New in #110
torek, junij 22, 2021*PUPA Vamp! Mascara
100 Extra Black, 300 Deep Night and 504 Military Green
I already featured these in monthly favourites. There are several versions of these mascaras, both colours (there's also brown, purple, a brighter shade of blue…) and waterproof. There also more Vamp mascaras in different packaging and brushes. I got the regular black and two coloured ones, a blue and dark green. When I got these, they were some of the best mascaras I've ever tried. The effect of freshly opened mascara was so nice: every lash defined and fanned out with lots of length and volume - it was one of the closest formula to perfection. With more coats didn't start to clump up the lashes, but after three weeks it thickened and now the formula is not as smooth as before. Now I need to wipe off some of the formula to get the same effect, otherwise it's sticking the lashes together like most mascaras and doesn't fan then out neatly (level of volume is the same). I'm a bit disappointed because I loved the effect of these when they were new and now I need to be more careful with the application. They are still very good, just it sucks because I remember how amazing they were. When new, they were are a dupe for Revlon So Fierce! Big Bad Lash, but now Revlon beats it (though that one dried compared to this one and creates less volume than before). Like Revlon this formula is not overly wet and heavy, so it's not awful when it comes to holding my lashes up, but it can't compare to a waterproof formula. Since my lashes are dark brown, coloured mascaras don't look as impressive on me as on blonde and other light haired people, but the blue one shows up well and forest green is noticeable from close up. In terms of effect all are the same formula, so coloured ones don't perform any worse than the classic black. I still want to try the waterproof version.
DM, 16,99 €
*PUPA Vamp Stylo Liner
100
I'm less impressed by this than the mascaras. It's ok, but it has all those little faults that made me switch to liquid eyeliners. Formula is as black as average pen liners, but it can't compete with the intensity of a liquid one. The main fault is that it dries quickly, so I need to stop the application after one eye, turn it on its head and shake to get some colour on the nib. Eyeshadows also ruin it quickly. The tip is larger than my usual eyeliner, so the line is thicker as is the wing, but it's overall precise enough. I've had problems with it transferring, so it needs a base (and it's likely not a good choice for oily eyelids) and it also fades during the day, but not a lot, I'm just very spoiled by liquid eyeliners. It's not bad and you still get good eyeliner look with it, it's just there are better liners.
DM, 15,59€
CATRICE Liquid Liner Matt
010 Dating Joe Black
My standard eyeliner that I've been using for years. I can do both eyes without having to dip the applicator again in the formula, which makes the application quick, it's intensely black, matte and it lasts all day. The applicator is a precise felt tip one.
Müller, 3,79 €
*PUPA Vamp! Scented Nail Polish Gel Effect
104 & 302
Like the name says these are scented, which is something that draws me in as a fan of fragrances. I'm a big fan of the colours they sent me, they are so me, but all the shades we have here are nice (to most maybe a small and boring selection of classic shades, but that's all I need. There are reds, purples, nude colours and a black). 104 is a peachy nude and 302 is a warm deep pink-purple, similar to an Essence shade I loved the discontinued Very Berry. Formula is a gel one, but 104 still needs two coats for an even finish, while 302 is a great one-coater. Both have a nice fragrance, but I particularly love the nude one, which is a powdery floral vanilla and when it's on my nails I can't stop smelling them. It only lasts a day, while on the second it's very faint and then it's gone. It's the same as with the discontinued Revlon Parfumerie nail polishes, which are the only other scented ones I've tried. 302 smells similar to Lancome La Vie est Belle, so a sweet vanilla patchouli scent. I originally dissed the top coat claiming it makes them dry very slow, but even with Seche Vite, which is amazing at making nails dry in a minute, these don't dry fast which has never happened to me with SV and any other nail polish. 104 lasted over a week and a half with no chips, just new nail growth so that's when I decided it needs to go, but most nail polishes last well on me, still I think this one possibly stands out a bit (I see it especially now that I have Bell one on my nails).
DM, 8,99€
*PUPA Vamp! Scented Transparent Base & Top Coat
100
I thought I had made my mind about this top coat, but the test with Seche Vite proved this likely isn't the reason for slow dry time. Though when I used them together it took hours to dry (I messed up my nail polish two or three hours after application) and it was still faster with SV. It's slow to dry, but it gives a glossy finish and my nail polish lasted like with SV.
DM, 8,99€
BELL #Insta Perfect Nails
015 Perfect Pink
I think this is a Polish brand and we only have a mini (likely temporary) stand in Müller, but they have some cute colours like a pastel lavender and blue. I grabbed just this one, a cool muted powdery pink. Remember those annoying pastel formulas before the era of gel nail polishes? Well, this is it. It's very hard to apply evenly. It’s not at all smooth like modern nail polishes, it’s thick, it doesn’t apply evenly, it doesn’t even out like gels and you need at least two thick coats, often three for a decent looking application. It's just so fussy to apply and I'm so spoiled by the modern formulas, but the colour is pretty. It started to chip after a week.
Müller, 1.49 €
*AFRODITA COSMETICS Young & Pure Make it Perfect Refreshing Mask
I like the ingredients list of Young & Pure line. It's an interesting one, worthy a look if the skin is problematic or if it's not. I have the 3 in 1 scrub, cleanser & mask that I bought a couple of months ago and I already praised it, so I put some more stuff from this line on my wishlist to try one day, which Afrodita noticed and surprised me with parcel (now that's what I call good PR). Apart from niacinamide which is high on the list, it also has camomile, sage, witch hazel - the typical stuff for an unclear skin product, burdock and thyme. It's a thick, clear gel product, similar to the 3 in 1 mask and you're meant to apply it after cleansing in a thick coat for 15 minutes and wash it off. It's not like a clay mask, so you can leave this on for a long as you want and love that it's clear because you can walk around with it if you're like me, so not comfortable with other seeing you with masks on the face (so suitable for young boys with unclear skin that still pretend they don't need skincare). Though it has the type of ingredients I'd be comfortable just leaving on the face, it needs to be washed off otherwise the face is sticky and has a film when it dries. In terms of results on unclear skin I can't say anything, I had a mini blemish that I don't know whether it healed itself or this helped a bit, but niacinamide and the extracts could help, however the 3 in 1 mask has the added benefit of salicylic acid, so in my eyes it's more suitable as an SOS product. My skin looked good after using this, refreshed and healthy, but my skin is in general not problematic at the moment, so my test is not the most helpful one. It did feel somewhat smoother and softer, though. This has two compartments with 5 ml of which I only used maybe a 1/3 of one and already had a thick coat on the skin, so one packaging will get me through more than 2 uses. It has a gentle refreshing scent.
Ingredients: Aqua, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Salvia Officinalis Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Butylene Glycol, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Glucose, Lactic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel, Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Drugstores, Afrodita shop, 1.79 €
*AFRODITA COSMETICS Young & Pure Clean! Purifying Foam
I had this on my list to try instead of the Balea pink foam that I currently use. While both a nice, gentle foams that do their job, this one lacks that soft fluffiness Balea has, so it's just a standard watery mouse. This one also doesn't irritate my eyes and doesn't leave my skin too dry, though I need to follow with something moisturising in the next 10 minutes, like with Balea. It's got a moderately strong fresh clean scent that is different than the mask. If I had oily, unclear skin I'd pick this from the stuff in the drugstore + Afrodita's Young & Pure toner, the 3 in 1 mask and Spot drying gel as the core collection, then add some stuff from the pharmacy and a salicylic acid + azelaic acid rich product.
Ingredients: Aqua, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Laureth-8 Sulfate, Magnesium Laureth Sulfate, Magnesium Laureth-8 Sulfate, Sodium Oleth Sulfate, Magnesium Oleth Sulfate, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Oleate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Citric Acid
Drugstores, Afrodita shop, 5.39 €
*URIAGE Eau Thermale Cleansing Face Oil
I use oil cleansers all the time, not just to remove makeup, but also to fully remove SPF. I get excited when I see a new oil cleanser available in Slovenia because there are still few, but my selection is even smaller since mineral oil tends to break me out. This is such an oil with mineral oil first on the list and I am concerned about using this daily, but I think I can use it occasionally and always follow with a second cleanser - we'll see how it works out for me, I'm hoping for the best. I can still tell you how effective it is and it's kind of in the middle. It's thin, but emulsifies like other oils, removes makeup including waterproof mascara, but it struggled with Maybelliner's Matte Ink in a deep red shade, which is hard to remove with most stuff. It leaves a layer when washed off, which I'm not thrilled about, but at least it doesn't irritate my eyes. It's moderately scented with a floral scent. It's not my favourite, but it gets the job done with most makeup, it's just the extra super stay makeup that need some more help. This one is meant for dry and normal skin, while Uriage has more oils - Hyseac cleansing oil is meant for oily-combination a skin and they have Xemose in 500 ml size for the body.
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 15,44 € currently 10,81 €
*URIAGE Eau Thermale
So far I've only tried one of Balea's waters and spray and thought nothing of it, water in a can to spray in the summer when I'm hot, but this one feels significantly more soothing and maybe moisturising. When my skin starts feeling tight after cleansing, this makes it feel better instantly, but I'm still not sure it's the actual Uriage water or just that the mist nicely fine. It tastes salty when I lick my lips, so it's definitely more than just regular water. Uriage says that their water contains a high concentration in mineral salts similar to the skin’s NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factors) that provide unique moisturising benefits. It soothes sensitive skin due to its high content of calcium and magnesium salt as well as silicon, which reinforces the skin's hydrolipidic film. Their water also apparently helps restore the cutaneous barrier. I've never been a believer in these water sprays, but I heard they are often used by those with skin conditions and sensitivities, since they help calm the skin (I got messages on IG that told me this is the best water for such skin). I found myself using it a lot, since I got it - right after cleansing to soothe the tightness, during the day when my skin feels dry and currently in a heat wave to cool down. It has a chemical/fizzy water type of scent. This exists in several sizes including a 300 ml.
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 150 ml 8,88 € / current price 6,22 €
*AFRODITA PROFESSIONAL Perfect Code Peptide Mist
I've had this on my wishlist for a while and if we had it in drugstores, I'd be mine for a long time by now, but this is a part for Afrodita's professional line, which I think is just available online, or it's likely also in their shop which far away from me. When I saw it on their website I instantly liked the idea of a peptide product in a toner/mist form, since I like to layer products. This is a simple liquid toner that absorbs quickly and feels moisturising. The atomizer could spray a finer mist, but I just spray it in the hand and apply it on the face. Aside from three peptides this also has panthenol and hyaluronic acid. It has a strong Nivea-like clean, creamy scent. My current skin care that includes this really works for my skin right now and it's been looking so well. I hope it lasts.
Ingredients: Aqua, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Coco-Glucoside, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Lactate, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Buthylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Drugstores, Afrodita shop, 14.90 €
*AFRODITA COSMETICS Skin Specialist Protective Serum SPF 30
This is one of the four new Afrodita serums, the other are collagen and hyaluron serums and a ceramide oil. I like this, it's one of the lightest sunscreens I've tried. It's like those fluid-creams for combination-oily skin, not at all like typical sunscreens, which honestly surprised me. It just feels like regular light skin care. It's so easy to apply, even in larger amounts (I have to praise them for adding how much to apply on the instructions, it's 2 ml or two pumps. Helpful), it sinks in fast, there's no greasy feeling nor white cast and it doesn't irritate my eyes (really appreciate that). There is shine, though not a lot, but most people will likely want to powder over it. I've spent a considerable amount of time in the sun and didn't get burned. I have a good feeling about this one for oily-combination skin, though I can't speak from experience, but it feels so refreshingly light and it's alcohol free. From anti-ageing ingredients this has carnosine, a dipeptide, which is an antioxidant with soothing abilities.
(The ingredients on their website are wrong, so you don't get scared this has no filters). Ingredients: Aqua, Octocrylene, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cocoglycerides, C12 - 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Polysilicone-15, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Carnosine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Xantan gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Sulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30, Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Drugstores, Afrodita shop, 17.90 €
*URIAGE Eau Thermale Age Protect Multi-Action Cream SPF 30
A sunscreen with vitamin C, A, hyaluronic acid and adenosine, so a great sunscreen/skin care hybrid. It's a light-ish cream that's easy to spread, has some white cast during application, but blends out to nothing and doesn't feel heavy or greasy on the skin. It's not as light as Afrodita in a large amount and it has a lot more shine, but a pump of it absorbs so quickly on my dry skin, so even though I know I'm sacrificing a level of protection, I'll use this in a small amount in the autumn/winter months. It protects well, but it did irritate my eyes on some occasions when it slipped into my eyes later in the day (it only happens to me on warm days). I like this one a lot because of anti-ageing ingredients and it feels a lot more like skin care than sunscreen, so I think it'll replace my Olay Regenerist SPF 30 in my morning routine, which is heavier and can peel. I've also layered sunscreen over it later in the day and it was fine. It has a moderately strong scent floral scent.
Aqua (Water, Eau), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dicaprylyl Ether Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Isocetyl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Croton Lechleri Resin Extract, Tocopherol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Parfum (Fragrance), Cetyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Mica, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Edta, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, O-Cy-Men-5-Ol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Adenosine, Tin oxide, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract (Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract), BHT.
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 36,16 € | currently 25,31 €
*URIAGE Eau thermale Bariésun Ultra Light Fluid SPF 50+
This is as liquid as Garnier Ambre Solaire fluid, but it's not as light on the skin, as when you start to rub it in, it becomes a more thick creamy emulsion. It is alcohol free, which I assume makes that difference. It's still a light-feeling formula, though there is a bit of that sunscreen oily feeling for a while when applied in a large amount (in half the recommended amount is absorbs instantly and it's dry to the touch) and there's sunscreen shine. This one feels to me most reliable in terms of staying power and most waterproof, plus it has an SPF 50+. The one thing that does bother me is that it's irritating if it comes into my eyes later on a warm day. The packaging is great - super small so it fits into pockets. This one is unscented, which I know will make a lot of you happy to hear. It also has vitamin C, but It's at the end of the list.
Aqua (Water/Eau), Dicaprylyl Ether, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Nylon-12, Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Glucose, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Edta, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trehalose, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Bht, Polyquaternium-51
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 12,90 € | currently 9,03 €
CV Vitamin C Enzym Peeling Puder
I think this is new in Müller, but they used to have an enzym peeling powder in the Vital line (red-white), which had almost the same ingredients. It has vitamin C in an ascorbic acid form, which is most potent, but it's in the middle of the list. The powder needs to be mixed with a small amount of water, applied with circular motions on the face, left for 2-3 minutes and washed off. Powder looks very fine, but once you mix it with water it stays a bit gritty, though it doesn't work as a mechanical peeling. Emulsion leaves white streaks on the skin with white chucks, so it's not an invisible product like Catrice Clean ID enzym powder. After three minutes my face feels tight like I used a clay mask and when I rinse it off, my skin feels a bit smoother, but I don't see a visual difference in brightness of my skin. It also left it very stripped, so this is quite a drying product. There's no scent. One package will last me several uses.
TALC, SODIUM LAUROYL GLUTAMATE, CELLULOSE, AQUA, XANTHAN GUM, PROTEASE, SUBTILISIN, ASCORBIC ACID, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, STEARYL ALCOHOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE
Müller, 0.99 €
LAVOZON Sensitiv Lippenpflefe Stift SPF 50
Last year I had the Sun Dance one, which I really liked, but it went bad (got the sunscreen taste that it didn't have when new) and I couldn't find it this year, so I got this instead. It's not as nice. The texture is similar, so nicely moisturising and not overly hard/waxy, but it has the bitter taste that is annoying.
Müller, 1.99 €
EVELINE COSMETICS Expert C Illumination Metallic Vitamin Face Mask
I have the serum from this line and I find it's not that special, at least I don't see any results despite the nice ingredients (I still use it in the morning under sunscreen). But I saw this mask and ingredients looked nice enough, so why now give it a try. It has allantoin, panthenol, rosehip extract and several others, as well as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C (three kinds, including ascorbic acid). It's glittery orange. Why, I honestly don't get, but the shimmer makes you look Twilight-ly, though I didn't apply it in an extra thick coat, so I only got shimmer and not the orange look. It was ok, like a regular moisturiser for me, I didn't remove the excess as suggested, since my skin drank the lot. In the morning I still had shimmer on the face.
*URIAGE Eau Thermale Bariésun Dry Mist SPF 50+
Last year I became fond of sunscreens in a spray, since they are so quick to apply and I can use them to reapply sun protection, even over makeup. This one isn't technically meant to be applied on the face by using a spray, instead they suggest you spray it on the hand and apply it, but I've tried it over makeup anyway. Uriage actually has a separate spray that is designed to be used as needed during the day, but they only have an SPF 30 version (which is fine, I just tend to spend a long time in the sun some days and I like to be safe). This is a light, kind of a light milky lotion-liquid when sprayed. I barely need to rub it in on the body, but I do on the face. It stays a little bit greasy on the skin with a shine, but it’s not sticky nor white and on my skin it sets quickly and is dry to the touch (body). I’ve worn it on the face and it’s ok to me. Makeup goes over it ok and when I reapplied it over makeup, it gives a shine and it creases my eyeshadows, so for a matte look a powder is necessary. I need to avoid my eyes/lashes as it makes them greasy and makes my glasses dirty, but it doesn’t make my vision foggy. This is the workhorse in my collection of SPFs right now. I apply it in the morning on exposed areas and I keep it near me to reapply sunscreen during the day.
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 19,24 € | currently 13,47 €
*URIAGE Eau Thermale Bariésun Repair Balm
A pretty regular body lotion based on ingredients, but Uriage says that it provides comfort and relief when skin is overheated and dry, as well that is helps prolong tan. I missed a patch of my skin when applying sunscreen (when I say missed, I deliberately avoided it because I had a new dress I didn't want to get greasy) and I immediately paid the price - don't be stupid like me. However it did show me how good the rest of the sunprotection I was wearing is. I tried this on that mild burn and it kind of helped, though a Cica cream with panthenol was more effective. It's creamy, but light, refreshing and it absorbs fast. It has a strange chemical scent, but it's not annoying to me.
This is a small size you get in a set, while the full size is 150 ml.
Beauty Pharmacy, full size 17,97 €, tough currently 12,58 € | set z SPF 50+ 19,24 €
*FILORGA UV-Bronze Face Anti-ageing Sun Fluid
A light lotion-cream texture that doesn’t feel greasy on me (it’s most similar to A’Pieu from my collection and it’s lighter than my latest Garnier Anti-Age one or Uriage Anti-age), it applies easily with no white cast or streaks and it has this wonderful honey-floral scent. Makeup goes over it with no problems, there no extra shine, though it’s not matte it's just not much “sunscreen shiny” and it doesn't irritate my eyes. This one has niacinamide and squalane. Aside from Garnier Fluid, this is sunscreen I wear most this year - I like the ingredients, it's not fussy (no irritations or makeup issues), looks good on the skin and protects well. I like this one a lot more than Garnier with hyaluronic acid for dry skin which peels.
Aqua (Water), Diisopropyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Homosalate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazoyl Tetrabutylphenol [Nano], Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Silica, Beneth-25, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polyester-7, Niacinamide, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Squalane, Tocopherol Acetate, Pentylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, 1-2 Hexanediol, Lecithin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Lysoleucine, Parfum (Fragrance), Glycerin, Amminoethyl Propanol, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xanthan Gum, Phenetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium Edta, Lepidum Sativum Sprout Extract, Beta Carotene, Daucs Carrota (Carrot) Root Extract, Tocopherol, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 33,62 € | currently 23,53 €
From greasiest/heaviest to lightest. Uriage spray is light, but leaves a light sunscreen oily feeling when on the face. Afrodita is so light, I expected it to be thick like skin care with SPF usually is, but this is a pleasant surprise. In my collection only Garnier Fluid is lighter, but that one is filled with alcohol.
ORIFLAME Urban Guard 3D Line
Balanced skin nutrition for city-ready skin. Optimals pollution protection skin care. Urban Guard 3D, city-ready skin nutrition – and fortified protection! Formulated by skin nutrition experts to keep moisture in and pollution out.
Multifunctional Cleanser
I find it strange Oriflame didn't say this is a 3 In 1 product on the tube, though it is in the catalogue - still for a consumer that's not that well versed in reading ingredients lists they could be a bit more helpful because this can be used in one more way than it's on the back of the tube. Based on ingredients this is a typical 2 in 1 mask cleanser for unclear skin. It contains clay on the second place and no SLS/SLES, in terms of texture it's a light clay mask type of product that functions both as a cleanser and mask. It also has some salicylic acid, glycerine, urea, some kind of upcycled blueberry seed powder that acts as a gentle exfoliator (that's why a 3 in 1 product, but I can't feel it on the skin) and a small amount of spruce extract. You are supposed to apply it on the face, leave it for a minute and rinse, but I'd leave this on for 10-15 minutes as a mask when needed, otherwise I just use it as a regular cleanser or second cleanser since on its own it can't remove makeup well (it doesn't foam, nor is it oily to melt it). For unclear, congested, oily-combination skin this is a nice one. It has no scent, perfume is not among the ingredients, so maybe it suitable for sensitive skin (I don't know what all are sensitive to).
Regular price 11.90 € | currently 6.99 €
Essence Serum
A very standard moisturising serum. It basically just has glycerine + propanediol & betaine because phenoxyethanol is so high on the list and after that ingredient concentrations are low, so there's less than 1% hyaluronic acid and panthenol. For some reason this has poloxamer 184 high on the list, this is the ingredient that's in micelar waters and used for cleansing. It's a light serum that's leaves a light layer on the skin. It's also not scented. To be blunt I find this the least impressive in this collection, especially for full price.
Oriflame, regular price 24.99 € | currently 11.99 €
Night Cream
This is the most impressive product in this collection and I'm already using it as a regular night moisturizer. The ingredients is a decent basic one for me, glycerine 2nd, shea butter 4th, niacinamide 6th and maybe less impressive some (medium) hyaluronic acid at the end plus spruce extract. It's nothing ground-breaking, but a nice standard moisturising, nourishing, slightly brightening & spot-healing cream with no fragrance and a gel-cream medium thick texture. This is suitable for all skin types in my eyes though maybe some of those with oily skin would like something lighter. I like this one and like I said above with my current combination of skin care it's been looking pretty good.
Oriflame, regular price 23.90 € | currently 11.99 €
Day Cream SPF 25
Good to see they included an SPF moisturizer in the collection. 25 is decent enough, though many of use love to see even higher spfs. It's nothing special in terms of ingredients, like at most such creams it's focused on filters. Now that's I've tried so many spfs in the last months, I find it averagely nice. It's not greasy and doesn't feel like a typical sunscreen, so it's like simple skin care, a medium thick cream that does have that moisturizer shine. It doesn't feel heavy on my dry skin, it doesn't peel, it has no scent and doesn't irritate my eyes. It's likeable.
Oriflame, regular price 23.90 € | currently 11.99 €
Mist
Very similar to the serum this is mostly a basic hydrating mist with glycerine and again it has poloxamer 184. hyaluronic acid and spruce extract are at the end of the list. It's a nice refreshing mist, but the spray is small and I wish it sprayed to a slightly larger area. It can be used as a regular toner or misted over makeup, during the day for refreshment. The mist is almost fine enough, but it could be a bit better. It's again not scented.
Oriflame, regular price 13.90 € | currently 8.49 €
*SEBAMED Anti-dry Revitalizing Shampoo
A shampoo for dry hair and scalp. It promises to make the hair 49% less dry in 3 weeks. I often complain how my hair and scalp are very dry, my hair is never greasy even if I don’t wash it for a long time. Given that I wash my hair once a week, like I suspected I don't see results after three uses, so we'll see when the bottle is empty if I see a difference. Formula is a thick gel that barely foams at the first wash, so I use a lot of it because I have a feeling it's not spread well on all the hair (second is a lot better). I've used this completely alone and left my hair air dry because when I use Olaplex I wash my hair beforehand since I use so many leave-ins and I want it clean for a treatment. My hair felt dry and hard without a conditioner and leave-ins, I looked like a blonde Hagrid with a ton of frizz & volume. When I do the same with Aveo, my hair looks better and it's a bit softer. The formula is not nourishing, however, I also wouldn't say drying, it's just bare and my hair needs more. It doesn't leave my hair tangled, instead when I'm rinsing it off my hair feels smooth. When I use a conditioner/mask, this is a perfectly nice shampoo. Like all Sebamed product’s it's got skin friendly pH 5.5.
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 7,61 € | currently 5,33 €
BALEA MED Ultra Sensitive Shampoo
I got this because Lana from Lana Talks praises it and says it helped her with dandruff. Honestly I didn't expect similar results, I just wanted to see if it's nice for my scalp. Like I predicted this is another in a very long line of products that didn't help me, though right after washing there was a lot less dandruff than usually, so it's at least effective at removing some of that persistent layer I have on my scalp. It doesn't foam much, which isn't surprisingly given it doesn't contain SLS/SLES and it's also not drying, but not nourishing. It's ok for a drugstore one, though I might get annoyed one day about the lack of foam.
DM, 2.49 €
L'ORÉAL Colour Protect Elvive Colour Protect Purple Anti-Brassiness Hair Oil
Something new in the world of hair care: a tinted hair oil against yellow tones. I don't like the ingredients list because it has alcohol and is overall bland in terms of extracts/oils, but it's the only such product here and ever since I became a blonde really wanted a leave-in type of product that would neutralize warm tones because it's only when the hair is dry that I see what the purple shampoo/mask have missed. I've tried the Schwarzkopf spray, but it was beyond terrible and this is considerably more pigmented. The shampoo and the mask from this line are intensely purple, therefore very effective and this is also quite deep in tone, though it ends up diluted when applied. It's a complicated product to use. On dry hair you quickly end up with too much on one strand and I have to warn very light bleached blondes to maybe avoid this one because the hair is very quickly grey-blue. However that only goes for very light blonde hair, as soon as it's a shade darker, more golden-yellow or even orange, you need to apply a lot to have a bit of an effect. It's not amazing, but if you layer it a bit on those darker, very warm parts it can tone down those tone to more a greyish dark blonde, but not completely. On damp hair after washing it ends up too diluted for me, but it might work on lighter blondes used that way. I have a complicated situation where my ends are very light, but every time I do my roots I can't bleach all the way in one go, so my purple shampoo can admirably keep my lengths cool, but my roots stay golden/orange, so I hoped this would be that product that might tackle those, but it takes a long time to precisely apply this to all those areas, trying to avoid the lengths, since it then leaves them too cool. Formula more or less sucks if you expected an oil because it's very light, not nourishing and it dries fast leaving a strange semi-oily coat. It gives a bit of shine, but it doesn't tackle frizz much or detangle well, but that also makes it appropriate for all hair types because I don't think it will weigh down oily hair or make it greasy faster. It has the same floral scent as the shampoo and conditioner. I'm not sure how I feel about this product, it's just hard to use and I think for most blondes (those that get easily to level 10) this is both too intense and too prone for an uneven application.
Müller, 7.99 €
*LAZARTIGUE Nourishing Dry Oil
A hair oil with no silicones. It contains apricot kernel, argan, camellia, hazel, soybean, castor and egyptian geranium oils. I originally didn't think much about it, just a basic very light oil that isn't nourishing enough for my broom like ends, however, with further use it impressed me. I still find it's too light for my ends, but when my hair is very dry and super frizzy, I apply this before going to bed in a large amount and by the morning when my hair drank most of it, it looks so good, like I had a great blow-out, it's frizz free, looks healthier and doesn't look like I applied an oil. However, I can only do this for two days in a row, then it already gets that lank look like I applied a regular oil. Still I'm really enjoying this one at the moment, but for my ends I have to take Palmer's oil that's a bit richer. Lazartigue is so light that it might fit also hair that isn't as dry as mine and it's the lightest non-silicone oil I've tried so far. It smells like an expensive floral parfume, but it goes away fast. Their Nourish mask is one of the best I've tried.
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Tocopherol, Hydroxycitronellal, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract.
Beauty Pharmacy, regular price 32,35 € | currently 22,65 €
SCHWARZKOPF GLISS 7 Sec Express Repair Treatment
Oil Nutritive
I've already tried the Ultimate Repair (black) version and I liked it, so I got this one which is meant for straw-like dull hair and has oils (well given the ingredients list drops of oils, so I really wouldn't worry this would feel heavy). Formula is again a liquid that you need to apply in a large amount of a strand and the emulsify it. After it's emulsified on a strand, you can spread it to a larger area like a conditioner. I use up 2 doses for my long hair (40 ml). This one is strongly scented like L'Occitane's almond shower gel or at least with a similar scent. Results were about the same as with Ultimate version, like I expected and I again left it only for a minute or two, and it did the job of a conditioner that I left for a lot longer. I think it's likely whichever you pick from the three, they are likely very similar.
6.99 €
REVLON Colorsilk Beautiful Colour
70 Medium Ash Blonde
My favourite hair colour and shade. It's hard to find now that they removed it from Müller, so buy L'Oreal Excellence, which is also great, but when I have the chance I get this one instead. It's ammonia free and so easy to apply because it's liquid. The result is such a pretty ashy medium blonde, I have pictures when I used it on my freshly bleached roots for toning.
Leclerc, about 5 € | trenutno -30% na click2chic.
SUBRINA Absolute Length Shampoo & Conditioner
Subrina discontinued their Smooth & Radiant line and added this instead. It's designed for long hair, which means that type of hair that has dry ends either because it's long or not and ends that are also fragile, so it's breaking off. It contains fig extract, which is moisturising, murumuru butter, which the internet tells me it best for fighting frizz and hydrolysed vegetable keratin, which strengthens the hair (hydrolysed proteins attach themselves on damaged points on the hair). I haven't tried them yet, I was busy taking a ton of pictures instead (& my current condition on the hair is not ready for drugstore), but so far responses from girls that got this have been positive. This line smells good, I think like fig or a cosmetic fig scent. It reminds me most of BBW body mist Brown Sugar & Fig, so a creamy, milky fruity sweet scent. Based on my experience Subrina's stuff has some of the most long lasting scents on the hair.
Drogerije (ne DM) in supermarketi + click2chic, 2,49 €
DOVE Shower Gels
Deeply Nourishing, Sensitive Skin Soothing Care, Nourishing Secrets Revitalising Ritual and Renewing
DM had a 2 for 1 sale and I grabbed three versions I never tried (and they were the only left by then) and my beloved Deeply Nourishing one. I regret not taking just 4 of the latter because these new versions are quite a poor excuse for Dove shower gels. Not that they are in any way bad, but if I'm buying Dove I expect that super creamy, thick and rich formula, while these are just regular creamy shower gels, much thinner than the original formula. I'm sure you are familiar with the Dove trademark creamy scent, while the rest are different. Soothing Care has a another nice clean, fresh scent, Revitalising Ritual has a sweet kind of fruity, but still clean-creamy fragrance (I thought I was buying the cocoa one, but I was tossing these so quickly in the cart, I must have grabbed the wrong one. Or I'm going blind) and Renewing is a rose & peony scent, not my favourite, but fans of florals will like it.
DM, 2.49 €
DOVE Nourishing Secrets 48h Anti-Perspirant
With raw cacao and hibiscus flower scent
Sandra from Keep Calm and Wear Lipstick said in her empties that the scent of Dove spray deodorants lasts all day on her and I had to test if the work for me too. I always use the stick version, for years now and almost never use a spray, especially not on its own because I've so far had bad experience with staying power, so I only use them as a 2nd coat of protection when I need it (which is never to be honest). This one works all day, just like the stick. I doesn't leave me dry in nervous situations, but it works the rest of the time and keeps me smelling nice. Scent lasts a long time, maybe not all day, but very long, outlasting fragrances. My version smells like a mix of the classic creamy clean Dove scent with cocoa, so it's a deep scent that I think will be too much for me in the summer, but they have other versions I might try.
2-3 €
BALEA Rasiergel Find me under the Palmtrees
Just another LE of Rasiergel and for once they did the coconut scent right. It's a nice, sweet version that's more candy coconut than their usual fresh version.
DM, 1.39 €
BARFUSS Fersenschutz
While nothing beats School ones, which are as expensive as some shoes, I tend to buy Balea one and had no idea these exist too. I haven't put them in the shoes jet, but based on touch these feel softer than Balea's, which are quite hard. Well, see, but I really hope they are nice because Balea ones just aren't good enough and then I don't have my School ones attached to any shoes, so I can swap them.
Müller, 2.85 €
BATH & BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist Cactus Blossom
I imagined this very differently based on reviews and notes. Notes mention "A sweet, crisp blend of cactus flower petals, sun-kissed coconut & vanilla". I get no coconut or vanilla, only what I think is cactus blossom, not that I know how that smells. It's a floral scent that smells dated to me, a more mature fragrance with some sharpness. It lacks that creamy warm tones of coconut and vanilla or anything else really It's not bad, but my collection would survive without it. My bottle arrived wet, so when I touched it, the label wiped off. Doesn’t matter anyway.
eBay, $14.99
REMINGTON Hydraluxe Pro Hairdryer
My old Remington Protect & Shine Ionic which is by now 12 years old started to behave a bit strange, namely lost a lot of its power and sometimes doesn't turn on anymore (due to overheating), so it was time for a new one. I again picked Remington because their stuff always lasts decades (3/3 things still live after 10 years) and I wanted sometime I can simply puck up in my local store because it's quick and I'm fed up with ordering online. Dyson has the spotlight, but I'm not paying that much for a dryer and among Remington ones their Keratin Protect is praised, but I picked this one which has few reviews because similarly to Dyson it has a heat sensor which makes sure it's never too hot. It's got all the regular settings, so 2 speeds, 3 heat settings and a cool shot, but it also has the option of either turning their Hydracare sensor on or off, which regulates the temperature, so even if you have it on highest temperature, when this is on, it's not very hot. It has two concentrators and a huge diffuser, all with a great system that clicks into the centre or the dryer and it hold very tight - my previous was such a nightmare with attachments and they were consistently falling off during drying, so resorted to sticking them on with tape. Remington claims this dryer creates no heat damage compared to air drying - a bit bold to claim that, though it was tested and confirmed by TRI Princeton, so let's say I believe them because with the sensor on it genuinely never feels too hot. It's got a digital motor with speeds up to 160 km/h and I have to say it's significantly faster than any hair dryer I've tried before. It's a very power beast and it dries my hair a lot faster than my old one. I've only tried it once and I had the sensor on, so it's possible that with it off, it may even be faster, since it's more hot. However, as fast as it is, I'm not impressed with frizz management nor do I feel my hair is less dry than with my old one despite the "Moisture Lock Conditioners" that are released while drying, but I did my first without leave-ins that help me achieve a sleeker blow-out. I was hoping it will be better than my old one in regards to that, especially, since it's expensive, but with the sensor on, my hair wasn't as smooth as I wanted - it was softer, though. Compared to my old one it also feels heavier, but not by a lot - I'm just a weakling and I notice such things more. The cool setting was positioned better on my old one, as it was just a button on the top and you had to hold it for cool air, but this one has a setting that holds in place - for some it'll be a minus and for some a plus, but I preferred it the old way. It's still as loud as my old one and since I'm used to it, I don't care. I read in a review that it sucks in the hair in the back, but I had no such problems and the mesh looks dense enough. So far I'm not as impressed by it as I hoped in terms of how nice it leaves my hair, however, it does give me a sense of security, knowing that with Hydracare on it'll never get too hot and damage my hair.
By the way my other choices aside from Keratin Protect were Remington D3190 Damage Protection, GHD Helios, Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer and Remington Proluxe Ionic (this one has optiheat like my beloved hair curler)
Big Bang, 99 € (trenutno znižan iz 160 €)
6 comments
Love Dove shower gel. It has very impressive result which improves my skin tone too!
OdgovoriIzbrišiAfroditino peno za čiščenje si moram zapomnit za naslednjič. Sliši se super, sploh zdaj za poletje bi bila zanimiva, ker se moja koža hitro masti in maši.
OdgovoriIzbrišiAfroditina profesionalna linija mene odbija, ker jo lahko kupiš samo preko spleta in v njihovi trgovini. Ko sem bila tam se mi je zdela cena nekaterih izdelkov pretirana. Saj vem, da je namenjena za salone, ampak lahko bi naredili kakšne dobre verzije tudi za drogerije in končnega kupca po nekih normalnih cenah. Mislim da je bila neka krema enih 40€, ne spomnim se več točno.
Meni prav noben anti-perspirant ne pomaga v tej vročini, da se ne bi morala it tuširat vsaj 2x če grem ven. Sem ravno zadnjič kupila od Dove, ker me je malo kupila njihova filozofija hranljivih formula, pa sem vzela nekega invisible dry in mi ravno ne diši. Moram naslednjič vzet neke z malo več vonja kot je kokos ali pa ta s kakavom. Večen problem poletja :D.
Afroditina pena je najs, sicer za mojo kožo mi Balea malo bolj paše, ta pa vem da tebi ni všeč. Sestavinsko mi je Afrodita bolj všeč.
IzbrišiI feel you. Tudi jaz raje vidim v drogeriji kot samo na spletu, trgovina mi je itak predaleč. So pa cene nekaterih izdelkov resno zasoljene, sem tudi jaz gledala na spletu.
Hidrofugal si že preizkusila? Ali pa Triple Dry? Ti so najbolj pohvaljeni - no vsaj bili so včasih. Lidera krema je tudi zelo pohvaljena, samo se moraš navadit nanosa, pa ni anti-perspirant.
Jap, hidro fugal sem imela že kar nekaj let nazaj. Mi je skoraj skurilo kožo. Ta je res močan in dejansko se nisem potila, ampak je preveč agresiven za dnevno uporabo :D.
IzbrišiTriple Dry pa še nisem preizkusila, bom mogoče pa res. Hvala za predloge :).
URIAGE Eau Thermale Cleansing Face Oil is all time my favorite
OdgovoriIzbrišiIt has very impressive result which improves my skin tone too! Face Oil is all time my favorite!
OdgovoriIzbriši