Essence had many versions of felt tip eyeliners, this is just their latest one. I've been using Catrice Liquid Eyeliner for many years now, but I used to use these felt tip liners all the time. This one is one of the best ones I've tried so far.

Formula is nicely black and pretty much the same as all such felt tip liners, but it's not as intense and glossy looking as Catrice Liquid eyeliner - it's a difference only seen up close. It's opaque in one swipe, there no need to go over the line again. It lasts very long on me, I get 8-9 h minimum and it doesn't smudge (I said many time, I don't have oily eyelids). It works over eyeshadows well and I've been using for quite a while now, so that's pretty impressive for a felt tip eyeliner.

Applicator is among the smallest I've tried so far. It's not completely straight and that roundness affects that the tip isn't always as straight as I want it to be, but I can be very precise with this one, making small adjustments. It's a great liner for beginners and a nice one for making thin lines. It's not like Catrice's liquid eyeliner at which when you mess up, you can only go for a bolder look. Applicator is smooth and soft enough, but not flimsy. I had Essence felt tip eyeliner a while back, I don't know which version it was since they switch things so fast, but I can say this one is an big improvement. 

It costs a reasonable 2.99 €. 

This a great line and worth picking up, especially if you don't have much experience with liners yet. I've been using it for three months now and it's still going as strong as the day I opened it, which is very impressive and honestly I did not expect such a great eyeliner from Essence. I will repurchase this for sure - provided, of course, Essence doesn't discontinue it before that. 

Have a great day!

*PR products

I can say just one thing about this formula: in my opinion and based on my experience it's just the repackaged previous such product by Essence Colour Boost Mad About Matte Liquid Lipstick. Even my shade is the same as the one I have from that line. Those were in these cute paint tube-like packaging, while these come in more boring tubes and they changed the applicator too. I will basically just copy my review for Colour Boost. 

Texture:  Formula is one of the thinnest such liquid lipsticks, but it's fully opaque with one coat and it sets properly matte in a minute, becoming completely transfer proof, but it sets into this layer that you are constantly aware is on the lips and for those with dry lips, it will feel very tight. I can deal with it just fine, but for a lot of people this will be an uncomfortable formula to wear. 

Shade: 05 Date Proof is almost identical to 05 Dangerously yours. I think the difference might be just in the fact that Dangerously Yours is older and the formula is now beginning to separate (same happens at Nyx's formula). It's a medium muted pink that's pinker and darker than Deborah Fluid Velvet 02 and warmer than Maybelline 15 Lover. I loved Dangerously Yours and I like this new shade too, obviously. 

Staying power: You'd expect Essence would improve at least this because Colour Boost formula was one of matte lip creams that doesn't last amazingly well on me. This performs the same. It hardly survives eating, though drinking is mostly fine.

Scent: It's got the same sweet candy-vanilla scent as its predecessor.

Packaging: is now a basic tube that's similar to those of NYX and The Body Shop. I miss the old cute ones, but I'm not that bothered by it, but I am about the applicator. The previous one for a nice hourglass design and I love this, the new on is a larger one, which makes it more clumsy. 

Price and availability: It costs 3.29 € and is sold in most drugstores. 

I don't know what was the point of this update. They didn't improve anything. But I like the colour and I'll wear it, still I would not recommend this one to anyone who has dry lips a lot because this can be very uncomfortable. Catrice's new Pro Ink liquid lipsticks are better when it comes to comfort, but the same in terms of staying power.

Have a great day!

*PR Product.

90 Transparent 

This is one of my unsung heroes that I use almost every day now that I'm using Lavozon sunscreen and my other shiny sunscreen products like Maybelline Dream Urban foundation SPF50. I bought this sometime in winter and I wrote a less favourable review about it because my skin was going through a rough patch and this looked terrible on occasions, but now I'm a fan. I still love the loose version more for when I want a more perfected look, but this is much more convenient for everyday use since it's a non-messy compact. Powder is very fine, it's not drying, yet it's nicely mattifying without looking too flat. I bought this because reviews mentioned it blurs pores, but it's not a noticeable difference on me  and loose version is better in that respect. This comes in several shades, I picked transparent because I'm so pale and despite looking white in the pan it truly is transparent on me.   

This quickly became one of my favourite brushes. It's not just that it's very soft and dense, it's also got a short handle so there no hitting the mirror during application and I can get closer to it, which is a big plus if your sight is not the best. It's not large, which is great for my petite face, so I can use it for applying brush and powder, plus blends nicest out of all my powder blushes.

This is nice nude shade almost in the 90's lips style, but not as brown or grey. It's a good mix of rosy and brown tones that it looks wearable even on my pale skin tone. The formula is wonderful in my books and I think it might even be good for those with more dry lips despite being matte. 

I mentioned that I got two similar product this year, L'Oreal's and Wet n Wild's, so I wasn't very excited about receiving this, however, out of the three it's the nicest. It's a similar shade to L'Oreal's, so almost a skin tone champagne shade and they apply the same, plus have the same intensity of the glow with a fine shimmer that looks like natural radiance, but Oriflame wins because it sets. L'Oreal's stays greasy on the skin, so I've been avoiding using it and this one is a sort of a upgrade to that product for me. 

I like this a lot. Sadly it's a limited edition, which is a shame because Catrice discontinued their pink dewy mist and there's a nothing similar in our drugstores. This gives a nice glow to the skin that's similar to one Pixi spray creates. It also smells so good like summer fragrances such as Guerlain Teracotta and Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. In terms of ingredients it's very decent too, so I think Catrice should make this permanent.

Usually when I get a sheet or hydrogel mask that's made by a non-Asian country all I get is some hydration, but this is definitely comparable with Asian brightening sheet masks. It evened out the skin and gave the appearance of a healthy skin just like for example My Beauty Diary Black Pearl and other similar formulas do, the only difference is that this is very light and I need some extra moisturiser after. Scent can be a bit annoying to some because it's chemical and strong, but I can deal with it. I'll be keeping a couple of these in my stash for days when I'm unhappy with my skin and for treat days. 

This is the best hydrating hair product I have found for very dry hair. It's the only one so far that has managed to keep my ends nourished for a week and that just never happens to me. I've since used a different mask, Gliss 4-in-1 that I was testing and it didn't last a day, so Cantu pretty amazing in my books, but it's also a heavy conditioner so I have my strong doubts about its suitability for any other hair type than thick, very dry hair. My hair was softer than usual, it was less brittle, tangy and just overall it behaved so much better. It's not great when it comes to leaving the hair silky with no frizz, but I'll try to deal with that by combining it with leave-ins. This also smells like Pina Colada and the packaging has 400 ml, which is a total win because I use so much conditioner at once. 

BALEA PROFESSIONAL Kopfhaut-Balance Spülung  and BALEA PROFESSIONAL Kopfhaut-Balance Ansatz-Balsam 

I used to complain about my dandruff and dry scalp problem a lot on the blog, but I've since almost given up, though I'm still using Balea's 5% Urea shampoo if it's going to make a difference. This immediately intrigued me because it's a conditioner and leave-in duo for dry scalp. I've had a similar conditioner from Head & Shoulders which didn't do anything for my dandruff, though it was a nice conditioner overall, but I never had a balm/cream for the scalp and I've been searching for something like it, because I've tried moisturising my scalp with oils with no success. The conditioner is meant for using all over the hair, but I use it only on my scalp with a more nourishing formula for my bottom half of the hair. These type of products are not easy to apply when you have such long hair like mine. It's not heavy, so it doesn't leave my scalp feeling oily or leave me with less volume. The balm has medium texture face moisturiser-like formula, so it's also not easy to spread, but at least it has a nozzle to get the product directly on the scalp. Together these two have helped the dandruff problem to a degree. There's much less of it and the scalp also feels cleaner, but it's still itchy at times, I think I'll have to find something separate for that. So far I'm happy with this duo and it's very reasonably priced. 

A silicone-free oil that I use when my hair is very dry. This is of course heavier than silicone-oils/serum sand it doesn't leave the hair with the silky feeling, but it deals with dryness much more effectively. It's not a light product and I think than anyone with thin hair will not like this, maybe just as a pre-wash treatment, but otherwise it can quickly leave the hair too oily, though not on my thick, very dry hair. It's rich, yet not too heavy-oily like coconut oil can be, so it suits me well. The scent is the same as in their Langhaar Mädchen Haaröl, which is a vanilla-coconut scent, but it's quite bland.

Finally we have a product like this, I've been looking for such a tamer for ages, ever since John Frieda's one was discontinued. It's a mascara or better said a hair gel type of product in a mascara packaging that very effectively deals with flyaway and frizz. It's something for some small fixes/finally touches and it does the job so well without leaving the hair looking wet from gel or greasy, it also doesn't leave it crunchy. It creates such a smooth finish - on me actually better than using a hair straightener or better said it gives me that proper sleek look after straightening, since on its own it's not enough. It smells like peaches, which is always a plus as far as I'm concerned. 

I took pictures before I checked if both of these are still on BBW and it looks like Kaleidoscope is gone, though I guess it could still be found on eBay (us from outside US rely on it anyway). Kaleidoscope is one of my favourite fragrances, a unique clean scent that BBW says smells different on every one and it earned its place here because it got me compliments. I was out for three or four hours and it was still so intense that people smelled it from a couple of meters away and I wasn't overly generous with spraying - that's quite a feat for a body spray. On me it smells soft and clean with a note that reminds me of pears. Oahu Coconut Sunset is my beachy-summery fragrance, though it's not a light scent, but people instantly recognise the coconut note when I pass them. It's a syrupy sweet tropical coconut scent that's what some would say is a night time summer scent.

This smells like La Vie est Belle from Lancome, which I'm actually not too fond of, however, this makes an absolutely brilliant room spray. It lasts hours in a room, which is amazing for a 1 € deodorant, only BBW room mists beat it. This became an essential in the house. 

I'm not completely in love in the shades of these two, though Essence's peachy-pink is slowly growing on me, but they deserve the praise for their textures. Essence's has such refined shimmer which gives a wonderful healthy glow on the cheeks that rivals L.O.V.'s blushes. But all four shades available are not to my taste and L.O.V. still wins when it comes to staying power. The Body Shop's Bronze powder has a smooth silky texture that applies and blends like a dream. I don't wear bronzers because I don't feel they suit me, but a blush with this texture would be amazing and I might end up using just the highlighter side for giving my skin some radiance.

While it's not quite impressive as my favourite Maybelline Tattoo eyeliner, this is one of the best such products I've tried. It's creamy, very black and it transfers into waterline immediately, so this is one great eyeliner which also has an added bonus that it's a twist up, meaning there's no need for sharpening. It's still manages to last 9-10h even in the waterline, which is so impressive, though Maybelline still wins by a few hours.  

I like this a lot more second time around. The annoying note that bothered me the first time is gone on me now and what's left is an amber-sandalwood-almond fragrance that to me smells a bit vintage, warm and cosy. Lasts well too and it smells wonderful on clothes and hair when it's worn off. 

This doesn't get the proper favourite of the month status because ingredients are disappointing compared to other body lotions, at least what they could add is some cheap urea high on the list and not have honey as one of the last ingredient (that irks me), but I can't deny this is regardless a lovely moisturiser to use. It's rich, yet it absorbs fast and it leaves a silky feeling on the skin. It's heavily scented and that's precisely what I enjoy most because it's a like body moisturiser of a nice fragrance.  

After being so impressed with the conditioner, I had to get the leave-in too. I've only had it for a few days, but so far I like it. It's the type of texture I was hoping it's going to be, meaning that it can be used both on damp and dry hair. It's like a combination between a silicone leave-in cream like Olaplex n.6 or Tigi After Party and a regular leave-in creamy conditioner that provides nourishment instead of styling. It works so well on very dry, coarse hair, but sadly it doesn't add that silkiness I get from Tigi Blow-Out or Olaplex n.6 so it's not a perfect product, but as long as it can handle very dry hair, I'm good. It smells like coconuts and bananas to me.

I got myself one of these in Müller, even though the price was higher than I planned to spent, but convenience won. It feels well made. The rolling is smooth, there's no squeaking and nothing is loose, though I feel like if this falls there is a chance it will break, so it best to be careful with this one. CV added a guide how to do a massage in the back, though I'm used to is slightly differently myself. I'm not sure what, if any, results to expect from this, I'm never puffy too see a difference from a facial massage, but I do it for lymphatic drainage. I use mostly Nuxe oil with this and do a 10-15 minute massage. I'm very skinny, so honestly this doesn't feel as amazing as I thought, since I have such a bony face and it can be a bit uncomfortable to use for me. 

Glow in Bloom is Catrice's highlighter-y collection that also includes blushes. There are two versions, I haven't seen the other one which I think is peachy, but mine is a combination of a coral with larger gold shimmer and the other a lighter peachy pink with a less intense fine champagne glow. The coral one is more pigmented than the other and it might be the only one that shows up well on darker skin tones, but it can quickly be too intense for me. The shimmer in the smaller coral one is not fine like it's in the other one, regardless neither end up super glowy on me, so this didn't exactly meet my expectations in this department. The coral one also is not a smooth looking blush and makes the skin appear more textured, while the peachy-pink side is a lot better in that respect and tends to look nicer. They could blend a bit easier, in particular I’m having problems with the coral one, while the peachy one is easier to deal with. If you're looking for a blush with a glow, Essence's Blushlighters are nicer, at least to me.

  

The thinner side, the golden coral blush. Lipstick is Jordana Matte 48 Pink Passion

4.59 €

I've got to hand it to Catrice, these are some gorgeous looking highlighters and they remind me of Kaviar Gauche collection with the flower design. I got all four from this collection. Textures aren't the same across the board, as C01, C02 and C03 are more creamy, while C04 has a very smooth formula, which I think is best in this selection. Shimmer is not as fine as I know Catrice has already done, so while you get an intense glow, it's can look too textured in some lights, but I'm very into fine shimmer and for a majority these will look amazing.  C01 Jasmine Blossom is an off-white champagne shade with a white-golden glow, C02 Daisy Blossom is a rose gold shade with a warm pink glow on a warm base, C03 Magnolia Blossom is a similar shade to C02, but more beige and it doesn't have such a pink glow, though it still has a has a pinkish champagne reflect, and C04 Sunflower Blossom is the deepest of the four, a warm yellow gold shade, which is already not a highlighter on me, but more of a blush/bronzer/highlighter. C04 has the finest shimmer and smoothest formula, making it the best performing shade in general, so it's a shame the other three aren't quite as nice, but all are a set of very reflective,metallic shades that those who love a strong glow will enjoy.

C01 Jasmine Blossom

4.59 €

This is a nice one. Catrice used to have a very highly rated dewy mist which I missed by a few months because it was discontinued and got the regular violet version instead, which is ok, but not glowy like I wanted and it has a terrible spray. I suspect this is about the same thing as that discontinued mist because it gives the skin a glowy look, which is intense at first, but on my dry skin it goes away in time. This smells amazing, like summer cosmetics, I think it's the same scent as Guerlain's Terracotta perfume, but I could be mixing it up with something similar. Sometimes it lasts only a few seconds and others times I smell it for the first hour. The mist is sooo much better than on the violet one. It's an nice even mist that's not spritzing large droplets, but it's not as fine as for example L'Oreal's Lumi Shake. I haven't noticed it prolonging the staying power of makeup, to be fair I wasn't really paying that much attention, but it's a nice spray when you want to melt the makeup together better or remove a powdery look. Their violet version is excellent at improving staying power. Sungasm's version has glycerine, coconut water, papaya fruit extract and water lily extract, so it's much better in terms of ingredients than the regular violet version. It's similar to Pixi Glow Mist in terms of effect, though the latter has even better ingredients. 

Ingredients.

5.09 €. This collection is already in Müllers.

Not sure why they called this bronzing because it's actually almost the same depth as the C04 highlighter from the Bloom collection above. It's maybe a shade darker and very golden-yellow. It's not a colour for my complexion, but for warm deeper skin tones this will make a great highlighter. Shimmer is fine, but less intense than in the Bloom highlighters, so this ends up being more subtle. Pigmentation is good, all my brushes were able to pick it up, but keep in mind my skin is very fair and things show up much easier on me. Packaging is cardboard with a lid that holds very tight. Unlike the mist these aren't scented.

5.09 €

I actually just got two similar product this year, so I wasn't super excited about this one, but it doesn't mean it's not a great product. It's nicer than the L'Oreal one I have because it sets, while than one remains a bit greasy on the skin. Shade-wise are both champagne beige-golden ones with an intense glow. Shimmer can be apparent under artificial light, but I just love how this looks in natural light. It gives this healthy looking glow to the skin and I love my makeup with this one on the tops of my cheekbones. Just like L'Oreal there's no stopper on the opening of the packaging, so I have to be more careful when opening and closing this to avoid a mess. 

Oriflame, Currently 6.49 € / Regular price 10.90 €

Unlike the Catrice pebbles this is a lot more like an actual bronzer. The Body Shop has very highly rated bronzers, in particular those for pale skin, but I never tried one. The texture of this is so smooth and it’s so lovely to apply and blend, especially after trying Catrice LE products which were all lacking in that department. Shimmer in this is very refined, so it's a powder with a natural radiant glow. The bronzy side’s colour is ok, maybe it needs a hint of redness for my skin tone and should be less yellow, but it’s definitely a shade for pale skins. The highlighter side is kind of my skin tone shade with beige-champagne glow and a subtle, natural radiance. I prefer to use them separate, since mixed together they are neither a bronzer, nor a highlighter for me, but on deeper skin tones it might work as a subtle highlighter. Packaging is metal and you get the softest puff inside, which I actually didn't try it for applying this product, but I think I'll use it for setting powder. The Body Shop has a whole new collection of bronzing and self tanning products called Coconut Bronze. By the way, this doesn't smell of anything, making it suitable for those who dislike fragrances in makeup.

The Body Shop, 16.50 €

The Body Shop launched two fresh smelling collections for this summer, this one and Cool Cucumber. Zesty lemon shower gel smells like hard lemon candy straight from the bottle, but under a shower it develops into a proper, freshly squeezed lemon. Formula is unexpectedly thin for TBS, but not annoyingly so that it would be too runny and it foams ok. It's a simple shower gel that smell nice and the scent lingers for a while. 

The Body Shop, 6.50 €

I had the last year's Cactus Blossom version of this type of product and honestly I'm not a fan of this texture, at least not as a scrub. It's ok as an thick shower gel, but I'm one of those who like harsh scrubs and this is a gel with micro beads, so exfoliation is mild. This might mean it's suitable for those who find most such products too abrasive, but I don't know every one's preferences. This one smells like hard lemon candy all the time. 

The Body Shop, 19.90 €

This has a very authentic cucumber scent. It's just like peeling freshly picked cucumbers for a salad and the texture is a light sort of lotion-gel, so it feels a bit cooling, which some might enjoy in hot summer months. Their Body Yogurts are very light, I have a banana one that I use in the morning because it absorbs so quickly, but it's not nearly as nourishing as their amazing body butters, which I prefer. Cool Cucumber is not my scent, but if you're looking for something refreshing and not overly sweet or citrusy, this is it. My top choice for a refreshing TBS scent is Pink Grapefuit, but Satsuma is so uplifting as well. 

The Body Shop, 9.90 € 

This has the same cucumber scent as yogurt and it lasts on the skin for quite a while. I'm not impressed by the formula, but I tend to like richer creams in general. This one is like body yogurt for the hands, so too light for my liking, but it absorbs so completely so quickly. Personally, I like the rich formula od their Hemp cream a lot better, which is one of the best I tried so far, I just don't like the scent of it.

The Body Shop, 5.90 €

I was very happy to see this in the parcel, SPF 50 is always something I need. This one is said to work for face and body and that's it's not greasy. First impression of this were very deceiving. I applied it straight away when I got the parcel and I just sprayed it generously on the face, which ended up with me looking like a Christmas ornament. It felt like layer of thick oil on the skin and was very shiny, so much I couldn't just put powder over it, but I resorted to absorbing the shine with a tissue, then applied powder. However, on the next days I tried spraying this on my hand first and then applied it on the face. It works a lot better that way, it feels similar to Nuxe's dry oil and while it's still shiny, it's not overboard for my dry skin. With the spray I have no idea how much is enough, but I apply two layers and it was still ok. So this can be very shiny and oily feeling, very far away from a dry mist with a feather-light feel, but you can work with it. It has alcohol as the first ingredient, which is not ideal, but I tend to be more forgiving to alcohol at sunscreens, still it'd be better without. It smells great, like tropical fruit, I think it's papaya. This came in so handy already because it's so easy to just spray and go, so perfect when there's work outside and you need reapplication.

Oriflame, current price 14.99 € / regular price 21.99 €/

There's three versions of these: Banana, Avocado and Mango, I got the latter which is the coloured hair version one. Mango butter is the last ingredient on the list which likely means it'll be too light for me, also 30 ml is a stretch for my long hair, but we'll see. It might be a handy thing to have when you're travelling or if your hair is normally not dry and you just need a little pick me up, which I think is the case for a lot of people, but you know I need a lot more. 

Oriflame, current price 1.49 € / regular price 2.90 €

This is a regular formula mascara, so I'm still considering if I'll even open it myself and review it - you know how I feel about reviewing such formulas on my lashes that don't hold a curl. Such reviews are not really helpful to you anyway. So for now I'll just direct you to Lana's review she did quite a while ago, which tells me this is quite an old mascara. I think it's their best seller, but I not certain. This has a plastic brush with bristles that vary size on two sides, so it's like a straight version of Maybelline Lash Sensational. Personally I love their Tremendous mascara, it's one of my favourites. 

Not in the current catalogue, but the XXL version is 4.99 € 

Maybelline's Tattoo eyeliner has set the bar so high for me that I just assumed this will not impress me, but it's actually quite good. It's not quite as smooth as the gel one from Maybelline, but not far behind. It's very creamy and pigmented, you get instant transfer into the waterline and it's easy to apply on the top lashline too meaning without skipping, though I'm useless at being precise with a formula that's not liquid. It doesn't state that it's a gel formula, but it behaves very much like it. It sets in a while and is then hard to smudge. It claims to be waterproof and I tried to remove both Maybelline's and this one with water and soap, and both did not come completely off, though Maybelline still wins. I had to remove both with an oil makeup remover. It's a twist up eyeliner, so it doesn't need sharpening, but to keep it precise for use on top lash line you have to use a mini sharpener from another pencil because this one doesn't have it. Staying power surprisingly good, though not as good as Maybelline's, but it lasted 9-10h in my waterline and there's not a lot of such product that can go past a few hours mark on me. This is one of the best eyeliners I've tried. 

Maybelline's is a bit more intense in person, but both are very black in have an instant colour pay-off.

Current catalogue 4.99 €/ Regular price 7.90 €

I already have Bronzing Pearls in another shade and there's a full review on the blog. Though they look so similar in the pots, Sublime Radiance is a shade lighter, but in the same tone. Both are a bronzer-blush mix, a rosy-apricot shade and Sublime Radiance is still somewhat too warm and orange-y for my skin tone, at least for my taste. In the pot Sublime has more lightest bronzy-illuminating pearls and slightly cooler pinky ones compared to Natural Radiance, but honestly in person they are hard to tell apart until you swatch them. Both are more of a blush than a bronzer, so I would only use this on the cheeks rather than all over. Pigmentation is great, at least for my pale skin tone I get enough, actually too much with one swipe of the brush and it blends evenly. Texture is fine, so it doesn't emphasise pores and the finish is satin with a subtle radiance, so they give a lovely healthy glow without looking like a highlighter. There is a lot of pearls inside and the packaging is quite large, so the very likely last forever. There is a puff inside, which can be useful, but for applying these I prefer a brush and the puff is more to keep the pearls from moving too much in the packaging. Oriflame has several sets of these pearls, not just for bronzing or blush one, but also illuminating, which remind me of the Guerlain's Meteorites in 02 Clair. 

Heavily applied. Lipstick is Deborah Velvet Mat Pencil 07, eyeshadow Talisman from Essence Witch Side palette, foundation + powder Lancome Teint Idole & Maybelline Fit Me Loose powder. 

Oriflame, 22.90 €

I’m really enjoying this one, I already know I’ll use this one a lot, though at first glance I thought I won’t like it. It's very soft and dense, but it feels synthetic so I feared it won't pick up product well and I'm glad to see I was very wrong. As a near-sighted person I love it has a short handle, so it there no chances of hitting the mirror with the handle of the brush. It's not large, which is great for my petite face, so I can use it for applying brush and powder. This blends really nicely. I also love it’s brown because all my powder brushes are white and I have no idea how much powder I picked up, so this was a very welcomed addition to my collection. 

Current catalogue 8.49 €/ Regular price 9.99 €

I've already expressed my opinion about the price of these on Instagram, but basically they are simply overpriced for such a product, though they are not a bad, nor do they contain harmful ingredients. The ingredients list reads like a hair serum due to a combination of silicones with oils and it has no other special ingredients currently very valued in skin care. The silicones give it that lovely smooth and soft feeling on the skin, so it's an oily type of product that doesn't feel very greasy, which will appeal to those who dislike how long it takes for oil to absorb, though this one doesn't absorb in an instant either. I know many such pearls have silicones as the first ingredient, but there's no actives in this, so why use such a format, I don't know. I'm unsure if any of these oils are so unstable they'd need to be wrapped individually or is it just to make them for fancy, based on what I know they are not. It's just two silicones at the beginning, followed by soy, avocado, apricot kernel, black currant seed, sesame seed and limnantes alba (white meadowfoam) seed oils, plus some obligatory vitamin E and fragrances. You get 30 capsules, which means 30 days and that comes at more than a 1€ per use if you get them when they are regularly priced.  If it had at least one more “fancy” ingredient, like a peptide, vitamin C or A, I'd be more impressed. But if you're not on a budget, you enjoy pretty packaging and want a format where the amount sufficient for face and neck is in one capsule, there's no one stopping you. 

Oriflame, 37.90 €

This is Oriflame's treatment for spots/blemishes/pimples/acne/whatever you call them. It's a very liquid and somewhat oily product, so I'd apply this with the help of a cotton bud because it's not easy to apply it on one spot. Bottle has the same opening as essential oils, so this comes out in drops. First ingredient is isopropyl myristate, followed by alcohol, water and the two ingredients that deal with the spots, tea tree oil and salicylic acid. There's also some lime extract, but after fragrance, meaning there's not much of it. I mentioned it's oily, but in a light way. I currently don't have any spots to test this (so happy about this), this came a couple of weeks too late, but when I do, maybe I'll test this and report back. It first smells like a hospital disinfectant, then like tee tree oil.

Current catalogue 3.99 €/ Regular price 9.90 €

My cousin used to have this when we were still kids, but I never tried it at her (using someone else's pot was not my thing even back then), though I remember she loved it. Since then they've released a lot of other scented versions, I got the original which smells of nothing, basic vaseline scent. It's thick, as you might expect from a balm, but ends up feeling lighter on the lips than I expected. I know many love this product, but I don't find it beats Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in terms of nourishment. It fixes dryness ok, but it doesn't last as long on the lips and by the morning it's been gone for hours, so the effects are not as intensively nourishing. The packaging it not to my liking. For one it's in a pot, but the main problem is how deep in the pot the product is. If you have long nails, this is impossible to use, also because the opening it narrow. I use the silicone paddle from Laneige to apply this and it's a shame Oriflame doesn't include it too.

Current catalogue 2.99 € / Regular price 7.50 €

I expected a very harsh scrub, since it’s a salt one, but the salt particles are much more fine than in sugar scrubs I’m used to. I’d say it’s “moderately scrubby” and it might be more appealing to most than my kind of strong scrubs. It has this strange feeling, almost like there’s some vaseline in it, though there’s no mineral oil or petrolatum in it, but it doesn’t wash off completely and it leaves the skin with this sticky feeling. I think Afrodita's sugar scrub did the same, but with a heavier oily coat. I find it's best to wash this one off with a shower gel, but if you don't, once you dry yourself the skin doesn't feel sticky. It smells oceanic fresh. Jysk has this scented oil for home in version Ocean and this is almost the same scent.

Current catalogue 17.90 €/  Regular price 13.99 €

First checked the ingredients and I thought, there's no way this is good because it's so basic meaning it has nothing I'd buy a cream for like shea or cocoa butter and honey is almost the last on the list, which is not cool in my books, but strangely I like this. The pudding-like consistency is deceptive, it made me think this is like The Body Shop Yogurts, but this is a lot more substantial in terms of nourishment and as an extra plus I appreciate, it leaves the skin with this silky coat even though there's only a small amount of silicones. It also smells so nice, like a fragrance and I don't even mind it doesn't even smells like real honey and milk. 

12.90 €

*ORIFLAME Amber Elixir eau de parfum 

I already had this a while ago, I bought it myself on Notino, but I gave it away because it had this note that I just didn't like. On the second try I changed my mind about it and I'm keeping this bottle for now. I still think it's not a very modern scent and just like L'Occitane's Amber I see it as a vintage scent, but compared to L'Occitane this is a warmer, more cosy vanilla, though it starts with a more uplifting note, I notice mandarin most, then it settles into an amber-sandalwood-almond mix that I feel smells even better when it's very worn off on clothes and hair (in particular the hair on the second day). This is well reviewed fragrance on Fragrantica and most I know that have tried it, like it. I guess I needed some time myself to grow to like it and I don't notice that heliotrope note anymore that bothered me the first time. This exists in flankers too, I find myself often rubbing the scented pages of the Crystal Eau de Parfum version which is a fresher, more aquatic one, but I don't know how the new Mystery version smells like. 

Notes:

Top: mandarin, red grapes, black currant

Heart: peony, heliotrope, almond

Base: amber, musk and sandalwood

34.90 €, it's not in the current catalogue, but Crystal and Mystery are reduced at 14.99 € and 17.99 € respectively.