in the morning, even if it is light and my skin prefers their more nourishing body butters.

MY SPECIAL OCCASION MAKEUP

I attended one of the very rare special occasions in my life and this is the makeup I used, so this is my "good stuff" that makes my skin look good and the shades that compliment my pale, neutral skin tone.

BASE:

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation in 100

MILANI Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation + Concealer in 00A Porcelain as a concealer (I ran out of Bourjois Radiance Reveal)

 URBAN DECAY All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (as a base and on top. I ran out of Max Factor's Facefinity All Day primer for the base)

EYES:

MAC Eyeshadow Patina

TOO FACED Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette, shade Gilded Ganashe (not on the picture)

CATRICE COSMETICS Liquid Liner 010 Dating Joe Black

ESSENCE I Love Extremes Volume Mascara Waterproof

CHEEKS:

MAX FACTOR Creme Puff Blush 20 Lavish Mauve

CATRICE Kaviar Gauche LE 2017 Highlighter

LIPS: 

LANCÔME Matte Shaker liquid lipstick Beige Vintage

ORDERED

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Air Therapy Sheet Mask in Snail (Repurchase. Review here, ordered here) // Bra for low cut dresses / Plunge Bra / Lace Socks - all three ordered from this seller.

I'm not that familiar with Pixi apart from their super hyped up Glow Tonic with AHA, but I got this in a swap from Canada. It's the first lip gloss I've seen that claims it contains peptides, which are anti-ageing ingredients, but the rest is already more common such as the claim it hydrates the lips. In addition to that it's a plumping gloss, meaning it one of those minty ones that tingles at application. 

Formula: It's a typical gloss and not one of those super comfy ones (like newest Max Factor Honey Elixir for example), instead it's just a classic non-sticky formula with a nice level of shine. It tingles when you apply it for that plumping effect, which so far never worked on me at any such product, but some swear they see a difference. It's not a strong tingle, but my lips aren't that sensitive to such things, so I might not be feeling the full effect.

Shade: My shade is called Honey Sheen and it's a pale, warm slightly peachy nude with shimmer. It's paler that I'd like, but nice nonetheless.

Staying power: isn't anything special for a gloss and it's mostly gone within the first couple of hours.

Packaging: This is such a tiny little thing and it has no description on the tube, except on the small label at the bottom, but I at first thought it's cream eyeshadow, since lip gloss tubes tend to be larger. It's got a classic doe foot applicator.

Price and availability: It costs £12.00 on UK's Pixi.

I saw this is on Cult Beauty meaning it has some sort of a cult status in the beauty community, but I wasn't that familiar with it until I got it. It's a very basic lip gloss with a tingling sensation for a plumping effect and that's it. 

Have a great day!

These Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks aren't new, as I think they launched either last year or the year before that, but they reached our drugstores sometime in Autumn. Despite the rather impressive shade range (I think it's 14 colours), we only have 5 and not the easy-to-wear pinky nude shade Blush I wanted. I still treated myself to a classic red shade Fire Starter for my birthday way back in January. I love matte liquid lipsticks (you can see my collection here) and I quite like this formula. 

Texture: It's one of the creamier formulas, or more like a mousse, though not like Bourjois as it is more pigmented. One layer mostly covers the lips completely, but there can be some sheer areas, so it's sometimes best to apply two layers. It dries completely matte in a few minutes and I get no feeling of tightness, stickiness or dryness, though it can feel almost powdery and if I apply two layers, then it feels like there is a layer or product on the lips. Once this sets it doesn't transfer. 

Shade: I have the shade 500 Fire Starter which is the only classic red in the selection and it's a warm version of the shade, but it doesn't lean to orange.

Staying power: I've had it for a while and I can say that once this sets it doesn't move. I don't know why I had the impression it doesn't last well in my first uses, because now I'm actually very impressed with the staying power, as it lasted the whole day every time I've worn it and I had to remove it with an oil cleanser at the end of the day. There's almost no transfer, it's just tiny traces on the glass when I'm drinking and it doesn't fade weird, so I'm really liking this. It's not as good as Maybelline's Matte Ink because it doesn't looks like it's freshly applied at the end of the day, but it's still one of the better ones without being uncomfortable to me.  

Scent: I was afraid this might have that awful rotten cucumbers scent that their Apocalips and matte lipsticks in the red packaging have, but luckily they don't. It's a plastic sweet scent and it's not even that noticeable. If I describe it in my usual oddly specific way, I'd liken the scent to a furniture shop. Random, I know.

Packaging: I quite like the design of the packaging at this one and I like it's one of the smaller ones. The applicator is big and slightly cut sideways, which is ok, but it could be a bit more precise as for a really neat application I need a lipliner.

Price and availability: I bought mine in DM for 6.19 €.

This is formula I'd buy more shades off. It sets matte, doesn't transfer and it's got a good colour pay-off, so it's a really good drugstore lipstick that's also easily accessible. Most liquid lipsticks feel ok on my lips and aren't drying, it's the same with this one, but whether it would be drying on more sensitive lips, I don't know. Most of the time I don't feel it on my lips and I can forget I'm even wearing it, so to me it's very comfortable.

Have a great day!

My Top 5 Foundation post is due for an much needed update (old one from 2015 is here), since in the past years I've discovered three foundations that really impressed me. My skin type hasn't changed since I've done the last post, nor do I have any different preferences than before. I'm happy to report that in the past three years I found foundations that I don't like just for the formula, but also by some divine intervention also fit me in terms of shades. What a time to be alive! My skin is normal-combination that is drier in winter and oilier in the summer months. I still prefer to wear foundations that look natural on the skin and I'm prepared to sacrifice high coverage for that.

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation 

100 Warm Vanilla 

Coverage: light-medium

Finish: semi-matte

Undertone: yellow (both 100 and 110)

Price: 8.99 €

This very quickly became my favourite foundation ever, knocking Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum of its throne where is reigned for over a half a decade. It ticks all the boxes for me, from being a very natural looking foundation that has a great finish on the skin, to the most important part for me - it's my perfect shade (colour 100 Warm Vanilla. Not sold in Slovenia, I got mine in Austria. You can buy it online on Feel unique). The formula is light and pretty much invisible on the face when you blend it and the finish isn't that mask-like matte, instead it's more of a semi-matte and unlike a lot of foundations, it looks nice over pores as it somewhat fills them up a bit, therefore provides a very smooth base. I try to use all of my foundations, which means I rotate them a lot and every time I come back to this one, I'm just shocked at how nice it makes the skin look. I've worn it all year round now, so when my skin was drier and when it was a bit more oily, which means I can now say that it doesn't cause dry patches on drier skins, but it's not an amazing foundation for very oily skin because it's not matte, neither does it stay semi-matte, as even on me I notice some shine of the forehead on hotter days (doesn't bother me at all). For normal-combination skin that is in neither in the extremes of being very dry or very oily, it's a perfect foundation. Coverage is light-medium, so those who love a lot of coverage, you won't like it as much, but for me it covers enough. Just a heads up, this exists in two versions, the tube and the bottle one. The latter is sold in the US and has different shades (starts at 110, which I think is equal to our 100) and I'm not 100% sure it's exactly the same, but it's praised a lot.

Full review.

MILANI Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation + Concealer

00A Porcelain

Coverage: medium

Finish: satin

Undertone: neutral/peachy

Price: 12.49 €

I'm not big on high coverage foundations because I never like how heavy they look up close, but this one I get on with. I've loved this foundation for a while now, but I only had the original lightest shade which was actually the darkest and most yellow shade in my collection, therefore completely unwearable for me. I recently got the lightest shade they have now, which Milani finally created on their third try hence the weird numbering and I was so delighted at the discovery that it's one of my best matches I've found. It's the closest shade to neutral I own, though it has a subtle pinky-peachy undertone (swatches). The formula is thick, it could almost be a cream foundation, so I apply it in sections and it covers quite a lot as far as I'm concerned, so I tend to skip concealer with this (I've also used it as a concealer in combination with Fit Me). It doesn't sink into pores, though it doesn't hide them like the Maybelline one and the L'Oreal foundation bellow, it also doesn't emphasise any dry areas. I fell in love with it because it was one of the rare foundations that didn't slip into my nasolabial lines, though by now since they are more intense than they used to be, they are visible with it, but it doesn't make them worse than they are without foundation. Staying power is impressive and it manages to last very long on my skin, but more importantly it fades nicely too, though there is one thing that I noticed only at this shade and not 01 - it fades a bit strange on my nose, not patchy or clumpy like Sheer Glow, but strange, so I mix it it Fit Me there and it works perfectly. As far as medium coverage foundations go that work for me all year round, this is by far by favourite.

Full review.

BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Foundation 

50 Rose Ivory

Coverage: light-medium

Finish: dewy

Undertone: pink

Price: 9.99 GBP

I'm a huge fan of Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and I think I'm currently on the fourth or fifth bottle, but the lightest shade is too dark and yellow for me. Luckily, this is almost exactly the same formula and it's available in a shade 50, which is finally not just a pale, but also a pink toned shade (Bourjois foundations tend to run very yellow). Formula is pretty much a dead ringer for the Serum version, so a light texture that sets completely, leaving no tacky feeling behind, which is rare for a foundation that fits drier skin types. It's got a similar coverage as the Fit Me, so light-medium and it has this wonderful natural, invisible finish with a nice healthy, dewy glow. It's a foundation that doesn't emphasise uneven texture, which is the reason I fell in love with the Serum version years ago because regardless of the condition of the skin, for example dry patches, big pores or lines, this never makes the skin look bad, it just evens it out and creates a healthy looking finish. Shade 50 is a smidge too dark for me if you really pay attention to the difference between my neck and my face, so I occasional use the TBS Adjusting Drops with it, but on most days I don't bother because it blends in the skin nicely. This is great for dry to combination skin, but skip it if your skin is oily.

Full review.

BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum

51 Light Vanilla

Coverage: Light-medium

Finish: dewy

Undertone: very yellow

Price: 15 €

My good old friend for many years. Serum is a foundation I trust without fail to this day to make my skin look and feel good. It never looks cakey or weird, it just looks like skin and that's why I love it so much. Texture, how it looks and feels on the skin is pretty much the same as the other Healthy Mix, so light-medium coverage, it sets perfectly with no tackiness, it has a natural, dewy finish and it doesn't emphasises the skin texture. It's basically the dewy version of Maybelline Fit Me. I've gone through several bottles of this before I found a better fitting shade 50, but I still use this one, I just mix it with TBS Adjusting Drops.

Full review.

L'OREAL Infallible 24H Matte Foundation

10 Porcelain

Coverage: Medium

Finish: matte

Undertone: pink

Price: 10.90 €

This is my foundation for when my skin is a bit more oily that usual. It's got the best matte finish and it holds the oils well, but it has an extra big plus - this hides pores like nothing I've tried, including primers. It's better than Maybelline Fit Me in this respect, but it's also quite matte, so I avoid it in colder months. It's got a medium coverage that's similar to the Milani one. I have noticed though that with a brush I don't get such a flawless result when it comes to pores, so my preferred method of application is with fingers - well, at least when it comes to the areas around the nose. It's one of those foundations that dries fast once applied, so you don't have a lot of time for blending it in and that's why I apply this foundation in sections to avoid any unblended patches of foundation. I have the lightest shade 10 Porcelain which is a bit too dark for me as well as quite pink, so I need to mix it with Adjusting Drops to wear it. If you have oily skin, this a foundation worth trying.

Full review.

THE BODY SHOP Adjusting Drops

Lightening

Finish: doesn't interfere with the texture of foundation

Shade: off-white pink

Price: 14 €

This isn't a foundation, but I can't do this post without it. Even though in recent years I've found foundation shades that actually fit me, I still need to resort to lightening drops for much of my foundations and these are just fantastic. They are an off-white pinkish liquid that has plenty of pigmentation, so one drop lightens quite a lot, for almost two shades I'd say (you can see how they work with each of my darker foundation in the review). Even if you find you need to use a lot of drops, this doesn't interfere or ruin the original consistency of the foundation. They aren't greasy, they don't ruin the foundation's staying power or change the finish. These are so worth those 14 € because then you'll be able to use up all of those miss purchases and also will be able to buy hyped up foundations that don't have light enough shades.

Full review.

What are your favourites? Have a great day!

This is one of the Volumin' Express mascaras that never reached Slovenia, so I got mine in a swap from Canada. It's got a flexible/bendy wand that had its brief moment several years ago and trying this mascara, I don't see the benefits of it. It's a mascara that excels that multiplying the lashes, but it has a very natural effect.

The formula of this mascara is thin, so it doesn't deposit a lot of product on the lashes, instead it more tints them. My mascara is by now quite old and that usual thickening of the formula that happens at Maybelline didn't happen with this one, at least not much. It's the type of mascara that catches every lash, defines them and creates a natural effect of a lot of lashes that are emphasised, but don't have much product on them. They also stay soft and touchable. The one thing I resent is that I need to apply a lot of layers for a regular mascara effect. 

The brush is big and bushy, but doesn't have a lot of product on, so it's great for defining the lashes. The bendy wand makes the application feel softer, it bends every time you try to push too hard against the lashes, so it occasionally prevents a messy mascara applicator and smudges on the lids, but it's not foolproof. It's also not good at "pushing" the lashes up and curling them a bit like some others. In terms of keeping the lashes curled, it's not the best, but it doesn't weight them down since it's since a lightweight formula.

Price on Maybelline's site states its $7.77.

Due to the light-weight formula and the bendy brush, you never end up with a great false lash effect or a ton of volume, instead it's a mascara that's great for those who love a very natural look. It defines and fans out the lashes perfectly, so that's its forte, but if you love big lashes, pick up their yellow version of Volumin' Express or Lash Sensational.

Have a great day!

Essence launched a few new highlighting products in the last update, mostly notably a mermaid highlighter and there's also a highlighting palette, so these two highlighting stick versions sort of flew under the radar, at least that's the impression I got. Only these two exist, so the holographic one and the dewy one.

ESSENCE 3D Dewy Look Stick

10 dewy is the new matte

You don't see many of such highlighters, at least none come mind when I think about it, but its goal is to create a natural dewy/healthy skin effect without obvious shimmer. It has the same effect like using vaseline or a heavy, balmy moisturiser, meaning you get the greasy/wet looking shine. It's subtle and only visible when light hits it. When I swatched it and checked under a strong light, I noticed some tiny white shimmer in it, but it's not that visible once it's on the face. My main problem with this highlighter is that despite its claims it's a greasy product that feels just like vaseline on the face, so heavy, greasy and you constantly feel it on like a heavy moisturiser. I still prefer cream-to-powder formulas and regular powders.

The packaging is nice and simple, but like at most cheap sticks with a winding up mechanism, the base already broke off and I need to manually push the product back down.

Honestly, vaseline or even a lip balm does the same job, so it's nothing special, but it comes in a stick format, which at least leaves you with clean fingers.

ESSENCE Holo wow! Sparkle stick

10 sparkles in your life

Holo version is a much stronger highlighter than the dewy one, in fact it can be applied very intense quickly if you wish it. It's got a violet-pink glow, so it's not really a holographic highlighter, but more of a duo chrome and it's has that mermaid/unicorn/sci-fi look to it. 

Unlike the dewy version, this has a cream-to-powder formula, so it's one of those high-content silicone type of products that is dry to the touch after you apply it. 

Staying power is impressive for Essence as this lasts quite a while on the cheeks, which is not that surprising given that it is an intense highlighter and they tend to last long.

I like it much more than the dewy one and I'm especially impressed by the strong shine, but it's not an every day type of highlighter.

This concealer is one of the most popular products by The Saem and I believe also one of bestselling K-beauty makeup items (at least online), which is actually how I found it. When I was reading reviews, I saw it's often compared to Nars' Creamy Radiant Concealer, labelled a dupe for a fraction of a price. 

Texture: Out of all my high coverage concealers, actually all of my concealers, this has the thickest, most concentrated formula. You have some time to work with it, but not like at moisturising concealers and a tiny dot of this formula goes a long way when you start blending it. Due to a thick texture, it needs some extra blending, that's why I prefer to tap this in with fingers because it needs to be warmed up a bit to avoid it looking too heavy, especially if you layer it or use it on dry areas. Compared to Nars Radiant Creamy concealer it's thicker, but the coverage is similar, The Saem might cover a bit more. Nars' concealer looks a bit less obvious on the skin and if you want a dupe for Nars, I still say Collection and Look are it, though The Saem does a great job too.

Coverage and finish: Coverage is also highest out of the concealers I've tried, as it covers my circles perfectly. It also covers spots well and like with other high coverage concealers I always use two layers (I dot a small amount and blend with fingers, then repeat the process). My dark freckles are still visible through, so it's not completely full coverage, but it's close. Finish is matte.

Staying power: These high coverage concealers all last about the same on me. Without a powder I'd say it lasts about 8h+ on the skin, but it can start looking cakey as it's wearing off. With a powder it lasts longer. My skin isn't oily, so I can't say if this moves a lot on such skin, but considering it's matte and thick, I suspect it lasts well. 

I only realised when I started doing swatches that Bourjois Radiance Reveal is almost empty. It's a similar shade to The Saem, but more peachy, here the layer is very thin. 

Shade: It exists in three shades, I have the lightest one called 01 Clear Beige. It swatches light, about NC13-15 with a warm undertone that's not intense, but it's not as neutral as at Look. It's a bit dark for me, especially when it sets because it oxidises a bit, but unless it's a very thick layer (like on a spot), it's not that noticeable.

Packaging: The tube of this is very small, much smaller than my other concealers, but it holds 6.5g of product. (Look has 7ml, Catrice 5 ml, Collection 6.5 ml, Nars 6 ml). It's got a classic doe foot applicator.

Price and availability: I got mine on Cosmetic Love for $2.96, but I got it when I was ordering several items because their shipping is weight based and very high. You can get it on eBay and Jolse with free shipping, prices start at still very affordable 5$.

If you're looking for something affordable and available worldwide (most shops ship everywhere), this is a good buy. It's not my favourite because I prefer the lighter formula of Look and Collection, but it does its job of covering spots, redness, circles and other things you want to cover. It's worth checking out.

Have a great day!