(Besedilo v slovenščini je na koncu objave) 

Though I'm a beauty blogger, I'm slightly ashamed to admit that these konjac sponges escaped my notice completely. I'm dubious about these "miracle do-it-all" products such as these and when it comes to skin care I prefer not to experiment too much. I was offered to try one sponge and I remembered Jana praising one of these, so I accepted. I was recommended the version with French Pink Clay which is meant for tired and devitalised skin after describing my skin as normal/combination but at times partly dry and prone to dry patches. There are several versions designed for different skin types and you can see them here. 

The concept behind konjac sponges is that they're made from fibres of a konnyaku potato or konjac plant native to Asia. They are supposedly 100 % natural, vegan, cruelty free and biodegradable. The sponge comes packed in a plastic bag and it's bone dry, so it's hard as a rock. You're supposed to wet it and then gently squeeze out the excess water by flattening it between the palms, so you don't damage it. Once it's wet, it's so squishy and soft, it's like jelly and actually fun to use. No soap is required, unless you plan to use it to remove makeup. It does feel like there is a light layer of something soapy on the sponge and the lightly textured surface provides a gentle exfoliation. Both of these features appear to be responsible for an incredibly silky feeling on the skin, almost like a silicone primer was applied. The skin is so smooth and there is a light layer of something moisturizing left behind. I really like to use this in the morning because it's so fast and convenient, it takes seconds to wash my face. I prefer to use it without any soap, but I have tried using it with it and I didn't really like it, as it took forever to get the sponge free of soap again, plus it didn't perform any better than without soap. I would, however, not consider this as a stand-alone cleansing method, especially if you wear makeup often. I still like to use a "proper cleanser" at the end of the day to make sure that my skin is completely clean. When it comes to long term performance, I must say I haven't noticed any particular effects and my skin is just the way it usually is.

After washing, I rinse it off and put it on a radiator (though, you're supposed to hang it in a dry place) so it dries completely and reverts to its hard state. I disinfect it by pouring boiling water over it, however, I have noticed that this process is slowly removing that soapy layer and  after a month of use that silky feeling isn't really present any more. The sponge is supposed to last 1-3 months before you have to change it.

I wasn't going to address this originally because I've only had experience with this particular sponge, but I was informed by Tamara from Cherry Colours on Instagram that there are much cheaper sponges that could be found on eBay, so a little debate formed there and was later contacted by our importer to explain to me why these particular sponges cost so much. I find it important to share these information to perhaps help someone decide in which direction to go. These particular sponges are cruelty free, vegan and comply to the highest EU regulations, which sets them apart from other similar products since as we know, the origin of products on eBay can be sketchy (especially from China). The plants used to make these sponges grow in an area under UNESCO protection (Jeju island) meaning the pollution levels are regulated and minimal. The konjac fibres used are the highest quality and their company esteems themselves on high work ethic. So basically the decision of what to get is completely yours based on what you find more important.

In general I do like this sponge. It's quick and easy to use, it provides gentle exfoliation and I loved that silkiness that it left behind in the first few weeks of use. These cost 11.99 € where I live and 7.99 GBP on the official website.

Konjac gobice so narejene iz posebnih gomoljev, ki izhajajo iz Azije in so 100 % naravne, veganske in biorazgradljive. Sama imam gobico s francosko roza glino, ki je namenjena utrujeni ter občutljivi koži in ta dobro ustreza moji kombinirani dehidrirani koži, ampak obstaja več verzij gobic, katere lahko vidite tukaj.

"Vsi gomolji vzgajani za izdelavo naših Konjac gobic rastejo na otoku Jeju, ki je pod UNESCO-vo zaščito, kjer je onesnaževanje okolja nadzorovano in tako minimalno. Konjac vlakna, ki jih uporablja The Konjac Sponge Company so najvišje kvalitete in tako prehranske kakovosti ter ročno predelana v gobice. Vse sestavine (dodatki francoskih glin, bambusovo oglje) imajo znano poreklo, vrhunsko kakovost in zelo pomembno, so vse 100% naravne. Vse gobice izpolnjujejo tudi najvišje EU standarde varnosti in kakovosti in so prestale vse mikrobiološke teste. In še ena značilnost naših gobic, visok nivo etike, vse imajo certifikata Cruelty-free in Vegan ter so izdelane v The Konjac Sponge Company tovarni kjer skrbijo tudi za visok nivo etike na delovnem mestu. Gobice, ki se preko eBaya prodajajo za 1-3$ so večinoma Kitajskega porekla. Kot pri drugih vrstah izdelkov, to sicer zagotavlja nizko ceno, a na račun popolnoma nenadzorovanega okolja v katerem nastajajo in popolnoma nereguliranih pogojev delavcev, ki kitajske izdelke proizvajajo. V nekaterih primerih pa vsebujejo tudi dvomljive dodatke, npr barvila, parfume in konzervanse. Čeravno smo danes vsi pozorni na ceno, sem mnenja, da višja kakovost same gobice skupaj z naravno in etično  filozofijo produktov The Konjac Sponge Company, odtehta razliko v ceni."

Meni je gobica precej všeč, še posebej zaradi tega svilenega občutka, ki ga pusti na koži, čeprav zdaj ko je gobica že starejša, tega učinka praktično ni več. Je enostavna in hitra za uporabo, edino kar je manjša nevsečnost je da jo moraš nekje posušiti, torej ne more biti ves čas shranjena med ostalim izdelki za nego kože. Gobice stanejo 11.99 €, več informacij, spletno trgovino ter seznam prodajnih mest lahko najdete tukaj tukaj. 

Have a great day!

*The product was sent to me // Izdelek mi je bil podarjen.

RIMMEL Velvet Matte 

014 Sumptuous Red

I'm so disappointed with this shade. On online swatches it looks perfect - a lovely mix of purple with a bit of pink and it does look like that on the nail wheel, however, on my nails it's a bland, cool toned dark purple. I have exactly the same issue with Catrice's First Class Up-Grape, so I'm 100% sure the problem is my skin tone. The finish is matte and it dries fast, but the formula is an odd one. It's pigmented enough, but it's so hard to get an even application. I needed three, on some nails even four coats.

Boots International, £4.49

COLLECTION Lasting Perfection Concealer

1 Fair

A repurchase of one of my favourite concealers. This has such a high level of coverage and it's similar to the much more expensive NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer except it's not as creamy. 

Boots International, £4.19

MAYBELLINE Color Drama Lipstick

Berry Much

This is the problem with buying things online - the shade is nothing like I imagined based on online swatches. It's very purple toned and not much burgundy on me. Purples don't suit me well. The texture is wonderful, though. It's so pigmented and creamy, it applies without dragging, really the quality is absolutely superb. The lasting power impressed me as well and it wears off into this lovely even stain. I so wish I could exchange this for Red Essential, but what's done is done. These are already available in Croatia, so I hope they reach Slovenia because I'd like some more shades. 

I got another shade called In with Coral as a gift for someone and it's a much prettier shade (picture at the end of the post).

Boots International, £4.99

BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum

51 Light Vanilla

Another repurchase. This literally run out in the morning and I repurchased it the same day. It's my favourite foundation and it has been for years. It looks incredibly natural on the skin and gives a light-medium coverage. The shade is very yellow, but it still blends well in my skin tone. I'm on my third or forth bottle.

Müller, 15.19 € (the price has gone up)

ESSENCE Silky Blush 

70 Kissable

My first plum blush. I can't believe I missed this shade at the event, but I got the other new shade for autumn called Autumn Peach. Kissable is quite a deep shade compared to most of my blushes and it's a nice deep pink-plum colour with gold shimmer. It's super, super pigmented, I barely need to touch the surface of the blush to get enough pay-off for me. It needs a bit more effort when it comes to blending because it's such a strong shade on me and it gives a touch of illuminating effect due to the shimmer. A cute autumn/winter colour.  

Műller, 2.79 €

L'OREAL Infalible Eyeshadow 

033 Tender Caramel

I'm a huge fan of these and I have quite a collection already. I've never seen this shade here before, but I guess I never looked close enough. It's a taupe-brown shade that is similar to Satin Taupe, but with a lot more shimmery, glamorous finish. The formula is akin to the rest of the range - super, super pigmented and long lasting. I apply these with fingers.

DM, 8.45 €.

CATRICE ViennART LE Baked Eyeshadow

C03 Lovely Lace

Holy mother of eyeshadows this is so gorgeous. It may just be that after years of searching for the perfect gold eyeshadow, which wouldn't turn orange on me, I've finally found it. It needs some layering, but you can get close to metallic finish and it blends well as it is buttery soft. The lace embossing is absolutely stunning as well. What a beauty!

DM, 4.29 €.

Emma Hardie 4 Piece Starter Kit

This is way better than I ever expected. The excessive hype and the high prices put me off purchasing this for a long time, but this set is already at a more acceptable price range, so I took the plunge. The texture of this is like a dream, it's actually very, very similar to Balm Balm Frankincense Cleansing Balm, so it's like a solid oil that melts at body temperature. It removes everything, even waterproof mascara and leaves the skin clean, comfortable and moisturised. It smells very natural and a bit like mandarins, which is nice enough. Another star in this set is the cloth - it's amazing. There are two sides, a micro fibre one and muslin one. I want more of them ASAP, though I need to see how these survive frequent washing. The Age Support cream is very thick, but still suits my skin. 

The set includes: Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm (50ml),  Amazing Face Age Support Cream (15ml), Amazing Face Dual Action Professional Cleansing Cloth and Wash Bag. 

Feel Unique, €27.30. 

L'OREAL Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive 

Laetitia

I got it as gift for Miklavž/St. Nicholas from my cousin (hence the cute  chocolate decorations) after coveting it so badly. It's one of my favourite lipstick that I got this year and exactly what I wanted that Maybelline pencil to be. You may know how much I love Rimmel's 107 lipstick and that I wear it a lot. Well this is a prettier version of that lipstick. It's a deep red with no brown undertones and very little purple undertones, which I appreciate a lot. I adore this colour on me, it's just so striking. The texture is pleasantly creamy and more waxy or perhaps siliconey than most lipsticks I tried, but it glides on the lips like a dream and isn't drying at all despite the semi-matte finish. Swatch here.

These cost 13-14 € depends on where you buy them, but so far I find that in Müller they are cheapest.

BOURJOIS Contour Edition Lip Pencil

02 Cotton Candy

The second part of my gift and another thing I really wanted to have (by the way, my gifts for other people are at the end of the post if you're curious). It's a light warm pink that is similar to MAC's Please Me and it's such a great everyday colour. I think it makes my eyes more blue and pop out if I wear it on its own (which I do and will). The texture is a lot more creamy than the old pencil I own (Rouge Soyeaux), so it's almost like a lipstick, but it's still waxy, so it has a very decent staying power especially for a light shade. 

About 6€ in drugstores.

*BATH COSMETICS Chilly Wily Bath Bomb 

How adorable is this! I don't even want to use it because it's so darn cute and also because it makes my bedroom smell nice. Bath Cosmetics is clearly duping Lush's bath bombs, but they are more affordable and some designs are much prettier. This snowman bath bombs is supposed to smell like cinnamon, but I find it's not just that. It has a more masculine note as well, which distances it from gourmand scents. I don't know how it smells once it's in the bath, nor do I know yet if it has any cool effects, so I'll see that later because currently I have it as decoration. Check out other products from bath cosmetics here.

Bath Cosmetics so na voljo na Click2Chic. 

Click2Chic, 2,93 €.

*MODELS OWN Disco Pants LE

Copacabana

This is one of those metallic/frost shades that is great for the season. It's is an interesting one as it's somewhere between gold, silver and light green. The formula is thick, but it behaves like a regular frosty nail polish. 

Click2Chic, 5.95 €.

*MODELS OWN Diamond Luxe LE

Heart Red

This is the most Christmasy nail polish I've ever seen. It's a nice ruby red with tiny gold shimmer that looks bright red when it's on the nails. I've worn it twice already and it will be included in my upcoming December inspired post that I've been working on for a while.

Click2Chic, 5.95 €.

I LOVE… Honey Almond Nourishing Shower Gel

This is going to sound a bit pathetic, but where I live (NM) we don't have Tuš Drogerija. In fact, the nearest is in Kočevje and the road there from our side of the "hill" is just torture, so I don't go there often. Hence why I was a bit overexcited when I visited one after years in Kranj, even though they sell essentially the same stuff as all the rest. I had no idea they had I Love… there and two shower gels immediately caught my attention, this one and the chocolate one (which smells so good!). I adore honey scents and this one seemed very nice, so it went home with me. The scent is lovely, exactly what it says on the bottle - honey and almond, so it's a very comforting, sweet and yummy scent. However, the texture, oh my… it's basically a liquid. I can't even foam it up in my hands because it just runs off. It takes a bit of improvising under the shower, maybe a sponge should help, I'm still in the testing phase, but we'll see. So that's unfortunate, but it does smells delightful

Tuš Drogerija, 3 €

LA RIVE Moon

I wanted this for ages, but couldn't find it anywhere except online. I finally stumbled upon it in Tuš Drogerija and it had a 50 % discount - is that a lucky coincidence or what? It's a cheap imitation of my beloved Hugo Boss Nuit pour Femme and it does smell uncannily similar (ok, it's pretty much the same). I utterly adore this scent even though it's so unremarkable. It smells like peaches from the start and then turns into an expensive fabric softener scent. So it's a clean, but a sophisticated scent. I sprayed this on my wrist in the shop and it lasted all day, but now that I have it and I'm spraying it on my neck, I don't' think it lasts as long, but it certainly has nice lasting power. Either way, it's a wonderful scent for 4 € and I'm so happy I got it. Even the bottle is pretty, however, not as pretty as the Boss'.

Tuš Drogerija, with discount 4 €, otherwise 9 €; Interspar regular price 6 €

*KONJAC Sponge with French Pink Clay

I must admit, I wasn't really familiar with these sponges before being offered to try one, but I remembered Jana raving about them, so I agreed to trial one. It's so fun to use because it's all squishy and jelly like, I like it. It's hard when it's dry, but  when water it added it turns into a proper sponge. No soap is required with this, unless you are wearing makeup, but I use this in the morning and it's so fast and easy. It feels like it has a layer of something on it and it gently exfoliates the skin, so it feels silky to the touch after use and there is like a gentle moisturising layer on the skin. I was very apprehensive about this sponge, but I like it. There are several of these to suit different skin types and I got the one for sensitive skin.
These particular ones have are cruelty free, vegan and comply to the highest EU regulations, which sets them apart from other similar products.

Več informacij tukaj skupaj s seznamom prodajnih mest, 11.99 €

GARNIER Oil Beauty Nährendes Öl-Peeling

Oil Beauty Scrub

Another repurchase - yes it's been a month of repurchases for me. This is one of the best shower products I've had the fortune to try. It a gentle scrub with an unique oil-turns-to-luxurious-foam type of texture and it smells so lovely. It's bound to be repurchased many times.

Müller, 4.99€

BALEA 50's Forever Pflegecreme mit Kirsch-Duft

Universal cream with cheery scent

I was patiently waiting for this to arrive in our DM's and I wasn't disappointed. It looks so darn cute in person and I adore the retro design. This one smells like cherry soda and has a type of texture that is similar to Nivea, but a lot lighter. I think I'll be keeping this in my bag or near the computer as I love using it as a hand cream since it sinks in so fast. By the way, it can be used on the body, face and lips. Love this.

DM, 1.19€ (30 ml)

GOT2B Volumania Volume Refreshing Styling Powder

Another repurchase. I recently talked about this in my favourites and I said that it's a dry shampoo for people who don't like dry shampoo. It's a volumising spray that feels like nothing on the hair, so no powder residue nor any of that hairspray-ish texture. It smells lovely like raspberries, refreshes the hair, makes it more airy and manages to give a bit of volume. Nice stuff for what basically feels like a can of nice smelling air.

Tuš, 4 €

CHARLES WORTHINGTON Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray

This is very, very similar to the VO5 Dry Texturising Spray. It's something like a dry salt spray meaning it gives a bit of grip, texture and hold, and yes it does make your hair a bit "hairspray stiff" if you use a lot, however, if you use a small amount it feels like nothing is on your hair. It smells fruity, maybe like grapes with watermelon. I like both this one and VO5, they are way better than the L'Oreal's one because these two do not make the hair sticky. I'm liking this more and more.

Boots International, £6.99

L'ORÉAL Elvital Glatt-Intense Pflege-Shampoo

a.k.a. L'ORÉAL Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

Polona from Uniqapoly talked about how she likes Fibrology line from L'Oreal and she made me realize that I have never tried anything from L'Oreal Elvital/Elvive shampoo/conditioners selection. Since it is a drugstore "sister (cousin?)" brand of Kérastase, I thought it was worth a try and after some googling I decided to get this highly rated shampoo for dry hair. I really, really like this and you don't hear that often from me when it comes to drugstore shampoos. I love the Kérastase Oleo-Relax shampoo and this promises the same things and it is like a less effective version of that shampoo, but it's still very good. It has a similar effect in terms that it feels like some conditioner was added in it and the hair feels a bit silky when you're rinsing it off (but not as much as Oleo-Relax, that stuff is perfection in a bottle). It doesn't leave my hair so squeaky clean that's it's dried out and it smells nicer than Oleo-Relax.   

Müller, 2.89 €

L'ORÉAL Elvital Total Repair 5 Intensiv Maske mit Reparatűr Serum

L'ORÉAL Paris Elvive Full Restore 5

This was in the best drugstore hair treatments post by Allure, at least I think it's this one, since things in USA have a completely different packaging than here. First thing I noticed is how the texture is identical to the Kérastase Maskeintense Epais-Thick, so it's the same pudding-slightly jelly consistency. I used both the L'Oreal's shampoo and this mask together and I got an insane amount of volume, even for me. The hair was nicely nourished, however, again as at all drugstore masks it dried out after a couple of days, so I had to use oils to fix it. But in general, I like this. It also smells lovely.

Müller, 6.39 €

BALEA Totes Meer Salz Duche Pfirsich-Mango Duft

I guess they released this to kind of replace the nectarine one, but it's very different. It smells so juicy, like a nice tropical drink. I don't really get a lot of peach in it, the emphasis is more on mango, but it's a nice scent. In terms of being more moisturising, I actually don't notice any difference between their regular shower gels, which aren't the most moisturising shower gels, and this (go for Dove if you need that).

DM, 0.99€.

BALEA Creme & Duche Cocos & Nectarine

I can't believe they are discontinuing this. That's so mean. However, there are plenty still left in our DM's and I bought several to last me a while. At a euro per bottle, it's a complete bargain for one of the best smelling shower gel ever (but scents are subjective). It smells like peach bubble-gum and I utterly adore it.

DM, 0.99€.

REXONA Dry Deostick Anti-perspirant Clear Aqua Crystal

My favourite stick deodorant. Never in history have I repurchased a deodorant three times in a row, but I think that after years of searching, I have found an absolute favourite. This time I accidentally picked up a different scent called Clear Aqua. It's a very clean, I-just-came-from-the-shower/I'm-wearing-freshly-washed-clothes scent/Nivea cream. I like it, but I still prefer the pink one (Clear Pure) in terms of scent, but this performs the same. 

Tuš, 2.69 €

NIVEA Pearl & Beauty Anti-perspirant 

Funny story about this one. I'm a fan of this spray deodorant, in fact, it's my favourite in such form, but last time it had run out, I purchased a different Nivea one, because this one was out of stock. Nivea then contacted me, saying they read on my blog about how I purchased the wrong one and offered to send me my favourite. Kind of adorable, right? I really love this deodorant, together with Rexona one they create a powerful and effective combination, keeping BO at bay. It smells so good, so feminine, soft and powdery, I just love it. 

2.99 €

PROFISSIMO Parfüm-öl Zimt

Cinnamon perfume oil

I adore the scent of cinnamon and I've been planning on buying a cinnamon scented oil for a while, but I feared it'd smell too artificial. I'm sorry to report that this one isn't a proper cinnamon scent either as it does have a herbal-artificial note in it, but people really, really like the scent when they come into the house. 

Any recs for a true cinnamon scent, apart from baking cookies or strudel every day?

DM, 1.29 € 

YANKEE CANDLE Tart Wax Melt 

Soft Blanket

This smells sooo good! I can't really describe it well, but it's like baby powder and fabric softener. It's soft, warm and cosy, it invites images of a warm home and snuggling under a freshly washed blanket. I adore this so much and I wouldn't mind having a proper candle, but they are so damn expensive for something that basically burns away in hours. This is the first time I bought one of these wax melts and I'm wondering whether they are meant to melt/evaporate so loud or am I doing something wrong? All the crackling and sizzling, it's very distracting, but it does smell strong which I like.

Müller, 1.79 €

H&M Gold Bobby Pins

Just classic bobby pins, but one that are gold. I should be known as the queen of bobby pins, since I may or may not have more of them than a factory produces in a year, however, I use them almost every day as I love to experiment with hairstyles, but I only have black ones and this time I wanted something more glam as I've seen some nice inspiring images on Pinterest. I really like H&M pins, they are so much better than for example Ebeline's since the paint chips on those super fast and the tips don't fall off.

H&M, 1.95 €

I've also done a bit of gift shopping, so here are the bits some lucky girls got for Miklavž / St. Nicholas.

SLEEK Contour Kit Light

SLEEK blush in Suede

RIMMEL ScandalEYES Waterproof Khol Kajal in Nude

MAYBELLINE Color Drama Lipstick in In With Coral

JOHN FRIEDA Full Repair Flyaway Tamer (I'm really wondering how this performs. I wouldn't mind having it myself)

A quick comparison of NYX blush in Taupe and Sleek Contour Kit in Light. These are completely different shades. Taupe has strong grey tones, while Sleeks is much warmer, browner and darker in terms of pigmentation.

I hope you managed to get through this epic post. Have a great day!

*Products were gifted to me.