Empties #4

Hey!

It is funny how whenever I take pictures for the next Empties post, I use up a product the same day! 

And it happened like thrice before, haha!

In this post I will show you all the products I used up and my thoughts about them.

Alverde 5 in 1 mouthwash -

A oral hygene product that has a mild flavour and doesn't feel as my mouth is about to burn off from all the extra extra mint (I am looking at you Listerine!). The only downside is the added fluorid, but I can close one eye on that - for now. The price is also fine, about 2€ for 500ml. 

Repurchase? YES!

Ouidad botanical boost -

 This is a hair spray that is supposed to give curls some extra wooow. The scent is funky (kind of a sticky scent, heavy?) and it didn't do a thing for my hair. I got it as a freebie in an order. 

Repurchase? NO way.

Essence hand lotion Strawberry cream cupcake (Winter TE) - It took me a very long time to use up this cream, and when I did I was thrilled! Finally I will be able to use all my other hand creams :P. I am a big fan of Essence's hand creams and this one was no different. I got bored of the scent after a while, tho. It is moisturizing, but not heavy moisturizing. The price is about 2€.

Repurchase? Yes, but a different one.

L'occitane hand balm 20% shea butter - 

I used this cream before (the big tube) and couldn't finish it in forever. However I managed to finish this small tube in about 2 months. I like the scent and how heavy it feels on my hands (it creates a film). This is some seriously heavy duty hand cream, so I used it only during the night.

Repurchase? Yes, in Autumn.

Alverde cleansing foam - 

I like this brand from DM. It is on the natural/bio line and it is dirt cheap. However the products are a hit or miss. This one smells delicious (fresh, apple like) and it foamed like a dream. It created a really soft, gorgeous foam. But sadly the foam dispenser broke after one week. This means that I had to change it after that. And the next dispenser (took from another bottle) didn't want to work longer than a week after! I also realised that foam cleansers dehydrate my skin out. I will not be using them anymore. 

Repurchase? Nope. 

Mixa Soothing toner -

 A product that worked gently on my skin and came in a generous quantity. I found no problem with it watsoever. 

Repurchase? Maybe, if I don't find something else (I like to experiment).

Mixa Bi-phase cleanser - 

I like to use these kind of make up removers because I am a contact lenses user. Usually they are gentle on the eyes and do their job well.  It was nothing different with this one, but I haven't tested it with my contacts on. The price was steep, so I am not sure about it. I may try a couple of different ones before coming back to it. 

Repurchase? Maybe.

Did you try any of these products?

Makeup Revolution!

Hello!

A while ago visited me the Easter bunny (aka Ličila.si, thanks!) and got me a bunch of goodies. 

I found the time to write about them only now, you know.. I was a busy blogger ;P.

I got four goodies from the new makeup line on ličila.si - a lipstick, lip velvet (satin lipstick - these are my fav!), a bronzer and a nude eyeshadow.

Today this will be just a short version of the reviews since I want to test some more two of my favorite products. I will talk about those two in detail later.

Makeup Revolution Lip Velvet - WHAT I BELIEVE

A wonderful, creamy application - but you need to be careful and work quickly! If not the application goes on streaky and isn't all that pretty. I made the same mistake the first time I applied it :).

After a couple of seconds, it starts to feel dry and it will be tacky if touched for a bunch of minutes. In this time it is quite vulnerable, but after it is dry, it stays dry! 

It is extremely pigmented and I love this about it. It stays on for quite a long time (but it feels dry the whole time it stays on), except if you come in contact with something oily. Then it will start to scrub away and it will look ugly and also feel yucky.

Makeup Revolution lipstick- TWIST

A lovely red lipstick, you know - I am a fan of red lipsticks! It has a frost finish and it applies like a dream. It is creamy and hydrating (thus it doesn't last long), but it has such an intense color that it's hard to resist. The packaging is crap (the cap comes off really easily), but it does its job. The best part is probably the price - less than 2€ a pop!

Makeup Revolution bronzer - GOLDEN DAYS

I normally don't wear bronzers, except when I am feeling or extremely motivated (for a full face highlight/shadow thing) or extremely lazy (so I just swipe some bronzer on as an eyeshadow. The bronzers I try in the store are all too orange! Even the one I love is still a tiny bit orange. Heck, even this bronzer is a tiny bit orange, but it doesn't show on the skin! I think it is meant for us, pale girls? 

It looks almost non-existant when applied on skin, except for that little shadow (wink, wink). 

Makeup Revolution eyeshadow - NAIVE

A nude eyeshadow (it blends with my skin completely!) that I use mostly for blending. It was pretty hard taking a swatch of it, I thought it wouldn't show. Well thanks god for all those fine hairs on my arm, I think? 

It goes on smoothly, not cream smooth but smooth enough. It works well for blending, but for single wear, it is not for me. Vanishes somewhere between the 4th and 5th hour on me. Other than that it is super cheap - less than 2€! 

The products from this line may be a hit or miss, but once you find you HIT, you sure will stick to it ;).
You can get your own revolution, here. 

This product was sent to me by the company itself or its PR. For more information please do read my Disclosure Policy. My opinion is always honest.

Review: Night out make up package

Hello!

I received some products from the huge store called Tmart, they let me pick a package that would most suit my needs. I picked this one that includes a lipstick, a mascara, a box of false lashes, lashes glue, and an eyeliner. Practically everything that you need for a night out! ;)

How did the products work for me?

Let us start with the shipping time - the products came from China and they came quite quickly to me (less than 30 days). Usually shipping from China takes quite a while!

Now it is time for some reviews!

Mascara

The mascara comes in a wonderful packaging. I really liked it. It is gold with black lace and it looks excellent. The brush is this huge thing that is supposed to create voluminous lashes. I have no problem with other mascaras and most of them work for me well. It was the same with this mascara. It colored my otherwise blonde lashes and gave them a bit of volume. Nothing special, but great for a daily look. The formula of the mascara is a bit thicker on the brush but goes on quite watery.

Eyeliner

The eyeliner looks like something you would buy straight from Japan, pretty and useful. The applicator is a straight hard felt tip. Which means.. you need to be careful while you apply it if you don't want to poke your eye! The color payoff is nice and you can both do thin and thick lines with it. As I said - it takes some learning before it gets useful. I liked the color payoff, but I didn't like the hard tip. Also, it is supposed to be waterproof, but it melted with my tears (not real tears, just my eye is irritated kind of tears).

Lipstick

I was really disappointed to learn that this lipstick is an MAC knock-off. I mean I didn't research which color this is supposed to be, but the lettering MAC on it tell its tale. I tried to forget that when I was testing it (everything for an unbiased test, right?), but the tingling sensation half an hour after application didn't help! The lipstick was a dream to apply - creamy and hydrating. In the tube, it looks quite darker than it looked on my lips. It was also long lasting. I would give it a higher rating if it weren't for the knock-off thing and the tingling sensation because it is a wonderful color! 

Faux eyelashes

The eyelashes come in a pretty box packaged separately - in the box, you can find 10 pairs of false lashes. They are quite hard (I am used to hard lashes because I have plenty of cheap faux lashes!) and they do get softer with use (it helps if you bend them a bit with your fingers). I first used just a piece of some lashes for a look and next time I used full lashes. Once they are on it takes about 5 minutes to forget about them! And the good part is that they don't fall off alone, you need to rip them off (it's a first for me!). I liked that part because usually it's really easy to take them off and the inner corners want to get off before it's their time, too! But not with these lashes! Even if they are hard, they look great and stay on forever. 

Eyelashes glue 

Oh, my god! I was first worried because I read the ingredients and it says it contains formaldehyde. For those that don't know it - it transfers from mother's milk to babies and it may cause cancer. You see why I didn't want to use it? I am still breastfeeding and I am paranoid as hell. It didn't contain any warning about it, probably because it is made for another market. 

I decided to test it just a tiny bit before I toss it out. Well ... it is utter crap. Seriously. The formula is very creamy and non-sticky. Watery even. I couldn't glue the lashes for the love of god. I was trying for 5 minutes and the thing wasn't even sticky enough! In the end, I said duck it and cleaned all off. I used another glue to apply my false lashes. 

I am not impressed with this glue. Not with the ingredients, not with the formula and even less with its usefulness.  

I am happy with the mascara, lashes, and eyeliner, but I am disappointed with the lipstick and faux lashes glue. For the price of something less than 10€, it is OK. It is more like a hit or miss package. I saw that this package is now discontinued, but there are many many others. If you have the patience to toss the misses and want to get some makeup for cheap, then Tmart may be for you. If nothing else, it was an adventure ;). 

This product was sent to me by the company itself or its PR. For more information please do read my Disclosure Policy. My opinion is always honest.

Review: Catrice Iridescent TOPPER ( iROSEdescent)

Description (from site)

Top of the Galaxy. This topper stands for one of the biggest trends in 2014: 3D-shimmer effects. The quick-drying liquid in a soft rosé-gold is applied on top of your eyeshadow or used as a highlighter for your body and face to intensify any styling. Glam-factor included!

This is the product that the whole blogging world is raving about. Incredible, huh? It is quite an unique item - mineral eyeshadow mixed with a solution. You have to shake it for it to get mixed properly and then you can use it. It has a small pipete - one drop is more than enough for both eyelids.

I thought it would dry sooner (because that's what everyone said), but it takes a good half minute to 45sec to dry completely. I mean alright, it is not that much but I was thinking more like three seconds :P.

It stays on my lids for the whole day (even without a primer) and I have oily lids. So this little bottle has some damn strong staying power!

I tried using it on my cheeks and ahem, it was a disco ball kind of look - not for me, not right now. But I had to use my make up remover to get the damn thing off. Again crazy staying power.

+ lovely pink/gold micro glitter filled product

+ crazy good staying power

+ cute packaging

+ hygenic packaging (pipete)

+ little bit goes a very long way

+ unique item in the beauty world

- price (but you need only a tiny bit, so there's that) - 4.7€

- takes a while to dry (30-45 seconds). I just can't stand the wet feeling on my lids

- Need to be careful when applying (so you don't look like a disco ball)

This is well worth the rave. It looks amazing and it stays on for the whole day. It takes some precision for a good application, but it is worth it. It an unique item in the beauty world (I think you could DIY something similar with some visine drops and a bit of mineral eyeshadow?), which is always a plus. 

Navy line for the lazy day

Hi!

Sometimes when I am feeling lazy and do not have the time (or do not want to) to experiment with eyeshadows, I use just a bit of bronzer and some liquid eyeliner.

This time I used a gel eyeliner (actually it's a cream eyeshadow) by Kiko.  It is called Colour Shock Long lasting cream eyeshadow in Rhitmic blue. I paired it with Essence Stay matt lip cream in Smooth berry (discontinued)

I like the lip cream, but it stays shorter on than the one I got from a TE.

Do you have a 'lazy' trick on your own?

Daily skincare routine

Hi!

Today I wanted to talk about something we are all interested in (or maybe just curious?) - skincare.

I wanted to walk you through my daily skincare regime. 

For now it is plain and simple, made of only two products :).

First thing in the morning I wash my face with cold water.  If it looks extra oily and gross I use my Alverde facial cream cleanser.

Then I apply the Mizon Snail repair cream (~14€)  all over my face, neck and decolte. A small scoop is all I need. I am already running out of it (got it in February), so I may be overdoing it sometimes.

The cream spreads easily, has a light texture and works well with my face. It isn't all that moisturizing, that's why I sometimes pair it with Alverde Wild Rose oil (~4€). But only sometimes, because it is time consuming for the oil to completely absorb.

The next step is the Skinfood Broccoli Sunscreen (~6€).

I was worried that this sunscreen will break me out, but I was lucky. It feels a bit heavy on the skin the first time I apply it, but then it settles. It is also a great base under my make up. Sadly I am already running out! Hopefully my next one (one from our store) will be as good as this one is.

What is your daily skincare routine? 

Favorites: April 2014

Hello, everyone!

I picked a couple of favorites and put them all together in this post for you. I am currently in love with these items and I do use them as much as I can. 

Subrina Colour & Shine Conditioner

I got this product with my Subrina bunch for testing purposes (for Ars-cosmetica if anyone is interested) and I can't get over how wonderful it makes my hair look and feel! Plus it smells amazing (fresh) and my hair smells nice even the day after I've washed my hair. That never happens so I am sold. Oh, and you know what? It is in the cheap range of conditioners. Win-win for cheapos like me.

(I think it's about 3€?)

Catrice IRIDESCENT topper

I admit, I fell for the blogger hype myself. Everyone was raving about it (or the previous version which is practically a dupe). I had some extra money so I grabbed it. And boy is it wonderful! So sparkly. I will post a small review about it in a while) (about 4,5€)

Catrice Lip varnish made to stay in Mission PinkPossible

I got it a while ago and I am using it almost daily since then. It is very long lasting (can survive drinking, but after eating it needs to be re-applied), on its own, it stays about 5-6 hours. This is a very bright pink color, you can see it here. (about 5,6€)

Depend gellack in Neon Pink

I recently came to this idea that I'd really like to try some regular gel polishes. Maybe in the combination with my Essence gel nails at home kit - you know just to replace the tedious waiting time (for the regular polish to dry). It works really well and I keep staring at my nails. Since these are quite expensive (7€ for 5ml) I will stay at two or three colored gel polishes. 

Essence gel nails at home hand & nail cream 

I got this hand cream from the Essence & Catrice event a while ago (do you remember it?), and I didn't use it until now. I had to use my other hand creams before I could even remember than I have it. It smells lovely (fresh and rich) and hydrates my hands well (I checked the ingredients and it has some interesting ones in - like silica and hydrolyzed milk protein and lactose). Those ingredients sure make smooth and hydrated hands ;). This must be my favorite Essence hand cream so far (previously was the one in the yellow packaging). (about 3€)

Earth friendly baby Calming lavender body lotion

Oh boy, the title sure is a mouthful! I initially bought this body lotion for my kid. He had some dry skin on his arms because of all the baths he takes (like daily or almost!). Nothing helped him so I  hoped this would work (we tried different baby oils and coconut oil). And it did! He loves to help me spread it, too :). His skin got back to super smooth in three days. I also use it for myself - my back gets really dry and painful skin after showering or taking a bath. Nothing helped for long enough (maybe for 30 minutes max) except this lotion. It has a mild lavender scent. I will definitely get some more once it runs out. (about 7€)

What are your favorite products this month?

(I forgot the Little Sparrow lip jelly - so I will include it in the next favorites post)