I'm not sure if this is Essence's first tubing mascara, but it's my first time trying such a formula. This one promises to be smudge-proof and quite successfully due to the formula, even though it's not waterproof. However, though it's so easy to remove, I have little love for this one. 

It has a very basic, regular brush that is perfectly fine to me and there's nothing wrong with it, but the formula is underwhelming. It's thinner than most, so you don't get a lot of volume or length with this. It's quite a subtle mascara that is not a wet, sticky mascara which would clump the lashes quickly, but it has no hold, so it can neither hold my lashes up, nor keep them fanned out nicely when I apply more coats because my lashes fall back to their natural position. It's just not an impressive formula. I tried my best taking a decent picture of my lashes, but this drops my lashes and it just does well little overall. It didn't thicken over time and Essence has better mascaras that perform great freshly opened.

 Like I said, the lashes drop immediately.

Instructions for this one say "Easy to remove with just warm water, not makeup remover needed". It's indeed as easy as that. If comes off in flakes and not much rubbing is required. Too bad the formula is so underwhelming in terms of effect because that's exactly what I want - a mascara that super simple to remove. It doesn't flake during the day, nor smudge, but if you do come in contact with warm water expect this to start coming off.

Lana had a similar lukewarm experience as me, if you're looking for more reviews. 

Have a great day!

I bought this shade at about the same time as the discontinued colour 400 and their Contour & Glide lipliner in the same shade, but though this brand has been around for a while, these are actually my first of their lip products. I have a blush from a few years back, which I love the shade of, but they discontinued it as well - Trend it Up is very much a German drugstore brands, meaning you get those discontinuing frenzies just like at Essence and Catrice.

This was already in the last monthly favourites, though at that time I've only had it for a few days. Not surprisingly it was my most worn lip product in this month. Not only is it super comfortable, similar to Ultra HD Matte formula, which I also love, but here I'm also a big fan of the shade. This is the glossy version of Revlon's liquid lipstick, but it's thick enough that it manages to hold on the lips for quite a while, as I can still feel a layer of it after hours, even after eating an drinking, so it's actually better than lip balms and the glossy finish, for my preference, luckily settles to a more cream one in time. I'm also a big fan of the Kiss Cushions, but I didn't ended up wearing them that often because I don't find my shades suit me that well, but these two formula as some of my favourites for dry lips, while their Overtime lipstick has an outstanding staying power. 

To be fair, I don't think this is the best formula I've tried, for one the staying power could be a lot better, but it's nicely soft, easy to apply all over the lips and the pencil is larger than an average lipliner (it's also a lot more expensive, which is a minus in my books). The reason it's here is because I like this colour on me. It's a medium pinky-mauve shade that finally looks like Mac's Soar lipliner does on people with a medium skin tone. If you're pale like me, then you're familiar with the struggle of trying popular shades (or dupes of those shades) that end up much darker and with different undertones on you and this shade works for pale skin tones without ending up too purple, too brown or too dark. 

This is my new drugstore love. It definitely filled the void of not having such easy access to Asian sunscreens, as this is equally light and elegant on the skin as those. It has alcohol right after water, but I just don't care. This is a very liquid fluid that applies with ease on the skin even in larger amounts. There's zero white cast and not much shine when you apply it, then within minutes it's just gone on my normal-dry skin. It’s a tiny bit tacky on the skin for a while, but then in sets into a smooth, velvet primer-like finish. Despite the alcohol, my skin doesn't get tight later like it does at Etude House Sunprise fluid, which has a very similar texture. This will replace my Asian sunscreens because it's easily available everywhere here and the price isn't too bad (since it's everywhere, there are good discount options). The packaging is very thin and sleek, so perfect for carrying in pockets and it has precise nozzle that dispenses as much as you need. I should have bought this sooner, I regret now getting Lavozon one and enduring the excessive shine because this is so much nicer.

I've already used up a Banana one, which was very decent, though I much preferred it as a leave-in product because it could leave my hair moisturised for more than a day when used as a hair mask. When I read reviews about products, I try to find such where someone say that it left their hair greasy or that they love it for their 4 b/c or 3 b/c curly hair because my hair is very thick and dry, so I look for very rich textures. This is highly rated among curly girls, it's supposed to be richer than the banana one (which I got only because they didn't have this one yet. We got it here later than banana, pomegranate and papaya.) The scent is actually the same as in the banana one, so I guess it's universal among all of these, all have this tutti-frutti scent. Texture is the same as at Banana, so this isn’t a very thick mask, but it’s also far from a thin, runny formula. It’s silicone free, which I’m not a fan off, so I add them extra later, but that’s my preference. Due to being silicone free this doesn’t have much slip when I’m rinsing it off, however, it’s nourishing enough for my dry hair. It’s not quite like Cantu, especially when it comes to long term results, but my hair was softer than when I used Dove conditioner last and overall felt nice (again La Croa, which I applied in abundance did a lot too, so I’m saying that I like this drugstore combo for my very dry hair). As a leave-in it works like the Banana one and it’s nice. It moisturises dry ends well without leaving the hair with no slip and tangled like Cantu does (which is why I've been using it on damp hair after washing only and I was looking for a similar replacement that would work on dry hair). The effect lasts only a day or so when used on dry hair, then I have to do it again.

 

I have the worst luck when it comes to my hair favourites because they are being consistently discontinued. Createurs de Monoi Shine Spray is the latest such product (they just stopped making all hair stuff, but kept the moisturiser and oil, which are cool), which was already a replacement for Orofluido Sahara spray. Basically both were silicone-oils in a spray, but really good ones because they were greasier than most, so great for fixing very dry hair in a pinch, plus the silicone content made them the type of oils that detangled, added shine and left the hair silicone smooth, rather than oily. I've tried Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine spray, which is great, but it's more similar to got2b Oiliscious or #Oh My Nude Tame it Softly Dry Lightweight Oil Mist, so it's much lighter than CdM or Orofluido, making it suitable for all hair types and for me it's more of a finishing product that adds the finally touches, rather than an extra boost of nourishment. So I went to Müller and checked every spray bottle that claimed had oil, checked the ingredients list which one has silicones first followed by oils and I found this. It's very similar to CdM, it's only a bit lighter, but a very worthy replacement. It does exactly the same job - detangles, nourishes, makes the hair a lot smoother and adds shine. I also noticed when I came home that this is a Croatian brand, which is nice to see. I didn't even know they had any hair brand (excluding Biobaza, which is more of a skin care brand with a few shampoos) and their other stuff looks potentially interesting, with argan oil high one the list. Their keratin serum caught my eye too. I air dried my hair after using Fructis mask and this, and my hair is noticeable nicer to touch than usually. I'm not a fan of the scent. I think most will like it, but to me it's smells a bit dated, too musky vanilla or something. The bottle is small too with only 60 ml for the price, which I don't know how long will last for me because I used up a lot of this stuff. But hopefully this stays on the market for long because I like the fact I have such a nice product easily accessible in Müller, though given my luck  I should stock up before someone has a clever idea to discontinue this too. This will likely be too oily-feeling for thin hair or maybe not, I don't know. There are lighter similar products I've mentioned above.  

This isn't a true favourite and that's because the scent is disappointing to me, but I've been using it almost every day since I'm a fan of the texture and it's a great body moisturiser for dry skin. I bought this with high hopes of a nice, summery coconut beachy scent and this isn't it for me. I don't get much coconut, instead I get tons of vanilla and some frangipani flowers. Having said that, it's apparently just my opinion because every single review I read said this "smells like summer". It's somewhat similar to Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion which also doesn't smell like coconut to me. Texture of this is really nice - rich and excellent for dry skin. It's not overly greasy, but it's a lot more reminiscent of thin body butters than lotions. Souffle is a bad name for this because it's not feather light, but I'm glad it isn't. There are sparse golden beads inside which are oil capsules. Nivea's body moisturisers are also excellent when it comes to long-term results and unlike other brands they can tackle even my driers, roughest areas. 

I already had this foundation in this shade a while back, so there's already an old review about it (which I updated with new pictures), except I had it in the previous packaging with no pump. I used to really like this formula, but that packaging was very annoying, so I'm happy they finally upgraded it. It's still one of the most popular foundations after all these years, but it's no longer my favourite and that is because my skin became drier. When my skin was combination, this was in excellent mat formula with a high level of coverage. I still maintain that this looks exactly like Sheer Glow on my skin, the only difference is that this one wears off better (I wore them side by side once and I couldn't tell the difference, apart from later on). Since neither of their light shades, Ivory and Siberia, fit me perfectly (too pink and too yellow), I mixed them together for years to get the perfect neutral shade. Now I can only wear it with something greasy under it, in fact it's perfect with Lavozon Matte Sunscreen, which is shiny and this on top creates a perfect slightly glowy finish and I don't tend to powder it on my dry skin, like I have to with other foundations. Despite being for dry/normal skin, this is the most matte formula in my collection (excluding Rimmel Lasting Matte, which I don't have any more), but some disagree with my experience, so if you want to try it for dry skin, I'm not stopping you. It's kind of a foundation you almost have to try for its cult status. Coverage is medium-high and buildable. Shade 110 Ivory is one of the lightest shades I know, especially in our drugstores, but not as light as Max Factor's Facefinity 10 Fair Porcelain, which too pale even for me. Ivory is pink toned. I've done plenty of swatch comparisons over the years.   

Click2Chic, 13.49 €

Another product I already had, again in the same shade, but in the previous packaging, so an old review is also on the blog. However, from what I can tell based on reviews on official website, they changed the formula since - I'm not sure if mine is old or new, since this shade is not on the official website and it's also numbered differently than on Click2Chic as well as my old tube. It's another very matte formula that my skin can't handle anymore, but also this shade is too dark and yellow for me. It's one of those high coverage concealers like Catrice Liquid Coverage and similar. Formula thicker compared to some other similar formulas and this dries to a matte finish very fast, though I wouldn't say this makes it harder to blend because the formula has enough slip to it. This is a formula more suited for covering spots, while for under the eyes I prefer something lighter. Staying power is good, similar to other high coverage concealer and it doesn't crease. My shade 015 Light is darker than their lightest foundation, so this doesn’t suit me and it’s quite yellow toned, best suited probably for NC20/ Revlon Buff skin tones. 

Click2Chic, 7.94 €

Unlike the foundation and concealer this is a new product to me. I got two powders to try recently and this is definitely the more matte one, but actually not as drying super matte as I feared considering the other two products above. Powder is fine, it doesn't catch on any patches, it doesn't make the foundation more obvious and it doesn't even look much like powder on the skin, which pleasantly surprised me because I expected a different, more obvious formula. But maybe it's light like this precisely because the high coverage formulas above don't need much over it.  It does the job of mattifying, yet it’s very lightweight and doesn’t look flat one the skin. I can’t tell you how well it holds back oil because my skin is dry, but over a greasy sunscreen it works well. Revlon has several shades of these, though I didn't notice this having any tint on my skin. There is an extra compartment under the powder with a mirror and a sponge

Click2Chic, 11.55 €

It’s rare I’m impressed by a mascara at first try, as even if it's great, a majority drop my lashes, so I'm mostly annoyed when I try new formulas. But this one I liked immediately and not just because it's waterproof, meaning it can hold a curl, but also the effect of this one is nicely volumising and lengthening. Formula is as at the best waterproof mascaras quite dry, so to those not used to, such formulas don’t feel smooth to apply, but only such mascaras keep the moisture away, preventing the curl of lashes from dropping. Only thing is that it could be better at is definition and fanning out the lashes, but it's already decent enough at that and at me the problem is my lashes are squashed behind the glasses, meaning they grow in very dishevelled fashion and fanning them out nicely is challenging to any formula, that includes Essence I <3 Extreme WP and L'Oreal Lash Extatic/Paradise WP (lashes on one eye are by now also impossible to curl. I need a new lash curler). I love the effect of this one because it can create big lashes for a waterproof formula (though not as much as great regular formulas can, it's a common feature of wp mascaras) and it holds a curl. It's become one of my new favourite formulas. 

Click2Chic, 8.99 €

Revlon has five versions of these. Pigmentation is great across the board with metallic shades performing best due to a creamy, soft formula. Mattes are very smooth and especially the rose-magenta one has a fantastic colour payoff for such a shade. The gold shade was the first I tried and like most such shades it very orange-coppery on me, which is a shame because it looks nice in the pan. You get enough colour on the brush with little pressure on the eyeshadows and they blend with no problems, even though the metallic eyeshadows are quite creamy-feeling (they are much smoother than similar shades in L.O.V. or Catrice palettes). The only slight complaint I have is, how narrow the pans are because I can barely fit my MAC 239 brush in them. Shades are not my thing, as even that gold looks copper on me, but if you like Anastasia Modern Renaissance-like palettes, this is in that colour theme. Version Original with neutral shades is most to my taste, while I think the reddish-brown Maverick is the most "current" one along with this one, there's also a another neutral set with a pop of violet called Insider and a bright blue and green combination called Player.

Click2Chic, 12.99 €

I've read in reviews that some consider these better than Mac's Paint Pots. I haven't tried the latter, but I have tried Maybelline's Color Tattoos and this is very similar. These are hailed as excellent eyeshadow bases and on me it works like they say, but I’m a bad example because my eyelids aren’t oily and most eyeshadows last well on me. Cherry Blossom is one the lightest shades, a frosty pink shade and therefore suitable as a base for most shades. This has a mini brush in the lid, but I prefer to apply it with fingers because it needs some warmth to blend smoothly.

Click2Chic, 8.91 €

My first Revlon blush and honestly, I always assumed their formulas are kind of tightly pressed and don't have the best colour payoff, but I was very wrong. This shade is super pigmented, currently by far the most pigmented one in my collection and even with a fluffy brush that in general doesn't pick up much, I got so much colour that I had to wipe off most of it off before touching my cheeks. Now granted, I am very pale, so colour shows up on me fast, but this is truly a pigmentation monster, which those with deeper skin tones might be very grateful for. Colour is a cutesy warm-neutral pink, an English rose colour, which I currently enjoy much more than in the past when I was a brunette. There is gold shimmer visible in the pan, but there's no highlighter-blush effect on the cheeks and the finish is satin. 

Click2Chic, 10.85 €

I was already a big fan of the original Ultra HD Matte formula (and the discontinued HD lipsticks) and this glossy formula is equally fantastic. This is my first Vinyl version, but I have two of the original Ultra HD formula which is named matte, but it's not really and this is like an even glossier version of that formula. I've praise the original formula lot and shade Embrace is one of my most worn lip products since I got it a while ago, but I've never truly loved both of the colours I have (the other is Devotion) and when I saw Birthday Suit it was instant love. Formula is very similar, both are fully opaque in one coat and very comfortable, like a cushion on the lips. This one is glossy at application, but in time they both have about the same shiny cream finish. Staying power of this new Vinyl version is also surprisingly great for a glossy product, but the formula is thicker than a regular gloss. These smell lovely, but slightly different that the Mattes, Revlon describes it as mangos and vanilla. Birthday Suit is light-medium pinky-mauve shade on me and it's the best Revlon shade in my books. My other shade is Chery on Top which is a warm red.   

Click2Chic, 12.25 €

This was such a pleasant surprise. I thought the cushion is going to be hard and the product is going to be sheer, but this is another very comfortable, opaque formula that’s great for dry lips. It's less thick than Vinyl lip polish and feels more like a creamy-oily texture than a creamy gloss. Both shades are fully opaque and in time they leave an even stain, but you can also apply them as a stain if you wish. The cushion applicator reminds me of Lancome's Shakers and it's surprisingly not as clumsy as I thought it will be, so there's no mess around the lips. Shades are Pretty Kiss, which is a light beige shade that on me is already kind of warm beige-brown and it has a metallic finish, which not a big fan off. The other is Wine Trip which is a deep, vampy reddish-brown shade. I'm not a massive fan of the two shades I have, so I went to check other colours and nothing appealed to me for every day wear, which is a shame. Naughty Mauve looked most decent, but it's dark. 

Click2chic, 10.89 €

A product I'm shocked is not talked about more. This thing survives anything and I do mean that - drinking, eating, touching lips a lot - it just lasts and doesn't transfer. It doesn't feel dry to me and I think I've mentioned a couple of months back that my lips are now drier than before. This doesn't leave my lips all crusty and patchy at the end of the day, instead they still look smooth. I had Rimmel's Provocalips, which lasts outstandingly as well, but that one was already too hard to remove and this is in my opinion slightly better version of such a product especially (but both are great if you're looking for something that just lasts). It's two parts, the colour which is sticky from the start, so you need to wait for it to dry and then there's this glossy coat that seals the colour. It stays shiny for a while, but after hours it's a natural matte type of finish, almost like the lips are naturally stained. A marsala reddish brown 380 Always Sienna is not my colour, so I might pick up one more, maybe Unlimited Mulberry, just something easy to wear every day for my pale skin tone.  

Click2Chic, 11.90 € 

Super Lustrous have been around for many decades, but this matte lipstick formula and shade is new or LE, I'm not sure. They used to have these amazing matte lipsticks which they discontinued years ago, but they were some of my first lipsticks and this sadly isn't the same. Formula is fully opaque and thicker than of at creme finish lipsticks I have. It applies smoothly, but doesn’t have the promised matte finish, instead it’s a creamy one with some shine. It’s comfortable on the lips, it feels like a regular “old school” creamy lipstick. Like the creme finish Revlon Red I find it doesn’t wear off as nicely as other Revlon formulas and can look patchy later in the day. Red Rules the World is a cool toned or cool-neutral red.

Click2Chic, 10,46 €

This one is sheer and lightweight on the lips. I have another creme finish called Revlon Red and it’s fully opaque, so there are differences between the shades, not just the lines. It feels comfortable on the lips, but it doesn’t last as long as other Revlon lip products, like Kiss Cushion or Vinyl Polishes. Shade is a very natural looking, neutral-warm nude. 

I tend to stick to L'Oreal's Excellence, but I've read some reviews that this one is an amazing formula too. Unlike L'Oreal it's ammonia free and it has added keratin in the actual colour, not just the conditioner like some formulas have. I grabbed just one because there is 120 ml colour mixture and it was enough for my roots, but for all over I'd need an extra box. I really like this one. It's not drying, it doesn't burn, the colour turned out beautiful and it blended well into my lower half of lighter hair (where I didn't colour). It's liquid, so it's easier to spread than some, yet it wasn't messy. I used it to tone yellow-orange tones after bleaching and it worked great. But it has a pitifully small conditioner - just 12 ml, which isn't even enough for my ends, let alone the whole hair. I just used a ton of Cantu and my hair felt great. I like this as much as L'Oreal, though the latter has a bonus as it comes with a great big conditioner, but this one has the advantage in that it's ammonia free.

 I got this in Leclec, but they used to have them in Müller. Maybe they still do in bigger ones. 

Revlon Colorsilk 70 just on the freshly bleached roots. I didn't colour the lenghts, but the colour from before is L'Oreal's 9.1 and Spectra demipermanent 8/10 Ice Blonde regularly refreshed with L'Oreal's purple shampoo and Subrina Colour Refresh Mask in Diamond Blonde.

Leclerc, 5-6 €