This is now in a new packaging, I've been using my old stash. It's my favourite super cheap shampoo and the all-in-one (hair+face+body) product. As a shampoo it's good for my very dry hair, similar to L'Oreal Extraordinary despite being silicone and oil free. I use it for the first wash, as it's kind of my shampoo for my scalp, though it hasn't helped with my dandruff or removed flakes. 

My old favourite that I've used up many bottles of. But this latest one or even the one before that (because I always have a spare) didn't feel like the formula I know. It says "new" on the packaging, so maybe they changed something, but it didn't feel as much like shampoo +conditioner in one. I still like it, but for my current hair condition I've started using other stuff more often. 

One of my favourite hair treatments that I've been using for years. It's hydrating enough for my hair and leaves it in better condition, but it truly shines in combination with the Reconstructor. 

I'm not a big fan of this on its own because the results are pretty bland on my hair, but in combination with other products it's great, especially the n.0 makes a big difference and I now never use n.3 on its own. Since I'm bleaching my hair, this is a must in my stash and I've bought several bottles so far. I always have one full one in my backups, so I'm never without it. 

This is one of my favourite hair products. It can be used on damp and dry hair, which is the type of formulas I like most. In both cases it tames my hair and delivers some Olaplex goodness (bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate) to restore my hair. Packaging is terrible though, this needs to be put in a tube. 

One of the strongest neutralising product for warm tones on blonde hair I know, which means your need to be careful with this (mix it with a clear mask), but also one rare products that is capable of toning on very intense warm tones. I've used up several tubes of this, including coloured ones.

This is blue instead of more common purple and it should neutralize orange tones. Except it doesn't. It toned my lightest hair, so those with yellow tones and quite well (a grey blonde), but gold and orange were still visible, so after using a whole tube of this, I'm just not impressed. The whole point why I got this was because it's meant for brunettes who bleach their hair & struggle with strong warm tones and I didn't get the results I wanted. This looks so intense blue on the hair, it's kind of scary to see it, but the recommended 10 minutes does nothing. It all just washes off like I used nothing and it doesn't even work on my lightest hair. I get an effect only after I leave it on for 20-25 minutes. In terms of how nice the formula is, it's a really good nourishing formula that was rich enough for my hair. For strong warm tones Moroccanoil Lilac mask is better.

I recently spoke about this and showed results. I got it so I'd have cool purple hair, but 30 ml was not enough, so I mixed it with a conditioner to get enough and it ended up a toning product for my hair. It was a nice discovery, since it's the best such product for level 8 blonde (light-medium) I've found. But if you want a very pigmented temporary colour, go for Subrina Colour Refresh in Violet. This washed off quickly from my roots, in two washes, but my lengths, which were lighter are still toned (after 3 washes). 

I didn't use this up, but I got back the empty. This one has niacinamide third on the list, a tiny bit of propolis and calcium. It's a very rich and thick cream, close to a balm. It's nice for very dry skin, the rest might find it heavy. 

Repurchase: It's not bad and if I needed something cheap I would, but I look for a bit more in a cream 

Another product I didn't use up myself. For me the strong rose fragrance was just too much. It's a thicker toner product or a very light serum that feels nicely hydrating. It has alcohol high on the list, which is not ideal, but the ingredients preceding it are rose water and glycerine, which might counteract the drying alcohol. Still I prefer products without it high on the list. 

I got this once as a part of a PR package and like most of the times it was in a shade that was much too dark for me, but I liked the formula and format of it, so I now ordered the lightest shade. The only other stick foundation I have is from Revolution, which is a heavy-looking foundation, while this is so different and a lot more like you'd put a liquid foundation in such a format. Bourjois has some very natural looking formulas, though their Always Fabulous liquid formula is not one of them, but this stick version is a good medium coverage, non-heavy looking formula with a dewy finish. I need to swipe it quite a few times on the face because it doesn't release a lot of pigment at once, but I can get a decent level of coverage without feeling like I have a ton of product on the face. It's not as nice as I remember, but I reach for it often because it's so easy to just swipe it on the skin and blend it in. There is a sponge at the other end of the tube, but it's small. Shade 100 is similar to 50 in Bourjois Healthy Mix formula.

Notino, 8,16 €

I don't wear bronzers and have only one ancient one from Estee Lauder that I got specifically because it's a shade that fits very pale skins. So when I very occasionally do other people's makeup, I have nothing in my stash and that's why I got this. Physicians Formula Butter bronzers has been on my list to try for years, but this was cheap and has great reviews online. This shade has been praised by pale people and even those that aren't very light skinned, so I figured it's good enough and I have to say I'm impressed. Shade looks natural enough, maybe a tiny, tiny bit orange in certain lights, but not in a bad way. Pigmentation looks good to me, but I always apply this very gradually and by swiping the brush lightly, since I'm pale. The thing that I like most at this one is how smooth and fine the formula is, there is no powderiness at this one. Packaging could be better, especially since regular price is not that low and this feels quite fragile, but that's my only complaint. This was a surprisingly good buy. I didn't test the waterproof claim, but how it lasts depends on the base I'm using. 

Notino, 2,90 €

CLINIQUE Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser 

This is quite expensive, but when I saw the ingredients list I just wanted this is my stash whether it's nice on the skin or not. It has niacinamide, vitamin C, caffeine, resveratrol, hyaluronic acid, peptides, salicylic acid and a couple of extracts, so it's like an upgrade of my Revlon Candid concealer that I love. It has an added sponge, so it's a tiny bit like my other favourite Maybelline Eraser too, though the product is applied with a doe foot applicator. Initially, I didn't love this on the skin - I kind of still don't when used alone, but it works well with my foundations. Coverage is good - it covers my under eye circles, redness around the nose, most freckles and spots. Finish is natural, so this is not one of those very matte, fast drying formula like most concealers I've tried with such a coverage. I haven't seen the shades in person, but I think Flax is lightest, however I use 0.75 Custard at my only Clinique foundation Even Better Refresh and it's a shade lighter. It fits me all right.

Feel Unique, €26,22

I'm late to the party with this one. It's considered one of the highest covering foundations and well loved by those that want to hide a lot, be it a severe outbreak of acne or tattoos. I don't need such coverage and my review will suck for those who want to know how well it cover strong redness or how it looks over textured skin, but I was curious what it's like. I didn't check ingredients for this one before buying, so I was shocked to see it's basically mineral oil with pigments because my skin tends to break out when I use mineral oil, but for some reason that hasn't happened with this foundation - which is damn lucky. This is indeed full coverage with a small amount. It covers everything on my face apart from two of my darkest freckles. I can only use a damp sponge to apply this because otherwise it just looks so heavy for my taste. Brushes especially leave it fake and streaky. It's not a natural foundation in any way, but it also doesn't look as heavy as you might expect, it's like a regular medium-full coverage type of formula. I much prefer this with a silicone primer under it, just so it looks a bit better. Finish is very shiny and on my dry skin that does not go away in time, which is a first. So this needs to be powdered, otherwise it wipes on when I touch it and it's too shiny even for my liking. Staying power is good, this lasts all day on me, even on spots (I had one on my chin when I started using this). Shade 208 (lightest in the bunch including 207) is a good fit for me, it matches my neck and it's very similar to Revlon Colorstay 110 Ivory - same depth, but a bit more beige, though still cool toned. Since this covers so much, it needs other makeup otherwise I've been told I look pale as a ghost.    

DM, 9,99 | Notino, 10,50 € 

This recently came to our drugstores, but it's actually an old product by now. It's a clear and thick gel that feels siliconey-greasy, which I'm not sure how those with oily skin like and it doesn't look that matte on my skin, but I appreciate it's not as dry as Catrice Goodbye Pores from my stash that looks flaky on my normal-dry skin. Since it's clear, you can't see it's effect without a foundation on top and I just don't see a difference with this. So for now I'm not impressed by its ability to hide pores, but it has come handy just for creating a smoother surface for foundations. It's not useless, but I find it's not a good pore eraser (maybe I just need to find a foundation in my stash that works with it). 

DM, 6,89 €

I was going back and forth for a long time whether to order this. The hype died down and some say this is not for dry skin, but I was just too curious to pass on it, especially since Look Fantastic had a 3  for 1. It's a powder foundation that is said acts like a liquid formula and should have a lot of coverage as well as a blurring effect, which what I was most interested in. I'm just baffled by this. It's a powder and doesn't feel similar to a proper foundation to me. It has a light, at most light-medium coverage and far from almost full like I heard. The thing about this foundation is that every time I wear this I have a different experience. First time it felt dry because I forgot to use a moisturiser on that day and it just wasn't sticking on the skin, so the coverage I got was almost none. On other attempts it made my skin look so old, then over a regular foundation it made it look super fake and cakey, then on a day I took pictures before/after, it looked it's best with an even light coverage and a not too matte finish, but it looked cakey on the sides of my nose. I find it works best on smooth, freshly scrubbed and well moisturised skin, but it never looked the way I expected and I'm just struggling to make it work on most days. I always use the added sponge, which I hear is the best way to apply this foundation, while with a brush, it doesn't build coverage well. I got shade Ivory, which is the lightest shade I've seen in European web shops (we still don't have this in our drugstores, but it's Austria), however in the US lighter shades are available. It's a poor match, but not because it's too dark (it is, but maybe by a shade), but because typically for L'Oreal it has that orange tone to it, so it looks off and especially terrible when I try to apply it over my good matching foundations. 

Look Fantastic, €14.95

We finally got Milani in (some) DMs. This brand used to be sold in Slovene online shops, so I own several products and am a fan of the brand, including the Conceal + Perfect foundation that for a long time was my favourite, but then the pump broke when I used up only a half and the formula went off because I was always opening the bottle. Milani also has shades that are light enough for me and they are selling them here too, which is a minor miracle. Conceal + Perfect concealer is a thick, medium-high coverage formula with a satin matte finish. I've tried it all over the face, the way I always test concealers and it looked too obvious for my taste, but it covers a lot and it's one of my most covering concealers in the makeup drawer. It creases under my eyes, but I find it's best to wait for it to set, then blend the creases away with fingers, rather than powder over the concealer straight away, as that makes it even more obvious and too dry on my skin. It's exactly the type of concealer that are most popular - high coverage in a liquid form and matte on the skin. Shade 110 Nude Ivory is a good match for me and it's not even the lightest.  

DM, 12,99 €

A regular formula, so I didn't expect to love it and I don't, but from the three mascaras I got recently, this is the nicest one on the lashes. Formula is on the dry side and there isn't much product on the brush, so it's not a mascara that would make big lashes fast, but it is one that is defining, has the best multiplying effect and doesn't make my lashes look unkempt like a lot of formulas. It reminds me most of Max Factor 2000 Calorie, which is one of rare regular formulas I like. On my lashes the lift & curl claim isn't true, but it is dry, so maybe on some less annoying lashes it works.  

DM, 12,99 €

A very creamy and thick pencil. It's very pigmented and is applied easily on the lips due to a creamy formula. The shade I got 09 Spice is a deep caramel shade that doesn't suit my taste, but I'm thinking about picking up shade Nude because I like the formula of these. 

DM, 6,49 €

I have the old matte lipsticks and this formula feels very similar. It’s a little bit less dense, though that can be due to my old formulas changing over time, but both glide smoothly on the lips. Pigmentation is good and one swipe is full opaque. Formula doesn’t feel dry to me. I am Fabulous is a medium rosy-mauve shade that looks quite deep for my taste when I apply it in a "normal" amount, so I prefer to apply this on one lip and press my lips together for a soft rosy look. 

DM, 11,99 €

This was on my wishlist for so long, I forgot about it until I tried the Maybelline Baby Skin and remembered that once I tried something more impressive. A while ago I grabbed a small amount in a pot that I always carry in my bag when I was at the drugstore and I even took the before/after pictures, which I posted here, but never got round paying 17 € for the primer that was able to hide my pores and not look flaky on my skin. Since it's tinted, it can hide the pores without having to use a foundation over it (if your skin is very light, otherwise pale dots will be visible where pores are). Formula feels less greasy than Maybelline's, but neither feel as dry silicone matte as Clinique's Pore Minimizer, which was my first product for mattifying and hiding pores, which was great for my combination-oily skin at the time (I had the old version). It creates a nice smooth surface for foundation, akin to Baby Skin. There are two versions of this primer in the same packaging, but only this one hides pores. Revlon recently released new primers, so it's likely this will be discontinued in the future.

Click2Chic, 17,59 €

My fourth Kiss Cushion. I'm a fan of these because of the comfortable, lip balmy formula. I normally dislike non-matte reds, but I got this to wear as a stain. I have a similar Revlon product Cloud Blotted Lip Color in Cherry on a Cloud, which is a thinner liquid lipstick formula and Kiss Cushions are better if the lips are dry. 

Something new from Revlon - an oil absorbing roller for mattifying the skin. It actually works. Now, I don’t have a lot of oil, but I used it on my morning shine on my forehead and nose, and it absorbed it all. My skin was matte all day, but it’s generally not very oily (I didn’t use anything that day, a makeup free day) and it felt so smooth because it was dry to the touch. It didn’t work on shine from skin care (Afrodita’s Vitamin C is shiny. It has a thicker oily emulsion texture, maybe that's why), I got results just on sebum. The ball can be removed and washed if you’re worried about bacteria accumulating. It has a great rating online, so if you’re interested in reviews from those with oily skin, there are plenty. Revlon say it can be used over makeup, but I haven’t used it like that yet. 

(Za zdaj?) pri nas samo na Click2Chic, 12,99 €

I usually use Hada Labo cleansing oil, but I wanted to find something closer to home, so one I can buy in a drugstore or pharmacy,and I picked this Nuxe one, since it had a nice discount. I’ve been using it for 2-3 weeks and I’m a big fan. It’s better than HL for removing makeup, particularly waterproof mascaras. Formula is thin, so it doesn’t emulsify much (it’s similar to Balea one in that respect), but it removes all impurities and makeup. It washes off completely. I was concerned that it might irritate my eyes, but it’s very gentle. It’s also not fragranced, which is surprising for Nuxe (it has a natural oil scent). So far I really like this and it made wear waterproof mascaras daily again because I’ve been avoiding doing that for years due to difficult/incomplete removal by Biobaza and HL oils. 

Notino, 12,55 €

A serum with a medium-strength amount of retinal, the "big brother" molecule of retinol. Geek & Gorgeous says it's comparable to 0.2-0.5% retinol product, but with less irritation potential and it's supposed to work quicker (they also have A-Game 10). It's a bright yellow lotion that has that colour due to retinal. I use it as one of the last steps before Nuxe oil, so there are several layers of toners and serums under it. I didn't experience an irritation or redness, but my skin did became dryer along with my lips, but not to the point of flaking like I had happen with TO retinol. It's too early for any results, but so far I don't notice any change in my skin.  

Superskin, 13 €

A serum with 0,5% Beta-Glucan and Madecassoside. It's the latter than made buy this because I find it works so well with my skin, but I only had face masks with it. Geek and Gorgeous says: "Stress Less is designed to improve sensitive, damaged, irritated or dehydrated skin with the combination of Beta-Glucan & Madecassoside, two supermolecules with remarkable skin soothing, repairing and hydrating abilities. Beta-Glucan is the most bioactive and valuable part of Oat with intensive skin repairing, skin smoothing & wound healing properties, while Madecassoside is one of the main active components of Centella Asiatica, a medicinal plant that has well-established soothing, wound healing and antioxidant activities." It's a light serum that absorbs quickly. I expected something richer, more like a comforting lotion, so I don't notice an immediate relief from that (when my skin became a bit sensitive after a treatment I did), so I still find Mixa Cica cream better for the job of calming down the skin. I use this daily now, since it's so light and easy to layer. I don't notice anything significant, but based on ingredients it's nice to have. 

Superskin, 9,18 €

This was on my wishlist for a while. It's a lash growth serum with great reviews, but it wasn't just the length that I was interested in. I heard some mention that it curled their lashes, which I didn't hope could happen to me, but I was hopeful it will make my lashes more susceptible to hold a curl. I haven’t been using it long to see the growth results, I hear it takes several months to see its full potential, but it's better than any lash serum I’ve tried (it’s only been a few cheap ones, so not much of a comparison). It’s the only one that didn’t make my lashes impossibly stubborn and they curl well now - something I’ve been struggling for year now even with waterproof mascaras, so for this alone with serum was worth it. I can wear my Essence waterproof mascara and it looks like I have lashes, plus they stay curled all day. It's very light and easy to apply on the lashes with the mini brush. I can wear mascara over it with no problems. My lashline can feel itchy at times after application, but it’s mild and it was more just from the start of use. I hear it darkens some people eyelids - we'll see with long term use if that happens to me. 

Superskin, 18 €

  PALMER'S Multi-Effect Perfecting Facial Oil

A repurchase. This is a face oil with a little bit of retinol. I don't know if Palmers changed something or Feel Unique sent me an off bottle, but it doesn't smell right. My first bottle had a cocoa butter/chocolate batter scent, but this one smells like oil, close to rancid. It feels the same on the skin though. It's one of thinner textures that absorbs quickly for an oil when applied a drop or two, but I always use a lot because I use it for a face massage. They mention Resveratrol on the box, but on my list it's not mentioned. I suppose they mean the source of it, so vitis vinifera (grapeseed oil), but it was mentioned separately on my old box. Ingredients on my box and the other version.

Feel Unique, 14,81

A regular repurchase, though this is only the second Florale bottle, since it's a new-ish scent. I've been buying the original for close to a decade I think and I use it as a face oil. It just works well with my skin and I consider it one of my standard basic products, so when something breaks me out, this is a part of my "normalizing routine". I always buy the 100 ml ones because of the spray packaging (50 ml) are just plain annoying with the tiny pin hole. Florale has a fresh floral scent, Nuxe says it smells like magnolia, white musk, grapefruit, lemon, bergamot and orange flower. 

Feel Unique, 26,90 €

  EUCERIN Hyaluron Filler Elasticity Hand Cream

A hand cream with SPF 30 and Thiamidol that has shown in clinical studies to significantly improve hyperpigmentation and age spots. I've planned to get this in the summer already because of the SPF, but I only got it now (after exposing my hands to way too much sun). Formula is medium thick and it takes a few minutes to sink in. It's not a great cream for dry hands. Mine are still dry with frequent use and it may have something to do with that alcohol high on the list, but it's in general not a very nourishing formula. So I consider this as a treatment for age spots, but I use Balea Urea for the dryness. It can be used up to 4 times a day, but I'm terrible with hand creams, so I often forget to apply it, but I believe 4 applications per day show much faster results. Some fading has happened, but it's slow due to my poor hand care discipline. Skin looks more even and the darker freckles are a bit lighter. This is heavily fragranced with a typical pharmacy cosmetics scent.  

Feel Unique, 11,12

Oriental floral

notes: Pink Pepper, Fleur de Lavande, Sandalwood

Oriflame's newest fragrance that has a Hygge feel to it due to the packaging with the wooden frame. The latter can be removed and reused as a picture frame. This is a very strong scent. I sprayed this on someone and I could smell them across the room 5-10 minutes later, so one spray is enough at this one. It reminds me of a perfume someone wore in the 90’s, but I wouldn’t call it dated, especially in the current flood of vanilla-patchouli- florals it feels more modern and a departure from the popular scents. Pink pepper is strong in this, it’s the strongest note from the start, so it’s quite a spicy, oriental scent, but there is a fresh, green note behind that within 15 minutes become more prominent. I don’t really smell the true scent of lavender in this, but it has some herbal undertones. In time it mellows to light creamy scent that is much fainter than that initial, room-filling blast, but I can still detect it without putting my nose very close to the skin. Essentially it’s a type of “fancy soap” scent, but I don't see it as a safe choice if you're buying it as a gift, it more of those who enjoy scents that are different, more unique. 

Oriflame, 42 €, currently 29,99 €