Max Factor's first refillable mascara. The outer rose gold casing holds a basic black tube. It has a hourglass silicone brush that's very similar to Milani's Anti Gravity mascara. After a month of being open this is still quite a wet formula that has a tendency to stick the lashes together if you don't wait enough between coats or apply too much of it. It creates a lot of volume + length, and it's one of those formulas that creates a more dramatic big lash effect than a natural one. It doesn't hold the lashes curled, which is typical for regular formulas on me, but it's difficult to remove for a washable formula, in this respect it's more like a waterproof formula, meaning it needs oil to get it off. My normally great performance cleanser Nuxe oil struggles with it, so a good dual-phase oil remover is needed. It runs in contact with tears and it irritated my eyes on a couple of occasions. It's also somewhat oily, so my glass lenses are constantly smudged. The refill pops out easily and replacement is not difficult.

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I don't remember a concealer ruining my day quite so much as this one, nor one that would make me run to buy a bunch of anti-ageing skin care, but this concealer makes me look so old. It emphasizes every small wrinkle I had no idea I had. It's so dry under my eyes and it cracks. They describe this as a hydrating formula with a glowy, natural finish and medium coverage. It's an odd formula that's glowy, but at the same time drying, flat and obvious under my eyes. This doesn't feel hydrating on my skin. Formula is medium thick, easy to blend with a sponge, but it dries a bit quick for blending with fingers, thought it'll get the job done, it just won't be as nice as with a sponge (on dry skin, of course). Coverage is quite high, medium-full, though I tried covering my freckles and they are still visible. Staying power is really good even without powder. Most of it was on my skin at the end of the day, just very dry, flat and unlikeable on my dry skin. Shade 002N looks yellow on me and obviously off, but it was the lightest shade on the stand.

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The colour of the packaging has nothing to do with the actual shade of this. It's much darker on the lips, a medium-deep berry on me, so don't buy without testing. It's like using a sharpie. It's very precise and it's got excellent pigmentation, but the lighteight formula is still a stain, so I never managed to apply this evenly and it tints the dry parts of the lips darker than the rest. Essence is the only company that managed to make probably close to 20 different products featuring the same pH-reacting lip tint that I'm so fed up with because it's in stuff you don't even expect it in. This again has that same bright magenta tint that stick to the dry parts of the lips and it's impossible to get off for a couple of days. Formula is the lightest I ever tried, basically like a sharpie. That also means it's not at all moisturising and this quickly sets, then it can't be wiped off. There's no transfer anywhere, except on paper straws. If you enjoy that pH reacting tint and don't mind this looking uneven, you might like it, especially since it's very long lasting, but bare in my that if you slip during application, this won't come off easy.

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I made an instant stupid mistake with this - I twisted the base like I was using a normal lip balm because I didn't know this doesn't retract back in. I had to put the excess lip balm in a separate pot so the cap would close again. You have to twist up only a small amount if you don't want a mess. This is super glossy, close to a proper lip gloss. It's nicely nourishing and feels very comfortable - I was checking other shades and they need some light nude-pink because I really like this formula for dry lips (I still haven't managed to find an untouched clear one to pair with a lip liner). Shade Pitaya is very pigmented with one swipe, you get a semi-opaque look that doesn't need much building up. It's a medium neutral-cool pink, I think it doesn't suit my skin tone best. In typical Essence style I think they added their trademark pH reacting tint to it, as when the lip balm disappears from the lips, my lips are still tinted pink. I wish they stopped doing that so often. I tried this on the cheeks too and it looks quite nice.

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This was marked -50%, so I guess it's being discontinued. Shade is terrible, so I'm not surprised. I can't pull of sheer black, my pale skin tone just makes me look like a Disney villain even though this is sheer, but it's makes my lips look grey and dead. Formula is pleasant, it's a nice lip oil, but surprisingly not as nice as their discontinued Cranberry Oil. Formula is thick, nicely glossy, nourishing and it sticks on the lips well. Still, I think Catrice's version is better. This one has a soapy scent that makes me feel like I have a bad taste in my mouth, so it's not the best. I've only had this for about a month or two, but it's more than half empty, since there's only 4 ml and the applicator is big, so it get a lot of product on at once.

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This is quite strongly tinted red. It's a bit more than semi-opaque, but I haven't been able to build it up to full coverage. Formula is typically for Labello nourishing at first, but the moisturising feeling doesn't last and the lips become flaky in time. I tried this one the cheeks too and it's ok, it's not as smooth looking as Essence's Baby got blush Stick or even Melem's balms. It has SPF and like some such lip balms it has that bitter, unplesant taste.

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I guess it was time for a nail polish bottle update. Shade 004 is quite thin for a gel formula. One coat gives a good level of opacity, but two are needed so everything evens out. Colour is quite pale, more of an off white than a nude. 031 is almost opaque with one coat with a smooth formula, but it's best to apply two. Electric Turquoise is a "Tiffany" green-blue and it stains the nails like crazy without a base.

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Catrice's Quick Dry Top Coat is quite good, so I tried the slightly cheaper Essence's to compare. Formula is lighter than Catrice's, but maybe it will thicken like such top coats normally do. I tested it after the promised 45 seconds over two coats of Catrice's Gel Affair and it's dry to the touch, but still very prone to dings or smudges. It takes a while for the nails to be completely dry. So far every time I used this I ruined my manicure, even if I waited for 5-10 minutes after application, so I find it a frustrating top coat and I'm going to stick the better Catrice one.

This is quite good. It's thicker than Laneige lip mask and I sometimes prefer it because it sticks on the lips better and for longer (Laneige is still better for soothing flaky dry lips). It’s nicely nourishing and it has the scent of Kiki candy (soft taffy candy scent). It’s tinted and gives the lips a nice light shade of pink. I use the silicone applicator from the Laneige mask, I think this product is missing such a tool, I don’t like dipping my fingers into lip balm pots.

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A repurchase. I bought this years ago when micellar waters first came out. Since then I've tried many and because there's always something new, I never repurchased it. Currently I'm using Cerave, which is my favourite, but I have to order online and I wanted something cheap. This comes in a travel size 100 ml, which is just what I wanted. It's as good as I remember, though it says new formula, but I don't notice anything different. It feels like water and removes all regular makeup. It's not scented.

One of the thickest, greasiest cleansing oils I've tried and it smells like cooking oil that's been used for fries. It doesn't emulsify and wash off with water, so a second foamy cleanser is a must. It's fairly effective as a makeup remover, though it can't remove a red liquid matte lipstick even with a second cleanse. It doesn't irritate my eyes. Balea's, the new Hautsache (from DM) and CV Rose (Műller) cleansing oils are all lighter. They are a bit better at removing makeup, but I'm not impressed by these cheap offerings in my local drugstores, so I'll keep using my favourite Nuxe Very Rose one. I also noticed Alverde breaks me out (just like all cheap oils).

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Unlike The Ordinary's version this is a thick gel that's clear. It's a wash-off AHA mask and you're supposed to leave it on the skin for 10-15 minutes. Just like as The Ordinary version despite the high percentage of glycolic acid I don't feel this on the skin at all. I get no stinging or burning, but my skin is far from sensitive. My skin felt a bit softer after use, but not like when I use Skin Food Black Sugar scrub (a harsh, mechanical scrub that the only thing makes me feel like my skin is actually exfoliated, but I use it very, very rarely). This has no scent.

I'm a fan of the 5-minute lamination and the serum from this line, so I shelled for the overpriced for drugstore shampoo and conditioner. Shampoo is like pretty much all L'Oreal shampoos I've tried - great. I have no complaints. It foams well on the first wash, produces enough foam, it cleans well and doesn't feel drying at all on my very dry hair. They could have picked a nicer scent for this line.

This trend of small conditioner tubes must end. This has merely 150 ml of product which won't last me many uses. Formula is quite rich, but easy to spread on the hair. I left it on for about half an hour and then followed with the lamination product. I didn't use my usual hair oil and Moroccanoil All in One Leave in, I just used the serum from this line, so I could see how nourishing this line is and it's on the light side for me, meaning I need leave-ins to make this work better for me. As far as shine goes - the thing is this has zero frizz control and frizzy hair does not shine. My hair needed some extra help of overnight rollers and serums to become straighter, then I noticed a decent level of shine, but not the "glass hair" effect.

A repurchase, though Pantene changes things up so often this may or may not be the same Repair mask I used in the past. Pantene's hair products in general suit my super dry hair a lot and this one is fine, though surprisingly I after trying it, prefer the Bond Repair Conditioner. This one nourished my hair ok, but my top layer of the hair quickly became coarse as it usually does when I use drugstore products. Still, it's a good affordable option.

A repurchase, though it looks like they changed the packaging to an opaque white tube instead of partly clear one. Together with the shampoo from this line they make properly nourished, it feels silky and the ends feel better.

This is apparently a best-seller among masks in DM - at least in Slovenia. I didn't have much expectations, especially since it's silicone-free, but it's a very decent protein mask for the price. Texture is quite rich, it didn't feel like I'm using a mask without silicones and my hair was moisturised enough. It's better when it comes to frizz than L'Oreal's Glycolic Gloss set, but my hair still dried with some frizz and not smooth, so I had to use a serum and rollers overnight for smooth hair. With some extra leave-ins this mask should do just fine. I'll likely try the Oil Repair too.

DM finally came out with a proper shine spray. I have a bunch of them and Schwarzkopfs (from their brands Gliss and got2B) are my favourite. This one is not quite as shiny as Schwarzkopf's, but it is a bit less greasy, which some may appreciate (I want more oil, not less).

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I expected I would like this, but it's effect is nothing special on my hair. As I was rinsing it off, I missed that silky feeling you should get from a conditioner, so I added a lot of leave-ins to make sure my hair wouldn't be tangled and dry. I'm not impressed by this one. Texture is thick for a conditioner.

A repurchase. This a tinted hair mask in a cool dark brown shade that matches my natural hair colour perfectly, so it hides my bleached ends. Formula is nourishing enough for my hair (together with Moroccanoil All in One leave-in that I always use, of course). It's messy so I colour in the shower.

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I wanted a cheap body oil that comes in quite a large packaging and isn't just sunflower oil with smaller amounts of other "fancier" oils. This was supposed to be mostly almond oil, but it looks like they recently made changes that aren't on DM's website yet, as this new version has mostly rapeseed oil with some almond oil. The packaging is not good, as the oil always spills on the side of the bottle, so the bottle is always greasy and the label is half peeled off already. Texture is rich and feels very nourishing. It takes quite some time to absorb. It smells unsurprisingly of rapeseed oil. I've been using this daily for my dry skin and it's fine for the price, but next time I'll probably try to find something else.

Moisturising socks with urea, panthenol, avocado oil, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, squalane and ceramides. These are very big and fit large sizes of feet. The sticker that holds this wrapped didn't hold well, so I had to improvise and I also wore my regular socks over it, so it was a better fit. Without socks over it, this can get slippery when walking. My feet were very dry before I used it, I already had some small cracks forming on my heels and this fixed it. I used an electric foot file before for a better effect and my heels felt much softer after use, something I didn't manage to achieve with moisturisers and oils. But the effect lasted about 2-3 days. I'll likely buy this again for an ocassional treat.

I liked the hand mask version from this line too, which surprisingly wasn't annoying to use. The gloves didn't stop me from doing my usual stuff, including using my phone. It also improved my dry cuticles and hangnails situation, as much as a single use mask can.

A repurchase. I like this scent and it lingers on the skin. It's not a tropical scent in my book, more of an almost powdery, cosy one with some fruity touch, but it's difficult to describe it. In my small way it reminds me of scent like Yankee Candle Soft Blanket.

A repurchase. I buy this when my skin is very dry because it's the cheapest shower oil and very decent for the price. But the scent is so bland and I don't like it at all. They had this product for over a decade probably and the newer came out with a nice scented version. Formula is an oil that emulsifies with water. It's not as rich as L'Occitane's, but it's great for dry skin that's flaky.

A new line of antiperspirants and a deodorant - you might know the hand cream from brand 48 or the disinfectants. I have all versions of roll-ons, but I bought another (Fresh) as a gift for someone. The science behind these is that they have probiotics, which support natural microbiom and help prevent bad scents by encouraging good bacteria to grow (instead of those that cause bad smells when breaking down the molecules of sweat). Two, Fresh and Clear are anti-perspirants with aluminium and Sensitive version is aluminium-free. All have very neutral, unisex fragrances, I like Sensitive’s the most, but all are nice. They come in soft tubes that can be squeezed, but have a classic roll-on ball.

A repurchase. I always buy deodorant in advance and since I bought this backup, Borotalco sadly stopped working on me. I'll switch and then go back to it in time. It was very reliable up until now and it has a pleasant, sort of retro powdery scent.

Based on the name I imagined this foundation very differently, something more lightweight and hydrating, but to me it looks like they just reused the formula of their True Skin foundation when I compared them side by side. It's a thick formula with medium coverage and a matte finish. On my skin this looks a bit dry in places and I need a good hydrating or oily base to make it blend into the skin better. Due to the thickness of the formula I find it has the ability to fill in the pores, but it doesn't always look good and I don't like how it looks on textured skin. The shade range looks very good. I picked 012 C which isn't the lightest one and it's perhaps a bit pale for me. It's a shade with cool undertones while they have a version of this depth with warm and neutral tones. Shades don't correspond to their True Skin range, as 002 at the latter is about the same depth as 012C at Invisible Cover.

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I was hoping Essence used the same shade as at the stick version of under eye brightener, which is a good match for me and has a nice brightening effect, but the stick format isn't brilliant on my dry skin. This shade is deeper, closer to Catrice's Under Eye Brightener in a pot, the lightest 010 shade, meaning it's not a pale pink, but a light salmon pink. Since I'm so pale, I find this doesn't work as well for me. When I use it under a concealer or foundation, that pinkness shines through and just looks like I still have circles, but on skin tones deeper than mine this should work well. If you like Catrice's version, but would like a liquid format, this is it, though it is a touch lighter. Formula is a nice hydrating one, good for dry skin and it reminds me a lot of their Stay All Day concealer.

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A powder with three colour correcting colours: a pink and peach for under eye brightening and a lilac for counteracting yellow tones. You can also mix all the shades for a neutral powder. There are three separate compartments and a removable disk that allows you to shake the powder out of just one compartment. I saw no colour correcting or brightening on my skin tone. I checked the before/after pictures and videos and I don’t think there's a difference, just that it mattifies. Mixed together it also appears to be just a basic mattifying powder. Maybe the colour correcting is more obvious on deeper skin tones. I don't notice any blurring or smoothing on my skin and currently my skin is so dry that this can look obvious on the skin, especially over Catrice's Invisible Cover foundation.

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I have the pink shade 10 Tickle me Pink, which is one of my favourites. I picked this one online, so it was a blind buy and the colour of the packaging is luckily deceptive. This is a peachy pink, less bright than the Blush Affair Stunning Strawberry, but in the same colour family. Formula is creamy and I can easily swipe it on the cheeks, then blend with fingers. Pigmentation is more intense as at Tickle and the shade is deeper. This shade looks good on the lips too. This is currently my most used blush because it's so quick and easy to apply.

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The textured part is the cream blush and the other a classic powder one. This is a very intense and pigmented formula on both sides. Both sides are nice quality, as is usual for Catrice's blushes. I only need the smallest amount of both shades, since I'm so pale. Stunning Strawberry is a vibrant peachy pink shade, much stronger than anything in my collection and both shades have a natural/matte finish. The cream side is a hint more pink. This is best suited for deeper skin tones.

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I have this formula in 03 Soft Beige and 07 Classic Red so I already reviewed it. Formula is soft and glides on the lips easily. There's an added sharpener in the back, but I never sharpen such pencils, since I find them precise enough. It can feel a bit dry on its own, but not always. It doesn't wipe off easily, so it has quite a decent staying power. Cushion Talk is a light-medium mute pink with peach tones.

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A new line of lipliners by Maybelline. Formula is nicely creamy, this glides on the lips with ease. If I try to rub the colour off the lips with fingers, only a small amount wipes off, so it lasts well on the lips, 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.

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Usually pastel pencils suck, but this is creamy and has a good colour payoff, though this is a very pale shade, almost off-white. In the waterline it looks more white than blue, but it does brighten the eyes. On the top lash line it doesn't glide as smoothly as for example Deborah 24 Ore Waterproof Eye Pencil, but going over the line twice gives an almost fully opaque look.

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Revlon expanded their well-known line of lipsticks by twelve shades and we got seven of those in Slovenia (and Croatia). It's a mix of crème and frosty finishes like at all classic Super Lustrous formulas and these are hailed as being hydrating as well as lightweight. Apparently this is still the number one lipstick in the USA, despite all the new launches (their Suede Ink are my faves, but they are matte). After Glow is a frosty nude, Daylight Delight a creamy nude, Candied rose is a cool dusty rose, Electric watermelon a vivid pink watermelon, Fire Peach a vibrant coral, Dirty Shirley a frosty warm peachy red and Wild Saffron a warm red. Formula is nicely comfortable, has a good colour pay-off (though not like Suede Ink, but this is a cream finish lipstick) and they feel very pleasant for dry lips. Some shades don't look appealing to me in the tube, but Daylight Delight is a nice surprise and most of the shades look ok on my skin tone.

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Reviews for this were quite positive, so I was expecting a lot from it, but this is by far the worse waterproof mascara I've tried. It doesn't just fail at holding the lashes curled, the lashes just drop back down when you start applying this, despite investing several minutes in curling beforehand. It's also the only waterproof mascara I've tried that smudges and as soon as I wipe off the black line that transferred on my upper eyelid, it just reappears the next time I open my eyes. I have never encountered that even at regular mascaras. It adds a lot of volume because it's a type of formula that deposits a heavy coat on the lashes quickly, but it's poor at separation despite the silicone brush with a good length and position of bristles and you quickly get a spidery lash effect. Taking pictures of this mascara for a review and going a video was a nightmare. I'll toss this one to the bottom of my drawer, maybe give it a chance in a few months to see if it thickened and dried, but so far I'm very disappointed. Also this can't be removed with a regular micellar, you need an oil. It behaves as a regular smudgy mascara with no hold, but it's equally hard to remove as waterproof mascaras. Just awful.

I didn't check the reviews for this, I just put it in the basket for free shipping, but just like the mascara, this didn't impress me. While it's not as bad as the mascara, its watery, partly sheer black formula and a hard, short, non-flexible applicator just don't deliver the results I'm used to from for example Catrice's eyeliners. It's hard to create a thin, precise line with this - actually impossible for my level of skill and the formula stays sheer in places even if I got over it again. I haven't tested how long it lasts, but it's not waterproof and the swatch on my hand was quite quickly removed with regular hand washing.

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. Seche Vite does that well, but it thicken quickly, way before you have a chance to use up the bottle. 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.  

This applies glossy and it slowly turns matte. It takes over a minute for it to become fully, velvety matte.

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This is a good gold shade. The first coat is sheer with a lot of golden tiny shimmer, so it can be used as a topper, but with three coats you get a really nice golden effect. It's medium annoying to remove.

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A deep cool red with a glossy creamy finish. It's opaque in one coat, but for better staying power it's best to apply two.  

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I expected more from this, especially after seeing it on video what a nice holographic effect it has - I'm doing something wrong, for sure. The holo effect is not that visible, not like at my ancient Depend nail polish that looks like has been discontinued. It's more like a basic silver nail polish - still pretty, but I miss more holo reflects. First coat is quite sheer, while full opacity is achieved with three coats.  

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A new cleansing oil in DM. It has 7% squalane, but the main ingredient is sunflower oil. It also has Centella Asiatica Extract at the end of the list. Formula is light and it doesn't emulsify much, in other words it's very similar to most cleansing oils I've tried. It washed off quite well, but a second cleanse with something foamy is needed to get it off completely. It makes my eyesight foggy. It doesn't remove waterproof mascara and it's not best for regular mascara either, but it can remove most makeup ok. I did a test with my most lasting makeup and Catrice's liquid eyeliner and Revlon's Limitless liquid matte lipstick proved to be too much of a challenge for it, so I needed a second cleanse to get it all off. It's more on the weak side of makeup removers, but for those who don't wear heavy coats of it, it should be ok. It has no scent. I suspect it's breaking me out like a great majority of cleansing oils, but that's just my skin.  

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I think I got the right thing. I was going to repurchase the Atopicance Baby cleansing oil, but I only found this in the DM. Ingredients look similar, but I haven't tried this yet. It use the other one every day as a basic cleanser because it's gentle and effective.

An oily retinol serum that's quite light. I like the texture and I've had zero irritations or dryness despite this being 1%. But I have concerns this isn't as strong as it claims. I find it suspicions that I've had zero reaction to it, not even a mind warming sensation like at Afrodita Professional Retinol Shot, but it's probably squalane keeping that dryness and other side effects at bay. This is easily accessible in local drugstore and it's affordable. I've been using this for almost a month and I don't see anything special in my skin.

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A serum with peptides. It's a light formula that's easy to layer, so I quite like it. Whether it's doing anything apart from a hydrating effect, I don't know.

I found a cushion foundation with a shade that matches me. I've tried several Missha's BB cream, I particularly love their discontinued Perfect Cover BB RX formula and I tried their Magic Cushion foundation, which doesn't include Missha's lightest shades, so it's too dark for me. Radiance Perfect Fit is finally something I was looking for: Missha's light shade in a cushion compact. Coverage is about medium with a small amount on the sponge and it blends with ease. I can apply it anywhere I want and it blends into the skin - the shade match helps most, obviously. Finish is glowy in a non-greasy way. It doesn't slip into lines, but it also doesn't hide their appearance, nor of pores. Ingredients-wise it's not as impressive as their great discontinued Perfect Cover RX BB cream, still it has niacinamide high on the list, then centella asiatica, several extracts and oils, adenosine, and ceramides.

I already got two, possibly even three of these in the last years and I reviewed the formula already. I'll just copy here my shortened version of review: It's a mascara with an hourglass-shaped silicone brush that's good at definition. It's a top performer in terms of volume and length right out of the box, creating big lashes. It's surprisingly not that bad at holding the lashes curled for a regular formula, however, it can't lift the lashes itself like it promises. On one of my eyes that has extra stubborn lashes, when my lashes drop just a bit, they start hitting my glasses and this formula makes the lashes stiff, so it's not comfortable to me and I need to wear glasses lower on my nose. But I'm sure most of you don't have such problems and it's overall a great volumising & lengthening mascara with a decent hold for a regular formula.

Another product I already reviewed. I got shade 110 Nude Ivory that time, while this time I got two darker shades. Conceal + Perfect concealer is a medium-high coverage formula with a satin matte finish. Under my eyes it has a tendency to look dry and obvious on my dry skin, so I like to use thin coats of it to make it look more natural. I've worn it a few times for a non-makeup makeup look and it looks ok when I spread small amounts over the whole face, but it is matte, which doesn't look fresh on my skin. 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. But if your skin isn't dry, this is exactly the type of concealer that are most popular - high coverage in a liquid form and matte on the skin. Think something like Shape Tape, but not as thick. Shade 110 Nude Ivory is a good match for me.

I also already got this, in a regular and Flora version. It does the job of prolonging the staying power of makeup and it can be used as a priming mist too. My favourite mist is 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 isn't the best, 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.

I've had my eye on this for a while, as it's constantly on the top of search results by popularity in DM's online shop. I tested in the shop a while ago and unsurprisingly the shade is too dark for me, so I never bought it myself. It's a BB cream/foundation that claims to also act as a smoothing primer. As far as skin care ingredients are concerned it has niacinamide, acetyl glucosamine, panthenol, allantoin, green tea extract and a peptide. Coverage is maybe about a light-medium - it's hard for me to say, as the depth of the shade provides a level of coverage on my pale skin. Texture is creamy, moisturiser-like and it blends easily. Finish is nicely glowy without looking greasy. If the shade fit me, I'd like this. It doesn't slip into lines, but it doesn't hide them, nor does it blur pores. Overall this looks quite fresh and it's great for those who want a little bit of coverage, but make it look like they arent's wearing anything. Too bad Pupa thinks two shades suffice.

I'm a fan of the Vamp! "original" regular and waterproof mascara in the silver tube. This version is similar in terms of how quickly it builds volume and creates big lashes, but the formula is more wet when freshly opened, so it's not as successful at fanning out the lashes and definition. It improves weeks after opening, but it's not quite as impressive as the silver Vamp! version and I still need a separate brush to comb through the lashes, making the application a little more neat.

I've had a few of full size Gilded palettes and I've always been impressed by Milani's eyeshadow quality. Mattes have a good colour payoff, they feel creamy and they blend beautifully, creating smooth transitions. The shimmer shades in the burgundy palette Wine Down are best applied with fingers, as using a brush doesn't pick it up best and needs to be built up, but using fingers gives an intense colour payoff and a good level of shine. Whiskey Business is a combination of six matte shades, mostly warm brown, but some are neutral. I thought I'll find it boring, but I prefer it to Wine Down because you can create a nice natural "sculpted" look with smooth transitions as all shades blend so well one into another. The Wine Down is a more classic combination of mattes (3) with shimmers (3) and allows more versatility than Whiskey palette. The third matte light mauve-pink shade is the poorest performer in the bunch, which is a shame because I like it most. Eyeshadows tend to last well on me and this is no exception. I get no creasing, but both of these have some fall down during application.

I had these on my wishlist, in particular shade Mocha, which I liked the look of online. I don't have the best experience with liquid eyeshadows as they often aren't even or opaque and they crease, so I prefer to use stick cream formulas. These are a big step up. Once they set, they don't move. If rub my finger over them, they don't smudge. It takes more time to blend them than creamy stick eyeshadows, but it also depends on the shade, the lighter they are, the easier it is. The matte Mocha ends up most even on the skin, while shimmers need more attention to avoid possible sheer patches, but they can be build up to nice shimmery finish that you can't achieve with a regular eyeshadow. If you're looking for a glamorous shimmery eyeshadow these are a good choice, but the matte shade is great too, on its own or as a base.

I already featured the blush shade in my monthly favourites post. Formula as very blendable both with fingers or a brush and I get diffused edges at both methods, but this bronzer is best applied and blended with a brush due to intensity. The blush is a standard peachy pink on the cheeks and I only need a small amount as it has a lot of pigment. The bronzer looks scary deep, but most of the colour blends out, so it's more forgiving than it looks. It's quite a warm shade that pulls a bit orange on me, so it's not a good shade for contouring, while for looking tan, this shade may look better on those with a deeper, warmer skin.

I got a shade 09 Spice years back, so I already reviewed this formula. It's a creamy pencil with good pigmentation that glides easily on the lips. 09 Spice is a deep caramel shade that I wasn't a fan off, so I wanted shade 05 Nude (light natural pink) which I never got, but I didn't take notice of 04 All Natural, though it's the same depth as 05 Nude, but more beige. All Natural is an accurate name, as this looks very close to my natural lip colour, it's just less pink.

Another thing I already tried and have a review of. I already had Raspberry Peach (candy berry scent) and Passion Fruit Coconut (warm, tropical scent) and now I got Lychee Nectar which unlike the other two has more pigment. It's a muted medium-deep rosy shade that adds a subtle tint to the lips. I use Passion Fruit Coconut often because of the nice scent and these lip oils are great for dry lips, because they last well. The formula is not as impressively glossy as Catrice's Glossin' Glow, nor long lasting as A'Pieu Honey & Milk Lip Oil, but that fact it's scented is a plus to me.

I love the classic Real Techniques sponge, as it creates quite a flawless finish with some foundations. This has a denser material on top and it's more like sponges for cushion foundations. The idea is good - a small sponge for precise work, but they are somewhat clumsily tiny or at least you have to get used to working with them. They blend well, but perform better with less matte formulas. Real Techniques says these are best used dry, but I find they work better damp with matte concealers and foundations. RT has a larger such sponge that has a soft, fuzzy side for powders, but I never tried it.

One of my favourite foundations years ago, but I never repurchased it because I'm swamped with other formulas and my skin got drier, so now tend to pick more hydrating and shiny foundations. But shade 00A is a perfect match for me - I got sent the same two samples I always do, 02 and 03 which I can't use. But I did swatch them a while ago. Conceal + Perfect is a medium coverage foundation with more of a matte finish, but it doesn't look heavy.

 

A repurchase. I've been using this for years every day and I credit it as the product that helped fix the texture of my skin. It's a rich toner-like product with 95% ferments (galactomyces) and rest are niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, panthenol, allantoin, adenosine and a handful of fillers. It has no scent.

A repurchase. I again bought a mini because this small bottle lasts a long time. It's a toner that contains 72.6% of Black bee Propolis extract and 10% Honey extract. The texture is thicker than toner, but not as thick as a serum. It just suits my skin.

A repurchase. This was my first vitamin C product and I basically used up the whole bottle applying it in a wrong way. I've since had many other serums and but few with ascorbic acid. I'm not big fan of any apart from the Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Vitamin C Booster, but that one is 8 ml for too much money, so I'm giving this another chance, since I saw It's still a best seller among Asian skincare. There's only 20 ml in it, which isn't great, but then ascorbic acid products need to be used up fast, so maybe it's best it's small. It's an oily vitamin C serum with an dry oil feeling. A small amount doesn't spread to a large surface like oils do. There is the obnoxious kind of self-tan smell developing like at all ascorbic acid products (I always wash my hands straight away, but it still makes my hands smell like I held old metal). It has four forms of vitamin C, aside from ascorbic acid also ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, ascorbyl glucoside and ethyl ascorbic acid. I get no stinging, but neither did I get at the (maybe stronger) Garnier Skinactive Vitamin C Glow Booster Night Serum with 10% of AA. I use it in the morning under SPF to boost protection, but I don't see much visible results from this in terms of brighter, clearer or more even skin after about a month of use, though my skin looks good.

A repurchase. I still didn't buy a new bottle the Geek & Gorgeous A Game 10, as I always miss it being in stock (and I don't like the shipping costs), but quite like this BoJ retinal serum, so I bought another. It has 2% liposome retinal (0.02% active), so it's weaker than Geek & Gorgeous with 0.1%. It also has ginseng extract (10%), niacinamide, adenosine, hyaluronic acid, cholesterol, ceramides, a peptide and a couple of oils/butters. Texture is a light lotion, but it feels like a moisturiser on the skin. It has a typical ginseng scent, like Sulwhasoo products. There was no irritations or dryness at this formula. It's an eye cream, but there is 30 ml of product, so like most retinol/retinal products.

I got this because it was on the best-sellers list on Stylevana. Though it's an eye cream I always planned to use it as a regular face serum. It promises a lot - to smooth out under eye wrinkles and minimize pores. It's a claim that's clearly too bold, but check its insanely long ingredients list that has everything you can imagine, though likely in trace amounts, but it has everything from hydrolysed collagen niacinamide, centella asiatica, a ton of extracts, allantoin, adenosine, ceramides, peptides, arganine…. It's a medium thick cream and it sits on the skin for a time. I've been using it daily for a month and I quite like it, though I don't see any important changes to my skin, but like I said above, my skin looks good at the moment.

I've been hearing about this SPF for years and it's praised for its lightweight feel and finish. It's not much different from Biore UV Aqua Rich or Oriflame's Novage+ UV-age Day Shield. The first day I felt that watery-feeling like at the old Biore Aqua Rich Essence formula, but now I don't anymore for some reason. It's feels very lightweight on the face, not greasy, it's comfortable and it doesn't move or irritate my eyes. Two finger amount can easily be applied on the face with zero white streaks. I had two types of experience with it . At application it's a shiny SPF, though it feels like a typical moisturiser and not like an SPF. If after application I avoid heat, it becomes completely natural/matte on my dry skin with zero shine. If I don't, it stays shiny. Eucerin Sun Oil Control Gel-Cream Dry Touch SPF50+ for comparison becomes natural/matte-ish regardless. La Roche Posay UVmune that I wear most currently stays shiny almost all day if I don't powder it. Compared to Biore it feels like a moisturiser meets SPF layer on the skin, while Biore its silicone primer meets SPF. It has a lovely creamy, comforting scent.

I found this on some best sleeping masks list. It has niacinamide high on the list, but no percentage stated. There's also ascorbic acid, ceramides, retinol and a bunch of peptides at the end of the list, while in the middle there are some extracts (including citrus, which my skin doesn't find irritating). It's a light gel/jelly-like texture with some yellow particles suspended in it. It looks very similar to Shisiedo's Waso Yuzu-C Beauty Sleeping Mask. Due to the gel texture it has a refreshing feeling during application. It leaves the skin sticky, so the pillow sticks to the face and in the morning there’s still some of it on the face. There is a spoon added, so you can avoid touching the product in the pot with fingers. I use it every night as the last step and like the other products I got, I like it, my skin is behaving well, but they are not miracle products.

This boats some bold claims such as that it reduces fine lines and wrinkles, lifts the skin, clears small breakouts and acne, tightens enlarged pores, hydrates, exfoliates, balanced epidermis pH and brightens. If it also promised to do your laundry and make lunch it'd be the full package. I got it because of the good reviews, but I didn't have a lot of expectations. There are 8 masks in this set (I haven't seen individual ones) and it's in two parts: the power and a liquid activator. The main ingredient of the powder is albumin, an ingredient extracted from egg whites. The activator has niacinamide, centella asiatica, aloe vera, sea buckthorn, adenosine, panthenol, copper peptide and some extracts. They include a mini brush for application. The small pots have more than enough place to mix the mask there with a brush is added. The mask is clear and light, it starts to dry quickly and feels tight on the skin and it's dry to the touch. It took a long time to wash it off. I don't think I saw any significant results. My skin looked brighter/more even, but I saw no temporary reduction in lines. Skin 1004 warns about the scent that it's not "rosy", but I didn't find it bothersome.

I have my eye on the serum and eye cream from this line, but I got this mask first to see how I like it. It has niacinamide, tea tree extract, centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid (says 10 kinds of it), beta-glucan, trehalose, adenosine, squalane, panthenol and then at the end of the long list retinol, retinal and bakuchiol, as well as madecassoside, ceramides and peptides. I'll report back when I use it.

A repurchase. I used to always have one of these in my shower, but they've sneakily been raising their price since I started buying it and I resent them for it. So I only got it now because they had 23% off. It's still the best shower oil I've tried. SVR Topialyse comes close, but L'Occitane's is richer, it forms a thick, nourishing emulsion and it has a nice almond scent.

I've loved the Shea Butter 20% hand cream and the scent of it for years, but I never ventured into exploring their hand soaps. I expected a thick, rich texture akin to (the old original) Dove shower gel, so I was surprised when it spurted almost liquid from the pump. Texture is unique, as it feels light and doesn't really foam well, but it feels like a body lotion has seen watered down, so it nourishing on the skin, yet it washes off completely. I like it. The scent is also heavenly, their classic shea butter scent, the same as the hand cream. I plan to use this as a shower gel, it's too precious to use it as a regular hand soap since I wash my hands many times a day.

A repurchase. One of my favourite hand creams and if I hadn't found the cheaper Cerave, I'd probably be buying this regularly. It has a rich, thick texture, yet it absorbs quickly. It also smells great, a creamy-nutty scent. The metal tube become annoying when it's almost empty and the paint-tube-like lid is also not my favourite.

Such a massive let down. I've been buying from L'Occcitane for year, but never bought any of their bar soaps. I expected so much more, not just because of the high price, but L'Occitane usually makes great stuff. This is the most basic soap bar you can get. I at least hoped for a nice scent, which is praised in perfume form, but it just smells like any random Palmolive/Lidl/whatever cheap brand soap. It also leaves that same obnoxious squeaky clean feeling I hate, so this was a miss for me. I guess only Dove has bar soaps that don’t feel drying.

After the Herbae Iris disappointment I still had hope that at least this one is maybe a bit nourishing, since it's from the Shea line and meant for Sensitive Skin. But no, it's the same. Same scent, same texture. Overpriced and not worth it. Disappointed.

I mentioned I tested this fragrance in my last monthly favourites and I immediately liked it, put it on my wishlist and I planned to get it when the weather gets a bit cooler because this is more of autumn/winter type scent to me. I was so glad to get this in my mail. It's a lovely gourmand. Top notes are Chocolate Marshmallow, Candied Ginger and Sparkling Begamot; middle notes are Madagascar Vanilla, Coconut Milk and Jasmine Petals; base notes are Chantilly Cream, Sugared Musks and Cashmere Wood. I mentioned in my wishlist part of the monthly faves post that this reminds me of L'Occitane Vanilla perfume that was discontinued a long time ago. It's not as vanillary as that one and the woody-musky base makes it smells a bit "cleaner", but they are somewhat similar. I smell the candied ginger that gives it a bit of a spicy kick, but the rest is very sugary, something like Aqualina Pink Sugar was used as a base for this fragrance. So 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. I wouldn't say it's ultra girly, as the woods and ginger add some depth to it and more character than Pink Sugar has, but it will suit mostly those that really enjoy sugary gourmand fragrances. Actually my mom loved this immediately on me and she's snobbish about perfumes. It's more long lasting than the Caramel Dream flanker, it lasts about a half a day. The body mist's staying power is kind of a disappointment to me, so get the perfume instead.

I'm less thrilled about this Caramel Dream flanker and that's because my skin hates patchouli, it amplifies it and makes it the centre of every such fragrance I use, so they all end up smelling the same on me - luckily at this scent it fades away eventually. Under the earthy-herbal-spicy patchouli, the base is nice. It gives me Lush shop vibes, those who visited their shop will know what I mean. It's sweet, chocolatey, yet spicy due to the patchouli and there’s a warm amber base. I don’t notice caramel as much, nor the citrus opening notes. It's perhaps more mature than Sweet Tooth, as it’s less sugary. I think it might appeal to those that love Black Opium and similar scents. To me Caramel Dream and original Sweet Tooth are nothing alike.

A new summery, vibrant line from Oriflame. The scent is described as floral fruity, but it's almost pure passionfruit and I love it. It's so uplifting, tropical and sweet. The shower gel foams well and does the job as it should. The scent isn't overpowering.

A scented lotion with tropical (passion fruit) scent. It's light and absorbs within minutes, leaving a silky feeling behind. Oriflame's Milk & Honey cream leaves the skin velvety smooth in the same way, but that one has a thicker texture. Scent lingers for a while.

A solid soap with the same tropical scent as the other two. I haven't tried it yet.

This is essentially an AHA exfoliator for the skin, but it also promises to firm the skin. It has a combination of glycolic, mandelic and lactic acid in unknown concentrations, but my skin did feel a slight tingle after application, so it's not that mild. There's also hyaluronic acid, some type of green algea extract, Tasmanian Peppertree extract, taurine and a peptide. It's almost as light as water, so similar to the type of liquid exfoliators like The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%, Face Boom Correcting and illuminating Face Serum and the likes. This is likely nice for preventing ingrown hair as well. It has no scent. This is made from 98% ingredients of natural origin and it's vegan.

A firming gel that promises to reduce cellulite. I'm not so naïve to believe such claims, though it's likely just caring for the skin and massage at application has some effect at making the skin look better, more hydrated. It has sunflower oil, camelia extract, caffeine & guarana extract (both should boost blood flow), coffee extract, algae extract, amino acids, centella asiatica and taurine. It's a liquid gel that needs some time to absorb. It has a sweet, bubble-gum scent. This is made from 98% ingredients of natural origin and it's vegan.

A natural mousse for self-tanning with Erythrulose and DHA plus added watermelon extract and hyaluronic acid. This boasts with the claim it has no self-tan scent and that it creates a natural tan. It's a clear mousse with no guide colour (which I miss), but even without a self-tan mitt (mine disintegrated after years of zero use), I managed to apply this quite evenly on my legs and without my hands ending up orange. In the first hours or in the first half of the day after application, there is almost no self-tan scent. It's unnoticeable, except when I put my nose close to the skin. Then the longer the tan is on the skin before showering, the stronger the scent. The skin stays tacky after application for hours, so I made sure I slept on a sheet I don't care if it gets dirty, but there was no marks on it in the morning. After one application the tan is medium strong when left for 24 hours to develop. Colour is natural-looking. At application the mousse smells like watermelon. The tan lasted well, maybe a week or so. It faded so evenly, I didn't even notice it going away.

A body highlighter with a mix of very fine golden shimmer and large glitter particles. It's a light lotion formula that's not greasy, so it's more like makeup liquid highlighters, it's dry to the touch when applied and it nicely enhances the tan. I feel it'd be a bit better if all the shimmer where very fine, but I'm sure some will love the sparkle. It has a watermelon scent and it has grapeseed oil, watermelon seed oil, soybean oil, squalane and vitamin C & E.

A cream for dry skin with sweet almond oil, shea butter, macadamia oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, gardenia flower, pitaya extract, red gromwell, pomegranate, squalane and vitamin C. It's thicker than the blue Cocktail version, but hydrates similarly. It takes a lot of massaging to get rid of white streaks, it's almost like some sunscreens. The skin stays tacky for a long time. This one has a more musty sweet-fruity scent.

A cream for dry, dehydrated skin with avocado oil, shea butter, Abyssinian (Crambe) Seed Oil, Bacuri oil, cocoa butter, Tasmanian pepper, kiwi extract, centella asiatica (Tiger grass), soybean oil, olive oil, squalane and vitamin C. It's a touch lighter than the pink cream version, but again takes a lot of massaging to remove white streaks. Just like the cream it stays on the skin for ages. It has a to me more pleasant sweet-fruity scent.

A sunscreen without Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Octocrylene and with added Melastim Tech that stimulates melanin for a faster and more intense tan. This is only SPF 15, so I didn't use it a lot, but it's a pleasant light formula. It's a tiny bit greasy, as is to be expected, but nowhere near some DM's Sundance versions I've tried before. It's very easy to apply it because of the spray, I just don't know how much is enough at such products. It has a pleasant fruity floral scent.

A sunscreen Milk that also doesn't have Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Octocrylene and has Melastim Tech. It's a light body milk that's only a little bit greasy and has a fruity floral scent. I gave this to mom to test at the seaside and she raved about it. Said it's worth every cent, which likely means it's the most pleasant SPF she tried in terms of how greasy it is and how easy it is to apply/blend in. Bottle made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic, 20% of which was recovered from the ocean.

I waited for this to come here. People already call it a dupe for Color Wow Dream coat - I hate it when they do that, just like calling their Plex Care line a dupe for Olaplex when ingredients are nothing alike. This again isn't a dupe not in terms of ingredients nor in the texture. But I will say that is it better that Color Wow, which truth be told set the bar very low when it comes to effect on my hair. For me the better smoothing spray is Moroccaoil Frizz Shield, so I'd prefer to compare it to that. Balea's version is full of alcohol, but the basis is castor oil. They also added proteins and aminoacids. I sprayed a generous amount of this, just like you should of Color Wow and Moroccanoil on damp, towel-dried hair, making sure the hair is soaked with it. This is so much heavier than the other two and I was sure I'll have to wash my hair again, as it should have been a disaster. But it wasn't. My hair is very dry, thick and it absorbs loads, so it ended up well, but I suspect you have to be frugal with it if your hair is thin or gets oily quickly. My hair dried much smoother, including the bleached part of the hair. I got a very lovely blow-out, bouncy and the hair held shape (I also used Nivea's Care & Hold Soft Touch Caring Mousse like always). I always put my hair is foam rollers overnight after hair drying, to make sure my hair is smooth and doesn't get frizzy overnight. By the morning my hair completely absorbed everything and the hair felt even lighter. There was no extra shine, though. I'm a disappointed about that, but my natural cool hair colour is very bland in terms of shine. First day went very well, but the longer I went without washing my hair (I do it once I week), the less impressed I was. It was a very humid, hot week and this did nothing to protect the hair against humidity like Moroccanoil one does. My hair hasn't looked this frizzy in months since I started with the rollers routine (every night with the soft head band). It also got so dry, especially the ends, which led to breaking. It does what it says the first day, but it lacks the prolonged hydration power and it has no lasting anti-frizz effect for my thick, dry hair which is half natural and half bleached.

I haven't given this a proper test myself, but I gave it to mom to test it for me and it did nothing on her thick, dry, very frizzy hair. She uses one of those round drying hair brushes that help achieve a smooth blow out and says there was no difference. The spray feels light and has a bubble gum scent. They filled it with alcohol, just like Glow Perfect Shine Coat and it has hydrolysed collagen & hydrolysed keratin for temporary fixing broken spots in the hair plus panthenol as a hydrator. This likely works better for those with less unruly, thin hair, since it has a decent feedback on DM.

Not a dupe for Olaplex, I want to stress that. But it has proteins and aminoacids that temporary fix the damaged cuticle and hydrate. It's a light serum with no silicone feel, which my hair doesn't appreciate as this doesn't glide smoothly when I apply it and it doesn't detangle. For that reason I find it's better for use on damp hair. The scent is unlikeable as it smells like a cheap men's fragrance. I'm not very impressed by this in terms of how it helps the hair to look better immediately, but ingredients should theoretically benefit damaged hair.

A repurchase. I've used up two or three of these already and I have the Split Ends Miracle version that's in current use. This is such a brilliant product - it really works so fast, leaving the hair nourished and silky. The effect is of course more temporary than using a proper conditioner on my ultra dry hair, but I don't care much because it's so quick and easy to use, plus I smoother my hair with leave-ins and oils later for added hydration. It's a liquid that emulsifies between the palms of the hand with a bit of water or on damp hair and it creates this thick, conditioner-like texture - it's very similar to the L'Occitane shower oil, just for hair. These are great for when I'm too tired for the whole mask/treatment routine.

A silicone free combination of oils: sunflower oil as the base, then with added argan, coconut, babasu, jojoba, camelia oil and aminoacids. It's one of the heavier oils, heavier than Alverde's All in One I'm using currently as a pre-wash and similar to Palmer's Cocoa Butter oil. It claims to define the curls - there's no hold, it's just a combination of oils that smooth down the hair, add shine, but my very dry hair absorbs the oils quickly, so 24 hour claim of defined curls doesn't happen on me. It has the same scent as other of these Traum Locken products I've tried from Balea, it looks like they haven't changed the scent of the line in a decade, but it's a pleasant, non-descriptive salon/hair cosmetics scent. I use it as a pre-wash and on my dry ends when needed (thought for use of dry hair I use Lazartique dry oil), but given how dry my hair is currently, this just isn't cutting it for some reason.

A brightening lotion-serum with 12% niacinamide, Amino Sulfonic Acid and ferulic acid. It has alcohol high on the list, which is usually an instant no from me. The texture felt pleasant, I can't say much more based on one sample.

This is quite nice. Texture is liquid, though when you start applying it, it feels thicker and sticky. It has some shine at application, but less than a lot of sunscreens. After maybe 15 minutes it's almost dry to the touch and there's only a slight glow on the face that doesn't really look greasy. It again has alcohol high on the list, but I tend to be more forgiving about when it comes to sunscreens. I heard the Vitamin C version is nice too.