A new foundation by Maybelline and one of new serum ones that claim to combine the benefits of a foundation with skin care - it contains a mini amount of Ascorbyl Glucoside, a version of vitamin C. I've been wearing it for the last few days and my first impression was that this is not that nice. I've worn it with different bases, but for my before/after pictures I didn't want to wear any SPF as they affect the finish, so I only used a toner. With an SPF it didn't look great (except the velvety finish Biore) and with a toner I initially thought it looked better, but then I saw the result of before-after pictures. It makes my skin look textured and worse than without foundation. Without it you can see my freckles and that's it, but with it my pores are more visible and lines deeper - it has the "orange skin effect", similar to Catrice's two such liquid foundations. Coverage is on the light side, but it can be easily layered for a light-medium coverage. Finish is unique, as it sets essentially matte on me, but the formula contains extra fine shimmer, so the skin is matte, yet glowy from that highlighter in it. I actually like that, but I think I need to try to find a smoothing primer that will work with this formula and prevent it from making the skin so textured. Matte + Poreless is considerably better than this one precisely because it manages to smooth the skin. Shade 02 is not a brilliant match like their Dream Urban 095, but passable.

I checked Müller for a Mac Please Me/Jordana Pink Passion lipstick dupe and this was close. It was only 4 €, which is very cheap for Maybelline prices in drugstore here. The formula is nicely smooth and creamy, pigmented and semi-matte. It's a good formula for the price, better than the Eveline one I got last month, though the colour isn't as good of a dupe for Pink Passion. It's a slightly darker, more muted light pink and another easy to wear shade for my skin tone.

I liked this straight away. They call it a tinted lip balm and blush - it's pigmented like a classic moisturising lipstick, but the formula feels like a lip balm and it smells similar to Nivea. I often use lipsticks as blushes when I'm in a hurry, but this is easier to blend on the cheeks, yet it doesn't feel greasy as you might expect from a lip balm. I bought the lighter Dreamy Rose first and since I loved it, I picked Fresh Magnolia as well. Both look very similar in the tube and also swatched, but on the lips and cheeks the difference is apparent. Dreamy Rose is coral pink on the cheeks and on the lips it's a pale warm pink. Though both have a great pigmentation, Fresh Magnolia is more intense and while I need two big swipes on the cheeks of Dreamy Rose, I need to be careful with Fresh Magnolia not to overdo it because it can look too much quickly. Fresh Magnolia is a medium warm pink and on the lips and cheeks. These are great if you have a chance to pick them up.

When I got Fresh Magnolia in DM, I got this at the register for free. I'm fussy about lip balms and this is a good one. It's about as soft and creamy as Lip Smackers, it nourishes the lips well and stays on for a good amount of time. It has the same Nivea-like scent as the tinted versions.

Healthy Mix is a long favourite of mine, it's a foundation I can always rely on it looking good no matter the condition of my skin.They recently changed the packaging and it looks like the numbering system, but they also changed the formula because unlike the old one, this is now thicker, the finish is much more glowy and it doesn't set quickly. So far I'm a bit taken aback by the change, as the previous formula was good and I don't understand why they felt they need to make it different. Still, it's a perfectly nice foundation (for normal-dry skin) that blends invisibly into the skin like before, it's just more shiny (I wore the new and old on each side of the face and the difference was apparent).

Though I love HM foundation and this concealer has been around for a while, it's my first time trying it, though I was a big fan of the discontinued 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream and Radiance Reveal. I can't test this one properly because shade 52 is too dark for me, so I can't really say what the coverage is (medium?). It's unusually thick for a Bourjois formula, similar to high coverage matte concealers (formula reminds me of Milani's Conceal + Perfect concealer), except it's moisturising and the finish is glowy.

Müller, 4.19 €

I really like this one. I was afraid it's going to be too messy, since volume mascaras tend to have heavier, thicker formulas, but this one has such a nice effect from the moment it's opened. It's more on the dry side and it doesn't deposit too much at once, so it's particularly great at definition and coating every lash without them starting to stick together, but it also gives a lot of volume. It has such a nice effect, it's just the way I like it. Since it's a regular formula, it doesn't hold a curl as well as a waterproof one, but it's not terrible because the formula isn't very wet, though it takes a much longer process of curling and on my wonky eye, they still drop in time. This leaves the lashes still soft despite two-three coats. I like the brush of this one more than my Volumazing, which I have in a waterproof formula and it's just brilliant (holds a curl, gives volume and it didn't dry out fast), but I've mentioned in my original review that I'd like it to be a bit more defining and this seems to be it. I'll likely track down a waterproof version too, though I know I'll end up wearing this one a lot more on a daily basis because it's easier to remove. By the way this is one of those mascaras that with frequent use tint the lashes to a darker shade.

Click2Chic, 12.29 €

A mascara that promises a lot of volume and length. I haven't opened it yet, since I have others now, but I wasn't the only one who got it and I'm sure other bloggers will update you sooner and reviews online are mostly positive. The brush is a regular one with an hourglass design.

New metallic eyeliners by Revlon. There are three shades of these, but in Slovenia we got two. I idiotically tried this the first time when I was wearing a rich coat of sunscreen (reapplied by then) and it was so terrible, I thought it was the worst eyeliner ever - it was sticky, the gold didn't even transfer and it smudged awfully. I was about to call it a day with these, but I gave them a second chance on a day when I didn't wear SPF and it was a completely other thing. It was instantly full opaque, it stays in its place all day, but I use powder under it to keep the eyelids matte and it's not at all sticky. So lesson learned - don't try new stuff over a ton of sunscreen (it wasn't the ultra-light Garnier fluid). I suggest storing at least the gold one upside down because mine came kind of separated in the mail, but shaking it well and having it upside down for an hour fixed it completely and it has been fine since, now it's fully opaque with one swipe. The gunmetal shade is deep, so hard to see from far away it's actually a metal grey shade and it's a substitute for black. Bronzage is more unique, but still a deep shade of metal. The tip is big and rounded at the top. I had a L'Oreal eyeliner with such a shape and it's not one that allow you great precision, so the line you can get this with end up thick and wings need some more expert hand, which mine isn't, but @dzejlenakaric did an excellent job with Bronzage. Based on my experience with L'Oreal such tips tend to last a lot longer than thin one in terms of freshness of formula, but this is already a dip in eyeliner, so this might not dry out fast, but only time will tell.

Click2Chic - Gunmetal | Bronzage, 12.79 €  

 

I already talked about this in my month favourites. I was exploring Afrodita's stuff and most of the products in their Young & Pure line has niacinamide high on the list. I got this mask because I find it's quite a unique product, since I see it as not a typical product for unclear skin, so not just your average clay + soap 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 mask, but one that can be used also on dry skin without the fear of extra dryness and the ingredients target healing spots, which us with dry skin also have occasionally. This has no SLS, SLES or any soap, instead it's a combination of niacinamide, jojoba oil, glycerine and salicylic acid, so it's made like a mask, but Afrodita suggest it also as a cleanser. It's ok for the latter, but you don't get the super clean feeling a regular wash will give you. By the way they have a mousse in this line with regular cleansing agents, plus niacinamide, so that's on my list to try next when I used up my pink Balea mousse. It's a thick clear gel with blue beads and despite being made for normal to oily skin, this isn't at all drying. As a part of the 3 in 1 claim, Afrodita states this is a scrub too, but it only has sparse, round beads that do nothing - which is a very good thing, because rough particles would ruin this and a lot of us by now focus on acids, so an abrasive product would not be a good thing. Since it's not a clay or acid mask, you can leave this on for a while, not just the recommended 10 minutes and because it's clear you don't look like a green monster, so it's great to just put on and go about your business for a while, then wash it off when you wish. As a cleansing gel it leaves a light layer or product, which given the ingredients is not strange and I'm also not bothered, but those who want that clean skin feeling, might not like that. When I used it as a cleanser, I either use it after a cleansing oil, while as a stand-alone product I only use it when I used no makeup or sunscreen that day. So far this has helped heal a panful blemish I had a while ago and since I started using this, my skin has been clear, but I never suffered from big breakouts and my skin seldom gets spotty in general. I like the ingredients list of several products in this line: their Spot-drying gel because it has no alcohol, but again niacinamide + salicylic acid combination; their mousse cleanser, toner and Hydra Power Hydrating gel, all of which I think would work on all skin types whether you have spots or not.  

Ingredients: Aqua, Niacinamide, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Acrylates / C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Jojoba Esters, Parfum, CI 77007 S   

DM, 4.49 €

It's been many years since I've seriously used acids. Because nothing works on me, I just used them very occasionally when I has spots. I'm not impressed by TO's AHA 30% mask, but I wanted to give this a try as an everyday thing and see if I see an improvement. It's a very mild toner on me, again I get zero stinging and also I saw no quick results with this. I'm not 100% sure if this was it, but I broke out badly on my chin, one of those painful blemishes and this was the only thing that was new in my routine, so I stopped using it and I'll give it another go later (I've been avoiding it for a while now). It was hard to find in stock and I love the ingredients list, so I'm really hoping that this isn't breaking me out. Packaging is great with the added nozzle that only needs a twist to open.

Beauty Bay, £6.80

This was on my list for such a long time, but every time I was ordering online on sites that has this, it was out of stock. It's a thicker liquid that is unlike the 30% AHA, not a wash off mask. I think this is working for me - finally a TO acid I can get along with. I don't notice my skin being softer, but it is visually a bit nicer. It's not a massive improvement, but my skin is clear (this helped heal some spots) and more healthy looking. It could be other things, but it's more likeable than most acids I've used apart from Ecooking mask. I again don't feel any tingling.

 Beauty Bay, £5.80

DM is expanding their range of Asian brands and this is the latest. I'm familiar with It's Skin serums for a while, a few years ago they were some of the cheapest you could get on eBay and they exist in many versions. Obviously the price here is almost twice as high here (they were about 10$ if I remember correctly), but actually even on eBay it's now more expensive than before + shipping costs which are also higher - what a time to be alive. I don't like the ingredients list of all the Power 10 serum, this one is the best, as it has honey extract first on the list, then propolis and it also has niacinamide and a couple of extracts - it's not as nice as a lot of other propolis serums, but good enough. The packaging comes with a dropper and one drop is enough for my face (with two I feel I'm wasting it because it's very easy to spread). It's got a bit of a slip to it and it's a medium thick serum that feels nicely hydrating on my skin, so I don't need to immediately go over it with an extra moisturizer. Based on my experience propolis works very well for my skin and I had my best skin day when I had such products in my routine. They tend to make my skin more healthy and glow, as well as keep it clear and that is exactly what happened in less than a week since I started using this. I like this a lot and I also love the scent, even though it's not honey, but it's a nice skin care one.

DM, 18.99 €

Müller had a 20% sunscreens and I was going to buy another Fluid version, which I love wholeheartedly due to its incredibly light texture and a non-sunscreen feel, but it was out of stock before I got there and this was the only box left. It was on my wishlist anyway, but I still plan to get another bottle of the fluid. Unlike the fluid this is alcohol free and the filters differ: Octocrylene (UVB), Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone, UVA), Terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid (L'Oreal's Mexoryl SX, UVA) - FLUID has Ethylhexyl salicylate (UVB), Ethylhexyl triazone (UVB), Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (broad-spectrum) and Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone, UVA). It also has some hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, so in terms of skin care it's nicer. Formula is considerably thicker than the fluid. It's a regular cream texture that's similar in texture to a moisturiser for dry skin, such as Balea Urea cream, but the required 1/3-1/2 of teaspoon can be applied and blended in with no problems. This leaves no white cast or streaks, but it does peel if you touch your face a lot (my annoying habit). This formula might feel heavy on non-dry skin, as even after an hour I can feel a layer of it on my skin, so it's not like fluid that feels dry to the touch, but it's not greasy, it's more like a regular moisturizer layer. There is sunscreen shine at this one, yet on my dry skin it doesn't look bad - I can't say anything for skin that gel any oil during the day. There's no scent and Garnier states the bottle is made with 49 % less plastic. I've spent a considerable amount of time in the sun with this one and got zero burns (though I've already opened season on that in April when I stupidly forgot to protect my neck). I had a mild case of some eye irritation, but I'm not sure if it was the wind or did the sunscreen get in my eyes, but it was just some tearing and not as bad as Olay Regenerist SPF 30 got in my eyes this year and I had to take everything off. I still prefer the fluid, but given my skin type this suits me well too.

Müller, 10.99 €

A repurchase. This is my favourite cleansing oil because it works for my skin, while a lot break me out. It emulsifies nicely, washed off completely, doesn't irritate my eyes and has no scent. I buy these refills, but they don't have enough in them not fill the whole bottle. 

eBay - I always buy from seller world_kurachan because of great experience, $13.25

Another repurchase. I still have a lot of mine left, but I tend to have backups of many of my favourite products that I use daily. This is a hydrating liquid filled with ceramides, different versions of hyaluronic acid, ceramides, extracts, aminoacids, cholesterol and other stuff. I use it every day in my morning and night routine, and it's an easy product to use for layering. Bottle has a generous 500 ml that lasts quite a while. 

eBay (same seller as Hada Labo), $22.78

I had the unscented version in the white-turquoise bottle before this and I missed having a scent. The textures are different: that one is a liquid lotion type of soap, while this one in a blue packaging is a thicker gel and I like it a bit more. The scent is actually not how I remember it, maybe the changed it, but it's baby-powdery that I wasn't the biggest fan from the start, but now I don't notice it at all. Due to the different texture, the pump working a lot better than at the white version, which occasional spritzed the products far away. I use this as a hand soap and occasionally for the face.

DM, 2.69 €

A repurchase. I already raved about the lavender scent, which is so well done here. I already used it up.

DM, 2.19 €

Since I love Afrodita's lavender shower gel and 250 ml doesn't go far when you use it every day, I got this. It's 1000 ml, so a better deal. Formula is thinner than the gel and the scent slightly different, but still a nice lavender one.

Spar, something under 4 €

Repurchase. My standard deodorant that I've been using for a few years now. It works and I don't want to change it, but by now I don't even smell it. It has a coconut scent.

Spar, 3.49 €

Another repurchase. This has a new packaging now, previous was white with a blue cap and some red on the label. I like the look of new one a lot more. This is the shampoo I use for my dry, flaky scalp, but it does nothing, still it has a pH 5 and it doesn't dry out my hair, actually it closer to a good nourishing shampoo in terms of effect, though it's still light and leaves no residue. I've used up so many bottles by now and I always have a spare in stock.

Müller, 1.29 €

L'Oreal released 8 Second Water and Schwarzkopf hit back with the 7 second one. Since L'Oreal is still not here after over a year of its launch (ironically it's in Austrian DMs, but we are not that important), I got the Gliss one. It's available in three versions: Ultimate Repair, Oil Nutritive and Color Protector. I was picking between this and Oil one, but I thought since I'll surely need to use a separate conditioner, I'll get the possibly less nourishing Ultimate version. Honestly, expectations were very low, not because I thought it's surely a bad formula - review are praising these - but because my hair is mega annoying, which I talk a lot about and historically Gliss and I don't get along much (though I like their Nature Box Avocado mask). I like it and I didn't see it coming. It's something new, unique and those 7 seconds are actually really all that's needed, which is completely unexpected, since I have to leave conditioners for at least 20 minutes to get a full effect of hydrated hair (I have thick hair. It takes a long time for stuff to absorb). I thought this was just a liquid rinse like I think the L'Oreal stuff is, but this needs to be emulsified while on the hair. You apply the liquid, massage it and a thick sort of emulsion/foam/conditioner is formed. It's actually heavy on the hair then, similar to La Croa mask. It leaves this coat on the hands that's like a thick silicone and it's takes some elbow grease to wash it off, and when I saw that I became hopeful this won't be a miss. I left it on for minute or a bit more, I just cleaned a bit in that time and rinsed it off. It has the same effect as a very good, nourishing conditioner. My ends were well moisturised and when I was drying my hair, it was softer like with Cantu and it wasn't tangled. The visual effect is not like they promise in those before/after pictures since my hair still had frizz, but it dried with less halo volume, which I get with cheap conditioners. It's been a week and my hair is ok, I only needed to add some Palmers oil on my ends once and it's been ok since then, so this is a pleasant surprise. Just like L'Oreal they have the 20 ml marks on the edge. I was a bit overzealous with the application and ended up using almost 60 ml, so three doses (I was concerned it won't be enough if I don't apply a thick coat), but I could get away with half of that or two doses. I know a lot of users transfer L'Oreal into a spray bottle, but this is a different product as you need a larger amount of liquid to emulsify. For thin, shoulder length hair you'll need a lot less because after it emulsifies it's easier to spread than if it were just liquid, it's more like a traditional conditioner then. The whole time I was applying it I was happy to have long hair because I think of short ones this will be hard to apply. I'll get the oil version too.

DM, 6.99 €

A repurchase. My favourite drugstore conditioner that is hydrating enough for my hair and has a longer lasting effect than a great majority of hair treatments/masks/conditioners. I always have one in stock as a backup. 

Müller, 8.99 €

This is described by some as a cheaper Olaplex. It contains 10% Granrepair Powerbond, a complex that like Olaplex promises to repair bonds and so far from what I've read this is the strongest competitor. It's supposed to last on the hair several washings and both protect and rebuild bonds. It's a very light spray and I can't feel it on the hair, but some report it makes their hair feel coated (my hair is too thick to notice such thing). I’ve used it several times by now and at first I thought maybe it’s working, but the longer I have it, I don’t see any less breaking. Maybe for a day, but my hair gets so dry fast and then obviously it just snaps like a dry twig. It’s light and easy to layer, and the science is there, I just don’t think it’s showing on my hair. The pump is beyond awful. I read reviews about this and I was really for the hard-to-press spray, but I can't use this on my own, I have to ask for help and I mean a strong person. Luckily it can be easily screwed off and you can transfer the liquid to a different spray, which is precisely what I did. 

Beauty Bay, £12.99

A new spray leave-in conditioner that works as a moisturiser, protein product and heat protection in one. It has great ingredients, it's a proper all in one for us with very dry, damaged hair, so I was immediately interested in it. As you might expect it's very similar in term of texture as most liquid spray conditioner, so very light and I will likely suit most hair types, though I've read a few people find it a bit heavy (I usually check Sephora's reviews for insight). I used this together with Gliss, just the two, which is not my usual routine that includes a to most an obscene amount of products and this did the job. It protects against heat while hair drying, my hair wasn't tangled like they would be without any product and the hair felt nice to the touch. I still need to try it with products that aren't new to me, so I can see how it works on its own, but Moroccanoil stuff tends to work really great for me. This has the same amazing Moroccanoil scent as the rest of the stuff. 

Click2Chic, 29 € for full size (160 ml), 14 € for a mini 50 ml

One more repurchase. This is also one of my favourite conditioners. It's enough for my hair, though the effects don't last as long as with Cantu, but this leaves the hair feeling so sleek. I tend to "fix the situation" when I'm trying a new conditioner and I realise it's not enough by applying this for a minute and it adds the silky feeling I want.

Müller, 2-3 €

This is one of the long time favourites of BBW and has a high feedback on their website, but some also find it too much. I think it's neither something exceptional to love, but it's also not bad in any way. I expected a deep, long-lasting rich scent, but it's actually a smoky incense note over a basic berry-vanilla combo. That incense does not make it special enough for me like it does at the discontinued Lady Gaga Fame. It's very sweet like berry scents usually are and for the first minutes there is a deep smoky note to it, but the scent does not last long compared to my other BBW fragrances. I much prefer Twilight Woods.  

eBay, $16.98 (happyfamily2010)

I keep buying these mists that should smell like coconut and summer/holidays, but this is again not what I wanted. I don't get much coconut on my skin, it's mostly pineapple and mango, which is nice, it's just only fruity and I want something more complex. At first I thought it's a dupe for some BBW scent, but I checked all of my summer mists and it's not similar to any of them. It smells completely different on my skin than sprayed on clothes. On clothes it's mostly coconut with woody notes, a bit floral and still fruity, but much less. It's got a poor staying power. There's another version sea bloom with a jasmine, dune flower, coconut milk and warm sands, which I now regret a bit not getting instead, but I was concerned about jasmine, since it sometimes causes me a headache.

Colourpop, 10$

I have the Essenza Sensuale version, which is a fantastic scent and this is another high quality fragrance. I prefer Essenza Sensuale, but I can't deny this is such a well done, rich floral fragrance that to me smells like luxury. I mostly smell orange blossom and jasmine, so it's kind of in the same scent group as Elie Saab Le Parfum, but to me it's most similar to the discontinued L'Occitane Fleur d'Or Accacia. It's quite strong and it lasts well on the skin, just like Essenza, so this is truly a well done scent.

Oriflame, regular price 44.90 €, current price 28.99 €

Base: hinoki (type of cypress), patchouli, sandalwood 

A new fragrance for 2021. The opening is so uplifting, sparkling fruity, but it quickly settles into a soft, almost powdery floral. It smells so delicate and feminine, suitable for any occasion and I think woman too, as it’s neither a young or mature fragrance. The dominant note is orchid with a touch of jasmine and magnolia, the base smells woody on me and patchouli luckily isn’t strong here, in fact I don’t notice, which makes me happy.