BEYU Beauty Queen Volume Mascara

After a sting of merely okay-ish mascaras that I was trying in the past months I repurchased this one despite the high price for drugstore and I'm so glad I did because this is such an amazing mascara. It creates exactly the type of lashes I like, so with a nice amount of volume and with every lash separated, plus it keeps them lifted. It's definitely one of my favourite mascaras ever, especially out of those with a non-waterproof formula.

THEBALM Instain Blush

Houndstooth

I bought this recently, but it's not my first TheBalm blush, so I know they always deliver when it comes to quality. This is another excellent one with a smooth, easy-to-blend formula that's got a good pigmentation, but not too strong that I would need to be careful with it. Staying power is one of the best I've seen and it stays like freshly applied for a really long time. I got Houndstooth because it looked like such a unique shade in the pan, a muted mauve pink that I've never seen in drugstore ranges where I usually pick my blushes, but on my skin it ends up looking a simple wearable warm pink and I'm fine with it. 

COLOURPOP Lippie Stix Matte X

Cami

I'm become very boring with my lip choices as I've been sticking to the same shades for months now (Revlon Ultra HD Embrace, Max Factor Honey Lacquer Nude Honey, TheBalm Meet Matte Hughes Sincere and Lancome Matte Shaker Vintage Rose), but I dug out my Lippie Stix stash and started wearing Cami again. The formula of these is so smooth and so pigmented, they are similar to Bourjois Rouge Velvet the Lipsticks, but even better because they are a bit thicker. Cami is a rosy-brown shade that's a bit darker than my usual summer choices, but it just looks so nice on the lips.

KIKO Nail Lacquer 

345 Jade Green

I've been neglecting my mint green shades in favour of my typical nudes (mostly Essence Pure Beauty) and reds (always Catrice Bloody Mary to go), but this month I've worn Jade Green for most of the time. Pastel mint Green shades tend to be annoying to apply, but this one has one of the easiest formulas and it's a slightly more muted shade, which makes it a bit more modern.

YUMMY Shower Gel

Rhubarb & Orange

Do you have a shower gel that just puts you into a better mood? Well this is mine. I never talk about this mostly because I forget due to the volume of other shower products I'm always trying, but it's one of my absolutely favourite shower gels and has been a constant in my bathroom for three years now. It's not the formula that's impressive because it's pretty basic in that respect, but I adore the scent of it. It's so fresh and sweet, plus a little bit bitter, so it smells like a refreshing bitter-sweet orange fizzy drink. I don't recall any similar scent, though shower gels with lemongrass have that bitter freshness. I recently repurchased two bottles, which are 500 ml, so it should last me a while. 

LUXURIOUS COCONUT Repair Hair Mask and Hair Oil

Honestly I fully expected to hate this. It's drugstore, which is mostly never enough for my hair and it's a random brand and I could think of a hundred other reasons (like the fact Precious Argan made by the same company does nothing for my hair), but damn it, it's actually very decent for the price. Especially the combination of hair mask and oil make my hair smooth and shiny when I'm blow-drying it, which is something that hasn't happened ever since some stupid shampoo completely wrecked my hair and it's in worst condition that ever (seriously, I'm suffering here). Unfortunately my hair still ends up dry within a day or two, which is normal when it comes to drugstore hair care and my hair, but still these two are much better than 90% of drugstore stuff I've tried. Considering how dry and thick my hair is, it's possible the mask could be too heavy for most (they have a lighter conditioner), but if you need something thick and smoothing, this is nice. The scent of the mask is not amazing as it's a somewhat sour coconut, but the oil is has a decent coconut scent. 

UPDATES

The lovely Sandra from Keep Calm and Wear Lipstick blog knocked my socks off when she sent me a ton samples of a brand I'm currently very eager to explore - Bath & Body Works. I'm rather envious of her collection and I'm so grateful she gave me a chance to see what the scents are like and what I'd consider purchasing. She also remembered I was interested in a couple of The Ordinary products which she also included a samples of in her parcel. Thanks again, Sandra. 

BATH & BODY WORKS Body Mist Bali Blue Surf

I had this on my wishlist in the last monthly favourites and though initially I wasn't sure about it, I kept reaching for it in the past week and now I just love it. It's such a fab summery fresh scent. There's very little of coconut, in fact I can only detect it in the seconds after I spray it, while later it's this fresh salty scent. It's the scent of seawater breeze and the smell of a beach without any trace of sunscreen scent that most such mists have. If you'd like something that smells a bit like the ocean, this is a great non-masculine smelling option.

BATH & BODY WORKS Body Mist At the Beach

I'm less enthusiastic about this one. It's mostly frangipani, so a warm floral scent that to me smells boring. The coconut here is creamy and somewhat artificial, though not plastic and the rest of the base has that laundry detergent clean quality. I find it's boring compared to Oahu Coconut Sunset and Bali Blue Surf.

BATH & BODY WORKS Body Lotion Sensual Amber

A deep sultry scent with berries and patchouli, while amber only forms a barely noticeable smooth base. It's a scent I've smelled a hundred times as everything from Paco Rabanne Black XS, Gucci Guilty Absolut and James Bond 007 for women smell so similar, mostly due to the spicy patchouli note. So if you're looking for something that smells high-end and is long-lasting for a cheap price, this is worth it, but I was bored just opening the sample. It was on my list to try, so I'm glad I got a sample first. 

BATH & BODY WORKS Body Lotion Wild Madagascar Vanilla

A sweet spicy vanilla scent that's very strong and definitely something for colder months. Fruity notes here are pear and apple, but I don't detect any freshness or that crispy character, instead it's smells more like sweet berries were mixed in it. It's another mist that I'm sure would work as a perfume because of the strong notes. 

BATH & BODY WORKS Body lotion Winter Candy Apple

If you ever owned Tigi After Party you'll recognise the scent because it's exactly the same. It's not an obvious apple scent, instead it's more artificially fruity, but regardless of that it's nice. It's my favourite lotion from the samples, but I'd still pick Country Apple instead of it. I suspect the lotion must smell different from the mist, as the notes of that mention apple in combination with cinnamon, neither of which I detect here.

BATH & BODY WORKS Vanilla Bean Noel

A smooth and creamy cookie vanilla. If you want to smell like a cupcake, this is it, but it's nothing particularly special. 

All lotions have the same light, yet nourishing texture, but if you're buying stuff from BBW I highly recommend you take the Ultra Shea versions of body moisturisers instead because those are amazing.

BATH & BODY WORKS  Golden Sugar Scrub Cashmere Glow

The texture of this is exactly the type of scrubs I like, meaning one of those harsh sugar ones like Soap & Glory makes. The scent is nothing like I expected, as it's mostly fruity with a strong very sweet peach note on a warm base of vanilla, sugar, sandalwood and musk.

BATH & BODY WORKS Shea & Sparkle Scrub Sugar Plum Swirl 

This is not impressive as a scrub because the scrubby bits are small and there's not enough of them for my taste. The scent at this is so complex. At first it just smells like a simple sweet-tart plum, but then it follow by this wave of warm and sultry notes. 

THE ORDINARY 2% Salicylic Acid

Almost a gel type of product that I have been applying on my spots (came at the just right time because I got spots after several months). I think it helped cure them a lot faster making this so far the most impressive TO product I've tried.

THE ORDINARY Azelaic Acid 10%

I did not expect the texture of this to be so thick. It's difficult to include it in the routine because it's like a rich moisturizer. It's supposed to help make the skin more even and reduce spots, though I'll have to see how it works with further use. Despite the high percentage of acid I didn't feel tingling.

USING UP/USED UP

MANHATTAN Easy Match Foundation

I dedicated this month to using up this foundation and I still hate it, so I'm very glad it's gone. I have the old bottle, but this still exists in a glass bottle with a white cap. It's exactly the same as Rimmel's Match Perfection down to a T. It's got light-medium coverage and it never sets on my skin, so it stays consistently tacky and gross. I did not enjoy it at all, but the shade was pale and fit me fine.

REVLON Colorstay

Next on my list to use up. Mine is again an old bottle, as now it finally has a pump. I don't think I like this anymore to be honest. After trying Milani Conceal + Perfect I find it a far superior medium-high coverage foundation, while this one just seem so fake and heavy on the face. It might just be because mine is a few years old. The shade is a nice one for me, a very pale cool toned shade.

BALEA Fuss Butter Lovely 

I don't know why I'm including this here, it's not sold anymore and now there's a tea version, but mine changed scent, though the texture appears fine, so I'm trying to use it up as quickly as I can and I'm using every day. It used to have this amazing minty orange scent that is perfect for summer (now they have miny melon). Texture might be similar to the current one - a thick texture that needs extra time to sink in.

WISHLIST

I finally manged to visit The Body Shop in Ljubljana and I have to say I'm very impressed at how well it looks. I only had minutes to explore a bit and of course I fell in love with two scents. I already had Pink Grapefruit about 10 years ago and I forgot how amazingly refreshing it smells. It's better than Satsuma, so I really should pick up either a body butter or a mist. I don't remember liking Moringa the first time I tried it years ago, but now I find it an amazing smooth floral scent. I think I now pretty much love every scent from TBS. I also loved the Shea Butter mist, it smells better than the body butter, as it's smoother and less masculine.

Have a great day!

Color Therapy Nail Polish 

180 Chai on Life

This became one of my most worn nail polishes very quickly because the shade is absolutely perfect for my toes. It's a warm toned beige nude that is better suited for warm skin tones because it's got some yellow in it. 

Formula is infused with argan oil which should make your nails healthier. Whether that's true I can't say because I have strong nails anyway, but when I take my nail polish of, my nail are in nice condition. Formula is very liquid, which makes my usual type of application very messy as I have a tendency to apply a thick first coat and this formula just spills around the nails. It's better to be patient with this one and do three thin applications instead of two and have a clean up later. It's pigmented enough to be a standard two coater and the brush is a nice rounded shape, but the formula doesn't allow it.

If you're looking for a nude, this is a nice one to check out. Everything always lasts ages on me, so I can't say how the staying power is on weaker nails, but it's average in that respect on my nails.

Miracle Gel Nail Polish 

550 Hunger Flames 

Hunger Flames is a more bold shade and something for all who love purples. It's a purple that changes its tone depending on the thickness of the layer applied on the nails as well the light. In a thin coat or warm light, this looks very pink purple, while in a thick coat and natural or cool light the frost is more apparent and it's a cool/blue violet shade. 

I've tried several gel formulas so far and this is nothing like it. Usually such formulas are thick and require one coat, but this feels like a regular nail polish that needs at least two coats, but it's best to apply three so you get the full effect of the frost.

Again I have nothing much to say about the staying power apart from that it lasts average on my nails and the brush is the same as at Color Therapy, so of medium width and with a nice rounded cut.

I saw these in my local DM for about 10-11 €. Bottles are larger than most and contain a generous 14.7 ml. 

These come in to me three rather strange shades for highlighters, all were inspired by precious bars of metal. There's a stark silvery white inspired by platinum that would possibly look too white even on me, there's a very yellow looking gold bar that would suit dark skin tones and mine is a rose gold one with a strong pink tone. This is the second highlighter than impressed me from Makeup Revolution (first was Unicorn Heart). It appears they learned how to do finely milled glowy highlighters in the past tries rather well. 

Texture: Formula is very buttery and pigmented, though you'll get that almost opaque super metallic look only if you apply it with fingers. Even with a brush you get a strong glow, I tend to use a thick big eyeshadow blending brush because I like a noticeable glow. It's a similar type of formula they use in their shimmery/metallic eyeshadows and as you can see on the picture where I'm wearing the highlighter, along the edge where I'm picking it up with a brush a crust has formed just like it happens at their eyeshadows. The shimmer is fine, so there's no chunky glitter in this and the effect is a really nice glow. 

Colour: Rose gold is you would expect a rose gold shade meaning on my very pale skin the pink undertone is visible, so it's almost like a blush shade for me. It's best suited for light-medium skin tones, preferably with a cool undertone. It's not that obvious on my picture where I'm wearing it because the glow is obscuring the pink toned base in the product, but it's definitely pink. I do however, appreciate how neutral the shimmer in it looks and that it's neither gold nor duochrome violet-pink that's usually in pink toned highlighters.

Staying power: Though the staying power is good and it manages to last at least 8 hours on the face, as it's wearing off, it does somehow ends up on most of the face and that's the only minus I can say about it.

Packaging: This comes in a bland pan which works completely fine, but for 7 € I'd expect something a bit prettier. Still I'm glad they put quality of the formula before the packaging. 

Price and availability: It can be bought on Ličila.si (Pink Panda in some other countries) for 6.99 €, maybe also in Tuš Drogerija and DM (I didn't check) and Makeup Revolution's official page. 

I'm impressed by the buttery formula, finely milled shimmer and excellent pigmentation. It truly is a wonderful highlighter, but I'm not a fan of the limited range of three (unusual) shades. If it were a light gold/champagne shade I've wear it every day, but now it's a  bit too dark and pink for me, though I still reach for it occasionally. If you have a light-medium skintone, you'll like this a lot. 

Have a great day!

*PR product

As far as my experiences go, up until I tried this formula, liquid eyeshadows were mostly a bust. Essence currently has super pigmented new ones, but they are so difficult to blend, I could hardly consider them as a product to slap on in a hurry. I've always been a stick eyeshadow fan (Kiko's are very impressive), but these Bourjois ones are a pleasant surprise. Several shades exist in this line, I got two easy-to-wear every day shades.

Texture: Unlike Essence ones, these don't have full opacity with one coat, instead at least two coats are needed for good colour pay-off. It ends up looking so nice, more like a natural tint on the lids. Blending needs to be carefully done, I tend use fingers for the first layer, while the top layer can already be blended with a brush and it's not removing the bottom layer or messing up with the blended edges. It's not as quick as stick eyeshadows, but I like the effect. Once it sets, the formula doesn't move, smudge, flake or crease.  

01 Beige-Seller

Beige-seller is a pale gold shade and honestly it's not my favourite because it's quite bland. But it's a shade that almost every brand has in their stick eyeshadow form, so I guess it must be popular.

03 Mauve your Body

Mauve your body is a brown-taupe shade that is in the same colour family as Mac's Satin Taupe and it's the type of colour that suits most people. I really like this one for an easy everyday makeup.

Staying power: The promise is 24h hours, but I didn't sacrifice my sleep to test how right they are. However, I can say that they lasted intact for at least 10 hours, which is impressive, though my lids are never oily.

Packaging: These come in the same tube as their Rouge Velvet Liquid lipsticks and some other products. It's a simple square tube with a doe foot applicator and it works fine.

Price and availability: These cost 10.49 €, which is a bit steep for me, but I do have their old gold shade 07 Or du commun on my wishlist when there's a good offer around. 

I find these lovely liquid eyeshadows, in fact they are the most impressive ones I've found so far. 

Though they aren't the most pigmented ones around, they do have such a lovely finish on the skin and they have impressive staying power. Still if you're fussy about how quick eyeshadows are to apply and blend, stick eyeshadows will be more your thing, especially those from Kiko.

Have a great day!

*PR products

These already disappeared from the shelves here (at least in my local drugstores), since they were replaced by the Matte Inks, which are Maybelline's second and a lot more successful attempt at a liquid matte lipsticks. I got mine a swap from Canada, but they can still be bought online (for Slovenes on Salma and Spletična).

Formula and finish: It's a lipstick-lip gloss hybrid with a similar formula to Revlon's short-lived Moisture Stains, as it has a similar almost cooling/watery feeling on the lips. Finish is creamy and it doesn't set to a matte one, but you can blot it. Due to not being matte, it's much more comfortable on the lips than Maybelline's proper matte lipsticks Matte Inks.

Shade: My shade is 25 Fuchsia Ecstasy, which is a bright warm fuchsia. It's one of those intense hot pinks that stains a lot, so you can't just take it off, as the dry parts of the lips will stay tinted.

Staying power: Matte Inks are some of the most long-lasting lip product I've tried, but these that are their predecessors aren't nearly as good due to never drying matte. Since my shade is a fuchsia, it lasts a long time, but most of the colour wipes off soon due to a creamy formula. 

Packaging: The doe foot on this is quite large, but precise, so it's a good shape for application.

Price and availability: These aren't sold in Slovene drugstores anymore and the same possibly goes for other European countries, but you can get them online. They cost 6.25 € on Salma.

MAKEUP

 *BOURJOIS Eye Catching Mascara

The latest mascara by Bourjois which comes in an adorable packaging with cats embossed on the cap. The brush is a classic one and it's dented (has shorter bristles) on one side, while the opposite side is very bushy. Formula looks thick and very creamy, but it's not a super messy type of formula like Catrice Lashes to Kill Pro. At first it created a natural & separated look with one coat, while several coats gave a moderate amount of volume. Now it's dried a bit and the volume is built up faster, though it's not as defining as it was from the start. For an "eye opening" mascara I expected it to both lift and hold lashes, but it does neither of these things. In fact I really put an effort in curling, plus added a thin layer of a waterproof mascara under it and yet this just dropped my lashes completely. It's an ok mascara in terms of being volumizing, but it's not for me because I want lift too.

13.49 €

BEYU Beauty Queen Volume Mascara

I finally repurchased one of my favourite mascaras, even though I currently have a few opened, but none I actually bought and picked myself, so none really work for me. I was going to buy Lash Sensational which I also love and it's cheaper, but I couldn't find a single full stand in my town - so weird. There are a lot of good mascaras in the drugstores in terms of how much volume they give and how they define the lashes, but very rare ones do the thing that I want - keep the lashes lifted and without being waterproof. This is one of those mascaras. It does everything - gives volume, defines the lashes and keeps them lifted enough so I don't look like I have no lashes. It can't compare to a proper waterproof mascara, but it does enough and it's easy to remove. It's only minus is the price. By the way, I also like the cheaper Essence Volume Stylist Curl & Hold Mascara, but I decided not to repurchase that one this time because it's almost as difficult to remove as a waterproof mascara.

DM, 11.99 €

CATRICE Liquid Liner Matt

010 Meeting Joe Black

This is the liner that I wear every day and I've bought several in the last year since I discovered it. I had a spare tube that I got in in January and when I opened it, the formula was watered down, so it looked grey which is weird because these are the most intense black liners I've tried. I was afraid they messed with the formula when they changed the packaging a bit, but luckily this new one is just as intense as all others I bought and that January one is a dud. Very annoying that Catrice has such loose quality control. I hate I had to spend extra money for a new eyeliner, even though it's not that expensive. 

Müller, 3.79 €

 BOURJOIS Radiance Reveal Concealer

A repurchase of my favourite concealer. I love this one so much I even used it instead of foundation on occasions. It's got only a medium to full coverage, but it looks so natural and hides imperfections without drawing attention to them by looking too matte or cakey. I have the lightest shade 01 Ivory which swatched looks a shade too dark on me, but this blends into the skin so well, you could never tell the shade is slightly wrong. If you like concealers like Maybelline's the Eraser, you'll love this one.

Salma, 7.77 €

 *RIMMEL Good to Glow Maxi Bronzer

002 Amber 

There are two shades of these bronzers, I got the darker of the two and both are described as having a soft glow. The latter is subtle, the finish is actually more of a satin, so it's closer to a matte bronzer and there is no fear that any shimmer particles will ruin the look. Formula is crumby soft, though it applies smoothly and it's a very pigmented bronzer, so I need to be careful. The shade is too dark for me as well as too warm, almost orange, so it'd be best suited for medium skin tones with a warm undertone. 

 *MAX FACTOR Colour Elixir Cushion

035 Baby Star Coral and 030 Majesty Berry

These just landed in my mailbox, so I'm reporting the very first impressions. These have exactly the same packaging as Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors and the discontinued Catrice versions, so they have a comfortable foam applicator. The formula is similar to Honey Lacquers in terms of how they feel on the lips, so very comfortable and like they are mixed with a lip balm. Pigmentation is sheer and these only give a tint to the lips. The coral one gives a gentle orange hue to my lips, while the berry, which I prefer, gives it a natural looking rosy shade. These have a nice vanilla scent. There are 7 colours available in Slovenia.

8.99 €

NAILS

 *SALLY HANSEN Color Therapy Nail Polish

180 Chai on Life

A nail polish formula that contains argan oil, which I don't know if it does anything, but I'm sure it can't hurt. My shade is a warm toned beige nude that looks absolutely perfect on my toes, so this was already in my last monthly favourites. The formula is a bit too liquid, similar to Essie Fiji, so when I try to apply a thick coat, it spills around the nail. It's better to do thin coats with this, though it's pigmented enough and it's a standard two coater. 

About 10 € in DM.

*SALLY HANSEN Miracle Gel Nail Polish

550 Hunger Flames 

For a gel formula this is quite thin and not like other such formulas. It's like a standard frosty, pigmented formula that needs three coats for the best result. Hunger Flames is a purple with red frost that can look pink-purple with a thin coat, while thickly applied it looks more true purple.

Swatches of both shades are in a highlighted stories "Updates" on my IG.

About 10 € in DM.

ESSENCE 4 in 1 Profi File

I've bought so many of these through the years. It's a simple nail file with four sides of various roughness that does its job.

Műller, 1.59 €

SKINCARE

 BALEA MED Ultra Sensitive Waschgel

I got this before I could find the new updated Erfrischendes gel version, which is the gel I've been using regularly as a second cleanser for quite a while now. This is more expensive and not scented, however, I don't see a difference between the two formulas. Both are slippery gels that do their job of cleansing the skin and don't feel too drying. I'll keep on buying the blue version because it's cheaper.

DM, 2.99 €

BALEA Erfrischendes Wasch Gel (New 2018 version)

Balea not only changed the packaging of my old favourite, but also they tinkered with the formula. They added aloe vera quite high on the list and I can also report that the strong, masculine scent is now much fainter. Formula still feels the same and does the same job. I like the change, but the price is 80 cents higher now.

DM, 1.99 €

BIOBAZA Exclusive Face Cleansing Micellar Oil

My fourth or fifth bottle is a row. I use this every day as my first cleanser, but I only use it because it works so well with my skin, while in other respect, namely removing makeup, I'm being consistently let down as it doesn't remove mascara well. Until I find another (cheaper) oil that doesn't break me out, I'm stuck with this one.

DM, 12.79 €

 ETUDE HOUSE Air Therapy 0.2 mm Sheet Mask

Snail (Smoothing and firming)

I already raved about this one in one of my favourites, so I ordered more of these. It worked wonders on an infected spot and just in general made my skin look good. 

eBay, $7.40

 *SHIELDS OF GLORY Hydro Delight Ultra Hydrating Face Cream with Saffron

A deceptively light moisturiser that actually reminds me of sleeping packs because despite the light formula, it needs some extra time to absorb, so it leaves a layer of product on the skin before it sinks in completely. I prefer it as a part of the night routine, even though it works just fine under makeup and I've used it for most of the month in the mornings. This feels to me as a moisturiser that's more suited for dry, normal skin & dry-combination skin, while those with oily skin might find it's a bit heavy because it needs time to sink in. Scent is floral creamy of moderate strength. I still prefer Creatures de Monoi moisturiser from moisturisers sold on Click2Chic. Shields works as an average moisturiser on me, which is just fine and it has saffron high on the list, so ingredients-wise it's better, but CdM works great for my skin and it's still one of my favourite face creams I've tried so far.

Click2chic, 16.49 €

BODY

*SHIELDS OF GLORY Golden Pleasure Perfumed Shower oil with Camelia oil

This smells exactly like Angel fragrance. It's got a strong oriental vanilla scent that if I judge from the Angel notes has patchouli (I notice it most), chocolate, vanilla, honey, amber plus a ton of fruity and floral notes, but basically it's smells either of two ways depending on peoples chemistry: a delightfully sweet and sexy vanilla spicy scent, or horribly strange spicy (it's the patchouli that's so hard to handle). If you like Angel, you will love this oil. The formula is a great one, very similar to L'Occitane's in almost all respects, so it's a medium thick oil that emulsifies into a rich emulsion with water. Too bad they only have this scent. Angel is something you need to be in the mood for, but I like the formula a lot and I'd like an lighter, more basic scented version. Ingredients-wise it's good, only the perfume is quite high up, but it has tons of oils and extracts.

Click2chic, 11.49 €

 NIVEA Pflegedusche 

Sun Welcome Shine

Nivea made a shower gel that smells like their original sunscreen scent, so this is not that typical summery coconut/tiare sunscreen scent that you get in other such products, but it's the actual scent of sunscreen, so that slightly bitter creamy scent that some really hate, but I like it. I never owned a Nivea sunscreen because they are way too expensive when you want to buy a SPF 50, but regardless I'm familiar with the scent because it smells the same as SunDance and Lavazon sun creams that I usually buy. So again don't expect a Hawaiian Tropic/Guerlan Terracotta scent like you get in Balea's version, Nivea's smells like a classic sunscreen. Disappointingly, the bottle lasted only two weeks when two of us were using it.

Müller, 1.85 €

AVEO Intensive Care Duschöl

A repurchase, twice in the last months actually. I use this to wash my hands and it works great. It's a very runny oil, which surprisingly forms a thick emulsion and the only thing I'm not 100% happy about is the bland scent.

Müller, 1.95 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Ultra Shea Body Cream

Country Apple

After I found the Twilight Woods version of Ultra Shea a complete success, I wanted more and Country Apple was the first on the list. The texture of these Ultra Sheas is amazing. They really feel like rich body butters in a tube. This and The Body Shop's body butters and my favourite formulas ever. I have another BBW apple scent called Champagne Apple Honey, which was an autumn LE, but it's the most amazing proper crisp apple scent, so I hoped this was the same. It's similar, but more musky, so it doesn't end up smelling as fresh, but it's also not bad. I'll likely buy more versions of these when I used up my stash. I highly recommend you try one of these if you like rich moisturisers.

Salma, 13.10 €

BALEA Rasiergel

Peach Love

My standard shaving gel. They finally made a peach version and it's a pretty good one. I think it's my favourite so far.

DM, 1.99€

  BALEA Elektrischer Hornhaut Entferner

I've been eyeing this for a while because I find using foot files such a chore. I've used those famous acid peels (from Etude House), but unfortunately they are too weak for my hard skin and they didn't leave my feet soft, though the removed the top layer like they should. I checked some reviews before buying this and they were mixed with the negative side focusing on it not being good enough for very rough skin, but I still took a chance. I was picking between this one and Barefuss one from Müller, while I find Scholl's too expensive in the long run because the replacement rolls. Balea won because you get four rolls in the box, one very fine, one medium and two rough ones, plus you also get batteries. Design is very 80's or 90's and it's very basic, but that doesn't matter to me. I tried the medium one first and I could see it works, still I switched to the rough grey one for better results. I took a while, but it did a decent job. My feet didn't feel soft, but they felt smoother and the skin wasn't as hard. I was satisfied with the results, though it could be rougher and I can't say this will work on very rough skin or bunions. It's also not fast, so you need to take your time, but I also feel this won't take off too much. 

DM, 19.99 €

FRAGRANCES

 BATH & BODY WORKS Body Mist

Oahu Coconut Sunset

This was already in my last favourites and I can only repeat what I've said there. It's a deeper version of a beachy coconut scent that reminds me of Lolita Lempicka Elle L'Aime. The traditional creamy coconut-tiare combination is here mixed with sultry amber and incense that give the scent depth, while there's also a sweet juicy (Taj Sunset mango-like) note present, but only at the start. It's a going out/night time version of a beachy scent that can be worn in colder months as well. I'd really love to get more of BBW mists, they are such amazing value with 250 ml.

Salma, 12.90€

 AVON Luck La Vie eau de parfum

Admittedly I got this in part for the gorgeous packaging, but I also liked the notes listed in the description. I already tried the original Luck once and loved it, so it's still on my list to get, but La Vie version drew me in with its woodsy notes that I'm obsessively seeking in fragrances now since I absolutely love them in BBW Apple Wood sanitizer and Twilight Woods mist. The wood notes are not nearly as apparent in La Vie as in those two, instead it's a fresh floral fruity fragrance with a cedar base that reminds me of Marc Jacobs Daisy and its flankers. First burst is sweet strawberry with the florals starting to make their appearance. Then the fresh, green florals take centre stage with lily-of-the-valley being the most apparent note. It's the latter than reminds me of the Daisy fragrance since they are both so green and fresh. The base reveals the cedar note, but it's still got that a fresh fruity-floral and green character. It definitely smells more like a designer fragrance that celebrity scents which tend to me more sugary vanilla. It's youthful, but still serious enough that you'd be comfortable wearing it to the office. Compared to the original Luck, La Vie feels greener and less smooth, that's why a lot of people prefer the original. The main notes of that one are berries and sandalwood, so it's warmer. La Vie also has notes of peach which I can't detect, which is a shame. It's about medium strong and lasts a few hours.

Top: strawberry, mirabelle, mandarin orange

Heart: lilies-of-the-valley, Lime (linden) Blossom, mandarin orange

Base: marshmallow, peach, white cedar extract

Salma, 13.90 €

HAIR

 HEAD & SHOULDERS Supreme Feuchkeit 

Supreme Moisture Conditioner

This is the first anti-dandruff conditioner that I saw in our drugstores (I only knew about KeraCare up until now, which I never got round to ordering). It's got zink pyrithione on 7th place among the ingredients, but otherwise it's a pretty standard conditioner with the usual mix of moisturising ingredients and silicones. I've been battling dandruff since I was 11 and I wrote about it here many times, as well as documented some of the stuff I tried over the years, but I never tried a conditioner, which sounded like a great idea, since my scalp is everything from super dry (I never have oily hair) to flaky and itchy, so this sounded like a nice moisturising treatment. As a regular conditioner, I like it because it left my hair very silky due to a lot of silicones, which my hair loves. It could be a bit more nourishing, but for drugstore stuff it's one of the best. I applied it generously on the scalp too, but unfortunately, it didn't help with the dandruff much and actually the state was pretty much the same, my scalp was a bit less dry, but still flaky and as usual occasionally itchy. It doesn't work the way it promises, but I still like it as a regular conditioner.

Müller, 4.29 € for 220 ml

 SCHAUMA Nature Moments Honey Elixir & Barbary Fig Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

I got this because they were offering it at the register in DM as a part of a promotion and I've always been interested in Schauma because I remember hearing someone talking about it being good. Well this was a complete waste of my money. The best description of a shampoo is average - cleans well, but not nourishing and neither too drying, it's got this basic "trying-to-smell-like-honey" scent and is in general just a boring shampoo that's not good for my very dry hair. The conditioner has very promising ingredients with keratin high on the list and it smells nicely of honey, but it's very light and it did nothing for my hair. Washing my hair with these made me wash it again using more nourishing products. They are probably completely ok for normal hair with slightly dry ends, even maybe oily hair because they are light, but I'm using the shampoo as a shower gel and the conditioner instead of a shaving gel.

DM, it was about 3 € as a part of the promotion where the conditioner was a gift.

*L'OREAL Magic Shampoo Invisible Dry Shampoo

Fresh Crush, Tropical Splash and Sweet Fusion

L'Oreal released these a couple of months back in five versions, but I only saw three in our Müller. I never have greasy hair, so I'm sorry that can't say how well they perform on oily hair, but I can say that these have absolutely no white cast. In fact when you spray them there is no powderiness in sight. For my dark hair these work really great as a refreshing type of product that add fragrance to my hair. The don't create as much volume as Batiste do, which is expected given that they don't create that powdery texture, but it's still enough on my hair. 

Fresh Crush has the most classic type of clean scent, though this one is a flowery version and not the typical aldehyde "clean laundry scent"

Tropical Splash has a flowery tropical scent, which reminds me most of a hibiscus scent Balea used to make.

Sweet Fusion is the most girly and sweet type of scent, which is again very floral with (maybe) some vanilla notes (it's something warm and sweet).

4.60 €

 *LUXURIOUS COCONUT Hair Care

The collection consists of two ranges: Repair and Colour, I've given Repair a try. Colour has only a shampoo and conditioner, while the Repair has an extra hair mask and hair oil. I'm very fussy when it comes to hair care because my hair is so dry, so I won't say this is the best hair care line I've used, but when it comes to drugstore it's very decent, especially the hair mask. Shampoo is one of the rare ones that doesn't leave my hair striped and it doesn't leave my hair too tangled, so I give it a 4/5. The conditioner is thick and I can feel it'll be nourishing enough for most people, but for me it's on a light side. The hair mask again feels similarly thick as conditioner, but it's got a much better effect on my hair and it gives a good hydration boost. Sadly the nourished effect lasts only a day or two on my hair, but that's usual for every good drugstore mask I've tried (that's why I mostly use more expensive, hair salon stuff). For very dry hair, the mask is great, but those will thin hair will find it too much and for those the conditioner is a better choice. Oil is quite light, so I need to use a lot of it, especially on dry hair, but it does its job of taming the hair and giving shine. The shampoo-mask-oil on damp hair combination pleasantly surprised me because my hair dried so sleek and super shiny with a hair dryer and that doesn't happen often. Scent is the thing that I have mixed feelings about. The shampoo and oil have a nice creamy coconut scent, but the conditioner and mask smell more like coconut water, so on the sour side. 

Click2chic and Müller, everything apart from the oil 5.49 € per piece (shampoo and conditioner 500 ml, hair mask 250 ml), oil is 9.49 € (100 ml)

Have a great day!

* - PR products