New in #81

Balea Biobaza Dove Ebelin essence Eucerin LVLY by Paola Maria max factor New In Nivea Nuxe Oriflame Pantene Subrina Sundance

New in #81

Admin   July 15, 2019   Comment  

MAKEUP

ESSENCE Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara Waterproof

I got the regular version of Lash Princess False Lash Effect a few months ago and it's an excellent volumizing mascara plus it can even hold the lashes up a bit, but it's not like proper waterproof formulas, so I was hoping Essence combined that amazing volume with the great I <3 Extreme waterproof formula that's my favourite. What it looks to me is that they just used the brush from the Lash Princess and added the I<3 Extreme formula, resulting in a pretty much the same mascara as the latter. Volume is not quite as impressive as at regular Lash Princess, but it's still more than at a lot of mascaras and it holds a curl. I get no smudging with this one, but an occasional flake can appear. It's also hard to remove as you might expect and requires an waterproof makeup oily remover. The shape of the brush doesn't bring much new to the table compared to the I<3 Extreme, in fact I find it a bit less defining, so both produce somewhat dishevelled lash look, but not clumpy or spidery. I wish Essence used this winning formula when it comes to holding a curl and create one of those L'Oréal-like double mascaras with a plastic defining brush on one side and a regular volumizing on the other, but for now it really doesn't matter whether you get Lash Princess or I <3 Extreme, as the both do about the same thing. 

Müller, 3.59 €

 *ORIFLAME OnColour Power Up Foundation

38805 Light Porcelain and 38807 Natural Beige

Oriflame launched a new or renewed collection of makeup products that they described as an explosion of colours. This foundation comes in 4 shades and I got 2, including the lightest one. Given my experience with Giordani Gold MasterCreation foundation I expected another very pale shade, but sadly that's not the case. Both shades I have are way too dark for me and I have to use lightening drops to use them. The foundation has a light coverage, it doesn't look well covered in person, but for some reason it looks very good on camera. It's too moisturizing even for my dry skin, so if you have oily or combination skin, this won't work for you. Finish is dewy-shiny, so powder will be a must for most people. Overall it's not very impressive aside from the fact it looks very natural on the skin and you can't tell you're wearing makeup apart from the shine people could mistake for a moisturizer. The shade ruined this one for me, as I thought I can rely on Oriflame for pale foundations.

Oriflame, regular price 9.90 €, currently 4.99 €

*ORIFLAME OnColour Perfecting Concealer Stick

39914 Natural Beige and 39913 Light Ivory

This formula is surprisingly not that hard, waxy stuff that put me off such formulas years ago, but it is summer, so when temperatures drop, who knows if it still be as easy to apply. It looks relatively ok on the skin, it's hasn't got a lot of coverage, I'd say maybe a medium, but it doesn't have the best pigmentation, so you have to layer it. Though the lightest shade is wearable for me, there are honestly so many better formulas out there. Only two shades are available, both are quite light.

Oriflame, regular price 6.50 €, currently 3.19 €

*ORIFLAME OnColour Power Face Powder

38801 M Beige

I can't find this in the catalogue, maybe it's just the Slovene version that skipped it, I don't know. My skin was not made for powders, I've hated them for years and this is nothing special. It set the makeup in place, but didn't prevent a meltdown I had happening with all of Oriflame makeup and it wasn't even that hot. Powder looks finely milled and it's not bad, but what do I know about powders with my dry skin, I never use them. 

*ORIFLAME OnColour Big Lash Mascara

I'm not impressed by this one. It doesn't hold my lashes up, so it's useless for me. It's got a classic defining plastic brush with two lengths of bristles and it defines ok, though it could fan out the lashes better. In terms of volume it's (so far) nothing special, but it also doesn't look like nothing. It's just average and I prefer their The One Eyes Wide Open & Awake mascara. 

Oriflame, regular price 7.90 €, 3.99 €

*ORIFLAME OnColour Perfect Duo Pencil

36088 Mocha & Rosegold, 36089 Blue & Sapphire and 36090 Green & Turquoise

Five shades of these are available and I got three combinations. These are my least favourite products in the selection. A few seconds after I apply them on the upper eyelid they transfer to my crease. Even with a ton of powder under it, I get the same result. They transfer to the waterline, but you have to go over the line several times. Pigmentation of the darkest brown is great and it's also softest, but the rest could be better. They aren't the softest or smoothest eyeliners so I'm sorry Oriflame, but this is a fail to me.

Oriflame, regular price 6.50 €, currently 3.19 €

*ORIFLAME OnColour Creamy Lipstick

38742 Blush Nude, 38750 Deep Red and 38775 Clover Lilac

Just a regular creamy lipstick with a shiny finish and semi-opaque to full pigmentation. Staying power is its weakness, especially at the lightest shade which is gone in an hour, but ever Deep Red is not that much more impressive. Shade Blush Nude is gorgeous, it's a lovely nude and it's a shame about the staying power, but it's actually very similar to Oriflame's The One lipstick in Pink Flair which is better quality. Shade Deep Red is a classic burgundy and Clover Lilac a medium violet. These come in 20 shades.

Oriflame, regular price 6.50 €, currently 3.19 €

 *ORIFLAME OnColour Nail Polish

38983 Soft Pink, 38992 Deep Plum and 38996 Silver Black

These are the best products in the OnColour line. They don't state they are gel nail polishes, regardless they behave similarly and are very smooth to apply. One coat is enough, even at the darkest Deep Plum shade and I don't think I have any such shades that wouldn't be sheer with the first coat. Soft Pink is actually a pink coral, deep plum is pretty much black and silver black is a graphite grey with shimmer. 20 shades in total exist, 5 are special shimmery shades.

Oriflame, regular price 6.50 €, currently 3.19 € (5 ml)

 *MAX FACTOR Miracle Touch Skin Perfecting Foundation

I used to have the old version of Miracle Touch which was like a whipped creamy foundation in a compact form - this new one is nothing like it. It's that classic hard compact foundation and getting enough product on the face is a far bigger challenge than before. I got all the shades that are sold in Slovenia, of course none fit me (I took a picture for IG story of all four next to Makeup Revolution Fast Base Stick F1, a shade that fits me) and since the texture is hard, I cannot use my lightening drops and I can't wear these, nor do a proper review, so don't expect it. I applied one of the shades quickly on a Sunday so no one could see me and the first challenge is getting enough on the face quickly and second it's blending because it's a waxy texture. What I managed to get on the face had a matte-ish finish on my dry skin, but with so little I could get on, it's hard to tell if my assessment is true. I also could not tell you the level of coverage since all the shades are too dark for me. I'm sorry I can't be more help, but I can't work with these. The whole shade range contains 16 shades. It's got a separate compartment with the sponge.
Update: you can find a mini review from Preslava in the comments about this foundation, where she describes her experience with it on oily skin.

15.19 €

SKIN CARE

EUCERIN Hyaluron Filler Vitamin C Booster

I've already detailed my experience with this in my monthly favourites where I raved about it and I still stand by what I said. I've finished my first bottle and now I'm actually back to Melano because I want to use it up, but I'm already seeing it was a bad idea because my skin is no longer as nice as it was with this. Eucerin's is by far the nicest vitamin C product I've used, also most effective and a great product in general. This contains 10 % ascorbic acid, yet it works more effectively on me than the 20% Tiam, it also has no alcohol and it contains glycerine, squalane and hyaluronic acid. Eucerin's version has Vitamin C in a form of ascorbic acid, which is the most researched one in terms of beauty and has been shown to assist collagen production, but it's most often mentioned as a powerful brightener, helps fight UV damage and that is helps diminish fine lines. Vitamin C is packed in the bottom of the packaging, separated from the emulsion. Before first use, you have to peel off the foil to reveal a soft rubber bottom with you then have to press a few times to push the vitamin C to the emulsion. After some shaking the product is ready to use. The emulsion is very lovely - it's a nice smooth liquid formula that applies with ease and feels moisturising. Eucerin recommends to mix this with your moisturiser, but like I explained in my monthly favourites, I use it on its own. They also say that a reaction might occur when you first start using it, but I didn't experience it since I was already used to Tiam. At that one my skin became sensitive for a few days, so expect something like that if you're new to vitamin C products. I mentioned in my monthly favourites it took two weeks for the effects to start showing, but after than my skin was looking its best. It was always properly nourished, it started to become more even, healthy and I had zero breakouts (I'm currently treating one since I switched back to Melano). One thing that will bother people is that the bottles are very small with only 7.5 ml of product. While I like that they are small because by the time you finish the bottle the vitamin C is still relatively "fresh" compared to bigger bottles, I would much prefer to seethese costing less than 17 € for such a small amount and Tiam is still a far better bargain per ml if you can deal with the obnoxious texture and self-tan smelling skin. I love this, it's my favourite Vitamin C product out of the three I tried and I'm glad I have an extra bottle. There's a couple more cheaper vitamin C products I'm interested in (Nivea, Eveline and Avon), but though I'd love for them to be better because they are cheaper, it'll definitely be sticking to Eucerin's if those don't work out. 

Ingredients.

17.43€

NIVEA Sun UV Face Shine Control Cream SPF50

UV Gesicht Mattierender Sonnenschutz LSF 50

I've already mentioned this one in my last monthly favourites and in my best budget friendly post, so I've said a lot about it already. This fits my dry skin well and it's so far the only sunscreen from local drugstores I found that sets to a dry to the touch velvet finish. I can apply it the recommend 1/4-1/2 teaspoon amount with no problems and it never feels suffocating or heavy neither does it have a trace of a white cast. Texture feels like a regular cream, more on the thick side and it’s like a typical heavy sunscreen from the start with a lot of shine, but after a few minutes it completely sinks. There is some sunscreen shine, not greasy one, since this feels dry to the touch when it sets. I wear it under makeup and it never pills, but it can mess with the eyeliner, so it's not my favourite thing to use around the eyes. I get no oily shine during the day, but my skin is dry and it's been a while since I've had a greasy T-zone. Biore Aqua Rich Essence is still much lighter, as are A'Pieu Pure Block and Etude House Sunprise, but for my normal-dry skin Nivea is great.  

Ingredients.

Müller, 9.99 €

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse

Florale

I've so been enjoying being reunited with this. It's my favourite oil to use for my face and I've been using it for many years now, and I definitely missed it in my routine when I was without it for a month or two. I got the new Florale version though I very fond of the original. The new Floral version smells very similar as the discontinued Fleur D’Or Acacia by L’Occitane, it’s just a bit more green and citrusy. Nuxe says it smells like magnolia, white musk, grapefruit, lemon, bergamot and orange flower. Overall it’s a citrusy floral scent and it smells like spring to me. It's nice because it's different, I've been using the original for so long I don't even notice the scent anymore, but I still love it a tiny bit more than this one, though this one is pretty nice and I think also stronger. The ingredients are the same as in the original one. I said in my monthly favourites that this oil + Eucerin's vitamin C really helped my skin look its best.

Pharmacy, 25.50 €

 LVLY by Paola Maria Cleansing Oil

This is a new DM brand and as far as I could see consists of an cleansing mousse, serum (looked pretty good ingredients-wise), moisturiser with a SPF 15, eye cream, lip balm and one of those masks in a satchel (I saw a gycolic acid toner online too, but not in the shop). This oil immediately attracted my attention since I'm looking for a more affordable alternative to Biobaza. This one is about a third smaller (100 ml vs. 150 ml of Biobaza), but the latter costs almost 13 €. I've been using it for some time now and I'm not loving it. The texture is light like most such oils I've tried and once you start rubbing it in it becomes one of the thickest oils. Adding water creates a thick emulsion and normally I'd be so delighted to see this, but there is a bit problem - this does not rinse of completely. You can add as much water as you want and keep trying to get it off, but a film remains on the skin. Based on the feedback I got on Instagram, a lot had the same problem. A second cleansing with a gel or a mousse in an absolute must at this. For such a thick formula it doesn't remove waterproof mascara well and a separate two-phase oil cleanser is needed. Another thing is that in the following days my skin started to become more and more congested (possibly due to me not being able to wash it off completely, but it could also be that it's simply breaking me out like most oils). The scent is I think like Balea's other oil, it pretty much smells like vegetable oil, so nothing special. I really wanted to love this because Biobaza is expensive, but even if this didn't break me out, the fact it's so hard to rinse off it a no for me.

Ingredients.

DM, 3.99 €

BIOBAZA Exclusive Face Cleansing Micellar Oil

A repurchase. I still haven't found anything to replace this, I just sort of give in when my old bottle runs out and shell out those 13 € for a new one (we don't have Tuš Drogerija here with their discounts so it hurts even more). Sadly LVLY is not working for me, which is a shame because it would save me some money. Biobaza is 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.

DM, 12.79 €

DOVE Body Wash

Summer Breeze

This is a limited edition scent that I found in Müller. I was looking for something fresh among Dove formulas, which are my favourite and this was the closest to what I wanted, though I'd prefer something more uplifting as this is still relatively soft for a fresh scent. The description say it smells like apples and black currant. I get none of the notes, but it smells nicely fruity-fresh clean. 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 90% of other stuff.

Müller, 2.19 €

SUN DANCE Sun Milk 50+

Sonnenmilch 50+

After years of experimenting with sprays and oils and other weird textures, I went back to the basic, thick and annoyingly sticky sun cream. Last year I had a Lavazon clear sunscreen in a spray, that though it was clear was despite the promises greasy and it reeked of alcohol. The clumsy spray made it even worse as it was very difficult to apply nicely, so I decided to get a regular milk version for this year. This is a very regular sunscreen texture that never truly sinks in and it leaves you slightly sticky for a long time, but it's easy to apply and in sufficient quantity, since at sprays I never know how much to use. It's far from perfect, but it protects well and is a decent price for SPF 50+.

DM, 5.49 €

SUN DANCE Self-Tanning Face Cream 

Teint Selbstbräunungs Creme

I got this for mom, as it's been years since I've used a self tanner (I prefer to be my natural pale self). They had two such products from Sun Dance here, this inexpensive cream and a more expensive concentrate that is meant to be mixed with a regular moisturiser. This felt simpler to use, so I got this, but it's a shame they didn't have the toner version that I used to use and it was surprisingly good. I can't say anything about how this cream performs yet, but I buy one of these either from Sun Dance or Lavazon every year for mom and they've always been good enough for the price. 

DM, 1.89 €

SUN DANCE Sensitive Lip Balm SPF 50

Sensitiv Lippen Pflege Stift

I always use my Palmer's Swivel stick which I've been using for years and it's my favourite ever, but I have only version with no SPF, so I grabbed this for using during the day. It's better than I expected. I'm used to the lovely soft texture of Palmer's and dislike the waxy formula of regular lip balms, but this feels more balmy and doesn't just sit on the lips doing nothing. It's nicely moisturising and it holds on well, it didn't wipe off completely during eating and drinking which was impressive. It's got no scent. 

DM, 1.69 €

SUBRINA Shower Gel 

Rainbow Splash

I made a switch from the Cherry Blossom to Rainbow Splash which is a lot more girly with a scent of gummy bears (official description is a fresh fruity floral scent). I still have Fresh Elder which is my current favourite and when it runs out I'll repurchase it in this Spar XXL size, but Rainbow Splash might stay in the shower long too, since I'm a bit fed up with Cherry Blossom by now, though it's really good. 

Interspar, 1.85 €

DOVE Nourishing Shower Cream

A repurchase. Dove shower products are my favourite because of the luxurious creamy formula. Since I finally found an XXL formula in Slovenia, I'll keep repurchasing it. This one has a classic Dove creamy scent.

Müller, 2.99 €

DOVE Purely Pampering Coconut Milk & Jasmine Petals Shower Gel

I haven't seen this scent in a while, it's gone from DM and Müller, apparently to make place for the new less appealing scents to me. This scent is so amazing, but I don't know how to describe it. It's creamy, soft and floral, but not a since whiff of coconut, which I actually appreciate.

Interspar, 2.29 €

BALEA Rasiergel

Exotic Coco

Standard repurchase and another one is the numerous LE edition scent editions. This one of the worst editions they've done and I hope they'll replace it soon. Don't expect a coconut or frangipani scent, it's all very plastic, boring and not authentic. 

DM, 1.99 €

EBELIN Nail Polish Remover Express

Another repurchase. I had an ancient Aveo version in my drawer which I never liked because the sponge was falling apart from the first use. This one has a softer sponge which last a bit longer (still not even remotely comparable to the original Bourjois). These are still expensive for the amount of uses you get (it's best to stick to neutrals if you want it to last long and avoid reds or glitters for as long as possible), but it's still the fastest way to get the nail polish off. I mostly use regular cotton pad + remover method to avoid buying these express removers too often. 

DM, 1.99 €

HAIR

PANTENE Pro V Intensive Repair

Since I was so blown away by the quality of the conditioner, I got most of the rest of the Repair line too. Still on my list is the 3 Minute mask, but not the oil because it's got a high alcohol content. I gave everything to my mom to try first, since she has the same texture of hair like me and was complaining it's consistently so dry and she gave everything two thumbs up (and she's even less forgiving to hair products that me, for example she doesn't like Schwarzkopf Professional Bonding Potion and Mask and I find them great.)

Shampoo

This is a very creamy, thick formula and it doesn't foam that much on the first wash, but on the second it produces a very thick and rich foam. It’s similar to L’Oreal’s Extraordinary oil shampoo in terms that it almost feels like there is a bit of conditioner in there (it doesn't have silicones unlike L'Oreal), but it’s not quite the same and I still like L'Oreal's a bit more. I find it’s great for very dry hair and probably my second favourite drugstore shampoo.

Ingredients.

DM, 3.99 € (400 ml)

Intensive Mask

Mask is just like the conditioner one of the most impressive formulas I’ve found. It’s a bit thicker, but it does the same job of nourishing the hair, making it soft, silky and shiny. The pot is easier to use that the squeeze tube, but I'll continue buying both. The conditioner is a bit cheaper per ml.

Ingredients.

DM, 4.79 € (300 ml)

Instant Damage Defense Conditioning Spray Leave-in

Surprisingly this has no silicones, which is not common for Pantene and it has panthenol high on the list, which is a good moisturiser. The two-phase design is just like at Gliss Total Repair 19 and indeed these two feel similar. I tried using it on dry hair and it's not amazing just as I expected, I prefer something with silicones because when my hair is dry it become tangled and silicones make it smoother and more manageable. For me this is a leave-in conditioner to use on damp hair straight after rinsing off the conditioner to add an extra boost of moisture and it does its job well, it will likely be too heavy for some. It needs to be shaken a lot during between spraying because it separates fast. 

Ingredients.

DM, 2.99 €

Have a great day!

Empties #32

Balea Bioré catrice Dove Empties HASK Head & Shoulders Holy Snails L'Oreal Macadamia Natural Oil Nivea Nuxe Purito Schwarzkopf Secret Key Sheet mask Subrina The Body Shop

Empties #32

Admin   May 21, 2019   Comment  

MAKEUP

CATRICE Liquid Eyeliner

010 Dating Joe Black

I used up one more. It's my favourite eyeliner formula that I use every day and I always have a spare in stock. It's super black, dries matte, has a great applicator that is easy to use and it lasts all day on my lids. I gave Essence a try for a while, but it's not as good, so this remains a solid favourite.

Repurchase: Done.

SKINCARE

BALEA Erfrischendes Wasch Gel

I've used up several of the old versions and this was my first reformulate tube which I prefer because they got rid of the strong masculine scent. It's a gentle face gel that I use as a second cleanser after oil. 

Repurchase: Done.

L'OREAL Pure Clay Glow Mask

This is my second used up pot of these. This was the green version meant for treating imperfections and oily skin, but I had three versions (also Glow and Exfo) and they have the same effect (well Exfo is a clay mask + scrub). It's a standard clay mask that I use when I have spots or my skin feels a bit off and I need a "skin care day" to fix it up a bit. It does the job and smells ok, actually this has my favourite scent of the three as it's most "spa like". Though the packaging has an extra lid that should help the product from drying out, both I used up were so dry by the end I had to mix them with water to revive them. 

Repurchase: I have two more in stock, but yes. It's quite expensive though for what it is, but one pot lasts me a while.

SECRET KEY Pink Racoony Hydro Gel Eye & Cheek Patch 

These were so cute, shaped like pink hearts and they could be used in one piece or cut in two for using under the eyes. Problem with these is that though they are hydrogels, the closer I was to the end, the less moist they felt. They felt so soothing under the eyes and that pleasant cool feeling remained for a while even after I took them off. I find they don't do any dramatic difference, they merely moisturise and I didn't notice them helping dark circles or lines, but they are very pleasant on tired eyes. The scent was very strong at these and it was the scent of roses that I don't like that much in cosmetics, but otherwise these were nice. 

Repurchase: These were my first ones and I'd like to try some other ones like Petitfee, SNP or Berrisom.

HOLY SNAILS Hanbang Shark Sauce and Honey Shark Sauce

This should be amazing, in mean it's got a high percentage of niancinamide, plus ceramides and ginseng in the Hanbang version and organic manuka honey, propolis, royal jelly in the Honey Shark and they both have hyaluronic acid, ferments and liquorice extract - so all the good things. However, I never got the brightening effect I expected from either of these. It was a simple serum product that when I either included it in my skin care routine or excluded it, I didn't see a difference. Shame, I had high such hopes for this after seeing so much excellent feedback. On a plus side, 7 ml samples lasted a long time and I wasn't frugal with them. 

Repurchase: It's too expensive and I'm not seeing the results I want.

NUXE Huile Prodigeuse

I've been using this oil since 2013 and for years I've used it every single day. Now I still use it very often, but since I started exploring K-Beauty products I tend to forget to use it because I have so many other steps in the routine, but tit's always been that one product that I turn to when something I'm testing broke me out because I know this works for me. My bottle is a very old limited edition because I tend to stock up on these way before I use up the old bottle, so it got its turn only now. I find this oil really suits my skin so well, it's light, non-greasy and one of those products I can always relay on. While I had this bottle, I tested The Body Shops Oils of Life Oil and I loved it even more, but I still want to have another bottle of this too.  

Repurchase: Yes, I really want to try the new Florale version too.

BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel

This version has already been updated and has gone through a reformulation, so I don't think this review will help you much, but both Biore gel and Essence (version 2015) were the best sunscreens I've tried. They were the lightest such products I've tried, didn't leave any stickiness, white cast or greasiness, instead they were more like primers with a velvet finish. I still have an essence in this old version bought last year, which was unopened until this year, but after I use it up, I'll try the new formulas of these.

Repurchase: Yes, the new versions.

SHEET MASKS

All of these are my favourites and ones I've repurchased. I have separate reviews for each:

MY BEAUTY DIARY Natural Key Series Facial Mask Black Pearl - great brightening effect

THE FACE SHOP Solutions Pearl - another with a brightening effect and best sheet fit for me.

THE SAEM Natural Skin Fit Mask (Disney Edition of packaging) Grapefruit  - super comfy essence and a good moisturising effect.

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Sheet Mask Madecassoside - soothing, repairing and nourishing. My new love.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Honey Mask - nourishing and smells amazing like honey.

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Whitening Honey Mask - my all-time favourite. Very brightening and nourishing, smells like honey.

Repurchase: Definitely, yes to all and I still have most of these in stock.

BALEA Hydrogen Masks for eyes and lips

These were nothing special in terms of effect. The eye mask felt refreshing, but I saw no visible improvement and the lip mask did less than my Palmer's lip balm does. But they are very pretty with the lace pattern. I think these were made permanent after being a LE.

Repurchase: Maybe the eye patches.

BODY

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel

My favourite shower gel because it's the creamiest formula I know and it's not drying. I finally found a big packaging in Slovenia, which I'll keep on buying.

Repurchase: Done.

SUBRINA Shower Gel

Cherry Blossom

I've actually gone through more than one of these, plus Perfume Drops and Pina Colada version. These all smell so good and the scent lasts on the skin, at cherry blossom almost like a fragrance. Bad side that I've noticed after a long periods of using these they are drying, so I swap between the more expensive Dove with Subrina. These are also some of the cheapest shower gels here, with a price under 2 € for 400 ml. 

Repurchase: Done.

THE BODY SHOP Almond Milk & Honey Body Butter

This is one of my favourites scents from The Body shop, although unlike any other body butter I had from them this changed its scent in time. Originally this has a lovely sweet milky-honey scent, then it became more musky. Texture, however, is just not the same The Body Shop rich goodness and this is more like a medium thick regular cream. It was still moisturising enough, but I prefer their original body butter texture. 

Repurchase: Yes. 

BALEA Rasier Schaum

Coco Melon

This was the first time I bought the mousse version instead or the gel one I usually buy. At first I thought there is no big difference between the two, but as it got low on product, it wasn't sticking to the skin as well as gel, but otherwise this is still pretty good and if I like any of the LE scents I'll get it again instead of a gel. I loved the scent of this edition. It was mostly like melon, but the coconut note made it a bit warmer. I hope Balea reuses this scent sometime.

Repurchase: Only if I like any LE scent, otherwise I'm sticking to the gel version. 

NIVEA Pearl & Beauty Anti-perspirant

My standard deodorant. 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. 

Repurchase: Done.

HAIR

L'OREAL Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo

One of my favourite drugstore shampoos, but this isn't sold here anymore and it was replaced by the equally fantastic Extraordinary Oil. Both are very similar to the much more expensive Kerastase Oleo-Intense, meaning they are like a shampoo +  a good conditioner in one (it doesn't claim to be a 2-in-1) and so far they are the only cheap shampoos I've found that work for my very dry, coarse and thick hair. My hair isn't at all tangled or nor does it leave that squeaky clean feeling I despise at that shampoos because my hair needs a lot of care, instead it feels smooth when I'm rinsing this off and I can comb my hair wet with no problems. The scent of this one was nicer than of Extraordinary that I'm using now, but that's the only difference. 

Repurchase: I don't know if this version doesn't exist anymore, but Extraordinary Oil is exactly the same except for the scent and it's the one I'm using now.

HEAD & SHOULDERS Anti-Dandruff Supreme Moisture Conditioner

I liked this as a conditioner because it was ok even on my super dry hair, even though it doesn't feel heavy, however, it unfortunately didn't work when it came to eliminating dandruff. Not that I'm surprised about the latter because I've tried almost everything and nothing really works long term. I'd buy it again purely because it's a good cheap conditioner for dry hair.

Repurchase: Yes.

DOVE Advanced Hair Series Regenerirende Aufbaupflege

An averagely good drugstore mask, but not quite enough for my hair. I need a bit more than this, especially if I want my hair to stay moisturised for more than a day, but for someone with moderately dry hair it should be really good. I'm not sure if this exists anymore because Dove has made some major changes to their hair care line

Repurchase: Not since I found Pantene Repair conditioner.

MACADAMIA Professional Weightless Moisture Leave-in Conditioning Mist

This was originally a missed purchase that I bought in my search for a Orofluido Sahara replacement. I was going to buy their Healing Oil Spray, but they expanded their range at the time with their Professional line and I thought this too was an oil in spray like Sahara (I've since finally found a replacement in Createurs de Monoi Shine spray). This is a regular leave-in conditioner and it's super light, so from the start I thought this won't do anything for me. Yet the longer I had it, the more I started to appreciate, especially because of the great list of ingredients which includes keratin in hydrolysed form, which is the best version of proteins. It's feels like nothing on the hair, yet I do feel like it's giving my hair an extra boost of moisture and the mist is so fine, making it easy to spray all over the hair quickly. I think this formula would suit any hair type and it should be great even on those with thin hair that gets easily weighted down. Only thing I had to get used to was a strong fragrance, which isn't a bad one, just more unique than most hair products. It's like an oriental perfume with heavy notes, so in summer it's not so easy to handle. 

Repurchase: Yes, because of the good ingredients, but I recently got Schwarzkopf Bonacure Bonacure Fibre Force Fortifying Primer instead. 

HASK Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner

I saw a very positive review on these HASK masks and though I was very doubtful because most people don't have such thick and dry hair like me meaning they need a lot less care for their hair to feel amazing, I grabbed one in Müller after checking the ingredients. The latter are not outstanding and I'm bothered by the fragrance on 4th place, but the rest looked ok and it has lanolin on 5th place which should help seal the moisture in. Oils are after 5th place, but there's several of them, not just argan. The mask is nicely thick, just the way I like it and it's possible it would feel heavy on thin hair, but I can't say for sure. There is 50 ml in the packet which was just enough for one use for my long thick hair, but for some this could last up to 3 uses and certainly 2 for most. It's got an orange scent with some oriental feel, so it's not a zesty fresh type of scent. For a deep treatment, this proved to be fairly weak for my hair. At first the effects of this were ok. It wasn't amazingly nourishing for my hair, but decent enough. However, by day two my hair was so dry and far from being soft, so I had to use just a conditioner again (I used Aussie) to replenish moisture. Maybe for most this will be a good deep treatment to use when the hair needs a pick me up, but for me it was a waste of time. 

Repurchase: No.

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Blonde Toning 

Steel Blue and Sand

For my first use I used half a tubes of each Steel Blue and Sand, which didn't get me to the desired cool medium-dark blonde I want, so I got an extra tube of Steel Blue and use a mix of 3/4 Steel Blue + 1/4 of Sand plus bleached my hair to a lighter shade to see if it will tone the yellow-orange tones I've been trying to get rid off. For a demi-permanent colour this is pretty drying, more so than the bleach, which was surprising. I expected it to turn grey-blue when it was processing, just like those toners for very pale blondes turn purple, but it surprisingly turned pink-mauve. It toned golden yellow hair best, which is a level 9-8, while it turned my lightest pale yellow strands (level 10) blue silver grey, which I did not like at all and shade Ice would have been better for those. The orange strands level 7-8, which I expected it will tone based on reviews and colour theory were left the same as without a toner, so my hair was looking very uneven with ultra cool and warm bits. I've been trying my best to lighten my hair enough to tone it and get it to actually a darker shade that I have now (I want a cool dark blonde and I'm a golden medium blonde now), unfortunately even if I leave the bleach on for 45 minutes, it's a slow process with my thick, naturally dark hair. I hoped this toner will help with the orange-reddish bits, but it only works properly on golden medium blonde hair,so  lighter hair than I expected. Plus I noticed it washes out so fast with a regular SLS shampoo, so I'd recommend you use a sulphate free shampoo or a cleansing conditioner after using these. 

Instead of Blondme developer, which is only sold in 1l versions, I used Ilirija's Hydrogen Cream 3% which is sold everywhere here and comes in a 120 ml bottle, which is just enough for mixing with two tubes of this toner. 3% is best for toning bleached hair because it doesn't lift (much), it just deposits the colour, so it's the most gentle and least damaging percentage of developer. The formula is very liquid compared to Blondme, so I needed a lot more mixing to get a smooth consistency, but it worked just fine. 

Repurchase: Yes, maybe, I don't know. Depends if I'll go any lighter, as it's not working 100% on my currently uneven colour. I picked up a L'Oreal Excellence 7.1 and 8.1 to see if the ashy tones in those are strong enough at least tone down the warm tones. If I decide to give up on blonde  I'll probably use shade 6.3 since it's a colour I quite like out of the darker shades.

PURITO Defence Barrier pH Cleanser

This was a lovely very cleanser with a nice thick foam and I'd like it a lot if it didn't irritate my eyes a bit. It's not as terrible as other K-Beauty cleansers I've tried, but it's still not as gentle as Balea's.

Purchase: No.

PURITO Centella Green Level Calming Toner

This is a slightly thicker toner than they usually are, but overall nothing special when it comes to moisturising. I prefer EH Moistufull collagen, but this is intriguing because it has Centella Asiatica Extract high on the list.

Purchase: It's likeable because of the ingredients.

PURITO Centella Green Level Recovery Cream

Though it feels like a light lotion, this takes quite a while to sink in. Since I have dry skin I like that I have this filter of cream for a while, but it's something I'd only use at night. It promises to fade acne scars and contains 49 % of Centella Asiatica Extract and Niacinamide high on the list, so this sound quite good, but based on a sample I can't report on long term results. 

Purchase: Again, it's likeable because of the ingredients. 

Have a great day!