URBAN DECAY Naked Palette

The forgotten gem in many of our makeup stashes. I used it pretty much every day this month and almost every time in exactly the same combination: the pale shimmery pink Sin on the lids, a mix of matte medium browns Naked and Buck in my non-existent crease and the dark brown Darkhorse just in the outer corner which created the most basic neutral eye look. I still very much enjoy the shades and the quality of the palette, even though it's been ages since the hype and every company under the sun released their neutral palette.

MAYBELLINE Lash Sensational Mascara

I've been using two PR mascaras I got in the lasts months and though they are fine, I checked one day if there is some life in left this Maybelline one and my word it is a thousand times better that those two. It makes the prettiest lashes ever - perfectly defined, gives enough volume and creates a bit of a lift, which is something those two other mascaras (Catrice Lashes to Kill Pro and Max Factor Dark Magic) do not. I really need to repurchase this.

BOURJOIS Rouge Velvet the Lipstick

02 Flaming Rose

I finally got the shade I wanted, so I can wear this amazing formula in combination with the looks I tend to wear daily. These have great matte finish, don't feel drying, they are so light on the lips and they last well too. Flaming Rose looks like a neutral-to-cool pink on me, but I suspect on others it looks more warm. It's a simple light pink shade that is just easy to wear. 

ZOEVA Rose Golden Complete Eye Set Vol. 2

I use these almost every day, but rarely speak of them on the blog, though they are in many of my Instagram pictures. These are without a doubt the best brush investment I made. All are amazing quality and there are some great shapes of brushes for my eye shape that I could not get at other brands, especially 231 Luxe Petite Crease was just made for me. 

The four brushes I use most and I would get individually if my set got lost or destroyed: 232 Luxe Classic Shader, 235 Contour Shader, 231 Luxe Petite Crease and 227 Luxe Soft Definer.

THE FACE SHOP The Solution Mask

Madecassoside

I've gone through almost all of these Solution masks so far, I only have Ceramide left to try and Madecassoside impressed me just as much as Pearl did. Madecassoside is derived from Centella asiatica and research links it to promoting skin's healing, reduction of inflammation and it supposedly works anti-ageing as it stimulates the synthesis of collagen. It's definitely great at helping with inflammation and promoting healing. It helped heal an inflamed breakout I had and it just in general made the skin look so good. It reminded me a lot of how Etude House Snail masks works one me, so I really should stock up on this one and Pearl.

AVON Mesmerize Black

This has to be one of the most underrated fragrances ever. I'm so sure if this had some fancy brand name slapped on it, it'd be so much more popular, but since it's only Avon, most people tend to miss it. It's an incredible warm and cosy scent with a strong oriental vibe, but without boring vanilla or patchouli (that really started to annoy me by now and it's in almost every fragrance). Mesmerize Black is pretty much just smooth sandalwood that envelops you like a warm blanket. Other notes include jasmine and mandarin, but I can't detect them, especially the citrus note. Every time I wear this I get compliments. It's loud without being obnoxious by either being super a sugary girly concoction or vanilla-patchouli-sweet notes combo in the ranks of Angel. It's dirt cheap online, so you're really getting a great fragrance for an affordable price.

CREATURES DE MONOI Oil

My hair been insanely dry ever since I tried this one Vichy anti-dandruff shampoo and I'm desperately trying to fix the situation, but it's proving to be a challenge. Especially the top part of my hair feels like all life was sucked out of it. I was sent some of the Creatures products for a review I was writing for another blog (you might remember that I really enjoyed the moisturiser a couple of years ago) and this oil came at just the right time because my stash has thinned. I used it on most days this month before going to bed, and my hair absorbed this like a sponge by the morning. It definitely helped it be a lot less dry and since my hair is so parched, it didn't leave it greasy and lank. It contains a combination of jojoba and coconut oil, both fantastic for hair care as they can enter the centre of hair more effectively than other oils. This oil also smells great and strong, something I always like, but it's not a coconut type of scent, it's very floral. This oil is not easy to get if you're not from Slovenia or Croatia, but if your hair is very dry, you can create your own mix with coconut and jojoba oil, it just won't smell as pretty as this one.

SUBRINA Shower Gels

Perfume Drops & Cherry Blossom

I can't believe I've been keeping these two gems buried in my "work drawer". I've used up a few of these over the years and liked all so far (Rose Garden is amazing and I don't even like rose scents, Pina Colada is nice too and they unfortunately discontinued Cuba Libre, which I loved) and for the past year I've had all of these nicely kept in my work stuff so I don't ruin/damage/lose any them, plus I always had some other shower products to use up anyway, but I felt a bit bored this month with the stash I have, so I started exploring the scents of these I haven't tried properly yet, so in the shower where scents tend to be different than from the bottle. Perfume Drops is smells divine. It's like a proper high end fragrance, closest I can described it is an oriental type of scent with possibly some pepper and something warm, maybe amber. It's just such a great combination. Cherry Blossom (I bought this one myself) is a lot more neutral and to me smells just like baby powder, which makes it such a comforting scent. I actually like most of the scents, only Sensual Vanilla is a bit boring for me and Jasmine is basic too, but particularly Rose Garden and Mango Heaven are so nice. 

WISHLIST

COLOURPOP Fame Pressed Powder Palette - Colourpop finally released something that isn't very warm, though this one still has some warmer shades, but at least they aren't orangey-reddish. It's the first palette I would consider buying, but I still feel they went overboard with the number of skintone shades and there aren't enough lid shades, that's the only thing holding me back so far. // COLOURPOP Super Shock Blush Between the Sheets - a neutral muted rosy-brown, so the type of shade I tend to wear. // MILANI Rose Blush Trio Palette 01 Flowers of Love - a new release by Milani. I have the single rose blushes and they are amazing, so I'm sure this is great too, plus it's so pretty. Swatches. // AVON Luck La Vie (notes)- I've been into woody fragrances lately and this is described as a strawberry cedar combination, which sounds intriguing. I like the original Luck too (notes), which is a red berries sandalwood combination and I wouldn't mind owning one of those pretty bottles too.

Have a great day!

Supersizer is one of the two mascaras I got in a swap from Canada, this one is in waterproof version. We don't have this brand here, but I believe it's a sister brand of Max Factor and many products share remarkable similarities, but there isn't an equivalent for this mascara. It features a quite unique brush with very short bristles and it's quite a volumizing mascara.

The brush is thin with super short bristles and some slightly longer ones at the tip. This wasn't the best idea based on my experience because it's barely capable of combing the lashes, though mostly it doesn't, so it just deposits a lot of product, especially since the formula itself is very thick. I end up with a lot of product and volume, but very messy lashes, also the more you apply it, the higher the chance it starts to clump the lashes and creating clusters. It's bad at fanning out the lashes and corner lashes pose a particular problem as it can't reach them well. It's a type of mascara at which you need to dedicate a lot of time for a neat application.

Unfortunate brush aside, I think the formula is a great waterproof one, except for the fact it's one of the hardest to remove. It's the type of formula that makes quite an impact and it's very waterproof, so it survives a lot, as well as holds the lashes perfectly curled all day.

Price on Ulta is $6.99.

While it's a good waterproof formula, the brush isn't capable of any significant definition and you can quickly end up with spidery lashes. It think it's best you either use it in combination with another mascara wand that's better at defining and combing the lashes.

Have a great day!

BIOBAZA Face Cleansing Micellar Oil 

This was my second bottle and I'm three quarters into my latest one. I've been using this for a year or two and by now I've developed a love-hate relationship. I hate that it's too weak to remove mascara and I still can't forgive that the sample which wowed me was completely different than what's in the full-size version. I don't like it's so thin and that it doesn't emulsify much, but I appreciate that it washes off completely and I definitely love it for the way it works with my skin. Oil cleansers tend to break me out, but with this my skin is completely clear. Until I find something better in the same or lower price range, I'm sticking to this, however, L'Occitane's Immortelle is my favourite if I want the job done properly.

Repurchase: Done.

BALEA Erfrischendes Waschgel

My standard second cleanser, I've gone through several tubes of this and I wasn't thinking about switching it anytime soon, but I was in two DMs and they didn't have it in stock which concerns me. It's gentle, pH friendly and does the job, plus it's affordable, so I really like it. I think a similar gel exists in the sensitive range, so if I can't find this one, I'll try that one. I just hope it's  merely out of stock or being repackaged.

Repurchase: Yes.

L'OREAL Pure Clay Purify Mask

This is the first one I used up out of four I own (one is still unopened). I had only one version of this formula, while I still have the grey and red version and actually the more I use these, the less I see a difference between them, apart from the Exfoliating one because of the beads, but it works the same with something extra. These are classic clay masks that I use when I need to detox my skin, so during breakouts or when my skin feels a bit blah, like it needs an intense clear out. I like these a lot, more than other clay masks I've tried and it's for various reasons, though they work similar to all clay masks. This one is meant for oily skin with imperfections and it has a lovely spa scent. 

Repurchase: I have plenty more, but yes.

BALEA Vital 3 in 1 Wet Wipes

I already featured these in a disappointing products post and they still sit at the top of my "most useless wet wipes" list. They were some of the weakest wipes I've tried and a lot of rubbing was needed for them to remove any makeup. They also dried very fast and even as dry the cloth material was nothing special.

Repurchase: No.

YES TO Carrots Gentle Cleansing Wipes

Another pack of rather useless wipes. Though they were stronger than Vital, but only marginally, they had this awful barfy scent. I hear their Cucumber version is much better.

Repurchase: No.

SULWHASOO Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum

This has an obscene 150$ price tag if you buy the full size, so I got a pack of five 8 ml samples, which I've been using for a year now. I used it every day in the first months, but lately I've only been using it occasionally and I really want to say that I see something when I use this because it's so crazy expensive, but I can't say that I do. I bought it because I heard it help with the elasticity of the skin, so it has more bounce which my skin was lacking up until I started K-Beauty, but this wasn't the product that fixed it, it was Banila Serum (now discontinued) that did and now a combination of other much cheaper products. I still have one bottle left and I'll use it up, but I'm not sure I would buy it again. This has a strong ginseng scent that really grew on me.

Repurchase: I'm not sure, I prefer other products, but this might be beneficial long-term.

AVEO MED Milde Pflege Dusche

I've gone through a couple of these and I'll keep buying it because it's a great gentle and pH friendly shower gel that smells like camomile.

Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA Duschshaum 

Fresh & Fruity

Fantastic shower foam. It's super fluffy, but firm and it smells so refreshing like grapefruits. I spent years avoiding buying these because I was convinced they last a few uses at most, but this lasted longer than shower gels. I bought it in August or September and been using it two or three times a week, maybe more, but I switch my shower products a lot and it was empty in the middle of February, so impressive.

Repurchase: Yes and I already have in a different scent.

AVEO Intensive Care Duschöl

I bought this because it was the cheapest oil I could find in our drugstores. My hands became really dry this winter, which is unusual for me and I first resorted to regular body oil to lock in the moisture, then it hit me, it might be best to use an oil cleanser too and I was right. With long-term use the condition of my skin improved drastically. It's also easy to use because I simply pour some oil without the need to squeeze the bottle, it emulsifies quickly and into a thick milky, I only need to rinse it a bit longer. The scent it annoying because it's like no one bothered fixing that part.

Repurchase: Done and yes.

L'OCCITANE Almond Shower Oil

This has been a staple in my bathroom since 2006 and I've never been without it, but I use it so little, just as an occasional treat because it's too expensive and the price definitely rose since my first purchase, so I think this was my last bottle for a while, unless someone gets it for me as a gift. It's the best shower oil I've tried because it emulsifies into a thick milk and it smells amazing, I really think everyone should try it at least once (they have sample sizes too), but it's too expensive for as a regular shower product. 

Repurchase: Maybe.

SOAP & GLORY Orangeasm Super Rich Body Butter

I loved this. The texture is one of the medium thick body butters, so it took a bit longer to sink in, which I like because it makes me feel like it's doing more than those light body lotions. It's got some red beads in it which are filled with shea butter and those burst when you were rubbing it in. The scent is great, one of the best citrusy scents, as it smelled like an orange peel, so quite a bitter & fresh orange (mixed with lemon) scent.

Repurchase: Yes, but realistically S&G is now really hard to get and we just got TBS in Slovenia, so it's not likely I'll buy it again.

SOAP & GLORY Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I've liked all of S&G scrubs I've tried so far and this is no exception. The smell isn't as harsh cleaning supply lemony as in the Hand Cleansing Gel, though it's still not the best lemon scent. However, the texture is far more important here and I can deal with the scent. It's one of the harsh scrubs, so just the way I like them and it's one that's washes off completely, leaving no oily filter behind, plus it's not drying at all. 

Repurchase: Yes, but Flake Away is still my favourite.

L'OREAL PROFESSIONNEL Absolut Repair Lipidium Instant Resurfacing Masque

This massive pot lasted me about a year and it was the mask I used 95% of the time. It's a thick treatment for very dry hair and one of rare ones that is enough for my hair, though when my hair was completely dried up, it wasn't that effective. After using it for a year almost exclusively I wish it left my hair a bit more silky and soft, but I repurchased it anyway.

Repurchase: Done.

GOT2B Ől-la-la Styling Oil Spray

This is the best shine spray/healthy hair maker/faker because it's silicone-oil based and not full of alcohol as most shine products are. Apart from great shine, it also tames the hair and makes it look a lot more polished, but it's so light, I think it shouldn't weight down the hair to anyone. Unfortunately, this is very hard to get in Slovenia now, but luckily I have a spare. Got2b newest product called Näturlich Nude Glanzleistung ől spray (Naturally nude shine feather-light oil spray) has similar ingredients and is worth checking out.

Repurchase: Done and yes.

KHADI Ayurvedic Hail Oil Balsam

I had this for quite a while and I kept giving it chances, but it's so disappointing. It's meant for healing dandruff and itchiness, which in theory should work since my scalp is very dry and need nourishment. Unfortunately this didn't fix anything and what's more, even as a regular pre-wash treatment, despite using a ton (a half a bottle once), it didn't nourish my hair and it was like I didn't use anything. Well apart from the smell, which could stun a horse and lingers in the hair. It's a very strong deep herbal scent., which is not disgusting, just insanely strong, as it literally fills the house.

Repurchase: No.

AQUALINA Pink Sugar

This is not an easy scent to wear and it's one I really need to be in the mood for because it's so strong, so sugary and so vanillary. It's like burned sugar and cotton candy on steroids, but it has its moments when it smells so comforting and nice. It's a fragrance I wore only in cold weather which is why it took me so long to use it up. It's a scent I bought back when I loved such ultra sugary fragrances, but now I'm more of an Olympea/Hugo Boss kinda girl and for my comforting/warm needs I have BBW Twilight Woods.

Repurchase: Probably not. 

LADY SPEED STICK 27/7 Gel Anti-perspirant

Invisible

I used to use this in high school and I remember liking it, but this time it didn't impress me that much. It didn't work that well on me, plus the gel needs extra time to dry, which isn't convenient when you need to get dressed quickly in the morning. It's also not invisible, as especially as it ages the gel turns white.

Repurchase: No.

REXONA Motion Sense Anti-Perspirant

Invisible

My standard deodorant for many years, but this is the one that stopped working one me, at least in stressful situations, which sucks because I could always rely on this one. I'm currently giving it a break with Dove's stick version, which is fine, but not as impressive as this one was.

Repurchase: In time, yes.

AVEO Nail Polish Remover Professional

A basic remover that I got because of the packaging, since it has a pump. It's quite a weak remover, so I wasn't happy with it, but I think I repurchased the same one, even though mine has a different label (blue with a more obviously stated "professional"), so that was not terribly smart of me.

Repurchase: Done apparently.

BALEA Hygiene Handgel

I've had this for ages, but I forgot about it because I had so many other much more impressive versions. The formula is more liquid than others, plus it left a bit of a filter behind, so I never really liked using it much, but it's decent if there's nothing else in the drugstores. I much prefer the Soap & Glory versions and the BBW ones.

Repurchase: I've seen some fruity versions, so maybe, as S&G and BBW are too hard to get.

SOAP & GLORY Hand Maid and Sugar Crush Hand Cleansing Gel

Hand Maid is my favourite disinfectant so far because it ticks all the boxes of not leaving a trace after I use it, it isn't drying and it smells like candy (505 for local readers). I got Sugar Crush because I love the Hand Maid version, but I did not like the scent as it smells like toilet cleaner. It's that intense lemon chemical scent - I just hated it. I'm sticking only to Hand Maid

Repurchase: I have two Hand Maid versions in stock, while I won't buy the Sugar Crush any more. 

HOURGLASS Mineral Veil Primer

This is crazy expensive (54$) and also very highly rated, but I was quite disappointed by it. It's a regular matte primer that was way too drying for me and I had to use a ton of hydrating skin care after I took off my makeup. I didn't notice it making my skin more perfected, so my foundation application didn't look better, nor did I notice anything particularly in terms of it prolonging staying power of makeup. I don't get what the fuss is about.

Purchase: No.

BANILA CC brightening moisturising / cover base It radiant cover

I love the shade of this as it's really pale, about NC10, with not a particularly strong undertone - big thumbs up for that. Coverage is light-medium and this has a very dewy finish, so it's also quite a moisturising product and remains a bit tacky for a while, so this is a good choice for those with dry skin. It looks like skin, meaning it has a very natural finish, so you would be able to see it's makeup, only the dewy shine reveals there' product on the skin. It doesn't slip into pores for a long time, though at the end of the day it doesn't look as pretty there as it did from the start. It doesn't make the lines look more terrible and it smells like Nivea. Overall I like it despite the dewiness, but I rate it high mostly due to the shade.

Purchase: It's likeable, so I would consider it.

TONY MOLY Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream

This feels less than a moisturising BB cream and more like a regular foundation with a thin, liquid formula and  light-medium coverage. It's got a satin finish on the skin, but with a radiant look and again looks natural, looks very nice over pores, though it doesn't hide lines. It's not sticky and actually sets quite fast. Shade is about NC/W20, so too dark for me, but I like the formula of this.

Purchase: I would, if it weren't for the shade.

LIOELE Dollish Veil BB Spf 25/PA++

This was a surprise because I didn't know anything about it and expected a regular BB cream, but this is similar to Estee Lauder Day Wear Sheer Tint release, meaning it's an off-white (in this case greyish violet) cream which when you rub it into skin turns a tinted cream, in this case to about NC20, it didn't match me. It's not tacky or dewy like Korean BB's usually rare, instead sets quickly to a satin-matte finish (though it doesn't hold back oil). Coverage it light and this is quite scented with a floral fragrance. I had some problems with flaking.

Purchase: No.

MISA Cho Bo Yang BB Cream SPF30/PA++

Such a thick formula, this was hard to blend in. Coverage was medium, but it wore off quickly, so it looked more like light-medium. Finish was satin-matte. Shade 21 was about NC20-25.

Purchase: No.

INNISFREE Green Tea Balancing Cleansing Oil

I liked this in terms of texture, but I think it sadly broke me out. The smell of this is so lovely, just pleasantly calming like a cup of green tea. It's a thicker oil than TFS Rice oil rich or Biobaza that I normally use, but it emulsifies into the same thin milky emulsion. It removed about 75% of makeup, I had some panda eyes with this, but unlike with TFS, most of the remaining makeup came off with the second gel cleanser. The skin felt really nice and soft after use, that's was the main thing that made me think I like this more than Biobaza, though it's not ideal like L'Occitane. Too bad for the spots, otherwise I'd buy the full size.

Purchase: Sadly no.

INNISFREE Green Tea Serum

A light serum that actually doesn't sink in completely or at least super quick, but it's still light on the skin. It's got a pleasant green tea scent. It left my skin looking healthy and fresh, but it's nothing special in terms of K-Beauty products.

Purchase: No.

FA BELLA Cleansing Gel

I don't even know where to buy this except on Amazon and I think it's only sold in a box with 50 of these sample packs, which is so wasteful. That confusion aside, this takes foam to a whole new level. It produces the thickest, most creamy and luxurious foam ever, it's pretty much like shaving gels. My skin was left completely clean, but in about five minutes it started to feel a bit tight. It has an old school cosmetic powdery floral scent.

Purchase: No.

THE FACE SHOP DR. Belmeur Panthenol Soothing Gel-Cream

A thick gel that reminds me of Kamagel ointment (a camomile based gel for soothing inflammations) which was simply too thick and heavy-feeling for my liking. If you have sensitive skin or it needs healing, it's worth a try, but only if you like heavy textures than need time to sink in. The scent was fresh.

Purchase: No.

TONYMOLY The Fresh Phytoncide Pore Gel-Cream

A gel type of serum-cream that even though it's not light should only fit oily skin because my skin became so tight about 10 minutes after application that I had to use a lot of hydrating skin care to soothe it. I noticed no difference in the state of my pores. 

Purchase: No.

INNISFREE Eco Science Recover Spot Essence

A classic gel for spots which had absolutely zero effect on spots when I tried it. COSRX Master Patches FTW.

Purchase: No.

LANEIGE Eye Sleeping Mask

This comes in a fancy bottle packaging with a special applicator, so basing a review on a sample bag won't deal with every aspect of the product. It feels light, like a serum and it's refreshing under the eyes. It doesn't take long to sink in even in a thick coat. It smells herbal, similar to old Scheller Zitrone Mellise gel (lemon balm). I don't get puffy eyes ever and I can't say I saw much of a difference in the morning in how my under eye area looked. It neither looked more rested or plumped up, though maybe it looked a bit better, but not amazing.

Purchase: No.

Magnetic nail polish trend has been gone for a few years now, but I've only recently tried my first one. I must say it's fun, but they won't sway me from my classic creamy finishes. I got this one in a swap from Canada.

The magnet is included in the cap, the latter is actually in two parts, so you're applying the polish with a brush that has a smaller cap. The magnet has a build in guide that you rest on you cuticles and avoid touching the nail. You're supposed to apply one layer on all nails and let it dry completely, then apply a second thick one on one nail and quickly use the magnet before it dries. It works fast and sometimes you can see how it pulls the colours apart.

My shade is 906 Ionic Indigo. It applies greyish blue-teal, but when you use the magnet, the base colour is revealed as a dark blue violet. The magnet creates a wavy design with the original colour and it works really well. I was afraid it won't because I remember hearing a lot of these magnets are too weak, but this one is good. I have thin and smaller nails than most, so the effect isn't as apparent as it could be, but I also had some problems with larger nails as the magnet didn't work on the whole nail, but just the middle, leaving the outer corners unaffected.

 1 coat before using the magnet.

Magnet was used in different alignments. 

This is one of those very rare nail polishes that even I notice doesn't have quite the same staying power as others. But's it's a nice gimmick, I'll give it that.

Have a great day!

Essence has a certain type of mascara formula that's in most of their mascaras and I'm referring to that wet, thick formula that is very volumizing and creates big lashes. This isn't it. It's the most atypical mascara I've tried from Essence and instead of volume, it's definition and natural look that's its forte.

Unusually for Essence, the formula is very thin and not a lot is deposited on the lashes in one coat. It's also not a smudgy, messy mascara, nor does it create a clumpy effect. A couple of coats result in fanned out and perfectly defined lashes, but they still look natural, like there isn't much product there. I've had mine for a few months now and it didn't thicken.

The brush is a plastic one with a combination of short and long bristles. It's a very rigid and hard one, so it can be harsh and I poked my eye with it a few times.

This is a simple, inexpensive mascara that creates a natural, defined effect. If you're into that, you'll like this. I still find Essence I <3 Extreme waterproof their best mascara, closely followed by Volume Stylist Curl & Hold.

Volume Hero mascara costs 3.29 €.

BOURJOIS Rouge Velvet The Lipstick

02 Flaming Rose

I finally got this in a shade I wanted myself. I've had four of these already (06&09 and 14&16), all press samples and none were in shades I'd wear every day, which sucked because the formula of these is amazing. I waited for a good discount and got the second lightest shade in the selection, so something I can wear with everything and is suitable for every occasion, plus it fits my pale skin tone. I've already reviewed the formula in depth, so just to recap, these are incredibly smooth and pigmented, and once they set, they have one of the best matte finishes that is close to the matte liquid lipstick look. Shade 02 Flaming Rose is a light pink shade which on me looks cooler than the packaging and the colour in the tube indicate.

Müller, regular price 13.89 €

CATRICE Light Correcting Serum Primer

Candlelight

I got this based on a recommendation of a reader Dejana, who raved about it in the comments. She said it extends the longevity of foundation on her combination skin with very oily parts and dryness in some places, and that the glow can be seen though the layer of foundation on top. It's one of those glowy primers that are subtle highlighters and primers in one. It dries perfectly matte to the touch and it keeps the oils at bay really well, so I would say this is a good product to try if your skin is oily. Despite the matte feeling, it has a subtle glow with no large shimmer particles and it creates a radiant skin look, but unfortunately I can't see it through my foundations, so it's better if I mix in the foundation. I got this at the wrong time in the year because currently my skin isn't oily and I didn't expect this to be so mattifying, so it did not impress me in the first uses. It makes it hard to apply my foundation smoothly, plus in time it just makes it look bad, like all life was sucked out of my skin. On normal-dry-dehydrated skin it looked bland, with no natural glow and pores were more obvious. With a good hydrated base (so in my case several layers of products) it already behaved a lot better and provided a good base. So recap - dry skin bad, oily skin good. The packaging is really nice with the matte glass and a rose gold pipette. 

Müller, 4.69 €

*MAX FACTOR Miracle Contour

Max Factor created a contouring palette that consist of shades that should fit a range of light to medium skin tones. There are eight cream products in the palette, four are contours, two are lifting concealers and two are highlighters. Three of the contours are quite warm while the lightest shade is a taupe and that's the one that works for me. The concealers are both quite light, the top lightest one is neutral and the bottom one is yellow toned, and the same goes for the highlighters. All products have a cream finish, so the highlighters don't have shimmer and are designed to make the area lighter instead of glowier.

Contours work ok and are pigmented when you apply them, but they are also very blendable, which means you need to build it up slowly, which at contour isn't a bad thing, but it takes time. I can only grab the colour with fingers and apply it on the skin because not even my densest brushes could pick the colour, but they blend easier and better with a brush once on the skin.

The lifting concealers are a dud for me. Though the lightest shade works for my skin tone, the coverage is too light even if I try to layer it, so there's not much of that promised lifting effect.

The highlighters did not impress me either. No shimmer means nothing on such a pale skin tones as mine, since it's too similar to my natural shade and there in no visible brightness where I apply it. However, it will work much better on darker skin tones.

I like the idea and it's great that they created such a product, but it could be better. I can work with the contours and even from that just with two colour, while the rest in a waste for me. The concealers are not the best in terms of coverage (they can be used as highlighters on darker skin tones) and the highlighters need to be shimmery for me, because my skin tone is already too pale for creating light areas.

19-20 €

*BOURJOIS Le Duo Blush Colour Sculpting

01 Inséparoses

I never mentioned this on the blog, but Bourjois baked blush was one of my first ever blushes that I got over a decade ago when I had no idea how to get that sculpted contour look and that an muted peachy blush won't cut it. But the shade wasn't the main issue, it was the formula that I just hated because it was so hard and had zero pigmentation, so I've been avoiding these ever since because of that bad experience, despite the fact these are so highly rated everywhere. I was sent this new version, which I assume was released in the light of the draping blush trend, so contouring with blushes. You get two shades in this, a bright shimmery pink and a muted brownish-pink, that looks more peachy-pink when swatched. Pigmentation is relatively poor compared what I'm used to, at least when I try to swatch it with fingers, but it shows up well on the cheeks with layering, so I like it way more than my first blush. This is one of the most scented powders I own and it has a typical "French/Bourjois" floral rose-violet fragrance.

About 7-8€

*BOURJOIS Le Petit Strobler Highlighter/Illuminator

Universal Glow

I'm not sure how new this is, but it's the first time I'm seeing it. It's a baked highlighter in a champagne gold-ish hue. The shimmer is very fine and the highlighter has a lovely sheen when I swatch it, but I need to build it up, since the texture is hard and you don't pick up a lot of product with one swipe. It's again very scented with the classic Bourjois fragrance.

About 7-8€

THE ORDINARY AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

I've had a few AHA products before and they were all too weak for me, so they didn't do much and I never got that super smooth and "renewed skin effect" (I get it with a physical exfoliator, my fave Skinfood sugar scrub), but this has really high concentration so I had higher hopes for this. Despite the whooping 30% content of AHA, I felt nothing on the skin, so no tingling and there were no irritations, but also again not much visible results either. I hoped that it'll make the area on my chin smoother and that it might help the old blemish mark fade a bit more, but I did not get the same glowy, even skin effect as I get with sheet mask which don't even have AHA's. My skin looked healthier in the morning and it was completely clear, so I do like this part, but it's not that special compared to other AHA products with much less % of acids.  The consistency is a thick liquid that doesn't run from the skin when it's on and it's a deep burgundy wine shade, so you look weird to say the least, but only for 10 minutes, which is the recommended time by TO to leave this on.

Beautyology, €8.20

THE ORDINARY Argireline Solution 10 %

This targets dynamic facial lines, so those caused by facial expressions, I got this because I want to reduce or at least stop the progression of my nasolabial lines, while I don't have other lines developing yet, but this might halt their progress. I'll mostly use it around my mouth and around the eyes, so I'll report back if I see any improvement or changes. I expect it'll take several months, but let's hope it does something. This feels like water and you need to be careful it doesn't run off your fingers when you're trying to apply it. It absorbs almost immediately and leaves nothing behind, so it's great as a first step after cleansing or acids.

Beautyology, €8.20

ROHTO Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence

I heard so many raves about this. It's a vitamin C based product that's meant fight pigmentation. I got it because I have blemish marks from spots I got in December and I want to finally fade them and of course those spots reappeared just as I was going to start using this, so I started with a very visible red mark on my chin. The packaging has only 20 ml, but this has such a unique packaging. The applicator is very small and lets out only drops of product at the time, so no air gets to the product and ruins Vitamin C. Texture is unique as well. It's like a very dry oil that feels oily from the start and spreads easily on the skin, but dries fast. I've been using it for over a month now, day and night, and it's a very slow progress, slower than I expected based on reviews. It hasn't faded the mark much yet, but I've been told to be patient and keep using it, which I plan to do. I'll report back, but at least when I use it, my skin is glowy and healthy (which I can also achieve with COSRX Galactomyces already)

eBay, $13.49

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Shea Butter

TBS makes my favourite formula of body butters and I've had a ton of versions so far. I've tried Shea Butter through samples and it was one of my favourites because it's got one of the thickest textures, so it's extra nourishing, plus the scent is the most neutral in the bunch, meaning smelling most clean. It's a bit bitter, nutty scent that develops a more creamy once on the skin and it's definitely one that also men who don't like girly smelling products can use. It's not as nice as L'Occitane's Shea Butter scent, but it's still a good one. These take longer to absorb than regular creams or lotions, which works for me, since always apply them before going to bed.

The Body Shop, 17.50 € (200 ml)

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Almond Milk & Honey

I so regret not taking a big pot of this and a small of Shea, though I actually prefer the richer texture of the latter. Almond Milk & Honey smells amazing to me. It's a warm, snuggly creamy honey scent which reminds me most of baby cosmetics, though it's not powdery in the least. The texture is lighter than most TBS butters I've tried, with the exception of Japanese Cherry and the discontinued Cherry. It's still thick for a cream and does the same great job of nourishing the skin as other versions. This one is also marketed as for sensitive skin.

The Body Shop, 6.90 € (50 ml)

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Satsuma

This is my love it/hate scent because it's one of those obnoxiously uplifting citrus fragrances that I either crave or can't imagine using at the moment. It's none of the citrus scents specifically, so I don't recognise orange or satsuma, but it's a refreshing and sweet version. It's got a slightly lighter texture than Shea Butter, but this still one of the thick body butters, so very nourishing and great for very dry areas.

The Body Shop, 6.90 € (50 ml)

*THE BODY SHOP Body Yogurt

Banana

I talked about this in my last favourites. It's a new collection of body moisturisers that launched recently and are available in several scents, but Banana is that one special one that doesn't exist in body care cosmetics, just the hair care so far. The texture is very light, like a gel and TBS did something similar before, their refreshing Body Sorbets. Press release brags about these absorbing in mere 15 seconds, so you can get dress quickly, but despite the high alcohol content which makes the liquid part of the product evaporate from the skin quickly, leaving just the nourishing ingredients behind, this takes a few minutes to completely sink in (it's still waaay faster than body butters) and it can feel a bit tacky/sticky for a while, but it's not that annoying. I've become a bit addicted to the smell and considering I'm far from being a fan of banana scent, it's surprising I like it so much. It's close to real ripe and sweet bananas, so none of that obnoxious Casali candy banana scent like in Tony Moly hand cream. 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. But for real nourishment I still much prefer their body butters.

TBS, 9.99 €

BALEA Duschgel

They see me rollin'

This has a different texture than regular Balea shower gels as it's quite thick and doesn't go so easy out of the bottle. 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 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 also a bit fresh.

DM, 0.99 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Ultra Shea Body Cream

Twilight Woods 

I already raved about this in my last monthly favourites and it's really so amazing. It combines two of the most important things for me when it comes to body moisturisers - a rich texture and a heavenly fragrance. It's like a body butter in a tube, the texture is thick and so nourishing, so just the way I like it. The scent is the same as my beloved Twillight Woods mist, so a fantastic warm, cosy woody scent. I'm seriously considering getting the Country Apple version, but after I use up some of my stash.

eBay, £14.99 (also on Salma, which I saw only after I ordered)

BILOU Creamy Shower Mousse

Tasty Donut

I own Fizzy Berry which really impressed me, so this was the next version on my list of the candy scents I wanted to try. It smells like my childhood. I can't quite pinpoint which sweets this smells like, but it's not like donuts, it's like some fruity candy. These mousses have a lovely, fluffy foam that's a pleasure to use and one can lasts ages.

Müller, 3.95 €

BILOU 2 in 1 Body Spray

Fizzy Berry

I love this scent and I've had some very good experience with the cheap body mists, but this literary lasts three minutes. You get a strong berry candy burst from the start, but five minutes later there's no trace of the scent, not even on clothes. I'm disappointed.

Müller, 3.95 €

DOVE Shower Mousse

Argan Oil

I've become a big fan of these shower foams after being very suspicious of them for years, but all I've tried so far have any amazing fluffy texture and they far outlast regular shower gels which is the thing I most appreciate. These Dove mousses are quite new I think, as I've only noticed them a couple of months ago and they exist in two versions, the Rose one and the argan one. So far I've tried Balea and Bilou, which to me are basically dupes, but I thought this Dove one will surely be even more amazing because their shower gels/creams are the best thing ever. The foam is more compact that the before mentioned brands and it's so luxuriously fluffy, but once you rub in to the skin, there is no difference between Bilou and Balea. It claims that is can be used as a shower foam and it works really well like that too, but so can the other two. I like it a lot, except it's so strongly scented and it's quite a men's cologne type of scent, so this version isn't my favourite.

Müller, 2.49 €

AVEO Intensive Care Shower Oil

I got this for washing my hands because regular soap, even the pH friendly one is wreaking havoc on my hands (I might be washing it a bit too much), so I thought oil might be a better idea. This emulsifies into such a rich and thick emulsion, it's actually kinda close to L'Occitane, which is amazing for the price, but I was disappointed with the first use because it didn't help my dry skin and I still had dry scales. Frequent use proved more fruitful and finally after months my hands don't feel like a sahara and I don't need to use hands creams all the time. I'm not a big fan on the scent which is like they just left the original strange oil scent and in my opinion they could have added some fragrance to it.

Müller, 1.95 €

DOVE Anti-Perspirant

Powder Soft

I buy these stick deodorants all the time, but so far it's mostly been Rexona, which was perfect until it stopped working on me, so I got the Dove version to try. It's ok, but not as good as Rexona used to be on me. It hold ok on normal days, but in stressful situations it fails. It smells nice, like describe powder soft, so feminine and pretty, but I need to be careful when I'm putting on a dark piece of clothing because it leaves white marks.

Müller, 2.99 €

ESSENCE Brush Sleeves

01 guardians of the brushes

I'm so glad Essence decided to sell these. They are simple brush guards, so those plastic meshes that you put on a brush to keep its shape. You get five small ones and five big one for 2 € which is an acceptable price, plus they are so easy to get.

1.99 €

SAMPLES

My lovely reader Lorena, who shares my love for exploration of K-Beauty, sent me a very generous amount of samples to try.

KIKUMASAMUNE Sake Skin Lotion High Moist

This is probably the most praised Asian beauty item alongside with Hada Labo lotion and COSRX Snail Mucin and its mass appeal comes from the fact that it's available in a very generous 500 ml packaging meaning you can use it very liberally for anything, face, body, some even use it for their scalp and hair. It's a hydrating product in a toner form, not a lotion as the name suggests, so this is very liquid and it feels light on the skin, but hydrating. It contains sake filtrate, arbutin, ceramides and glycyrrhizic acid, so it should be brightening and strengthening the moisture barrier, though I haven't noticed brightening, I only notice that my skin is more hydrated. It smells like a medicine for kids, somewhat like a strange banana scent, but most describe it as a sake scent (don't know how that smells like). It's not a strong scent and I don't find it bothersome.

CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist

This is basically the same thing as Kikumasamune, so a toner-like product in a 500 ml bottle that feels exactly the same on the skin except it's not scented. It contains ceramides, Job's Tears extract, 3 types of hyaluronic acid, collagen and amino acids, so based on ingredients alone, I find it more appealing than Kiku. It does exactly the same thing as Kikumasamune does for me, it's basically just very hydrating and that's it. I'm considering getting a full size.

SCINIC Honey All in one Ampoule

This was on my list to try if none of my replacements for Banila wouldn't work (I found LJH Propolis Ampoule then), but I think I'd probably buy it anyway because it comes in a 250 ml jar and I could use it for body too. It's gel-meets-honey type of texture and it's a bit sticky once it dries on the skin, but not like Banila was. The scent is a strong floral one in the pot, but on my face I can smell honey, so naturally I love it. I initially liked this because like Kikumasamune it's hydrating and comes in a big pot, but I strongly suspect this broke me out. It's a great hydrating product and worth the money, so I'll give it one more chance to see if it really breaks me out, but otherwise sadly I think this isn't for me.

HOLIKA HOLIKA skin & Good Cera Ultra Emulsion

This contains ceramides which strengthen the skin's barrier and it's a product that's designed for sensitive skin. It's a lotion type of product that still needs some time to absorb, but I've been using this morning and night for a week and my skin liked it a lot. It's nothing ground-breaking, but my skin felt great and also looked nice, so I like this a lot. Not sure I'd buy it, though I'm very tempted.

RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Toner

This is an upgraded Hada Labo's Hyaluronic Line and it contains one extra version of hyaluronic acid, bringing the number to 5. It's a thick serum type of product, not really a toner and it's thicker than the Lotion I have from the regular line. It's definitely a great product for the price and it's worth it, but unfortunately, it breaks me out, so I can't use this.

RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Milk

This is the milk version of the previous product and it can be used instead of a moisturiser if your skin isn't very dry. It does the same thing as a toner, except that it has a richer texture. 

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream

I already mentioned this in my monthly favourites. It has great ingredients, niacinamide is 4th on the list and it also has hyaluronic acid, adenosine and plenty of extracts. 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 until the sample almost 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. This is so far my favourite moisturiser.

TOSOWOONG Propolis Sparkle Ampoule

This was one of the products I was considering getting as a replacement for Banila, but I got LJH because the bottle was smaller and I felt better buying something small just in case I didn't like it. This comes is a much larger 100 ml bottle and 80% of it is propolis. It's thicker than the LJH version, but it works exactly the same on me, so I really love this, except that after a week I broke out and I'm not sure this was it, so I'm giving it another try in time. But up until the spots, this made my skin look much better, more even with healthy glow and hydrated, so if it turns out this didn't break me out (I think it wasn't because usually when I product breaks me out I notice it in a couple of days, but with this my skin was completely clear for over a week) I'm probably buying this instead of the 15ml LJH when it runs out.

MIZON Good Night White Sleeping Mask

If you're familiar with sleeping masks, this has that classic texture where it feels like it's going to be a light moisturiser, but then it just sits on the skin. It's nothing special, though nice enough. I didn't see that much brightening, but it was nicely hydrating and nourishing, still I don't think I'd buy this in full size.

MEISHOKU Ceracolla Perfect Gel

This is another ceramide based product, so meant for strengthening the skin's barrier. It's a thick gel type of product, quite a heavy one that sits on the skin, feels suffocating and sticky. I wasn't a fan of it and I much prefer the Holika Holika Good Cera.

RECAP:

Loved and would buy: BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream, HOLIKA HOLIKA skin & Good Cera Ultra Emulsion, KIKUMASAMUNE Sake Skin Lotion High Moist, CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist, TOSOWOONG Propolis Sparkle Ampoule (trying for the second time to see if it breaks me out, but regardless of that it's a brilliant product and I recommend you try it)

Liked, but I wouldn't buy it and I think it broke me out: SCINIC Honey All in one Ampoule, RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Toner, RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Milk 

Nothing special, though ok: MIZON Good Night White Sleeping Mask, MEISHOKU Ceracolla Perfect Gel