MAYBELLINE Tattoo Liner Gel Pencil

Deep Onyx 

I haven't bought a classic pencil eyeliner in many years, mainly because so far I've only truly liked Urban Decay's 24/7 Pencil and Avon's Supershock, but the first one is too expensive and I'm not an Avon member, so after I read a rave review by Gemma I finally got some information on what can I pick in my local drugstore. I got this to wear just on my waterline and I'm blown away by how good it is. In terms of formula it's about the same thing as UD's and Avon's, so very pigmented, soft and transfers with ease on the waterline, but staying power is where it truly shines. It lasts all day - not smudged between the lashes like all liners tend to end up after an hour or two, but on the actual waterline. I posted a picture of my 14h test on my Instagram Stories and it's still highlighted in the Beauty Updates on my profile. This is hands down the best eyeliner for use on waterline I've tried, however, for my top lash line Catrice Liquid Eyeliner remains unbeaten.

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Matte + Poreless

100 Warm Ivory

My skin was too dry to wear this in the winter, but it's getting better and I could finally pick this up again. It just reminded me how good this formula looks on my skin. It's light and pretty much invisible on the face when you blend it, the finish isn't that mask-like matte, instead it's more of a semi-matte and unlike a lot of foundations, it looks nice over pores as it somewhat fills them up a bit, therefore provides a very smooth base. Shade 100 Warm Ivory is one of the palest shades I own and is alongside Milani's Conceal + Perfect 00A a great match for my skin tone.

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream

I have been without a proper moisturiser for months after my Tony Moly Panda Sleeping Pack ran out and I was using only Nuxe Huile Prodigiuese which was not enough on its own for the winter months. I've tried a couple of moisturisers I had in my stash, but none seemed right. This cream has been on my wishlist for quite a while, not just because based on a tester I had, my skin clearly adored it as it was a picture of health the entire time I used it, but also because of the great ingredients, in particular niacinamide which is on a high 4th place. It's got rich texture that's more like a gel, or gel-cream and takes some time to absorb, so I prefer to use it as a part of my night routine, though it can work under makeup too. There's an extra spoon added, so you don't have to scoop it out with fingers. 

HOLIKA HOLIKA Good Cera Super Ceramide Emulsion

My morning moisturiser because it's lighter and absorbs faster than Dynasty Cream, so I can put over a sunscreen and makeup fast. I also had a tester for this and it suited my skin really well. It's a lotion type of product that contains ceramides which strengthen the skin's barrier and it's a formula that's designed for sensitive skin. The packaging is very big with a generous 130 ml, so it should last me a while. 

JOICO K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor and Intense Hydrator

Since my most moisturising hair masks weren't working the way they used to and my hair felt very hard/coarse to the touch, I suspected I needed a protein treatment. I did a quick strand test where you take a hair, wet it and stretch it a bit. My hair usually just snaps, which means it needs moisture, but this time it overstretched and looked like a chewing gum, which was a clear indication I needed protein. K-Pack isn't new to me, as I've been using Intense Hydrator for years and I rave about it a lot being one of my favourite moisturising masks, but though I've used to have the Reconstructor many years ago when I was dyeing my hair, I have not repurchased it since because Redken's Anti-Snap was enough. This duo performed outstandingly. It was like they turned back time to before I started colouring my hair and it was again feeling like its old self - softer and the hydrator added a good boost of moisture that finally lasted more than a day. I've been using Olaplex for a few months now and these two have a much better visible results (though I will still use them both). I really recommend these two if you bleach your hair or use high lift dyes, also if your hair damaged from heat styling, but do the wet strand test first to be sure, as Reconstructor should only be use on hair that lacks protein, otherwise it can make your hair brittle (Olaplex is probably a safer bet if you’re not sure, since it doesn't have proteins). The Hydrator is a fantastic moisturising treatment that you can use anytime and if your hair is very dry, this is a great one. 

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Tone Enhancing Bonding Mask and Blondme Keratin Restore Intense Care Bonding Potion

These two are very similar to Joico K-Pack duo, except they don't have the extra aminoacids and the mask contains succinic acid which from what I can gather on their website protects the hair bonds, so I guess it's more of a competition to Olaplex technology. The Potion is the intense protein treatment that needs to be applied first and then you have to apply the Bonding Mask over it. My version of the mask is Cool, meaning it's purple and it neutralises yellow tones in very pale blonde hair (a regular Keratin Restore and Warm version exist too). I'm not sure about these two separately, but together they are like magic for freshly bleached and abused hair. They left my it silky, soft and nourished, and I used them right after colouring, so they really proved themselves to me. I was a bit hesitant about these two because another Schwarzkopf mask I tried was very underwhelming, but these two are amazing.

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL BC Bonacure Fibre Force Fortifying Primer

One review said this is Olaplex in a spray bottle, only better - well it's not the same thing, since the ingredients are different, but I've been using it instead of Redken Anti-Snap because it's got hydrolysed keratin higher on the list. I can't say it's got the same visible results as the two duos I mentioned before and just like at Anti-Snap I suspect I'll see results long-term (at that one my ends stay good longer and I don't have to cut my hair often) but I like it as a leave-in because it's light, doesn't feel sticky, it doesn't interfere with my other hair care and it smells nice.  

PANTENE Pro-V Repair & Care Conditioner

I think I found my new favourite ever drugstore conditioner. Not in a million years did I expect this to be so good, drugstore stuff tends to be so mediocre on my thick, coarse, dry hair, but I'll say something I've probably never said before - it might just be comparable to salon stuff. It left my hair moisturised, actually soft and even a bit shinier (doesn't happen to me often, that's why I add shine with oils). I was very pleased with the results of this one, but the other one I tried, Glatt/Smooth version was not as good. I'll definitely explore this line more, I saw they have two masks and a leave-in treatment and they will be mine soon. 

AUSSIE 3 Minute Miracle Colour Deep Treatment

My old drugstore favourite, though now Pantene blows it out of the water. Still this is really good for drugstore stuff and it's one of rare ones that is moisturising enough for my hair and it manages to leave it softer than others. I got Colour version this time because I couldn't find the original Reconstructor and apart from the scent, they perform the same. It's nice to be reunited with this, though I miss the bubble gum scent of the original. 

SUBRINA Shower Gel

Fresh Elder

I liked this the moment I gave it quick sniff. I have all of the versions of these shower gels because I take pictures for their FB and IG, plus I buy Cherry Blossom all the time because everyone likes it so much and while I like a majority of their scents, this is finally something different, more uplifting and fresh. It's a mix of elder flower, mint and lime, so a sweet floral zesty fresh combination and it's a great scent for warm months. 

SUBRINA Kids 2 in 1 Shower Gel and Shampoo

Breezy

I didn't expect this kind of scent in a product for kids. The latter tend to have cutesy fruity scents that I also like and actually all other kids products at Subrina do have such fragrances, except for this one, which is a very pleasant surprise. This has Subrina's best neutral, clean and creamy scent out of all of their shower products. It's like their version of a Dove or Nivea-like classic scent. It's the same scent that most of those mini soap bars that come in fun shapes in Müller have, which I love, but I don't use those because they are drying. If you find Subrina's scents are in general too sweet for you, go and sniff this one, you might like it. Plus the packaging is so cute, maybe I'm bias, but these are some of the prettiest kids products in our shops. I've used it as a shampoo too and it was surprisingly ok. Nothing special, but it wasn't drying and it didn't leave my hair tangled. The formula is a bit thin for my taste, but it does the job.

GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS

ESSENCE This is Me Lipstick

01 Freaky 

Essence created an big collection of nude shades for all skin tones which includes lipsticks and matching nail polish shades, this is one of lightest in the selection and surprisingly for a peachy nude I quite like it. It doesn't lean too much to orange, as such shades often tend to, so it's a nice every day, nude option that I've been wearing a lot since I got it. I'm happy to see how Essence is improving their formulas, and this is a nice one that feels smooth and creamy at application with a semi-matte finish and a non-drying texture. Staying power is better too, but there's still room for improvement. The matching nail polish is a bit darker and I don't like the shade quite as much, but I love the gel formula. This whole range was a lovely idea and it was well done. 

OPI Nail Lacquers Lisbon Spring/Summer Collection

Lisbon wants moor OPI

I really like this shade, the formula not so much though. It's a lovely off-white violet-pink shade that reminds me a of shades like Essie's Fiji. Formula is sadly a classic one, so it needs three carefully applied coats to prevent ridges, but at least it's not as annoying as Fiji, so this will serve at its replacement and I can finally forget about that nightmare shade that I love to wear, but hate to apply. 

Nuxe Prodigieux Huile Prodigieuse Florale - I've been using the original for many years and since I tend to use it daily, I'm sort of immune to scent, which is a shame because it's a nice one. They recently released the Florale version with the same formula, but a different scent and I'll be my next face oil.  

Bourjois Velvet the Pencil - their matte lipsticks are fantastic, so I have very high hopes for these, especially since the range of shades looks better than at the Velvet the Lipsticks. I just hope we get all of them and not just a portion. So far I haven't seen them in the shops.

Essence Lash Princess Waterproof Mascara - I've had two Lash Princess mascaras and both are outstanding when it comes to creating big lashes, so I'm excited to try the waterproof version, since I need something to hold my lashes up. I've already seen it on the stands.

L'Oréal Paris Paradise Extatic Waterproof Mascara - I recently went through my reviews and I saw how good Paradise Exctatic made my lashes look. Granted I still hate the fact it dried up after only a month, but maybe the waterproof one is better. Sadly I can only get it online, but maybe one day I'll get it.

Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau de Parfum Légère - I love the look of the bottle of this one and usually when I fall in love with the bottle, the scent is a disappointment, but surprisingly I like both the original and this version of Good Girl. It's something new to me, I fully expected the one millionth version of La Vie Est Belle, but it's a nice tonka bean, dulce leche plus citrus combination. Maybe one day this will grace my vanity. It's citrusy fresh from the start and after five minutes, it's a feminine, a bit gourmand warm scent.

Pantene Repair line - after being so impressed with the conditioner, I want to try all - both masks, the leave-in and shampoo. Hopefully I'll like them as much as the conditioner because I like how affordable these are for such quality.

SNP Bird's Nest Aqua Eye Patch - my Secret Key Pink Racoony patches ran out and now I want to try something with better reviews. This, Petitfee and Berrisom and often mentioned, so I'd like to give them a try.

Have a great day!

I'm a big fan of L.O.V.s Magnetic Eyeshadow formula, well the one shade I have, so when I saw these new ones on their website they peaked my interest, especially since the shades looked so pretty. Unfortunately these don't have that lovely texture Magnetic eyeshadows have, instead they are creamy eyeshadows. Six shades of these exist, I have five, while the extra shade is 550 Platinum Radiance. 

Texture: These are creamy eyeshadows with a glitter finish. In terms of texture they are like Maybelline's Colour Tattoos, so creamy with a firm formula. Pigmentation is a mixed bag at these.  The palest three 500, 510 and 520 have a sheer base and even if I try to build them up, I never get more than a gentle touch of colour. They are more about the glittery finish, so  I would classify them as toppers to add on top of other shades. Shade 530 Magenta Shimmer is by far the best performing shade in this bunch. It's very pigmented, applies nicely and has red shimmer that is less obvious than at other shades. 540 Dazzling Emerald is a nightmare shade. I love the colour, these type of shades are some of my favourite, but I can't apply this evenly. The more I try to build it up, the more sheer patches appear. I have exactly the same problem with their other formula in a similar shade THE Glacious Stylo Eyeshadow 910 Bronze Leaf, meaning L.O.V. does not know how to make such shades work. LOV named these eyeshadow and liner type of product, but I don't see these working as liners, except maybe Magenta Shimmer.

510 Precious copper - a pale orange/copper with gold glitter. Sheer pigmentation, but nice glittery finish.

520 Champagne sparks - a champagne beige gold with gold shimmer. Sheer pigmentation, but again nice glittery finish. This shade is  very similar to Essence's Metal Chrome eyeshadow 02 Ironic.

530 Magenta shimmer - a deep reddish-purple-brown with purple shimmer. A top performer and the only shade I think is really worth getting.

540 Dazzling emerald - a shade between old gold and forest green with gold shimmer. Fully opaque, but impossible to apply evenly.

Staying power: These crease on me during the day, though the shimmer doesn't travel much. 500, 510 and 520 are sheer shades, so they perform ok in this department. 530 Magenta Shimmer fades to a tamer version through the day, while 540 is a lost cause all together, since the patchiness only worsens. 

Packaging: These come in glass pots with a pretty rose gold lid. These is not extra protection foil and because of that 540 arrived in a poor condition. The eyeshadow shrunk inside the pot and became detached, so it fell out and I had to press it back in. 

Price and availability: These cost 9.99 € and are available on Ličila.si (Pink Panda) and Kosmetic4less.de

As gorgeous as they are I wanted more from these. Only Magenta Shimmer is an impressive shade, while the lightest three should be more pigmented, but if you want a sheer shimmery shade, these will do fine. The 540 Dazzle Emerald is too hard to work with which is a shame because I like the shade. When it comes to glitter L.O.V.s Glitter Unexpected palette is better than these, but the shade range is not as nicely neutral.  

Have a great day!

*PR products.

I'm a big fan of Max Factor's lipglosses, but I've never really checked out their lipsticks. Recently I got a chance to try their classic Color Elixir formula which has existed for quite some time now. If I counted right on their website, these are available in 27 shades, but we don't have quite so many in our drugstores. 

Formula: It's a pretty standard creamy lipstick that glides on the lips with ease, isn't drying and feels comfortable. Lipstick is fully opaque in a coat or two. 

Shade: 610 Angel Pink is one of the lightest shades in the range and I've got the warn you that the coloured bit at the end of the lipstick is deceiving. The latter looks like a pretty warm light pink, however the actual shade is a cool pale pink with tons of frost. It reminds me of a Labello (lip balm) us kids wore in primary school called Pearly Shine. 

Staying power: isn't its forte, but we are dealing with a very pale shade in a creamy form. I got a few hours with this one. Since it's creamy it doesn't survive eating and only partially survives drinking.

Packaging: Tube is plastic, but looks a bit more high end due to the gold shade. Mine is actually engraved with my name thanks to Max Factor Slovenia. 

Price and availability: These cost 9.69 € in drugstores. 

These aren't exceptional, but they still fall on the "good side" of the drugstore spectrum. Formula is nicely creamy, it's comfortable and fully opaque. Staying power isn't great, but that's standard at such creamy formulas, so it doesn't deviate from the average. Sadly my shade is just not something I'd wear, at least not anymore in this decade, but if you miss the frosty early 00's, here's a shade for you. Since I have a personalised cap I really wanted a different shade that I can swap the cap with, but most of the remaining range sold here is frosty too. Shades Rosewood and Simply Nude looked like the most decent shades, but I'm still thinking about it.

Have a great day!

*PR product

MAKEUP

CATRICE Liquid Eyeliner

010 Dating Joe Black

I used up one more. It's my favourite eyeliner formula that I use every day and I always have a spare in stock. It's super black, dries matte, has a great applicator that is easy to use and it lasts all day on my lids. I gave Essence a try for a while, but it's not as good, so this remains a solid favourite.

Repurchase: Done.

SKINCARE

BALEA Erfrischendes Wasch Gel

I've used up several of the old versions and this was my first reformulate tube which I prefer because they got rid of the strong masculine scent. It's a gentle face gel that I use as a second cleanser after oil. 

Repurchase: Done.

L'OREAL Pure Clay Glow Mask

This is my second used up pot of these. This was the green version meant for treating imperfections and oily skin, but I had three versions (also Glow and Exfo) and they have the same effect (well Exfo is a clay mask + scrub). It's a standard clay mask that I use when I have spots or my skin feels a bit off and I need a "skin care day" to fix it up a bit. It does the job and smells ok, actually this has my favourite scent of the three as it's most "spa like". Though the packaging has an extra lid that should help the product from drying out, both I used up were so dry by the end I had to mix them with water to revive them. 

Repurchase: I have two more in stock, but yes. It's quite expensive though for what it is, but one pot lasts me a while.

SECRET KEY Pink Racoony Hydro Gel Eye & Cheek Patch 

These were so cute, shaped like pink hearts and they could be used in one piece or cut in two for using under the eyes. Problem with these is that though they are hydrogels, the closer I was to the end, the less moist they felt. They felt so soothing under the eyes and that pleasant cool feeling remained for a while even after I took them off. I find they don't do any dramatic difference, they merely moisturise and I didn't notice them helping dark circles or lines, but they are very pleasant on tired eyes. The scent was very strong at these and it was the scent of roses that I don't like that much in cosmetics, but otherwise these were nice. 

Repurchase: These were my first ones and I'd like to try some other ones like Petitfee, SNP or Berrisom.

HOLY SNAILS Hanbang Shark Sauce and Honey Shark Sauce

This should be amazing, in mean it's got a high percentage of niancinamide, plus ceramides and ginseng in the Hanbang version and organic manuka honey, propolis, royal jelly in the Honey Shark and they both have hyaluronic acid, ferments and liquorice extract - so all the good things. However, I never got the brightening effect I expected from either of these. It was a simple serum product that when I either included it in my skin care routine or excluded it, I didn't see a difference. Shame, I had high such hopes for this after seeing so much excellent feedback. On a plus side, 7 ml samples lasted a long time and I wasn't frugal with them. 

Repurchase: It's too expensive and I'm not seeing the results I want.

NUXE Huile Prodigeuse

I've been using this oil since 2013 and for years I've used it every single day. Now I still use it very often, but since I started exploring K-Beauty products I tend to forget to use it because I have so many other steps in the routine, but tit's always been that one product that I turn to when something I'm testing broke me out because I know this works for me. My bottle is a very old limited edition because I tend to stock up on these way before I use up the old bottle, so it got its turn only now. I find this oil really suits my skin so well, it's light, non-greasy and one of those products I can always relay on. While I had this bottle, I tested The Body Shops Oils of Life Oil and I loved it even more, but I still want to have another bottle of this too.  

Repurchase: Yes, I really want to try the new Florale version too.

BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel

This version has already been updated and has gone through a reformulation, so I don't think this review will help you much, but both Biore gel and Essence (version 2015) were the best sunscreens I've tried. They were the lightest such products I've tried, didn't leave any stickiness, white cast or greasiness, instead they were more like primers with a velvet finish. I still have an essence in this old version bought last year, which was unopened until this year, but after I use it up, I'll try the new formulas of these.

Repurchase: Yes, the new versions.

SHEET MASKS

All of these are my favourites and ones I've repurchased. I have separate reviews for each:

MY BEAUTY DIARY Natural Key Series Facial Mask Black Pearl - great brightening effect

THE FACE SHOP Solutions Pearl - another with a brightening effect and best sheet fit for me.

THE SAEM Natural Skin Fit Mask (Disney Edition of packaging) Grapefruit  - super comfy essence and a good moisturising effect.

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Sheet Mask Madecassoside - soothing, repairing and nourishing. My new love.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Honey Mask - nourishing and smells amazing like honey.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Whitening Honey Mask - my all-time favourite. Very brightening and nourishing, smells like honey.

Repurchase: Definitely, yes to all and I still have most of these in stock.

BALEA Hydrogen Masks for eyes and lips

These were nothing special in terms of effect. The eye mask felt refreshing, but I saw no visible improvement and the lip mask did less than my Palmer's lip balm does. But they are very pretty with the lace pattern. I think these were made permanent after being a LE.

Repurchase: Maybe the eye patches.

BODY

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel

My favourite shower gel because it's the creamiest formula I know and it's not drying. I finally found a big packaging in Slovenia, which I'll keep on buying.

Repurchase: Done.

SUBRINA Shower Gel

Cherry Blossom

I've actually gone through more than one of these, plus Perfume Drops and Pina Colada version. These all smell so good and the scent lasts on the skin, at cherry blossom almost like a fragrance. Bad side that I've noticed after a long periods of using these they are drying, so I swap between the more expensive Dove with Subrina. These are also some of the cheapest shower gels here, with a price under 2 € for 400 ml. 

Repurchase: Done.

THE BODY SHOP Almond Milk & Honey Body Butter

This is one of my favourites scents from The Body shop, although unlike any other body butter I had from them this changed its scent in time. Originally this has a lovely sweet milky-honey scent, then it became more musky. Texture, however, is just not the same The Body Shop rich goodness and this is more like a medium thick regular cream. It was still moisturising enough, but I prefer their original body butter texture. 

Repurchase: Yes. 

BALEA Rasier Schaum

Coco Melon

This was the first time I bought the mousse version instead or the gel one I usually buy. At first I thought there is no big difference between the two, but as it got low on product, it wasn't sticking to the skin as well as gel, but otherwise this is still pretty good and if I like any of the LE scents I'll get it again instead of a gel. I loved the scent of this edition. It was mostly like melon, but the coconut note made it a bit warmer. I hope Balea reuses this scent sometime.

Repurchase: Only if I like any LE scent, otherwise I'm sticking to the gel version. 

NIVEA Pearl & Beauty Anti-perspirant

My standard deodorant. I'm a fan of the feminine powdery scent and it's got this powdery particles that I find work in keeping me dry longer. 

Repurchase: Done.

HAIR

L'OREAL Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

One of my favourite drugstore shampoos, but this isn't sold here anymore and it was replaced by the equally fantastic Extraordinary Oil. Both are very similar to the much more expensive Kerastase Oleo-Intense, meaning they are like a shampoo +  a good conditioner in one (it doesn't claim to be a 2-in-1) and so far they are the only cheap shampoos I've found that work for my very dry, coarse and thick hair. My hair isn't at all tangled or nor does it leave that squeaky clean feeling I despise at that shampoos because my hair needs a lot of care, instead it feels smooth when I'm rinsing this off and I can comb my hair wet with no problems. The scent of this one was nicer than of Extraordinary that I'm using now, but that's the only difference. 

Repurchase: I don't know if this version doesn't exist anymore, but Extraordinary Oil is exactly the same except for the scent and it's the one I'm using now.

HEAD & SHOULDERS Anti-Dandruff Supreme Moisture Conditioner

I liked this as a conditioner because it was ok even on my super dry hair, even though it doesn't feel heavy, however, it unfortunately didn't work when it came to eliminating dandruff. Not that I'm surprised about the latter because I've tried almost everything and nothing really works long term. I'd buy it again purely because it's a good cheap conditioner for dry hair.

Repurchase: Yes.

DOVE Advanced Hair Series Regenerirende Aufbaupflege

An averagely good drugstore mask, but not quite enough for my hair. I need a bit more than this, especially if I want my hair to stay moisturised for more than a day, but for someone with moderately dry hair it should be really good. I'm not sure if this exists anymore because Dove has made some major changes to their hair care line

Repurchase: Not since I found Pantene Repair conditioner.

MACADAMIA Professional Weightless Moisture Leave-in Conditioning Mist

This was originally a missed purchase that I bought in my search for a Orofluido Sahara replacement. I was going to buy their Healing Oil Spray, but they expanded their range at the time with their Professional line and I thought this too was an oil in spray like Sahara (I've since finally found a replacement in Createurs de Monoi Shine spray). This is a regular leave-in conditioner and it's super light, so from the start I thought this won't do anything for me. Yet the longer I had it, the more I started to appreciate, especially because of the great list of ingredients which includes keratin in hydrolysed form, which is the best version of proteins. It's feels like nothing on the hair, yet I do feel like it's giving my hair an extra boost of moisture and the mist is so fine, making it easy to spray all over the hair quickly. I think this formula would suit any hair type and it should be great even on those with thin hair that gets easily weighted down. Only thing I had to get used to was a strong fragrance, which isn't a bad one, just more unique than most hair products. It's like an oriental perfume with heavy notes, so in summer it's not so easy to handle. 

Repurchase: Yes, because of the good ingredients, but I recently got Schwarzkopf Bonacure Bonacure Fibre Force Fortifying Primer instead. 

HASK Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner

I saw a very positive review on these HASK masks and though I was very doubtful because most people don't have such thick and dry hair like me meaning they need a lot less care for their hair to feel amazing, I grabbed one in Müller after checking the ingredients. The latter are not outstanding and I'm bothered by the fragrance on 4th place, but the rest looked ok and it has lanolin on 5th place which should help seal the moisture in. Oils are after 5th place, but there's several of them, not just argan. The mask is nicely thick, just the way I like it and it's possible it would feel heavy on thin hair, but I can't say for sure. There is 50 ml in the packet which was just enough for one use for my long thick hair, but for some this could last up to 3 uses and certainly 2 for most. It's got an orange scent with some oriental feel, so it's not a zesty fresh type of scent. For a deep treatment, this proved to be fairly weak for my hair. At first the effects of this were ok. It wasn't amazingly nourishing for my hair, but decent enough. However, by day two my hair was so dry and far from being soft, so I had to use just a conditioner again (I used Aussie) to replenish moisture. Maybe for most this will be a good deep treatment to use when the hair needs a pick me up, but for me it was a waste of time. 

Repurchase: No.

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Blonde Toning 

Steel Blue and Sand

For my first use I used half a tubes of each Steel Blue and Sand, which didn't get me to the desired cool medium-dark blonde I want, so I got an extra tube of Steel Blue and use a mix of 3/4 Steel Blue + 1/4 of Sand plus bleached my hair to a lighter shade to see if it will tone the yellow-orange tones I've been trying to get rid off. For a demi-permanent colour this is pretty drying, more so than the bleach, which was surprising. I expected it to turn grey-blue when it was processing, just like those toners for very pale blondes turn purple, but it surprisingly turned pink-mauve. It toned golden yellow hair best, which is a level 9-8, while it turned my lightest pale yellow strands (level 10) blue silver grey, which I did not like at all and shade Ice would have been better for those. The orange strands level 7-8, which I expected it will tone based on reviews and colour theory were left the same as without a toner, so my hair was looking very uneven with ultra cool and warm bits. I've been trying my best to lighten my hair enough to tone it and get it to actually a darker shade that I have now (I want a cool dark blonde and I'm a golden medium blonde now), unfortunately even if I leave the bleach on for 45 minutes, it's a slow process with my thick, naturally dark hair. I hoped this toner will help with the orange-reddish bits, but it only works properly on golden medium blonde hair,so  lighter hair than I expected. Plus I noticed it washes out so fast with a regular SLS shampoo, so I'd recommend you use a sulphate free shampoo or a cleansing conditioner after using these. 

Instead of Blondme developer, which is only sold in 1l versions, I used Ilirija's Hydrogen Cream 3% which is sold everywhere here and comes in a 120 ml bottle, which is just enough for mixing with two tubes of this toner. 3% is best for toning bleached hair because it doesn't lift (much), it just deposits the colour, so it's the most gentle and least damaging percentage of developer. The formula is very liquid compared to Blondme, so I needed a lot more mixing to get a smooth consistency, but it worked just fine. 

Repurchase: Yes, maybe, I don't know. Depends if I'll go any lighter, as it's not working 100% on my currently uneven colour. I picked up a L'Oreal Excellence 7.1 and 8.1 to see if the ashy tones in those are strong enough at least tone down the warm tones. If I decide to give up on blonde  I'll probably use shade 6.3 since it's a colour I quite like out of the darker shades.

PURITO Defence Barrier pH Cleanser

This was a lovely very cleanser with a nice thick foam and I'd like it a lot if it didn't irritate my eyes a bit. It's not as terrible as other K-Beauty cleansers I've tried, but it's still not as gentle as Balea's.

Purchase: No.

PURITO Centella Green Level Calming Toner

This is a slightly thicker toner than they usually are, but overall nothing special when it comes to moisturising. I prefer EH Moistufull collagen, but this is intriguing because it has Centella Asiatica Extract high on the list.

Purchase: It's likeable because of the ingredients.

PURITO Centella Green Level Recovery Cream

Though it feels like a light lotion, this takes quite a while to sink in. Since I have dry skin I like that I have this filter of cream for a while, but it's something I'd only use at night. It promises to fade acne scars and contains 49 % of Centella Asiatica Extract and Niacinamide high on the list, so this sound quite good, but based on a sample I can't report on long term results. 

Purchase: Again, it's likeable because of the ingredients. 

Have a great day!

2000 Calorie is one of the first mascaras I've ever heard about before I even got into makeup, but by the time I was buying my first mascaras, it's was the dawn of the plastic brushes, so I got their Masterpiece instead, even though this mascara has been highly praised. After followed the era of False Lash Effect, which isn't over yet, so when it comes to Max Factor, I've always stuck more to their mascaras with plastic wands. The only mascara with a regular brush I tried was their 2000 Calorie Curl, which proved to be one of the worst mascaras I've ever tried and it completely put me off the Calorie range - how could I have been so misguided? 2000 Calorie is one of the best drugstore mascaras I've found for my type of lashes. It's not amazing in terms giving a ton of volume like Essence's are, but it's a wonderful all-rounder that never looks overdone.

Wand: It's got a classic brush that is densely packed with bristles. It's similar to Beyu's Beauty Queen which is my favourite and it works about the same too. It combs the lashes nicely and creates a nice fanned out effect. It never has too much product on the wand, so I don't have to scrape off the excess like it happened at the Curl version. 

5 minutes after application. As you can see on the right, it does give me a bit of lift, which is more than most regular mascaras, but can't be compared to waterproof formulas.

 Gently curled again so you can see the effect.

Formula: works well for me. Unlike the curl version which was a wet mess that just dropped my lashes, this is a much lighter formula. It doesn't hold a curl like a waterproof mascara, but it also doesn't weight my lashes completely down. I feel that the longer I have it, the better it's getting in that respect. Since the formula is not thick, first coat doesn't create an amazing amount of volume like Essence Lash Princess for example, but it is comparable to Beyu's mascara and their own False Lash Voluptious. Applying more coats is never a problem and you end up with a very nice amount of volume. The lashes don't start sticking together and don't get clumpy, plus this mascara manages to make my usually crisscross lashes (on one eye) looking a lot more nicely fanned out. I can't do that with most Essence mascaras since their formulas tend to be thicker.

Staying power: Mascaras last well on me and I see nothing new at this one. It doesn't smudge, but my eyelid aren't oily. I get the usual all day with it and it's not difficult to remove, which I always appreciate.

Price and availability: it costs 9.99 € and is sold in most drugstores.

I can see why this is still sold after so many years, it's a nice gold classic. Though not outstanding in terms of volume, it's great all-in-one mascara that gives volume, definition and length. This one just might have convinced me enough to get a second tube, especially if it'll be on offer.

Have a great day!

*PR product