THE SAEM Natural Skin-fit Mask Sheet

Lemon

Promises a brightening effect.

Sheet: These have some of the best sheets because they are those thin ones that look almost clear on the face. It also fits me rather well in terms of where the cutouts are, though it extends into my hairline, which is a good thing for you, since I have a petite face and this means it's not too small. Only the part above the lips is just way too thin.

Essence: This one has a classic serum like essence, which isn't sticky or heavy. The moisturising grapefruit version has a different, very comfy lotion like essence, while this one is lighter and doesn't have that soothing feeling.

Scent: It's got a gentle lemon fragrance and it that good, non-cleaning products way.

Effect: This wasn't my favourite brightening mask, as it didn't do much compared to some others like Papa Recipe or My Beauty Diary Black Pearl. My skin also felt a bit tight, so it's not that moisturising and I think it'd be best suited for oily skin, while for me I much prefer the Grapefruit version.  

Worth it? I won't buy it again.

Ingredients: here.

Cosmetic Love, $0.59

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Mask

Snail 

Snail secretion actually break me out, but since I enjoyed the V Prove mask so much, I wanted to give them another chance. Snail mucin is a powerful hydrating ingredient and it also promotes healing. I already had the Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen versions, neither really impressed me with their results, but I liked the thin sheet.

Sheet: thin, very comfortable and the fit is regular. It's about the same as The Saem's and The Face Shop The Solution ones.

Essence: Super comfortable milky lotion and not at all slimy like Naruko's. I just loved it and it's equally comfortable as The Saem's Grapfruit.

Scent: creamy chemical and not strong.

Effect: Immediate effect was some redness on my forehead, but no sensation of irritation or burning. Like I said before normally snail stuff break me out, but I used this during a breakout and it reduced it 90%, plus everything started to heal a lot faster (it was gone is the next couple of days). And it was one of those chin volcanoes that I accidentally picked, which usually turns in to a two week nightmare. It also made my skin smoother, so I was very impressed by this formula. Madecassoside by The Face Shop has a very similar result if you're freaked out about the snails.

Worth it? Yes. I bought a pack of these.  

Ingredients: here.

Cosmetic Love, $0.64

A'PIEU Milk One Pack

Chocolate

Reviews on this entire line are mixed, including their scents. Mine as a smoothing version and there are several others: milk, coconut, strawberry, coffee and green tea.

Sheet: it felt like a regular sheet from the start, and an average fitting one (slightly too large for me), but it started feeling a bit thick and it came off in some places, like above my lip. The sheet just wasn't my favourite.

Essence: a comfortable milky lotion.

Scent: strong creamy vanilla floral scent. I found it very pleasant, but it's not like chocolate at all if you're expecting that. 

Effect: This was a really good moisturising and nourishing mask, so my skin liked it a lot. I used it when my skin was flaky dry and I haven't had a flake since. 

Worth it? The sheet is not the best, but I liked the effect of this one as well as the lovely scent. Overall it's worth the purchase.

Ingredients: here.

Cosmetic Love, $0.73

THE FACE SHOP Real Nature Mask Sheet

Red Ginseng 

Ginseng is one of the most valued ingredients in K-Beauty and has some anti-ageing properties, so I took two of the cheapest masks with ginseng that were on Cosmetic Love. I like The Solution Masks from The Face Shop, but this was the first time trying these Real Nature ones.

Sheet: it feels like a regular mask, but it claims to be some special air pocket pulp sheet. It's quite a large mask, which fit ok around my mouth and eyes, but it extended into my hairline.

Essence: The essence has a yellow brown tint which makes the whole sheet in that colour. It's a like a light serum/lotion and in smaller amounts in sinks in fast, there is also not much stickiness from this. Ginseng is on the 4th place among the ingredients.

Scent: given that it's a ginseng product you can expect a typical ginseng scent. It's quite strong.

 Effect: this promises to add energy and boots vitality which to me isn't really a visible type of thing, but it was a nice mask that moisturised the skin and made it feel good. This might have a good effect if you use it regularly. 

Worth it? Yes.

Ingredients: here.

Cosmetic Love, $0.64

TONYMOLY Pureness 100 Mask Sheet

Red Ginseng 

From Tony Moly masks I only had the Pokemon Pikachu version with honey which was lovely. These are 100% cotton sheet masks and exist in several versions, I only took ginseng and as soon as I saw ingredients I was disappointed because this looks like stuff made here - glycerine on the second place (not bad) followed by PEGs and nothing of value until the 8th place (panthenol), while ginseng is very low on the list (16th).

Sheet: Classic with an ok fit. It was too large for my face, but that makes it normal.

Essence: a light, toner-like essence. Based on the ingredients, like an inexpensive toner.

Scent: No ginseng scent in this, just a boring shampoo fragrance and a strong one.

Effect: The layer this left had a very glossy look to it, but overall it's just a basic moisturising mask. 

Worth it? No, even though it's cheap.

Ingredients: here.

Cosmetic Love, $0.55

Brightening - Pearl

For brightening. Contains pearl extracts and niacinamide.

Essence: A serum-gel type of thick essence that needs time to absorb and feels nice on the skin.

Scent: is nothing special, though it is noticeable. It's just a sweet chemical scent.

Effect: This is the same mask as the Snow White version I raved about a year ago and this is already a repurchased mask, as I reviewed this Solution mask before. It leaves my skin was incredibly soft and smooth, hydrated, more even and just in general in great condition. Foundation applies like a dream after using this mask. This is the formula that made me fall in love with K-Beauty.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? 100% yes.

Radiance - Vitamin C

For radiance. Contains vitamin C and niacinamide.

Essence: very sticky and thick, more like a lotion than a toner, so overall a rich texture.

Scent: Fruity medicinal.

Effect: As you might expect for a vitamin C mask, it was brightening and it evened out the skin tone, though not dramatically like Pearl and it was more temporary too.  It was also nicely nourishing.The essence became incredibly sticky once it dried, so some might dislike it and need to wash it off.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? If you don't mind the stickiness, yes.

Nourishing - Propolis

Anti-wrinkle and nourishing effect. Aside from propolis also contains adenosine.

Scent: again fruity medicinal.

Essence: milky and leaves a sticky layer, but not like Vitamin C.

Effect: It left my skin moisturised and more plump, meaning that the lines looked a bit smaller, though not dramatically. I liked this one.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? Yes.

Firming - Collagen 

Firming and anti-wrinkle effect. Aside from collagen contains adenosine. 

Essence: milky lotion that leaves a smooth feeling if it's applied in thin coat, while in a thick coat it's quite sticky.

Scent: same fruity/sweet chemical one as in most.

Effect: This one was a weird one. I saw immediate plumping effect and improved elasticity, wrinkles were temporarily slightly more filled out, however in the morning all the elasticity was gone, in fact it was worse than without because my crease on the side I sleep on, just didn't want to disappear.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No.

Anti-Wrinkle - Peptides 

Anti-wrinkle effect. Like some others also contains adenosine

Scent: slightly deeper scent that others.

Essence: a simple clear lotion.

Effect: This one was nothing special, it was the most boring and pretty much useless in the bunch. It had a classic moisturising effect and no effect on wrinkles.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No.

Hydrating - Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrating effect.

Scent: a bit fresher than others.

Essence: A thick toner / light serum one.

Effect: Just as I expected it's a very basic hydrating sheet mask. Hyaluronic acid does its job and that's it. Boring and basic, but good if your skin is dehydrated.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? Yes.

Moisturizing - Ceramide 

Moisturising effect. Ceramides help replenish the skin moisture barrier. 

Essence: clear rich serum-lotion. 

Scent: more creamy than others. 

Effect: This one was like I used the best moisturiser ever. My skin just felt and looked so good. I liked it a lot. 

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? Yes.

Soothing - Madecassoside 

A soothing effect and suitable for sensitive skin. Madecassoside is derived from centella asiatica and it's been linked to healing and anti-ageing properties, more specifically to collagen production.

Essence: clear lotion that like at most of these feels a bit sticky when the mask it taken off.

Scent: more creamy than others. 

Effect: I loved this one. It's definitely great for healing and toning down inflammation. It's also nicely nourishing and my skin looked great in the morning after using this one. I would repurchase it.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? Definitely.

Pore Care - Tannins 

For oily skin, reduces shine and the appearance of visible pores. Contains tannins, a naturally occurring polyphenol.

Scent: Medicinal.

Essence: Lighter essence than others, but still more of a lotion than a toner

Effect: I used this during a breakout to maybe calm it down a bit and it worked a bit, but not amazingly like EH Air Therapy Snail one or Madecassoside. I didn't notice my skin being more matte, like at My Scheming ones nor did it work on my pores, but my skin was nicely moisturised. It's ok, but I wouldn't buy it again.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No.

Smoothing - Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA)

For blemish-prone skin. Contains black willow bark extract and salicylic acid.

Scent: more medicinal than others.

Essence: similar essence to others, so a thick toner/light serum

Effect: I used this on unclear skin. It didn't have any immediate effect and I didn't feel that it's doing much for clearing the skin. However, unlike most such masks which are best for oily skin I've tried, it was nourishing and there was no tight feeling.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No.

Sheet masks I loved the most: Etude House Air Therapy Snail, A'Pieu One Milk Pack Chocolate, The Face Shop The Solution Pearl, Vitamin C, Propolis, Madecassoside and Ceramide.

Have a great day!

URBAN DECAY Naked Palette

The forgotten gem in many of our makeup stashes. I used it pretty much every day this month and almost every time in exactly the same combination: the pale shimmery pink Sin on the lids, a mix of matte medium browns Naked and Buck in my non-existent crease and the dark brown Darkhorse just in the outer corner which created the most basic neutral eye look. I still very much enjoy the shades and the quality of the palette, even though it's been ages since the hype and every company under the sun released their neutral palette.

MAYBELLINE Lash Sensational Mascara

I've been using two PR mascaras I got in the lasts months and though they are fine, I checked one day if there is some life in left this Maybelline one and my word it is a thousand times better that those two. It makes the prettiest lashes ever - perfectly defined, gives enough volume and creates a bit of a lift, which is something those two other mascaras (Catrice Lashes to Kill Pro and Max Factor Dark Magic) do not. I really need to repurchase this.

BOURJOIS Rouge Velvet the Lipstick

02 Flaming Rose

I finally got the shade I wanted, so I can wear this amazing formula in combination with the looks I tend to wear daily. These have great matte finish, don't feel drying, they are so light on the lips and they last well too. Flaming Rose looks like a neutral-to-cool pink on me, but I suspect on others it looks more warm. It's a simple light pink shade that is just easy to wear. 

ZOEVA Rose Golden Complete Eye Set Vol. 2

I use these almost every day, but rarely speak of them on the blog, though they are in many of my Instagram pictures. These are without a doubt the best brush investment I made. All are amazing quality and there are some great shapes of brushes for my eye shape that I could not get at other brands, especially 231 Luxe Petite Crease was just made for me. 

The four brushes I use most and I would get individually if my set got lost or destroyed: 232 Luxe Classic Shader, 235 Contour Shader, 231 Luxe Petite Crease and 227 Luxe Soft Definer.

THE FACE SHOP The Solution Mask

Madecassoside

I've gone through almost all of these Solution masks so far, I only have Ceramide left to try and Madecassoside impressed me just as much as Pearl did. Madecassoside is derived from Centella asiatica and research links it to promoting skin's healing, reduction of inflammation and it supposedly works anti-ageing as it stimulates the synthesis of collagen. It's definitely great at helping with inflammation and promoting healing. It helped heal an inflamed breakout I had and it just in general made the skin look so good. It reminded me a lot of how Etude House Snail masks works one me, so I really should stock up on this one and Pearl.

AVON Mesmerize Black

This has to be one of the most underrated fragrances ever. I'm so sure if this had some fancy brand name slapped on it, it'd be so much more popular, but since it's only Avon, most people tend to miss it. It's an incredible warm and cosy scent with a strong oriental vibe, but without boring vanilla or patchouli (that really started to annoy me by now and it's in almost every fragrance). Mesmerize Black is pretty much just smooth sandalwood that envelops you like a warm blanket. Other notes include jasmine and mandarin, but I can't detect them, especially the citrus note. Every time I wear this I get compliments. It's loud without being obnoxious by either being super a sugary girly concoction or vanilla-patchouli-sweet notes combo in the ranks of Angel. It's dirt cheap online, so you're really getting a great fragrance for an affordable price.

CREATURES DE MONOI Oil

My hair been insanely dry ever since I tried this one Vichy anti-dandruff shampoo and I'm desperately trying to fix the situation, but it's proving to be a challenge. Especially the top part of my hair feels like all life was sucked out of it. I was sent some of the Creatures products for a review I was writing for another blog (you might remember that I really enjoyed the moisturiser a couple of years ago) and this oil came at just the right time because my stash has thinned. I used it on most days this month before going to bed, and my hair absorbed this like a sponge by the morning. It definitely helped it be a lot less dry and since my hair is so parched, it didn't leave it greasy and lank. It contains a combination of jojoba and coconut oil, both fantastic for hair care as they can enter the centre of hair more effectively than other oils. This oil also smells great and strong, something I always like, but it's not a coconut type of scent, it's very floral. This oil is not easy to get if you're not from Slovenia or Croatia, but if your hair is very dry, you can create your own mix with coconut and jojoba oil, it just won't smell as pretty as this one.

SUBRINA Shower Gels

Perfume Drops & Cherry Blossom

I can't believe I've been keeping these two gems buried in my "work drawer". I've used up a few of these over the years and liked all so far (Rose Garden is amazing and I don't even like rose scents, Pina Colada is nice too and they unfortunately discontinued Cuba Libre, which I loved) and for the past year I've had all of these nicely kept in my work stuff so I don't ruin/damage/lose any them, plus I always had some other shower products to use up anyway, but I felt a bit bored this month with the stash I have, so I started exploring the scents of these I haven't tried properly yet, so in the shower where scents tend to be different than from the bottle. Perfume Drops is smells divine. It's like a proper high end fragrance, closest I can described it is an oriental type of scent with possibly some pepper and something warm, maybe amber. It's just such a great combination. Cherry Blossom (I bought this one myself) is a lot more neutral and to me smells just like baby powder, which makes it such a comforting scent. I actually like most of the scents, only Sensual Vanilla is a bit boring for me and Jasmine is basic too, but particularly Rose Garden and Mango Heaven are so nice. 

WISHLIST

COLOURPOP Fame Pressed Powder Palette - Colourpop finally released something that isn't very warm, though this one still has some warmer shades, but at least they aren't orangey-reddish. It's the first palette I would consider buying, but I still feel they went overboard with the number of skintone shades and there aren't enough lid shades, that's the only thing holding me back so far. // COLOURPOP Super Shock Blush Between the Sheets - a neutral muted rosy-brown, so the type of shade I tend to wear. // MILANI Rose Blush Trio Palette 01 Flowers of Love - a new release by Milani. I have the single rose blushes and they are amazing, so I'm sure this is great too, plus it's so pretty. Swatches. // AVON Luck La Vie (notes)- I've been into woody fragrances lately and this is described as a strawberry cedar combination, which sounds intriguing. I like the original Luck too (notes), which is a red berries sandalwood combination and I wouldn't mind owning one of those pretty bottles too.

Have a great day!

Supersizer is one of the two mascaras I got in a swap from Canada, this one is in waterproof version. We don't have this brand here, but I believe it's a sister brand of Max Factor and many products share remarkable similarities, but there isn't an equivalent for this mascara. It features a quite unique brush with very short bristles and it's quite a volumizing mascara.

The brush is thin with super short bristles and some slightly longer ones at the tip. This wasn't the best idea based on my experience because it's barely capable of combing the lashes, though mostly it doesn't, so it just deposits a lot of product, especially since the formula itself is very thick. I end up with a lot of product and volume, but very messy lashes, also the more you apply it, the higher the chance it starts to clump the lashes and creating clusters. It's bad at fanning out the lashes and corner lashes pose a particular problem as it can't reach them well. It's a type of mascara at which you need to dedicate a lot of time for a neat application.

Unfortunate brush aside, I think the formula is a great waterproof one, except for the fact it's one of the hardest to remove. It's the type of formula that makes quite an impact and it's very waterproof, so it survives a lot, as well as holds the lashes perfectly curled all day.

Price on Ulta is $6.99.

While it's a good waterproof formula, the brush isn't capable of any significant definition and you can quickly end up with spidery lashes. It think it's best you either use it in combination with another mascara wand that's better at defining and combing the lashes.

Have a great day!

BIOBAZA Face Cleansing Micellar Oil 

This was my second bottle and I'm three quarters into my latest one. I've been using this for a year or two and by now I've developed a love-hate relationship. I hate that it's too weak to remove mascara and I still can't forgive that the sample which wowed me was completely different than what's in the full-size version. I don't like it's so thin and that it doesn't emulsify much, but I appreciate that it washes off completely and I definitely love it for the way it works with my skin. Oil cleansers tend to break me out, but with this my skin is completely clear. Until I find something better in the same or lower price range, I'm sticking to this, however, L'Occitane's Immortelle is my favourite if I want the job done properly.

Repurchase: Done.

BALEA Erfrischendes Waschgel

My standard second cleanser, I've gone through several tubes of this and I wasn't thinking about switching it anytime soon, but I was in two DMs and they didn't have it in stock which concerns me. It's gentle, pH friendly and does the job, plus it's affordable, so I really like it. I think a similar gel exists in the sensitive range, so if I can't find this one, I'll try that one. I just hope it's  merely out of stock or being repackaged.

Repurchase: Yes.

L'OREAL Pure Clay Purify Mask

This is the first one I used up out of four I own (one is still unopened). I had only one version of this formula, while I still have the grey and red version and actually the more I use these, the less I see a difference between them, apart from the Exfoliating one because of the beads, but it works the same with something extra. These are classic clay masks that I use when I need to detox my skin, so during breakouts or when my skin feels a bit blah, like it needs an intense clear out. I like these a lot, more than other clay masks I've tried and it's for various reasons, though they work similar to all clay masks. This one is meant for oily skin with imperfections and it has a lovely spa scent. 

Repurchase: I have plenty more, but yes.

BALEA Vital 3 in 1 Wet Wipes

I already featured these in a disappointing products post and they still sit at the top of my "most useless wet wipes" list. They were some of the weakest wipes I've tried and a lot of rubbing was needed for them to remove any makeup. They also dried very fast and even as dry the cloth material was nothing special.

Repurchase: No.

YES TO Carrots Gentle Cleansing Wipes

Another pack of rather useless wipes. Though they were stronger than Vital, but only marginally, they had this awful barfy scent. I hear their Cucumber version is much better.

Repurchase: No.

SULWHASOO Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum

This has an obscene 150$ price tag if you buy the full size, so I got a pack of five 8 ml samples, which I've been using for a year now. I used it every day in the first months, but lately I've only been using it occasionally and I really want to say that I see something when I use this because it's so crazy expensive, but I can't say that I do. I bought it because I heard it help with the elasticity of the skin, so it has more bounce which my skin was lacking up until I started K-Beauty, but this wasn't the product that fixed it, it was Banila Serum (now discontinued) that did and now a combination of other much cheaper products. I still have one bottle left and I'll use it up, but I'm not sure I would buy it again. This has a strong ginseng scent that really grew on me.

Repurchase: I'm not sure, I prefer other products, but this might be beneficial long-term.

AVEO MED Milde Pflege Dusche

I've gone through a couple of these and I'll keep buying it because it's a great gentle and pH friendly shower gel that smells like camomile.

Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA Duschshaum 

Fresh & Fruity

Fantastic shower foam. It's super fluffy, but firm and it smells so refreshing like grapefruits. I spent years avoiding buying these because I was convinced they last a few uses at most, but this lasted longer than shower gels. I bought it in August or September and been using it two or three times a week, maybe more, but I switch my shower products a lot and it was empty in the middle of February, so impressive.

Repurchase: Yes and I already have in a different scent.

AVEO Intensive Care Duschöl

I bought this because it was the cheapest oil I could find in our drugstores. My hands became really dry this winter, which is unusual for me and I first resorted to regular body oil to lock in the moisture, then it hit me, it might be best to use an oil cleanser too and I was right. With long-term use the condition of my skin improved drastically. It's also easy to use because I simply pour some oil without the need to squeeze the bottle, it emulsifies quickly and into a thick milky, I only need to rinse it a bit longer. The scent it annoying because it's like no one bothered fixing that part.

Repurchase: Done and yes.

L'OCCITANE Almond Shower Oil

This has been a staple in my bathroom since 2006 and I've never been without it, but I use it so little, just as an occasional treat because it's too expensive and the price definitely rose since my first purchase, so I think this was my last bottle for a while, unless someone gets it for me as a gift. It's the best shower oil I've tried because it emulsifies into a thick milk and it smells amazing, I really think everyone should try it at least once (they have sample sizes too), but it's too expensive for as a regular shower product. 

Repurchase: Maybe.

SOAP & GLORY Orangeasm Super Rich Body Butter

I loved this. The texture is one of the medium thick body butters, so it took a bit longer to sink in, which I like because it makes me feel like it's doing more than those light body lotions. It's got some red beads in it which are filled with shea butter and those burst when you were rubbing it in. The scent is great, one of the best citrusy scents, as it smelled like an orange peel, so quite a bitter & fresh orange (mixed with lemon) scent.

Repurchase: Yes, but realistically S&G is now really hard to get and we just got TBS in Slovenia, so it's not likely I'll buy it again.

SOAP & GLORY Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I've liked all of S&G scrubs I've tried so far and this is no exception. The smell isn't as harsh cleaning supply lemony as in the Hand Cleansing Gel, though it's still not the best lemon scent. However, the texture is far more important here and I can deal with the scent. It's one of the harsh scrubs, so just the way I like them and it's one that's washes off completely, leaving no oily filter behind, plus it's not drying at all. 

Repurchase: Yes, but Flake Away is still my favourite.

L'OREAL PROFESSIONNEL Absolut Repair Lipidium Instant Resurfacing Masque

This massive pot lasted me about a year and it was the mask I used 95% of the time. It's a thick treatment for very dry hair and one of rare ones that is enough for my hair, though when my hair was completely dried up, it wasn't that effective. After using it for a year almost exclusively I wish it left my hair a bit more silky and soft, but I repurchased it anyway.

Repurchase: Done.

GOT2B Ől-la-la Styling Oil Spray

This is the best shine spray/healthy hair maker/faker because it's silicone-oil based and not full of alcohol as most shine products are. Apart from great shine, it also tames the hair and makes it look a lot more polished, but it's so light, I think it shouldn't weight down the hair to anyone. Unfortunately, this is very hard to get in Slovenia now, but luckily I have a spare. Got2b newest product called Näturlich Nude Glanzleistung ől spray (Naturally nude shine feather-light oil spray) has similar ingredients and is worth checking out.

Repurchase: Done and yes.

KHADI Ayurvedic Hail Oil Balsam

I had this for quite a while and I kept giving it chances, but it's so disappointing. It's meant for healing dandruff and itchiness, which in theory should work since my scalp is very dry and need nourishment. Unfortunately this didn't fix anything and what's more, even as a regular pre-wash treatment, despite using a ton (a half a bottle once), it didn't nourish my hair and it was like I didn't use anything. Well apart from the smell, which could stun a horse and lingers in the hair. It's a very strong deep herbal scent., which is not disgusting, just insanely strong, as it literally fills the house.

Repurchase: No.

AQUALINA Pink Sugar

This is not an easy scent to wear and it's one I really need to be in the mood for because it's so strong, so sugary and so vanillary. It's like burned sugar and cotton candy on steroids, but it has its moments when it smells so comforting and nice. It's a fragrance I wore only in cold weather which is why it took me so long to use it up. It's a scent I bought back when I loved such ultra sugary fragrances, but now I'm more of an Olympea/Hugo Boss kinda girl and for my comforting/warm needs I have BBW Twilight Woods.

Repurchase: Probably not. 

LADY SPEED STICK 27/7 Gel Anti-perspirant

Invisible

I used to use this in high school and I remember liking it, but this time it didn't impress me that much. It didn't work that well on me, plus the gel needs extra time to dry, which isn't convenient when you need to get dressed quickly in the morning. It's also not invisible, as especially as it ages the gel turns white.

Repurchase: No.

REXONA Motion Sense Anti-Perspirant

Invisible

My standard deodorant for many years, but this is the one that stopped working one me, at least in stressful situations, which sucks because I could always rely on this one. I'm currently giving it a break with Dove's stick version, which is fine, but not as impressive as this one was.

Repurchase: In time, yes.

AVEO Nail Polish Remover Professional

A basic remover that I got because of the packaging, since it has a pump. It's quite a weak remover, so I wasn't happy with it, but I think I repurchased the same one, even though mine has a different label (blue with a more obviously stated "professional"), so that was not terribly smart of me.

Repurchase: Done apparently.

BALEA Hygiene Handgel

I've had this for ages, but I forgot about it because I had so many other much more impressive versions. The formula is more liquid than others, plus it left a bit of a filter behind, so I never really liked using it much, but it's decent if there's nothing else in the drugstores. I much prefer the Soap & Glory versions and the BBW ones.

Repurchase: I've seen some fruity versions, so maybe, as S&G and BBW are too hard to get.

SOAP & GLORY Hand Maid and Sugar Crush Hand Cleansing Gel

Hand Maid is my favourite disinfectant so far because it ticks all the boxes of not leaving a trace after I use it, it isn't drying and it smells like candy (505 for local readers). I got Sugar Crush because I love the Hand Maid version, but I did not like the scent as it smells like toilet cleaner. It's that intense lemon chemical scent - I just hated it. I'm sticking only to Hand Maid

Repurchase: I have two Hand Maid versions in stock, while I won't buy the Sugar Crush any more. 

HOURGLASS Mineral Veil Primer

This is crazy expensive (54$) and also very highly rated, but I was quite disappointed by it. It's a regular matte primer that was way too drying for me and I had to use a ton of hydrating skin care after I took off my makeup. I didn't notice it making my skin more perfected, so my foundation application didn't look better, nor did I notice anything particularly in terms of it prolonging staying power of makeup. I don't get what the fuss is about.

Purchase: No.

BANILA CC brightening moisturising / cover base It radiant cover

I love the shade of this as it's really pale, about NC10, with not a particularly strong undertone - big thumbs up for that. Coverage is light-medium and this has a very dewy finish, so it's also quite a moisturising product and remains a bit tacky for a while, so this is a good choice for those with dry skin. It looks like skin, meaning it has a very natural finish, so you would be able to see it's makeup, only the dewy shine reveals there' product on the skin. It doesn't slip into pores for a long time, though at the end of the day it doesn't look as pretty there as it did from the start. It doesn't make the lines look more terrible and it smells like Nivea. Overall I like it despite the dewiness, but I rate it high mostly due to the shade.

Purchase: It's likeable, so I would consider it.

TONY MOLY Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream

This feels less than a moisturising BB cream and more like a regular foundation with a thin, liquid formula and  light-medium coverage. It's got a satin finish on the skin, but with a radiant look and again looks natural, looks very nice over pores, though it doesn't hide lines. It's not sticky and actually sets quite fast. Shade is about NC/W20, so too dark for me, but I like the formula of this.

Purchase: I would, if it weren't for the shade.

LIOELE Dollish Veil BB Spf 25/PA++

This was a surprise because I didn't know anything about it and expected a regular BB cream, but this is similar to Estee Lauder Day Wear Sheer Tint release, meaning it's an off-white (in this case greyish violet) cream which when you rub it into skin turns a tinted cream, in this case to about NC20, it didn't match me. It's not tacky or dewy like Korean BB's usually rare, instead sets quickly to a satin-matte finish (though it doesn't hold back oil). Coverage it light and this is quite scented with a floral fragrance. I had some problems with flaking.

Purchase: No.

MISA Cho Bo Yang BB Cream SPF30/PA++

Such a thick formula, this was hard to blend in. Coverage was medium, but it wore off quickly, so it looked more like light-medium. Finish was satin-matte. Shade 21 was about NC20-25.

Purchase: No.

INNISFREE Green Tea Balancing Cleansing Oil

I liked this in terms of texture, but I think it sadly broke me out. The smell of this is so lovely, just pleasantly calming like a cup of green tea. It's a thicker oil than TFS Rice oil rich or Biobaza that I normally use, but it emulsifies into the same thin milky emulsion. It removed about 75% of makeup, I had some panda eyes with this, but unlike with TFS, most of the remaining makeup came off with the second gel cleanser. The skin felt really nice and soft after use, that's was the main thing that made me think I like this more than Biobaza, though it's not ideal like L'Occitane. Too bad for the spots, otherwise I'd buy the full size.

Purchase: Sadly no.

INNISFREE Green Tea Serum

A light serum that actually doesn't sink in completely or at least super quick, but it's still light on the skin. It's got a pleasant green tea scent. It left my skin looking healthy and fresh, but it's nothing special in terms of K-Beauty products.

Purchase: No.

FA BELLA Cleansing Gel

I don't even know where to buy this except on Amazon and I think it's only sold in a box with 50 of these sample packs, which is so wasteful. That confusion aside, this takes foam to a whole new level. It produces the thickest, most creamy and luxurious foam ever, it's pretty much like shaving gels. My skin was left completely clean, but in about five minutes it started to feel a bit tight. It has an old school cosmetic powdery floral scent.

Purchase: No.

THE FACE SHOP DR. Belmeur Panthenol Soothing Gel-Cream

A thick gel that reminds me of Kamagel ointment (a camomile based gel for soothing inflammations) which was simply too thick and heavy-feeling for my liking. If you have sensitive skin or it needs healing, it's worth a try, but only if you like heavy textures than need time to sink in. The scent was fresh.

Purchase: No.

TONYMOLY The Fresh Phytoncide Pore Gel-Cream

A gel type of serum-cream that even though it's not light should only fit oily skin because my skin became so tight about 10 minutes after application that I had to use a lot of hydrating skin care to soothe it. I noticed no difference in the state of my pores. 

Purchase: No.

INNISFREE Eco Science Recover Spot Essence

A classic gel for spots which had absolutely zero effect on spots when I tried it. COSRX Master Patches FTW.

Purchase: No.

LANEIGE Eye Sleeping Mask

This comes in a fancy bottle packaging with a special applicator, so basing a review on a sample bag won't deal with every aspect of the product. It feels light, like a serum and it's refreshing under the eyes. It doesn't take long to sink in even in a thick coat. It smells herbal, similar to old Scheller Zitrone Mellise gel (lemon balm). I don't get puffy eyes ever and I can't say I saw much of a difference in the morning in how my under eye area looked. It neither looked more rested or plumped up, though maybe it looked a bit better, but not amazing.

Purchase: No.

Magnetic nail polish trend has been gone for a few years now, but I've only recently tried my first one. I must say it's fun, but they won't sway me from my classic creamy finishes. I got this one in a swap from Canada.

The magnet is included in the cap, the latter is actually in two parts, so you're applying the polish with a brush that has a smaller cap. The magnet has a build in guide that you rest on you cuticles and avoid touching the nail. You're supposed to apply one layer on all nails and let it dry completely, then apply a second thick one on one nail and quickly use the magnet before it dries. It works fast and sometimes you can see how it pulls the colours apart.

My shade is 906 Ionic Indigo. It applies greyish blue-teal, but when you use the magnet, the base colour is revealed as a dark blue violet. The magnet creates a wavy design with the original colour and it works really well. I was afraid it won't because I remember hearing a lot of these magnets are too weak, but this one is good. I have thin and smaller nails than most, so the effect isn't as apparent as it could be, but I also had some problems with larger nails as the magnet didn't work on the whole nail, but just the middle, leaving the outer corners unaffected.

 1 coat before using the magnet.

Magnet was used in different alignments. 

This is one of those very rare nail polishes that even I notice doesn't have quite the same staying power as others. But's it's a nice gimmick, I'll give it that.

Have a great day!