Empties #35

Aveo Balea Dove Empties Eucerin FA Hada Labo Joico L'Oreal Olaplex Oriflame Orofluido Pantene Schwarzkopf Subrina The Body Shop

Empties #35

Admin   April 25, 2020   Comment  

 EUCERIN Hyaluron Filler Vitamin C Booster

I already went through one bottle of this and it was amazing. Idiotic as I always am, I did not instantly open a new one despite having two, instead I saved it and tried other disappointing vitamin C products. When I started focusing on the Ordinary, my skin worsened, so in my desperate attempt to go back to normal, I opened this and hoped it'll get me back on track. Sadly I failed, obviously because I kept on using The Ordinary product instead of going back to my old routine, so I wasted an entire bottle of this (I'm glad to report things have improved since I significantly cut back on the Ordinary). It still remains the only vitamin C product that I've noticed a difference at and when I was using it for the first time, my skin was in the best condition ever. 

Repurchase: Yes.

HADA LABO Super Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizing Lotion

This was one of the nicest feeling skin care product I've tried. It has such a comfortable formula and it's a pleasure to use. However, it breaks me out, which breaks my heart because this is exactly the type of product I want to use so badly. Products where hyaluronic acid is high on the list very often break me out, so I'm struggling to include it into a routine as a stand-alone product, but my other skin care has enough of it, I use Cosrx 95 Galactomyces Essence, Cezanne lotion and Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream, which all contain a certain amount of it. 

Repurchase: Sadly no.

BALEA Ultra Sensitive Intensivcreme Urea

7% Urea

This isn't bad, but after using the whole tube, I'm not that impressed. I bought this when my skin was terribly dry (unimaginably flaky) and this is simply too light. It's meant for sensitive, dry skin, but the texture is only medium thick and my super dry skin absorbed it in minutes, then it felt like I didn't apply much. Even when my skin was better, normal-dry, this didn't impress me that much compared to my favourite moisturiser from Beauty of Joseon. It's think more suited for normal - combination - moderately dry sensitive skin, but I'm no expert. I had a lot more luck with Mixa Cica Cream with 5% Pantenol when dealing with very dry skin. 

Repurchase: No, I bought the 5% Urea night version instead and it's richer than this, neither I truly love. 

FA Magic Oil Indulgingly Caring Shower Gel

Blue Lotus Scent

I've praised this in one of monthly favourites and I said I'll definitely repurchase, but I've only managed to track it down yesterday and grabbed two bottles. It smells so nice, an great floral scent, apparently it's lotus. The formula is a thick gel one, which is pleasant to use and though I'm not sure it's nourishing, it feels better than most shower gels. 

Repurchase: Yes. I got two. 

ORIFLAME Wild Blueberry Shower Cream

An average shower gel with a scent of candy with blueberry flavour. If you like such scents, it's a nice one. 

Repurchase: No. 

SUBRINA Kids 2 in 1 Shower Gel and Shampoo

Fruity

I have all four of these and Breezy is by far my favourite. This one stands out the least to me. It's got a basic pear-apple type of scent. I've only ever used it as a shower gel and not shampoo.

Repurchase: I have another one.

THE BODY SHOP Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel and Body Butter

This is one of the nicest scents TBS ever made. I've said in before that to me it smells like Monte White, though people describe it differently. It's a nutty-tonka bean-vanilla scent, so gourmand, warm and cosy, perfect for autumn/winter. I hear it's very similar if not the same as the famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream from Sol de Janeiro, but I never owned the latter so I can't confirm if it's true. The shower gel was the thickest creamy one I've tried, but it still foamed and rinsed off completely with some extra time (Dove is similar). The body butter was one of TBS's medium rich consistencies, so not as thick as Shea, but also not as thin like as Black Cherry they had ages ago. I still love their body butters, though I've since discovered that Bath & Body Works Ultra Shea are proper gems too when it comes to rich textures combined with amazing scents. 

Repurchase: Maybe the body butter.

BALEA Schrunden Salbe

My soles are very dry and I had high hopes for this, but even though the texture is very rich, balm-like and stays on the skin for a long time, it wasn't enough for me. I purchased the 10% version which absorbs much quicker and I prefer the texture of it, but neither are amazing when it comes to very dry skin. The scent of this one is similar to bug repellents. 

Repurchase: No.

AVEO 10% Urea 2 in 1 Handcreme

This was very decent. It's a light lotion type of cream and it absorbed quickly. It was ok for dry skin, but there are better for a similar price. This is a travel size version.

Repurchase: It's nice, but I'd only get it if I couldn't get Balea's Urea 5% 

DOVE Nourishing Secrets Restoring Ritual 48 Anti-Perspirant 

I started to appreciate this more recently. I've been using this one for several months and it always worked, then when it ran out, I got the one that had a discount that week, which was from Fa and it ended up being terrible. I got this one again and all is well. The scent is not a typical tropical coconut, but still very recognisably coconuty and plastic smelling. At first I liked it, then it got too much for me, but now I don't even notice it because I use this every day.

Repurchase: Done. 

OLAPLEX n.3

You might know I always say the same thing: I don't see visible results from this, but I use it often regardless because it's the only product that help rebuild the bonds. Well, actually since I used Matrix Re-Bond (which is just amazing) this started working better too and when I left it on overnight with a shower cap on and a scarf that helped keep the temperature up, my hair felt so soft, like average people's hair, but only my bottom layers and not the top ones where I've had a very coarse texture since I reached my teens. It was kind of weird to have such soft hair, I'm just not used to it. For most people this will probably feel like a miracle product I'm guessing - I just wish it could do the job for all my hair. I recently bought the n.7 oil which is nothing special in terms of effect compared to others, but it has the same rebuilding ingredient, so I'm all for it.  

Repurchase: Done.

JOICO K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor

I praised this a lot in the past year and it's an excellent protein treatment especially for bleached/coloured hair. It can do miracles if you know when to use it (my hair becomes even more coarse when it lacks proteins. I do a test with wet hair, stretch it and if it's overstretches like a bubble gum, I know I have to use this) and in combination with Intense Hydrator from this line transforms my hair into something more normal. For some reason this separates in the bottle fast, even when new, so you need to shake it well before use, otherwise when you open it the liquid just pours out (I've had 3 new bottles are all were the same in this respect). Joico doesn't mention this on the tube, which isn't wise because people might think their bottle has gone off. 

Repurchase: Done.

L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo

My favourite shampoo for my very dry hair. I've gone through several bottles. 

Repurchase: Done. 

OROFLUIDO Beauty Elixir

I've been buying this for many years and I've gone through quite a few. It's the cheapest good oil per mililitre and it also smells amazing. To me it's the same as for example Moroccanoil, Macadamia Natural Oil and Joico K-Pack, all are thick and rich formulas that suit my hair better than most oils from the drugstore which tend to be thin and more suitable for fine hair. One minus is that it doesn't have a pump, but I finally found one that fits from a used up COSRX essence, it's just the stem doesn't reach to the bottom. This oil also smells amazing, it has a lovely warm oriental vanilla-amber scent.

Repurchase: Done.

PANTENE PRO-V Hair Superfood Conditioner

Since I've first tried this and Repair version last year, they've become my favourite drugstore hair discovery. They are best I can get around here that's available everywhere and for an affordable price. 

Repurchase: Done.

PANTENE Hair Biology Grey & Glowing Illuminating Mask

I've tried three out of four of these masks and all are fantastic, but also the same as Repair conditioner, at least on my hair. Based on the description I expected a purple mask as grey hair tends to go yellow with time and I thought I might use on my blond hair, but it's a regular clear one. It's only 160 ml which didn't last me many treatments on my long think hair, so it's not the best deal, but the packaging looks pretty. 

Repurchase: If it has a discount, otherwise I'll just buy the regular Intensive Repair.

SCHWARZKOPF Blondme Premium Developer 6% and Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+ 

I've talked a lot about this one. It's a bleach I fully trust. I've done a lot of sessions with it because I was going blonde very slowly, in fact it took me over a year and this never left my hair feeling overly dry, weak or in any way destroyed. The second it ran out I was online ordering a new one. One pack lasted me a lot of uses, about a year and I actually still have plenty of developer left, so I didn't have to repurchase that yet. I've first tried with a 6% developer which was not strong enough for my very dark hair, so I bought a 12%, which I've been mixing with 6% to get something in between instead of buying 9%. With that strength this bleaches my natural dark brown to yellow canary blonde in one session, some hair is even level 10, but mostly I get somewhere between 8-9. This contains succinic acid which creates a protective layer around the bonds and it appears to be working.

Repurchase: Done.

SUBRINA Spectra Demi-Permanent 8/10 Ice Blonde and ILIRIJA Hydrogen Cream 3%

I've already talked about this one and showed results. After testing a few brands I've come to a realisation Subrina has the best cool blonde shades of level 10. I've used this straight after bleaching and it covered/neutralised canary yellow tones well. It can't deal that well with orange, which I expected, some of my pieces are still simply too dark for this. I honestly was blown away how well this worked because I've tried Schwarzkopf's drugstore equivalent and it did very little. I've used this is a weak 3% developer since it's a toning shade. I needed 1 + 1/2 tube for my long, thick hair. I really wish Subrina would focus also on making darker ashy/neutralising shades. They keep sticking to only level 10 ones, I'd really like to see level 9, 8 and 7 too (the only 710 shade they just discontinued). We really need such toning/demi-permanent shades in our drugstores. This actually the only such product available here. 

Repurchase: Yes, but I'm not sure I like myself so pale blonde. I'd like to be darker levels as originally planned and I'll have to buy such a product from another brand online. 

SUBRINA Colour Refresh Mask

Violet

This was the first shade I tried back in autumn when my hair was still a darker shade of blonde and because I got a very pink result, I promised myself to try this when my hair is very blond. This became my favourite Colour Refresh shade, not just for colour, but also for toning. I decided to go full out purple because I was always wondering if such a shade would suit me. I got the colour on the box with a 1:1.5 mix (colour vs. clear conditioner) and it was so intense. It's a pretty colour, the same as Subrina's Saten/Spectra 88 and the newest Butter Colour 880, but too much for me. I'll show you the pictures in monthly favourites, but I already posted one on Subrina IG (I didn't use Butter Colour, but they are the same shades). With every wash I love it more. I got to the colour I've dreamed for a while, a beautiful pastel violet shade and with further washing, so when only a small amount is left (or you use only a drop of this shade in a conditioner/shade Clear) this works like a great toning shade. Diamond Blonde is blue-violet one that in a larger amount tones to a very ashy-grey shade, while this one looks more like their shade 20/2 or 1020 Pearl Blonde, so something like a sandy-beige light blonde. Personally I like this shade for toning more than Diamond Blonde, but you have to use the tiniest amount otherwise you have lilac hair, which is not such a terrible thing because it's a pretty shade. 

Repurchase: I have one more and all other shades.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Whitening Honey Mask Pack, MY BEAUTY DIARY Natural Key Series Facial Mask Black Pearl & THE FACE SHOP The Solution Soothing Mask with Madecassoside 

Papa Recipe and MBD are two of my favourite mask for glow. Papa Recipe is more nourishing, so I use it when my skin is particularly dry and it's overall better than MBD, so it's my treatment for special ocassions. MBD is lighter, suited for all skin types I'd say and helps to make the complexion look more even and healthy. TFS Madecassoside is my "big guns" when my skin is very dry and right after breakouts because it helps to soothe, nourish and heal. Etude House's version is pretty much the same and cheaper, but I found it only after I bought a pack of these. TFS's wins in terms of hold well the sheet fits me, but Etude House tends to be cheaper in most places.  

Repurchase: Yes to all and I still have a few of each.

Have a great day!

New in #84

ArtNaturals Aveo Bath & Body Works catrice essence Hada Labo Insta Naturals Joico L'Oreal max factor Melvita New In Nivea Oriflame Palmer's Pantene Subrina The Body Shop

New in #84

Admin   October 08, 2019   Comment  

CATRICE Pure Simplicity LE Baked Blush

C02 Naked Petals

I mostly neglect LE's, but this looked like L.O.V.'s Blurring blushes which are my favourites. There are four shades, I think I grabbed the lightest, though there were no testers I could try in Müller. The packaging is completely made of cardboard and I actually like this minimalism. Formula is sadly not as amazing as at L.O.V., it's not as fine, though it's similarly soft and has enough pigmentation, but there's also none of that lovely glow L.O.V. blushes have. C02 Naked Petals is a very light peachy-pinky blush, not exactly what I imagined when I saw it in the packaging. Honestly, if there were testers, I'd pick something darker, or maybe not even get one because there's no glow I like. 

 Müller, 5.29 €

ESSENCE I <3 Extreme Volume Mascara Waterproof

A repurchase of my favourite mascara. By now quite while ago posted this story on Instagram overviewing all of the mascaras I got in 2019 - then that number was 10, of those 8 were PR products and a majority regular formulas that drop my lashes, so obviously I had to put this one on hold, since I was testing all of those mascaras. Since Lash Princess WP and Catrice Eyeconista WP did not impress me with their curl holding powers, I picked this one again to compare it with those two and let me tell you this one blows all of those 10 mascaras out of the water. This one has by far the nicest effect of all of those, it creates the biggest lashes, it has the best multiplying effect because it catches individual lashes and doesn't stick them together, and it holds the curl best of all. One minus that I can live with because this is regardless an absolutely outstanding mascara is the massive brush which almost always touches my lids during application, but otherwise I have no complaints. I hope Essence never discontinues this because the newest Lash Princess WP just isn't that good compared to this. 

Müller, 2.99 €

CATRICE Liquid Eyeliner Matt

010 Dating Joe Black

Just like the mascara this is a repurchase on my favourite. I use this every day because it's the best liquid eyeliner I've found. It's super black, matte, long-lasting and has never let me down.

Müller, 3.79 €

*MAX FACTOR Matte Lipstick

15 Flame

I had one of these on the wishlist (shade Nude) and a month ago these finally reached our drugstores too, which is great since Max Factor really had to update the lipstick selection here. I was sent shade 15 Flame, which is not my colour, but at least I got to see the texture of these. Unfortunately these aren't matte, at least this shade, instead it's a creamy-satin formula with some moderate shine and a very comfortable formula. They don't differ that much from their Colour Elixirs and it's still a nice formula, but I was expecting something matte like the amazing Bourjois Rouge Velvet The Lipsticks or Colourpop Lippie Stix Matte X. Shade 15 Flame is a bright reddish coral. These have a black rubberised packaging in the style of Nars. While in Műller I swatched and took a photo with my phone of 5 out of 6 shades available in Slovenia (there was no tester for 10 Sunkiss, an orange coral), while only one more shade exists called 25 Blush. Added to my PR parcel was a lovely candle with the scent of orange blossom & mimosa which smells very much like a L'Occitane shop or at least like their fragrances. 

 9.99 €

*THE BODY SHOP Matte Lip Butter

031 Kobe Orchid

Another thing on my wishlist and those who know a bit more about me probably guessed why I wanted this shade, but even so this is the shade that appealed most to me on some swatches I saw. It's actually paler than I imagined it from the swatches and as is usual for my skin tone, it ends up looking very peachy. Formula is lighter than the liquid matte version, a bit less pigmented and it takes even longer to set matte. To me it's a comfortable enough formula, but this isn't nourishing at all, so those with dry lips might not be impressed by it. Though I like the formula well enough, staying power is not very impressive.

8.90 €

*THE BODY SHOP Lip Definer

Golden Syrup

This is a very pale shade, one of those concealer nudes that were all the rage about ten years ago. Formula is on the dry side and it needs some layering, but it could just be this shade, as I had a similar one from Barry M and it was even drier. I saw 11 shades on Slovene website. 

7.50 €

*ORIFLAME Tremendous Big Volume Mascara

I'm not a massive fan of Oriflame mascaras, actually I haven't really liked any I tried so far, until this one. Meet the 11th mascara I got this year and it was very surprisingly big like from the start. The brush reminds me of Essence <3 Extreme waterproof, as it's the same type of a regular wand with very densely packed bristles. This results in about the same effect, nicely separated, "multiplied" lashes with a fanned out effect. I've been using it almost every day since I got it and though there could be a bit more volume, I'm liking it a lot. Formula isn't gloopy or wet which is a big plus, as  because of this it's not a messy mascara and it doesn't drop the lashes. In terms of holding a curl is as good as a regular mascara can be, so it holds them up half way, which is good in my books for such a formula. I'm quite impressed by this one.

Oriflame, 15.90 €, currently 7.99 €

 HADALABO Gokujun Cleansing Oil

I think I found my favourite ever oil. This ticks all the boxes for me - it has a rich formula that emulsifies into a lovely thick emulsion, it doesn't make my vision foggy, nor irritate my eyes and it doesn't have much of a scent. Just like Biobaza it washes off completely and it's stronger, as it removes all makeup even waterproof mascara and eyeliner, but if the mascara coat is thick, it struggles to get it off and I need an extra cleansing if I don't want to use a separate remover. I need only one pump for my entire face, which is a lot less than Biobaza, so I hope this one will last longer - also there's 50 ml more of it in the bottle. The pump packaging works just like it should and it's not leaking. I see no minuses at this one apart from that I have to order it online, but actually I got this in a week from japan with no shipping charges, so the seller I got this from is great.

eBay, $12.78 (seller kyotoarashiyama)

*THE BODY SHOP Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Peel-off Mask

This is something new from TBS. Their Tea Tree range has been expanded with this interesting mask. You get a powder which you mix with water and it's one of those peel-off masks, but unlike 99% of the ones I've seen, this doesn't have alcohol high one the list, in fact it doesn't even have it. Diatomaceous earth is the first ingredient, it also contains clay (kaolin), tea tree oil and salicylic acid. There is a line in the pot to where the water should reach (21 ml to 10g of powder), you mix it up, apply it on the face and peel it off on 5-10 minutes. I still need to try this and I'll report back when I do, but my skin is currently completely clear and normal, so I won't be able to tell you much how it works for unclear, very oily skin.

5.90 €

*THE BODY SHOP British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask

TBS has made me very happy because someone has been checking my wishlist, probably on Pinterest where I've had this for ages. A couple of years ago when TBS first came to Slovenia they sent me a sample of this mask and it left my skin soft and radiant like a good sheet mask would both time I used it, so I always wanted a pot of this. I already talked about this one is my monthly favourites and I'll just copy-paste the same thing here: It's a gel-jam type of mask with some crushed bits of petals (I think) that remains on the skin instead of sinking in and it needs to be washed off as it's quite sticky. It delivers a good boost of moisture and it's the type of formula I think would suit just about any skin type - dry, combination or even oily, I really can't see how this type of formula would feel heavy for anyone. I've used it a couple of times already since I got it and it left my skin in lovely condition. It also smells so good. I do not like rose scents, but this smells like proper fresh roses, the yellow climbing ones blooming every summer outside our house, plus I get some some sharp/fresh peppermint-like note. It's expensive, but you actually don't use a lot and a pot should last a while.

The Body Shop 26.50 €

*THE BODY SHOP Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil

I also already talked a lot about this one in my monthly favourites. It's another product that was high on my wishlist so again I'm so happy I finally have it. It's currently my thickest oil and most nourishing, so I skip moisturiser with this one. I can already see the results of using this one because my skin looks really good. It's clear, nourished/normalised and has healthy glow. The smell is not as nice as Nuxe's or Palmer's, but my skin loves this oil.

34.50 € for 30 ml, but a 50 ml exists too.

 HADA LABO TOKYO Anti-Aging Facial Sheet Mask

We got Hada Labo Tokyo in DM, it's by the same company Rohto as Melano and the "regular Hada Labo" they have in Japan, but this Tokyo version is sold in Europe. They have a regular hydrating line and the one with Retinol & Collagen I was more interested in. The products are expensive, especially compared to prices on eBay, but those products are not exactly the same. I grabbed the sheet mask with hyaluronic acid, retinol and collagen.

Sheet: This is the most "normal" sheet mask in our drugstores with the exception of My Hoin Ni (whic are pretty much dupes for My Scheming). It's not super thin like Etude House's, but sort of a standard sheet mask. Size was too large for me and I had to fold up lower parts. Adherence was great at first, but it dried up at about 40 minutes and basically fell off.

Essence: A toner-serum like essence, which is not as comfy feeling as their hyaluronic acid lotion, it's more regular I guess. It remains on the skin for hours and is a bit tacky. There is a generous amount of essence in this, the sheet is completely soaked and there's some left in the pack, which I used for my neck.

Scent: This has no scent 

Effect: My skin looked nice after this, properly hydrated, but for this price I maybe expected a bit more. I know there no mention of brightening, but maybe I'd like to see some more temporary plumping effect, as here it was minimal.

Worth it?: It's not amazing, but I like the ingredients a lot and it's miles better than any other mask we get here.

Ingredients.

DM, 3.49 €

PALMER'S Cocoa Butter Formula, Perfecting Facial Oil

I promised myself I won't open this since I already have Nuxe and The Body Shop, but I caved and I'm glad I did. It's a lot lighter than TBS and it absorbs quickly, so it's excellent for including in my morning routine, which I felt was lacking something. Since it's lighter it's also easier to use for my night facial massages, though I'm going to stick to TBS since it's more nourishing. I've used quite a lot of it for a massage and it was still completely absorbed after 2 hours on my cheek area, while it remained longer on my T-zone, but by the morning it was all absorbed like my other oils. A "regular" quantity of a few drops absorbs doesn't take long to absorb well enough and leaves a nice glow. It smells the same as Palmer's other Cocoa Butter Formula products, so like chocolate cake batter, which I immediately liked. This contains a ton of different oils (sweet almond, grapeseed, camelina, macadamia, sesame seed, coconut, argan and rosehip), plus some smaller amounts of retinol, a form of vitamin C and centella asiatica extract. 

iHerb, 10.22 €

 ARTNATURAL Retinol Serum 

10 ml

I got a few samples of products with retinol and this is the one I'm currently using. It contains 2.5% retinol. Formula is a very light milky serum that absorbs in less than a minute and it's a better option to layer over for when I'm doing my facial massages as it doesn't pill like the Instanatural does. Despite the high retinol content I got zero irritations or any type of tingling sensation some report, but my skin apparently can handle a lot and it's currently looking really well. It's got a faint sort of a spicy scent, maybe cardamon or ginger or allspice, or all together, but it's barely noticeable. I'm serioulsy considering buying full size, but I'll use it up first so I can properly decide. 

iHerb, 3.44 €

INSTANATURAL Retinol Serum

5 ml

 This serum was the first one I started using. It contains a form of vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate), hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and Q10, so it's like a great all in one. I like the texture of this, as it's a very light orange serum that absorbs fast (under a minute), so it's great for layering and it has a nice orange-ish scent. One sample lasted me a week and a half of maybe two, I wasn't paying attention to be honest. I'd definitely consider buying a full size, but for now I really couldn't decide between Instanatural and Artnatural, as both are wonderful. 

iHerb, 3.18 €

INSTANATURAL Retinol Moisturizer

5 ml

I liked this one too. It's a light moisturiser that I think would suit oily skin too, since it's more like a lotion-cream consistency. One sample didn't last me nearly as long as the serums did. It contains retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, safflower oil and green tea extract. 

iHerb, 2.30 €

*MELVITA Rose Extraordinary Water

This is a very popular product, I still remember the hype around it from a few years ago. For me though, the strong rose fragrance is just too much. I know most people love it, but I've never been a fan of these scents. It's a thicker toner product or a very light serum that feels nicely hydrating and despite having dry skin, I wasn't reaching for a moisturiser quickly after applying this. Though it has alcohol high on the list, which is not ideal, but the ingredients preceding it are rose water and glycerine, which might counteract the drying alcohol. This version has double the amount of hyaluronic acid compared to before. 

18 €

*MELVITA Washable Cleansing Pads

Melvita set up a number of eco challenges in September and one of those was to reduce the use of cotton pads. So they sent me these washable ones they sell. There are three is a pack that you can wash many times they claim. One side is like a regular towel and the other is a velvety one that I prefer to use because the towel side is a bit rough. I've been using these since I got them, not often because I actually very rarely use cotton pads (I apply toners and liquid products with my hands and I rarely use micellar waters or duo phase cleansers because my cleansing oil does the job), but they worked out nicely. I washed them and they survived it well. I'd say these are a nice investment, but for removing nail polish you'll still need a regular cotton pad.

2.90 €

NIVEA UV Face Q10 Anti-Age & Anti-Pigments SPF 50

My mattifying version unexpectedly ran out (you really have no idea when it will happen with this one because it always dispenses the product with ease) and I had no backup sunscreen in stock, apart from Olay's Regenerist SPF 30, but since there were still a few sunny days this year that I knew I'll spent all day in the sun, I wanted an SPF 50 and I couldn't order online any Asian sunscreens because I couldn't wait. I went to three shops (actually as of today five) and the mattifying version just vanished - I don't know if it's discontinued or they removed it from selection in Slovenia or it simply ran out (there are no places for mattifying versions, so I doubt that). So in the last shop I grabbed this one because I really didn't know what else to pick. I remember when I was asking about sunscreens in early summer, a lot of you strongly discouraged me from getting this version, so I had an inkling I screwed up badly buying this version. It's pretty bad. Not the worst thing I've tried, though honestly I can't remember any worse ones, but though the texture feels the same as at mattifying version, so a thick cream, this never dries. My face is still sunscreen greasy several hours later - my skin is normal-dry, so this really saying something. What's worse it's moving a lot during the day and is constantly slipping into my eyes, making my vision cloudy, my glasses dirty because it ends up on my eyelashes, I'm constantly blinking since I can feel something is in my eyes causing me discomfort and occasionally it gets so bad they start watering. Every minute with this sunscreen is an annoyance if I apply it anywhere near the eyes. I simply can't wear makeup with this, as my eye makeup just smudges off. It's impossible to apply this one in a recommended amount, it's just too much, but as a plus I can say it doesn't have a white cast. I don't understand how this is still sold, while the mattifying version is gone here.

Interspar, 11.69 €

By now I went to several shops and I even caved and went to the pharmacies to find the La Roche Posay face spray SPF 50+ even though it's expensive (I couldn't find the cheaper Garnier version, which I wanted as a top up over makeup). I got nothing. My local Müller has zero sunscreens as of last week (apart from what's in skin care stuff). DM also has barely anything left and Leclerc only had this Nivea one and foam version with an SPF 50. If I knew this was going to happen, I'd stock up earlier (maybe it's different in Ljubljana, idk). Apparently we don't need decent and still affordable sunscreens in Slovenia as soon as it's the end of summer. I ended up ordering A'PieuPure Block Natural Daily Sun Cream SPF45/PA+++ for 6 €.

L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo

A repurchase. This is my favourite shampoo for my very dry, thick and bleached/coloured hair because it feels like a shampoo + conditioner in one, probably because of the silicone high on the list and it leaves my hair feeling silky when I'm rinsing it off, so it's not annoyingly tangled after I wash it. 

Interspar, 3.28 €

PANTENE PRO-V Hair Superfood Conditioner

My love for the Repair version is well established, but I was not quite as impressed with version Sleek, though it's still good compared to 90% of drugstore stuff. Superfood is even thicker than Repair, which is already thicker than a lot of hair masks, so a tube is not an ideal packaging, but I can live with it. In terms of effect this is just as good as Repair and both work wonderfully for my very dry, thick bleached/coloured hair. It leaves my hair nourished and softer than most conditioners (that tend to fail in this category). Another fantastic conditioner in the drugstores, I will surely be buying more of these and check out the rest of the line.

Leclerc, 3.5 €  

NIVEA Curl Styling Primer

I wasn't sure we'll get these primers, but I'm glad we did. I only saw the Curl and Volume version, however, not Sleek. I have the curl spray from before and it's pretty good. I got this primer because it has shea butter right after water on the ingredients list, so it should be great for dry hair. It also contains glycerine high on the list and it's a heat protectant. It's meant to be used on damp hair after washing. I expected a much thicker and heavier texture that would be more similar to Dove Super Quench, but though it's not super light, it's still closer to a lotion than a cream. It leaves the hands slightly sticky, but not the hair and from the start when the hair is wet, it's noticeable on the hair, but as soon as I start drying my hair, it's much less frizzy than without this and it's easier to get a a smoother result without having to really on increased heat + round brush. After the hair is dry it's like nothing is on the hair, but it feels noticeable smoother. I like this a lot and I always include it in my hair wash routine. 

Müller, 4.19 €

JOICO K-Pack Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil

I usually use Orofluido and I still do, but I love K-Pack line and this has the same Quadramine complex. I'm still waiting for Olaplex n.7 oil to become more easily accessible and I assume it's going to take a while, so while I wait and since my oil stash is low (at least the good one), I got this one instead. I checked the ingredient before and that complex is very, very low on the list, but so is at the other products I love, so maybe (and I'm really hoping this) it works low concentration (I know, wishful thinking probably). Formula is very similar to Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil, so the same thick texture that fits my hair best, so obvious I loved this from the moment I tried it. It tames the hair as it should and feels nourishing, so it deals with the dryness too, at least for a while. It's got a really nice salon scent - you'll recognise immediately when you smell it. Unlike Orofluido it's got a pump which is a bit plus (I actually added one from COSRX on my Orofluido). This is one of the best oils I've tried.

Notino, 21.5 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist 

In The Stars

Make every moment glow with an addictive fragrance that radiates from start to finish like the stars above. In The Stars is a warm, sparkling blend of starflower, sandalwood musk, sugared tangelo, white agarwood & radiant amber.

This one seems to be beloved even on Fragrantica, where I get to read some descriptive reviews than on BBW's official site. I don't know how to describe this one, not that's it's unique, but I know of nothing similar. It reminds me of the 90's, some fragrance someone must have worn. I could have been mom, but she mostly wore Poeme. It's warm scent, but not sugary or overly vanilary, it's more  about amber, sandalwood and wood. I don't know how else to describe it, but when I smell it, this image of a warm sunny day comes to mind, it smells radiantly warm - yes, I know how stupid this sounds. I think tangelo gives it this unique citrus note that isn't zesty, but I wouldn't call this a fruity fragrance at all. For some reason I can't smell this a few minutes after I spray it and at first I was sure that this is low quality scent that disappears in minutes, but then I was standing 2 meters away from someone and they said I smell really nice and what I'm wearing. The thing is I sprayed this the night before after a shower, so it must just be my nose that is somehow immune to this scent.

eBay, $13.56

A Thousand Wishes

Warm your heart a thousand times over with a festive blend of sparkling champagne, crystal peonies & almond crème.

I got this second after In the Stars and I liked it a bit more than that one. It reminds me of a younger, sparklier version of Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty. I get champagne, some lovely flowery notes that aren't peonies because I know real peonies don't smell very nice (to me) and I don't know if it's almond crème, but I'm not smelling the usual vanilla-amber combination. It's sweet and warm with that sparkly champagne character, like eating almond macarons while drinking champagne without the sour wine notes. I like this a lot. 

Notino, 15.60 €

Kaleidoscope

 Effortless. Beautiful. You. Kaleidoscope mixes with your body chemistry for a fragrance that’s uniquely yours. With notes of iris, cedarwood & pink pepper. 

This was love at first spray. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists, it's so good! BBW says that it smells different on every individual, which I supposed is somewhat true for most fragrances, though maybe at this one the differences are bigger, creating more unique scents. It's a type of fragrance I've never smelled before, this fantastic clean, yet not typically "laundry detergent" clean scent. It's like one of those smells when you enter some stranger's house and it smells uniquely theirs. It's not like Molecule 01 since it doesn't have the e iso super ingredient, but this combination of notes creates a smell where I can't pinpoint any of the notes mentioned in the description. I often get a strong scent of pears on me even though it's not mentioned among the notes. This is definitely one of the best scents BBW made.

eBay, $12.74

Almond Blossom

Warm. Rich. Smooth. With notes of sweet almond oil blended with vanilla orchid & cashmere musk.

This is very similar to The Library of Fragrance a.k.a Demeter Fragrances Baby Powder. It's a strong powdery almond scent, warm and cosy, but more sophisticated than regular baby powder. I can see why this one is so beloved by many, as such warm homey scents are always crowd pleasers. It's not my favourite, but I might change my mind about it.

eBay, $12.74

Autumn Nights 

A fresh-meets-cozy blend of toasted tonka bean, warm amber & vanilla orchid.

Spicy vanilla that's the gist of this scent. It's warm, yet sharp probably from the tonka bean and there's some masculine note of leather, which makes it a unisex scent from the start, but it mellows into a feminine vanilla. It reminds me of Wild Madagascar Vanilla also from BBW. I imagined it different and it's not my favourite.

eBay, $12.74

NEUTROGENA Norwegian Formula Anti-Ageing Hand Cream SPF 25

This is one other Neutrogena cream are the only two I could find sold in our drugstores that has an SPF filter. It's a medium-thick cream, but it doesn't take too long to absorb, though it leaves a noticeable moisturising film on the skin which is not slippery. I've been using it for a while now and I like it. I wasn't expecting too because reviews are poor and I intended to use it just on the top of my hands in case I didn't like it, but it's pretty good. It's got a regular creamy scent.

Leclerc, 3 €

BALEA Schrunden Salbe

My soles are very hard and my skin gets thick soon after a pedicure, but luckily the skin is not cracked yet. Still I got this to nourish my feet, as it's got a very high percentage of urea (25%) which is one of the most effective moisturisers and barrier fixers. It's a very thick cream or maybe better said balm, since it has that more oily-vaseline texture when you start rubbing it in. The scent doesn't bother me, but it 100% will bother most, since it's a strong almost insecticide chemical scent. It nourishes my feet enough, but it hasn't done miracle where my skin is most rough.

DM, 1.99 €

NIVEA Care & Apricot Shower Gel

I don’t know why this has a label new because I remember having this scent some years before. It's one of the most authentic apricot scents, it a juicy rice apricot scent with a recognisable tart note that makes it smell like the real deal. The formula is nothing special, it creamy, but not super nourishing like Dove shower gel, but it does its job.

SUBRINA Shower Gel

Fresh Elder

Just another in a long line of XXL versions I get in Spar. This one has such an uplifting summery scent of elder, lime and mint.

AVEO MED 2 in 1 Crème Dusche 10% Urea

I got this because it has 5% more of urea than the DM version. It's nice, but not as luxurious feeling as Nivea so it feels pretty bland. The scent is nicely neutral, as you might expect. I started using this one as a face cleaser on some random mornings and it's lovely, as it doesn't leave that tight feeling at all.

Have a great day!

New in #77

Aveo Avon Bourjois catrice deborah Ecotools essence Ice Cream L.O.V. L'Oreal max factor New In Olaplex Oriflame Physicians Formula Rimmel Schwarzkopf Subrina The Body Shop

New in #77

Admin   February 08, 2019   Comment  

MAKEUP

ESSENCE I <3 Extreme Volume Mascara Waterproof

This remains my favourite waterproof formula and a favourite mascara overall. I don't know which tube in a row this is so far, but there have been a few. It holds my lashes perfectly curled like I expect from a mascara, it gives a lot of volume and length, the only mini minus is that it could fan out and define a bit nicer, it's the closest to perfect and it's cheap. I'm glad this keeps dodging the discontinuing frenzies by Essence. 

Műller, 2.99 €

CATRICE Liquid Eyeliner

010 Dating Joe Black

My standard repurchase and I still use this formula every day. It's the best liner I've found so far because it's very black, dries matte, has a great applicator and it lasts all day. 

Müller, 3.79 €

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Shimmer Strips All-in-1 Custom Nude Palette 

Warm Nude 

I got this as a birthday gift from my cousin after it's been on my wishlist for years. There are two versions of these Shimmer Strips palette, mine is a warmer one, though both look warm to me (second is called Natural Nude). It's a combination of 12 shimmery-satin shades that can be used in many ways, but PH recommends these methods: 

1. All shades mixed together can be used all over the face for an all-over nude glow. 

2. First row as a highlighter.

3. As eyeshadows: 1th row highlights, 2nd as base 3rd as contour and 4th as eyeliner.

4. Nude contouring with 2nd row as blush and 3+4th row as bronzer. 

PH also added two brushes. A bigger thin brush is surprisingly good because it picks up just enough, the size fits stripes well and it blends ok, while a sponge applicator isn't all that helpful. On the back in a separate compartment is, as is usual for PH, a mirror. 

I've tried it all these ways and it does work as an all over veil if I avoid the bottom row, but it should be applied with a very fluffy brush. As eyeshadows it definitely works well for a warm nude look and gives you a nice level of versatility. As highlighter it's a nice one with a good level of glow. As a blush it's very subtle because only one square has any significant colour for a blush. As a bronzer it's very warm but it would work for warm light skin tones. 

Overall I'm happy with this. It is very close to a proper all-in-one product. I tend to use it as an eyeshadow palette, a highlighter and occasionally as a blush, but as I said it's too light for any significant flush. 

iHerb, $10.44

*BOURJOIS Rouge Fabuleux

07 Perlimpinpink

Bourjois launched a new range of lipsticks following their fantastic matte Rouge Velvet The Lipsticks. This is their newest creamy formula, which I don't know if they are replacing their Rouge Edition or not, but the formula is different. These drew me at the drugstore because the shade range looked so wearable and every day appropriate, and I wish their Velvet lipsticks had these shades. Formula feels exactly the same as Velvets at application, meaning it has that super slippery, buttery texture, however, it unlike Velvets has a creamy finish. Packaging is the same tube as Velvets except in black. 07 Perlimpinpink is a warm bubble gum pink.

12.99 €

 *DEBORAH MILANO Double Effect Volume & Length Mascara

My first mascara with a wand that can be transformed. On step 1 it's a plastic wand with bristles placed in parallel rows, but on step 2 it becomes shorter and pulls the bristles closer together creating a spiral pattern. I prefer the step 2 because step 1 doesn't create a nice fanned out effect as it starts to clump lashes together and doesn't separate them as nicely, but step two does it much better. In terms of volume it doesn't matter on which setting you have it, both do about the same. Formula is not my favourite. While it's nicely black and it doesn't smudge, it makes my lashes hard and it also doesn't keep them up, so the hit my glasses and with stiff lashes it's very obnoxious. But it creates quite large lashes because the formula is thick, it just doesn't hold my lashes up so that volume is barely visible on me. 

DM, 7.99 €

*RIMMEL Wonder'Swipe 2-in-1 Liner to Shadow

001 Slay

I think this is the right name of the shade because it's nowhere on the bottle, but it's a silver metallic eyeliner with quite a good colour pay-off for a colour liner, though at my shade most of the "colour" is densely packed shimmer. It applies nicely, like a good regular liner, so I have no problems with it skipping parts of not being able to draw a wing, but it could be more intense. The silver feels a bit underwhelming on my eyelids, maybe because there not enough contrast with my grey eyes, but in terms of quality, it's an ok eyeliner. As an eyeshadow, it sheers out a lot and what's left is a gentle haze of the grey base colour and you're left with a lot shimmer. It promises to be transfer proof, but some shimmer does end up in my create, though it doesn't smudge or move on the lids. The price is crazy high, over 8 € for which I expect exceptional quality and this could be better.  

DM, 8.79 €

*ORIFLAME The One Eyes Wide Open & Awake mascara

This has quite a unique shape of the brush, it's almost like a pear shaped. It's not making a difference compared to a regular brush, so it's a gimmick, but it doesn't clump the lashes and separates them adequately. The formula is much lighter than the Deborah one, so effect with one coat it more natural and it takes time to build this one up to proper volume. Still I prefer it to Deborah because it's lighter, it leaves my lashes soft and it's easier to remove. It doesn't hold my lashes up at all, so the effect is hardly visible on me, but I've been using it almost every day since I got it because I currently have nothing better in my stash. 

In the current catalogue the packaging is violet-pink with a price 12.90 € 

*ORIFLAME The One Eyebrow Kit 

I don't use eyebrow products so I'm skipping on trying this one, but it's a pretty nifty kit for on the go. You get an eyebrow wax, two shades of brow powder which look cool-ish to me, a mini mirror and in a compartment bellow you also get two mini brushes. 

Oriflame, 11.90€

*L.O.V. RoyalLASH Superior Strength & Volume Lash Primer

This promises to make your lashes 3x stronger and more voluminous after 30 days. I haven't seen improvement, but I haven't committed to using this daily. It's completely white on the lashes and applies nicely with no clumps. It doesn't make the mascara application any more difficult (unless it's quite dry) and in my before/after on the Instagram Stories you can see that this does add a good level of extra volume.

Ličila.si, 13.99 €

*L.O.V. EYEttraction Magnetic Loose Eyeshadow

N.510 METALfusion

I like this a lot and I've already included it in my last monthly favourites. I tried them a few times in the shop, but it's only now that I'm properly trying it out that I'm impressed. I think I like them more that all those Colourpop/Essence Melted Chrome/Catrice type of formulas. It's a drier, but similar version as those and I just find it sticks better to the lids and I get an intense metallic coat without having to build it up much. I apply it with fingers so I get a lot of colour on quickly and then blend the edges with a fluffy blush and I'm done. I enjoy the shade a lot, it's one of those classic taupes that I have tons of dupes for now, but the shimmer is much finer than the one is Colourpop or Essence eyeshadows so I prefer it. It's on my eyes on the pictures with the highlighting drops below. I give this formula two thumbs up. 

€ 6.99

 *L.O.V. LOVglow Highlighting Drops

020 Sunlight Glow

I think was a limited edition because I can't find it anywhere apart from on kosmetik4less.de website. It isn't the best highlighter because it ends up weak on the skin, instead it's a much better glowy primer. It's got that type of light formula that doesn't feel greasy and neither too matte, plus the shimmer is very fine in this, so it a good product to either apply on the skin under foundation or mixed in the foundation. The shade Sunlight Glow is a yellow gold that if it was more pigmented I wouldn't be able to wear, but since it's so translucent it's fine. The packaging bothers me at this and a pump would be better. It's got a pipette, but it's not easy picking up much product, maybe because the formula is too thick, I'm forced to scrape the product from the outside of the pipette. 

10.95 €

*L.O.V. LOVicious Caring Volume Gloss

N.100 Mystic Sand

I like the formula of this one, though it's not that special. It's a nice comfy formula with medium colour pay-off and a thicker formula than average lip gloss formula. Like most it's not sticky and I didn't notice it bleeding. The colour is a good wearable nude that would fit most. 

€ 5.99

*MAX FACTOR Colour Elixir Lip Gloss

25 Enchanting Coral

Love at first try, but that pretty much happens with all Max Factor glosses to me and I also already featured this in my monthly favourites. It's a less thick version of Honey Lacquer formula and also with a more sheer effect. Formula is like a comfortable cushion on the lips, so my lip balm substitute and they still have that lovely vanilla scent they had over a decade ago in their silly glosses. I wasn't thrilled when I saw this in my parcel because it's a coral and coral tend to look so orange and unwearable on me, but this one is very pretty, a nice pinky-peachy sheer shade. I've already wore this a lot.

*RIMMEL Provocalips 16HR Kiss Proff Lip Colour

710 Kiss-off

This is one of the most long-lasting lip products I've ever tried. It's so hard to get it off and I still had some on the next day. The colour layer is similar to matte liquid lipstick, but it dries slower, while the top coat is a clear gloss like product that eventually sets and pretty much cements the colour on the lips. Regardless of such a staying power, I didn't find this drying - not that I usually do when it comes to lipstick. It's a shame though that this shade is soo not me. It's an almost pastel, yet medium-toned orange, so I don't like myself with it. I've went to check other shades we have if I find something more wearable for me, but we only have three and I like none. I like lipsticks at which I don't have to care if it's still one and this one survived a Bacon Rosti which is probably the greasiest thing McDonalds sells, so it's a shame we don't have all the colours available.  

DM, 8.49 €

 ESSENCE The Gel Nail Polish

98 Pure Beauty, 56 You and me? And 21 A Whisper of Spring

These are being discontinued and replaced by ones in a much uglier and too me less practical packaging, as the new cap looks hard to hold compared to these old ones. Before they are gone I had to pick a backup of my favourite 98 Pure Beauty which I'm running low on as it's one of my most worn nail polishes and in the spur of the moment I grabbed two more shades. 56 You and me is one of the most popular shades I believe, but it always looked so ugly in the bottle (too cool for my skin tone) so I've been avoiding it for so long and now I genuinely regret not picking it earlier. This is one of the prettiest muted powder mauve-pinks I've ever seen and it's much warmer on the nails than the colour in the bottle indicates. I got 21 A Whisper of Spring because I have no pastel violet shades and this one actually ends ups in between a pastel pink and violet on me. I love all the shades and are so worth picking up now that they are about to go.

Müller, 0.99 €

ECOTOOLS Wonder Colour Finish Blush & Contour Brush

Another birthday gift and another product that has been on my wishlist for a while. It's a medium sized, very dense and soft brush that Ecotools recommends for blush and contour. It's nice for contouring because the size is just right and it stiff enough to blend, but for blush I find it's just a bit too stiff. Honestly I expected the bristles are a bit longer, so this would be more fluffy and due to being quite dense I find it's better for creamy textures, including foundations, which is what for I've been using for it instead. 

iHerb, $6.99

SKIN CARE 

 *THE BODY SHOP Drops of Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask

This peaked my interest when I saw it in the parcel. I always like to try an new sheet mask and this one looks intriguing because the ingredients are actually the same as the Youth Serum, at least the list is the same, but I don't know about the concentrations. It's a very expensive sheet mask so I did expect a lot, but I wasn't that blown away by it.

Sheet: Sadly TBS decided on a very thick and stiff material for the sheet, which absorbs a lot of the product (you get a massive 21 ml in this, but it feels much drier than most Asian sheet masks). It's not a very comfortable mask on the face due to that and it starts to dry fast, but the cut outs are well placed and it's not very big, which is more of a good news for those who are petite like me.

Essence: formula is light, like a classic clear serum and it leave some stickiness when it dries.

Scent: this is heavily fragranced, though that primary cosmetic chemical scent is pleasant to my nose. It's the heavy whiffs of alcohol that bother me, mainly because it makes me uneasy with how much of the stuff they packed in this mask. It's 2nd on the list after water and unfortunately on my currently dry skin this had an effect. 

Effect: Immediate effect was more evenly toned and fresher skin, but where the mask was creased, my skin was creased too, which from a mask that promises a youthful effect (by that I assume plumping) is not what I expected. By the morning my skin felt dry and I had a few dry flakes on my forehead and the rest of the effects weren't visible any more. This was my first time trying the Drops of Youth line and I don't think it's for me, but I love their Oils of Life oil, which is high on my wishlist.

Ingredients: here.

The Body Shop, 5.90 €

BODY

 *THE BODY SHOP Cactus Blossom

Shower gel, Exfoliating gel body scrub and body butter

Something new for this season from TBS. I've got to say Cactus Blossom is not a scent I ever expected from TBS, but it is very unique. It's fresh and just a bit floral-fruity sweet, but mostly it smells to me almost a bit herbal. It reminds me of L'Occitane's discontinued Angelica line. It's not my favourite TBS scent, but it's fine. The shower gel is a classic one, I actually only tried their creamy formula and I prefer them to this because it's more luxurious feeling, but this is just fine too. The body butter is a classic, again brilliant nourishing texture and well worth investing in. The Exfoliating Gel body scrub is a new thing to me. For a scrub this is very weak, even though the scrubby particles are not just the big visible bits, but there are also micro particles that are the ones actually doing the job. To me this is just another version of a shower gel.

Shower gel 6.50 € | Exfoliating gel body scrub 19.90 € | Body butter 17.50 €

AVON Bubble Bath

Bubble Gum

This smells just like you'd expect, like Bazooka bubble gum. I have yet to try it proper in a bath, but I couldn't wait to find time for it, so I used it as a shower gel so I could enjoy the scent. I had one of these before and I was very disappointed with the amount of bubbles. Maybe this one will be different.

Avon, regular price 7.90 €

AVEO Intensive Care Duschől

I've been using these for washing my hands since sometime last year. Less drying than regular liquid soap and it suits me better.

Müller, 1.95 €

SUBRINA Shower Gel

Cherry Blossom and Rose Garden

My by now standard repurchase. These are so cheap per ml when I buy them in Spar, they do their job, they come in such nice scent and one some of the rare ones that leave behind a fragrance for several hours. Of course the heavier fragrance is a not for everyone, especially those with sensitive skin, but scent is an important factor at beauty products for me. Cherry Blossom is a lovely powdery floral that is the favourite of many and Rose Garden, which I got instead of my usual Perfume Drops, is an amazing floral scent for those who hate granny rose fragrance because this is very different.

Interspar, 1.79 € (400 ml)

AVON Luck For Her Perfumed Deodorant Spray

Another birthday gift. I have the La Vie version of Luck which I love and this is the original version of the scent. It's much sweeter, less fresh version with the main notes of sweet red berries and sandalwood. Other notes include bergamot and white flowers, but this is overall a lot less complicated scent as La Vie, which is my favourite of the two. It's not a unique scent, but it's a nice simple, every day fragrance and thought the notes don't mention it, I get pure pineapple immediately after spraying it. I have the deodorant version, which sadly doesn't last long, less than an hour.   

Avon, regular price 14.50 €

HAIR

OLAPLEX n.3

I already talked a lot about this in my monthly favourites. I've recently bleached my hair and Olaplex or any other bond builder is a must if you want to keep your hair as healthy as you can. This only step 3 out of 5. First two are proper salon products, one is mixed with bleach and the other applied at rinsing which is almost the same as this number 3, except with a higher concentration of Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. Number 3 is the one they sell as a maintainer and is meant for wider consumption, as are 4 and 5 which are a shampoo and conditioner. Olaplex's Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate fixes the disulfide bonds that get broken during bleaching. I still don't I believe this fixes any significant damage that's already happened and indeed of course this didn't fix my broken and spit ends from before, but I do think it maybe fixes minor crack that might get worse and more importantly protects the hair from further damage. I fully expected that this tiny bottle with only a 100 ml was going to last me two uses at most, but surprisingly I only used about a 1/5 of the bottle and I really went to town with it. The formula is so easy to spread, it's no problem coating all the hair with minimal amount of product. It also is completely unscented. I apply it on washed damp hair and put on a shower cap - they don't say to do this, but I have it on for a few hours and I want to prevent it from drying out because then it probably wouldn't work as well later on (recommended time is at least 10 minutes, but the longer it's on, the better results). This isn't a conditioner and you need to follow up with shampoo and a mask/conditioner after, so I expected that like at Joico K-Pack Reconstructor I won't even notice I used anything, but this left my hair with that silky feeling as I was rinsing it off. I used my usual L'Oréal Extraordinary Oil shampoo and L'Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Lipidum mask that contains Phyto-keratin (as well as lipids and ceramides) that strengthen the hair. Plus I also use Redken Anti-Snap for additional protein treatment. I've done several dyeing and bleaching sessions in the past months and my hair still feels the same as it did before all this experimenting, so I find Olaplex does what it promises. I will continue using it and if you lighten, bleach or colour you hair (to a lighter shade than natural colour) regularly it's not a bad idea to invest in one of these type of products, but if you don't, I don't see the point in getting this unless your hair is very damaged and you really want to try it. However, I'd first get a good protein treatment like Anti-Snap and a mask instead. 

Spletična, 21.50 €

 ICE CREAM No-Yellow Shampoo

I'm not a proper blonde yet, so getting this was a bit premature, but I do have some blonder bits on the bottom layers where my hair is thin and it was as expected quite yellow, so I grabbed this in DM to tone it. It's quite fun to use because this is like a dark violet ink when you squeeze it out. I accidentally stained my curtain with this when I turned my hair, so you need to be careful with it. It lathers well and it's easy to spread all over the hair. I leave it on while I shower, so a few minutes and it rinses off completely. Since most of my hair is dark blonde level 7 on the hair chart, I'd actually need a blue shampoo to tone the orange hues (I used L'Oreal's Preference 8.1 for that), so this only worked on those paler blonde hair I have as expected. I've used this on a strand of hair I bleached all the way to pale yellow and this toned the yellow tone a lot, so if you're a pale blonde, this is a nice formula to try, though I hear L'Oreal recently launched their violet shampoo and mask which might be cheaper. It's not terribly drying but neither moisturising, so I think it should work for all hair types. It smells a bit like grapes.

DM, 9.99 €

 SCHWARZKOPF Blond Me Premium Developer 6% and Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+

I've also already talked a lot about this in my monthly favourites, but the gist is this: it's is a high quality bleach that left my hair with no damage. I did apply coconut oil prior and I only have a 6% developer because that's what Amazon had (I regret not getting a 9% or a 12% from another place as they would be a better choice for my thick, dark hair. I stupidly wanted to avoid more shipping costs). I picked Blondme after an extensive research because it has an added bond builder (something like Olaplex that prevents the bonds between keratin plates from being dissolved, therefore prevent significant damage) and because I read many reviews saying it got even those with very dark hair to platinum blonde in one try (like I said it works with a 12% on dark hair, while with a 6% it got me a few shades down). Aside from no damage, it didn't make my hair drier, it doesn't smell like bleach much (it actually has a floral scent) and it got on my skin numerous times and it felt like nothing, so this is definitely a bleach I'm very comfortable using. There's an added measuring spoon in the bleach powder packaging. By the way, despite the fact it's blue, you need to get a toner to use afterwards. I also do not recommend using this alone at home, unless you're really knowledgeable about bleaching, hair levels and underlying pigments. I did it myself only after several months of research and I really did the balayage myself, with a help of several mirrors, a camera and a smartphone. I'm happy with the results, even though it didn't got as light as I hoped due to a weaker developed, also no one said anything bad about my hair colour yet (you can see it in my monthly favourites).

Amazon, 23.38 € for bleach powder (400 g), 9.93 € for developer (1000 ml)

L'OREAL Récital Préférence 

8.1 Copenhague

I'm a big fan of Excellence (seriously, the more box dyes I try, the more I see how utterly brilliant it is), so I wanted to see how the slightly more expensive Preference fares. I got this shade to tone after bleaching because it's got ultra-cool tones and I've heard good things about this shade in particular. This is the strongest smelling colour I've tried. I'm really not sensitive to smells, but this knocked me down and made my eyes water, so it was this big minus from the start. Number two is that the colour part is a liquid and not a cream. While it doesn't drip, it's got a consistency similar to an egg when you mix it with the developer and the colour slides of the brush when I tried to pick it up (I always use a pot and a brush instead of these applicator bottles because it's a lot more precise). One colour also felt like it had less product that Excellence, but I managed to spread it enough using a comb and fingers. In terms of toning it did a fantastic job on the lightest hair which were medium yellow (level 8-9), but obviously it couldn't tone out the more orange parts, so I regret not taking 7.1, but it's fine. The well-toned parts are now nice very cool blonde, almost a bit silvery. It did not leave my hair feeling as fantastic as Excellence does, nor is the conditioner better than that one, so I'm definitely sticking to Excellence and I'm not going to buy this one again (they have the same shades in both lines anyway).

DM, 8.99 €

*WELLA Eimi Dry Me Dry Shampoo

You know what the deal is with me and dry shampoos - my hair is never greasy, it only gets drier the longer I don't wash it and dry shampoos something I use to merely refresh the hair and not absorb oil. Hence I can't tell you if this one is good. It didn't notice any white cast, but I didn't use a lot of it and it didn't leave a powdery feeling. The fragrance is nicely fruity. 

Have a great day!