A while ago Barry M released a new range of nail polishes that promise to dry very fast, but I actually don't care about that part. What actually got me was the prettiest shade range I've seen so far. It's mostly made up of pastels, which is totally up my alley and not surprisingly I have a huge chunk of the line on my wishlist, but for the first time I went with the good old classic mint green. 

As I said Road Rage is a mint green. It's a greener Mint Candy Apple and a brighter version of Kiko's Jade Green. I expected a completely other colour based on the swatches I've seen online, I though it's a bit darker and brighter, but I can't say that this shade isn't gorgeous, I just love mint green. 

If you plan on getting one mint green nail polish to have in your collection, go with Kiko's Jade Green as that is by far the best formula of such a colour I've tried and tried a lot of them. I would still like to have all those shades that caught my eye (I like to torture myself like that). I have, however, heard that formulas differ quite a lot in this range. The yellow one (On your Marks) is another difficult one, but coral one (In a Heart Beat) is supposedly nice.

It costs £3.99 on Boots International.

Have a great day!

CATRICE Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

010 Choc'Let It Be

This is such a gorgeous palette, I truly love every colour in it, however, the pigmentation is disappointing. I was so looking forward to this palette, but I think this time Catrice focused just on how it looks and forgot about the quality as this just isn't what I'm used to from their previous palettes. All shades need a lot of layering for a decent colour pay-off and even now that I've proper swatched it for the review, which took off the top layer, they are not much better. The third shade is particularly disappointing, while the fourth is the most creamy one and thankfully the pretties one as well. I so want to love this, but as much as I love the colours, I wish the quality was better. I had several people tell me that they are disappointed too, so I'm not the only one. I did a look with this palette here (I used a primer).

Tuš Drogerija, 5.29 €

CATRICE Eye'Matic Eyepowder Pen

050 Al Cappuccino

This was on my original wishlist I posted a while ago, but I then changed my mind when I saw swatches of these after German bloggers had the event. However, when I saw them in person, I just loved these. They are stick powder eyeshadows, with the colour in the lid and a sponge applicator. I got the shade that I predicted in my wishlist I'll like the most, Al Cappuccino, which is a shimmery taupe-brown that is just a classic everyday colour. They are sheer, giving you more of a nice shimmery wash of colour, but they are super handy to keep in your makeup bag.  

Müller, 4.29 €

CATRICE Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette

010 Ashy Radiance

Finally a drugstore brand that is available in Slovenia launched such a product. I was very intrigued by this ever since I've seen the press release, but at the same time I was concerned that I'll be too orange as it often happens to drugstore brands. I have to say I'm impressed. It's more brown than my old favourite NYX's Taupe, but its sculpting abilities are really good nonetheless. The highlighter is subtle, which some might not like, however, it's a nice champagne tone. I'm wearing both shades here. 

Müller, 4.69 €

CATRICE Lumination LE Powder Blush 

C01 Flushed-Fiction

I loooove this so much. This is what I wanted Max Factor's Creme Puff in Lavish Mauve to be. It's similar to Catrice's I'm Nuts About You and Rose Royce, but it has that actually glow on the cheeks. This needs to be added to the regular line. I did a review of it here.

Müller, 4.29 €

*MAX FACTOR Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara

Max Factor launched a new volumising mascara that promises not to weigh down lashes even if you like to apply tons of coats. The packaging and the brush is very similar to the classic False Lash Effect, so it's a big plastic brush that defines every lash. It doesn't give much volume though. I'm waiting for the formula to thicken a bit, but for now it gives a very natural, defined effect. As far as weighing down the lashes goes, my lashes don't hold a curl for a minute with this mascara. This is definitely a mascara for those who prefer a very defined look and want more of a natural effect.

14.35 €

There is also a new eyeliner in this collection, but I haven't got a chance to try it. I am very intrigued though and I'll definitely buy it one day, though the price is a bit steep.

 10.55 €

*MAX FACTOR Smokey Eye Drama Kit 

02 Lavish Onyx

Also new on Max Factor stands are these eyeshadows quads. Mine contains a shimmery champagne shade, a shimmery rosy-taupe, shimmery dark grey with navy tones and a matte cool dark brown. I love this, well at least the quality, the colours are a bit of a half-half. These are sooo pigmented and  I did not expect to like this as much as I do, but that shimmery medium brown is gorgeous and I also like the darkest shade in the palette, though when blending, a lot of the colour disappears at this shade, so it needs layering.

I saw a nice bronze-coppery quad on the stands and I'm very interested in it.

12.99 €

ESSENCE Matt Touch Blush

10 peach me up! and 20 berry me up!

These two were a part of the preview collection and I grabbed both. I'm not a massive fan of Essence blushes, but these are matte, so I just wanted to check them out. I really like these. The quality is much better than at Silky Touch blushes because they are more finely milled, the apply nicer and have plenty of pigment, for my pale skin at least. These are quite hard blushes and unlike their Silky Touch blushes they don't dust/flake when you swivel your brush in them. Peach me up is a classic peach shade that brightens up the skin and Berry me up is a darker pink shade that gives a rosy-pink I-just-came-from-the-cold-flush.

Müller, 2.79 €

COLLECTION Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

I just became that person that buys liners all the time. But actually, I love trying out felt tip eyeliners, even though I've already found my favourite. This one has such good reviews on Boots international and it was very reasonably priced, so I had to try it. However, I'm not blown away by it. It's similar to the Essence one, but not as black and the nib is thicker, consequently a bit clumsier. The formula seems more watery or at least not saturated enough, so it feels cheaper to what I'm used to, but on the eyes it's hard to tell that it's less black than others. It's not a bad liner, it still does its job very well, but there are so many better ones.

Boots International, £2.99

CATRICE CC Care & Conceal Nail Polish

04 Apricot Skin-Fit

This caught my eye on the Innen & Aussen blog (respect to Karin for swatching everything) and I liked it straight away because it's an interesting nude. On me it's more of a pastel apricot than a nude, but of course the darker your skin tone, the less apparent that apricot tone will be. Formula is a thick pastel one that requires two, sometimes three coats.  

Müller, 2.89 €

ESSIE Nail Lacquer

Fiji

My cousin got this colour, but found it too light for her skin tone so she gave it to me (thank you!). It's a very pale pink shade with that annoying pastel nail polish formula that Mint Candy Apple has.

DM, 9.90 €

BARRY M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint

Road Rage

I know what you're thinking - mint green Mateja, how original. Well, I just can't help myself. It's greener version of Mint Candy Apple and brighter that Kiko's Jade Green, but the formula is about as annoying as the previously mentioned Fiji's.

I have a few other colours from this range on my wishlist because they all look drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't manage to get shade Navy from the regular range because it was out of stock and that makes me a bit sad.

Boots International, £3.99

L'OREAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

Boots had a two for three offer and I found that they still have this shampoo that disappeared from our shelves just as I found it and fell in love with it. This is hands down the best drugstore shampoo ever (though basically the new Extraordinaire one is exactly the same) and similar to my all-time favourite Kérastase Oleo-Relax, but for a fraction of the price. I wanted to stock up on these, but either the site was glitchy or this was the last one(I seriously hate how problematic and difficult to navigate Boots International site is). At least I got the 400 ml bottle.

Boots International, £3.99

L'OREAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Conditioner

I didn't even know this existed, but in the shopping basket it went straight away as I spotted it. I've used it a couple of times so far and I'm not blown away by it. It's a bit light for my hair, despite hearing it's very thick. I washed my hair and it looked nice for a short time, but my ends got dry by the morning. As far as frizz control goes, it works halfway. With a hair dryer the hair is noticeable sleeker, but the frizz pops back up fast. It's not a bad conditioner, just not enough for my super dry hair, but if your hair isn't like that and isn't as thick, give it a try if you can find it. It contains argan oil quite high on the list, plus it claims it contains heat protection.

Boots International, £3.99

L'OREAL Elvive Extraordinary Oil Oil-in-Cream
Dry, Rough Hair

I swear when I see this kind of new hair products my eyes glow like a Christmas tree. I saw this presented as PR samples on a few blogs and I straight away loved the idea as I was actually searching for something similar for a while (I had Kérastase and L'Oreal Professional's versions on my wishlist). It's basically a cream leave-in conditioner, but's it's not one of those that makes your hair all limp and weird with bits of unmelted cream lingering in your hair, rather it feels like there is more oil inside, but it doesn't make your hair greasy and it also doesn't leave that silicone felling on the hair. It has coconut oil on the second place among ingredients, which is pretty amazing considering we are talking about L'Oreal here. There are also some other extracts, but they are after the sixth ingredient, so there are probably minute amounts of them inside. My ends were so dry in this year's summer heat, plus I've been using mostly drugstore conditioners because I'm saving the good stuff too much (classic me *rolls eyes*) and this hydrated them so well as well as made them feel silky. Best of all, I can use this on dry and wet hair. It smells like the rest of the Extraordinary line, so a bit like cinnamon. I am liking this a lot.

By the way, there is also a version for normal hair, but neither are sold in Slovenia.

Boots International, £6.99

DOVE Style + Care Dry Shampoo 

I'll again say that my hair never gets greasy because it's so dry, so I can't properly assess how well this works on greasy hair, but even I feel like that the hair isn't truly refreshed like at for example Batiste. This of course doesn't matter to me because I use these just to quickly refresh my hair, but there is a reason why this has such polarising reviews. But the most important thing to me is the scent and this smells so good. It's kind of sweet, but a typically Dove clean scent. 

Boots International, regular price £4.59

CHARLES WORTHINGTON Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray

I actually have a ton left in my old bottle, but since I was already making a purchase on Boots plus there was an offer, I got a backup. I seriously love this, which might be obvious since I'm already bought another one, but I use this every time I curl my hair. It makes the curls look a bit better, it adds some extra volume, hold and it smells nice. It's very similar to VO5 as I've said before, but somehow there is so much more product in the can, which must be one of the greatest mysteries of the world, since VO5 claims there is 50 ml more product than CW.

Boots International, £6.99

THE LIBRARY OF FRAGRANCE Sunshine 

This was on my wishlist for a while, but I got it purely because I love the word sunshine. This brand is called Demeter Fragrances in its native USA. I'm not sure why the name change was necessary, but they have an impressive collection of interesting scents, ranging from one note fragrances like Peach, Green Tea and Lime to some very unique scents like Baby's Head, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Storm and even Pizza - their creativity appears to have no limits. Sunshine smells like much its name, believe it or not. Imagine yourself hanging the laundry on a warm sunny day. It's a warm and clean scent that I think nobody would be bothered by. The staying power is much better than I expected, but it's still not amazing, which is not that odd considering the notes and that it's a cologne spray.

Boots International, £15

BALEA Beauty Effect Eye & Lip Serum

I got so vain. A year ago I just woke up one day and noticed these two smile lines staring back at me in the mirror, so that's the reason I got this. I know it won't erase them, but I'd at least like them to stop deepening. It's a light gel that you apply on areas around the eyes and lips and if you rub it in, it kind of emulsifies a bit. It sinks in fast and hydrates the area, but I still need to apply a moisturiser over it. It has a gentle, classic moisturiser scent and the packaging has a handy pump, which I really appreciate. The main ingredient in this is hyaluronic acid and the ingredients of this in general  look really good. But does it work? I don't know yet as it's more of a long term investment product in my skin, however, I like using it.

Ingredients here.

DM, 4.29 €

BALEA Soft & Clear Anti-Mitesser Nosestrips

These are just classic blackhead removing nose strips and I notice no major difference between these are the Cadea Vera ones, except that in one pack of those, you get more strips. They are simple to use and they do remove some of the black heads, but not all of them. These have a strong, sort of chemical scent, but I don't dislike it.

Ingredients here.

DM, 1.99 €

L'OREAL Elvital Total Repair 5 Reparatur-Maske

To my horror someone nicked this mask and completely emptied it (I know who it was, since their hair was suspicious shiny and healthy looking that day), so I basically ran the next day to get a new one. I really like this (obviously), especially since I've seen what an effect it has also on other people's hair (seriously the shine was amazing). It's a great drugstore buy for dry hair and It's no wonder it's one of the most popular budget hair products.

Müller, 6.39 €

ESSENCE Rock Style Hair Dye Powder

01 pink punk and 03 bright blue

I got these after being seriously impressed with the hair chalk from the Arriba! TE and these were going to be discontinued anyway, so they were super cheap. I don't like the packaging of these, they are so much harder to use that that one from the Arriba TE. The colour pay-off is a little bit poorer, but I again use a sticky, wet hairspray as a base and it works great.

Müller, 0.99 €

ESSENCE Smokey Eyes Brush

These next couple of brushes were bribery for getting me to go on a quick trip and honestly I chose them because they are mint green. The size and shape is perfect for my hooded eyes and it works well with very soft and pigmented eyeshadows, but it's more of a brush that deposits a strong line of colour, rather than a brush that would also blend. It shows that it's very cheap, but it's not useless. I have a couple of smokey eye brushes from before, the "old" version that is (I think they still sell them) and they are softer, not so dense, therefore in my eyes better.

Müller 1.39 €

ESSENCE Make Me Pretty TE Precise Eye-shadow Brush 

01 eye to eye

Again it's mint green. And it has polka dots. I mean come on, did someone read my mind or something? It's another very dense brush, too dense in fact. You get an intense line of colour with this, but it's not designed to create softer looks or blend at least a little. I feel about the same about it as about the Smokey Eyes Brush.

Müller, 1.99 € 

ESSENCE Make Me Pretty TE Liquid Brush Cleanser

Against all my expectations, this works better than expected, but it doesn't make the brushes sparkling clean. You spray it on the brush, leave it for a minutes or two and then wipe it in a tissue or a cloth. It cleans well enough and disinfects the brushes, which is handy if you really need a decently clean brush fast. I wish the bottle was larger because 50 ml is such a small amount. Maybe Essence will include this in the next permanent line update, I'd certainly love to see that. 

Taya did a much more comprehensive review of this TE, including this brush cleansers, so have a look at what she thinks about it here.

Müller, 2.79 €

Have a great day!

* - PR products.

Christmas lights, glitter, red lips and cocoa with cinnamon - that's what December is all about to me. I so enjoyed doing my Autumn Picks post, so I'm doing another similar one inspired by the holiday season.

LIPS

CATRICE Ultimate Colour 350 MATTador

Even if you're not a red lipstick girl, the holiday season beckons for some ruby red on the lips. MATTador is a warm toned red with a creamy-matte finish. 

CATRICE Ultimate Colour 360 MATTraction

To make it a bit different, MATTraction is not a classic red, but a deep rose-pink-red shade that is super pretty on the lips and it's a fun colour, but at the same time very glamorous.

L'OREAL Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive Blake

An incredible ruby/cherry red with a blue undertone that is the most classic shade in my selection. The finish is matte and the formula just spectacular. Here is a comparison with Ruby Woo and Russian Red.

L'OREAL Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive Laetitia

The berry-burgundy season hasn't passed yet, so I can't let such a shade out of this selection. Laetitia is a proper deep red with some purples tones and it looks so striking on the lips.

Pure Reds are currently 25% cheaper in Müllers.

For more red lipsticks check my Swatch Gallery

EYES

URBAN DECAY Naked Palette 

Sin, Half Baked, Smog & Toasted

There is hardy a more appropriate palette for the season. The lovely shimmery finish of some shades looks very festive, but still every day appropriate, not to mention the slew of combinations and different looks that can be created with this palette. My personal favourites for this time of the year are shimmery light pink Sin, warm gold Half Baked, fantastic bronze Smog and medium cool pink Toasted. 

L'OREAL Infallible Eyeshadow 

002 Hourglass Beige, 015 Flashback Silver, 021 Sahara Treasure, 024 Bronze Goddess and 033 Tender Caramel

I say go all out with shimmer on holidays and these have some of the best shimmery-metallic finish paired with excellent pigmentation. My absolute favourite in this whole bunch is Sahara Treasure, a shimmery medium brown-gold that looks über glam on the eyes. Other shades are a light gold Hourglass Beige, lavender-silver Flashback Silver, gorgeous green-gold Bronze Goddess and my newest addition- a taupe version of Sahara Treasure - Tender Caramel. 

All of these shades can still be found in DM and I was told that Tuš has them for 3 €. If you still can't find them, try Fragrance Direct or Salma.

CATRICE ViennART LE Baked Eyeshadow

C03 Lovely Lace

By far the best gold eyeshadow I've found so far for my pale skin tone as it doesn't look orange. It's a limited edition, so hurry up if you want it.

BARRY M Dazzle Dust Old Gold

No one talks about Dazzle Dusts anymore. If you're looking for super sparkly eyeshadows, look no further. Old Gold is a greenish gold with lots of shimmer. I like using this over other eyeshadows to give the look some extra sparkle.

MAC Patina

A neutral classic, but a nice way to wear some understated gold on the eyes. 

E.L.F. Pigment Eyeshadow Golden Goddess

I actually knew this was discontinued before I decided what to include in this post, but it's so damn pretty it'd be a crime not to put it here. It's a proper gold shade that on me turns a bit orangey because of my skin tone, but it' gorgeous nonetheless and it's incredibly pigmented. 

I set upon finding more drugstore gold eyeshadows to mention here and I found it in Catrice's Absolute Mono Eyeshadow 420 Talk Like An Egyptian and L'Oreal L'Ombre Pure 500 Gold Mania (or Lumiere).

MAYBELLINE Color Tattoo 24h 35 On and on Bronze

All of those shimmery eyeshadows will need a base and On and on Bronze is an excellent choice for the job. It's a nice neutral bronze shade with a metallic finish. Of course, you can just wear it on its own, as I have almost all December.

ESSENCE Effect Eyeshadow 02 Brazil's Sunset and 06 UK's Stonehenge

Two more liquid/cream eyeshadows with a metallic/shimmery finish that can be used on their own or as a base. Brazil's Sunset is a beige-gold, while UK's Stonehenge is a taupe cool toned brown.

L'OREAL Super Liner Perfect Slim Felt Tip Liner

To define those eyes some eyeliner on the top lash line always does the trick. Felt Tip eyeliners are super simple to use and this particular one has a very pigmented black and long lasting formula.

MUA Intense Glitter Eyeliner Gold Nugget

A copper gold eyeliner that costs just a pound. Bargain

MILANI Liquif'eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil 03 Gold 

I didn't know that this was discontinued, but it's one of the best gold eyeliners especially for the price. I searched for another similar gold eyeliner in our drugstores and found Catrice's Liquid Gold Gel Eye Pencil 030 You’re So Gold Fashioned!.

URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil Stash

Stash is an interesting mix of gold and green, and it's dark enough to define the eyes, but still give it that something special. I love using this on my lower lash line and even in the waterline as it defines, but doesn't look as stark as black.

ARDELL Demi Wispies

There is no better time to wear falsies and Demi Wispies are without a doubt some of the prettiest lashes I've ever seen. They are slightly tapered at the outer corner giving that elongated eye effect and don't overpower the eye makeup because they still look natural enough. Not to mention how comfortable they are to wear. To help you with the lash application, Catrice has a nifty Lash Applicator.

CHEEKS 

CATRICE Illuminating Blush 010 I'm Nuts About You

No matter what makeup you're wearing, this blush will work with it. It's such a gorgeous natural, slightly pinkish warm shade. I just adore it

ESSENCE Silky Blush 70 Kissable

It is the season for deeper blushes and this plum one fits the bill perfectly. It's super pigmented, therefore great if you have a medium skin tone and it also has gold shimmer that gives that glow to the cheeks.

NARS Blush Orgasm

The good old classic that suits pale skin tones so well (those with deeper skin tones go for Deep Throat). It's the quintessential peachy-pink shade with gold shimmer. You can't go wrong with it on any occasion.

L'OREAL Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer

Designed as a primer to give some extra subtle luminosity to the skin, it can be used under foundation, mixed with foundation or just on the highpoints of the face over makeup. I really love this because it's subtle, warm toned and feels super light.

MAKEUP REVOLUTION Vivid Baked Highlighter 

Peach Lights

Though the name suggests a warm toned highlighter, the shimmer in it is actually cool pink. It's a baked highlighter that I find is still more on the subtle side, especially compared to the cream Essence one. Petra The Awesome (yes, that's how I renamed her) gave me this because it didn't suit her warm colouring, but it suits my neutral complexion very well. Here is her review.

ESSENCE Soo Glow! Cream to Powder Highlighter 

20 Bright Up your Life

A cream highlighter with a pink based shimmer and one that is similar to Benefit's High Beam. It's super glowy and very creamy, almost like it's melted when touched,  however, on the skin it feels kind of dry to the touch.

L'OREAL Lumi Magique Touch of Light Highlighting Pen

Highlighting pen brings some extra light to the face and helps hide dark circles as well as lifts the complexion. It's a subtle effect, but it does so much.

BOURJOIS Poudre de Riz Java Powder

As if there isn't enough highlighting going on in this post, there is also this little gem. I use this as a setting powder and I swear it makes the foundation look so much better. There are some scary big glitter particles inside, but they don't translate on the face, however, what you're left with is a lovely, fresh complexion.

NAILS

ESSIE Spin the Bottle (LE)

Why mess why the good old classic and not just wear the chic nude manicure. It should look particularly lovely if paired with some glitter either as an accent nail, ombre effect or just the simple all-over glitter effect. 

Though this shade was a part of a LE, there are still places where you can get them, but Maja did a nice post about nude nail polishes if you need more recommendations and I'm also adding Essence Candy Love (Katja's swatch) as well as Deborah Smalto Gel Effect 01 (Zlatana's swatch) as possible suggestions.

ESSENCE Colour & Go 113 Do You Speak Love

Though I have a soft spot for proper bright red shades (such as Essie's Really Red), I picked something deeper. I adore such shades because they look vampy, yet so glamorous on the nails.

MODELS OWN Diamond Luxe Heart Red

I swear this is the most Christmassy nail polish ever. It's a classic red with gold shimmer that looks like bright red shimmer once it's on the nails. My picture does not do it justice as the shimmer is much more visible in person under light.

MODELS OWN Disco Pants Copacabana

If dread the glitter removal from your nails, Copacabana is a simpler, but still a glamorous enough choice to wear on the nails. It's a complex mix of gold, silver and even some green with a frosty-metallic finish that gives quite a lovely effect on the nails

ESSENCE Metal Glam TE Topper Steel-ing the Scene

Basically any gold glitter topper could take the spot here and there are so many. I've seen one from L'Oreal, Essie (newest collection) as well as an Essence one from the one of the current TE's. Taya did a comparison of gold glitter toppers from Essence here.

RIMMEL Star Dust in Aurora

My favourite glitter nail polish ever. It's like diamonds on the nails and looks phenomenally glamorous. There are many dupes for this nail polish, I know about at least two: Illamasqua Trilliant (Maja's swatch) and P2 Sand Style polish 070 Pretty (Polona's swatch)

CATRICE Luxury Lacquer It's Showtime

Time for some serious shimmer and Catrice delivers with it's Luxury Lacquers. My choice is It's Showtime, a proper, glamourous silver that is just perfect for the season. If only the removal process weren't so laborious.

ESSENCE Effect Nail Polish 21 Icy Fairy

Does anyone else feel like this is the best nail polish choice for New Year's Eve? What better to wear on the nails while sipping champagne and watching the fireworks than a galaxy effect topper. Just wear it over black for best result.

BODY

NUXE Huile Prodigieuese Or

The post need some more shimmer and this body oil contains just that. You can apply it on the skin or hair for a subtle gold glistening effect.

I LOVE… Honey and Almond Nourishing Shower Cream

Though this is more like water than a cream, it does smells so good. It's a warm, sweet and yummy scent, basically just as it say on the bottle - honey and almond. Great scent for cold winter night.

BOMB COSMETICS Chilly Willy Bath Bomb

The cutest bath bomb ever, little Chilly Willy snowman smells (roughly) like cinnamon and will brighten your bath pampering experience.

L'OCCITANE Almond Shower Oil

Luxury in a bottle - there is no better phrase to describe this. It smells divine and it's super nourishing which excellent for winter dry skin.

DIY Cinnamon Scrub

This is in one word yummy. I love the scent of cinnamon and this smells amazing. It's super easy to make: just combine sugar, olive oil (or whichever oil you prefer), cinnamon and I also add a bit of vanilla extract. It does make a mess in the shower, so make sure you use a shower gel to get any brown cinnamon traces off the skin, but works a treat. 

HAIR

Festive Hair Accessories

What better way to decorate your updo with a sparkly hair accessory. Be it gold, silver or with rhinestones, anything goes for the holiday season. I went for glitter hair ties that I got form O'Twist (Tally Weijl also has a couple), sparkly hair bands and gold bobby pins (H&M). There are tons in shops that sell accessories, mine are mostly old from New Yorker, H&M and Tally Weijl, but check Asos and New Look for more. 

TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Line

I don't think any other hair product screams Christmas as much as this one. It smells like cinnamon, clove and cookies, so it's a bit of an aromatherapy session while you take care of your hair.

L'Oreal Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

A brilliant affordable shampoo for dry hair.

TIGI Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out Balm

Not merely a light heat protectant and a serum-type of product in one, this also contains tiny shimmer that actually makes the hair more shiny, but not in a super obvious way.

Low Messy Bun Decorated with Jewellery

You can use a head band for this, but just wear it so it's on the back of your head. I used a necklace from New Yorker that I got a few months ago, so it might still be sold. Pin the necklace on the hair first because it's easier to hide the ends under the hair before all the twisting. Do a very, very loose fishtail braid using large chunks of hair and then twist it into a low bun. Use a lot of pins, so it will hold all day. I can't link you a tutorial to this, since it's of my design, but if you don't know how to do a fishtail braid, I learned from this video years ago.

Fishtail Halo Braid with a Glitter Head Band

If you're using an elastic band, lift and pin half of the hair up first, then put on the head band and unclip the top part of the hair, so it falls over and hides the lower part of the band. Then split the hair into two parts, left and right, and begin braiding the hair into fishtails. Since my hair is really long, I cross them in the back, but if your hair is shorter don't do that or they braids will be too short. Pin the braids in a way that hides the ends, so one under another. Tutorial by Miss Sue here.

Bouncy Voluminous Curly High Pony Tail with a Glitter Hair Tie

Curl the hair with a 2.5 cm barrel curler and brush out the curls with fingers. Apply a texturising spray and a hair spray to achieve great hold. Pull the hair up and tie it with a fancy hair tie. My gold one is from O'Twist and some shops have these as well, or you can just order glitter 15 mm fold-over elastic on eBay and check out my tutorial on how to make a hair tie. I'm sure you don't need a tutorial for this, but it's one of my favourite as well as most worn hair styles.

Hair Bow

I love this hair style so much, but you need a lot of hair to do it and it takes many tries to get it right. Tie the top part of the hair with a hair tie that is as inconspicuous as it can be (I use thin black ones). Pull a bit of the hair from the hair tie to form a loop. Split the loop into two parts, left and right, and then form a bow using bobby pins. Take a small strand from under the middle of the bow and cross it over the vertical centre of the bow tucking it behind the bow from above and pin it in place. 

Mimi's Tutorial here. 

I'm finishing off with my favourite treats for the season - hot cocoa with cinnamon, cream, chocolate syrup and rum plus the super yummy cinnamon stars that I embarrassingly only discovered this year (but man are they good!)

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great day!

Pink Flamingo is a fantastic summer shade. Seriously, it's gorgeous. It's a bright pink shade mixed with some coral, similar to Miss Sporty 370 just pinker and with a cream finish. I get full coverage with only one coat and the formula is super easy to work with. The swatch is pretty accurate, in real life the colour is just a touch more coral.

S-he finally revamped their line and I think I'm actually one of the rare people who likes the new lego style packaging. I bought two nail polishes (020 and 345) and two eye shadows in 035 and 065.

S-he je končno zamenjal embalaže in sodeč po komentarjih, sem ena izmed redkih kateri so embalaže v stilu lego kock dejansko všeč. Kupila sem dva laka (020 in 345), ter dve senčili 035 in 065.

Eyeshadows are very pigmented. S-he doesn't carry a particularity great selection of colours, but these are very good (especially compared to Essence). 035 is an sapphire blue and it's so pigmented, vibrant and easy to blend, I would easily compare it to ArtDeco's 272 (but S-he is a bit brighter). 065 is a gorgeous highlight shade with a satin finish. It's a good dupe for one of my favourite highlighting shades - the lightest shade from one of the Essence's Secret of the Past TE palettes.  I've worn both for hours without a base and the blue one only faded a bit, the highlighter shade still looked ok. Here is a lousy pic of swatches, but can you see how vibrant the blue is? The eyeshadows are very small, but I don't mind since they're 1.95 € a piece. I'll probaby get some more colours.

Senčila so zelo dobra in zelo pigmentirana. Kakšne velike izbire barv ravno ni, ampak v primerjavi s Essence so mi ta senčila veliko boljša. 035 je smaragdno modra, zelo pigmentirana in se lepo nanaša. Zlahka bi jo primerjala z ArtDecovo 272 , ampak S-he-jeva je malo bolj živa. 065 je odličen odtenek za pod obrv, ima satenast finiš. Je zelo podoben mojemu najljubšemu odtenku za pod obrv - najsvetlejšemu odtenku v Essencevi paleti iz Secret of the Past TE. Obe senčili sem nosila brez baze več ur, modra je malenkost zbledela (kot vsa druga temnejša senčila), bež senčka pa je ostala ok. Tukaj je še bolj slaba slika odtenkov, modra je dejansko še bolj živa. Senčila so zelo majhna, ampak mene to ne moti, so itak samo 1, 95€ za kos. Verjetno bom kupila še kakšno barvo.

Here is first of the nail polishes - 020, which is light pink. It has a jelly finish, first coat is very see through, second still has a bit too little coverage for my taste, but 3 coats looks ok (although the tips still show through).

Prvi lak 020 je svetlo roza. Prva plast je prozorna, druga ima že malo več prekrivnosti, tretja pa je že ok (čeprav se konice še vidijo).

I'm sure you've already seen the swatches of 345 before, mine is very bad, sorry about that. I bought this one after seeing Biba's and Nihrida's swatches. It's a black with gold and silver shimmer, just so pretty. However it's a pain to remove.

Verjetno ste že prej videli slike laka 345, moja je zelo slaba. Kupila sem ga potem, ko sem videla slike Bibe in Nihride. Je črn z zlatimi in srebrnimi bleščicami, res lep. Ga je pa težko odstraniti. 

The last thing is Barry M's Limited Edition Pink nail polish, which I got in a swap. It's a very bright pink and very opaque, on this picture I'm only wearing one coat.

Še slika Barry M-ovega Limitited Edtiton Pink laka, ki sem ga dobila v zamenjavi. Je zelo živo rozast in zelo prekriven. Na tej sliki imam namazano le eno plast.