DEBORAH Milano Il Fondotinta City Defence

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This is one wonderful foundation, except it has one fault for me. You know me and my love for any foundation that looks like skin and this is definitely it. It looks very similar on me as Maybelline's Matte + Poreless, my favourite, except it's more moisturising, so while M + P is currently out of the question for me, City Defence fits my dry skin perfectly. It's got a light to medium coverage, it blends seamlessly into the skin, doesn't emphasise pores and it's wearing off nicely without becoming patchy. For dry skin this is really nice and has a natural matte finish on me, but since it's got a more moisturising texture than some other foundations I own, it might not set on combination-oily skin, so I still need to see how this foundation will perform all year round. Its minus that I'm not happy about is the shade. I have the lightest available and it's quite dark for something considered a fair shade. I'm mixing it with The Body Shop Adjusting drops, but it's annoying doing that every morning and I rarely get the mix quite right because it's so dark. It's a shame about the shade range from my perspective, but when it comes to formula, I really like this.

L.O.V. BLUSHment Blurring Blush 

30 Beautiful Minds Empower Other, 50 Yes She can and 60 Be the Next She.E.O

I am so impressed with the quality of these and I think they are my favourite blushes ever, knocking theBalm off its throne. Formula is fantastic - nicely pigmented, very easy to blend, not powdery and long-lasting. I like all the shades and all are very easy to wear. 30 is a muted mauve-peach on me, which sounds like a strange combination, but it works (Petra reviewed it here, but it looks different on my neutral skin tone). It's also the one shade with a satin finish. The other two have tiny shimmer which creates an amazing healthy glow that actually lasts for hours and the shimmer doesn't end up everywhere at the end of the day. Shade 50 is particularly gorgeous and my favourite out of the three. It's a very pale pink, but it gives me plenty of colour on the cheeks plus the glow. Shade 60 is a vibrant warm pink, again with a nice glow. Such a shame these weren't sold in Slovenia when we had the stand, though I'm not sure how new these are, but they are so worth checking out. 

ORIFLAME The One Colour Stylist Ultimate Lipstick

Pink Flair & Cranberry Blush

I have five of these and texture differs a lot, so these are here primarily because of the shades. Both of these are recommended for a neutral skin tone, which I have, and they are such a great fit. Pink Flair is a beautiful pink-beige nude that doesn't turn too cool nor too peachy on me and I've been wearing it a lot since I got it. My second favourite is Cranberry Blush which is unique in my collection and a medium muted berry that doesn't look too cool on me, instead it's a nice neutral-warm colour. Both are lovely, easy to wear shades for a neutral fair skin tone. Formula is thicker than most lipsticks I own, though these two are least thick of the five I have. Staying power of Pink Flair is not the best, but it is a light shade, which usually last much less than bright shades. Cranberry is better in that respect, but it's not the best shade out of five. 

DEBORAH Fluid Velvet Mat Effect Liquid Lipstick

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I love this for a simple everyday colour that lasts well on the lips and I don't have to worry about it. It's fully opaque in one coat, sets perfectly matte in a minute or two, doesn't crack on the lips and feels comfortable enough to me. It's one of the best drugstore liquid lipsticks out there. 

SEPHORA Cream Lip Stain 

13 Marvellous Mauve 

This is one of my favourite shades that like Deborah is an easy-to-wear every day shade, except this one is a bit darker and a pinky-mauve. Mauves often look to cool one, Maybelline's Lover is a typical example of such a shade that looks warm on most, but cool on me, while Sephora's shade 13 is the most neutral such shade. Formula is again fantastic and I'm happy that this is in my collection, however, staying isn't quite as good as at other brands.

VERSACE Crystal Noir eau de toilette

It feels good to check something off my wishlist after it's been on there for so many years, so obviously this was going to land in this post. It's a clean-clothes-meets-oriental-spices type of scent with some underlying warmth from the coconut note that pops up occasionally. I think the "clean", soft part I'm smelling is a mix of gardenia and musk, while the spicy bit all the top notes, so ginger, cardamom and pepper. After all these years I still find it so unique among fragrances, there just aren't many clean yet spicy scents, they always drag patchouli into spicy scents which I hate. It also lasts so long on the skin.

GOT2B #Oh My Nude Tame it Softly Dry Lightweight Oil Mist

This is exactly the same as their Oil-liscious or Őla-la-la spray, so like the name says a light oil in a spray form and it's a saviour when my hair is dry, lacks shine and/or is tangly. It makes the hair a lot more polished and in fact in some of my hair pictures I used Oil-liscious spray to give the hair that almost "ad campaign" look. It gives an intense level of shine, tames all the pesky flayaways and makes the hair less dry looking. It's best suited for dry hair because it has a good taming effect by adding an oily layer, but a couple of quick bursts should be fine of thin hair too

CREATEURS DE MONOI Oil

I made a switch from coconut oil back to this and the reason is the smell. This is much more pleasant, plus it contains coconut oil too, so it's still great for dealing with my very dry hair. It's got a strong, pleasant floral scent that doesn't go weird in later days and just like coconut oil my hair absorbs this like a sponge, so this provides a temporary fix for the day. I still need to apply something every day to combat dryness, but this does a lot more than silicone oils. 

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter Shea Butter 

As you might expect since my hair is very dry and the skin on my face, same obviously goes for my body. This is the thickest and richest moisturiser I have. I'm not going to say it makes my skin baby soft because that just never happens to me with any moisturiser or even oil, so I'm always perplexed by peoples reviews saying that, but it properly nourishes my skin and banishes the feeling of dryness. A little goes a long way at this one, so I've had it for quite some time now. This scent is very simple, clean and nutty, basically unisex and I like it.

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

L.O.V. GLITTERunexpected Sparkling Eyeshadow Palette

None of the colours in this palette are to my taste, as I'm a neutral kind of girl, but I'm very impressed by the quality the eyeshadows. At first I didn't think much about them, especially since some swatch a bit weird, but they perform so well on the eyes. I've worn most of the shades by now and I started with the what I thought was the poorest performer shade called Bold (mint green with silver shimmer). I think mentioned before that I don't have a habit of looking myself in the mirror during the day, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I went to take off my make up about 12h later and this shade was still on. There was no creasing (unlike at the The Galaxy eyeshadows & liners), the shimmer didn't travel all over my face and most of the colour was still holding on. Shade Fame has a foiled effect, so like liquid metal and pigmentation is so good I don't have to build it up much. Blending wasn't an issue either, but they aren't super smooth. If you're looking for some high quality metallic/super shimmery eyeshadow, these are worth checking out. It's a shame the shades are not up to my taste.

L.O.V. the GLOWrious Deep Metallic Highlighting Palette

I really wasn't impressed with this one the first time I used it, but after I swatched it and got through the top layer, this got much better. In fact this could be featured it the first part of these favourites, but for now I'm keeping it under good first impressions. It's not as nice as my favourite Colourpop Flexiterian, but the first two shades are excellent when applied with a dense fluffy eyeshadow brush. Shimmer is very fine and creates a great glow that is some of the best I've seen at Cosnova products. My favourite shade is Rosy Radiance which is like an improved rose gold shade from the Revolution Pro 4K highlighter palette. Metal Glam is a gold champagne highlighter and unlike the Rosy Radiance I have plenty of dupes for that shade, so it's not as unique, but still very pretty nonetheless. Both of the shades could benefit from some more creaminess, but like I said with a dense brush they work fine. Prismatic on the other hand is just not a good shade. I swatched it and it's more of a satin finish with little shimmer, so I'm not really sure what it's doing in this palette, especially since the pigmentation can't compare to the other two.

ORIFLAME The One Colour Stylist Ultimate Lipstick

Sunset Show

Pink Flair and Cranberry Blush got their spot in the favourites above, while this one gets a spot here because of the formula. The shade is too warm and bright for my taste, but the formula is the most long-lasting classic lipstick I've tried to date. It survived eating and drinking intact, I even tested it the middle of the day if it transfers (which it does) and it didn't fade much. By the time I took it off 9h have passed and it was still vibrant and even on my lips. The colour was a bit faded, but considering this is a regular satin finish lipstick it's very impressive. Having said that, I've tried 5 shades from this line and only this one can boast with such a staying power. Too bad Pink Flair doesn't last the same.

ESSENCE Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, ESSENCE You Better Work! Volume & Curl Mascara & MAX FACTOR 2000 Calorie Mascara

I got three mascaras in the lasts weeks to test out and all are pretty good. Not perfect, but all have their strengths. Lash Princess gives an impressive amount of volume without having to build it up much and it's a lot less wet than the original, so it doesn't drop my lashes, however, it also doesn't manage to really hold a curl more than half way up. You Better Work is my least favourite out of the three because it claims to be waterproof, it's hard to remove and yet, it doesn't hold a curl. Regardless it's one of the nicest mascaras in terms effect because again you get a lot of volume, this one also fans out the lashes nicely and just in general looks really good. But very surprisingly my favourite is actually Max Factor's. It's not as volumising like the other two, at least when applied in the same amount of coats, but it manages to create the most natural volumising effect and it's a mascara that doesn't look heavy, yet it gives you enough. My lashes are naturally quite messy, it's because they are squished behind my glasses and this puts them in their place, plus it doesn't go clumpy no matter how much I apply it (with Lash Princess there is a limit because of the much thicker formula). Similarly to their Voluptious formula is doesn't weight down my lashes and performs similarly when it comes to holding a curl as the other two, so I consider it one of the nicest formulas for stubborn lashes in the drugstores.

BATH & BODY WORKS Fragranced Body Mist

Sea Island Cotton

I've said in my New in that this is like fresh clothes and a shower in a bottle. If you know Yankee Candle Clean Cotton scent, this is it in a body mist form. I think it's perfect for when you just want to smell fresh without any more perfumery fruity floral or oriental notes. I got my sample from the lovely Sandra and I might consider getting a big bottle. Despite the name I get no aquatic /seaside/salty notes in this, instead it's more about powder and musk.

UPDATE

HADA LABO Super Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizing Lotion 

Why does this product hate me when I like it so much? I gave it its I don't know which chance again and I got the same result as always. This is one of the nicest skin care products I've ever tried. It's like a super luxurious lotion that leaves my skin properly hydrated as it contains several versions of hyaluronic acid. And like always it works perfect for one week and I then it break me out, so I'm stuck with cleaning up the mess again. Who knows how long it will take for the red marks to fade this time, it's already been close to three weeks. This lotion so cheap per ml, so nice and so effective in terms of hydration, but this breaking out business s such a stab in the back. I guess I'm sticking to a smaller amount of hyaluronic acid in Cezanne.   

WISHLIST

I need to upgrade my hair care stash, mainly by stocking up on proteins. My choices are Schwarzkopfs Fibreforce, Joico's K-Pack, Redken Extreme and Schwarzkopf Blondeme Keratin Restore lines. All of these are meant for damaged hair and I picked them because they have hydrolised proteins high on the list. I recently read a positive review about Klair's Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop and since I'm not 100% loving my other Vitamin C essence from Rohto, I'd like to give this a try. Also though I don't use separate eye creams (to be fair I don't think they are necessary) I hear some good things about Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream and I'd like to get a pot of it at one point. 

Have a great day!

These are far from being new, but only a couple of months ago they added them to the stands in Slovenia. It's so far this is the most long lasting lip product I've found. It consists of two products/parts, the actual colour and the topper that seal the lipstick in place. Sadly I have colour I'll never wear, but if I found this in a shade I like, I'd probably have it in my stash for times when I need a reliable lip product that survives everything.

Texture: Step one is similar to a matte liquid lipstick that when you swatch it, isn't fully opaque, but it's easy to build it up on the lips. It applies shiny and it takes a while for it to set to a complete matte finish. You can apply step two straight away even before it sets and the applicator doesn't get the peach colour on it - strange, but a very good characteristic. The second step, the topper, again applies shiny and sets matte, but it takes a while. Even though it's shiny for some time, it doesn't transfer. It's a lip colour that feels very light on the lip and doesn't feel tight.

Colour: 710 Kiss-off is an almost pastel, yet medium-toned orange. It might look more nude on medium warm skin tones, though it has some vibrancy to it.

Staying power: This is one of the most long-lasting lip products I've ever tried. It's so hard to get it off and I still had some on the next day, so I definitely would not get this in a dark shade or anything with that magenta tint they usually put in deep pinks and reds. I've tried it without the topper and again this lasted about the same, it's pretty much cemented on the lips for the day. Regardless of such a staying power, I didn't find this drying - not that I usually do when it comes to lipstick. I like lipsticks at which I don't have to care if it's still on and this one survived a Bacon Rosti which is probably the greasiest thing McDonalds sells.  

Scent: each side has a different scent. The colour side has a chemical scent that's nothing special and not strong, while the topper smells a bit stronger and nicely sweet.

Packaging: The dual sides packaging works fine at this. Both sides have a nice does foot applicator that works as it should.

Price and availability: It's sold in DMs here, but in only four shades, while I think 16 in total are available.

Such a shame I don't have this in a shade I like because staying power is very, very impressive. It's even better than the Maybelline's Super Stay Matte Inks, but it's also quite hard to remove and I heard some complaints about this being impossible to remove- it believe it was the red shade in that case. It's not easy to find a pale shade with such a staying power, so if you're looking for something reliable, I'd give them a try.

Have a great day!

*PR product

 *ESSENCE You Better Work! Volume & Curl Mascara

I'm a big fan of I <3 Extreme waterproof formula, so I had high hopes for this new mascara that also claims to be waterproof. There are two versions, one for length with a plastic wand and mine is a volume & curl version with a classic, but curved brush. I'm was immediately impressed with how nicely the brush combs the lashes in how much volume this mascara makes. It's definitely one of the nicest ones when it comes to effect, however, I'm unhappy about it not holding a curl. I spent quite some time curling my lashes and applying mascara, so I want it to last, unfortunately by the time I'm finished with the rest of my makeup, my lashes drop. For some reason Essence used a new formula for their waterproof version, one that is more wet than I <3 Extreme, which on me drops the lashes. I've tried gently curling them again and it worked, but I don't want to do that every time I use this mascara. It's hard to remove without an oil remover like a proper waterproof formula and I don't get any smudging with it, but still the fact it doesn't hold a curl is disappointing, especially since the general effect it's very pretty. I hoped it'll get drier in these weeks I got it, but unfortunately so far it hasn't changed, so I'm sticking to my trusted favourite I <3 Extreme. 

3.29 €

*ESSENCE The Dip Eyeliner Waterproof

This is an almost super eyeliner. I'll obviously compare it to my trusted favourite Catrice Liquid Eyeliner, which I use every day and I consider the best eyeliner I've tried. Formulas are both matte and Essence one actually dries even faster. Both are very black, but Essence one applies a bit sheerer on some points, which isn't that big of a deal because you can easily go over it. It lasts a bit less than Catrice, yet still very long for an eyeliner and I pretty much get a whole day with this with some minimal fading. However, my eyelids aren't greasy at all, so I couldn't say how it performs on oily eyelids. Formula-wise it's a nice one, definitely of the best, though not quite as good as Catrice's. My main complaint here is the applicator which is shorter and thicker than Catrice's, so drawing a nice line is much harder and I'm saying that as a person who's been using an eyeliner every day for years now. It limits you do only thicker lines and flicks are not easy to do, so I'd definitely pick Catrice's formula over this despite the slightly higher price. I already went back to Catrice also because the applicator feels softer and more pleasant.

2.78 €

ESSENCE Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara

My lovely fellow Slovenian blogger Sandra, whose blog you must check out, gifted me this, after she was also the reason I put this on my wishlist, since she praises it so much. She says that it's a mascara that can hold her lashes curled despite the fact it's a regular formula and I'm always on board to try such mascaras especially after a long string of disappointments. The volume this creates with just one coat is very impressive. This is definitely a mascara for those who want big, long, voluminous lashes. In that respect it's actually the same as the original Princess Lash, but the formula is noticeably less wet, which works in my favour as this doesn't make my lashes drop like a stone. In terms of holding my lashes curled, it can't compare to the waterproof I <3 Extreme version, but it keeps them lifted enough, about half way. I haven't experienced any eye irritations or it smudging, but I've received a few messages with reports of that happening to them. So far I like it, it gives tons of volume, doesn't look clumpy and the dry-ish formula is a plus for me as well as it doesn't weigh my lashes down.  

3.49 €

*DEBORAH Milano Il Fondotinta City Defence

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Newest foundation by Deborah that according to the press release attached to it was developed with the intention to protect the skin from polluted air and blue light that electronic screens emit. It promises medium coverage, a hydrating effect, lightweight feeling on the skin and a semi-matte finish. I finally got sent the lightest shade by Deborah, which are usually very light, unfortunately that is not the case at this foundation as it's a shade darker than Catrice's HD Liquid Coverage 010. Shame because I actually really like this formula. I always mix it with The Body Shop Drops, so I make it work. It reminds me of Maybelline's Fit Me Matte + Poreless, except it's more hydrating and better suited for me in winter. Finish is indeed a similar non-flat semi-matte as at Fit me and the coverage is light-medium (instead of the promised medium), but the formula is more creamy, similar to some tinted moisturisers. It doesn't emphasise pores and it doesn't look too bad over lines, though I still apply less of it there. I like it a lot, but it's a shame about the palest shade because all this mixing every morning is getting a bit old.

15-16 €

*CATRICE Golden Dust Highlighter Drops

01 Spacegold

I've got a similar product from Catrice which is meant to be a primer and this just feels like they used the same formula, except they changed the colour and size of the shimmer. It's very weak, barely visible on its own on the cheeks, but it can be used all over or mixed in a foundation for an overall glow. I've got to say that I don't get why both Catrice and L.O.V, so Cosnova, insists on using these bottles with pipettes for these thick formulas because they don't work and I need so scrape the product off the applicator. Overall I just don't find this worth is it, at least when it comes to my taste in highlighters. 

5.39 €

*CATRICE 1 Minute Face Perfector

010 One Fits All

I used to have Essence's mousse concealer that I used as a pore minimizer and it worked a treat. This is a more cream-meet-mousse type of formula and it does a similar job, though not quite as effective. It hides/fills up more prominent looking pores and creates an even surface, but this also promises to hide wrinkles and it fails very miserably at that because it manages to make them so much worse, so it ends up quite ageing. I'd stick to only areas where you want to hide pores and want a matte look. Instead of making it clear or much more sheer, Catrice made an "universal" shade that is very dark and I need to be careful not to use a lot, blend it in well and put some coverage over it. I noticed it doesn't cooperate with all foundation formulas. With some it looks quite bad and there are some that this just make it so much better plus it prolongs staying power. It's really a mixed bag with this one, but for me the main minus is the shade. 

6.39 €

 *ORIFLAME The One Colour Stylist Ultimate Lipstick

Pink Flair, Cranberry Blush, Coral Ideal, Sunset Show and Trendy Coral

This is Oriflame's newest lipstick formula and it's available in 24 shades, which they arranged based on their suitability for cool, warm and neutral skin tone in the last catalogue. I was offered a set of these based on my undertone and since I'm neutral I got these five (if you don't know your undertone, I have a guide type of post here). All have an intense pigmentation, but in all the rest categories they differ so much that I could call them different formulas. Finishes range from semi-matte finish to creamy and the thickness of the formula varies too, but overall these are thicker than most lipsticks I've tried.  They didn't glide on the lips smoothly from the start, but they got smoother when I got through the top layer and I'm not bothered by that because it means they stay in place better with no smudging around. My five shades they picked for a neutral undertone are not entirely what I'd pick based on how well I know what suits me. Having said that I think they absolutely nailed shade Pink Flair which is the perfect mix of pale pink and beige nude - this is definitely THE shade for a pale neutral skin tone. Cranberry Blush is another fantastic shade for a neutral undertone, they again hit the that perfect spot of a muted berry that isn't too cool. I can't be 100% about Trendy Cocoa, but it looks like it would fit deep neutral skin tones well, but the shade is not for me. The coral and the red are the ones I have issue with, as they are such typical warm tone shades and there's actually no corals in their warm selection of colours. Coral Ideal is a less punchy orange I've seen in most ranges, yet for a coral on a neutral undertone, I'd definitely pick something with pink based on my experience. The choice for a red, Sunset Show,  surprised me as well as it's quite a bright, warm red and I think something like Russian Red would be a better choice. I'm really like shade Pink Flair and it's so going to be my go-to shade and Cranberry is a great one too. Staying power again differs so much for this range, Pink Flair is weakest and gone in a few hours, Cranberry, Coral and Cocoa last averagely well, while Sunset Show has an insane staying power for a classic lipstick, it survives eating intact and I got 9h with it before I took it off, at that point it was evenly faded and still vibrant.

Oriflame, regular price 11.90 €, but as is usual from Oriflame should be often on offer.

*MAX FACTOR Color Elixir Lipstick

610 Angel Pink

Max Factor was kind enough to send a bunch of bloggers and Instagramers their own personalised lipsticks with a name engraved on the cap. I was sent one of the lightest shades called Angel Pink, which I based on the base on the lipstick I thought it was going to be so my colour until I actually tried it on the lips and my very early teenage years came flashing back when we all wore that Labello Pearly shine (swatches of this shade and Oriflame lipsticks is my IG in a highlighter Beauty Updates story). It's a very similar pale pink with tons of frost - really not my thing, so I went to check other shades and though most shades are frosty maybe Rosewood looks ok enough that might get it and swap the cap. The formula is a pretty standard creamy lipstick that glides on the lips with ease, isn't drying and feels comfortable. Staying power isn't its forte, but we are dealing with a very pale shade in a creamy form.

9.69 €

*MAX FACTOR Creme Puff Pressed Powder

I use powders very rarely, mostly just in the summer on odd days when my skin is a bit shiny, but right now any foundation I wear comes off as matte to semi-matte since my skin is dry, so I can't say much about this powder's effectiveness. It didn't make my foundation go all patchy with time due to drying out the skin, so that's a plus. It's transparent as described, so it can be used on all skin tones. I'm going to get back on you with this in summer because right now I have no use for this, but I it's got that I got it because my only mattifying powder is very old. 

7.89 €

*MAX FACTOR 2000 Calorie Mascara

This is probably the first mascara I ever heard of and I still remember the old TV ads, but I never tried this version and my first mascara from MF was actually their Masterpiece mascara with one of the first plastic wands. I had the red version of Calorie, the curling one, which is probably my most hated mascara so far because it was so wet and messy. It's also the reason for avoiding the original and now I see I shouldn't be judging it so harshly. I like it. It's not amazingly volumising as it promises or like the Essence mascaras in this post, still it's a very good performer and it combs the lashes nicely, creates a nice fanned out effect and no matter how much I apply it, it doesn't got clumpy. The formula is not super wet, still it doesn't hold a curl, but it also doesn't weight my lashes completely down. In this respect Lash Princess and this mascara are similar. I can see why this is still sold after so many years, it's a nice gold classic. 

9.99 €

*ESSENCE Shine Last & Go gel nail polish

04 Millennial Pink

Essence decided to revamp their main nail polish line and switch from those cute hourglass bottles to these much less aesthetic ones. The formula however, hasn't changed at all, which isn't a bad thing because I always liked it. Two to three coats are required at this colour, it applies nicely enough with not much annoying streaking and these last fine on me. Millennial Pink is a pale pastel warm pink.

1.69 €

*CATRICE More than Nude Nail Polish

02 Pearly Ballerina

 Though I liked the look of these in the shop, seeing the price made me gasp for a moment. Not that's it's very expensive, but still this is a Catrice nail polish, pretty packaging or not. Formula is sheer and with three coats you get an about 80% coverage. These shades are meant to have a brightening effect and indeed that blue tiny shimmer in Pearly Ballerina gives it that effect. The base is a pale pink and together with the shimmer it ends up looking a pale lavender. The cap is in two parts, the rose gold cap is just a cover for a smaller handle.

4.79 €

 *BOURJOIS 1 Second Eyeshadow

02 Brun-ette a dorée and 06 Abracada brown

I really don't want to be too harsh here, but as soon as I've seen these I knew they were a bad idea. I've tried these 1-swipe-and-go concept with the Catrice version, which is less ambitions and only consist of two colours and this type of application just doesn't work as designed. First of the packaging is ridiculously bulky for 3g of product (those LOV eyeshadows below have 5g for comparison). The shape of the applicator is granted better than Catrice's and it does work to a degree, of course it all fails when it comes to the edges, so a separate brush is a must or at least some fixing with fingers. 06 Abracada brown is not as tragic actually and you can get a gradient application with some extra blending, however, it's most due to the well pigmented bottom shade, while the other two are much poorer performers. The 02 Brun-ette a dorée is a palette to avoid. I've genuinely tried hard with this one, even using regular blushes, but pigmentation is poor. I'm sorry, but I just can't say much positive about this, especially after trying to swatch these nicely for quite a while for pictures this morning. I'll post them on IG stories when I edit everything and maybe do an extra shot on the eyes. I only got these on Thursday, so give me some time play with these more, but overall I see it as a failed concept like their ombre lipsticks. 

 *L.O.V. The Galaxy Eyeshadow & Liner

500 Rosé exposed, 510 Precious copper, 520 Champagne sparks, 530 Magenta shimmer and 540 Dazzling emerald

I received a massive parcel filled with LOV products on Thursday just as I was about to post this post and I delayed it because of it, so my impressions about all the LOV products are very fresh and when I play more with these, I'll post my regular Beauty updates on IG stories. These are creamy eyeshadows with a glitter finish. In terms of texture they are like Maybelline's Colour Tattoos, so creamy, yet more powdery looking on the eyes. LOV named them as eyeshadow and liner type of product, but I don't see these working as a liner, except maybe Magenta Shimmer. Shades for the bottom row on the picture (500, 510 and 520) have a sheer base and are more about the glitter finish, so I would classify them as toppers. They can be used on their own of course, but you'll see mostly shimmer with these. The other two shades are much more pigmented. Dazzling Emerald, a smoky deep green with gold shimmer, can be built up to almost full coverage, but it's not easy to apply it evenly, while Magenta shimmer, a deep reddish-purple-brown with purple shimmer is a top performer with an opaque finish. Other three shades are Rosé exposed, a sheer pink with silver shimmer, Precious copper, sheer orange copper with gold shimmer, and Champagne sparks, a beige gold with gold shimmer (very similar to Essence's Metal Chrome eyeshadow 02 Ironic). I wore Champagne sparks yesterday which it's quite sheer, it lasted all day, but faded somewhat and there was some creasing. 

9.99 €

*L.O.V. GLITTERunexpected Sparkling Eyeshadow Palette

I've only swatched this and nothing more. Four shades are densely packed glitters and a creamy formula and the last pink shade is a "dry" satin eyeshadow with some larger glitter. Fame, a yellow-orange-ish gold, is a top performer with a foiled effect. Bright, a white with gold glitter, has a strange chunky texture. Bold, a mint green glitter, has the least amount of pigmentation and it's not the best. Dazzle, a smoky grey-purple with silver shimmer, is a bit chunky and doesn't have the best pigmentation, but can be built up. Daring, a deep purple with blue glitter is similar to, but better than Dazzle. Sparkle is a light pink with glitter that could be more pigmented. I'll report back when I use it more.   

14.99 €

*L.O.V. BLUSHment Blurring Blush 

n.30 beautiful minds empower other, n.50 yes she can and n.60 be the next She.E.O

I was most happy to receive these because I've been in "blush funk" and have been using only theBalm Instain Blush Houndstooth for months now. These are lovely, definitely some of the best drugstore blushes I've tried so far. They are baked blushes with super smooth texture and great pigmentation. These are actually the texture I wanted Max Factor Crème Puff blushes to be, especially shades 05 and 05 which have tiny shimmer that looks like a healthy glow on the cheeks. Shade 30 is a warm taupe-ish mauve, a strange looking shade in the pan, but it ends up a mute almost peachy shade on me. It has a satin finish and no shimmer like the other two. 50 is a very pale warm pink and even though it swatches very pale, it's quite pigmented and I can get enough colour fast even with a fluffy brush. The glow this shade creates is absolutely beautiful. 60 is a bright pinky coral shade. I haven't worn it on the cheeks like the other two, but swatching revealed it also has shimmer like shade 50.

9.99 €

*L.O.V. the GLOWrious Deep Metallic Highlighting Palette

Like I said I only got this on Thursday and I'm hoping this will get better when I get through the top layer, but I swatched this for the pictures today and I wasn't gentle with it, but this is so far quite poorly pigmented. Metal Glam and Rosy Radiance are useful, I just need to apply several layers with a thick fluffy brush, but I can't get Prismatic to work. It's a sheer peach with almost no glow to it. The other two shades are beautiful colours, Metal Glam is a lovely golden champagne with tiny glow-like shimmer and Rosy Radiance is a subtle rose gold with the same lovely shimmer as Metal Glam. I love the latter most and I can deal with applying more than I'm used to, but overall for this price, I'd expect the same pigmentation Essence's excellent Go for the Glow's first shade has. We'll see how this fares with time and more use. 

16.99 €

 *L.O.V. PERFECTitude Hyaluronic Serum Primer

This is more of less just pretty to look at in the packing and nothing much more, though ingredients are actually quite decent, since hyaluronic acid is high on the list. It promises a glow effect and appearance of tightened pores but it's basically pink glitter in a hyaluronic serum. It has no silicones, so no smooth feeling, instead the texture feels like that Hoffer Hyaluronic Serum I think a lot of us tried and stopped using. It sinks fast into the skin and after my skin is screaming for something more moisturising over it. No silicones also means no effect on pores whatsoever, for hiding pores try that Catrice primer I mentioned above. The radiance is none existent. It has glitter particles which are sparse once rubbed into the skin, so no lovely lit-from-within look that you see at primers that promise a radiance/glow effect. This is more a skin care product with glitter and it might be enough for normal-oily skin. 

13.99 €

 *L.O.V. Luxury Oil

Nowhere on the bottle, apart deep on the ingredients list, does this state it has gold particles in it. And LOV even used an matte bottle for this, so I don't get why they are hiding what looks like an obvious selling point, but what do I know. It's a shea butter based oil, something I haven't had before and it's not a dry oily, but it's also not super greasy. It takes some time to sink in completely, yet I've had greasier oils and once it sinks in it leaves almost a satin/silicone-feeling finish. The gold particles completely disappear when rubbed into the skin and I don't see any extra radiance, though the oily by itself adds shine. I find gold in skin care items excessive and gimmicky, though LOV claims has an antibacterial effect and it stimulates collagen production - I don't have the time to investigate further on such claims. Oil has an expected combination of beachy tiare flower scent mixed with cherries. I don't know if that's it, but that's how my nose recognises it and it's quite nice. I've only used it twice as a last part of my skin care routine and on my hair, so far I don't see anything special about it, but obviously I need to use it a lot longer to say definitely how I feel about it.

16.99 €

VERSACE Crystal Noir eau de toilette

I've wanted this for ages, possibly a full decade and I fully intended to finally treat myself with a bottle for my birthday, yet it was out of stock for months every time I was in the drugstore. I finally found it with a decent discount and grabbed the last bottle. This is what I call a spicy clean scent. It's like a super fancy fabric softener or a fabric softener mixed with a nice spicy fragrance. I think the "clean", soft part I'm smelling is a mix of gardenia, coconut and musk, while the spicy bit all the top notes, so ginger, cardamom and pepper. After all these years I still find it so unique among fragrances, there just aren't many clean yet spicy scents, they always drag patchouli into spicy scents which I hate. It also lasts so long on the skin. I've had a sample of this that I only used drops of and a little dab on the wrist lasted all day and it lasts ever longer on clothes. 

Top notes: ginger, cardamom, pepper 

Heart: orange blossom, peony, gardenia, coconut

Base notes: sandalwood, musk, amber

Müller, 31 €

ORIFLAME Amber Elixir eau de parfum

I had such high expectations from this, but for now I’m not convinced by it. I find it a bit bland and nothing at all as I’ve read in the reviews. I expected this rich scent, but it’s very soft, though its cosy and comforting start feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket, it later get this strange sharp floral note (it’s the same as in Posses the Secret) and that note persist all day (it’s a very long lasting scent). It just smells like an old perfume to me and not like a modern amber. Maybe I’ll change my mind in time.

Notes:

Top: mandarin, red grapes, black currant

Heart: peony, heliotrope, almond

Base: amber, musk and sandalwood

Notino, 12.90 €

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel

I was so happy to see this in DM. I'm not sure if we had this big size for long, but I've never seen it before. I'm a big fan of this creamy formula and every time I get a bottle, it's gone within two-three weeks like every shower gel in the house, so a big 500 ml bottle should finally last a bit longer. And it wasn't even that expensive for the size, especially since the regular size costs over 2 € here. 

DM, 3.49 €

BALEA Rasier Gel

Sweet Passion

I don't think I ever managed to catch the same LE twice. I like this one, it's a very sweet tropical scent with more prominent notes of passionfruit, while pineapple is not very noticeable. I've been buying these for many years and I don't plan to switch.

DM, 1.99 €

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Premium Developer 12%/40 Vol.

I talked about the bleach powder and a 6% developer in one of the previous New In posts and now I got the 12% which I original planned, but Amazon didn't sell it at the time I got this line. 12% together with the bleach promises to lighten up 9+ shades and I hear from reviews that this bleach is actually capable of doing that, but we'll see. I'm not in a hurry to colour just yet, I merely took an opportunity of the women's day offer to stock up. I detailed my experience with this line in the previous new in and said that this is such a fantastic bleach that caused no visible damage and didn't dry my hair. The bleach also contains bond builder, which is a similar thing to Olaplex, a must at all bleaching processes. The developer contains mineral oil quite high on the list and it maintains the good condition of the hair. I'll report with the result when I go about colouring my hair, but I don't think it'll be soon. 

Notino, 11.90 €

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Blonde Toning

Steel Blue and Sand

At bleaching a toner is a must and I grabbed two to mix. I got Steel Blue which is Schwarzkopf's slightly blue-intense grey toner that counteracts brassy-orange tones (their more popular Ice is designed for counteracting yellow tones) and I got Sand, which is their neutral blonde shade. I got these because I read in a review this combination creates a nice medium blonde shade, though I was originally thinking about getting Ice instead of Sand. These can be mixed with a 2% or 6% developer. 2% just deposits the colour and should be used on bleached hair, while 6% add some extra lift and they recommend to use on natural hair, but I only have 6% and I'll probably use that one.

Notino, 11.20 €

JOICO K-Pack Intense Hydrator 

A repurchase. This is one of my favourite hair treatments and one of the rare of that has a great effect on my thick, dry hair. I currently have Moisture Recovery Balm which is much, much thicker and though it's nourishing, it's not as good as this and because it's harder to wash off, it can leave the hair feeling "heavy". Intense Hydrator has a medium thick texture that doesn't feel heavy, yet it does so much for the hair. I saw Notino sells a massive 1000 ml version for about 35 € and I'm seriously considering taking it because this is much better than L'Oreal's Absolut Repair Lipidum that I have in a 500 ml pot. 

Notino, 14.30 €

GOT2B #Oh My Nude Tame it Softly Dry Lightweight Oil Mist

Ever since got2b Oil-liscious spray disappeared from our drugstores, I've been saving mine like crazy and when I was checking the ingredients of new products in the shop, this looked like a similar thing (silicones + oil and no alcohol). It had a discount recently, so I grabbed one to compare them and see if I can stop saving Oil-liscious for only special occasions and I can confirm it's the same thing. It's just like the name says a dry lightweight oil in a spray from. I called Oil-licious version my shiny, healthy hair faker often in on my blog and that's what this is as well. If dry shampoo is a quick saviour for oily hair, this is a such a product for dry hair. It gives great level of shine, tames frizz and just makes the hair look more polished. It's pretty much like a regular silicone oil, just lighter and faster to use, so best for finishing touches when you already used hair spray or wax and you don't want to touch you hair much anymore. The difference between the two is the oil they used, Oil-licious had a small amount of argan oil, while #oh my nude has a slightly larger amount (but still very little) of olive and moringa oil, but at both of these it's the silicones doing the actual job of taming. Another difference is the scent, Oil-licious has a lovely lipstick type of scent and #oh my nude has a more musky-sweet scent that's not my favourite. This is worth checking out no matter your hair type.  

DM, 2.99 €

Sandra send me all these samples (thank you). She knows how much I love BBW mists and since we both have to do blind purchases online, she sent me hers to test. She also added some of her other favourite products. 

BATH & BODY WORKS Fragranced Body Mist

Maui Mango Surf

This smells similar to DM's mango summer LE shower gels they tend to release every year. It's a very fresh, uplifting and sweet mango scent. It gets more floral in a few minutes, I think it's ylang-ylang I'm smelling and not hibiscus, which tends to be fresher. It's just a very classic tropical fruity summery mist. It starts our strong, but quickly become more of a subtle, skin scent on me that's less fruity and more gently sweet floral. 

Top: mango, guava, hibiscus

Heart: sea notes, driftwood, mai tai cocktail

Base: sandalwood, ylang-ylang and musk

Honolulu Sun

Partly similar to At the Beach, but a fresher version of it. There's a touch of citrus from the start, but it's overall more of a coconut musky scent like At the Beach, however, as an addition it has fresh, green notes and more of a seaside feel to it from the start, but later it smells the same as At the Beach to me. It's too musky for my taste. 

Top Notes: Fresh Island Coconut, Ocean Air Accord, Pacific Palm, Sun-drenched Citrus

Heart: Creamy Coconut Milk, Exotic Island Nectars, Pink Passionfruit

base notes: Driftwood, White Sand Musk

Sea Island Cotton

A typical clean sheets scent. It's so fresh and clean, and to me this is completely a unisex scent. Nothing from the list of notes stands out, apart from powder notes, but the freshness must come from other notes and musk. I like it a lot. It's like a shower and clean clothes in a bottle.  

Top: pear leaf, bloody orange, tangerine, clear floral accords, cotton, "a breeze of fresh air", green pear and tangerine

Heart: lily-of-the-valley, orange blossom, water cyclamen, cotton blossom, freesia and jasmine

Base: white musk, powder, sandalwood and vanilla 

Fiji Pineapple Palm

First burst is pure pineapple and that note is the heart of this fragrance, while the rest is barely noticeable. Lime and palm leaf make it more green, than the usual pina colada type of scent and I get no coconut milk in this. If you like pineapple this is for you.

Top Notes: Lime, Palm leaf, Pear nectar

Heart Notes: Star jasmine, Tiaré, Mango pulp, Pineapple

Base notes: Mango wood, Coconut milk, Caramel, Birch, Musk

Tahiti Island Dream

This is completely different that the other four and more along the lines of Oahu Coconut Sunset, but not that similar, I just means that both are much warmer, less fruity fresh. There is some fruitiness to it, but mostly it's about heavy florals and vanilla/amber/sandalwood combination. If I classify the others as daytime mists, this is a night time scent with much more punch to it as well as staying power. It's almost syrupy sweet, and I think that what I'm smelling is the jasmine-frangipani combination, or it could be kiwi flower, though I don't know how that smells on its own. The base notes make it a warm scent and it time it settles into a more subdued floral-vanilla. I get no typical coconut/sunscreen/Pina colada vibe from this, it's not even properly beachy and it will suit those who like stronger sweet scents (at least from the start).  

Top notes: coconut nectar, mandarin orange, pear and kiwi flower

Heart: jasmine, water lily and frangipani

Base: vanilla, musk, amber and Australian sandalwood

BATH & BODY WORKS  Nourishing Hand Cream

Twisted Peppermint

The scent of blue Orbit chewing gum with just a hint of vanilla. It's a nice fresh scent that I enjoy, peppermint always makes me feel better. Texture is surprisingly nice, medium thick and absorbs completely in about a minute, however, I wish it just a bit more nourishing, so more like L'Occitane's Shea Butter. I like any hand cream that absorbs fast, so I might check BBW's other scents. This was a LE. 

L'OCCITANE Almond Shower Scrub

I had version in a pot many years ago and this the the version in a tube. There isn't a trace of that famous L'Occitane Almond scent and it's not the strongest of scrubs, while I like mine very harsh. It's averagely strong and that will appeal to many.

L'OCCITANE 5% Karite Foaming Face Cleanser 

This feels so nice on the skin, I'd massage it forever. It's nicely creamy, feels luxurious and it washes off completely unlike many creamy cleansers I've tried. However, it irritates my eyes so much and it left my skin too squeaky clean for my dry skin to handle, so it's not for me. 

RITUALS Himalaya Scrub Sweet Almond & Indian Rose

Unlike the L'Occitane scrub, I loved this. It's a great salt scrub that's just the way I like them, so one of the harsh ones and it's got oil that isn't as obnoxiously greasy as Afrodita's. I like it, though the scent is nothing special. 

THE BODY SHOP Vitamin C Glow-Protect Lotion SPF30

This isn't half bad for a sunscreen that's easily available and I don't have to order from Asia. It's a quite thick cream, yet it doesn't take long to sink in enough to not feel greasy and heavy. It works under foundation well and the SPF is enough for me because I don't spent a lot of time in the sun. I love the orange scent most, it's so refreshing and juicy. The vitamin C content is rather low, but I look at it as a sunscreen and not some fancy skin care. 

Have a great day!