The Shubhkamna: Sundance
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Showing posts with label Sundance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sundance. 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!

Monday, July 15, 2019

New in #81


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. 
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.  
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.
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.
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.
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. 
DM, 2.99 €

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