I've already spoken about these in one of the monthly favourites and I consider these my favourite lipsticks, beating Oriflame's The One Unlimited Ultra Fix Lipstick formula, which is actually very similar, but Revlon's lipsticks are more opaque and available in prettier shades. They are a one-swipe lip colour and once they set on the lips, which is quick, they don't wipe off or smudge, they just stay in their place like a liquid matte lipstick. Formula is thin and matte, so don't expect any nourishment from these. I can handle them fine and don't find them drying, but some may want to use a lip balm under or over them. I admire not just their amazing staying power, but also the shades. I'm a big fan of 001 Gut Instinct, which is a colour similar to my natural lips. It looks more peachy in the tube, but on the lips it's more neutral. I also really like 002 No Rules, which is a deeper nude and 008 That Girl, a light pink shade. 005 Hot Girl is also a nice shade, despite looking so warm in the tube. 014 Spit Fire feels more of a miss for me, as it's quite a muted, dirty warm red. I'd pick one of the other reds in this collection. These need an oil remover to get off.  

This promises a lot and a Max Factor describes it as "a mattifying, long-lasting makeup primer that minimises the appearance of pores, giving your skin an airbrush finish. Imperfections are blurred & smoothed with the ultra-lightweight, silky-to-powder texture that blends effortlessly and keeps skin feeling hydrated". At such a description, I expected a completely different primer, namely one of those thick, silicone primers that fill the pores and leaves a dry-to-the-touch velvety finish. But this is more like a smoothing hydrating primer. It's not dry-to-the-touch, it doesn't hide pores and even on my skin I don't find it properly mattifying. Precisely because of that, this works on my dry skin and it helps prevent mat foundations be too draining on me. Aside from that the other effect I noticed is that it prolongs the staying power of makeup well - I tested it with one side of the face with a primer and the other without, the side with looked better at the end of the day. 

I know I've been living under a rock for not trying this by now, but to be fair I was perfectly happy with my cheaper Ebelin sponge and I stopped trying new things. I'm genuinely impressed by this one and I haven't used anything else for foundation since I got it. It's so soft and bouncy, even more than the Ebelin one. Unlike the latter, this one perform better when wet, something I'm a bit lazy to do before applying makeup, so I use this one dry as well and it works just fine. I like the big flat area for blending foundation, it's much larger than at Ebelin one, and I use the tip just for concealer. It makes the foundation look so flawless and natural-looking, which I appreciate especially at more high coverage (matte) formulas. I always thought that this sponge surely can't be that special compared to others, but it's really good. 

This was finally in stock 6 months after the launch, but only this shade (out of two) and not the bronzers. Formula is not as soft and smooth as at Catrice's version of a cream blush, Cheek Flirt Stick, so it doesn't glide super smoothly. It can take off foundation, so it's best to apply this with a brush, rather than swiping it on and blending with fingers - though you'll get an ok result if you do that too, but with a brush it looks nicer. Pigmentation is about medium, so I apply two layers. This shade is a cute leaning-to-cool pink - it's a rarity in my collection, since such shades always pull warm on me and this one creates a proper baby doll flush. It's heavily scented with the aroma of watermelon. I've been wearing this pretty much exclusively since I got it, it's really nice. It's on my cheeks in the picture with the liquid lipstick.

I already have this in a gorgeous red shade and though I'm not super keen on the formula, as it's not the best quality one compared to some, I wanted something pink and this looked like what I was looking for. It's less vibrant than what I had in mind, but it's a pretty shade nonetheless. Formula is thin, yet creamy. It sets matte quickly and it's not a formula those with dry lips will love, but I can handle it well. After it sets it doesn't transfer. Staying power is not impressive for such a product, though it still lasts many hours on the lips. 

I had my eye on these ever since they launched and I like all of the shades available here, so you can imagine the how delighted I was to get these in the mail. Bourjois had such pencils before, but I don't know if they are the same just with a different writing/packaging or an improved formula. Claims mention them being waterproof, transfer-proof, matte, comfortable, easy to use and precise. These have a great pigmentation, are very creamy and don't drag on the lips. They are matte, but not dry/fully matte, so they feel comfortable, but they aren't nourishing/moisturising. I wouldn't say they are transfer-proof, but they last on the lips well. 01 Nudifull, 02 Amou-Rose and 03 In Mauve Again are about the same depth, the difference is in the undertones: 01 is a warm beige, 02 a warm light pink and 03 a mauve light rose. I in particular love shade 03, as it end up most neutral on my lips. 06 Framboise Griffée is a surprise, as the tube shows a much more subdued rosy-red shade, but it packs a punch, as it's a very vibrant warm magenta. It's formula is also the most matte one. 07 Rouge Es-Carmin is a neutral, classic red. Though they are pencils, I can't say they are so precise you could use them as a lip liner, unless you manage to wear them down to a finer tip. I miss a sharpener like at the Revlon's Crayons for sharpening the tip. These have a wind up mechanism.  

There are several versions of these Twist Up mascaras, I saw 4 online, but not this precise version on Slovene's DM website. I had a similar mascara before (from Deborah) and it's one of those that have a changing brush. It's a long, silicone brush with sparse bristles in step one and when you twist the top of the wand, it become shorter with the bristles closer together. Step one is designed to define the lashes and fan them out, and then the second for adding volume. I've tried it both ways, so trying step 1, then 2, and reverse and results are best the 1-2 method. Step one defines the lashes well, for now I think the formula is still too fresh to hold well, so lashes become "undefined" again quickly. Step two adds a good amount of volume. Using just step 2 straight away end up looking messy for my taste. It's a mascara that doesn't completely dry on the lashes, so touching my eyes quickly ends up a mess. It doesn't flake, but it can smudge. It doesn't hold the lashes curled, but that's obvious since it's a regular formula.

These are new in Slovenia, but they have been on the market for at least a year - longer than Suede Ink lipsticks. Honestly, since I tried Suede formula, it's going to be hard to impress me and these aren't quite as good, but it is more comfortable formula, as it's not dry-to-the-touch matte. These are intense, creamy and they glide on the lips with ease. They are meant to be lip liners and lipsticks in one, but for absolute precision you need to sharpen it almost before every use - the sharpener is included in the back of the crayon. They are very similar to the Maybelline's Ink Crayons and both are good. I'm not loving the shade range as much as at Suede Ink, thought this one has the best red from the Revlon lipsticks I own (which are many). 

100 Extra Black, 301 Electric Blue, 400 Amethyst Violet, 500 Emerald Green, 504 Military Green

A while ago I got sent a black, deep blue and a military green versions of these. I loved the one black so much, I bought the waterproof version later. This time I got a few brighter shades. 301 Electric blue is a bright blue shade that shows up on the lashes well. 400 Amethys Violet is already deeper and not as visible, but the way I clumsily apply mascara, so it ends up on my skin, you can see the pretty violet colour effect. Shade 500 is new in Slovenia and Croatia. You get the a vibrant turquoise colour on the lashes, intense just like at Electric blue. Military green is too dark and looks a classic black on the eyelashes. Vamp formula is one of the best, as it's very volumising and lengthening. If you're looking for good coloured mascaras that show up even on dark lashes without having to use a white primer/base, Pupa's are great.  

This is a tubing mascara, which means it can be removed just with warm water. It's interesting to see how the whole coat / tube comes off in a single piece of the lashes when removing it, but I like to follow up with a cleanser, even though water gets pretty much all of it off. This is a great mascara for adding length. As far as volume goes it's ok, but it fails at definition, as it starts to stick lashes together. It's best to keep a separate clean brush at hand, but I expect this mascara with become thicker and hopefully more defining in time. It's a regular formula, so it doesn't hold my lashes curled.

This is quite impressive. I was using a Maybelline Tattoo eyeliner before I got sent this and I've long consider it as my favourite, but Milani's turned out to be even more intense. It's such a deep black and it manages to stay in the waterline even at the end of the day, albeit somewhat faded. On the top lashline I wish it were a bit creamier, so it could glide smoother, but the line is very intense and stays put.

I have a LE version of this spray, Flora, which is scented. This one has no scent, but it’s otherwise the same. It does the job of prolonging the staying power of makeup and it can be used as a priming mist too. It's not my favourites, as that honour goes to Revlon's Colorstay Lock and in the second place is Urban Decay's famous All Nighter Spray, but this one isn't far behind those two and I like the ingredients of Milani's most, as it has niacinamide. The spray pump is not the best, as I wish the mist were more fine. There are several large drops when I spray it and it takes some time to dry, but like I said, it does the job of keeping the makeup looking fresh for longer. 

A very pigmented highlighter that looks a lot more beige-champagne in the pan than on my cheeks. It's quite gold and I don't find it suits my skin tone, but on warmer, deeper tones than mine, it should look great. It's intense quickly on the cheeks and the shimmer is more on the larger side compared to my other highlighters, but it's not chunky. 

If I remember correctly this is the most popular shade of these baked blushes - at least it was in the past. I've tested it in the shop when we got these and immediately knew this won't be for me, so I picked Petal Primavera instead (and I still want the pink 01 Dolce Pink, since I find Primavera too warm for my liking.) It's an apricot orange blush with not a hint of pink. On my very pale, neutral skin tone it looks orange, so it's definitely not my colour, but as Milani shows in their pictures, on deeper skin tones it looks pinker or peachy-pink, as it happens with all such shades. It's a very intense shade, so I need a light hand, but even with a small amount, the glow is visible, as it has very fine shimmer. Now that it's new, the powder is very loose, but Petal Primavera was exactly like it and in time that layer got used up and it's a nice smooth blush now. Staying power is excellent, as it lasts all day on my cheeks. 

I've tried a few lip oils by now and this is another nice, nourishing formula. They aren't as impressively glossy or long lasting as the Catrice ones, though. Milani's have a very lovely fragrance: the yellow passion fruit coconut version has a warm, tropical scent and the red raspberry peach has a sweet berry scent. They also have a sweet taste. Both shades are clear or in a thick coat have a gentle tint. 

I used to own Milani's liquid lipstick in a square tube. I don't know if these are repackaged or improved or a separate new line. They are full opaque with one swipe and start to set to a matte finish quickly. They can feel tight on the lips, especially if your lips are often dry - but that's the deal with liquid matte lipsticks and I can manage just fine with these new Milani ones. I'm mostly not aware they are on. Staying power is great like at most matte liquid lipstick and they can survive drinking or eating (non-greasy foods), but I've tried some that were even more impressive. Shade 10/10 is a deep beige on my pale skin and it should be a nice nude shade on deeper skins. Snatched is a medium neutral pink. 

I noticed S-he stand has a nice selection of nail polish shades when I was looking for replacements for my aging stash. I picked a pink nude 245 and a Essies's Bahama Mama & Sole Mate like shade 310. The nude 245 has a somewhat of an odd formula, as the first layer sort of separates, like I were applying it over an oily surface (I didn't), but the second layer fixes all and it's a nice opaque and even shade. The deep plum 310 is a jelly shade that's even with the first coat, but isn't opaque until the second coat. Staying power is average on me, meaning good.

I had this on my list to pick up since the launch, but they aren't worth it. They are meant to be a replacement for hydrogel gel pads and can be combined with any (eye) cream/serum/lotion. They stick well even over a large amount of eye cream, however, they don't feel at all refreshing like hydrogels. They feel hot and almost suffocating - maybe they are better if they were kept in the fridge, but I think they may warm up quickly and they don't let the skin breathe. They are being discontinued anyway. 

I got this from the stand when they were discontinuing Essence products, so it's likely already gone. But's it's a pretty medium warm-neutral pink and the formula is nicely smooth. Shame they are letting this one go. 

A repurchase. I got send the entire line a while back and this is my favourite product in the bunch and so far the one I've used up. It contains the highest amount of Neoglucosamine or Acetyl Glucosamine, the new potentially “it” ingredient that is a super hydrator, supposedly has an anti-ageing effect and fades hyperpigmentation. It's more a lotion than a serum and it contains tiny shimmer. The latter creates an instant illuminating effect, so it's like one of those glowy primers , but I actually never use it in my morning routine, just my night one. Does it make my skin more bright - I noticed nothing special, but my skin is in nice condition and I like using it. I noticed they reduced the price here since I was first reviewing these - almost unbelievable. 

My favourite remover for waterproof mascaras. Since I ran out of Neutrogena's, which is similarly very effective, I've been using Nivea's and Hofer's removers and they are so weak, they barely get any waterproof mascara off, let alone the resilient Essence or Pupa ones. Maybelline's just does the job. 

A repurchase. It's quite unique, as it's very light for an oil that contains just proper oils and no silicones, and it has an effect that resembles silicone oils. It's got a dry oil texture and it's the lightest such oil I've tried, so I can use more often than other regular oils before my hair starts feeling like it needs a wash. It also doesn't it start smelling rancid on the hair in the following days like some other oils do (like coconut). I either use this as an overnight treatment or in the morning to tame nourish dry hair and tame the frizz. It's so expensive, but I've grown to really love it in the years I've been using it and I use it several times a week.   

This was a generous gift with purchase. Formula looks thin and light, but this is a very shiny SPF. Luckily I haven't experienced it slipping into my eyes and it protects me well. It's an SPF I'd only wear at home or on the beach, as it's otherwise too shiny. It promises to prevent and correct brown spots. It contains Cx Complex that consists of Enoxolone, Pea Extract, Sucrose, Uriage Thermal Water and Vitamin C. It acts on different stages of the hyperpigmentation process and helps prevent the formation and reappearance of dark spots. Sunscreen filters used are Tinosorb S, Uvinul A Plus and Uvinul T 150.

I liked this the moment I tried it. I didn't expect it to be an actual oil, as I've tried a few such shower gel oils and they are all regular gels, but this one is a lot more like an oil and turns into a milky emulsion with water. It's not as rich as L'Occitane's, but better than the thin Balea shower oil. It's designed for sensitive, itchy, dry skin and can be used for anything. I love it for the body, it's nice on the face too (but it doesn't take off makeup and it's not as kind to the eyes as I'd expect from a product like this), while for the hair I surprisingly find it makes my hair too squeaky clean. It's nourishing on the skin, but for my hair it's too stripping - odd. It's fragranced with a gentle warm clean scent (I'm guessing the fragrance they used is hypoallergenic). I don't know if it helps with itching, but the skin feels comfortable after washing.

I didn't buy this for me, but for someone who has problems with itchy skin. I only gave it a quick try and I loved the texture of it. It's nicely creamy and absorbs quickly enough. It felt soothing and it's fragrance free. It contains shea butter, niancinamide and something called aqua posae filiformis, which rebalances the skin microbiome. Its designed for skin that suffers from eczema. 

I saw the tube is by now basically empty, so it looks like it helps. 

Another anti-itching product I bought for someone else. This one contains calamine. I borrowed it a few times to treat mosquito bites and its work ok, but it leaves white marks. 

I was looking for recommendations for caring for blonde hair and mostly they mentioned Redken Acidic Bond Care and K18. I got just the shampoo from Redken for now, but there's also a conditioner and a leave-in. Shampoo is sulphate-free and contains citric acid, which Redken says reinforces weakened bonds within your hair. Formula is just lovely and it's very similar to my other favourite shampoo from Olaplex. It's a thick, rich formula that forms a dense foam. It lathers well, you don't have a feeling you're using a sulphate-free shampoo. It doesn't leave the hair stripped and tangled, so the hair is easy to comb even without using a conditioner. It wouldn't say it's nourishing, just that it regardless suits my very dry hair, but as far as if it suits thin hair, I can't say since I have a completely different hair type. Plenty reviews praise it, which probably means it suits other hair types. It has a nice citrus scent. I like this just as much as Olaplex and I'd like to try the conditioner and leave-in too. I don't think, though, that you should see this as a stand-alone repairing product for hair, as it's just a shampoo and (wash off or leave-in) treatment do most of the work, but it probably does help prevent some breakage (since the hair isn't tangled after use), adjusts pH and leaves the hair somewhat conditioned. 

Try number two. I already had the 5 ml mini and I wasn't impressed, but then I realised I wasn't using it right after watching some videos. It wasn't my fault, since there are no proper instructions on the bottle or the box and it's a pretty big thing to omit from the instructions that this needs to be emulsified between the palms of the hands for several seconds, so you get a dense milky emulsion. I think I even heard it's only activated after that, but I could have misheard. They also recommend to do 4-6 course treatments to see results. It contains a peptide that strengthens bonds. It's supposed to be used on clean hair as a leave-in, left for 4 minutes and then you can use other leave-in care and styling, but no conditioner or mask. The latter part is a problem for me, as my hair is very dry and leave-ins can't do the hydrating/nourishing job as well as masks, so my hair gets dry very fast after washing my hair and using this treatment, and dry hair means breakage. You need to use a small amount of this, as it can have an opposite effect otherwise. I use about 3 ml per use, that's 9 pumps on this 15 ml version (50 ml version dispenses 1 ml per pump). 15 ml lasted me 6 treatments and I think there is still some left. After six uses, honestly, I'm still disappointed by this. It doesn't compare to the Olaplex n.0 + n.3 + n.8 regime or Joico K-Pack or Moroccanoil. My hair isn't smoother, I don't think it looks healthier, it doesn't break any less and during the treatments, I really missed nourishment and silkyness that I get from some masks, though I understand this is a repairing treatment. I know it's hailed as a miracle for bleached hair, but it didn't do the job on me. 

MOROCCANOIL Color Deposing Mask 

I'm still dyeing my blonde hair with temporary brown colours. I always use Subrina or Wella, but this time I treated myself to Moroccanoil because honestly, I really dislike how unnourished and hard those two formulas leave my hair (as much as everyone praise how soft they leave their hair, me and my thick hair texture are not so lucky). This was so worth the high price. My hair feels so soft and silky, it's shiny and manageable - truly Moroccanoil is a brand I can rely on and is worth splurging on. Colour is somewhere between Wella's dark brown and Subrina's Warm Brown reddish brown, so warmer/more reddish than my natural hair colour, but the depth is close, meaning this is quite a deep brown and if you're medium brown, you may need to mix it with shade Champagne to avoid it looking too dark. Again like at Wella the colour looks a bit flat because I apply it over blonde hair with removed underlying undertones. It washed off first purple and then grey. It took about 6 washes to get most of it off, but due to grey tones, I was itching to dye it again after a third wash. At my next use I mixed in Subrina's Orange shade of Colour Refresh, so I might avoid it washing off grey again on blonde hair. 

A new product by Moroccanoil and I got just a mini to try first. It's a similar thing as the Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural spray, as it promises to tame frizz, help achieve a smooth blow out and protect against humidity (up to 90%). Color Wow does nothing on me, so that was a major disappointment despite the raves, but this Moroccanoil one is much more effective. It works best in combination with Moroccanoil products, but even with other hair care, I achieve a smoother hair style. Just like Color Wow, it's supposed to be applied as the last step (I apply my usual leave-ins before) and it needs to be activated by heat. I spray a lot of it on towel dried hair and then blow dry. It significantly reduces frizz, however, I wouldn't my hair is completely smooth, nor does it have that glass hair look and my hair still lacks natural bounce (due to the thick texture of my hair), but compared to almost everything at the moment, it's brilliant (though their Smoothing Lotion is similar) and an extra oil or something after blow drying does the final smoothing touches. My hair feels so soft and it easy to manage. Lately I've been having trouble with my hair holding a curl, since they dropped in day, but with this they can last four or five days. I've also straightened the hair, but I don't think it makes a massive difference compared to without, as the heat of the straightener does most of the work on its own. My hair feels less dry, is less brittle and less tangled when I use this. I've got caught the rain (drizzle) twice and and my hair didn't go all frizzy, puffy and my curls didn't drop. I'm impressed.  

I waited for this to appear in our drugstores, but for months we only had the conditioner. I only picked this out of 4 products, as it's the most unique one, but buying all would be too expensive (it's a shame they don't have sample sizes). However, I realised at home, it's not much different than the conditioner, as it need to be applied on damp hair and I need to wash it regardless, since I use a lot leave-ins between washings and I think this won't be as effective if the hair isn't somewhat clean, so I end up washing it twice. Results were underwhelming. It didn't help the hair be less brittle for a while (Joico, Redken, Olaplex do have that effect) and on the second day my hair was already so dry, it was breaking and I had to wash my hair again. It didn't look any sleeker, better or less damaged after use, so I'm not impressed.  

Aa very light mist, suitable for probably all hair types and it contains hydrolysed keratin. It adds such an amazing amount of non-greasy looking shine on my natural hair, though on my dyed lengths don't look quite as glossy. It's one of those products with which you can "fake" shiny healthy looking hair for a while, which comes especially handy when you're taking pictures. 

Apricot is my frequent repurchase as it smells like the name says. The Protect and Dexpanthenol version is new to me and it contains panthenol. It's  more heavily fragranced than the apricot one, so it won't be every ones cup of tea, but it's a nice cream scent. Formulas are the same, creamy, but not as much as Dove's. 

A repurchase. I've long been a fan of the Pearl & Beauty scent, but the stick deodorant disappeared for a while. It's nice to see it back in the shops. It's different than the old one, as it feels somewhat wet at application. It protects me well and smells powdery. Like all such stick deodorants it leaves white marks. 

I'm a fan or the regular formula even though it's not waterproof and it doesn't hold a curl that well (it's not completely useless), but I like it because it makes the lashes look so pretty - fanned out, defined, volumised and longer. I expected the waterproof version to do the same, but this formula is very dry, so it has little ability to shape. At application, it more of less just deposits a light layer of product. It doesn't define nor keep the lashes in place, so my messy lashes just look criss-cross or the way I managed to curl them. It's a natural looking mascara that doesn't add that much volume, since it pretty much impossible to build up, but it's enough for my lashes. It has thickened since I got it and it's a bit better in the volume department, but there is a big difference when I use one of the regular formulas I got in the meantime (Catrice and Milani). Formula is easy to remove with Nuxe's cleansing oil and doesn't need a separate remover, so I ended up wearing this one a lot because of this, however, it's not excellent in the curl holding department. My lashes don't stay as curled as well with some other waterproof mascaras, but this one leaves my lashes softer than others, so to a glasses wearer like me with long lashes, it's more comfortable to wear.   

Notino, 5,54 €

I've been a fan of this formula for many years and shade Cotton Candy is one of my favourites. Formula is soft, yet firm enough to be precise. It's a tiny bit sticky or better said thick enough that it sticks to the lips well. It can survive drinking and even eating, especially this shade since it's very pigmented. 07 Cherry Boom Boom is a true cool red that I got it to combine with my favourite shades of red. 

Notino, 2,53 €

These are L'Oreal's newest lipsticks, all in nude shades. I saw this shade on one of the few blogs that still do swatches and wanted it immediately, since it looked like the perfect nude. The moment I used it I loved the formula. It just feels so nice, high-end and well done. It's comfortable, smooth and has great pigmentation. When I was removing it after taking pictures I also noticed it sticks to the lips better than Max Factor, which is not that common for nude shades. It can survive eating mostly intact, but even so where it wipes off it's not that obvious on me because it's very close to my natural lip colour.173 Nu Impertinent is an excellent my-lip-but-better shade for my skin tone and I just love it because it looks so natural and defines the lips. It's about a half a shade lighter than my favourite lip liner Essence's Big Proposal that I've been using for shaping my lips for a few years now and once I searched the entire drugstore, swatching everything to find something similar in a lipstick form - turns out all I had to do it give it a year or two and I'll get what I want. Finish is satin-creamy and this formula suits dry lips as well. This formula has a different scent than I'm used to from L'Oreal, it's kind of artificial berry fruity instead of the violet scent that I know many dislike (I like it). 

Müller, about 13 €

MAX FACTOR Color Elixir Moisture Kiss Lipstick 

A while ago Max Factor Slovenia surprised me with a personalised lipstick that had my name on the cap, but I'm not a fan of the frosty Angel Pink shade, so I wanted a different one and just change the caps. I forgot about it for a while and Max Factor changed their lipstick line in the meantime, but luckily the packaging stayed similar and the cap fits. Simply Nude is a light, peachy-neutral nude, very easy to wear and a nice shade for my pale skin tone. Formula is a simple creamy, moisturising one with a bit of a shine. 

Muller, about 10 €

Quite an eye catching collection by Essence that consist mostly of highlighters. This is a decent enough lip balm. I expected a formula that won't be very nourishing, but it's a nice comfortable, moisturising formula that stays on the lips for about an hour or two, which is a lot more than I expected. It has no long-term effect though and I find that after it's gone from the lips, I need to apply it again - something I don't need after using my usual stash. It has a slight pinky tint, but you need to build it up to show. It has a strange fruity scent, not terrible, but more on the plastic side. It's not amazing and Essence has better lip balms (coconut one is great), but if you like the packaging, it's a decent buy.

DM, about 2-3 €. I saw these are still available in some DMs. 

The newest concealer by Revlon that when you read the 5 claims sounds like Captain Obvious wrote it, but the gist is that it's a coverage + brightening + skin care combining formula. Like their Photoready Candid concealer it contains caffeine and vitamin C, first for potential instant reduction in puffiness and the second for brightening when using long term. Personally I prefer the ingredients list of Candid, as it has niacinamide high on the list, but in terms of performance I like both and they work similarly on me. Formula has a good pigmentation and a medium-high coverage without looking heavy, so it's the type of formula I like, one that blends into the skin invisibly and it's not so matte it would look obvious on my dry skin. It's also not a dewy formula, but at this moment my skin makes everything more matte, so I can't tell you the finish on normal, combination or oily skin. It covers my redness under my eyes and on the sides of the nose ok and it can cover an inflamed blemish too without looking too cakey. Staying power is great on me. I checked a few times at the end of the day and most of it was still on. This has a sponge applicator that Revlon say is antibacterial and I like it because it reminds me somewhat of Maybelline the Eraser except this is smaller. I have all 5 shades that are sold in Slovenia, but there's 17 in total. There is a shade 001 Universal neutralizer and 002 Universal brightener that are used as the first layer to create a more even and lifted effect, but 001 is too dark to work on me, so it's better suited for deeper shades than Fair. Fair is a bit too dark for me, but it still works without looking very off. 

I was waiting for this. I love Pupa's Vamp! Scented Nail Polish Gel Effect formula, especially the shades with the pink fragrance and in my original review I said I'd very much love to have a fragrance like it. And here it is. Pupa released all three versions of scents they have in their nail polishes, the Pink one, Red and Black. I tested this one in one DM, feel in instantly love, since it's even better than the scent you get on the nails from a nail polish, still I decided to wait and see how it lasts. I got in my car and in the middle of the drive, surrounded by a cloud of gorgeous fragrance, decided I needed it and just drove to the next DM to buy it. The price is steep for my liking, but this scent is incredible - powdery, floral and soft - it kind of gives me Yankee Candle Soft Blanket vibes. I get tonka bean, iris, benzoin and vanilla the most. It's a very comforting scent and lasts decently on the skin, several hours, but it's not silage monster. The bottle is similar to the nail polishes and immediately attracted attention on my vanity. 

Top notes: orange blossom, jasmine

Heart: tonka bean, silk blossom

Base: iris, benzoin, sandalwood, vanilla 

DM, 39,99 for 50 ml

And the day after I bought the Pink version, I got this in the mail. I actually didn't test in the shop, neither did I test the Black one because I was so enchanted by the pink one, but I have a nail polish with the black version and it reminds me of scents like La Vie est Belle, so a vanilla-patchouli combination. This one almost completely changes character from a floral vanilla with a strong cocoa note at the start, but after a few minutes it becomes a rich bouquet of flowers with a spicy patchouli kick. I smell mostly rose, jasmine, pink pepper and a bit of patchouli. The overall vibe this give me is that it's in the same fragrance family as Alien.   

Top notes: bergamot, pink pepper

Heart: jasmine, tuberose, iris, rose, peach leaves, patchouli

Base: tonka bean, vanilla, sandalwood, amber, musk, cocoa

DM, 54,99 € for 100 ml

Along with the Red fragrance I got three of these, which made me so happy because I had the red one high on my wishlist and I also didn't see 104 on the stand before (easy to miss, since light shades look the same under awfully yellow DM lights), but it's just my style and I know I'll wear this one very often. I already have shades 103 and 302, which I already reviewed and swatched. Formula is the same, I like it and it lasts well on me (which is true for most nail polishes on my nails), but the main plus is the scent, which is well noticeable on the first day, so I get a whiff of the fragrance every time I put my hand near my face and on the second day it's still noticeable when I put my nails to the nose. 104 is a muted nude pink and 203 a cool red.   

I already have this mascara, in fact I have it in three colours and I've already made a review about them. It's an amazing regular formula, I fell in love with it with first use. It fans out the lashes perfectly, defines, gives tons of volume and length. The only minus is that's it's a regular formula, so it doesn't hold my lashes up, so I've been planning on getting a waterproof one for a while, but the steep price has put that plan on hold, plus I bought the Max Factor one for a cheap price and I'm using that one now. I just hope the waterproof formula is as good as the regular ones. The coloured ones are great too.

DM, 16,99 €  

I just got this and used it twice. It's a mascara with an hourglass-shaped silicone brush, which means it's excellent for definition. It's a top performer in terms of volume and length right out of the box, meaning it creates big lashes. This mascara is very surprisingly not that bad at holding the lashes up. It reminds me of Oriflame's GG Fortemente one that can hold my lashes up kind of decently if I recurl my lashes when the mascara is already on (gently and don't do that yourself, my lashes are strong). However, it can't lift the lashes itself like it promises, so a ton of curling is still involved and on the second try, it disappointed because it didn't do the job as well as the first time. On one of my eyes that has extra stubborn lashes, when my lashes drop just a bit, they instantly start hitting my glasses and this mascara leaves the lashes stiff, so it's not comfortable to me and I need to wear glasses lower on my nose. But I'm sure you don't have such problems and so far it's looking like a great volumising & lengthening mascara with good hold for a regular formula. 

Balea's second niacinamide product, this one combines 5% of niacinamide with 6 % of AHA, specifically glycolic and mandelic acid. It doesn't say how much of each it's in the serum, but glycolic is first on INCI list and mandelic right after - it's weak for an AHA product, so something for beginners. Instructions say to apply this for 10 minutes and then wash off, but since it's merely 6% AHA, I just use it as a serum as the first step after cleansing. I get no tingling from this and from my perspective this feels very mild, though maybe those who are new to acids or have more sensitive skin might feel something. Product is a serum-gel that feels a bit sticky on the skin before it fully dries, then the skin feels smooth and dry to the touch. It applies easily and one pump can be spread on my entire face, though most may need two. This has a strong musty-plastic scent, which is an odd one, but I don't find it unpleasant - the product though is fragrance free. I've been using it a while and I see no results from this - I actually didn't expect any, since my skin is used to stronger stuff, but I like the simple ingredients list and I just wanted to try it, then pass it on to a family member/friend who should start using such a product. Packaging is glass with a pump and a plastic cap that fits quite tight.

DM, 3.99 €

I got the entire line, which I was interested in, since it launched sometime last year and has been sold in Müller for a while now. I was going to buy the day cream myself next time I'm in the drugstores, so I was very happy to see this landing on my doorstep. The reason I wanted this line is Neoglucosamine or Acetyl Glucosamine, the new potentially “it” ingredient that is a super hydrator, supposedly has an anti-ageing effect and fades hyperpigmentation, especially when in combination with niacinamide (which they didn't include in any of the products). This line also contains AHAs in some products, mostly the gentle mandelic acid. All the Bright Boost products are scented, but not strongly. 

Resurfacing Polish combines glycolic and mandelic acid in unknown percentages, but it also has tiny scrubby particles and I think a combination of chemical +  mechanical peeling will turn some people away from the product. But you can easily leave it on the skin as a mask (Neutrogena suggests to massage it in and rinse, but that's a waste of AHAs) and then try to gently wash it off, avoiding doing much scrubbing. Particles are small and to me don't feel very scrubby, but my skin isn't easy to deal with when it comes to scrubs, regardless I find this is an ok formula. As a mask it's too weak for me, but it may be nice for beginners. Tube is small with only 75 ml of product.

Drugstores (DM, Müller, Tuš Drogerija,...), 15,99 €

This contains the highest amount of Neoglucosamine and it's also the lightest product in this line. It's more a lotion than a serum and it contains tiny shimmer. The latter creates an instant illuminating effect, so it's like one of those glowy primers and so far I find this is the most suited product to wear as a base under make up, but in general I have had a lot of problems with pilling with this line. I wanted to buy the Day Cream before trying all the products (I like it has mandelic acid), but now that I've tested everything, this is what I'd purchase instead because it's much easier to include in the routine. 

Drugstores, 15,99 €

I was so excited about this and I'm always happy to get something with SPF to test, but I was most let down by it. While it's a light creamy formula that easily applied on the skin also in larger amounts and it doesn't leave a white cast, it pills immediately when I try to apply anything on top -  something you don't want to find out five minutes before you need to leave the house while applying makeup over it (the only day I was happy masks are still I thing). It’s not my favourite and I have a similar problem with Garnier's SPF 50 with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, but it’ll be useful on no-makeup days. For a sunscreen it doesn't feel greasy and it doesn't irritate my eyes, basically it feels like a moisturiser and not sunscreen, but it's not matte (like all products in this line, it's shiny/glowy, though this one has no shimmer), nor is it as light as Biore or Garnier Fluid.

Drugstores, 15,99 €

Day Cream combines Acetyl Glucosamine with mandelic acid, PHA and squalane which leaves me perplexed why include AHA in a day cream and not night one. I use this in my night routine, not just because of AHA's (whose concentration is likely so weak, it barely matters they are in), but because it pills. It a light formula, a bit thicker than a lotion and doesn't feel heavy, but it also doesn't absorb fast. It pills when I touch my face or apply stuff on top and even when I try to apply it over other skin care that I've left to be absorbed, but this just hates anything I can't to combine it with. Ingredients-wise I like this and I want to use it, but it's not very user-friendly. 

Drugstores, 15,99 €

This has Acetyl Glucosamine, shea butter, hyaluronic acid and minerals. Neutrogena also promises it's pillow-friendly, but not immediately, as this feels like a regular hydrating moisturiser from the start and in about 5 minutes it sets to a dry-to-the-touch finish. It's quite thick and rich, but has a strange type of texture that feels like hard jelly and it evens itself out in the pot. It feels bouncy when you touch it and it's not easy to scoop out because of that. It has a silicone early on the list, so it feels like a primer on the skin once it sets, but this is yet another product that pills and I can't wear it under makeup. I use this as the last step in my night routine because of ingredients list and just put up with the pilling.

Drugstores, 15,99 €

 This is a smart mask device, Foreo's version of an at home professional treatment that is used with sheet masks, so you can experience a skin care therapy you'd get in a salon, but this is also in a small portable format and it only takes a minute and a half. It combines warming (it heats up to 45°C & preps the skin), T-Sonic pulsations (enhancing mask absorption) and LED light therapy (brightening and anti-aging). It targets dehydration, loss of elasticity and uneven skin tone. Foreo says: 

- Enhances skin absorption of active ingredients

- T-Sonic pulsations: infuse masks ingredients deeper into the skin

- Red LED: Stimulates collagen production (Anti-aging)

- Green LED: Evens the skin tone

- Blue LED: Stimulates blood circulation (kills bacteria)

- Warming (up to 45°C): Opens pores and softens skin

- Safe and effective for all skin types

- Offers a 90-second full-facial routine at home

- Pairs with the FOREO app for maximum effect of each mask

It wasn't easy to get started with this one - completely Foreo's fault because it's actually so easy, but they make it unnecessary complicated, not providing instructions in the box and they expect you to first register and download an app, but UFO can easily be used without all that and once I realised that, things went a lot more smoothly. Now I use it regularly, not just with their masks, but with my stash and actually Nuxe oil to aid absorption (Foreo says to only use this with masks, but whatever, I do my own thing. Obviously, don't follow in my footsteps, but it makes the large amount of oil I use with Gua Sha absorb so much faster). This is the mini version of UFO, the first one, but a new one called 2 exists already. It's smaller than the original UFO, but provides most of the same things, except for the cooling option that closes pores and reduces puffiness. Foreo wants you to buy their sheet masks for these, which I'm not a complete fan of even though Make my Day and Call it a Night contain a pack of 6 for 10 €, which comes at about 1,7 € per mask - not too expensive, but I think one or both of these might have caused a mini breakout and if Foreo uses about the same ingredients for all masks, I'm in a bit of a pickle  (it could have been hormones or stress, I'm not sure, but masks were the only new thing I tried and I'm kinda scared to try it again, so now I'm using my other masks). Foreo says that other masks might be unpredictable because the device heats up, but I found that in the settings you can completely customize your treatment by adjusting intensity of the T-Sonic pulsations, turning off heat and picking the colour of LED (it's not a programme, but you can see all the device is capable off in the settings). Foreo has a description on their website what each colour does. Also I find it a bit dumb that they try to limit you to just their masks - when I buy something I want it to be as versatile as it can, providing me with many options of use - that would be a major selling point to me. Every Foreo mask has a programme that work best with the formula and with Make my Day and Call it a Night use red light, while I downloaded the one for the glowy mask and that one uses green. Masks are saturated with essence and a 90 second treatment helps absorption so much, my skin is almost dry to the touch after using one of these and Foreo masks have so much essence. I then squeeze the remainder of the essence from the pack on the sheet again and do the treatment once more. I love that I get the most out of sheet masks now. Usually I had to wait for a half an hour or more and there was still essence on the sheet masks, so I felt like I was wasting product (I used it for the body, but still), now I can get so much more absorbed into the skin and it only takes 90 seconds. I can't really say that I've seen a massive improvement of my skin, but maybe some changes will show in time. To be fair I'm happy with my skin and I just want to maintain its condition, meaning slow aging and maybe this with the other ton of stuff I use may do the trick. I also use Foreo's Luna 2 mini regularly, about every other day and I still enjoy using it. It makes my skin smoother, softer and feeling more clean as well as more ready to absorb products. The cleanser is lovely too.

If you want to know more, I highly suggest you go read reviews online. They are mostly positive, so I look forward to seeing results on my skin (and hope I don't discover it's the masks that break me out).  Since UFO mini is an old model you can get it much cheaper than UFO original or the new 2 models.

UFO mini 2 is currently 88 € on Foreo's website. 

I'm a big fan of the original/regular Olaplex shampoo, since it's has such a rich, creamy formula and I think it did improve my hair (together with Joico Defy Damage). So I had high hopes for this new purple formula, but sadly Olaplex didn't use that same thick one, instead it's thinner, basically a dupe for L'Oreal's purple shampoo. Colour is the same too, a very intense purple that makes my lighter hair silvery/ashy, but it doesn't work on orange (expected, of course). It's not drying and it does the job, but the whole point of buying it was so that I would get a purple shampoo with that Olaplex rich formula because before I just mixed Olaplex with L'Oreal's purple one. At least it has the Olaplex ingredient. However, I've been using it for a while now and I like it. It may not be as creamy as the original, but I can see it works the same.

Notino, 25,10 €

I got the larger size after using a 30 ml satchel. I diluted it with conditioner the first time I used it, so I didn't get a purple shade, but it turned out to be a fantastic toner for my darker blonde and even orange hair. Now I got a 200 ml size and I'll try to achieve a cool purple shade and maybe use some of it for toning like the first time. I read in reviews this shade doesn't wash off, but it came off fine on me, though I didn't have an intense colour. 

Click2Chic, 28,00 €

I got this as a gift after it's been on my wishlist for years and I was almost certain it's been discontinued, since I couldn't find it anywhere in the last years - I was told they found it on Notino. It's Guerlain's version of the beachy perfume, so one with lots of tiare flower. It's somewhere in between Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, Yves Rocher Monoi de Tahiti, Nuxe's Prodigieux Le Parfum and Paco Rabanne Olympea, but it's closest to Yves Rocher's version. Both are very floral with strong notes of tiare and at Guerlain also tons of jasmine with a little bit of orange blossom and ylang-ylang. Unlike Yves Rocher, Terracotta has some citrus freshness from bergamot, but it quickly becomes a more creamy floral, though with still strong jasmine. Like at all the previous mentions I frustratingly get zero coconut, so none truly smells completely properly summery. So far I've found only Bath & Body Works offerings delivers coconut on my skin, so I prefer those, but this one is a more grown up, French Riviera version fancy version of a beachy perfume with tons of floral notes and one you can wear as a night time perfume too. Silage is strong at first, but becomes moderate quickly. Staying power is average.  

Notes

Top: Tiare Flower, Coconut and Bergamot

Heart: Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Orange Blossom; 

Base: Vanilla and Musk.

Chypre Floral

Top: Marigold, Peach, Blueberry

Heart: Rose, Jasmine, Rose 

Absolute

Base: Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla

I love the bottle, the colour is beautiful. I know Eclat fragrances from scented pages (I like most) and this is different, deeper and a going-out scent. It starts fresh fruity-floral, so the sweet-sour fruitiness of the blueberry and peach mixed with floral notes. Later it transforms into a rich floral with a spicy base. I smell rose and jasmine as the strongest notes, while the patchouli that I usually dislike or my skin dislikes, is less herbal/spicy than in other (popular) fragrances, but adds depth to the scent. I can still smell some blueberry later, but it stays close to the skin. It’s more of a mature scent and a date night one. Based on the scented page I like the men version and I don’t like many men’s fragrances. 

The hand cream has a much lighter, more creamy scent, but with the same floral DNA - I like it. In fact more than the fragrance itself. Formula is pretty thin and light, so not that different than many such perfumed creams and it's not nourishing enough for my skin.

Oriflame, regular price for fragrance 34 € and hand cream 4,5 €, but they often have big discounts.

A nice fruity floral with some powderiness. Yes it smells generic, but I like such uncomplicated scents. I smell the fruity notes from the start (mandarin, orange, apple and peach, but mostly apple) and then it becomes a clean musky floral, I get mostly violets from floral notes. I don’t get any patchouli at all and the latter doesn’t add any depth to the fragrance, instead this is a standard daytime scent. I get very little vanilla on my skin and this is more of a skin scent. I wasn't much aware of this brand before I got this, but I went to check what else we have in our drugstores and I loved Women n.2, an excellent powdery scent.  

Notes:

Top: mandarin, artemisia, apple

Heart: jasmine, peach, violets

Base: musk, vanilla, patchouli

DM, 19,99 € for 20 ml

An eye masks that heats up and promises to relax & soothe tired eyes. I got the lavender version, but there’s also one without scent. Now I need to find those 20 minutes to relax. 

Muller, 1.79 €

A repurchase. This is one of my favourite shower gels because of the scent. It's an amazing vineyard peach-meets- apricot fragrance, very close to the real deal. Formula is creamy and not drying, but it's not as nice as Dove. 

DM, 2,79 €

After trying the Pink Blossom version (which smells so similar to La Vie est Belle) and Golden Moon (similar to Alien), I became a fan of these types of Balea deodorants and I also use them as room sprays because they are so strong and scent lasts. This is much softer scent than the other two and I like it most because of that. Balea says it smells like bellflowers and hydrangeas (zvončnice in hortenzije). It smells sweet and floral, a nice very feminine scent. These are very cheap, but I remember I paid 1,19 € for the other two, however, this one is bigger with 200 ml and not 150 ml.

DM, 1,39 €

My standard deodorant for the last few years. It works and that's all that matters. Since it's one of those stick ones, it leaves white streaks on black clothing, but when it comes to deodorant sticks are the only thing I like, as I find them more effective than roll-ons or sprays. I got the one with the original scent last time because this one wasn't sold where I was shopping at the time, but this one is better, coconuty.

DM, 3,99 €