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

Friday, May 22, 2020

New In #91



ESSENCE Blushlighter Gradient Powder Blush
03 Cassis Sunburst
This came out in the last Essence line update and it's available in four shades. I'm a sucker for glowy blushes, with L.O.V. being my favourites and Essence is made by the same company, so we already know they are experts at making luminous formulas without the look of chunky shimmer. And indeed as far as the size of the shimmer goes Essence nailed it. Shimmer is very fine and gives a very natural looking radiance, however, it's not very strong and for extra glow I still use a separate highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones. Pigmentation is good, but I suspect people with a darker skin tone will have to layer this one a lot, though at times I get almost too much pigment. It has to do with the fact that only the left side is properly "blushy" and the other is mostly just a highlight, so it matters from which side you swipe the brush when picking up the colour and it's can be difficult to get the balance just right for pale skin. Formula is not very tightly packed, meaning it's quite a dusty, at least now that's new. It doesn't blend as smoothly as L.O.V. blushes, so it needs some extra time. The formula overall is nice, though it's not the best blush you can get, but if you’re looking for something like L.O.V. blushes in terms of how it looks on the skin, this a good one for the price. I'm not sold on the shade, though. I expected a mauve-pink shade based on what I've seen online, but this is actually peachy pink shade, so not very unique. All the rest looked peachy-orange or brown, so I’m missing a neutral-cool pink-mauve shade in this range.
Müller, 4.29 €

CATRICE Clean ID Lip Oil
I originally went to the drugstore to get Clarins' Lip Oil, but since the stands are empty and I have no idea how things work now plus I didn't want to bother the SA, I abandoned that plan and got this instead. I wanted a thick, balmy lip gloss that would last a long time on the lips and nourish at the same time, so I remembered I liked the feel of the Clarins tester I once tried. Reviews for this are mixed with people who love it and some who find it sticky and gloopy, I'm more neutral about it, though I'm more one the "like side". It's thicker than an average lip gloss, yet not sticky. It feels nourishing on the lips and after most is gone, there is a nice layer of it left, however, I expected it to last longer, since it's thicker. It adds good level of a glass shine on the lips, but I don't like it's only available in a clear version. For one it's already cloudy looking in the bottle after a couple of weeks of use and my lips are not pretty enough for just a clear gloss, I need something to even them out. It’s got a chemical sweet scent.
Müller, 5.09 €


CV Cica Anti-Redness Beauty Skin Shot
CV has a new range of these small Beauty Shot products in 15 ml bottles. One is for oily skin, this one is for calming, there one with vitamin C and one is anti-age. I bought this purely because of ingredients because it has glycerine and niacinamide as the first on the list after water, plus centellia asiatica which my skin likes. This is an pastel green emulsion and it's meant to counteract redness, however, I don't find it effective and I don't even have a lot of redness, so don't count on this working in terms of neutralising ruddy cheeks. The emulsion is not something you'd apply in second because you need extra time to blend it in otherwise you're left with streaks. For a product for sensitive skin, I also find it odd they included fragrance, even though it is nice to my nose. It's not particularly hydrating on my skin, as when I apply this on its own, it sinks in fast, then after 15 minutes my skin feels tight and I need to add extra layers of skincare, so this won't replace any hydrating serums, but maybe it’s enough for combination/oily skin. Packaging has a pipette and it's just useless for such a thick formula, so scrape the product of it instead. In terms of effects, it’s too early to say and I can’t tell you if it works for its original purpose or sensitive skin. 
Müller, 4.59 €


BALEA Vital Konzentrat Gegen Pigment Flecken
(concentrate against pigmentation marks)
Another product I picked up because it has niacinamide high on the list, but it also has a small amount of a version of vitamin C (ascorbyl  tetraisopalmitate) and pinolumin which reduces redness, calms down the skin and fades age spots. Reviews for this are not great, but based on what managed to gather is that people expected this to fade pigmentation marks fast and personally I don't expect miracles from any product. It's a small bottle with only 20 ml of product and this is not a very light, serum type of product, meaning you don't only use a little at once, so this might not last long. The texture is like a medium thick cream, so a type of product I'd use as one of the last, but mostly as the actual last step in my routine. I have been using just this in the evening for a week and my skin just started to look a bit better in terms of texture, but I can’t say much more about it in terms of results. I can't review this in terms of how it fades age spots, but my blemish marks are fading somewhat faster than usual, so maybe it's actually working.
DM, 3.99 €


BALEA Teint Perfection Magic Teint Crème
(Skin Perfection Magic Skin Cream)
I knew this was a gamble, but glowing reviews swayed me even though I have successfully managed to avoid the hype for many years because I knew exactly what's going to happen. I had such a product before from Garnier and it ended up the same. This is the type of a tinted moisturiser that contains colour in mini beads and those burst when you rub them into the skin and release the colour. Garnier's was too dark and though I was sure this has the same tint inside, there were a few reviews that said they were very pale and this works for them. It's a medium thick cream that starts of slightly grey and you have to rub it in quite a lot for the colour to start to appear. The tint is very sheer, so coverage so low, I don't even notice that much of a difference in redness or unevenness. Colour is too dark for my pale skin tone, so even though it's sheer, this looks like a poor match on me. I could use it as a sort of a all over liquid bronzer, but it all fall apart on my neck and we also come to the second problem: When I try to blend this in nicely so I would have an even application, I just can't get it right and it makes me look like I have dirt on my face - maybe it's my skin or the fact need extra blending due to the mismatched shade, but I've tried it with an extra base and on completely clean skin, but I can't get this to work for me. I can see what it's popular and I know it works for less pale skins than mine, just check the reviews on meindm.at and disregard mine, but this was sadly a miss purchase for me and it wasn't that cheap for Balea.   

DM, 5.49 €


BALEA Teint Pefection Wimpern Serum
(Skin Perfection Lash Serum)
This has mostly great reviews with some saying it works fantastically, but there are a few that say it does nothing and some scary reviews even say it made their lashes fall out. I hope the latter doesn't happen to me. I wanted to try the Etude House serum, but I'm not risking ordering online now and the price of Dermaluxe makes my eyes water, so this gets the first go. The only other lash serum I tried was from Mavala and it did nothing. Honestly I don't expect much from this, but I remain hopeful it will have some effect. I've done the before pictures with a measuring tool (not included) and I'll report back maybe when the bottle is finished or before if I see something. This is a gel type of product that feels like nothing on the lashes. I was concerned this will be obnoxious to use, but it's very easy to apply with the eyeliner-like brush and doesn't affect my vision. 
DM, 6.99 €


SCHAEBENS Cell Therapy Hydrogel Maske Anti-Age Booster
This has - you guessed it - niacinamide high on the list. I'm so full of surprises. But it also has allantoin, camelia extract plus some glycolic and malic acid albeit only in the middle of the list, so it's not a strong exfoliator. I loved the results of this one.
Sheet: A proper, non-stiff hydrogel mask in two parts and of course super slippery as you might expect, but as it warms up/start to dissolve, it clings better to the face and even shrinks. It was too large for my face, especially the top part, but like I said it shrank. It’s transparent.
Essence: There’s plenty of it and it’s a light, non-sticky formula.
Scent: a strong chemical scent that is noticeable all the time it’s on the face. It didn’t bother me much, but it might some. 
Effect: This had an immediate effect of more even and just nicer looking skin. It’s pretty much what you get with brightening Asian sheet masks, so I’ll definitely be repurchasing this one despite the price. My lines were less obvious and the skin had a healthy radiance to it. The essence absorbs completely and fast after the mask is removed. I need some extra moisturising care after this one for my dry skin because it’s not enough on its own.
Müller, 2.95 €

AFRODITA COSMETICS Why Mask 4D Collagen Sleeping Mask
The reason I got this was peptides, which are on a decent position on the ingredients list. I didn’t expect an amazing result, only some decent nourishment and it’s alright in that respect. It’s like a regular semi-thick moisturiser, but more slippery feeling and it’s clear on the face like such products are. It’s heavily scented with a scent that some might find calming, but to me it’s a bit too spicy, like of like mixing lavender and patchouli, but I don’t think it’s this combination. I applied this in a thick layer (used about a half of one compartment at once) and by morning it was mostly absorbed with a layer of moisturiser still left. Afrodita mentions a visible reduction in lines, but mine stayed the same. It’s fine for the price, but nothing special. For visible results I preferred the Schaebens Hydrogel mask. 
DM, 1.59 €


SUN DANCE Sensitiv Lippen Pflege Stift LSF 50
(Sensitive Lip Balm SPF 50)
I had this already, but I have no idea where mine went. For a basic lip balm with a high SPF this is very nice. Formula is not overly waxy and feels nicely nourishing on the lips, plus there's no bad taste. It manages to cling on for a while too. 
DM, 1.69 €

LAVAZON Sonnnenfluid Matt LSF50
(Sun Fluid Matte SPF 50)
I wanted cheap, very easily accessible sunscreen that I can use when I'm at home where it doesn't matter if I'm shiny or if I have white streaks. Lavazon has a few and I picked this one because it has no alcohol. Of course this is nowhere near as elegant as my A'Pieu sunscreen, neither is it as nice as Nivea's Mattifying version which costs more than twice as much, however, it definitely beats Nivea's Anti-Age Q10 version that's sitting in my drawer and I'm reluctant to use it use because it's not kind to my eyes (the greasiness I could get over, but that thing shifts all over the place). It's not light, more like a classic sunscreen and when you start to rub it in, it's very white, but that goes away with some extra blending. It's shiny, not even remotely matte, but I have seen worse, still I don't think this is a choice for those with any oiliness in the skin as even I have to powder it, but as great pluses I can say that it stays in its place, it doesn't feel greasy on the skin and it doesn't appear to be bothering my eyes. It's not the nicest sunscreen, but the price is acceptable and it's perfectly fine for me to wear at home.

Müller, 3.99 €


MOROCCANOIL Intense Hydrating Mask
A repurchase. This is one of my favourite hydrating hair treatments, it's actually very similar in terms of effect to (I think discontinued) Kerastase Masquintense Thick, meaning it makes my hair feel silky and soft unlike other treatments (my hair is never soft like an average person's due to a thick texture, I mention this often). This has argan oil high on the list, so it's not somewhere down below the first 5 ingredients like at most who brag with some ingredients then you find them in the middle or even at the end of the ingredient list. I was planning on getting the 500 ml version, which is still my dream because I really don't want to save this one so much like I did the last one, but even with a discount this is so expensive.
Click2chic, 34.29 €

MOROCCANOIL Hydrating Styling Cream
I imagined this so differently - that's why it's so important when people review this to mention texture, it tells everything. I though this is a medium thick type of cream with that silicone feel that can be used on dry hair too without leaving the hair wet. This is actually quite liquid, so better suited to be used on damp hair right after rinsing off the conditioner to add an extra boost of moisture. Due to being so liquid I can't really use this to tame the frizz like I planned, instead it just some extra hydration, so pretty much the more creamy equivalent of Sexy Healthy Hair Soy Three Wheat leave-in (though that one has a tiny bit of protein too). I can use it on dry hair and it sinks in fast, but once it's gone, there's none of that silicone smooth feeling like at Olaplex n.6 or discontinued Dove Super Quench Crème Serum. I use this on damp hair as one of my first steps (I apply a lot of leave ins and it's still not enough). When I'm drying my hair this feels strangely slightly sticky and at first I was sure this was going to be a disaster because I want my hair silky smooth, but once it's dry that feeling is luckily gone. I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet. I think I'll have to go through the whole tube to make up my mind about it, but I expected a more impressive result.
Click2Chic, 11.10 € for 75 ml


TIGI BED HEAD Blow-Out Golden Illuminating Shine Cream
After I bought the Moroccanoil Hydrating Cream, I tried to recall a product that would have a similar silicone crème texture of Olaplex n.6 that I'm looking for, but it's cheaper and I remembered - Tigi After Party. It was one of my first ever hair products and I've never repurchased it because there was always so many other things to try (plus I got tired of it because one tube lasted me years and that damned packaging drives you crazy). I found this one randomly while checking Spletična - it's After Party with gold glitter. Texture is the same, as is the scent, they just changed the name, colour of the packaging and added tiny shimmer (original After Party still exists. I got this because it was what they had on Spletična and I was just ordering a birthday gift). It's got exactly the texture I like, so a silicone cream that I can use on damp hair and dry hair because it doesn't leave the hair wet and it effective at taming frizz. Oils like Orofluido do a similar job, so normal people don't need more stuff, but I'm not normal and I find these types cream and sometimes be more effective at taming the frizz for longer. It's tinted yellow, but it's not showing on my very blonde hair, but also the shimmer isn't that visible on me, though this gives shine just like other similar products. The packaging is equally terrible as at AP. It's got a pump, but the vacuum pull does not work best, when I got it got stuck a few times and you couldn't get out anything. I resorted to pushing it manually from the bottom and it fixed it, but man did it stir up memories. Plus it's so ugly, but that's my opinion. The product is lovely, so it's a shame about the packaging. So far it was only problematic for the first uses and it's been working ok since. 
Spletična, 12.20 €

BALEA Professional Collagen Power Struktur Elixier
Like all the rest of DM product, I found this on their website, where it has a high rating and it also has surprising nice ingredients. This has hydrolysed proteins high on the list, so it's basically something along the lines of a poor man's Joico K-Pack line or Redken's Anti-Snap, but scaled down at least compared to Joico with it's Quadramine complex. I'm in no short supply of protein treatments at the moment (well, I only have Joico stuff, but several products), still I picked this up because I was curious if it's any good - who wouldn't want to know about an very affordable protein treatment and if it's any good. It's a silicone free formula with glycerine as one of the first ingredients, so it combines some moisturising action too with the protein. All proteins are in hydrolysed version which is the most effective version of protein and they are quite high on the list. There also hyaluronic acid which benefits the scalp and supposedly hair too. Formula is like a thin gel-like formula and it's a leave-in product. It can be applied on damp or dry hair, but on dry hair it's similar to Moroccanoil Cream, so it sinks in and it feels like nothing. II don't notice it makes my hair any smoother and it dries into my usual super frizzy mess if I don't use any extra products. I've been using it for a few weeks and I can't say I see a visible improvement, still it's a nice way to add proteins because it's very light and it doesn't interfere with other products. 
DM, 3-4 €


PANTENE PRO-V Intensive Repair Conditioner
A repurchase. This is my favourite drugstore conditioner (currently seriously rivalled by Cantu mentioned below). Since I've discovered it last year, I've gone through a few tubes already and I've tried several other products, which just consolidated my belief that this is the very affordable best brand I can get in our drugstores. I buy the 300 ml tubes they have in DM and Interspar, while Müller only has 200 ml ones. 
Interspar, 3.49 €

PANTENE Pro-V Hair Superfood Conditioner
Another repurchase. Both Repair and this one are so good. Superfood is even thicker than Repair, but they end up working the same on me, though this give me this faux feeling it's better because it's richer. 
Interspar, 3.49 €


CANTU Shea Butter for Natural Hair Hydrating Cream Conditioner
This brand is fairly new here and so far it's also the only one for natural hair we have, so one designed for curly, wavy hair or coils which tend to be a lot drier than straight, fine hair. As you might now my hair is very dry and coarse since forever (since I was 12 when my hair suddenly got curly and way before all the colouring) and few products actually nourish my hair for more than a day, so I had hopes that one for natural hair will finally be enough for me. After one use I can say this is pretty much HG miracle, but also not quite as great as I hoped - I'll explain. In terms of actual nourishment this worked astonishingly well. My ends on which lately even deep treatments didn't work despite having a haircut, finally feel like I used something. They feel nourished and finally not dry straight after a wash - and I'm writing this on day three. Just for that this will stay in my cupboard probably forever (provided it continues to work as effective in the next washes). However, this leaves the feeling of heaviness after rinsing it off, like the product hasn't been washed off properly (I know I did. Kerastase Chonologiste and Joico Moisture Recovery do the same), so I wouldn't recommend this to those with thin hair, even though that feeling actually went away completely by the next morning, leaving my hair surprisingly soft and it's stayed like that until I washed a week later. Lately only Olaplex overnight managed to do that. However, rubbish when it comes to taming the hair and leaving it silky, that's because it has no silicones which my hair needs to look normal (I've been through a yearlong silicone-free phase once and it's not for me). My hair dried very puffy, with a ton of volume and it was just all over the place, plus the feeling of heaviness and I didn't use any of my other leave-ins I normally use to get a more sleek look, so when I went to bed I was sure my hair is going to be a mess in the morning. But I just put in a tight bun like I always do and my the morning my hair had a fresh blow-out look with little frizz. There was no dryness and like I said it was soft, but it lacked the silkiness, still I'm super happy with this. I also didn't have to smoother my hair in extra leave-ins in the morning, which is unheard of and in the next days I only added small amount of leave ins, some Joico K-Pack serum and Balea's oil mentioned below. The packaging has 400 ml, which is superb and it smells strongly of Pina colada. It's not a super thick conditioner so it's easy to apply, it's similar to Pantene in that respect. I will get the Leave-in Cream from this brand. 
Müller, 8.99 €

SCHWARZKOPF GLISS Protein + Cocoa Butter 4-in-1 Moisture Mask
Normally I don't get excited by Gliss masks, as while they are good, in fact brilliant for most, they more on the average side for my hair. However, the 4-in-1 claim made it sound similar to Fructis Hair Food mask which can be used on dry hair as a leave-in conditioner as well. That one was nice, but not as nourishing as I hoped (I had Banana), this on the other hand has cocoa butter high on the list, so I thought it might be better. It turns out you can use this as a leave-in on damp hair, while it's not silicone-y to be smooth enough for dry hair.  The 4 uses are as a pre-wash treatment, mask, conditioner and leave-in, so basically it's just a hair mask that can double as a leave-in treatment, why differentiate between mask and conditioner is just beyond me. Texture of this of average thickness for a mask, it's not super thick like the purple one with Omegaplex, so it's much easier to apply. I used this as a mask and leave-in conditioner. My hair was drying so slow with this on, but unlike with Cantu conditioner, it dried straight and frizzy free, however, by the morning, my hair was curly-ish, frizzy and nor soft, so basically it performs like an average drugstore mask on me and I'm not super impressed by this. It’s probably amazing on those who have normal hair with some dryness, but I need more. I love the colour of the packaging, it’s so me. The scent is creamy with a bit spice or something. 
DM, 6.99 €


BALEA Schönheits Geheimnisse Reichhaltiges Cocosöl 
(Beauty Secrets Rich Coconut Oil)
I got this because it's silicone free. This means it's more nourishing and heavier than silicone-oils, it also means it makes the hair lank and feeling dirty just like all natural oils when you use them every day, but such oils are the only way I can deal with the excessive dryness of my ends. Silicone-oils are more temporary and foremost a staying product for me, but I use coconut oil on most days and I just can't stand the smell of it anymore. This surprised me a lot. Based on ingredients I thought this will be lighter, but it's nicely rich, yet not too heavy and it doesn't leave the hair looking overly greasy like coconut oil does. Actually I thought this was a light oil in a spray, but this has a pump and I'm much happier that it turned out that way. The scent is the same as in their Langhaar Mädchen Haaröl, which I use as heat protection, so a vanilla-coconut scent that's super basic, but way better than coconut oil to me. I hope they keep this and it's not just a summery limited edition because I intend to continue buying it.
DM, 2.99 €

DOVE Oil Care Nährpflege Spülung
(Oil Care Nutritional Care Conditioner)
Dove used to be one of my absolute favourite hair brand, but now we only have two sets of shampoo and conditioner here. What happened to their hair care? When I was checking ingredients on Müller's online shop, this has argan oil high enough on the list, so I just picked up a bottle not even bothering to check if ingredients on the ones we have are match. They don't. Argan oil is at the very bottom on the list on my version and I'm wondering if it's like with Nutella where Slovenes and Eastern European countries get the rubbish stuff "adapted to the local consumer's taste" as if we desire the inferior stuff (though it makes no sense, since I got it in Müller) or it went through a recent reformulation. Now I don't expect much from it, but let's hope it's enough for my hair. I'll report back.
Müller, 2.99 €


BALEA PROFESSIONAL Kopfhaut-Balance Ansatz-Balsam
(Scalp Balance Balm)
This is a moisturiser for the scalp and I was immediately intrigued because I've been suffering from dandruff and dry scalp most of my life and I've tried everything to fix it. It has a very handy long and precise nozzle, which helps at application, but it's still very hard getting it all over the scalp, impossible really because this isn't liquid, it's a medium thick cream and I just give up before I manage to get it all over. There definitely less dandruff when I use it, but I use it in combination with the conditioner, however, my scalp is still itchy at times. I'll continue using it, as so far this line is very promising. This is also meant for the ends since it has some keratin, but it feels like nothing on my ends and I won't waste it for that. 
DM, 2.49 €

BALEA PROFESSIONAL Kopfhaut-Balance Spülung
(Scalp Balance Conditioner)
This isn't meant just for the scalp, but I will only combine it with a more nourishing treatment for the bottom part of my hair. It's creamy, yet light for a conditioner, still with my length and thickness it takes some time and acrobatics with flipping my hair around to get this on most parts of the scalp. I doesn't leave my hair greasy or heavy, in fact I have plenty of volume left, but you know I can't say if it's going to be the same on oily scalp. Just like the balm, this is very promising when it comes to my scalp condition. I'll report back when the tube is empty.  
DM, 1.79 €


ILIRIJA Hydrogen Cream 3%
I got two more of these developers. Since my hair is bleached and coloured, I swap the developers in the box colours with this one which is more gentle. I used this with Subrina Spectra Demi-permanent colours, specifically shade 8/10 Ice Blonde and Garnier's Color Naturals 9.1. 
DM, 1.29 €


L'OREAL PARIS Magic Retouch 
Medium to Dark Blonde (for Blondes with Dark Roots)
I got this a day after I did my roots, so I don't know if it works on dark hair yet. I missed with the shade. The light blonde one looked too yellow for my ashy colour and I compared a strand of my hair with the picture on the bottle, which perfectly matched, but this is a shade or two too dark. At least it's an natural to ashy looking colour, so I might be able to create an shadow roots look. If not I'll go pick up the light blonde one too, because so far I like the formula. It's natural looking on the hair, it's not like a hair spray or a dry shampoo that it could feel like something on the hair and it doesn't come off on bedding. We'll see in a week or two how it deals with the roots, mine come in blazingly fast.

DM, 6.19 €


SCWARZKOPF GOT2B Bye Bye Babyhaar Bändiger
(Babyhair Tamer)
Years ago John Frieda has a similar product which was so good, but it was discontinued. I saw this on meindm and I immediately knew I had to track it down. This stuff is pretty amazing for frizz and flyaways, it does the job so well and fast. It's like a hair gel in a mascara form, but it doesn't feel stiff or heavy. This has a plastic wand, while John Frieda has the classic one and I think this one is better. This also smells like peaches which is an extra plus.
Müller, 7.99 €


FA Magic Oil Indulgingly Caring Shower Gel
Blue Lotus Scent
I love this one, but it was hard to track down when I only went to grocery shops - since it's Fa, I thought it was everywhere. It's not that special, though the formula is thicker than average, but the winner for me is the aquatic floral scent. 
DM,  2-3 €


NIVEA Care Shower Love Splash
A repurchase. I feel in love with its refreshing orange peel bitter citrus scent. The formula is nice too, not drying, the gel is thicker than most and nice to use. 
DM, 2.59 €

BALEA Duschschaum 
Pure Energy 
I've had Balea's shower mousses before and they were amazing. This is not as rich and firm as I remember, or maybe I'm mixing it up with the Dove one which is just fabulous, but argan version I had smells terrible. Still it's a nicely fluffy foam that's nice to use. The scent is more lime than mint and not as intensely citrusy as I expected, it's kind of subdued for such a scent.
DM, 0.99 €


BALEA Bodylotion Urea
Last month I praised the entire Urea line and I said I plan to get the lotion too, which finally happened a few days ago. This leave the same silky smooth film on the skin as the hand cream, so I'm quite happy with it. Formula is medium thick lotion, similar to a Nivea Q10 one I have, so not as rich as BBW Ultra Shea. It's not a lotion for those who dislike when a product needs time to sink in and it needs extra buffing to get rid of the white streaks, but I use it at night, so I don't care. I've been using it every day since I got it, we'll see if it manages to do such a dramatic difference on my driers areas as the Nivea lotion did.
DM, 2-3 €

BALEA Rasiergel
Iced Berries
I wanted the new peach version that I've seen on IG, but they didn't have it. I'm actually quite happy with the scent of this one. It's a very sweet candy version of forest berries, it's definitely one of my favourites they've made. I currently have the coconut one, which is so bland compared to this, I plan to finish it soon. 
DM, 1.99 €


BALEA Bodygel Aloe Vera
I saw this was reduced and last year when I got sunburned I couldn't find a cheap enough aloe vera gel that would have it high on the list or be 100%. This only has 10% aloe vera, so you get what you pay for. As you might expect it's a pretty basic gel and luckily it doesn't feel too sticky for such a product plus there's no alcohol in it, though it's fragranced. 
DM, 0.89 €

BALEA Fuss Maske
I wanted to get the version with the socks from Balea or either Scholl, but I recoiled in horror when I saw the prices for something that's meant for single use. So I got this mini packet instead and I'll make my own socks. My feet are very dry, so I'm hoping for the best. I'm also regularly using Balea Urea 10%. 
DM, 0.79 €


DOVE Nourishing Secrets Restoring Ritual 48h Anti-Perspirant
With coconut and jasmine flower scent
A while ago I switched from this to FA, which I got because it was cheap and I'm used to switching deodorants after finishing one because they tend to stop working on me. FA turned out to be the worst one I've tried so far. I did not work for long, so I went back to this one, which is proving itself to very reliable. For a time I loved the coconut scent, then despised it, now I don't notice it, but all the time this never failed me.
Interspar, about 3 €

Have a great day!

Friday, January 17, 2020

Empties #34


A gel cleanser I use for second cleansing after oil. It's cheap and it does the job. I've recently tried Cerave Hydrating Cleanser which is better, but this is so easily accessible compared to that one.
Repurchase: Done.

I've used this religiously for several months if not over a year, but I saw zero result, which sucks because I read only good reviews before buying it. There was no reduction in lines nor did it prevent them from getting deeper. As a plus I can say that it feels like water and it's very easy include it in any type of routine. 
Repurchase: No.

I finished this a while ago and have since moved to other vitamin C products, however, this was my first such product and I did everything wrong with this one, so it's hard for me to say it's bad. I was using it wrong for a long time (didn't apply it first or after AHA/BHA and I didn't wait for at least 15-20 minutes before applying other products) and after I realised my mistakes, it was already old. I got it because I heard it lightens old spot marks, which nothing helps me with including strong AHAs and despite consistent use this did nothing. But it is a nice vitamin C because it's like a dry oil that's not heavy or greasy on the skin. It's also more affordable than a lot of other vitamin C products.
Repurchase: Not sure yet, I like Eucerin's a lot more, but this is more affordable and maybe I should give it another shot, the right way this time.


I just breezed through this one and was shocked to see it was empty because the packaging is consistently dispensing the desired amount, so I had no indication it's running low. It's so far the best sunscreen I've found in our drugstores for still an affordable price (not that I've tried many), though at 10 € it's not that cheap. It's better suited for normal-dry skin because it's a heavy, rich formula when you apply it, but it sets in about 5 minutes to a decent dry to the touch finish. I could apply a lot of it and it was not greasy, nor did it pile. It's not as nice as Asian sunscreens which are much lighter and fast-absorbing, but it's easily accessible (just not in winter apparently, when they sell the rubbish anti-age version instead).
Repurchase: Yes.

MIXA Cica-Cream
First I was using this for my elbows and feet where I have very dry, rough skin and it worked well on my elbows, but it wasn't enough for my feet. In recent months I've started using it on my face because my skin became so dry and flaky, nothing helped and everything else absorbed in minutes leaving my skin dry again. For a couple of days I was applying this in a very thick coat, then reapplied every two hours after it fully absorbed and it really helped a lot. My skin is currently still dry, but not nearly as much as in those couple of days and I still use it when my cheeks are rough as the last step in my night routine. I hate the packaging though, it doesn't feel full even when new and it gets really hard to get the product out later. When I cut it, I still had a ton left. 
Repurchase: Yes, I have an extra tube that I'm already using.


This boasts with the 2.5% retinol content and though I found it suspicious it caused no reaction on me considering I just went straight to high percentages from almost nothing, I assumed my skin is more hardly than others because I can't even feel 30% AHA for example. But when after using up the 10 ml bottle of Artnaturals, I switched to the weaker The Ordinary 1% in Squalane and saw my skin got drier and flaky, the only conclusion I can draw is that this doesn't have the percentage of retinol stated, at least not in this form. Obviously I have no idea if it's true and reviews of this are generally so good, but I can't explain it any other way or at least I'm not knowledgeable enough. It's a light serum that would fit any skin type, it's not sticky, it doesn't pill when you apply other skin care over it, so the texture is nice, but it was like I was using nothing.
Purchase: I don't know. Great reviews for this are confusing to me now.

On paper this is a great all-in-one because it contains a form of vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate), hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, retinol and Q10. I liked the texture of this, 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. I only had it for a week or two (this is a sample, 5 ml), so I didn't see any results.
Purchase: I still don't know.

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 serum did, so I can't say much. It contains retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, safflower oil and green tea extract.
Purchase: Probably not, I prefer Beauty of Joseon.


S&G's scrubs are my favourite because most are quite harsh and that's the way I like them. I don't like this one as much as Flake Away, but it was another great one. It has the same fragrance as Mist me Madly spray, which has a type of vintage scent that won't appeal to just anyone, but from reviews I gather it's overall quite liked.
Repurchase: I'll stick to Flake Away, but these are so hard to get now that Boots International is gone.

L'OCCITANE 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
I loved this one because it's almost as rich as the original and it smells like their discontinued L'Occitane Vanilla fragrance (the old-old one from 2007-8). L'Occitane's 20% shea butter creams are the best thing I found for truly dry hands.
This smelled amazing, like the name says it's a neroli scent, while I'm not sure I spotted any orchid, but it was a great rich floral scent. The formula is one of L'Occitane's light version which isn't as impressive as the 20% shea butter ones, but these are still nice for the scent alone.
Repurchase: Maybe Vanilla Bouquet, but I'm mostly sticking to the original.

BATH & BODY WORKS PocketBac
Pumpkin Cranberry Cider
This is a very old LE, though BBW tends to repeat their scents a lot every season. BBW has the best anti-bacterial gels for my liking, I love it when they are heavily scented almost like a perfume and these are exactly like that. This one has a fruity cinnamon scent and unlike 99% of cinnamon stuff here, this actually smelled like the real deal.
Repurchase: If only these weren't so hard to get for a reasonable price for us outside USA, but yes.


L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo
My all-time favourite because it's the only drugstore shampoo that leaves my hair like I just used some conditioner. It leaves that silicone smooth feeling that my tangy, dry hair really needs. I've gone through many bottles.
Repurchase: Done.

PANTENE Intensive Repair Shampoo
My second favourite shampoo. It's doesn't leave my hair quite as smooth as L'Oreal, but it's close. An excellent formula for dry hair.
Repurchase: Done.


PANTENE Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Intensive Repair
Every Pantene conditioner I've tried so far has been great, this is no exception. To me it's the same as the Intensive Repair conditioner in the white tube. It leaves my hair nourished, feeling smooth and somewhat softer.
Repurchase: Yes if it's cheaper than the conditioner.

One of my favourite ever treatments. This is a hydrating conditioner/mask that I've been using for years now and I can always rely on it when it comes to nourishing my very thick, coarse, dry hair. In last year I rediscovered the Reconstructor from this line and together they are like magic for bleached, coloured, coarse-feeling (protein deficient) hair.
Repurchase: Done.


A protein treatment that you use under the Bonding mask. I always used this right after bleaching my hair. At first I thought that it works the same as Joico K-Pack Reconstructor, but it not as amazing when it comes to truly coarse hair that has zero softness. Still I enjoyed using it together with the mask when my hair wasn't in a very dire state. The annoying thing about it is that I have no idea how much it's still in the packaging and of course it ran out exactly a day after I made a big hair care order.
Repurchase: Yes.

A violet mask for counteracting yellow tones, but it's much weaker than Subrina Colour Refresh in Diamond Blonde, therefore only appropriate for very light blondes. However, it didn't deal with yellow tones not even with my lightest hair, which granted still aren't super blonde. The formula is a nice one, enough for my thick hair even though it doesn't feel thick or heavy.
Repurchase: Yes.

PHILIP KINGSLEY Elasticizer
This was my second try of the famed Elasticizer. The first time I was very disappointed by it, especially considering the price. The second try was better, my hair did feel a bit healthier, still it's not that special compared to Joico K-Pack. It's mostly castor oil, which is said to promote hair growth, though I don't know if the science supports it. It's a very popular product, but I'm still not completely sold on it.
Purchase: Probably not.


Before discovering Pantene I'd say this is an ok hair mask, one of better ones in the drugstores for dry hair, but post-Pantene, this has nothing on it and it's more expensive. Positive side about this treatment is that you can use it on dry hair as a leave-in conditioner and it's actually very decent, albeit the results don't last very long on my hair. It smells like Casali bananas or some other candy bananas, which is not my favourite scent, but I know it's the type people love.
Repurchase: No. I might try the macadamia one, but I doubt it's as good as Pantene.

This is richer than the conditioner, though the overall result on my hair is still very similar, but for someone with less thick hair, the conditioner and 3 Minute Miracle versions are maybe a better choice.
Repurchase: Yes.

My all-time favourite moisturising mask, though Moroccanoil Intense Hydration is similarly brilliant. This is sadly discontinued, but there are some new masks in the Nutritive line. This mask made my hair feel like "normal people hair". I know it sound strange, but the thing is that my hair has this thick, less pliable, non-soft texture and Kerastase Nutritive products were the only one that gave my hair that silky, light, flowy feel. Obviously if your hair has that average soft, thin texture you really don't even need to think about this mask because you'll get the same effect from a cheap Pantene conditioner, sadly I need to spend more if I want people to not describe my hair as prickly or like I always have a ton of hair spray on.
Repurchase: It's discontinued, but I'd really love to try the new Magistral version for thick hair.


I've been using this protein treatment for many years with some pauses. I usually start using it right after cutting my ends and it keeps them fresh longer as well as less prone to breaking, so I can go without a haircut longer. It just works, but not immediately and it doesn't reverse damage (nothing does, obviously). This is a product that gives long-term results, as it makes the hair stronger, so it doesn't snap off at the ends, which is the reason people complain their hair just doesn't grow. This kind of gives you a feeling the hair grows faster and you get the desired length faster. It's a light lotion that to me feels like nothing, so it's a product I can use in my routine that's full of layering.
Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA Beautiful Long Wunder Serum
This was my favourite cheap thermal protection. It's a silicone serum like any other, so it tames the hair and gives shine, but it was lighter than Orofluido, Moroccaoil and the likes. I liked that it was so cheap and easily accessible.
Repurchase: It's sadly discontinued, as a replacement I have Langhaar Mädchen which is cheap and similar enough, but this was better.

MOROCCANOIL Color Complete Protect & Prevent Spray (mini)
This is a great multipurpose product that prevents blonde colour from turning brassy/yellow (protects any colour from fading), plus it acts as heat protection, UV shield and it's hydrating, so a leave-in conditioner. It's very light, I'd prefer if it felt a bit oily, but I think it would fit most hair types.
Purchase: I don't know, I'd prefer their other products, several of which I have high on my wishlist.


I've tried most of the shades from this (Red, Orange, Purple and Magenta, the two left are Warm Brown and Cool Brown), but I've used this shade most. It's a classic purple mask for neutralising yellow tones, but this one is much stronger than others I've tried, so better suited for me since I'm a dark brunette going blonde, however, since it's purple it can't deal as effectively on orange tones, obviously, but it's not useless like other shampoos and masks I've tried. It's so strong though that you have to be very careful on very light hair because it can tint it blue-grey in seconds when used straight from the tube without diluting the shade with a clear mask. 
Repurchase: Done.


L'OREAL Excellence Crème
03 Ultra Light Ash Blond, 9.1 Natural Light Ash Blonde and 8.1 Light Ash Blonde
Another batch of these. I've already talked about 9.1 and 8.1 extensively before, but 03 is a new shade to me. I used it for toning my lightest hair, which still isn't quite level 10, but close. I tested four shades on individual strands before colouring and this was the second strongest light shade when it came to dealing with yellow tones, but it was beaten by Subrina. All three are the renewed version, so they don't come with the serum anymore, but with a shampoo, which is a change I'm not fond off. Formula is still great since it leaves my hair in nice condition.
Repurchase: Yes to 9.1 and 8.1, I still have some spares, for 03 Subrina's shade 80/8 or 1080 is better.


SCHWARZKOPF PALETTE Deluxe Oil-Care Color
218 Silver Blond
I gave this so many tries, every time I bleached my hair I did a strand test if this will tone. It fails miserably compared to L'Oreal 03 and Subrina 1080, all are meant for the same level hair (10). I think I'll just throw it away. Ironically I got it because reviews praised it as a shade that tones any yellow and brassy tones.
Repurchase: No.

SUBRINA Butter Colour
1080 Ice Blonde
Subrina is praised for their cool blonde shades, in particular 80/8 or 1080. I had this in my stash for years, but only now gave it a go because I finally reached a decently light blonde shade, though I'm still very golden under it instead of pale yellow. It's the strongest toning shade I've tried and it can deal with level 9 yellow hues as well as golden on level 8 to a degree, but not orange. So if you're looking that will give you a very cool looking blonde shade, based on my experience so far Subrina appears to be strongest. Formula of this is like a very thick, rich hair mask, it truly feels buttery as the name says, but it didn't leave me with the same feeling as L'Oreal does, maybe it lacks some extra proteins, though my hair was pretty coarse even before I coloured, so disregard my review of the formula, especially since overall feedback from other users has been that it leaves the hair very soft and nourished.
Repurchase: Yes, I'm also going to try something else from my huge stash.

Butter Colour 1080 on the lower 2/3 (it's meant for much lighter hair though), L'Oreal 9.1 on top. This isn't the best picture because the lighting conditions were terrible and my background created a green cast. I didn't feel I taking better pictures yet. The back is super orange because I couldn't reach well and it's neither well bleached nor coloured, but right now I'm don't feel like fixing it, since this already took me a week to do (together with hair care routine of course, overnight oil treatments).

I'd detailed my experience with this and posted results in the latest new it. Basically I had to bleach this one out. The colour was warmer out of the tube than the back of the box indicated, but results looked nice regardless. There were several things that pissed me off about this one, but intense staining of everything is definitely at the top.
Repurchase: No.


This was nothing special, a light and fast absorbing hand cream for when my skin wasn't very dry. The packaging is adorable and it smelled nicely like peaches.
Repurchase: No.

The only spot product that works for me apart from The Ordinary Salicylic Acid. They aren't miraculous, at least most of the time, but they can help diminish the spot and prevent it from becoming a raging volcano that would normally take days to heal. My spot healing routine includes these, COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and Etude House sheet mask Snail.
Repurchase: Done.


SHEET MASKS
THE FACE SHOP The Solution Mask Sheet Madecassoside has been a godsend when my skin was insanely dry, as was PAPA RECIPE Bombee Whitening Honey Mask. Both are intensely nourishing and the Bombee one brightest too as an extra bonus. I've used several of ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Mask Snail recently when my skin was not just dry, but also spotty and I use this to heal & tone down inflamed spot - works like a treat. MY BEAUTY DIARY Natural Key Series Facial Mask Black Pearl is another of my favourites, it's lighter than the rest, but still moisturising and its main plus is the brightening effect. HADA LABO TOKYO Anti-Aging Facial Sheet Mask was a decent moisturising mask, in fact it's the best we can get in our drugstores. I've just recently posted about YEAUTY Eye Pad Mask Deep Hydration, which also impressed me for something that's available in our drugstores. A detailed review of THE BODY SHOP Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Peel-off Mask is here, but overall I did not like it. TONYMOLY Earth Beauty Bubble Mask Sheet is black mask just for the lower part of the face and it produced a very fluffy, yet rich foam. It didn't do anything to help clear out my pores, but that foam was such a delight to use.
Repurchase: Yes to The Face Shop (though Etude House Madecassoside is almost the same), Papa Recipe, Etude House Snail, My Beauty Diary Black Peral, Hada Labo Tokyo and Yeauty. 


CERAVE Moisturising Cream
I did not expected this to be so thick based on reading the ingredients list, but it's like Nivea or similar cream and it was perfect for my very dry skin. It's the thickest face moisturiser I know, thicker even that Mixa Cica, but that one proved to be more effective, still this came in very handy when I most needed a rich moisturiser.
Purchase: I'm tempted, but at the same time I have no idea if it was this that also broke me out or was it something else. 

Have a great day!

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