BALEA Tuchmaske

Available in DM for 0.99 €

Aqua 

Based on what I see on blogs and Instagram this is the most recommended of Balea masks. It's a part of Balea's Aqua line designed for dehydrated skin and it's made in South Korea like the rest of Balea masks.

Sheet: Apart from the black mask, all Balea's sheets are thick as a blanket, rigid and very annoying when on the face. You're constantly aware of it, it absorbs most of the essence and even though the size isn't that big, it doesn't fold that nicely. I just really dislike the sheet material, it ruins the while experience.

Essence: Is like a serum consistency. It absorbs/dries fast, but it leaves a layer behind, which later disappears

Scent: Clean, but sharp. Overall the scent is nothing special. 

Effect: It gave the skin a hydration boost, so it leaves the skin looking more fresh, but that's it - to be fair it doesn't promise more anyway. It doesn't have that temporary "omg my skin looks so good" effect that Asian masks have, probably because it doesn't contain any of the brightening ingredients. If it weren't for the annoying sheet material, I'd say this is an ok mask for some quick hydration, but I won't buy it again. I didn't notice any burning as some others did.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? Only if I'd be desperate for any sheet mask, but it doesn't compare to Asian masks.

 Tuchmaske mit Aktivkohle-Vlies

Sheet mask with active coal

I got this due to a high content of salicylic acid. It's meant for blemish-prone skin, so I used it when my skin wasn't having its best days.

Sheet and fit: I didn't expect the sheet to be so nice, especially considering how bad Aqua and Born to be Lazy is. It's comfortable and sits nicely on the skin, it's not even that large and folds nicely. As the packaging indicates it's black.  It's got eye flaps like all Balea masks, which are useless here, since I don't want this essence near my eyes.

Essence: in all Balea masks there's very little of liquid compared to Asian masks and it's enough only for the mask to be relatively soaked. But it's a lot better than Born to be Lazy and it sticks nicely on the skin. Essence is light, like a toner and it absorbs quickly.

Scent: it's got a pleasant medicinal scent.

Effect: None to speak off. I used it when I had a few spots, but this didn't help to diminish them or accelerated healing. It also didn't do anything for the look of pores or blackheads. After I took it off, my skin started to feel tight and it was matte, but that's it. It's the closest one to Asian versions in terms of material of the sheet and how comfortable it feels, but in terms of effects, it's nowhere near. 

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No.

Born To Be Lazy (LE)

As cute as the packaging is, I actually wasn't drawn to it, but I got this one purely based on ingredients, since they look quite nice with almond oil and hyaluronic acid high on the list. 

Sheet: the same as at Aqua - one of the most uncomfortable sheets I've tried. It's a combination of being too thick and too large, so I almost gave up and wanted to take it off as soon as I can. 

Essence: It's got a milky essence, but there is so little of it that adherence on the skin is poor. So together with a thick sheet, very little essence and poor, large fit for me, this basically feel off my face within 10 minutes.

Scent: As I opened it I was immediately hit with very strong sour apply candy scent, which I don't mind at all, but if you're sensitive to fragrance I'm just telling you this is the strongest scented masks I've tried (comparable to Secret Key). 

Effect: despite such annoying sheet material and poor essence, my skin did look presentable in the morning softer and nourished, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. All Balea needs to do is add more essence and change the sheet to one of those thin ones.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No, until they change the sheet and add more essence. 

BANOBAGI Vita Genic Anti-Wrinkle & Whitening Jelly Facial Mask 

eBay (seller house_of_fashion.2013), $2.69

Vitamin A- lifting

Sheet & Fit: it's a 100% cotton sheet and one of those thin ones that are very comfortable, also almost invisible on the skin when wet. The sheet is a bit large, but since it's thin, it's easy to make it fit well. It's very soaked with essence and it drips when you're unfolding it.

Essence: such a wonderful essence at this one. It's clear, but it feels like a comforting lotion. When I took the mask off, I could constantly feel it on the skin and it was very tacky, so this is definitely a mask you should use before going to bed, or even rinse it off. These is a ton of essence left in the pack, more than at any other I've seen. You could easily transfer it and use it as a serum.

Scent: it's one of the more heavily fragranced. The scent is not one of those that's easy to compare to something, but it's almost fruity, yet mostly chemical.

Effect: this has one of the best effects on my nasolabial folds. On one side it virtually disappeared by the morning, and the other was barely visible. Even during the day, they didn't become as obvious as the usually do. But in terms of other effects, I found this one lacking, as there was nothing more than deeply moisturising, so no additional brightening, evening of the skin or softness. I will repurchase this one, though I suspect it's breaking me out a bit because I've been using the extra essence just on my area around the lips and it's where I got a few spots.

Ingredients: here

Worth it? Yes. 

Vitamin C - brightening

Fit & Sheet: Sheet is the same as at Vitamin A .

Essence: Again it's similar to the one at A. It feels so comfortable when you're touching the sheet, it's just an incredible feeling. It's sticky as it dries.

Scent: This one has chemical scent, almost slightly lemony or citrusy, but in a chemical way.

Effect: I didn't notice that big of a difference on my lines as at Vitamin A, but this one was meant for brightening and it did its job. However, it just wasn't that special compared to other brightening/whitening mask (Papa Recipe Bombee Whitening, My Beauty Diary Black Pearl, The Face Shop Solutions Pearl,..). I used this when my skin was in pretty good condition, the only thing I was aiming at was lightening a big blemish mark on my chin. It was a bit lighter, but the difference wasn't that significant. I'm thinking that this one might be nice to use as a treatment plan, so one every few days because ingredients are lovely and might have a better effect long term. It didn't break me out like vitamin A.

Ingredients: here

Worth it? I'm on the fence about this one because I think I haven't seen it's true potential, since I only used one. 

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Mask 

Cosmetic Love, $0.64

Hyaluronic Acid

Collagen

Promises skin firming.

Sheet: the same as at Hyaluronic acid.

Essence: milky essence, like a very a very liquid lotion and it needs quite some time to absorb.

Scent: nothing specific, a cosmetic type of scent.

Effect: this didn't do anything dramatic, it just nourished the skin, nothing else. It was like I used a regular moisturiser, but it's probably again that type of mask that has better cumulative effect. It promises a firming effect, but I haven't noticed anything like that.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? No sure, maybe if I used a whole pack. At least it's cheap and it feels nice, so ok for a pampering.

ESFOLIO Vitamin Infused High Concentrated Essence Facial Mask

Milk

eBay, $1.80

 This one promises to help restore elasticity and add moisture. It contains alcohol high on the list, but I didn't notice the latter when I used it and an even more surprising ingredient here is ginseng, valued as one of the best anti-ageing ingredients. 

Fit & Sheet: this has a regular, thick mask. The fit is a bit big for me, but I just scrunched it up a bit.

Essence: this has one of the thicker essences that more resembles a lotion. It's absorbed pretty quickly and doesn't leave a sticky finish.

Scent: it's quite a strong scent and a bit strange. The closest I can describe it is like those hard candy with milk, but it's a bit more chemical than that.

Effect:I didn't think much about this one as it was on my face and immediately as I removed it because all it seemed was moisturising. But in the morning my skin just looked better and my smile lines were reduced, so it's elasticity claim and high moisture are real. It didn't help anything with a spot I had (from the Banobagi mask I'm 99% certain) and my skin wasn't softer or smoother, but I still liked this one.

Ingredients: here

Worth it? Yes.

LOVEMORE Intensive Hydrating Moisturizing Facial Mask

Wine Yeast - Whitening

eBay, $2.25

Contains ocean water as a base and promises to brighten the skin.

Fit & Sheet: This one had me confused when I opened it because you get three pieces - the protective plastic layer, the actual sheet mask and an additional blue paper protective layer, which I at first thought was the actual mask (that would actually make it cooler). The fit was ok, it's a bit big on the lower part, but in that respect actually very comparable to most others. It's a thin, silk mask, so almost invisible when wet. 

Essence: is super light and absorbs within seconds leaving no traces behind.

Scent: it's in the name - it smells like yeast.

Effect: Immediate results didn't leave me happy because my skin looked  more uneven than usual, but in the morning it looked really nice. The redness I had around an old/healing spot was diminished, the skin was fresh, even and smooth to the touch. Despite having an essence that's completely absorbed within a minute, my face didn't feel tight and I didn't feel like I need to rush with extra care. This one was overall nice if you don't mind the yeast scent and it's good also for those who have oily skin and/or who hate heavy skin care.

Ingredients: here.

Worth it? Yes, particularly for oilier skin types.

For more sheet mask reviews check here. Have a great day!

Pure Beauty is a nude shade that on my neutral skin tone tends to look a cool pinky nude or a warm pinky nude depending on the light, however, in the bottle it's unmistakably a cool shade. It's one of those shades that looks elegant and is suited for every occasion, though I lend it to someone more tan than me and it already looked too pale (I'm NC/W 10, she is NC25). I wore this for a month straight since I got it, it's just such an easy shade to wear and it has great staying power when I combine it with Seche Vite.

Formula is like at all pastel shades among Essence's  gel nail polishes, thick and very opaque. It's not easy to apply, though nudes are often difficult anyway, but it ends up even with two coats.

Max Factor's been doing some pretty interesting launches recently, currently it's all about the Healthy Skin Harmony foundation, but before that Honey Lacquers were the centre of attention. Admittedly I'm not a fan of glossy lips, but this one is one of those that's balmy and comfortable, so on me it works as a lip balm substitute. These might be the most glamourous looking lip glosses in the drugstore, so they get my thumbs up for that.

Texture: As you'd expected from the name this is a lip gloss-lipstick hybrid, so a very pigmented gloss that's close to full coverage. Compared to some others like Rimmel's Apocalips and L'Oreal's Lip Paints this isn't quite as pigmented, but light shades usually differ in pigmentation to the darker ones. Formula is comfortable, it doesn't move a lot, it isn't sticky at all and stays nicely even with time. Finish is shiny, or better said creamy-shiny and like at all such products the shine starts to fade fast, but a small level of shine lasts to the end. Formula reminds me of their old Silky Glosses in terms of application, wear and comfort, but these are a big step up in terms of pigmentation.

Colour: Honey Rose is the lightest shade in the range and it's a pale cool toned pink that would be a best seller in the late 00's. I find it's a very difficult shade to pull off because it's so pale and so cool, but it might work over a darker lipstick. I'd actually pick a different shade for myself, I love the look of Honey Nude which is a more natural looking nude shade.

Scent: The scent is exactly the same as at their Silky glosses, so a vanilla type of scent, but it's not a gourmand type neither the synthetic/car freshener type.

Staying power: I didn't expect much given that it's such a pale shade, but this manages to stick on the lips for several hours. It won't look like freshly applied and glossy, but the colour is still there.

Packaging: The stand out feature of this product is the packaging. The formula is nothing special in terms of what else is on the market, but such a pretty packaging is rare in the drugstore. Gold details make it stand out among the crowd. The doe foot applicator is a classic one and easy to use.

These cost 9.49 € in drugstores. We have six colours in Slovenia that range from nudes to some darker red and violet shades.

Have a great day!

*PR product

There was so much hype about these and actually there still is, since I've seen how many people praise them on social media. But I was quite let down the first time I tried them and didn't get the hype at all. My opinion changed since those first impressions, I guess I just needed to get used to a different formula and I'm most impressed by the staying power, however, I've tried a lot of matte liquid lipsticks formulas, about fifteen I think, and these are somewhere in the middle.

Texture: Most lip creams I've tried are quite light and either oily (Sleek), creamy (theBalm) or a mousse (Bourjois), but these are thick, so my first applications were not that nice, especially with Pioneer, but I've learned to work with these. There are differences in the formulas between the shades, but both start to dry and become sticky fast, so I need to be quick at application. I apply it first on the bottom lip, then press my lips together and finish by applying what's left on the applicator, making the application more even. After a month of owning these, I'm completely adjusted to the formula and I don't find them as fussy anymore, but this is by far the stickiest lip cream I tried. There are some other sticky formulas, but this one takes the cake, so I'm really not a fan of that, however, I can deal with it. It's not a lip gloss type of stickiness where hair would stick on your lips. What I mean by stickiness is that when you press your lips together they just stick like glue. A proper fully opaque application needs about 10 minutes to dry, though even after that it can transfer in traces. It sticks like a glue to the lips, so alongside with the stickiness that lasts about a half an hour and a thick formula, these tend to feel heavy on the lips at first - again it's something I got used to and don't notice it as much. Same as the stickiness, that feeling disappears after a half an hour. On my lips these are never drying and I find them a comfortable product all day. The red shade, Pioneer, can smudge a bit, so I need to be a bit more careful, but with Lover I'm completely relaxed. Don't ask me if these are for dry lips because I can't tell you, all I can say is they wear nice on my lips. I heard a lot of people say that these aren't drying to them, however, my gut feeling tells me these might feel tight to some.

Finish: They are named Matte Ink, which I would imagine as a matte stain type of product, but these are fully opaque with a satin-matte finish. It's not that Instagram matte look you get at Milani, Colourpop Matte and Sleek, but it sets more matte in time. This could mean the formula will be more comfortable to those who hate quick drying matte finishes and any of the before mentioned formulas.

15 Lover 

Lover is mauve shade, so a mix of muted pink with purple and it looks warm on me when freshly applied, however it turns much cooler and more towards violet with time. Yesterday I ended up with a purple shade at the end of the day. I like the look of it in the first couple of hours, but as the day goes by, I just think it turns a bit too cool for me. Such shades often oxidise and change colour, but they usually turn darker, while this one goes lighter. It much smoother and even than Pioneer, in fact I have almost no problems with this one apart from stickiness.

20 Pioneer 

Pioneer is a cool toned red, pretty much my perfect red and while it is in the same colour family as L'Oreal's Blake, it's even more intense and cooler - I think it's the best red I own. It's a much more difficult shade to apply than Lover, which is due to a combination of thickness and stickiness, so I never manage to create a nice edge with it and need to fix it with a lipliner (I use Catrice's …and a Cherry on the Top).

Staying power: These are some of the most long-lasting lip products I've tried, but it differs between the shades, since as usually reds last longer than other shades. Both Lover and Pioneer are impossible to remove with a tissue or micellar water, only oil breaks them apart. They can last though drinking, meals, holding your hand annoyingly over the lips while behind the computer - truly there is little that touches them, basically only contact with (a lot of) oil will get them. I ate a greasy grilled cheese sandwich and while the lip colour did break down, it still didn't look that terrible, just a bit uneven. Yesterday I wore Lover all day and it lasted 12h pretty much intact, it just changed colour as I said before. When you cleanse you need to focus on the lips with the oil cleanser, otherwise you'll end up with leftover lipstick. The red one stains because it has that typical magenta pigment in it which is very difficult remove at almost any formula.

Scent: They are very heavily scented with a coconut-like scent. It's only noticeable at application.

Packaging: An opaque tube with a spade shaped doe foot applicator which has a hollow in the middle. That hollow is actually quite annoying because it holds too much product and makes it more difficult to apply evenly. These aren't the prettiest tubes to me, but a lot of people like them.

Price and availability: I bought mine in DM for 7.99 €. They are 50 cents more expensive in Müller.

Now for all of those who just scroll to the end: these are super long-lasting matte liquid lipsticks that survive a lot and are at the same time not typically tight/drying on the lips, however, these are thick and sticky and not as easy to apply as others. They don't beat theBalm for me, neither Sephora's or Milani's, mostly due to stickiness, though I admire their staying power and shade Pioneer is one of the most gorgeous reds I've ever seen.

Have a great day!

BEYU Beauty Queen Volume Mascara 

One of my favourite mascaras and one I was going to repurchase until I saw the price and then moved swiftly towards the Essence stand. But I still miss it. It's an all-in-one mascara, so gives me volume, length, it defines ok, manages to keep my lashes semi-lifted, so I actually look like I have lashes and it's easy to remove. It's just a great mascara.

Repurchase: Yes, when I come to terms that if I want a nice mascara again, I'll have to pay 12 €.

MAX FACTOR Voluptuous False Lash Effect Mascara 

This was my second tube despite the even higher price tag than Beyu (why do drugstore mascaras have to be so expensive?! 7 € is the limit in my opinion). It's another all-in-one mascara with a very similar effect as Beyu, it's just a bit more defining due to the plastic brush. Usually such mascaras don't give much volume, but this truly great at creating big voluminous lashes. However, the other reason apart from the price as to why I opted not to repurchase it is that the brush isn't comfortable and it's scratchy.

Repurchase: Yes, though I prefer Beyu's because of the comfortable brush.

CATRICE COSMETICS Liquid Liner

010 Dating Joe Black

This lasted four months of everyday use which isn't nearly as much as I expected (I wanted at least 6 months), but it's still so far my favourite liner, so I repurchased it. The formula is super black and very matte, it lasts all day with no smudging, flaking - it just lasts. The applicator is very similar to pen liners and that's what I've been looking for, a felt tip that's comfortable, flexible enough, but not flimsy like a brush. It's not quite as precise as I'd want, but I can deal with that.

Repurchase: Done.

BOURJOIS 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream

This was my second tube and even though I was saving it as crazy because it's one of my favourite concealers, I was again caught off guard when I realised it's empty. I used it maybe ten times, I'm sure it wasn't much more, but this has only 1.5 ml of product, so I really shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, it doesn't matter because I found Radiance Reveal which looks the same on the skin, so a medium coverage concealer with a beautiful invisible finish. The shade of CC is better because it's lighter, but 1.5 ml for 7 or 8 € is one of the biggest rip offs in history.

Repurchase: No, or only if I can't find Radiance Reveal anymore.

BALEA GEL Erfrischendes Washgel

A thick, slippery gel that doesn't foam much and has a strong masculine clean fragrance. It cleans well and has a pH 5.5, so I use it as my second cleanser after oil. I'm glad I found such a nice, very inexpensive cleanser.

Repurchase: Already done.

BIOBAZA Face Cleansing Micellar Oil

I already repurchased this even though I find the texture thin and it also doesn't remove all the makeup completely (panda eyes everytime). It works well with my skin, doesn't cause me any problems and that's not so easy to find, since oil usually clog my pores. I can get in my nearest drugstore, it's just expensive for 150 ml that gets used up fast. I have to praise that their pump works to the end, so you get the last little bit out. 

Repurchase: Done.

BANILA CO. Miss Flower & Mr Honey Essence Oil

This has become one of the most valued skin care items in my routine. Ingredients are amazing and I mentioned in one of my favourites that this is a better version of Estee Lauder's ANR for me, since it works very similar, so my skin is clearer, more even, the texture is more refined, but the extra pluses of this serum are the healthy glow and improved elasticity. Getting the last drops out proved to be challenging and I had to forgo the use of pipette for the last two weeks of use.

Repurchase: Done.

BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

So far my favourite sunscreen, especially for every day when my sun exposure is limited and I don't want any type of heavy, greasy product on your skin. I've got the gel as well and both are the same on the skin, so very light, they dry in about a minute or two to a velvet finish, but they have some sunscreen shine. You can apply a lot, so at this one you can actually apply the recommended amount. It's got a high alcohol content which is less noticeable than at gel, but at gel you get 40 ml more for about the same price. 

Repurchase: Done.

BALEA Beauty Effect Augen Gel-Pads

These were a waste of time. You get three pairs of pads and I've used them first on my smiles lines since they promise to make lines less visible, but they did nothing. Under the eyes they didn't do much more, my eyes didn't look more rested, depuffed, nor did they help with my dark circles. It liked that the hydrogel was like at Korean skin care and these are nice when your eyes are tired because it's pleasantly cooling and refreshing, but the product just wasn't that effective.

Repurchase: No.

DOVE Nourishing Secrets Glowing Ritual Shower Gel

With lotus flower extract & rice water

A less luxuriously creamy version of Dove shower gel than I'm used to, but nonetheless one of the better ones you can get in drugstores. It smells very lovely, milky-creamy flowery clean.

Repurchase: Yes.

FARMONA Tutti Frutti Sugar Body Scub

Peach & Mango

I enjoyed this a lot. It's a classic sugar scrub, so one of those harsh ones I like and it has a mineral oil base, so it's a bit oily, though it washes off completely. The scent was fruity, but neither definitively peachy or like mango, still it was nice. 

Repurchase: Likely.

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Vineyard Peach

I still adore this as the first day I tried it. I love it's proper vineyard peach scent, but it's also the quality of the butter that's impressive. I saved this one like crazy because TBS isn't sold here, but I hear that's about to change. I so buying body butters first because I love them.

Repurchase: Yes.

MATRIX Sugar Shine Polishing Hair Scrub

As ripped-off as I felt when I first saw this because it is just a glorified sugar scrub (yes, like those for the body), this was actually nice and it worked. It both removed flakes/dandruff that's always stuck on my scalp, but it also does what it claims - makes the hair more voluminous and airy due to truly purifying it. And because it's not made of harsh soaps, it's also not terribly drying, plus sugar melts, so unlike some other scrubs I tried, it washed off completely. But it is just sugar and glycerine, so I made the next one myself, however, if you're one of those super lazy people who can't be bothered to whip up something in the kitchen in 5 minutes, instead rather pay 10 € for a ready-made stuff (I know such people), then go for it.

Repurchase: No.

LE PETIT MARSEILIAIS Huile Elixir Karite & Argan

I've been using this for years as an occasional intensive treatment when my hair is very dry. It's like regular coconut oil and other oils, so I use it as a pre-wash treatment, except I think this is the best and most intensive one I found. I apply it usually overnight or if I don't have the time for at least 30 minutes in a very thick coat, including the scalp and it washes off completely from my dry, thick hair (don't used this on thin, oily hair), I use my normal moisturising care and then my hair is like reborn. The pump is stupid, that's the only this I don't like, but otherwise it's great.

Repurchase: Already done.

LEE STAFFORD Hold Tight Hairspray

This and the coconut version are so far my favourite hairsprays. It provides good hold, but without making the hair sticky, crunchy or stiff, it's actually almost invisible on the hair. The scent is strong like at all hairsprays and it's got a very oriental, Angel-like scent that's a mix of heavy notes (chocolate, patchouli, amber, vanilla,… just everything).

Repurchase: Yes, I currently have the coconut one which is the same.

BALEA Tuchmaske Born To Be Lazy

One of the least comfortable masks I've tried. The sheet is thick and there's very little essence so it doesn't even stick well on the skin. Overall it left my skin softer and sufficiently nourished, it also looked nice. It's heavily scented with a sour apple candy scent. 

Repurchase: No.

BANOBAGI Vita Genic Anti-Wrinkle & Whitening Jelly Facial Mask 

Vitamin C - whitening

This has one of the most comfortable sheets and essences out of all mask I've tried and you are also left with a ton of essence (at least 15 ml) that you can use on the following days as a serum. I didn't notice that big of a difference on my lines as at Vitamin A, but this one was meant for brightening and it did its job. However, it just wasn't that special compared to other brightening/whitening mask. This dries so sticky that it's appropriate only as a treatment before going to bed, unless you plan to wash it off. I'm thinking that this one might be nice to use as a treatment plan, so one every few days because ingredients are lovely and might have a better effect long term. It didn't break me out like vitamin A.

Repurchase: Yes.

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Mask 

Hyaluronic Acid

The scent of this makes you think you're applying a cloth soaked in schnapps, but it hydrated my skin and left it looking nice. 

Repurchase: I liked the effect, but the alcohol makes me nervous. I don't know.

Collagen

This has a lovely and super comfortable milky essence that needs more time to absorb than most other sheet masks I've tried. Effects were nothing special, just nourished skin, so like I used a regular moisturiser. 

Repurchase: It's nothing special, but I don't know.

MY SCHEMING Invisible Mask Series Moisturizing Facial Mask 

L-Ascorbic Acid Whitening

This one burned slightly - a strange sensation considering my skin is very far from sensitive. It left my skin a bit more even, a bit smoother, but I'd say the biggest difference was in that it was a lot more matte than usual. It's one of the mask that I'd say would be nice for oily skin.

Repurchase: No.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Whitening Honey Mask

So far my favourite sheet mask. It evens out the skin, brightens, nourishes, makes the skin soft and just in general makes it look very healthy. The honey scent is another plus. 

Repurchase: Yes.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Black Honey Mask Pack

Least enjoyable of the Bombee masks due to a strange paper material sheet, but it works the same as original, so nourishes the skin, makes it softer and looking healthier.

Repurchase: I prefer other versions.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Ginseng Red Honey Oil Mask Pack

Another one with a more rigid paper, but this one also has a more oily essence and a strong oriental, "angel-like" scent. It does the same as other Bombees and nothing more.

Repurchase: I prefer other versions.

SECRET KEY Gold Racoony Hydro Gel Mask Pack 

I used up the second one I had, so I already have a proper review about this. It's one of my favourites despite the stiff hydrogel, though I didn't notice such a great improvement on my smiles lines the second time I used it, but my skin looked nice after use. It's very heavily scented.

Repurchase: Yes.

TONYMOLY Pokemon Mask Sheet Pikachu 

This was also the second one I used and it's the  most nourishing mask I had, so I used it when my skin was very dry. The essence is deceptively light from the start, but then it dries to an oily type of filter, so it lasts longer on the skin. Besides being cute, it also smells amazingly like honey.

Repurchase: Yes, but it's LE and I'm more temped by the brightening Charmander version.

THE FACE SHOP Disney Snow White Brightening Face Mask Pack 

Also one I had a few packs off and it still remains one of my favourites. It brightens, makes the skin softer, nourished and just makes it look so healthy. The Face Shop Solution Pearl is pretty much the same thing if you can't find this one, since it's a limited edition.

Repurchase: Yes.

I've just repurchased this liner which makes it one of only two that I bought again and I've tried a lot of liners (you can see all in this post), so this is quite a big deal for me. I use eyeliner every day, but I'm very picky and always find a fault in each, so I move on to a completely different one when they dry out. I could already say that I found "the one" if it weren't by Catrice, which means it has about one in a million chance it'll actually stay in the regular line for the next couple of years (man, do they love to discontinue stuff, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for this liner). This is actually my first "dip it type" liquid eyeliner in a really long time, as I've been staying away from them in favour of pen eyeliners and the reason is because a great proportion of liquid eyeliners have either an annoying flimsy brush for an applicator or some other weird shape, but this one actually has a decent applicator.

This has a felt tip applicator that's similar to those at pen liners. I've had a few dip liquid liners from Essence and they either had a very scratchy hard stick or a regular brush, which put me off these liners, but this Catrice version's is quite lovely. It's soft enough, but not too flexible that it'll be difficult to control. It's a bit larger than I'd wish to, so I end up with a bit bulkier lines that I've worn in the past and I can't do a baby wing, but it's still fine. The applicator tends to fray as it ages, but I was able to just pull off those stray pieces and it was fine.

Formula is very black, blacker and more intense than at any pen eyeliner I've tried. You get plenty of colour with one dip for both eyes and you don't get any gaps. It's very liquid from the start and needs time to dry, so you need to be careful not to open the eyes too wide causing the liner to transfer to the crease. Once this dries it has a perfect matte finish. 

Colourpop Lumiere on the lips.

Staying power of this is very good, though a lot of liners stay well on my lids because they aren't oily. On occasion a wing will fade a bit and I had some flaking, but mostly it looks pretty good. It can easily stay for all day if I don't rub my eyes.

Maybelline Matte Ink in Pioneer on the lips.

My first tube lasted me four months. It's still got colour, but there's not enough liquid in it anymore, meaning I can't do such sharp lines anymore. I expected it to last longer, despite the fact I've been using it every day, but I thought it'll last at for a least two months more like some pen liners can (L'Oreal's Superstar) and I was 100% sure it will outlast pen eyeliners by a mile, but I can deal with the fact it gets drier faster than expected, since it's affordable. 

The packaging is very simple, nothing fancy and the cap is long enough that it's easy to hold. 

I bought it in Müller for 3.79 €. 

TL;DR version: a great affordable liquid liner that's intensely black and has a completely matte finish. It has a felt tip applicator like most pen liners and it lasts great on the lids. Recommended.

Have a great day!

Lash Paradise, the US version of this mascara, is surrounded by a massive hype, but as far as I can see on social media, Paradise Extatic is on its way to a similar success. The tube of the European version isn't nearly as beautiful to me as the US pink one, which is either unintentionally or intentionally similar to Too Faced mascara, the latter is also often mentioned as a dupe. I guess they decided to follow the rose gold trend and at least to me kind of failed, since it just looks rosy brown due to a matte effect (a completely rose gold metal look mascara - now that would be something). I bought mine the moment it reached Boots International, so I opted not to wait for it to reach our drugstores, since I assumed my wait would be a long one. It's now already sold in Slovenia, but it's more expensive than what I paid, I think the price is 14 € or somewhere in the ballpark. I've had mine for about two months now, I got it at the end of July, so it's been thoroughly tested, in fact it's already almost dry and I probably won't even get to use it much anymore.

Lash Extatic is a great mascara, it's definitely one of the best I've tried in general. It adds length, enough volume and because the formula is creamy, it defines my lashes as well. The brush contributes to that too and it's very easy to create fanned out lashes with a nice amount of volume. Paradise is a classic all-in-one mascara to me and it delivers, plus it's a top performer from the moment you open it, so there no wait for it to either thicken or dry up a bit. However, I had precisely such mascaras before and they weren't as hyped up. Beyu Lash Queen Volume, Max Factor Voluptious False Lash, Lancome Hypnose, Essence I <3 Extreme Volume waterproof and Essence Volume Stylist all perform the same or better on my lashes. In terms of how it works with my lashes that refuse to stay curled (note on the with/without picture how straight they are) - if I use it without a lash curler, it manages to lift lashes about half way. It's pretty good in that respect, but it not as good in terms of holding them there and they do drop in time. I haven't had any smudging from it despite the fact I was wearing it in the summer, which at least here was quite hot and it also doesn't flake, though there might be a tiny fleck or two at the end of the day.

Comparison of with and without mascara on my lashes. I did some curling, but this mascara isn't capable of holding the curled lashes in place as good as waterproof mascaras, so they already dropped a bit.

Mascara on both eyes:

The brush is very standard for mascaras, just a regular wand with no specific shape. It gets messy on the tip a lot due to creamy formula and then the neck gets mess too, so I'm not a fan of that because I feel I'm losing formula.

And now we get to the minus and to me it's a pretty big minus considering this is not the cheapest drugstore mascara. Two months in it's dry. I can still get some of it, but by now it's not building up on the lashes anymore, it's more just tinting them and giving them definition. Compared to Essence's Volume Stylist, it's dry and I got L'Oreal's a week or so later (I used both interchangeably in these two months). I find that part disappointing and it's probably going to be a reason why I won't repurchase it. I'm used to having a mascara for 6 months and just about every other one was functioning for that time period.

So worth the hype or not? If you have naturally nice lashes like me, not really because you'll get the same or better effect with an Essence, Max Factor of a Beyu mascara, but if you still haven't found the one, maybe it's worth a try. A lot of people rave about and it is a good mascara, just it's not all that for me. The fact it got dry so fast doesn't make me happy, especially since even online it wasn't that cheap. I also wish our version was pink as well, it would be much prettier.

I bought mine on Boots for £9.99

Have a great day!