November favourites, updates and wishlist
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BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Foundation
This month I thoroughly tested the newest member of the Healthy Mix family, the Serum, and it didn't wow me as much as I hoped. Healthy Mix foundation has been changed this year as well and when I got it in summer, I reported it's more shiny than the previous version, when I compared them side by side. With the colder weather and my skin being drier, the shine is more subtle now and when I compared the foundation vs. the Serum, the foundation is the winner for me. Not just because Serum has no true light shades, but also because it looks a lot more smooth, it doesn't slip into my pores and it has a touch more coverage. It is thicker that the thin serum, but I find all the new lightweight formulas don't work well for me. Healthy Mix foundation looks natural and fresh, it has a light-medium coverage and manages to look good even when the condition of my skin isn't great.
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MAYBELLINE Fit Me concealer
05
I had this formula before in the original lightest shade 15 Fair, which was too dark for me, so I quickly gave it away, but I liked the formula. Since then, they've added more shades and the new 05 is a very good match for my skin tone. I’m a big fan of Maybelline's Eraser concealer and I don’t consider Fit Me as good, but it’s a nice drugstore offering. Since they discontinued two of my favourite concealers from Bourjois, as well as a great cheap formula from Essence Camouflage + Healthy Glow concealer and Revlon also doesn't sell Candid here anymore, there are few formulas left in local drugstores that aren't very matte and have a light enough shade. Fit Me's formula is creamy and medium thick with a medium coverage that is buildable.
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I'm very pleased with this mascara. It adds length, volume and has a multiplying effect just like the I >3 Extreme mascara, but the brush is much less clumsy, since it's smaller. It holds my lashes curled well and that's the most important thing to me.
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NIVEA Care & Hold Soft Touch Caring Mousse
This mousse is a revelation and a wonder. I used to use mousses all the time when I was younger and still had natural curls, but I grew tired of how stiff they leave the hair, so stopped using any such styling product. I decided to give them another go, since I heard the secret to a long lasting blow-out and curls made with a hair dryer (or a Dyson-like cheap approximate) is using a mousse with heat protection. This literary feels like nothing is on the hair. I don't know how they managed to do that, but it holds volume all day. Curls made with a blow dryer last as long too and without a mousse they are gone within minutes that's why I always preferred using curling wands that use more heat. In the next days, the hair feels normal, it's not any drier, more stiff or anything. I'm genuinely impressed. Plus it has heat protection.
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LA RIVE In Flames eau de parfum
This is a dupe for Paco Rabanne Olympea, a fragrance I used up a few years ago. As soon as I sprayed it, it reminded me of Olympea. To me it's very close, though reviews claim it's not the same and it's a softer version, but to me just drawing from my memory, this is so similar, at least from the start. It starts with that delightful salty vanilla combination that's the Olympea's trademark, I get hazelnut too. Ok, the base doesn't feature jasmine as intensely as Olympea, but that's actually a plus to me because I disliked that note. Actually that was the reason I never repurchased Olympea and I knew a dupe won't be as "jasmine-y". I can smell it for a long time during the day, though I tend to spray perfume on clothes more than on the skin.
I got the set with the shower gel since we can only get this fragrance around Christmas here and not individually all year round like in other countries, but the shower gel has zero In Flames scent, it's just a fruity, creamy, fresh fragrance.
EMPTIES
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One of my favourite hair treatments that I've been using for years. It's hydrating enough for my hair and leaves it in better condition, but it truly shines in combination with Joico's Reconstructor.
Repurchase: Done.
PALMER'S Cocoa Butter Formula Restoring Conditioner
Another great drugstore conditioner for very dry hair. Formula is not very thick, yet it left my hair nourished well. It has a minty scent. I planned to repurchase it, but then it disappeared from online shops and they changed the packaging. I'm not sure it's they changed the formula as well.
Repurchase: Yes, but it's nowhere where I shop.
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HADA LABO TOKYO C-Vitamin Sheet Masks
In theory this should be great, as it has lovely ingredients with niacinamide high on the list, vitamin C in a stable form and hyaluronic acid. But the thick material of the mask just ruined these. The masks didn't feel as saturated with product as thinner masks, they didn't have cut-outs for eyes, so the flaps were just hanging under them and they dried fast. The effect from these was nothing special. There were five in a pack.
Repurchase: No.
SCHWARZKOPF GLISS 7 Sec Express Repair Treatment
Oil Nutritive
I showed the black Repair version in the last Empties, this is pretty much the same except for the scent. These work in seconds, they emulsify with water to a rich conditioner-like formula and the hair feels silky when I'm rinsing these off. This one is strongly scented like L'Occitane's almond shower gel or at least with a similar scent.
Repurchase: Done, another version, but would buy this version again too.
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LA CROA Argan Keratin Repair Conditioner
I’m a fan of the Repair mask, which unfortunately is (still) sold only in small tester-size bags in my local Müller, but luckily this conditioner is very similar and it's a great formula for very dry hair. It’s thinner than the mask, yet it manages to nourish my dry, bleached hair well. The ingredients list is great too.
Repurchase: Yes.
AFRODITA Your Hair therapy Regenerative Mask
This looks great on paper with shea butter second on the list. It also has Amodimethicone, which is my preferred silicone, as well as coconut, macadamia, argan and avocado oil, cocoa butter, hydrolised keratin, lactic acid, panthenol and rapeseedoil. It's nicely thick and rich, it left my hair sufficiently nourished, but it had zero frizz control. My hair was frizzy even after using a round hair drier, so in next uses I always mixed it with either Pantene or Gliss 7 Secs and added a lot of leave-ins.
Repurchase: No.
WISHLIST
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NYX Bare with me Concealer Serum - this is supposedly one of the best concealers for dry skin.
CATRICE Under Eye Brightener - I saw this is the top selling concealer in Müller - well a corrector or brightener. I already planned to get this when it first launched, but it wasn't in stock for a long time, so I forgot about it.
BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream - this is now in Slovene DM's though for twice the price I paid for it years ago. It's one of my favourite moisturisers so far, but I never repurchased it because I always have so many PR creams to use up. It's a gel cream with lots of niacinamide and a ton of nice ingredients.
BEAUTY OF JOSEON Propolis + Niacinamide Serum - this has been on my wishlist for a while, but I picked CORSX's Propolis toner instead. It's good we have this now in DM, though I'll probably just repurchase COSRX when it runs out because you get more for the price.
CERAVE Facial Moisturising Lotion - I'm missing something basic and nourishing in my routine. I love Cerave's hand cream and this could be what I need.
BALEA Ultra Sensitive Barriereschutz Crème - this sounds so nice just based on ingredients, as it has ceramides, 5 % panthenol, a probiotic and more. I just hope it has a nice texture, as so far all Balea creams I tried just didn't feel good enough, they all sit on the skin for a long time.
KERASTASE Symbiose Intensive Anti-Dandruff Cellular Night Serum - my scalp hasn't been feeling ok recently. It's itchier than usual and it's occasionally irritated. It's probably because of central heating. I tried what I have in my stash, including the new Balea's 2% Panthenol face toner, which is surprisingly effective, but it ruins the hair style and the hair feels like it needs a wash. I need to find something that's designed for scalp and this has good reviews for what I've been researching, plus it claims it deals with dandruff, my decade-long undefeated nemesis. It's so expensive, though.
MOROCCANOIL Color Depositing Mask Copper - I love this formula so much, but shade Cocoa that I use washes off purple and eventually grey, so not the nicest look. I'd like Copper to mix with Cocoa to add warmth.
HUGO BOSS Ma Vie - I have an ancient bottle and it's close to being completely off. I'd like to repurchase it. It's one of my favourite scents, a fresh sort of fruity scent, but that "fruity" note is cactus, so it's green and a bit sweet with a woody base.
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