NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Siberia

If you've seen my birthday wishlist post, you know that this was one of the things I really wanted to have. My awesome cousins surprised me with this for my birthday as well as some other über generous bits. Aren't they the best people ever? I've already done a review of this here based on a very generous sample that my follower Tamara sent. Basically what's most important to me is that the shade is super light as I am approximately the shade of a freshly painted white wall, though this is a very yellow foundation and my skin is neutral. The coverage is medium-full and this blends so well on the skin, leaving behind that similar luminous matte or maybe rather luminous satin effect that Catrice's Nude Illusion does, but it never sits ugly in my pores, which I greatly appreciate.

I already shared this on Instagram and Pinterest, but here is it for those who haven't seen it yet. Thanks to Tamara again, we came to a discovery that Bourjois Heathy Mix Serum's pump works just fine with Sheer Glow (oh, did I mention that a 40 € foundation comes without a pump? Only one of the most irritating things ever, but they do sell the pump separately for 4 € - their generosity is unsurpassable). Sheer Glow's neck is taller, but the circumference is the same, so it twists on tightly. The straw needs to be shortened and that's it. Plus the Bourjois' cap fits as well. I hope this helps to any of you hasn't got a pump on Sheer Glow/Matte.

€41.19 on HqHair

L'OREAL L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick

101 Rose Melody

I'm a huge fan of these despite the hefty price tag for a drugstore gloss. I already have Rose Symphony, which is my favourite lip gloss ever and I wear it a lot. Considering I'm definitely not a lip gloss girl, this means something. The texture of these is amazing, it's so creamy and not at all sticky. They also smells divine, like peaches, which only like my favourite scent ever. Rose Melody is a natural nude shade with pink tones in it (a more beige version of this shade is Nude Vibrato) and it's semi-opaque. 

About 14 € in our drugstores, but cheaper in Boots International at about 9 GBP (12 €).

ESSENCE I <3 Trends Nail Polish

The Nudes: 02 I Nude it 

I've seen this on Taya's blog and liked it straight away, then my cousins surprised me with it because I had no idea this collection reached our little town (I swear I looked every day that week, but arrived at an empty stand yesterday). It's an opaque cream nude shade with what appears to be tiny duo chrome gold-green shimmer, but I can't really see it when it's on the nails. It's a lot lighter than my skin tone, but I'd still classify it as a nude. The formula is opaque with two coats, it could be just one if you apply thick coats, but the first one is usually streaky and needs fixing.

1.99 €

DOVE Purely Pampering Nourishing Body Oil with Shea Butter and Warm Vanilla

a.k.a. DOVE Verwöhnendes Körperöl mit Shea Butter und Vanilleduft

The last part of the gift I got for my birthday. I've heard a lot of good things about Dove oils, for one Kate (Gh0stparties) raves extensively about these. This version has very fine gold shimmer in it, so it gives that illusion of Victoria's Secret glowy legs, especially if you're tan. The texture of this oil surprised me a lot. It's actually not runny and super thin, instead it's so thick that the "blob" keeps shape on the skin, but it's not a heavy oil at all and most of it sinks in quite fast. Still I wouldn't be so confident to get dressed right away as it does leave a light, greasy layer on top. It think it's wonderful for basically any skin type and for any season, but it will look especially good on summer tanned kin. The scent of this is nice as well, it's a warm vanilla-cosmetic scent and not overly heavy. Oh, and I also tried using this as an illuminating base for makeup under a mix of Sheer Glow and Lasting Finish Nude - it looked sooo good, but my skin is dry/dehydrated at the moment.

Müller, 7.99 € (150 ml)

LANCÔME Hypnôse Custom-Wear Waterproof Mascara

I've already mentioned this in my recent monthly favourites, I actually bought this for my birthday because I wanted to use my absolute favourite things and this is definitely one of those products. I just wholeheartedly adore this mascara because it actually keeps my lashes curled all day. It also lengthens the lashes significantly giving me that super lashy look. It's an amazing mascara and I hope they never change it.

Feel Unique, 30.60 € (I always wait for some sort of a discount)

ESSENCE  Eyeliner Pen Waterproof

01 Deep Black

Ou-em-gee Essence you can't use a smudgy formula for a waterproof liquid eyeliner. Okay? Otherwise, good job. Since I had no usable liner after the L'Oreal disaster (I still hate you. A lot.), I set upon finding any semi decent liner to do the job until I repurchase one of my favourites and I've discovered we actually have quite a few of them in our drugstores, but all with weird nibs, except surprisingly the Essence one. The formula is super black and nicely fluid making it easy to do a crisp, even line. The nib is about the size of L'Oreal's Super Slim, however, the design needs some improving to allow for super thin lines. It lasts a long time on my normal lids, but it smudges at only a sight of water and contact with fingers (you should have seen me once after I rubbed my eyes. I almost died laughing. Thankfully I was at home because I had to take of all my makeup). Overall I'm happy with it for the price, but it's not as good as more some expensive ones (though definitely a billion times better than L'Oreal's So Couture). I'll see how long it'll take for it to dry out. 

DM, 2.79€

Montagne Jeunesse Sheet Mask with Tea Tree Oil

a.k.a.Tuchmaske mit teebaumöl

I got this after seeing it in Sanja's Empties. I've never tried a sheet mask before, so it was my first time looking like a deranged killer with a chainsaw. First thing that hit me was the strong hospital smell and I mean it genuinely smells like sitting in a ward waiting for a doctor's appointment. It's not a bad smell at all, but for me powerful memory inducing. The second little snag is that the sheet mask is too big for my baby face meaning it had to be folded and creased on some parts, but I still managed to make it work somehow. The sheet is super saturated with product, but it doesn't drip, so that's well executed on Montagne's part. As Sanja said there may be a bit of tingling, however, I must say that I haven't felt much of it apart from the cold wet cloth touching my  face. I left it on for 10 minutes as per instructions and once I removed it, I rinsed the remains off my face. As far as instant result go, I can't report a miracle transformation. Perhaps my skin looked a bit brighter, but I think that's it. Also, I thought I'd just use the mask and be done with skincare for the day, but after 5 minutes my skin started to feel a bit too tight for my liking and I had to use Nuxe's oil.

Ingredients here.

Müller, 1.49 €

IT'S A 10 Miracle Leave-in Product

This is super popular and highly-rated across the pond, so I really wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Much like the here more familiar Uniq one, it promises to do everything apart from iron your shirts (if only…) and I must admit I'm always very apprehensive about such products. The texture is quite unexpected. As you can see it's in spray form, so I presumed it's a liquid product, but it is in fact sort of a lotion/almost-mousse texture. I was most looking forward to the promise of reducing frizz, but I'm not too sure about it doing anything to the general look of my hair, however, my hair does feel silkier than without it, plus it's a nice light heat protectant. So far I like it. 

eBay, 13.33 € (without shipping)

REDKEN Extreme Anti-snap

A repurchase, since I find my hair is a bit too damaged at the moment for my liking. I've used this for about a year before and it worked so absolutely brilliantly long term. It's a light lotion that doesn't weigh down the hair and I use it after washing when it's still damp. It contains protein that strengthen the hair, therefore helps prevent damage. This is especially good if you want your hair to grow long.

Feel Unique, 17.61 €

TIGI Bed Head Small Talk

Travel size

I've been considering trying this for at least a half a decade and I quite happy they finally started selling a travel size, though even this little bulb contains 125 ml of products. I used to use Tigi's Curls Rock Amplifier religiously (still the best natural curls definer I've tried) and this is like a sister product, but designed for volume. It promises to add volume, give life to limp hair as well as define, separate and control. It's a light cream, so similar to leave-in conditioners and in typical Tigi fashion, it smells strongly of blueberry candy. To be honest, in that one use I've done on damp hair, I haven't noticed much effect. Volume levels were the same as without and it didn't help control the hair much. I do, however, like this on dry hair. It smoothes and defines the strands and also masks the dryness, but without being heavy on the hair. I'll keep using it and report after a while.

Feel Unique, 5.93 €

JOICO K-Pak Intense Hydrator

A repurchase, I don't know which one in a row, but I don't recall being without this in the past few years. It's one of those treatments that just does its job brilliantly and I'm super picky when it comes to hair care products. 

Feel Unique, 17.34 €

TIGI Bed Head Urban Anti-dotes Conditioner 

Sample size 50 ml

It's been a while since I tried a Tigi conditioner, but this one is the lightest in terms of texture I've tried. It's still thicker than an average cheap conditioner, but unlike Joico Hydrator, which is similarly light, this didn't wow me, though it is good. I still think a lot of people with moderately dry hair that isn't coarse would like it, it's just my hair that as usual needs more. The scent is super fruity, like children's multivitamin drinks, so to me quite pleasant. 

Feel Unique, 5.93 €

KÉRASTASE Nutritive Masquintense Epáis-Thick

Best mask in the world ever! Well, at least when it comes to my hair, of course. I expect a lot from hair treatments and conditioners, since my hair is so stubborn and this mask performs brilliantly. I'm always amazed at the results. I once said that this makes my hair "normal people's" hair, which is all I ever wanted - just average hair, nothing more. My hair feels a lot less coarse, actually it makes it feel silky and even a bit soft, which is a mini miracle when it comes to my hair. 

Feel Unique, 31.01 €

But I feel like I have to emphasize something because I get so many of questions - if you have non-problematic or fine hair with only slightly dry ends, you obviously don't need such an expensive treatment. There are plenty in the drugstore. If you have hair like mine that is prone to drying out very fast, you'll notice a huge gap in the quality between salon brands and drugstore, otherwise I doubt it. 

*KÉRASTASE Nutritive Bain Satin 1

Since I write a lot about Kérastase and people that handle this brand in Slovenia noticed that, they sent me a thanks in the form of this shampoo and Forme Fatale (great people, right), the latter I chose to give away to one of my Slovene readers (sorry to international readers, shipping cost are high here). It's no secret Oleo-Relax shampoo is my favourite, but when I was deciding which products to get when I was first researching the brand, Bain Satin 1 was a strong contender to try out. I'm a huge fan of the Nutritive line and I'm really looking forward to trying this shampoo. This one is designed for normal to slightly dry hair, 

Na voljo v specializiranih salonih npr. v salonih Simple. Cena je verjetno odvisna od posameznega salona.

Look Fantastic, 18.36 €

GLISS Oil Nutritive Shampoo

An average shampoo. It's nice for the price, but definitely not as brilliant as L'Oreal's Elvive, which is about the same price. It smells fruity (I think tropical/mango, but not in a classic way), foams a lot, cleans well and that's it. It's not particularly moisturising and neither drying, actually it's very similar in effect to Aussie's Miracle Moist shampoo and just as that one it leaves the hair tangled and hard to comb through. A good enough shampoo for most hair types.

Ingredients here.

DM, 2-3 €

GLISS Ultimate Repair Shampoo

I think this one is better than Oil Nutritive, though both perform similar enough. It left my hair less stripped, but all the other qualities are the same. The scent of this is similar to laundry detergent.

Ingredients here.

DM, 2-3 €

BRITNEY SPEARS Fantasy the Naughty Remix

100 ml

I already mentioned all three fragrances I got in my Birthday post and I said that this version of Fantasy is very similar to the original, only fruitier. I think that most people won't notice the difference between the two, though this one is admittedly a bit lighter. It's another fruity-gourmand scent with juicy kiwi notes and sweet puffs of vanilla. Notes on Fragrantica.

All Beauty, 23.12 €

AQUALINA Pink Sugar

50 ml

This is growing on me more and more. I got a sample of this about a year ago and it left me very underwhelmed, but now I love with each spray more. My cousin says it smells like burnt sugar and I will admit that the first burst of cotton candy sugariness is like a punch in the face that some people won't be able to tolerate, but to me the tamer underlying vanilla note prevents it from being too over the top. It's a very popular fragrance for a reason and it is the sweetest fragrance I own. Notes on Fragrantica.

All Beauty, 17.70 €

KATY PERRY Royal Revolution 

30 ml

Out of the three, this is the most office appropriate and least in your face. It's sweet, yet fresh, but still has that depth that also makes it a nice choice for a night out. It reminds me of a very nice smelling shampoo and I like such scents because I don't always want to smell like a bakery. The bottle is sheer perfection and I've seen a few days ago there'll be a spring inspired pink version as well. Notes on Fragrantica.

All Beauty, 16.17 €

AVON Advanced Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil

Petra from Adjusting Beauty made my jaw drop when she sent me a gift for my birthday (thank you again!) and this oil, which is she loves, was in it (her review here). In contrast to other cheaper oils I've tried, the texture of this in much thicker, but not as thick as Orofluido's or Macadamia Natural Oil's one, yet thicker than Kérastase Ultimate Oil. I've been using it a lot recently and I quite like it. It doesn't tame the hair as well as Orofluido when I use it on damp hair, but it's a nice quick fixer when my hair feels too dry or unruly (I really like it for my dry ends). It smells nice as well. It's like a mix of their "regular" green serum, which smells a bit like apples, but in a hair salon way, and some deep oriental note. For the price it's lovely and I like that it comes with a pump.

Ingredients here.

Avon, regular price 6.50€.

AVON Ultra Color Indulgence lipsticks

Red Tulip, Plum Verbena, Chocolate Rose 

Samples

Petra also included these cute mini samples of the newly launched lipsticks (I LOVE samples). These are one of those moisturising lipsticks that usually have sheerer pigmentation and a very glossy finish. While these have more of a shiny finish, the pigmentation is quite impressive though it needs perhaps an extra layer for full opacity. These smell very summery like watermelons (the old Maybelline lipsticks had a similar scent). 

Red Tulip is a classic red with an impressive pigmentation and Petra did wonderful swatches here.

Plum Verbena is a cool plum shade and I'm particularly happy to get this colour because recently I can't get this lip colour out of my mind and this is the closest thing I have at the moment. It's Chanel's Rouge Allure in 108 Determineé and I can't find it in my local Müller, so I can't at least test it and see if such a shade would suit me and I might find a cheaper dupe for it (if you know this shade and are aware of similar colours, please let me know. I will be forever grateful). A mix of Plum Verbena with Chocolate Rose looks similar if I wear it dabbed onto the lips, but it is cooler and lacks that rose tone.

Chocolate Rose is brown with red-plumy tones. I'm not a fan of this shade on me because it is straight up dark brown, but it looks great on Petra, who swatched it here (she swatched even more shades here). 

Avon, full size regular price 8.50€

E.L.F. HD Powder 

Sample

Petra found on my Pinterest Wishlist board that I'm interested in trying this (you've got to admit that's dedication) and made me a sample. It's a silica based powder that is highly rated on Makeup Alley, with people claiming there are definite similarities with the more expensive MUFE HD powder and that this creates a "soft focus" effect, blurs the pores and imperfections. Petra informed me that she dislikes this powder as she finds it's not fine enough, so I wasn't expecting much, but surprisingly I like it, I like it a lot. I applied it over my "worst" foundation, Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude which settles into pores, lines and just looks weird on the skin, and this powder fixed it. All of it. It got rid of that fake foundation finish, hid those craters of pores that foundation sunk into and set the makeup in place without the powdery finish. Now, I wouldn't be so rash to say it's better than my Bourjois Java powder, mainly because doesn't have that illuminating pink tint, but they are very similar.

E.l.f. UK, £6.95

L'OREAL True Match foundation 

N1

Sample

Petra also made me a sample of True Match that I've been dying to try out for ages, well at least this shade in particular. I'll start of by saying that I really like the texture of this. It's so light and super blendable, yet it covers well (medium) as well as it's buildable. It really is as good as they say. However N1 unfortunately looks orange on me. It's as light as Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 51, but the orange tone in it appears to be amplified on my skin. Thankfully I got a sample before I bought the full size, otherwise it'd be a huge miss buy. Does anyone know if W1 is lighter?

15 € in our drugstores (which don't stock N1), 12 € on Feel Unique.

IT'S A 10 Miracle Hair Mask

Sample

My 10 ml sample was way too small for my hair, so I can't really say much about it. It was a classic hair mask with a hair salon scent. I'm not sure whether it was due to not using enough or just the mask in general, but my hair didn't feel silky when I was rinsing it off and it didn't comb as easy as usually, but you have to keep in mind that I use heaps of conditioner/mask on my bellow mid back hair. Otherwise my hair felt quite nice when it was dry, but it could be because I used the corresponding leave-in treatment.

Ulta, full size 30 $

PHYTO Phytosquam Intense

Sample

A new dandruff treatment by Phyto that is quite unique as far as my experiences with anti-dandruff products go. I've tried all of Phyto treatments before and so far they were the best ones, however, didn't completely help me get rid of the problem, just alleviated it. This product is one that you apply on dry scalp, leave for 5-7 minutes, then add water to emulsify it and rinse off. Regular Phyto's shampoos are very runny, but this is closer to how average shampoos are like in terms of texture. It's a thick gel that I had a hard time distributing evenly on my hair, simply because I was working with a sample bag, but also because I have very thick, long hair, so it's not easy getting product on the scalp. I think the full size has a nozzle, so that should work a lot better. One bag had a lot of product inside, 12 ml, but I used up all and I still could have a few ml more to completely cover my scalp. When it was on my scalp, I didn't feel anything, so no tingling or anything similar. Once I added water it emulsified well, like a normal shampoo, which is surprising since Phyto's shampoos, don't foam well. Once I rinsed it off, my hair felt super squeaky clean, which is not something I'm terribly fond off, but that's just because I have dry hair. Where I managed to get a thick coat of the treatment, it did remove most of the dandruff that is stuck on my scalp (about 85 %), while where I only had a light coat, a lot of the dandruff was still left, which leads me to believe this is a product that would be empty very fast. But results are promising. It removed the persistent layer of dandruff and let my scalp breathe a bit. The itching was still a problem, but for the first day there was significantly less of it. I would buy this.

Feel Unique, full size 22.44 €

CAUDALIE Huile Divine

Sample

I'm a huge fan of Nuxe Huile Prodigeuse, which is a cult product in the beauty community for over 20 years. Caudalie released a similar product a few years back, and I've always wondered how it performs. I use Nuxe on my face, so I tested Caudalie's as a face moisturiser as well, but my skin didn't like it as much as Nuxe's. It's ok, but my skin didn't look as good as with my old favourite. The texture is very similar, so a light, dry oil that sinks in quite fast. The scent is more "green" or floral and a bit fresher, however, both are lovely and summery. 

Feel Unique, 50 ml 23.80 € 

KÉRASTASE Forme Fatale GIVEAWAY

SLOVENE ONLY

Kot sem napovedala že prej, imam za slovenske bralce kot presenečenje mini nagradno igro. Slovenski zastopniki za znamko Kérastase so mi kot zahvalo velikodušno poslali dva izdelka, Bain Satin 1 šampon in gel za feniranje Forme Fatale. Slednjega že imam v svoji kopalnici in sem o njem že spisala oceno, ki jo lahko najdete tukaj. Forme Fatale je gostejši gel za volumen, ki se ga nanese na mokre lase pred sušenjem s sušilcem, najbolje z veliko okroglo krtačo, da se izoblikuje ogromno volumna. Po mojih izkušnjah se najbolje odnese na tankih laseh brez volumna, medtem ko na mojih suhih povzroči friz, ker "dvigne" lase. Vse izkušnje z izdelkom, ki sem ga preizkusila tako na mojih gostih, suhih laseh kot na tankih laseh brez volumna so opisane v prej omenjeni objavi. 

Vse bo potekalo kot vedno preko Rafflecopterja, samo izpolniš obrazec in že sodeluješ. Samo ena kategorija je nujna, ker hočem preprečiti neveljavne vnose, odgovor na preprosto vprašanje, ne sprašujem pa vas seveda za točen naslov, če bo slučajno kdo zmeden. Res si želim, da bi nagrado dobila ena zvesta bralka, ki si Forme Fatale res želi, zato ne pričakujem, da se giveaway povsod deli.  Pa da še dodam, na sliki je moj Forme Fatale, vaš bo novi neodprt, ki stoji v beli škatli zadaj. Veliko sreče!

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!

It's actually not that easy to find a good product that is under 5 € and I admit I struggled to get a nice bunch of products for this post. I have loads of products that I love which are just above the price mark (literally a few cents more), but I won't cheat and I plan to show them in a another drugstore favourites post. I selected 11 products that are available either in drustores or online or even in larger supermarkets and all are nice cheap thrills. So here is my selection.

CATRICE Absolute Eye Colour Mono

2.89 €.

Yes, I could select a lot of products from Essence for this post, but you know what - I don't find them that thrilling and I much, much prefer Catrice, especially when it comes to quality. Although L'Oreal's eyeshadows are my uncontested favourites in the drugstore ranks, Catrice's are a close second. I love the colour range, there are some gorgeous neutral shades as well as a few brighter colours and you can create a selection that rivals any combination in the popular neutral palettes. The pigmentation of these is great and they blend really well, even the matte shades are excellent quality. If you're looking for some inexpensive fun products I highly recommend you check them out. My favourite is a taupe shade called 350 Starlight Expresso.
By the way, I just quickly swatched the new velvet matte eyeshadows by Catrice and they are fabulous as well. 

MAYBELLINE Color Tattoo 24 HR

4.95 € (might be more expensive depending on where you buy them).

These really are so good! They boast with a lovely creamy texture that is super pigmented, blends well and once it sets stays put for hours. I tend to use them for a quick eyeshadow look or, my preferred way, as a base. There are a lot of shades to choose from, but Permanent Taupe, a matte taupe, is without a doubt my favourite cream eyeshadow as well as one my favourite colours in general.

LABELLO Fruity Shine Peach

1.85 €.

These could easily be described as the most convenient product to satisfy the craving for a cheap trill. Everyone needs lip balm, you use it all the time and they are usually in every grocery shop at the registers. Fruity Shines are one of the most fun ones with is a nice selection of tinted balms with juicy scents. My favourite is peach and I find it has one of the best peach scents out there as well as a lovely natural peach tint. These aren't the most moisturising lip balms, but they are nice for everyday use. 

EBELINE Blending Brush

2.95 € , only in DM (not in Slovenia, sorry).

I never expected such a brilliant brush for such an affordable price. It's an excellent super soft blending brush that I use also for applying a gentle wash of colour in the crease or on the lids. Basically, I can do almost an entire eye makeup with it, though due to its softness it's more for subtle looks and it performs best with high quality eyeshadows. 

E.L.F. Studio Flawless Concealer Brush

£3.75 (4.7 €), E.l.f. website.

I love how dense, yet still soft this brush is and it's just feels so well made. I use it for so many things from blending concealer, applying setting powder under the eyes and around the nose, applying a base eyeshadow colour all-over the lid, blending and even contouring. Truly a versatile brush.

INELL Eau Micellaire

2.29 €, only in E.Leclerc.

Micellar waters are a part of my everyday routine when I'm removing makeup, so I use a lot of them. This one is incredibly affordable and just as good as the rest drugstore versions. As most micellar waters it feels super light - like water and it removes makeup effectively, leaving the skin clean and refreshed. 

INELL Mousse Nettoyante Hydratante

1.51 €, only in E.Leclerc.

This is such a wonderful, gentle cleanser that is also really fun to use. It looks like those whipped creams in a can and the mousse actually resembles whipped cream a bit due to the super dense texture. It also smells so lovely and it really makes the morning cleanse an enjoyable experience.

DOVE Nourishing Shower Gel

2-3 €.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was another version of this lying somewhere in the house - I think our house might be the fan central of Dove Nourishing shower gels. These are seriously so good - incredibly creamy and luxurious feeling due to a thicker formula, they are especially loved in my household because they are nourishing and don't leave the skin feeling dry or itchy. I love the scent of these, all three actually: the classic original Dove scent, the sensuous coconut milk with jasmine one and the sweet almond with hibiscus one. If your skin is dry, give them a go.

BATISTE Dry Shampoo

£2.99 (3.7 €), online on Boots International and Asos.

Though my hair is far from greasy, I don't shy away from dry shampoo on days between the washing. I've tried a few so far and Batiste is my favourite. It properly refreshes the hair, giving it more life and body as well as makes it smell nice, it's like an additional fragrance. When it comes to dry shampoo, for me the most important features are that it doesn't leave the hair white and that it smells nice. My hair is dark brown and Batiste can leave a white cast if I spray too close, but it's easy to blend it in. However, what I really appreciate is the large selection of scents and Wild is my current favourite. It has a lovely oriental scent, I smell notes of chocolate, vanilla, musk and wood that combine into a nice perfume version of a scent rather than gourmand one, like the Tropical version has.

TONI & GUY Sectioning Clips

3.08 €, eBay this seller.

These are so awesome. I could never find decent sectioning clips for a reasonable price here, so I ordered these from eBay and they are so good. They feel so professional and well made with the matte rubberised texture, you'd never think they were so cheap. I use them all the time when I blow-dry my hair to clip the hair out of the way or to create volume or curls - just brilliant stuff. 

Do you have any recommendation for great affordable products? Have a great day!