I expected a lot from this. It's a high end product, which has gained some great reviews, though granted mostly from people who were sent the product, but I still trust most of them. However, I'm just not as impressed by it. My hair requires a great deal more care than an average individual's, so I'm sure this kind of product suits a lot of people, but still for the price I was expecting something exceptional, so in the rank of Kérastase products, but this isn't even close. 

First, I'd like to praise the ease of use. It's super simple to just spray this on the hair and have everything from heat and UV protection, an extra boost of moisture and pre-styling element of hair care sorted. Judging from the name as well as the claims, I expected something similar to Orofluido Sahara, but this is a completely different product. It's closer to a light milky lotion and it has none of the oil-like qualities. Due to that, you have to be mindful of how much you apply on dry hair as it does make the hair wet, so that means you shouldn't really go straight to curling or straightening your hair, but let it dry for a moment. Also on dry hair it has a tendency to get a bit heavy or maybe I should say that you notice a layer of product on the hair. But my real issue is not with its performance on dry hair, but on damp. It just doesn't deliver. Sure it provides heat protection, but that's it. There is no frizz control nor do I think that it's as effective as the much cheaper Sexy Healthy Hair leave-in when it comes to adding and sealing moisture into the hair. Even the scent is unremarkable and bland - as I've described it before, it's like a classic soap scent mixed with porcini mushrooms (SLO jurčki) and cream. Basically, it's the most simple heat protecting spray, but that's it. Though, the ingredients do look fantastic, since it contains grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, macadamia oil, coconut oil, argan oil and safflower oil as well as some proteins. So I'm a bit surprised that it performs so averagely when it comes to seriously nourishing the hair.

I know I may seem harsh in my hair care reviews at times, but I seek only brilliance and I'm not satisfied with run of the mill products. And this is the latter, which is a bit sad considering the price. If your hair is super dry as mine, I'd again like to recommend Kérastase Nectar Thermique or if you prefer to use heat protection on dry hair, I really love Tigi's S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray Heat Defender for the job. But if your hair isn't as problematic as mine, you should still give this a go if it interests you, but Tigi's Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out Balm is lovely and in my opinion better, though admittedly more expensive if you look at the price per ml (but no per bottle). Of course, I will use this up and I do use it a lot because it's so easy to use, however, I doubt I will repurchase it. Still the bottle is big with 250 ml of product, so I may change my mind about it when it'll be on its last legs.

Have a great day!

RIMMEL Lasting Finish Nude Foundation 

010 Light Porcelain

You wouldn't believe how much I'm struggling with this foundation. I bought it because I ran out of Match Perfection in the same shade, which is one of the lightest colours I ever found, but I disliked the formula, so I mostly used it for mixing with other foundations to make them lighter. I hoped the new Lasting Finish Nude foundation has a more tolerable formula, so I could just use it on its own, but I just can't get this to work for me 90% of the time. Figuring out a method of application that would make this look decent on the skin is more difficult than defusing a bomb. On the first day I applied it with a Real Techniques Expert Brush and then went out - I actually had my cousins say that my foundation looks so weird, like I have a band-aid on my nose. Literally my nose looked all patchy with redness shining through and it looks normal without foundation. I find that out of my brushes only E.l.f. Powder Brush works with this and I can use just a small amount of foundation, which means I can only get a light-medium coverage, instead of medium-full, which it's fully capable to do. God forbid you put powder on this, it will look intolerably cakey and it will ruin your day. I had to take the entire makeup off one time in the middle of the day, good thing I carry makeup wipes with me. I'm currently on the-mixing-it-with-different-foundations stage of testing. 

I just don't get along with Rimmel foundations. They feel a bit gross on the skin and look so obvious, but I just adore the their 010 Light Porcelain shade because it's such a great match for me. I will try working with this foundation further and do a review.

Feel Unique, €10.39

CATRICE Longlasting Lip Liner 

040 ...And the Cherry on the Top and 150 Vintage Rose

I had a sudden urge a few weeks ago that I "desperately" need lip liners, since I had only a few and even those I disliked apart from the Bourjois one. I asked on Instagram which lip liners you recommend and Catrice was by far the most recommended brand, so I grabbed four in the shop literally three hours after posting that picture. I took two classic liners that need to be sharpened - a dark red one and a nude one. They are harder than Essence's, something I like, but not as hard as Bourjois', which means staying power isn't impressive, especially of the lighter shade. Swatches and pictures have already been taken, so expect a post about these shortly.

Müller, 2.29 €

CATRICE Ultimate Stay Lip Liner 

040 Love the Way you Plum and 080 Mauve Me, Tender

I grabbed Love the Way you Plum based on Taya's recommendation as I needed a better match for my Rimmel's 107 lipstick and Apocalips in Eclipse than Rimmel's Black Tulip. It's perfect. It matches both beautifully, so I'm very happy I got it. I got the other one Mauve Me, Tender because I wanted to try a bit of a darker version of the 90's trend, but without going brown (which is so not my colour), but this is just too purple on me. You'll see in the review how it looks on me, but I'm not a fan. These are twist up pencils, however, the quality of the packaging is shoddy at best and these break off ridiculous easy.  

Müller, 2.49 €

CATRICE Absolute Eye Colour Mono 

790 I Wear My Plum Glasses At Night

One of the new shades for autumn I believe. I'm a fan of Catrice's matte eyeshadows and I fell in love with the shade, so I had to get it. It's a taupe with strong purple tones - basically a plum toned Starlight Expresso (also by Catrice).

Müller, 2.89 €

CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm

 I was send a very generous sample of the famous Beauty Flash Balm (remember when Lisa Eldridge started the hype? I've been itching to try it since) along with some other samples, which I'll discuss latter. It's a primer and you have to be very careful to really apply the smallest amount as a tiny dot can be distributed on a large area. It's not particularly silicone-y and it reminds me a bit of the Max Factor Stay All Day primer, but it's more moisturising and more spreadable, so essentially you get to use a lot less product. I'll do a review. 

Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique

CLARINS Gloss Prodige 

03 Rose 

Why is this shade named Rose? I don't get it. Anyway, I was sent this as well, you might surmise that, since it's not the colour I'd pick from the counter, at least not any more. It's not as nude as it looks and the coverage is more on the sheer side, however, the formula is excellent. In fact, it reminds me a lot of their Instant Lip Perfector in a sense, that it's again that buttery, very comfortable formula to wear, but it is a thick gloss. It smells fantastic, like candy (Kiki soft candy). 

Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique.

THE BODY SHOP Vineyard Peach Body Mist

Finally! *angels singing* I have been lemming this body mist for ages. I even went to Celovec/Klagenfurt primarily to track this down and received a shock when I was told it was out of stock due to popularity. I finally found a seller on eBay that was willing to send this overseas, but I did pay a lot for shipping, though still it's less than for petrol to Celovec or Gradec again. I'm a massive fan of the Vineyard Peach collection and I utterly, utterly adore the scent. I have the corresponding body butter and scrub as well, so I am one happy bunny right now.

eBay, 8 € (without shipping).

KÉRASTASE Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant Anti-Dandruff Moisturising Shampoo

If you don't know yet, I've been suffering from dry itchy scalp and dandruff since I was 11 and nothing ever helped, while my dermatologist refuses to prescribe me anything. Anyway, this is the latest shampoo I'm trying out. Kérastase in my favourite brand, so even if this doesn't help with my dandruff, at least I have a great shampoo. This is one of those exfoliating shampoos that has beads in it and it should help removing that coat of dead skin on the scalp (sounds delightful right? Welcome to my life). I've only used it a few times, but I think that the applicator is simply genius because I can get the shampoo directly to the scalp and the exfoliating beads actually reach my scalp. It smells nice as well.

Feel Unique, €17.68

KÉRASTASE Nutritive Nectar Thermique

My HG heat protection for my dry hair. I reviewed this a few days ago, click here for review with a giveaway  - the prize is another heat protectant Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique Creme.

About 20 € (depends where you buy it), available in some salons and online shops.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer

Too many people raved about this and I can't resist a new hair product, especially an all-in-one heat protection. Based on the name, I expected something like Orofluido Sahara, but this is closer to a very light lotion. Honestly, I'm a bit underwhelmed. It may be that I'm too spoiled by Kérastase, but for the Bumble and Bumble price, I pretty much expect the same type of miracle product. It's a nice heat protection that much is certain. It's easy to apply because of the spray and can be used on damp or dry hair (I advise moderation on dry hair), however, it doesn't control frizz well (I tested it on me and on someone else), it doesn't hydrate the hair as well as Sexy Healthy Hair leave-in or Kérastase Nectar Thermique, though it is moisturising and it smells very blah, like a classic soap scent mixed with porcini mushrooms (SLO jurčki) and cream. I have been using it a lot though because it's a fast way to apply heat protection, but it does make the hair feel wet, unlike the Tigi S Factor one. I need more time before I say my final verdict, but it should pop up in a post one day. By the way, I used it here.

Look Fantastic, €24.70

PALMER'S Coconut Oil Formula Strong Roots Spray

Sunday Girl recommends this for soothing an itchy scalp and though I have my Alpencin Forte to help me with that, I wanted to try something else, since Alpencin smells like herbal schnapps and is hard to get now. Palmer's also hydrates the scalp, which is something I need, since my scalp is very dry. However, when it comes to alleviating itchiness, it's not nearly as effective as Alpencin. It smells a lot nicer, like coconut with mint and the application method is a lot better, still it's not as effective and it can make my hair greasy, which if you know how dry may hair is, is not something I'm used to at all. However, I haven't used it on damp hair yet, just on dry. I'll keep using it and report in time if I have more to say. 

Feel Unique, €4.93

REFAN N.135 imitation of Lancôme Pôeme

Oh, the smell of the 90's. This was my mother's fragrance for a certain period. It's a difficult fragrance to describe, since like all the "before 2000's fragrances", it has a ton of notes, so it's not like now when you can clearly smell a certain note due to there being so few. It's a strong and warm scent, but it's nothing like cookie vanilla celebrity scents, though it does have vanilla in it, rather it's more of a balsamic, floral and even a bit green scent. Basically, it smells very expensive and classy. In fact, it's similar to Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli, but the latter smells more modern and better in my opinion.     

15 ml  5.80 €

NIVEA Powder Touch Anti-Perspirant 

I screwed up. I planned to repurchase the pink version called Pearl & Beauty, which is wonderful - it smells lovely, actually works for a spray deodorant (I layer it over my trusted Rexona) and leaves little white marks despite having powder in it. However, they didn't have it in the supermarket, so I picked up Powder Touch instead, thinking surely it's just as good. It's just horrible when it comes to white marks! This actually sprays white powder and my armpits are like covered with flour. Holy smokes! It also doesn't smell the best. I mean it's ok, but Pearl & Beauty smells a lot better. Oh, what am I going to do with it…

Interspar, 2.99 €

ECOTOOLS Bamboo Tapered Blush Brush

Since my Bobbi Brown Blush Brush and Art Deco Blush brush are both ancient, I thought it was high time to get something new, but still on the budget. I have several Ecotools brushes and I think they are excellent, plus their blush brush has an excellent rating on Makeup Alley, so this is the one I've chosen. I am very happy with this brush. It's super soft, softer even that Real Techniques brushes, which I thought was impossible. It is tapered and flatter on one side, but most importantly it's not too big for me, which I'm frequently concerned about when buying brushes. It picks up the blush well and applies it nicely on the cheeks. I really like it.

iHerb, $6.99

TWEEZERMAN Mini Slanted Tweezers

Green Tea

I have been searching for a pair of super precise tweezers that would grip even the tinniest hair and pluck it out. Tweezerman's are a cult favourite and the minis are very small, so I expected great precision. The are quite precise, though not amazingly so, however because they are very, very sharp, they cut through about half of the hair instead of pulling them out. I'm not terribly pleased, but as far as precision goes they are the best I've tried so far and way superior to the clumsy Ebeline version. These come with a plastic holding tube.

Look Fantastic, €16.25

JESSUP 5 pc Eye Makeup Brushes

I was really curious what these will be like. I'm not going to say that I didn't expect much for the price as I have very cheap brushes that are so good and I've been using them for years. These feel very well made. There are many sets to choose from, but I chose a set of 5 eye brushes for start. I'd say four are excellent as they are super soft, but one, the pointed one, is simply too dense and I don't know how to use it yet.

One is a classic dome brush, though to big to fit in my "crease", so I use it for blending. The other three have a flat surface, but are cut differently - straight and slanted. These are excellent for blending concealer. They kind of changed my world a bit as they make it so easy and flawless. They are also great for applying a base colour on the lids, or applying powder under the eyes so the concealer won't crease. In general, I'm very, very happy with these.

eBay, 4.75 € 

ECOTOOLS Six Piece Essential Eye Set

I got this as a birthday gift for my cousin, but I'm posting a quick picture here nonetheless. The handles are short and based on a quick unpacking we did in the restaurant, they looked really nice, dense and soft - basically classic great quality Ecotools brushes. There is a
large eye brush for applying a base shadow over the lid, an angled crease brush for definition to the outer corner, a blending brush, a highlighting brush and a smudge brush.

iHerb, $7.99

CLARINS Samples
As I said before I got several generous samples of Clarins skincare and I'll planning on doing an empties type of post soon where I'll talk about the products. So far I am in love with the Instant Eye Make-Up Remover - brilliant stuff.

Fragrance Samples

I received a slew of fragrance samples, which I so chuffed about because I adore fragrances. I'm planning a sort of a Christmas guide on fragrances maybe later in the month or in December, though I can post it sooner if you wish. I'm loving several scents - Reveal, Sheer Beauty and Forbidden Euphoria all by Calvin Klein as well as Just Cavalli.

I also ordered NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Copenhagen over a month ago and the package hasn't arrived. There is quite a bit of angry emotions brewing under my, in general, cool exterior. I hate dealing with all the back and forth messaging on eBay, but it happens way too often. Too many parcels just get lost. I really wanted that lip cream. At least I got a refund.

Have a great day!

I love trying new hair products, even if the product description doesn't completely fit my needs. Pret-a-powder really appealed to me from the moment I heard about it. It's an interesting concept of a dry shampoo, volumising powder and style extender in one that should extend the life of a blow out and give you one more day of presentable hair. 

Texture: It's a very powdery dry shampoo and since it also claims to be a volumising powder it has that more grip, but it's not sticky in any way like got2b Powder'ful. If you use too much it does leave the hair with too much residue and it can feel dirty, but in normal amounts it feels almost weightless. Though my hair doesn't really get oily, I can tell this absorbs oil well since it leaves my hair dry at the roots (but I can't say for sure that it's great on oily hair, of course). 

This is a nice product for those whose hair is really silky after being washed and their hair won't hold style. It's a great product to use all over the hair before doing a braid or an updo because it gives texture.

Volume: As it's described it's also a volumising powder and it works. I wouldn't say much better than a regular dry shampoo in a can or a volumising powder, but my hair has a lot of natural volume anyway so I can't really compare.

Scent: Beyond wonderful. This is by far my favourite scent of any dry shampoo. It's a light floral (cherry or peach blossoms) peachy scent. I know scents are subjective, but if a perfume with this scent existed, I'd be all over it.

Packaging: It definitely a different way of use and takes more time than dry shampoos/texturisers in a can, but I like the idea of a dry shampoo/texturiser in a shaker bottle. One bottle of Pret-a-powder, which holds 56 g of product, should last very, very long, especially compared to cans. It only has one small hole, but on my bottle it never clogged and the powder shakes out evenly. It's more time consuming to apply since you have to take care you don't apply too much in one spot, otherwise it looks white and it takes more time blend it in. It's a product for those with a bit more patience.

A voluminous fishtale braid made after using Pret-a-powder. My hair is a lot longer, but my (shaky) arms are too short and I couldn't capture it whole. You get a lot of texture to work with, so it ideal for making braids.

Price and availability: I paid 21.16 € with a code on Look Fantastic, while regular price is about 26 €. It's also available on All Beauty and Boots.

I think this is a product people with light, fine hair that has no natural texture would really love. I don't fit into this category and yet I still really like Pret-a-powder - mostly because of the gorgeous scent. I really love using this and I use it almost every day to freshen up my hair, even though I don't need texture or to use a dry shampoo. I go without washing for about 4-5 days then my hair start feeling too dry, but I don't have a feeling that my hair is terribly dirty on the first few days, but the product does build up after that. It's a cute product, however, expensive as a one time purchase (the quantity redeems it here, but I wouldn't buy it at full price) and it's not the easiest to work with. 

 Lancôme Hypnôse Star Waterproof mascara

Müller had a 20% off some high-end mascaras and I couldn't pass up the chance to repurchase one of my favourites. This time I got the Star version of Hypnôse which is in a glamorous shimmery packaging and has a different wand, however, the formula is the same as the original waterproof one (I actually wanted the Doll version, but the only one there was already opened, used and put back in a box. Who does that!?). I'll do a post where you'll see the difference between the original, but so far I'll say I prefer the original wand. 

Regular price in Müller is 33.99 € (27.19 € with that discount).

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream 31 Ivory

The lightest shade is a bit dark for me, but the formula is very similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in terms of coverage and how almost invisible it looks on the skin, but the finish is different, it's more satin/matte. There will be a review, but you can read a review of the CC Eye cream here.

It's priced probably around 14 €, I'm not sure because I bought it with a coupon.

H&M Lip Tint Raspberry Red

I grabbed this at the registers in H&M because I liked the colour and I was curious about the formula. There are several shades, I remember a couple of pinks and a red, this one is a warm, pink-raspberry shade. These are like liquid lipstick that are very pigmented, but staying power is not that impressive. Review with swatches will be posted.

Priced 3.95 €.

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel Bordeaux

Look at that adorable packaging! It's supposed to be scented and after reading a few reviews I expected a heavy scent, but I barely smell anything at all. The colour is beautiful and the quality of the polish is nice. I'll post swatches.

6.99 € in Müller.

 essence Cookies & Cream TE shimmer pearls

I've been on a search for a new powder and I'm considering maybe taking a plunge and buying the famous Guerlain Meteorites. Whilst researching online, I found a review comparing essence pearls (not sure which TE was it) with Guerlain's (not is a sense that they are dupes) and the reviewer said that it's a lovely highlighter, so I picked them up also to see how I get along with the concept of powder pearls/balls. I only purchased them a couple of days ago, but first impressions are good. It's a very subtle highlighter, nothing exceptional, but cute and nice to have if you manage to still find them. I'll post a review with swatches soon.

3.59 € in DM.

Maybelline Colorama Bleached Neons 242

This shade immediately caught my attention in the shop and I have nothing similar in my collection. It's a bleached (muted) neon coral-pink that is quite a statement shade. I'll post swatches. 

2.49 € in Müller.

essence all about matt! fixing compact powder

I'm so fed up with my Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and as I said, I've been researching online for my next powder. Honestly, I'd never even look at essence powder in a shop, but a lot of people seem to love it and it's cheap so when I had a discount in DM I just tossed it in the shopping basket. It's has a high rating on Make up Alley, but I suspect it's more due to the affordable price than it being absolutely fantastic. First impressions are ok, I like it better than MAC's, but I've only been using it a few days. I'll update you on how I like it in time, I think I need to get through the top layer first to see how good it actually is.

3.29 € in DM.

 Pantene Expert Collection Anti Age conditioner

I haven't bought anything from Pantene in about a decade. I never liked the brand and their ridiculously retouched advertising campaigns make me angry, but I heard good things about this conditioner and I can't resist trying a supposedly nice drugstore treatment. I've only used it once and I need a bit more testing before giving my assessment, but so far I'm not impressed.

7.49 € in Müller.

Sebastian Professional Potion 9

One of my readers alerted me that there was a 20% off code on Look Fantastic (thanks Sunshine!) and I couldn't pass on buying Potion 9 and Bumble and bumble Pret-a-Powder. Potion 9 is a leave-in conditioner and styling product in one. I am very, very impressed by it and it's my favourite thing out all the stuff I bough recently. I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw the ingredients and it's fantastic for my super dry hair even though it feels almost weightless. There will be a review.

Regular price 11.75 € for 50 ml on Look Fantastic. There also a larger size available.

Phyto 9
Nourishing day cream with 9 plants

This is a very hyped up moisturiser for hair that is silicone free and after reading a ton of very favourable reviews I expected a lot, but I was disappointed. I'll do a full review, however, I can say that this is not enough for my dry hair and it feels weird, like applying a face/body moisturiser.

15.85 € in Leposana (Leclerc), which is a lot cheaper than online. I love that shop!

 Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

I don't know why, but I really, really wanted this. It's an interesting concept of a dry shampoo, volumising powder and style extender in one that really appealed to me, even though I use dry shampoo only occasionally, usually on the 3rd or 4th day after I washed the hair and only to make it smell nice and refresh volume, not because it's greasy. There will be a full review with more details, but I'll just say that is smells absolutely divine and gives a lot of volume. 

I paid 21.16 € with a code on Look Fantastic, regular price is about 26 €.

Redken diamond oil shampoo and conditioner samples

Shampoo: I had a 10 ml sample that I used up in one wash. It smells so lovely, it reminds me of something, but I think it's something tropical. The texture is somewhat creamy, but not hydrating. I find it leaves my hair too squeaky clean, but I can comb through it after washing. I wouldn't market this as shampoo for dry hair, but it should work for other types of hair.

Conditioner: A bit too thin and runny for my liking. It has the same scent as the shampoo. 10 ml was not enough for my hair, so I couldn't properly test it, but it certainly wasn't moisturising enough for my hair.

Ingredients of both shampoo and conditioner here.

 Balea Summer 2014 LE Carambola Lambada and Mango Mambo

Like last year, Balea released a tropical inspired LE that includes shower gels, body lotions and a deodorant.

Carambola Lambada shower gel - I think this is my favourite out of all tropical scents by Balea. It's fresh like a grapefruit scent, but with some sweetness. Lovely!

Mango Mambo shower gel - the same mango scent as last year. Super sweet, like a cocktail or candy (Haribo bears).

0.99 € in DMs (Did anyone else notice that they are 14 cents more expensive than last year?).

 Balea Dusche & Creme Cocos and Nektarine

I repurchased one of my favourite shower gels.This smells so flipping amazing, it always makes me smile.

0.99 € in DM.

Garnier Ultra Doux Honey Treasures Reconstructing Shampoo

An average drugstore shampoo with a creamy formula. It doesn't strip the hair nor nourish it and it leaves the hair quite tangled. It foams a lot, which I'm really enjoying because I've been using sulphate free shampoos for a long time now and I've developed this contempt for them. It smells very generic, soapy clean but a bit sweet, though nothing like a proper honey scent. It's a shampoo for those who just grab something at the drugstore and don't really put much thought into hair care because they don't need to. I'm disappointed, but what can you really expect from a shampoo this cheap.
Ingredients here.

2.89 € in DM for 400 ml, there is also a smaller size available.

Nivea Double Effect Auger Make-Up Entferner

I couldn't find my regular Maybelline remover in DM, so I picked up this one. It's the same concept, a two-phase oily make up remover that I use for removing waterproof mascara. It's less oily than Maybelline's and this one doesn't make my vision blurry either, but it's less effective and it takes a lot more rubbing to get the mascara off, hence why I'm not impressed. I like the packaging of this one more because it has a flip lid. 

Ingredients of Maybelline's and Nivea's side by side here.

4.29 € in DM.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair mask

I've said on several occasions that I genuinely dislike this hair mask and I still do. However, my mother adores it (go figure) and I bought it for her as a Mother's Day gift after she ever so "subtly" implied with an empty pot in her hands that her favourite mask had run out. It usually happens this way, I give her something I don't quite like and then I end up repurchasing it for her because she loves it (I bought three of Deborah lipsticks in a row). The bow is the maximum extent of my decorating abilities.

15 € on eBay from this seller (much cheaper than elsewhere).

Have a great day!