Mateja's Beauty Blog: Monthly favourites

May Favourites and Wishlist

REVLON Illuminance Serum Tint SPF 15

My dry skin liked this immediately - it's hydrating, it looks fresh and glowy. It's described as a skin tint, but the coverage is actually quite good. It's more than just a tinted moisturiser with light coverage, as most of the redness on my face and even freckles are quite well covered. It's similar to my favourite BB/CC creams, like It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow, it's just missing a higher SPF, as this has just 15. Formula is light and I prefer to blend it with a sponge. This is one of those formulas that really take a long time to set and it's got a glowy finish that lasts for hours, so most will likely want to powder this. It tends to slip into lines, which is my only real minus at this formula, so I put some powder over those areas and keeps it in place better. I wear shade 117, which is a great match for me, a pale shade with a neutral undertone, while 113 also fits me ok, but the undertone is warm.
|video|

ESSENCE Juicy Bomb Glossy Butter Balm
06 - Wake Me Up Before You Coco
My lip balm of choice at the moment. It's got a soft, buttery, moisturising texture and it gives the lips a glossy shine. Its coconut scent isn't my favourite, but it's not strong or long-lasting. I also have this in the shade 03 Time to Pitaya.

TREND !T UP Shine & Click Gloss in a Stick
030 Light Pink
Another glossy lip balm with a pleasant moisturising formula. It has a bit of a tingy feeling that doesn't last long and it has a fruity scent. The minus is that this doesn't really last long on the lips, which is hardly surprising, but currently I prefer more moisturising formulas in favour of staying power. 030 Light Pink is a very wearable warm pink shade.
|video|

ESSENCE Extreme Gel Top Coat
A great, fast-drying top coat for an affordable price. It's similar to Catrice's and a good replacement for my long-time favourite Seche Vite.

ESSENCE Quick Wing! Stamp Eyeliner, REVLON Illuminance Serum Tint SPF 15, ALVERDE NATURKOSMETIK Creamy eyeshadow and highlighter 2-in-1 10, TREND !T UP Shine & Click Gloss in a Stick 030 Light Pink

ESSENCE Quick Wing! Stamp Eyeliner
01 black
I thought this will be just a gimmick, but that wing stamp is actually useful. It doesn't always stamp the sharpest tip, but the general shape is good and the tip can be fixed with the liner on the other side. The pen tip is quite large, I wish they used the one from their 24 Ever Ink Liner, but I can line my eyes ok with this one too. The liner is intensely black and for now saturated with colour, but it's not as fluid as their 24 Ever Ink version. Since staying power isn't as good as liquid eyeliners, I use the stamp as a guide and then put Catrice's Liquid Liner over it when I need my liner to last all day.
|video|

CERAVE Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum for Anti-Aging
A serum with 10% L-Ascorbic Acid and the ceramides Cerave is known for. I was using the Hada Labo Melano CC Vitamin C Essence before this one, which is fine, but the texture of it is oily, so not ideal to put anything on top, especially SPFs. This one is a light liquid lotion that absorbs fully into the skin, leaving an almost dry-to-the-touch base. Like all ascorbic acid products I've tried so far, it makes my hands smell something like self-tanner or like I held old metal, which I don't think I'll ever get used to and it makes me dislike ascorbic acid products, especially since I don't see results at any, but I use them together with SPFs, since apparently that's recommended. This has no scent at application. From ascorbic acid products this one is so far my favourite. It's light, absorbs fully, the packaging isn't small (like at Eucerin) and there's no irritation (which only happened to me at one so far anyway).

APLB Glutathione Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++
This is a great, light sunscreen. It's similar to Canmake Mermaid Skin in terms of texture and I can apply a large amount of it without it feeling greasy or like a mask (which happens at Balea Beauty Expert one), it doesn't irritate my eyes and it doesn't peel. It’s shiny from the start, but it sinks in within a few minutes and leaves a subtle enough level of glow. I wore this under quite heavy makeup and it worked well. It has Niacinamide, Squalane, Centella Asiatica Extract, several other extracts, Adenosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glutathione, Beta-Glucan, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside and it's alcohol free plus it doesn't have a scent.

|video (it's somewhere in the middle of highlighted stories)|

WISHLIST

DEBORAH Instant Lift Concealer - I tested this quickly in DM and it looked good, possibly ok for dry skin. I wish I bought this one instead of L'Oreal's True Match Radiant Serum Concealer, which ended up not very hydrating or radiant.

APLB Glutathione Niacinamide Body Wash - this comes in a 300 ml bottle and given it has quite nice ingredients, it might just make a good face wash - provided it doesn't irritate the eyes or it's just a nice shower gel.

APLB Retinol Vitamin C Vitamin E Body Lotion and Tranexamic Acid Niacinamide Body Lotion - APLB has (at least) 4 such lotions in big bottles, which could be used all over. Since I'm a fan od their SPF, I'm interested in exploring the brand more, as they have plenty of interesting stuff.

sobota, maj 31, 2025
1 Comments

Favourite Foundations (for dry skin) 2025

nedelja, maj 04, 2025
0 Comments

April Favourites and wishlist

TIRTIR Mask Fit Aura Mini Cushion SPF30 PA++

15C Fair Porcelain

I got this mini for my bag because cushion foundations are so quicky and easy to use. I managed to get a perfect shade match at this formula, so just like Missha's Radiance Cushion, it's kind of an eraser for me and I can apply it only on parts of the face, so where I need it and it just blends in, looking almost invisible. The red version is far more popular, but I read that one is a high coverage matte formula, the type that usually doesn't look great on my dry skin, so I picked this silver one which has a glowy finish. Coverage is light-medium and finish is natural looking - like my skin, but better with a "moisturiser glow". It has come so handy in the last weeks since I got it. My only concern is that it will be empty soon, since this is quite small.

|video|

CERAVE Moisturising Lotion

This is one of unsung heroes of the past six or so months. I use this every day in the morning as my face moisturiser. It's light, it nicely hydrating for my dry skin and works as a base for makeup. For my body I prefer the Cream version, which is richer, but this is an excellent basic face moisturiser with ceramides and hyaluronic acid and a very handy pump. Some may also appreciate it's not scented and it's suitable for sensitive skin.

L'OREAL PARIS Elvital Glycolic Gloss Shampoo

This is a very likeable shampoo, although it's too expensive for drugstore, but despite it being sulphate-free, my hair feels properly clean with it. It foams very well on the first wash and doesn't feel drying at all on my very dry hair. As far as shine goes - this is a shampoo, it washes off and like most shampoos you shouldn't expect much from it. But the 5 minute treatment from this line is nice and better yet, for the shine, serum does the biggest part of the job, since it has shimmer in it.

SHISEIDO Fino Premium Touch Hair Mask

This is quite nice. I won't say I like it quite as much as Elizavecca's Cer-100, but for the affordable price this is quite good. I has decent frizz control and adds some shine to my bland hair. The texture is nicely thick and it's nourishing enough. It does have that minus that a lot of drugstore quality masks have and that is that my hair becomes dry quickly and the top layers of my hair coarse in about two days.

SCHWARZKOPF GLISS KUR Total Repair Shine Tonic

Glanz-Tonic

I recently got Balea's shine spray in aerosol, which is decent, but this is better. It adds a good amount of glossy shine on the hair and it's a product for "faking healthy hair" for a while. This one has some hydrolised keratin and it's lighter than Schwarzkopf gotbB got Gloss version, so it's likely suitable for thin hair as well. I made a video with it here.

PRADA Candy

Eau de parfum

I hide this one away for special occasions, especially now that the price of it skyrocketed, but it's such a unique warm powdery, caramel-sweet scent. I've been trying to find a dupe, but nothing comes close from the stuff we have here. It's not too young, it's not too old, I also don't see it as an office scent, though it's not strong and I don't associated it with candy because this isn't sweet on me. It's not heavy, there's nothing sharp in this, it's just comforting, but not in a gourmand way. I can't describe it better, but it's one of my favourites. I treated myself to a backup in case someone comes to a horrible idea it's time to discontinue it.

CURRENT MAKEUP

MISSHA Radiance Perfect Fit Cushion SPF50 PA+++ | 19 Ivory | - a quick and easy foundation to apply. Medium coverage with a glowy finish. Aside from SPF if also has niacinamide high on the list, then centella asiatica, several extracts and oils, adenosine, and ceramides. |video|

ESSENCE Baby Got Blush Stick | 30 Rosé all Day | - a peachy pink cream blush that I apply and blend with fingers in seconds. |video|

PUPA Vamp! Sexy Lashes Mascara | 011 Sexy Lashes | - I've been using this mascara for months. I didn't like it as much as Vamp! silver mascara, as when it was new it was too wet and messy, but when it dried it became almost as good as that one. It's very volumising and now defines ok. But it doesn't hold the lashes curled well. I still use regular formulas on most days to avoid the removal of waterproof formulas. |video|

MAX FACTOR Color Elixir Moisture Kiss Lipstick | 005 Simply Nude | - my perfect nude shade. |video|

NYX PROFESSIONAL High Definition Finishing Powder | Transparent | - usually I use Hourglass Ambient powder because I have to use it up, but this is new and I'm trying it out. I only use powder on my eyelids and under my eyes, so my glasses don't remove the foundation. This one is ok, nothing special so far.

WISHLIST

ALVERDE NATURKOSMETIK Creamy eyeshadow and highlighter 2-in-1 10 Champagner - I'm still searching for a new liquid or cream blush. I saw this is one of the best sold highlighters on DM and swatches look nice. Plus it's cheap.

REVOLUTION Bubble Balm Creamy Highlighter Icy Rose - another creamy highlighter. I think this one is glowier than Alverde, but I'll have to check in person. I'd prefer something more natural looking.

VT COSMETIC S Essence Sun Pact SPF50+ PA+++ - an SPF in a cushion form. I'd like it for reapplications during the day.

NIVEA Protect & Moisture Invisible Finish SPF 50 - I hope this is as light as sunscreens for the face. I'm fed up with sticky sunscreens for the body, which makes me no want to use them. Plus this is a big bottle of potential decent lightweight face sunscreen. But why is this 17,45 € in Slovenia, while Germans can get it for 12 €? Unfair. I won't buy it without a significant discount.

APLB - Bifida Niacinamide Ampoule Serum - This is an intriguing brand. They have many versions of nice looking serums, this one contains bifida ferment lysate, niacinamide and cica water (that's the 37.2% mentioned on the bottle), and it also has Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Squalane, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin and several extracts.

APLB - Glutathione Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ - a sunscreen with plenty of nice ingredients. Glutathione supposedly brightens.

BALEA Beauty Expert Triple Effect Booster - a very interesting product by Balea. It combines retinal in 0.1% strength (the same as Geek and Gorgeous A Game 10) with Tranexamic Acid (brightening, fading dark spots) and Acetyl Glucosamine (also for brightening). Other ingredients include niacinamide, squalane and almond oil. They probably should have made a version with less retinal for first time users, I don't know why they went straight only with 0.1%.

COLOR WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer - I use Nivea which is my favourite, but I'd like to see how more expensive products work for me.

SOME BY MI Galactomyces Glutathione Daily Mask - a pack of 30 sheet masks with impressive ingredients.

NINE LESS B-Boost 1% Kojic Acid Serum - a brightening serum with Tranexamic Acid, Kojic Acid and Niacinamide, plus it has peptides.

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-cica Water Fit Sun Serum SPF50 - I hear this is a very pleasant sunscreen.

IUNIK Propolis Vitamin Sleeping Mask - This has 16% propolis extracts and centella asiatica leaf water. It's meant to boost skin's radiance.

SUNDANCE invisible Protect Sun Spray SPF 50 - this can also be used over makeup. I'll give it try and I hope it's better than Garnier's one I tried a while back.

sreda, april 30, 2025
0 Comments

November favourites and wishlist

ESSENCE Baby Got Blush Stick

30 Rosé all Day

I already have the pink shade 10 Tickle me Pink from before, which I mentioned in one of my favourites. This one is a peachy pink, though you might not think it given how brown the packaging looks, but it's one of those classic shades are always most popular. Formula is creamy and I can easily swipe it on the cheeks, then blend with fingers. Pigmentation is more intense as at my other shade and it's deeper. This shade looks good on the lips too.

REVLON Super Lustrous Lipsticks

Candied Rose (805)

Revlon expanded their oldest line of lipsticks by twelve shades. We got seven of those here and this is one of them. The shade is pretty basic, just a classic light-medium pink with a cream finish, but the formula is very pleasant and I can see why this lipstick is still a top seller after so many years. Formula is nicely smooth, hydrating and very comfortable. Shade Daylight Delight (802) is worth checking out if you have a warmer, deeper skin tone than mine and you're looking for a neutral everyday shade.

MAYBELLINE Lifter Liner

006 Line Leader

This is a new line of lipliners from Maybelline. They still have Color Sensational ones which is one of my favourite formulas. Lifter Liner is very creamy and it glides on the lips with ease - this also means it has to be sharpened frequently. If I try to rub the colour off the lips with fingers, only a small amount wipes off, so it lasts well, though it doesn't survive a meal completely intact (oils break it down, like all makeup). 006 Line Leader is the type of colour I wear most, a muted nude-pink with some peachy tones and it looks great. I'm not sure if they have a corresponding lipstick, I tend to always just wear a lipliner on its own, but it's a better version of SuperStay Ink Crayon in Lead the Way, as it's a half a shade lighter and more pink. It's very similar to their Color Sensational Lip Liner in Dusty Rose, it's just a hint more peach.

MELEM Lip Care

A great balm for dry lips, this is one of the best formulas I've tried that's available in local drugstores. It's very soft and exposed to warm temperatures this melts a lot, so it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I want my lip balms to be soft and deposit a thick coat on the lips. It has a Nivea-like scent. Only complaint I have is that It has body moisturiser-like taste.

CATRICE Glossin' Glow Tinted Lip Oil

010 Keep it Juicy

Another formula for dry lips. It's a very thick and rich lip gloss that feels nourishing and most importantly stays on the lips for hours. They have a great level of shine and feel like an oily gloss. I have a couple of shades, but both end up clear.

MILANI Fruit Fetish Lip Oil

Another great lip oil that nourishes and stays on the lips for hours. Unlike Catrice's ones, these are fruity scented, which is a nice plus for me. 160 Lychee has a bit of tint.

CATRICE Quick Dry Top Coat

I've been using Seche Vite for many years, but it's hard to get, so I wanted to find a decent alternative. The only thing I care about at top coats is that it dries the nail polish as quickly as possible. This Catrice version is very decent and easy to get (provided they don't discontinue it, which knowing them will likely happen). It dries the nails almost as quick as Seche, though it's not the promised 40 seconds, but in a minute or two it's dry to the touch, but you still have to be careful to avoid dings for maybe 15 minutes or a half an hour.

TREACKLEMOON Brazilian Love Body Moisturiser

I finally found this online. I already have a hand cream, which is about the same, but I wanted a bigger size. This has a similar scent like Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum cream. I compared it to my original and I smell more plain vanilla instead of the much richer salted caramel and pistachios, so they are not the same, but it’s instantly recognizable as a sort of a dupe, especially if you’re not fussy. Texture is lighter that SdJ, but it still does the job. I got it for the scent anyway and it lingers on the skin. This was about 4 € compared to the insane price of SdJ (which doesn't mean I don't still want the original, but this will more than suffice).

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse

I've been using this for years as the last step in my skin care routine, but for the last few years I've been using the Florale version. It's a dry oil that absorbs into the skin quicker than regular oils, but it's not dry to the touch. This has a scent of tiare flower, so a scent that people associate with sunscreen, though I've never had a sunscreen that smells like that. While I most use it for my face, I also use this for body and hair, as it’s multi-purpose product. I'm so glad to see that the 50 ml bottles have a pump now. When I got the 50 ml the last time, many years ago, it just had a small hole and it made dispensing the product a chore. The spray makes application on the body so easy and I've been using this new bottle a lot.

KERATIN RECODE Repair Mask

My hair is super fussy when it comes to hair masks and treatments, so while I tested the Frizz Stop line which wasn't rich enough for my hair, it took a while for me to give this a try too and it turned out to be really good. It's nourishing enough for my hair, my ends didn't get dry fast and even though I skipped Morroccanoil All In One Leave-in, it dried nicely smooth. It's silicone free, but doesn't feel like it is and there was enough slip regardless.

WISHLIST

BOURJOIS Rouge Velvet The Lipstick 11 Berry Formidable - I'm looking for a deep matte red shade with a cool undertone and when I swatched this, it looked exactly what I'm looking for. I have this formula in one of the lightest shades and it's good.

NARS Cosmetics Liquid Blush and Afterglow Liquid Blush in Orgasm - how I hate the name, but the shade is beautiful. Afterglow is the newer formula and I think the old one was discontinued, as it's not of the website, but the Afterglow version is glowy. It's a peach pink with gold shimmer.

BURBERRY Goddess Eau De Parfum - this is pure lavender at the start and then a nice vanilla. It's really lovely.

MAYBELLINE Super Stay Teddy Tint Lip and Cheek Color Knee High - this new, thought it just looks like a liquid matte lipstick (similar to Bourjois' old velvet liquid lipsticks, which were like a mousse). They promise it feels comfortable on the lips, hence the teddy name. I might try one if the come here.

L'OREAL PARIS Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick - I tested this in Muller and I liked one of the shade, though I forgot to take a pic which one it was. It's a classic matte liquid lipstick with an intense pigmentation and a smooth formula.

L'OREAL PARIS Color Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipstick - These have such rich pigmentation and a very matte finish. I'd like to have one in my collection.

L'OREAL PARIS Highlighter Paradise Glotion 901 Fair Glow - I've tried this a few times in the shop and it's such a nice subtle highlighter.

L'OREAL PARIS Serum True Match 1N - the shade fits me and the texture looks nice, plus it's supposed to be hydrating, which is the type of formula I need.

CERAVE Resurfacing Retinol Serum - I saw this in a local pharmacy. For some odd reason Cerave doesn't disclose the percentage of retinol and guessing because it's very low and they don't want to say, but reviews are good and it has ceramides + niacinamide.

SOL DE JANEIRO Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - I'm saving my small pot like it's the most valuable thing in the world, so I'd like to have the full size. Like I said about Treacklemoon is very similar, but SdJ has a richer scent with a stronger note of pistachios. The price is so stupid, though.

SOL DE JANEIRO Cheirosa 59 Perfume Mist and Delicia Drench Body Butter- a violet-sandalwood sugary scent that is said smells something similar to one of my favourites BBW Twilight Woods. Body butter has the same scent. I'm waiting for them to release those minis in a bag.

SOL DE JANEIRO Brazilian Glossy Nourishing Anti-Frizz Hair Oil - a silicone hair oil with the scent of Bum Bum cream. Such oils all tend to be very similar, so it's just about the scent for me.

SOL DE JANEIRO Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil - a similar oil to Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, so a mix of oils that is suitable for body, hair and face, though they market it as a firming oil (so a cellulite thing). I'd like it because of the scent and I use body oils a lot.

CAUDALIE The Des Vignes Fresh Fragrance - I tested this is Müller because I thought it smells the same as their fig oil (which I later realised it doesn't, but they don't have a tester for the oil there) and it's a really nice scent. A bit green, but mostly warm, floral and woodsy. I don't know of any similar scent, so this would be unique in my collection. Notes are tea, african orange flower, jasmine, grapes, neroli, ginger, musk, woodsy notes and honey. I tried their Soleil des Vignes too and petitgrain ruins the whole fragrance for me.

sobota, november 30, 2024
1 Comments

September favourites and wishlist

ORIFLAME Giordani Gold Pure Uforia Foundation

Porcelain

Such a great formula. The shade is one my best matches and this foundation always looks good on the skin. It's got a light-medium coverage, a light, hydrating formula and it blends seamlessly into the skin. Finish can be very glowy on me in the summer, but as the weather gets colder, it looks more satin.

REVLON Colorstay Limitless Liquid Lipstick

I already put these in my last favourites, but since then I discovered how well they work as liquid blushes. They are thinner, more fast drying than classic liquid blushes, but regardless they blend ok and look even on the cheeks with diffused edges. What wowed me is how well they last on the cheeks, since cream blushes tend to disappear quicker than classic powder ones, but since this is a long lasting matte lipstick, it's really not that surprising it has a great staying power on the skin. I've also started blending shades, so I have plenty of shade options. My favourite combination is 002 Poster Child with 005 Strut, which creates a similar shade to Suede Ink 001 Gut Instinct.

PUPA Vamp! Scented Nail Polish Gel Effect

203 Sensual Red

I've been in the mood for only red nails for the whole month and this is my favourite red. It's an elegant cool-neutral red with an easy-to-work-with formula, plus it has the added benefit of smelling like perfume for the first 1-2 days - this one has a rich floral-patchouli scent similar to Armani Si Passione.

PANTENE PRO-V Molecular Bond Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

I didn't expect this to be any better than the already great Repair and Superfood versions, but especially the conditioner works great for my very dry, difficult hair. The shampoo foams well on the first wash already and it doesn't leave the hair with that squeaky clean, overly-stripped feeling that I need to avoid. Pantene conditioners and masks are my favourite drugstore formulas and this conditioner is another winner, though I'm miffed this tube has only 150 ml. It has yellow beads in the formula and instructions say to rub the formula in the palms of the hands to make them burst before application. Together with the shampoo these two make my hair feel so nice, essentially high-end level care. My hair is properly nourished, it feels silky and the ends feel better. Both smell exactly like the (discontinued?) Herbal Essences Hello Hydration line, a sweet tropical scent mixed with a type of creamy coconut scent - it's not the best description, but it's a great fragrance.

WISHLIST AND WHAT'S NEW

HAUTSACHE (von fraubeauty & DM) Reinigunöl - I spotted a new line of DM products online. I haven't had much luck with similar cheap cleansing oils so far, as most break me out, but I'll likely give this one a try. It has 7% of squalane

Vitamin C Serum - this has 15% of ascorbic acid and mixed reviews. I expect this develops a strong, metallic scent that I find hard to bear at acorbic acid products, but it's so nice to see something affordable in the drugstore. I might give it a go, we'll see.

Nachtcreme - a moisturiser with 3% Matrixyl 3000 and 1% Panthenol. It also has shea butter, resveratrol, hyaluronic acid and zink. Reviews are mostly very positive.

BALEA Beauty Expert Peptide Serum - I think a cream exists already or at least it was very similar. This has 0,1% Copperpeptides, 5% glycerine and hyaluronic acid.

SKINCYCLOPEDIA 20% Vitamin C Face Serum - this has 20% sodium ascorbyl phosphate and that's about it. It's a stable vitamin C, which isn't as effective as ascorbic acid, but I prefer the stable versions of vitamin C, as acorbic acid scent is not pleasant to me.

10% Matrixyl 3000 Face Serum - the name says all, it's a simple peptide serum.

1% Retinol / Squalane Face Serum - this brand has quite simple formulas, this based on ingredients looks like an oily product with retinol. The amount of retinol is high, so not for beginners.

MAX FACTOR Miracle Pure Skin Reset 2 in 1 Serum foundation - it took them a while, but MF released their version of a serum foundation. This boasts with a 2% niacinamide content. While I love their Facefinity foundation, I'm not that impressed by their Miracle Pure foundation (in a tube), so I'm not that drawn to try this. None of these Serum foundations worked well for me so far.

MAX FACTOR Miracle Pure Golden Glow Bronzer - after the blushes, they launched liquid bronzers as well. There are two shades. I'd be more interested in highlighters if they ever plan to launch one, though their blush has a lovely glow on its own.

TREND IT UP Smooth Glow Fluid Filter - another brand that copied the tinted highlighter primer, but they added the SPF 30. Given how empty their stand is, I almost doubt I'll ever see this in person, but I don't need it anyway.

TREND IT UP Dewy Cream Blush and Matte Blush Cream - two cream blushes, both exist in more shades. They already launched the bronzer and highlighter in the tube version, but I didn't like the bronzer/sculpting shade in person, as I felt pigmentation was poor.

ponedeljek, september 30, 2024
0 Comments

August favourites and wishlist

BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum Roll-on Concealer

49 Ivory

I wasn't too keen on this formula when I first got it, but it grew on me. It has to do with the changes in my skin, as when I got it in winter, my skin was drier, so this ended up looking very flat and matte - something that surprised me given how nicely hydrating Healthy Mix formulas are. Now it's behaving much better and looks fresh on the skin. The finish is still not that I would describe as radiant, but it has a good level of coverage (medium, or medium/full with layering) and looks natural. Shade 49 Ivory fits me well. The applicator is unique, but I end up blending the concealer with a sponge or a brush, as the rolling metal applicator is only nicely cooling, but not effective at blending or spreading the concealer evenly.

ESSENCE Blush Crush!

50 Pink Pop

I already have four of these and I wear 40 Strawberry Flush very often, since it's such an uplifting peachy pink. This one is a baby doll pink with lots of silver shimmer/frost, so it's a mix between a highlighter and blush - a blushlighter. It's the most glowy in the selection I got. Formula is creamier than 40 Strawberry Flush, which is the driest, least smooth in the bunch, but it the same as the matte shade 60 Lovely Lilac.

REVLON ColorStay Limitless Matte Liquid Lipstick

Beauty Sleep (001), Poster Child (002), Strut (005), Manifest (006), Icon Era (007), Hot Take (009) and Fire Off (011)

These are a new launch here and are Revlon's newest matte liquid lipsticks. As always Revlon delivers when it comes to lip products and I have yet to be disappointed. I've tried a lot of such liquid matte formulas and these feel great at application, almost buttery creamy. The applicator has a good shape and allows a lot of precision with its tip. It takes about a minute to dry and then I don't feel these on the lips (most of the time). They don't feel drying to me, are very lightweight and last well on the lips (like all such matte formulas do). Shade range is a bit meh to me, especially compared to the awesome Suede Ink, but I find myself reaching for Poster Child and Manifest most.

BALEA Niacinamide AHA Peeling

I got this a long time ago, just planning to try it out of curiosity and then pass it on to a family member with problematic skin. And yet, I'd almost at the end of the bottle. I use it when I have a breakout because it has a combination of (weak) AHAs and niacinamide (5% of the latter with a 6 % of combination of glycolic and mandelic acid). I don't do what the instructions say and wash it off, I use it as the first step after cleansing. If I use it regularly, I don't see results from it in terms of brighter, smoother skin, but when I have spots, this helps to heal them faster.

JOICO K-Pak Liquid Reconstructor

I've been using this for years and never saw an immediate difference in the condition of the hair, but my hair did get more prone to snapping/breaking when I didn't use it for a while, so I kept on using as type of ends maintainer until I switched to Redken's Acidic Bonding Leave in (which also does nothing visible apart from maybe also fight off potential damage). But I started using this again this month, really saturating the damaged, bleached part of my hair and it helps so much to make it look better. It's not like the combination of K-Pak Reconstructor and Hydrator, but my ends feel a lot less stiff with it.

L'OREAL Paris Elseve Glycolic Gloss Leave-in Serum

I found the whole collection here and bought this after I saw it's a proper serum, not a water based leave-in. I already like the 5-Minute Shine Treatment and this was next on my list. It has shimmer in it, which is what I wanted. Plenty of shine sprays and silicone-oil serums make the hair shiny, but on my dry hair, the shine is gone quickly, since it absorbs so much. This adds a nice amount of glossy shine, plus it's a type of serum that can be used anytime, so on dry or damp hair.

SABRINA CARPENTER Sweet Tooth eau de parfum and Body Mist

This was bound to end up here, even though it's to me a winter/autumn scent. It reminds me of one of my favourite fragrances that was discontinued a long time ago, L'Occitane's Vanilla that combined vanilla with orchid. This has top notes of Chocolate Marshmallow, Candied Ginger and Sparkling Bergamot; middle notes are Madagascar Vanilla, Coconut Milk and Jasmine Petals; base notes are Chantilly Cream, Sugared Musks and Cashmere Wood. There's a lot of sugar in it, but there's also something that makes it smell a bit almost soapy and the candied ginger that gives it a bit of a spicy kick. There's lots of vanilla & marshmallow, I don't get much chocolate or coconut, but there is some noticeable jasmine that adds a floral aspect to it. If it weren't packaged in a pink chocolate bar, it may just pass as something a bit more mature, but as such it's destined to be a teen fragrance, though to me the woods and ginger add some depth to it.

SUBRINA Colour Refresh Mask

Chocolate

Three new shades were added to the range, among them Chocolate. It's actually replacing shade Warm Brown and now that I've tried both I can say they are very similar reddish browns. I've tried most shades as you might know (Magenta, Red, Violet (on medium blonde hair), Violet again (on light blonde hair), Rex mixed with Warm Brown, Magenta as a pastel, Orange mixed with Red and Warm Brown and Orange on its own). These are tinted hair masks for either refreshing faded hair colour or creating a temporary new look. They eventually wash off. I still have about a third length bleached blonde hair, which I've been "hiding" with various tinted masks to avoid using a permanent colour over it. This shade isn't the best match for my naturally darker, much cooler hair colour, instead it's like a warmer, light brown ombre. If you're using dark blonde or light brown warm shades, this is a good match for refreshing the colour, as it's the lightest brown tinted mask I've tried (Wella Chocolate Touch, Moroccanoil Cocoa and especially Schwarzkopf Chocolate Brown are darker).

WISHLIST and WHAT'S NEW

ESSENCE Correct & Conceal Under Eye Brightening Concealer Light - In my review of the brightening under eye stick I expressed my wish for a liquid version, as the stick is not natural looking under my eyes and it looks like this is it: a pale pink under eye brightener. I hope it's the same shade as the stick and not darker like other such products.

ESSENCE 16h Cover & Last Powder Foundation 10 - depending on how much coverage this has, it could be interesting. Something similar like my Gosh Mineral foundation, but in a compact form.

ESSENCE Flawless Skin Trio Loose Setting Powder - this contains three different loose powders: a pink and peach one for under eye brightening, and a lilac one for correcting yellow undertones. Sounds a bit like Guerlain Meteorites powder without the green.

ESSENCE Matte Liquid Eyeshadow 01 Bare Bliss - this pinky-mauve colour appeals to me, as they had a similar powder shades in one of the palettes and it suited me. Hopefully the creamy texture is smooth and not overly see-through when blended out.

CATRICE Invisible Cover Foundation 002N - a new foundation that promises medium coverage and a natural matte finish. Since they discontinued their Nude Illusion foundation, I haven't had much luck with Catrice foundations, but it's worth a try, especially since their 002N shade works for me.

CATRICE Blush Affair Cream and Powder 010 Stunning Strawberry - they discontinued their blush-highlighter duo palettes and they are launching the creamy-powder blush versions. There are four and this one is the classic peachy pink that appeal to me the most, but only if in RL it's as pink as the pictures show, not overly peachy.

CATRICE Loose Powder Bright & Blur 010 Soft Pink - the name says it all. It promises a soft matte finish with a balance of warm and cool tones.

CATRICE The Protector Hydrate & SPF Primer - I'm interested in this purely for the SPF 30. It just promises hydration, none of the blurring or mattifying.

CATRICE Caffeine Kick Under Eye Serum - this has three mini metal balls as the applicator. Ingredients are nice: ferments, caffeine, niacinamide, avocado oil, apricot oil, squalane and hyaluronic acid.

CATRICE Creamy Nudes Lip Pen 040 Cinnamon Spice

ALVERDE Naturkosmetik Sensitiv Reinigungsoel Bio Kamille Bio Traubenkernoel - an new inexpensive cleansing oil. I don't like the Balea nor CV (Müller) one. Maybe this one is better.

BALEA Toner Beauty Expert Calming - yet another new Beauty Expert product. This one has 2.5% aminoacids (arganine) and 0.3% ceramides. But those two are in so many other products, why don't they just make something that has a lot of things, like K Beauty stuff?

sobota, avgust 31, 2024
1 Comments

Pages

May Favourites and Wishlist

Favourite Foundations (for dry skin) 2025

April Favourites and wishlist

November favourites and wishlist

September favourites and wishlist

August favourites and wishlist

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

INSTAGRAM

TRANSLATE