The Shubhkamna: COSRX
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Showing posts with label COSRX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COSRX. Show all posts

Monday, December 16, 2019

K-Beauty and Other Asian Skin Care Favourites

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My current favourite affordable oil cleanser. It's got a nice rich oil texture which emulsifies into a thick emulsion that removes all makeup, though (the only minus I can say) it can't quite handle every waterproof mascara (Essence's are so stubborn). It doesn't irritate my eyes or make my vision foggy, there's no annoying scent, it washes off completely leaving no filter behind and unlike a lot of oils it doesn't break me out. One pump is enough for my face, so I use it much less than Biobaza I used before and it's also cheapest per ml from the oils that suit me. If I didn't have to order online it'd be perfect, though it doesn't take that long to arrive from Japan.  


I know that it's probably not the best thing to use a harsh scrub and to be fair I use it maybe once a month, but it's the only thing that makes my skin smooth, soft and feel like new, since no amount of AHAs or other products does it for me. It's a densely packed sugar scrub and if your skin is just a bit sensitive, do not try this (honey version is much less intense), but on me it gets rid of bumpy, uneven feeling texture. This also functions as a mask that you leave on for 10 minutes, though I never use it that way. I'm on my second pot and I have the honey version too.

Some swear by this and say it's one of the best blackhead products, but I've never seen any effect on mine, however, I use this because my skin then behaves much better and it's clear. It contains BHA meaning it clears out the pores and helps with spots too, but it's relatively weak. Since it's a light liquid it's easy to layer and to include in the routine. 


I've been using this every day for two-ish years. I fell in love with it through samples - one of big pluses of K-Beauty, there's almost always samples. It's the product that I noticed the biggest visible difference when I started using it, not a massive visible difference, but this improved my skin in general, as before most foundations looked odd on me and since I started using it my skin is smoother and makeup applies nicer. There's a bit of brightening/evening the skin tone and the skin texture looks more refined, but it's more about how my skin acts since I started using it.

There's was this amazing Banila product called Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Essence Oil that suited my skin so well, but it was discontinued a while ago. This is the replacement I found, though the bottle is so small for the price (15 ml for about 9$+). Propolis gives my skin a healthy glow and keeps it in check. I actually found (though samples) Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule works very similarly for me and you get much more product for the price. 


Another product that I use every day, morning and night. It's a toner-like lotion that absorbs fast and feels very hydrating. It contains ceramides, Job's Tears extract, 3 types of hyaluronic acid, collagen and amino acids. The bottle is huge with 500 ml and I've had it for so long. It can be used all over the body, I often use it on my hands when I don't want the greasy feeling of a hand cream.

I only had the small size of this and if my skin line-up weren't so big, I'd buy it in a heartbeat even though it doesn't boast with the same fancy ingredients as my other products. It feels so lovely and it's definitely one of the nicest toners I've ever tried. It reminds me a lot of Hada Labo lotion in terms of texture (another amazing product worth the purchase, but it breaks me out. We now have a version of it in Slovenia), which means it's a rich toner-meets-serum consistency. It feels so comforting and lovely on the skin, it's just great stuff. The smells is also amazing, like oranges and it became one of my favourite scents of skincare. It contains hydrolysed collagen and adansonia digitata fruit extract, but that's about it.


This is so far my favourite moisturiser. It has niacinamide on 4th place among the ingredients (2%) and there's 10% glycerin, but lower on the list it also boasts with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, olive oil, sunflower oil, centella asiatica, argan oil, ceramides, honey, ginseng and some other extracts. It's got rich texture that's more like a gel, or gel-cream and takes some time to absorb, so I prefer to use it as a part of my night routine, though it can work under makeup too. There's an extra spoon added, so you don't have to scoop it out with fingers. 

My morning moisturiser because it's lighter and absorbs faster than Dynasty Cream, so I can put over a sunscreen and makeup fast. Apart from ceramides it contains camelia oil, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and plenty other extracts, though they are lower on the list. The packaging is very big with a generous 130 ml. 

My skin loves this, but it's better suited for me in the summer because it's one of those gel-cream textures despite being called a sleeping mask. In a thin application works like a moisturiser for oily-combination skin, but in a thick coat it creates an layer of moisture on the skin that lasts until morning. It's great for under the makeup and I used up two pots of these, but I haven't repurchase it recently because I have so much of Holika. This one also has niacinamide, as well as allantoin, several extracts (bamboo, jasmine, apple, blackberry,…) and even a peptide, but it's the last on the list. Unlike the other two moisturisers this one is scented and quite strongly, it smells like clean-laundry. 


I got this recently and I'm very impressed by it. I had my eye on it for a while because this is so praised and reviews are right - this is really good. It doesn't feel super thick like I would expect, but it sticks on the lips until the morning and it leaves them properly nourished. The extra silicone spatula is a great help during application and the formula has a nice gentle berry scent. In a thick coat it also has a glossy shine, which looks so good I wear it during the day too. This now exists in several versions (berry is the original): vanilla, grapefruit, apple lime, mint choco.


Note: this is the 2015 version and it has since gone through a formula change, but I hear it's similar. This the lightest sunscreen I found, it doesn't feel like a regular sun cream at all. It's a liquid lotion that's easy to apply in large quantities and has zero white cast. Initially it feels like a watery cream on the skin, but after about five minutes it's completely set to a velvety primer type finish. You can feel it on the skin when you touch it, but it's a very silicone-y dry feel. It's an excellent base for makeup and it managed to protect me well despite spending hours in the sun working. I heard a lot of people say that it reeks of alcohol, but I don't notice it that much and I mostly get a nice lemon biscuit type of scent. I've tried the gel version as well and it feels the same to me, though people with oily skin tend to prefer that one. 

I also recently has a chance to try Missha's Aqua Sun Gel SPF50 version and it's really good too.

SHEET MASKS


These are my favourite sheet masks, especially the whitening version which truly brightens. They are intensely nourishing, they improve the general condition of the skin, perk it up, make it feel smoother, softer and more even. Rose Gold looks gorgeous with the gold mesh design and all smell fantastic like honey. They aren't the cheapest if you're buying just one on eBay, but in a pack the price for one is more reasonable. 

I still have these in the limited edition packaging from a while ago (I bought a pack and haven't run out yet), while the regular packaging is white with grapefruits. This has the most comfortable essence I've ever tried. In terms of what it does, it's pretty much just intense moisturising, but the essence makes it such a luxurious experience. It also smells fantastic like grapefruits.

Both of these are fantastic formulas of sheet masks, they feel like your skin was drenched in moisture and nourishing ingredients. They are quite similar, as both have a creamy essence and a thin comfortable sheet, so they are a delight to use. I use Madecassoside when my skin is very dry because it's very nourishing, soothing and it also evens my skin (without a brightening effect, it just takes down any redness). It's actually the same as The Face Shop's The Solution Madecassoside. Snail is my sheet mask when I need repairing, especially if I suffered a sunburn or have an inflamed spot - it just works for me. From this line I also like Ceramide and Manuka Honey, but dislike Hyaluronic Acid and feel indifferent towards Collagen and Pearl.

This is the second most brightening formula after Papa Recipe. The essence is lighter and more toner-like than the masks I've mentioned above, but it does the job of hydrating excellently and it acts as a sort of a reset button for my skin, so whenever my skin just doesn't look right, I use this. The Face Shop The Solution mask Pearl is very similar.

I actually really like more of these: ceramide, propolis, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, but these two are my favourite. Apart from formulas, I also love that they fit me perfectly in terms of size of the sheet. They are also super thin and feel great on the face. Madecassoside is exactly the same as Etude House, so very nourish and soothing and Peal is the same as My Beauty Diary Black Pearl, so brightening .

These are the only thing I found that do at least a little bit of something to help heal a spot. They work especially well on those brewing volcanoes where you know the spot will turn white and you can't pop it because it'll become infected, making your life miserable for several days +leave a pretty much permanent mark forever. Those type of spots are the ones I get on the chin and this patch can make them smaller up to 90% overnight and it completely disappears in the next days with the help of other COSRX products (BHA and whitehead liquid). But there were some other times when these don't do much of a difference and those are the obnoxious spots on my cheeks. There are 24 patches of varying sizes in one pack.

Adjusting Beauty made her post recently if you're interested in more recommendations.

Have a great day!

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Empties #33

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I didn't like this foundation when I first got it as it looked awful on my skin, but I still used it regularly because it was one of the rare shades that fit me perfectly. I then completely rewamped my skin care routine and most foundations started to look much better on me, this one included. In fact by the end of the bottle I liked this one a lot. It's got light, maybe light-medium coverage with a nice natural finish. Before the skin care change this emphasised lines, pores and looked patchy on my nose, but after it looked like skin. Shade 110 fit me great and it's still one of the lightest shades in the drugstores (it's lighter than 110 from the Matte + Poreless line). It's more moisturising than Matte + Poreless, but on me they looked about the same, Matte just hides pores a bit and this one doesn't. 
Repurchase: I think I might, though I'm currently checking out their Urban Cover formula because the shades look promising too.

I put these two together because on my skin they looked identical. I wore them once one on each side and I couldn't tell them apart, in fact I liked to mix these two together because Siberia is too yellow and 110 Ivory is passably pink, but together they made the great pale neutral shade. Both are medium-full coverage foundations with a semi-matte or matte finish that isn't drying, the only difference was that Colourstay looked better as it wore off, as for some reason Nars collected around the nose on me. These two aren't actually empty, however, they are very old and I haven't been wearing them for a while because as they aged, the worse they started to look on the skin, but I'm putting them in storage, so I'll at least have them for comparison swatches. By my last use they looked terribly patchy, fake and I just took them off. Otherwise they are still the only high coverage foundations I liked well enough, at least when they were new.
Repurchase: Maybe Colorstay, but I'm happy with the medium coverage of Milani Conceal + Perfect. Sheer Glow is way too expensive, when a cheaper dupe for my skin exist.

I loved the cushion concept, as it's so easy and quick to apply. The formula had light coverage and it looked great freshly applied, but in time turned into a greasy finish that needed powdering. Still I liked it well enough.
Repurchase: I don't know if these exist anymore or if other TM formulas are similar, but I'd love to try some more cushion foundations.


My favourite mascara. It creates the biggest lashes, has the best multiplying effect because it catches individual lashes, it doesn't stick them together and it holds a curl of my stubborn lashes. One minus is the massive brush which almost always touches my lids during application, but I can live with it because it is regardless an absolutely outstanding mascara .
Repurchase: Done.

Another 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. I always have a spare in stock.
Repurchase: Done.


I never warmed up to this. It's fine, just not really good. The texture is light, non-greasy, but it's only effective on regular makeup and when I'm using a separate eye makeup remover, I expect it to deal with the waterproof stuff too. It's indeed gentle as TBS say and it did not irritate my eyes. It's nice, just not what I need.
Repurchase: No.

My regular cleansing oil. It's one of rare oils that works with my skin as most others I've tried tend to break me out, but it's relatively weak and doesn't remove eye makeup well. This is probably my fifth or sixth bottle in a row and I use this every day without fail together with the Balea gel, but I'd still love to find something cheaper, easily accessible and effective - I just ordered Hada Labo which was 11.5 € for 200 ml (Biobaza is 12.79 € for 150 ml).
Repurchase: Done.

I got this instead of the Erfrieshendes/Refreshing version when it was gone from our DMs for a while. This was a bit more expensive, but I hoped it was similar enough and indeed it is. Only differences are the scent, as this is has none and strangely enough for a sensitive version, this isn't quite as gentle on my eyes as the refreshing version, but it wasn't terrible. 
Repurchase: Only if the Refreshing version is out of stock.


My favourite scrub. It's very harsh, since as the name itself says it's a sugar scrub, but it's the only thing that makes my skin feel smooth and soft. I have the honey version too, but even though it smells amazing, it's not as effective.
Repurchase: Done.

 I've been using this every day for over a year or two now and it has improved the texture of my skin. One of the differences I notice is that my makeup applies so much more smoothly since I started using this and my pores look less severe.
Repurchase: Done, now it has a new name Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence.

I got this because I expected a similar result that I got from COSRX Galactomyces plus brightening. It's just a sample, but it lasted me ages. It's a toner-like product and it contains Black Sugar Extract, niacinamide and galactomyces. I liked it, but I prefer CORSX.
Purchase: No.

One of my favourite toners, in terms of texture it's the nicest one I've tried. It reminds me a lot of Hada Labo Hyaluronic Lotion in terms of texture, which means it's not like our toners, instead a rich toner-meets-serum consistency. It feels so comforting and lovely on the skin, it's just great stuff. The smells is also amazing, like oranges and it became one of my favourite scents of skincare.
Purchase: I'd love to, but my skin care line up is so long already. Cezanne replaced this in my morning routine.


This is the first vitamin C product that is doing something for me. After about two weeks of use my skin started to look so good, it had a nice healthy glow, it was completely clear and started slowly becoming more even, though with my freckled complexion I'm not expecting a lot. The texture of this is so lovely and it's making me want to use it unlike Tiam's where I skipped a day simply because it was so obnoxious to use. It's an emulsion with a lovely smooth liquid formula that applies with ease and feels moisturising. The bottle is very small with only 7.5 ml of product and I find that it's best to keep it stored downwards because the soft bottom can't reach all the way to the end and even though you think it's empty, there is still some left. I love this, it's my favourite Vitamin C product out of the four I tried, but it is expensive per ml, so I don't know how often I'll be buying it. 
Repurchase: Yes.

I saw no results from this apart from a good dose of nourishment. It's very thick, so not easy to apply and it's got a strong fragrance. One plus - the bottle lasted me more than 10 days and I wasn't frugal with it. 
Repurchase: No.

This is the old formulation and actually this bottle is very old, so I haven't been using it for ages. I was very diligent with it for many months, kept hoping to see something, but I saw zero effect on my skin, so I stopped using it and focused on other products.
Repurchase: This version is discontinued, but they have many other versions. I ordered samples from other brands to see if I like those retinol products more. 


My favourite sunscreen, I'm sad to see this go. It's the lightest one I've found, it's got no shine and despite the tons of alcohol, it was never drying on my dry skin. I could easily apply the recommended amount without greasy heavy feeling or having to wait ages for it to set. The gel version works the same on my skin, but I believe people with oily skin prefer that one.
Repurchase: Yes, but they revamped the formula since this one.

This was hard to fall in love with after trying Biore. I just found this in my stash from 2017, so I haven't been using it for a while. It's got a rich texture that took 10 minutes to properly set, so it was not something to use in a hurry, but I could deal with that. The main reason I stopped using this was that it made my skin worse, so something in this must have been clogging my pores. I prefer Nivea's mattifying sunscreen from the products available in our drugstores. 
Repurchase: No.  

This was just awful all together. The thick, stiff sheet was very uncomfortable and there was no visible, not basic moisturising effect from it. K-Beauty masks are so much better.
Repurchase: No.


 SUBRINA Shower Gel
Cherry Blossom and Unicorn Splash
Three more of these have been used up, it's a standard in the shower. I get Cherry Blossom most because everyone likes it (powdery floral strong scent that lingers) and I got Rainbow Splash for a bit of a change. The latter smells like Haribo gummy bears. Currently I have the new Fresh Elder, which is my favourite at the moment. 
Repurchase: Yes.

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel
The good old original with its luxurious thick and rich texture. This is by far my favourite shower product even though it's hard to get out when it's running low. 
Repurchase: Yes. I'm so glad this exists in a big bottle.

DOVE Body Wash
Summer Breeze
This is a limited edition scent that I found in Müller. It's a nice fruity-fresh clean scent, but nothing special. I wish Dove had something with grapefruit, orange or like Subrina's Fresh Elder. The formula is one of the new Dove ones, which are not as luxuriously creamy as the original, so I'm not 100% happy with it because when I pay more for a Dove shower gel I expect that fabulous rich texture, but it's fine, still better than most other stuff.
Repurchase: Probably not this scent anymore, but I repurchased Coconut & Jasmine, which is my favourite. 


I had this for absolutely ages and the reason for that is so typical of me it hurts - I love it, so I never used it and kept it only for special occasions, which is just a ridiculous thing to do and I need to stop doing that. I had hopes we would get this here by now, but it probably won't happen. It's actually very similar to Balea's version of shower foam and both are such lovely thick mousses that are just a pleasure to use. This one has a lovely sugary berry scent reminiscent of the discontinued Cedevita Fruit of the Forest I loved.
Repurchase: Yes, if I ever reach Austria again. 

THE BODY SHOP Satsuma Body Butter
This has one of the most refreshing, uplifting scents ever. I always had more of a love/not-loving-it-100% relationship with it because I have to be in the mood for such a zesty scent, but for summer months it's great and the scent is most intense on the skin of all TBS butters. I actually found a better refreshing, uplifting scent for my taste, TBS's, Grapefruit which is on my wishlist. The texture of Satsuma version is somewhere in between TBS's thickest Shea and lightest Honey and Almond Milk, but as is usual very nourishing and one of my favourite ever formulas.
Repurchase: Yes someday, but I'll get other version before it. I still have Shea, Cactus Flower and Pumpkin vanilla

BALEA Rasier Gel
Sweet Passion
I've been buying these for many years and I don't plan to switch. This version had very sweet tropical scent with more prominent notes of passionfruit.
Repurchase: Done.

NIVEA dry comfort Anti-Perspirant
Worked as it should, but the scent was boring. No significant yellow patches to report about, but as a stick deodorant it of course left white marks.
Repurchase: I don't know. I took Dove this time to mix it up a bit.


I liked this well enough. Formula is thin so I have to use a lot, but it's not drying which is a miracle when it comes to my hair. 
Repurchase: Yes. I also found Aveo has a version with 10% urea.

Best drugstore conditioner ever! Why does this not come in buckets? All joking aside, this truly is a marvellous formula that manages to nourish even my extremely dry, coarse and currently bleached/coloured hair, plus it even makes it a bit softer (miracle) and shinier. You have no idea how happy I am that I found this. The Superfood version is equally excellent too.
Repurchase: Done. 

This was my fail safe reasonably priced hair mask that I've been using for the past few years and I always got the 500 ml pot that lasted a long time. It was the cheapest hair mask that actually felt enough for my hair, but now I found Pantene Repair and Superfood lines which is cheaper, easier to get and it also smell better. I might still buy this one day because it has ceramides, but for now I'm happy with the cheaper alternative. 
Repurchase: Possibly.


I've said it before that I get no magical results from this, certainly not in the lines of Joico K-Pack or Schwarzkopf's Blondeme lines, but  since it has a bond rebuilding ingredient I like to use it to prevent damage rather than fix it, especially since I colour and bleach my hair. This promises to reconnect the broken sulphide bonds that are ruined by bleaching, colouring and heat tools. One bottle lasted me a lot more than I expected. A 100 ml usually doesn't go further than 2 uses when it comes to my hair, but this is so easy to spread that I got 6 and a half (I had to start a new bottle for the last treatment). I'm considering getting the shampoo and conditioner too, and I already got the Olaplex N.6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Crème, which has superior visible results to n.3 on my hair. 
Repurchase: Done.

My favourite spray leave-in conditioner. It helps my hair stay hydrated longer and helps me get a less frizzy blow-out. I had many bottles of this and for some reason each was slightly different. This bottle was thicker than most, so the spray didn't work as nicely as it should. I hope the next one will be the good old formula. I saw the packaging is different now. 
Repurchase: Yes.

I had this for more years than I should admit, but it's because it's not an oil I used regularly due to it being too light for my thick hair. I got it as a very generous gift with purchase and mine came in a LE bottle by Jade Jagger, though I have the original packaging too just in a small size that's in my car in my emergency bag. Because it's so light, this doesn't have as long lasting taming effects as for example Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil, which are all much heavier, but I used Elixir Ultime for very quick temporary fixes when my hair was frizzy or tangled. This is a formula more suited for thin hair, though for such a price there are so many cheaper dupes, such as Luxurious Coconut version that's sold in this part of Europe, but for something that's sold worldwide L'Oreal's is most similar (and actually Kerastase is their brand anyway).
Repurchase: No, I'll stick to the heavier Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil.


Utterly useless on my very dry, long hair. Too little product and I got no heating effect. 
Repurchase: No.

L'OREAL Excellence Crème 9.1 Natural Light Ash Blonde and 8.1 Light Ash Blonde
These two again did their job of toning, covering and lifting my hair colour after bleaching and created a much nicer result. I did another balayage session and made it to levels 10 (very light blonde) to 7 (dark blonde), so my hair was a mess of yellow and orange tones, meaning I couldn't just use a regular toner without either leaving orange tones in the hair or over toning the lightest bits to a blue shade, so I used a combination of these two: 8.1 on the crown (25 minutes), 9.1 in the middle lengths (10-15 minutes) and 9.1 with a 3% developer on the ends (4 minutes). I came out a an ashy blonde with some slightly warmers bits. Again my hair was not dry after use and the conditioner this comes with is amazing. I had the new and the old packaging. The old one has a protective serum and the new one a shampoo instead. I actually liked the shampoo, though it's not the best idea to wash off the colour with a shampoo and you should wait with washing for at least a couple of days (especially true for amonnia-free colours in case you didn't know), but Excellence colours are bloody hard to wash off (based on experience). 
Repurchase: Yes.



ETUDE HOUSE Sunprise Mild Airy Finish SPF 50+ PA +++ - I used up the last of my samples. This is a mineral sunscreen, so though it's very light, it does have some white cast from the start, but it sinks in within minutes and it goes away. It's dry on my skin, so I need to use a good moisturiser under it and a moisturising foundation, but for oily skin it could be a decent choice. Purchase: I prefer Biore, but this one isn't bad and it's mineral. I might get it one day.

PURITO Centelia Green Level Safe Sun Spf50+ PA++++ - In a thin coat it absorbs in a few minutes and leaves film of product, applied as recommended it takes several minutes to dry down to only a slightly tacky layer and after a while to a relatively dry to the touch noticeable layer, but makeup can be applied over it with no problems. It's not as nice as Biore nor even Nivea, but it's ok if you have plenty of time for it to dry down. It's heavily scented with a herbal kind of scent. Purchase: No, there are better ones, though this one isn't bad.

TONYMOLY Banana Hand Milk - this has a strong banana sweets scent (Casali), which disappears quickly. It's a cream-balm type of formula of medium thickness and it needs a few minutes to absorb completely. Ok, but there are better ones. Purchase: No

PURITO ABP Triple Synergy Liquid - this looked like a dupe for COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and I prefer the latter. It's hard to say anything from a few samples I had, but it's a light liquid product that caused me no irritations. Purchase: No.

L'OCCITANE After-Shave Balm - I think my brother gave them these a long time ago. It smells lovely like cypress and shea butter. Formula is nicely rich. Purchase: As a gift for a man, yes.

TONLYMOLY The Chock Chock Green Tea Intense Cream - one sample was hard to judge from. It felt too thick and it has a strong green tea scent. Purchase: No.

TONYMOLY BCDation Plus - I would have liked this if the shade weren't too dark. It looks good on the skin, medium coverage, but without the heavy look and it looked fresh. Purchase: No.

THE FACE SHOP Le Marche The Therapy Oil-Drop Anti-Aging Serum - Ingredients-wise this is nothing special and I did not like this much. I expected a dry oil type of consistency, but this is a thick gel that just sits on the skin for hours refusing to sink in, so I couldn't even apply other skin care over it out of fear it will pill. I've only used it once, so I can't say much in terms of effect, but I saw nothing. Purchase: No

Have a great day!

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

New in #79

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MAKEUP

My standard repurchase. For the hundredth time: 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 €

MAYBELLINE Tattoo Liner Gel Pencil
Deep Onyx 
I got this after Gemma said "It’s the best eyeliner pencil full stop" and I can confirm she is 100% right. I got this to wear in my waterline as I don't wear such pencils on my lash line and use liquid liner instead. It's very similar to Avon's Supershock in terms of formula - intense black, very pigmented, soft and transfers with ease into the waterline. This lasted 14 hours on my waterline - not smudged between the lashes like all liners like to end up after an hour or two, but on the actual waterline. It's seriously good and easily available, which is an extra plus. I've tried it on the top lash line too and it transferred a bit, though it wasn't too bad on my normal eyelids, but it might not work on oily ones. 
Müller, 5.89 €


*ESSENCE Eyeshadow 
11 Rich Beach
Over a decade ago I bought my first Essence eyeshadow called Teddy and trying this (I don't know which version of) updated single eyeshadow it's so great to see just how much Essence's quality has improved. Mine is a metallic shade which I've seen Cosnova make a good quality before and they again managed to create a pretty much foiled, very pigmented shade. It's better quality than their Metal Chrome formula, as it's more pigmented and has smaller shimmer particles. I find this is the only metallic eyeshadow that works better with brushes than fingers. It blends ok, but not as effortlessly as Milani's. I wore if for 14 hour as a test and it creased, but a lot of the colour was still on (I didn't use a primer). For the price is a good buy and Essence has come a long way, but there's still room for improvement.
2.29 €


*ESSENCE The Eyebrow Pen 
01 Blonde
I never wear any eyebrow products, in fact I don't ever tweeze my brows because I just don't care about that, but recently I've accidentally bleached a part of my eyebrow on my right side (and a bit of my lashes too), so I was glad to see this in my PR parcel. My eyebrows are very cool, almost dark grey medium taupe colour and this is just too warm for me, though it's not too light by much. It's a semi-permanent formula that promises to tint the skin and last a while. I can report that some of the colour does indeed remain for a couple of days, but a reapplication is needed for restoring intensity. It's in a form of a sharpie and the ridged design is a nice idea, except unfortunately the tips dry very fast, so it's better to apply the colour with the wide part. Colour is semi-opaque, and the blonde shade is as is often the case for cheap brow products, a pale reddish brown once it oxidises. It tints my eyebrows into a much warmer shade than it's naturally and I think a lot of blondes will not love this colour. It's a nice idea with the semi-permanent formula, but it needs some more work to get it perfect.
2.79 €


*ESSENCE This is Me Lipstick
01 Freaky and 04 Crazy
Essence created an big collection of nude shades for all skin tones which includes lipsticks and matching nail polish shades. I'm not sure if I've ever said this about an Essence classic lipstick, but I'm quite impressed by the quality of these two. They are very smooth and creamy at application with a semi-matte finish and a non-drying texture. Staying power is improved based on my experience with Essence lipsticks, though I won't claim it's incredible. I really like the colour of both of these, surprisingly 01 Freaky, the nude peachy-pink is my favourite of the two and based on the colour of the tube I expected this to look a pale orange shade, but I'm very glad that's not the case. It's a very pretty nude that I've been wearing a lot. 04 Crazy is also more muted and paler than it appears in the tube, it reminds me of their discontinued Mat Mat Mat! 04 Wow Effect, which is a similar muted berry. Sometimes it looks cool on me and sometimes neutral-warm, it's kind of a strange shade in that respect. They have that sweet fruity vanilla scent that's common in a lot of their lipsticks and it's quite strong. I love they with a rose gold tube, but the white cap was a big miss because it gets dirty very fast.
2.59 €


*ESSENCE This is Me Gel Nail Polish
01 Freaky and 04 Crazy
Essence knows how to make a great nail polish formula and these are no exception. Both are one coaters, so very pigmented and also so much smoother than regular nail polishes. They lack in the shine department, so I need Seche Vite on top. 01 Freaky is a muted peachy nude with a slight rose touch and 05 is a medium-dark muted rosy-mauve. Both are darker than both of their lipstick equivalents.
1.69 €


 *L'ORÉAL Volume Million Lashes Mascara
I've had this many years ago when I was in my first years of blogging and I was raving about it, but I've found better favourites since then and now that I'm giving it a second try, I'm not sure why I liked it so much. It definitely wins in the length department because it creates very long lashes, however, I've been using it for a week or two now and freshly opened that million lashes it promises turned more into 20 lashes when I started to layer it. It's getting better, but still it's not fanning out the lashes like my current favourite mascaras. I remember liking this one because it was able to catch every lash, creating that "multiplying effect" and now I'm not getting that. Maybe it needs to be opened for longer to thicken or dry a bit, but so far I'm just not feeling this one. It drops my lashes like a stone -big minus, but I used to have the waterproof version and I remember it being quite good, however, you know Essence is cheaper and I love I <3 Extremes so much, so I never got it again.
13.99 €


L'ORÉAL Infallible More Than Concealer 
326 Vanilla
This caught my attention in the drugstores a couple of months ago, but since I have five other full coverage concealers, I wasn't even in the market for a new one, but I'm glad I got this, so I can test it and let you know if it's worth it. The applicator is huge, similar to the applicator on a Deborah foundation and I was excited to try it, but I'm not loving it. Small applicators are just easier to use and also at this one I never get the formula all over the applicator, instead it collects on the tip. Formula is one of the thickest I've tried and I think it's also most high-covering one, though it might share it's place with The Saem. It's not easy to blend and it needs extra effort, also it feels and looks heavy on the skin. Sometimes it looks ok, then sometimes it's too much for me and though it usually looks ok on the skin, on pictures it almost always ends up looking so heavy and cakey. It creases under my eyes and it emphasises lines, but covers really well. The shade vanilla is light enough for me, it's just a touch too yellow for my neutral skin tone. It's not my favourite, but I'll keep on giving it a try and report back.
10.99 €


L'ORÉAL Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick 
114 Represent
Deceptively red in the tube, this is a bright magenta and one of those annoying staining ones that you just can't get rid off your skin (though that's how I feel about such products, while some will adore them precisely because of that). This is almost exactly the same as some discontinued Catrice liquid stain lipstick called Made to stay Smoothing Lip Polish. It's not a proper matte liquid lipstick, it's closer to a stain type of product and it's semi-sheer in one coat. It's not matte from the start, instead it's glossy and as it's wearing off it becomes a matte stain. It outlasts everything and you can only get the magenta stain off with vigorous scrubbing and an oil remover. I always get annoyed by that magenta tint, but it's what makes the shade last so long. I've went to check other shades and I'm not feeling the selection. Most are bright shades and the two neutrals are too brown and one is a cool mauve that leaves exactly the same stain as this magenta shade. The packaging is very nice with the matte finish and a heart shaped applicator. I love matte liquid lipsticks, but this isn't for me.
13.49 €

OPI Nail Lacquers Lisbon Spring/Summer Collection
Lisbon wants moor OPI, Closer than you might Belém and Sun, sea and sand in my pants
These are classic nail polishes, though these shades are also available in the gel version. I'm no longer impressed by regular formulas, though OPI always delivers quality, but compared to gel formulas these are more fickle to apply and less shiny. Lisbon wants moor OPI is a very pale off-white violet-pink. It's a pastel, but one that's not overly difficult to work with. It needs two to three coats and it reminds of a much better version of Essie's Fiji (my nightmare shade). It's been on my nails since I got these. Closer than you might Belém is a turquoise shade that again reminds me of a worse performing Essie called Turquoise & Caicos. It's the best performing of the three and needs two coats. Sun, sea and sand in my pants is a bright yellow with orange tones. It needs two, occasionally three coats. 
12.99 €


A repurchase. This is my favourite scrub, though it is very harsh, but it's the only one that makes my skin feel super smooth, as no amount or strength of AHA product can do that for me. They recommend to use it as a mask, but I never have the time to leave it on for 10 minutes, since I always use it in the shower. It's not something I'd recommend for sensitive skin, but I love it. 
eBay, $9.36

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence
Another repurchase, previously named Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence. I've been using this every day for over a year now and it has improved the texture of my skin. One of the differences I notice is that my makeup applies so much more smoothly since I started using this and my pores look less severe.
 eBay, $14.40

And another repurchase. These are the only spot treatment that do something. Sometimes they heal the blemish completely and sometimes they just reduce it and help it heal faster. These are different sizes in the packaging, but I wish they were all the large size, as the mini ones tend to be too small.
Jolse, $4 


TIAM My Signature C Source
Since I didn't get much effect from the Rohto Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence, I got this instead due to overwhelmingly positive reviews. It's a lot more fickle to use because you have to keep it in the fridge, it's sticky and makes it harder to apply skin care on top, so I'm not sure about it yet. I want to see some proper results before I say how much I like it, but so far it's been a month and I don't see anything, so I'm a bit frustrated with this one. I apply it after cleansing and let it absorb for at least 15 minutes before applying anything else, otherwise you're just wasting vitamin C products. It's got 20% Ascorbic Acid and a lot of alcohol, and when it dropped on my arm once, I noticed in a hour that it dried to a yellow powder. It's a liquid gel that starts to feel very sticky and thick as it's drying on the skin, but after 15 minutes, it's absorbed enough to apply other products. When I started using it, it tingled after application, but now I'm completely used to it. One big minus is that my hands always smell like a self tanner when I use this and the smell doesn't go away which it annoys the hell out of me. In terms of effect, like I said, I can't report back about amazing brightening results, not even on dark circles where I expected to see a bit of improvement. Also old blemish marks aren't fading any faster, but I'm giving it time like I'm supposed to and at least it might be providing something extra to sun protection.
Jolse, $11.89


I finally ordered this after I had a generous sample sometime last year. I got this as my night moisturizer because it's not the lightest, though it's a gel cream that's very easy to apply. It takes time to sink in, so I prefer to use it at night, but it can be used under makeup with no problems on my normal-dry skin. It has great ingredients, niacinamide is 4th on the list and it also has hyaluronic acid, adenosine and plenty of extracts. When I was using a sample morning and night for a couple of weeks, my skin really loved it. I'm not sure if niacinamide had any effect, but my skin just looked a picture of health - it had that lovely healthy radiance, zero spots or other pore problems and it felt comfortable. It instantly became my favourite moisturiser and I hope I get the same effects second time round. The scent strangely floral musky and it's strong , but you get used to it.  
eBay, $17.48

I got this after I had a generous sample and it worked well with my skin. I use it in my morning routine because it sinks in quickly and I can easily apply sunscreen and makeup over it. It contains ceramides which strengthen the skin's barrier and it's a product that's designed for sensitive skin. It's a lotion type of product that still needs some time to absorb, but it's light and nicely moisturising. The packaging is very big with a generous 130 ml, so it should last me a while.
eBay, $13.68

BALEA Erfrischendes Wasch Gel
A repurchase. I really like this new formulation and I think it's better than the one before, though it's almost exactly the same apart from the scent. I read reviews on meindm.at which are surprisingly very bad for this reformulation and I don't get why, but I hope this version stays. It's a simple gel cleanser that doesn't foam much, and I use it after cleansing with an oil cleanser.
DM, 1.99 €

BODY

*MIXA Cica-Cream
Mixa made their own Cica formula with glycerine and 5% panthenol which is designed for assisting regeneration and repairing of targeted areas. They recommend using to treat areas where the skin is very dry and rough, as well as for bug bites or to treat any irritated areas. Formula is thick and needs a lot of time to absorb, similar to Bepanthen creams, but at this one you notice the silicones which make the application smoother. I've immediately put it to the test on one of my elbows (for some reason my skin is extremely dry and rough just on one) and after one use there was some improvement in the morning. It wasn't a miraculous transformation, but with prolonged use I might get somewhere with this (my other thick creams like BBW Ultra Sheas and TBS Body Butters couldn't cut it). I've also started using in on my very dry soles, but since my skin is so thick there, I've yet to see anything truly impressive. I'm going to include this into my regular routine for those two areas and you'll probably hear how it fared long term in an empties post, but so far I like it. By the way, it's not exactly the same as Bepanthen as it can't be used on fresh cuts. One thing that bothers me is the packaging. I'd prefer a metal tube because now I feel like a half is empty and it's not easy to squeeze out a small amount. 
5.59 €


NIVEA Anti-Perspirant Pearl & Beauty
My usual repurchase. I haven't bought any other spray deodorant in years. I'm a fan of the feminine powdery scent and it's got this powdery particles that I find work in keeping me dry longer. They changed the packaging recently and I quite like it.
Leclerc, 2.94 €


BALEA Fersen Schutz
Gel heel protectors
These are not nearly as soft as Scholls, but because they are half cheaper I like to keep a pair just in case or when I have a shoes that are too big for me (36 in Slovenia is a size bigger and much wider than in the UK), I put two layers of gel pads with the cheap on as a "base" and the soft Scholl ones on top. 
DM, 2.49 €

BALEA Reinigendes Handgel 
Hawaiian Beach
Anti-bacterial cleansing hand gel
I'm so spoiled by the Bath & Body Works gels that this feels like a big downgrade. The scent is so bland with mostly a hibiscus fragrance that's a lot more gentle than BBWs. But it's easy to find and Balea is at least trying with some scents. I don't get the rubbery casing, but you can't get it without it. It's meant to be attached to the school bag and I guess you could use it on your keys, but it's so big compared to the more conveniently size BBWs.
DM, 1.99 €

I will have a separate New in post dedicated only to hair care in a few days.

Have a great day!

Asal SEO

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