DEBORAH Fluid Velvet Mat Effect Liquid Lipstick

02

This was an instant love both for the perfectly matte formula and the pretty warm pink shade that I know will become one of mine most worn colours. It's a formula that's fully opaque, applies smoothly, feels comfortable on my lips and lasts well - really it's such great quality. I find it's one of the best such matte lip creams out of those easily available in our drugstores. 

ESSENCE Colour Boost Mad About Matte Liquid Lipstick

05 Dangerously Yours

Another great matte liquid lipstick and quite an unexpected favourite because when these came out I ignored them, as I thought surely they can't be good (my trust in Essence lip products is pretty low, apart from lipliners). But it sets perfectly matte, just like Deborah, formula is also fully opaque, though a bit less creamy and this shade is gorgeous. 05 Dangerously yours is darker than the tube indicates, but no less beautiful for that. It's a medium muted pink shade with a warm-neutral undertone - it's exactly the shade I wanted Maybelline 15 Lover to be, but that one turns so cool one me. The only bad side is that it's not quite as long-lasting as similar formulas. If you're on Instagram, you can see swatches here.

MILANI Gilded Desires Eye & Face Palette

While I'm not a big fan of the entire colour selection because this palette is too warm for my colouring and taste, the pigmentation is insane. The metallic shades are so creamy, fully opaque and have a strong metallic finish, while the mattes are also the creamiest, most pigmented such shades I've tried. Staying power is impressive as well, so this is definitely comparable to more expensive palettes, though it's not exactly cheap at 25 €. You also get two highlighters inside and both have a strong glow. I really hope Milani makes a cool palette with formula, though I still use a half of this one, just not the reds, yellow gold and copper (which is the best quality shade in this palette).

WET N WILD Megaglo Highlighting Powder 

Blossom Glow

These are pretty hyped-up, especially the shade Precious Petal which is a darker shade than Blossom Glow and better suited for less pale skin tones than mine. Blossom Glow is the lightest shade in the range and it's an off-white with a pink-peachy glow. It swatches with a warm glow, but on my face looks more neutral-cool. When I tried it the first time  I was not impressed at all because I got so little product on the brush, but when I swatched it for pictures, it revealed a metallic goodness underneath that top layer. It's got a good level of intensity for a day look and only fine shimmer which is a big plus. 

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Sheet Mask

Madecassoside (soothing) & Ceramide (moisturising)

Both of these are fantastic formulas of sheet masks, they feel like your skin was drenched in moisture and nourishing ingredients. They are quite similar, as both have a comfy creamy essence, but Madecassoside is a touch better because it also has a soothing effect and evens my skin (without a brightening effect, it just takes down any redness). I'd repurchase both, but I like Madecassoside the most out of the two.

BATH & BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist

Amber Blush

This is similar to some celebrity scents like Paris Hilton's Can Can, but I mean that in a good sense. It's a sweet, yet deep fragrance that starts with sweet raspberry syrup opening and later becomes a smooth amber fragrance with extra notes of suede, sandalwood and wood. I love it for this time of the year because it's such a comfy, warm scent.

Top notes: bergamot, mandarin orange, raspberry and champagne

Heart notes: jasmine, gardenia, star anise, apricot and magnolia

Base notes: vanilla, suede, crystal amber, sandalwood and musk.

L'OREAL Excellence Creme 

9.1 Natural Light Ash Blonde

If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen I've dyed my hair. It's not a big change, but I'm about two shades lighter now and I achieved the colour with this box dye. After the Olia disappointment I've thrown myself into exploring how I can achieve a couple of shades lighter hair without using bleach and several reviews of girls with such dark hair as me recommended this colour, but basically I've realised that a lot of these cool blond shades do the same (I've just tried Subrina Spectra Permanent Special Blonde in Ice Blonde on one strand and it lifted the colour very similarly, maybe even a bit more. That one promises to lift colour up to 5 shades, so it's very strong and it contains special pigments that prevents the colour from being too warm, but the extra lightening effect will only be achieved on someone with much lighter natural hair, while for dark hair you need stronger stuff even if you want to go down only a three shades). The reason I put this box dye here is because it made my hair feel amazing. It's never this soft and silky, unless I use my best hair mask (Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask). It didn't damage my hair at all, it was shiny and it just felt so great. Inside the box is also a protective serum which you apply on the ends before colouring and it clearly worked a treat. The conditioner is also really good, waaay better than Olia's and it's actually similar to Moroccanoil mask. I'm genuinely so impressed by it.  

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

AVON Mark. Gel Shine Nail Enamel

Rain Washed

I only got this a few days ago, but it's been on my wishlist for ages, so I'm happy that Adjusting Beauty sent it to me (thanks again). It's such a pretty light blue that isn't a completely classic pastel because it leans to grey. The formula is a standard one for pastels, so it needs two, sometimes three coats, but it's not that difficult to apply and it really doesn't matter to me anyway because the colour is so pretty.

REVOLUTION PRO Supreme Eyeshadow Palette

Allure

I'm so distrustful to any (Makeup) Revolution palette and I expected their classic texture of the eyeshadows, which is fine, it's just mostly not exceptional. But these in Supreme palette are so soft and pigmented. They aren't that far behind Milani's quality, but not all shades and they are not as buttery-creamy as they are more loose. The mattes, except for the violet shade, are super pigmented and blend so well , while the shimmery-metallic ones are very metalic on the lids, except for again that lilac one which is mostly just duochrome shimmer on a sheer base. It's a mix quality palette overall, but those good shades are impressive for something that came from Revolution. 

REVOLUTION PRO 4K Highlighter Palette

Rose Gold

Revolution definitely knows how to make an good intense highlighter, I actually have a couple in my collection and this palette is another nice one. Now granted the shimmer is not as fine as in Wet n Wild's highlighter, but the glow is pretty strong and you get four shades in one. The palest is by far the strongest and perhaps already too much unless you're a big fan of strong highlighters, but the other three are more appropriate for every day wear. The gold one has the best level of glow, while the rose gold, which intrigued me most, is the weakest, so again it's not a very consistent palette, but you don't get any useless shades in it. Formulation is very creamy, similar to their Ingot highlighters which pleases me because I like that one, only the shade is a bit dark for me. 

WISHLIST

I've mentioned in my wishlist tag that I'm currently more into computer components than thinking about what new beauty products to get (I'm sure no one is interested, but all the tech stuff is on my Pinterest wishlist too), however, I've been toying with the idea of getting a stronger lightening colour  and maybe do a balayage (if I can get anyone to help me, which won't happen) and Schwarzkopf Color Expert are highly praised because of the added Omegaplex. I'd get a L'Oreal one, but they don't have a strong lightener in Excellence range. Versace Crystal Noir is still on my mind and I've recently discovered we have Vera Wang Lovestruck in our drugstores for a reasonable price (about 20 € for 100 ml). It's a very fruity-floral shampoo type of scent, but I like it. Also Sandra recommended me to try Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect mascara as she says it holds up her lashes well.  

Have a great day!

Because I didn't do a New in with most of these stuff: Milani Palette and Wet n Wild highlighter are from click2chic.si, Revolution products are from Ličila.si, Etude House is from eBay, the rest is from local drugstores and Avon obviously from Avon.

Rimmel did a great job with their Stay Matte formula, which is one of my favourites in the drugstore. They added a satin finish version to their ranges of lipsticks and they offer 14 shades (four are sold here in Slovenia).

Texture: These are fully opaque with a formula that is a mix between a cream and a mousse. They don't have the super comfortable feel of Revlon's Ultra HD's because as they set/dry, they become a bit sticky. They aren't drying on my lips and since they never truly set, I doubt anyone will find them uncomfortable. The finish is a nice looking satin - it's less shiny than on my pictures because I didn't have time to wait for them to set.

130 Yuppie

130 Yuppie is a muted light-medium peachy-pink, a perfect mix of the two shades. It's a nice every day colour that I've been wearing a lot since I got it.

400 Obsession

Staying power: These lasts similarly to regular lipsticks with a creamy-satin formula. They never set and you don't get a stain from these, so they wipe off completely and transfer. 

Packaging: it's the same tube as at matte version and the applicator is the same too. The latter is a nice shape and you can be precise with it.

Scent: They have the same sweet candy-vanilla scent as the Matte version. It's not strong and it doesn't last.

Price and availability: These cost 6.19 € in DM. Four shades out of fourteen are sold in our drugstores: #130 Yuppie, #200 Sike, #210 It Girl in #400 Obsession.

I'm still a matte girl and though I love the satin finish of these, I like to be without worries that my lipstick will transfer somewhere, so I prefer their matte range. Despite that I like the shade 130 Yuppie and I'm already wearing it a lot, so they will definitely be sticking in my collection. Formula is fully opaque and it's not drying, so it's appropriate also for those with dry lips, but they aren't as comfortable as Revlon's Ultra HD because they can stay sticky for a while.

Have a great day!

*PR products

I remember these pearls from way back when I just started getting into makeup, though I'm not sure if they are still exactly the same thing, as I never owned any. I picked a blush shade called Natural Pink, but the box states these are a bronzer (with this name of the shade on the box) and I think a separate bronzer exists too as it was marketed separately in the catalogue - it's kind of confusing, but if you get this shade, this is what you get and two more blush shades exist.

Texture: These have a strong pigmentation, which I did not expect at all and I was sure I'll need my densest brush because I won't be able to pick up much, but these were a big surprise. I need to use very little or I get a strong streak of colour. Formula of these applies smoothly and even that overly applied streak was blended away easily. They don't apply patchy and the colour is evenly mixed. Finish as you can see from the swatch is satin with no shimmer. 

Shade: I have the shade Natural Radiance and based on the colour of pearls I expected something pink with some bronze tones, but this mixes into a very warm peachy shade. It's not really a bronzer, but more like a bronzer-meets-a-peachy-blush. There are four shades of pearls inside: a cool light pink, dark warm pink, light bronze/tan and a champagne colour. As I said pigmentation is so strong that I need to use my fluffiest brush and use a light hand, so these are more meant for someone with a darker and warmer skin tone than mine.

Staying power: is impressive, but it's not surprising given how pigmented these are. They last all day on  me.

Packaging: Pearls are stored in a pretty black box with a screw lid. There is a sponge inside to keep the pearls from moving too much, I think they didn't mean that sponge to be an applicator because it doesn't work well and these pearls need to be applied with a brush.

Price and availability: The peals are available in Oriflame's catalogue with a regular price 20.90 €, but currently they are 9.99 €.

Shade Natural Pink is not the best name for this shade as it ends up a peachy-bronze shade on me, so this is a better shade for those with a warmer and darker skintone than me. Pigmentation is exceptional and a light hand it needed at these, so they'll probably last forever even if you use them every day. I might tinker with the ratio of pearls or just take the bronze ones out to see if I can get a pinker shade.

Have a great day!

In the latest line updates, both Essence and Catrice launched these metallic cream-to-powder eyeshadows, but only only limited shade ranges - Catrice has just four. For my standards Catrice always had nice eyeshadows, while I was never much impressed by the Essence ones, but both of these formulas are very different from their usual offering and they're also fun to use. 

Texture: Both Essence's and Catrice's eyeshadow have a very creamy, yet still powdery texture and they form dent when you try to swatch them, though Catrice's formula is creamier and softer than Essence's Chromes. I heard Colourpop's Super Shock Eyeshadow have a similar texture, but I have yet to try them (recently ordered three shades). It's a formula that I can't apply with a brush because it's just too creamy, so I always apply it with fingers and for quick blending, I use fingers too, but for a nicer diffused look, I use a fluffy brush. Pigmentation of this shade is about medium, so I need to layer it for a metallic effect, though this is less metallic and less shimmery than Essence's shades. I've recently got Milani's Gilded Desires palette, which has a similar creamy texture of metallic eyeshadows, but those are much more pigmented than both Essence and Catrice ones and create a more foiled-like look.

Shade: 040 Mauve Browntown is a similarly to Essence's 01 Zink About it a Mac Satin Taupe kind of shade, so as the name says a mauve brown. It's more brown than Essence's shade, but they still end up quite close on the lids, except Catrice's has more colour rather than a metallic effect.

Staying power: The formula of these is so creamy that it's one of the very rare eyeshadows that creases on me and the thicker the layer, the faster it happens. Overall it last well on the lids and it doesn't fade much, also the shimmer doesn't travel around as much as at Essence's Chrome shadows, so I feel more comfortable wearing these.

Price and availability: I bought mine in Müller for 4.79 €.

Unlike Essence's eyeshadows I tend to wear this one on its own and not as a topper, and the reason for this is that is a less shimmery formula and it looks good on its own. The formula is very creamy, so it creases and quite fast, plus these are not quite as pigmented on the lids as I had hoped (similarly to Essence's), so I don't think these are the best eyeshadows, but I still like them because the texture is so unique and I can use them for a fast application, just like cream eyeshadows. Sadly only four shades exists and this was the only one that appealed to me.

Have a great day!

One of the newly released Giordani Gold products is a range of MasterCreation lipsticks which are available in ten shades. This formula promises an anti-ageing effect, it contains a moisturising biometric peptide and has a SPF 20. It's a standard lipstick, so not my usual preferred matte finish, but I liked this straight away.

Texture: Formula reminds me of Kiko's Romantic Rebel lipsticks which was a LE, but it's one of the best non-mattes I tried. It's neither overly creamy like most non-matte formulas tend to be and it's not too waxy like old-school lipsticks, so it just glides on the lips with ease, but you get a very controlled application that looks neat enough at the edges. It's a very light formula on the lips and not drying, though it's not a very moisturising formula, so not a substitute for a lip balm like some very creamy-shiny lipsticks. Finish is satin with some shine.

Shade: Delicate Pink is a light-medium peachy pink, just a simple and wearable every day colour. The catalogue swatch is actually surprisingly accurate. The darker your skin tone is, though, the more pink this shade will look. My skin just amplifies peachy tones every time.

Ogrlica iz Fatalka.si.

Staying Power: Given it's not matte I didn't expect it to last long, but I was surprised to see it still going strong after several hours. 

Scent: It's got a light vanilla scent.

Packaging: The packaging is metallic with some weight to it, so it's high quality and pretty much like the high-end stuff. The pattern also gives it a vintage kind of vibe.

Price and availability: Regular price in Oriflame catalogue is 14.90 €, while current offer is 8.99 €.

Everything from the formula down to the packaging is great quality at this lipstick. It shows it's a part of Oriflame's premium and more expensive range. I've had a couple of Oriflame's cheapest lipstick (I forget the name as it was years ago) and this GG formula is miles away from that waxy quality. I'm not sure really believe this formula will make my lips fuller and younger-looking in time, but it has an SPF and it feels nice on the lips.

Have a great day!

*PR product

I was tagged by Sandra from Keep Calm, Wear Lipstick blog to do a wishlist tag - you can find her's here (post is in Slovene). I post my wishlists regularly in monthly favourites if you're interested and I have a wishlist board on Pinterest.

#1: What's the next makeup item you want to buy?

I'm currently actually looking more into computer components and I just got quite a few PR products, so I have no makeup items that I really want to buy, at least for a while, but when I was browsing in DM, I saw that Versace Crystal Noir is very reasonably priced and I've been in DM twice already with the intention of buying it, yet I walked out without a new fragrance.

#2 If you could walk into Sephora today, what product would you get if money were no object?

I'd like Smoke & Mirrors Conditioning Cleansing Oil. I've never seen a cleansing oil for hair, but it sounds perfect for my dry mane. 

#3 What's the oldest item on your Sephora Loves list?

I have no idea, but probably Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder, though I never use powders and I'd prefer a blush from this line.

#4 What's the newest item on your Sephora list?

Benefit Roller Lash since there are several people who recommended me to try it.

#5 Which fragrance is at the top of your wishlist?

Like I said above it's Versace Crystal Noir, but also very high on my list is Paco Rabanne Olympea Intense or Olympea Aqua Legere - I can't decide between the two. 

#6 Which new launch are you most looking forward to?

I'm not excited about anything really. Balea Body Parfum Jellies caught my attention because it's something different, but I doubt they are any good.

#7 Are there are drugstore items on your wishlist that you're postponing buying?

I'm the queen of postponing - I've just purchased Deborah liquid lipstick (which is amazing btw) that was on my wishlist for years. Number one is Essence Glow to Go highlighter palette which I always put back on the stand. There's also Avon Mark nail polish is Rain Washed, H&M blushes, Catrice Glam & Doll False Lashes in waterproof, L'Oreal Nail Polish in Nude Mademoiselle that I've seen at Metka two years ago and a super cheap S-he Nude nail polish in 040 to name a few - all have been on my wishlist for years and I have all the rest on my Pinterest. Oh, and another one of Beyu Beauty Queen mascaras, but I know I'll buy something cheaper again (like I just did Essence Lash Stylist) or use up one of my PR mascaras that I end up hating 95 % of the time.

#8 Which eyeshadow palette is on your wishlist?

I'm going to end up sounding so pathetic here, but Makeup Revolution Fortune Favours the Brave. It's so cheap, there have been tons of offers so far and I've swatched it a million times when it was still sold in DM, and yet, I just keep avoiding it. I have trust issues with MR stuff, it's just not quite there yet in terms of quality, apart from their highlighters. That one is my reasonable wish, but my unobtainable one is Tartelette in Bloom since it looks like a collection of shades I wear most.

#9 Product you wish for your birthday or Christmas?

I haven't been thinking about it, I don't get gifts for Christmas anyway. I already know I won't buy any of the Paco Rabanne fragrances because prices are so high, and I doubt I'll ever splurge on a Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush because I don't think it's really so good that it deserves such a price. I'll probably something from Bath & Body Works because I adore that brand.

#10 Which product do you wish was available in your country?

I'd love to see shade 50 of Bourjois' Healthy Mix foundation in drugstores (I mean honestly, what the hell were they thinking when they were picking shades for Slovenia. Do pale shades really sell so bad here? 90% of people I know buys the lightest shades), also the three lightest shades of Max Factor Radiant Lift foundation because I have two bottles of the stuff in such dark shades, but the formula seems very interesting, dry to the touch, yet glowy. I'd also very like to see Colourpop here one day, or at least a warehouse somewhere in EU so we wouldn't have to pay customs.

#11 What's on your wishlist, but you'll never buy it because of high price?

I don't put many very expensive things on my wishlist. I find it almost insulting when a company has the gall to charge an obscene amount of money for a beauty product, especially brands like Charlotte Tilbury that I won't get anything from out of principle, no matter how many praises I read on the internet. Also crazy expensive skin care brands like Drunk Elephant or Sunday Riley, even Hourglass, but since the stuff I want are powders which tend to last me forever, I'm a bit more lenient to that. But I am a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to hair because I am willing to shell out 30+ € for Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating mask when it runs out because it's the only thing right now that makes my hair normal and it's a thousand times better than anything drugstore.

#12 If a beauty genie could grant you one wish, what would it be?

A cheap amazing hair mask, a Moroccaoil dupe, but so far everything falls short.

Essence is no stranger to cute packaging and I admit I was drawn to this because of the cute llama, but I've had some luck with Essence highlighters, so I hoped this was another good one. It's very subtle, which is somewhat unusual for Essence's usual offerings.

Texture: This is a smooth and finely milled powder, but it's tightly pressed and I tend to prefer more buttery formulas when it comes to highlighters. Pigmentation is weak and it reminds me more of illuminating finishing powders rather than a proper highlighter, especially if I apply only one layer. You see the glow just fine in strong light, but it doesn't create that very luminous effect like some Essence's other highlighters. The shimmer is fine in this with no extra larger chunks of glitter.

Shade: There are three shades in this: a gold, a pink and a cool toned off-white, which all mix into a peachy looking shade with glow, though it's very pale.

Price and availability: I bought mine in Müller for 3.89 €.

To be fair this is a disappointment to me. It's too weak and is not the most noticeable highlighter even when a thick coat is applied. Essence has much better highlighters in their ranges, while this is mostly just cute.

Have a great day!

I'm quite fond of Essence mascaras and consider their I >3 Extremes waterproof my favourite, but regular formulas aren't always a hit for me and it mostly has to do with how well a formula holds a curl. This mascara promises to tint the lashes, so to make them darker with prolonged use and it claims it strengthens them too.

This has one of the standard brushes, but with an hourglass design. There's never too much product on the wand and it's not a messy mascara. It manages to comb and define the lashes just fine, but it's the formula that doesn't have much hold immediately when applied, so my lashes tend to revert to its messy state, at least on one eye.

Formula: For an Essence mascara, this doesn't create quite as much volume as some of the rest I've tried and I've noticed it doesn't get any more volumizing with age. It still creates a decent amount of volume and it keeps the lashes separated, though for some reason I can only create a great effect on one eye, while the other tends to look messy, which probably has to do with my lashes being squashed behind my glasses. In terms of holding a curl, it's not impressive, though it's not a heavy formula and it doesn't weight it down, but it can't hold the curl that was created.

 As you can see from the picture my lashes drop with this, so it looks like I have much shorter lashes. As far as the tinting and strengthening claims go, I can't say I've seen much, but my natural lashes are pretty dark on their own. They also don't look much stronger, not that I could complain before I started using this anyway.

Price and availability: It costs 3.89 € in drugstores.

This is a natural looking mascara for me and since I've been using it at the same time as my favourite Beyu Beauty Queen, it really didn't stand a chance to impress me. It doesn't hold a curl, which is the main minus in my books, though it's not a bad formula. Its more bold claims of tinting the lashes and strengthening didn't come to pass, not that I was expecting much anyway.

Have a great day!

*PR product.