Deborah 24 Ore Velvet Mat Lipstick 07

deborah lipstick

Deborah 24 Ore Velvet Mat Lipstick 07

Admin   March 10, 2020   Comment  

These are new in the drugstores and come in 8 shades. I have great experience with Deborah lips products, in particular I love their liquid matte lipstick, so this line immediately caught my attention. As expected I was not disappointed and these turned out to be great quality. 

Texture: Formula is really well made. It's super smooth, it glides on the lips with ease and it's not too thick or drying. Finish is properly matte and it's got a good level of pigmentation, but it's not as opaque as matte liquid lipsticks. It doesn't feel uncomfortable not even after several hours have passed, so if you didn't get a long with the liquid version, these feel less dry on the lips.

Shade: 02 is a medium warm pink that's similar to the discontinued Essence Stay True Lipliner waterproof 08 Thank you Berry much. Deborah has accurate swatches of all shades on their website

Staying power: I was concerned it might not last long, but it looks like freshly applied several hour later, provided of course I don't eat anything greasy. It's not as long lasting as the liquid version, but for a regular lipstick it's really good.

Packaging: It's a crayon like pencil with a wind up mechanism, so there's no need for a pencil sharpener. However, there's also nothing to help you make it more precise again when use it up a bit, Maybelline's SuperStay Ink for example is a similar design and they added a sharpener at the back. Formula's are actually very similar, so here is where Maybelline takes the lead.

Price and availability: It's sold in DM for 8.69 €.

Deborah nailed another matte formula and this one is more comfortable than the liquid version if you tend to have more dry lips. It's so smooth and lasts well, so I'm very pleased with the formula, but it has some strong competition is the drugstores.

Have a great day!

New in #88

Balea catrice deborah Fructis gliss Joico L'occitane L'Oreal Matrix Maybelline New In Olaplex Oriflame The Body Shop

New in #88

Admin   February 09, 2020   Comment  

 L'OREAL Paradise Extatic Mascara

I was going through my reviews and I was reminded what a great volumising effect this mascaras has, so I put it on my wishlist and later got it as a gift. What I failed to remember is how much it drops the lashes. In 2019 I was lucky enough to receive two absolutely amazing formulas, Max Factor's 2000 Calorie and Oriflame's Tremendous mascara, which I've been using for the pasts half a year and both keep my lashes up enough, so I sort of forgot about my lashes being annoying/thought maybe they changed, but sadly Paradise reminded me why I'm not a fan of most regular formulas. Regardless this has one of the nicest volumising effects. It quickly creates big, volumised lashes that are nicely separated and fanned out - it truly is a winner. So I ordered the waterproof version and hopefully I'll get the same effect with the added bonus keeping my lashes curled.

Müller, 13.99 €

L'OREAL Le Blush 

120 Sandalwood Pink

I've been in this rut when it comes to blushes because I've been using the amazing L.O.V. ones almost exclusively since I got them almost a year ago. This was on my wishlist since the day I first saw Le Blushes here and gave them a swatch. We only have two shades, but as far as I know more exist. I sort of forgot that not all blushes are as amazingly smooth as L.O.V.s, those truly spoiled me, thought this L'Oreal formula is still a great one, but kind of a standard good formula, similar to Catrice one. It's not as easy and fool proof to apply as L.O.V., but it behaves the same as the rest of my better blushes. It's nicely pigmented, it has a tiny bit of a glow, but not as much as I want (and get with L.O.V. 050) and it lasts well. The shade is muted rosy-slightly brownish/peachy shade that looks like a regular pink flush on my cheeks. You also get a brush and a mini mirror in the back of the packaging.

Müller, 10.99 €

DEBORAH 24 Ore Velvet Mat Lipstick

07

These are new in the drugstores and since they are matte I was immediately interested, luckily I got one as a gift from my cousin (thank you!). I was picking between shades 02 and 07, the first I felt looked a bit too brownish for me, though it was a pretty shade, but I picked the more pink looking 07. Formula is really well made, it's properly matte, glides on the lips with ease, it's not too thick or drying and it's got a good level of pigmentation. I was concerned it might not last long, but it looks like freshly applied several hour later, provided of course I don't eat. 

DM, 8.69 €

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

110 

My favourite foundation. Müller had 30% off and I grabbed a spare because I wore this after about two months of not being able to wear makeup and when my skin settled, I picked up this and it made my skin look so good. It looks so natural and smooth, so like my skin, but 10x better. In Müller this is the lightest shade (I think there are some lower numbers in DM), which is ok for me, but 100 fits me better.

Müller, 8.49 €

CATRICE Lip Treatment with Shea Butter

This is about to be discontinued/it's already gone so it had a 50% discount. I'm just not impressed by it. The texture looks very promising, it's nicely thick and gives the appearance it's going to be very nourishing, however, it ends up being much lighter on the lips, it doesn't stay very long and it's not super moisturising. Maybe I'm spoiled from Laneige, but the cheaper Palmer's is better too as is their stick version, it's just annoyingly white on the lips. The scent is odd, I don't know of what it is, most say an artificial lemon scent, but mine is weirder, like something past expiration date. This was a missed purchase.

Müller, 2 €

*CATRICE Poreless Perfection Mousse Foundation

010 Warm Ivory

This is very similar to the Rimmel's Lasting Matte foundation I reviewed recently. It's so thick that it's not easy to get it out of the tube, yet it turns into this light mousse formula that's instantly dry-to-the-touch and completely matte, so it's like some pore refining primers. Shade 010 is much too dark for me (005 exists too, but we had no testers in my local Müller, so I couldn't check how light it is to report back to you) and this texture is impossible to lighten with The Body Shop Adjusting Drops, as it kind of clumps up and becomes useless. Another big issue with this is that I couldn't apply a concealer over it in a nice way because it made the foundation under it pile and cake. Maybe it's because it's silicone free, I don't know. However, on its own it has a nice effect on the skin - as described it creates a smooth, somewhat poreless effect and it's completely matte. Coverage is light, I can't call it a light-medium and it's not really buildable because the formula is an odd one. So far I find it's just too problematic, though if you can find match and you plan to use it on its own as pore hiding primer with some coverage it's okay-ish, but I find I can't apply anything with moisture on top. Maybe others had better luck with this one than me.

6.09 €

*CATRICE Instant Awake Concealer 

005 Neutral Light

This is much more impressive than the foundation and a very likeable product. It's not quite as nice as Maybelline's Eraser, mostly due to the packaging, but it has a similar texture and effect. It's a natural looking concealer with a medium coverage, so just the type I like most, but the applicator could be a bit better. At Maybelline's it's soft, yet not flimsy, but at Catrice's the sponge part is empty inside, so it's completely flexible and you can't use it for blending like Maybelline's. But that's not such a big minus and the formula deserve a praise, even though some might consider it not pigmented enough, but Catrice has their Liquid Coverage for when you need more. Due to a light formula it creases, so you need to set it with some powder. My shade is the second lightest and it's passable on me, it's due to the sheerer formula, so one shade fits a wider range of skin tones. One big minus that I think will become problematic soon - it's only 1.8 ml of product. Based on my experience with a Bourjois 123 CC concealer that has a similar amount, this won't last long, plus here the sponge absorbs a lot of the product (in comparison you get 6.8 ml at Maybelline, so it's actually much cheaper per ml).

5.09 €

CATRICE Tender Lash LE 3D False Lashes 

C03 Posh

I bought one pair myself and in a few days I got sent the same pair. These looked the most wearable and least crazy when I was picking which pair to take in this limited edition, however, when I tried them on they just look way too much on me. They are also too wide for my, granted, smaller eyes than average, so I'd have to cut away a bit to make them fit. They feel flexible and light, but they are noticeable on the eye due to the sheer weight. The added glue works ok, though for such big lashes I almost feel it could be a bit stronger.

Müller, 4.29 €

*CATRICE Tender Lash LE Liquid Eyeliner

C03 Reflection

A sparkly eyeliner with a dark purple/brown/grey base. It's more liquid than their black regular version I use all the time and not as pigmented, though you can get a fully opaque coat with this. It takes a couple of minutes to set and it feels more wet than their most. Staying power is not as impressive as at black one and most of it is gone in a few hours.

4.19 €

  Also wearing Catrice Instant Awake Concealer over Lancome Teint Idole Ultra, L'Oreal Le Blush 120 Sandalwood Pink and Deborah 24 Ore Velvet Mat Lipstick 07.

CATRICE Lash Couture 

Classicista Volume Lashes

The other lashes I picked on Catrice's stand, I was going to take the magnetic ones, but they look like something between an accent and regular ones, so I wasn't sure they are worth it (Essence's look even weirder). These reminded me of Ardell's demi wispies, which are the only lashes I liked so far. when I tried them first I was not impressed at all because they looked like I was wearing nothing, but the reason for than was my own obnoxious lashes. I wore Lash Paradise which doesn't hold them up, so even with extra length and volume of these lashes, I looked like I have none. On the second try I wore them with Essence's I <3 Extreme waterproof which managed kept my lashes curled and the effect was much more impressive. Actually I now I feel they are already too much for me, I'd prefer something more natural, but these are still a nice set for when you want big, voluminous lashes, but not look completely ridiculous like with the set I mentioned above. The band is flexible and they feel light on the eyes, so I’m not constantly aware they are on, unless I get the glue everywhere like I did the first time. The added glue holds ok, it got me through both days, but it’s not very strong. 

Müller, 4.29 €

*CATRICE Plumping Serum 1,5% Hyaluronic Acid

Catrice released three new skin care products, aside from this one also a vitamin C serum (with a combination of niacinamide and a stable version of vitamin C Sodium ascorbyl phosphate high on the list ) and a rose face mist. This serum seem pretty much the same to me as the hyaluronic serum from Hofer that I had many years ago and I didn't like it very much. It's a thick serum that's hard to pick up with the pipette and when dries it leaves this film on the skin, so when you want to apply anything over it, it can pile. I much prefer the texture of Hada Labo lotion which contains several sizes of hyaluronic acid and it doesn't feel at all sticky like this one. This serum is fragranced which might not make it suitable for some with sensitive skin. As a plus I can say that unlike several hyaluronic acid products it appears it's not breaking me out.

6.09 € 

*THE BODY SHOP Drops of Youth™ Youth Concentrate

I'm more of a fan of the Oil of Life line and I was always very sceptical about this one due to alcohol high on the list, though it is after glycerine, still I have fears this could totally wreck the barrier. But after reading reviews which are mostly positive, I've decided to risk it and just go with it, at least for some time. It's a similar thick serum texture as Catrice's Hyaluronic acid, but not as sticky. My skin starts to feel tight fast after application when I use it on its own, but I can't determine whether it's actively drying or just not enough for my skin on its own. I counteract the drying with a ton of extra skin care, which I use daily anyway. I saw no immediate results, though some people report visibly improves the condition of the skin practically overnight. I hear it assist at fading old spot marks, I have quite a few at the moment and after two weeks of regular use in combination with several products my skin did stop breaking out so much on my chin, which was my problem for the last month and my spot marks are less visible, but it's not a miraculously fast improvement. Honestly, I'm not comfortable using a product with so much alcohol so high on the list even if it would have amazing results. Annoying thing about this - it's so thick and the pipette's hole is so small, it can't suck up any product, so I'm forced scrapping it off the pipette.

29.50 €

*THE BODY SHOP Drops of Youth™ Youth Eye Concentrate

This is one of those eye product with a metal massage ball. You press the applicator and quite a lot of product comes out from the sides of the ball and TBS suggest you massage it in in a shape of an 8. The first two uses it burned. I don't know whether it was the alcohol, which is also high on the list here, or something else, but for the first few minutes I felt a medium strength burning, yet got no redness or irritations. The next uses were completely fine and I still continue to use it, though I see no result from this yet and my eyes aren't puffy when I wake up, so I don't know if the metal ball helps with that, but the applicator is nice to use. It's just the formula I'm not so sure about because it also has alcohol too high on the list.

21.50 €

*THE BODY SHOP Hemp Hydrating & Protecting Shower Oil

This is a brand new product by TBS and I'm not sure, but I don't recall any other shower oil, so it might be their first. The texture of this reminds me of L'Occitane's, meaning it's a thick formula that forms a rich emulsion and is definitely appropriate for dry skin. However, as much as I love the formula of this, I can't stand the smell. It's a strong herbal scent that lingers for so long and I never liked such fragrances. They need to make this formula with their shea scent.

13.90 €

*THE BODY SHOP Hemp Hard-working Hand Protection

Another great formula from The Body Shop, this one is an old one though and I remember it being very popular in the past. It's very thick and rich, similar to L'Occitane's 20% Shea Butter Creams and actually even more intense. It doesn't absorb as fast, but it leaves a nourishing coat that persists for a while, so I can see it working great on very dry skin. But again I can't stand the herbal scent which lasts for hours.

6.90 €

*THE BODY SHOP Heavy-duty Lip Care

A fairly average lip balm, but an average great one. It reminds me of Lip Smackers and it's not a waxy-feeling formula that just sits on the lips. The scent is not for me, though it's the most mild of the three products. 

6.90 €

L'OCCITANE 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream

Honey Harvest

I've always loved L'Occitane honey products, they smelled so authentic and it was one of the reasons I feel in love with the brand a decade ago (+ almond), so I was excited to see they released a few products late last year. I didn't test them before putting them on my wishlist because I was so sure they always use the scent, then I got it as a gift from my cousin, who got it for me well this set was sold out. This is quite far away from the honey scent I'm familiar with, it's a strong floral (probably orchid) with a tiny hint of honey. At least the formula is the same rich texture of the shea 20%, so excellent quality.

L'OCCITANE 5% Shea Butter Lip Balm 

Honey Harvest

Same goes for this as the cream: the scent is not honey and it makes the lip gloss taste like perfume. Formula is ok, but L'Occitane had much, much better glosses in the past. It's like a lip gloss-lip balm creamy hybrid, however, it doesn't last as long on the lips as some others. 

ORIFLAME Wild Blueberry Shower Cream and Multi-Purpose Cream

As expected this smells like candy blueberries. I've been using the shower gel and it's an average one one with a nice, strong scent. I haven't tried the cream yet.

Oriflame, Shower Cream 4.90 € (with current discount 2.99 €); Cream 9.90 € (with current discount 3.99 €)

JOICO K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor 

A repurchase. I've raved about it many times because it never fails to fix my hair when very protein deficient, so even more coarse to the touch than usual with zero softness, lacks pliability and no amount of moisturising care nourishes it sufficiently. This is like a time machine that fixes the hair to its previous state. I always use it in combination with the Intense Hydrator since because it's a protein treatment, on its own it doesn't leave the hair soft and it's really recommended you use a moisturising mask after for the best possible result. Its' better than Olaplex on me in terms of visible, touchable effect, but I consider them different products and I still use Olaplex regularly.

Notino, 21.50 €

JOICO K-PAK Intense Hydrator

Another repurchase, this one unlike Reconstructor one of many since I've been buying it for years. It's one of the best treatments for my dry, thick coarse hair. It works best with Reconstructor, but when I don't need a heavy dose of protein, I use this on its own as a moisturising treatment.

Notino, 21.90 €

JOICO K-Pak Liquid Reconstructor

I already talked about this in my monthly favourites. It's is a leave-in light version of the Reconstructor that I use after most washes now (though I soon won't because every hair care needs a careful balance of protein and moisturing treatments, and overdoing on proteins can lead to brittle hair, so I'll alternate it with a moisturising one). I wanted Joico's Quadramine Complex in a leave-in version too because it's quicker to use and I can use it in-between intense treatments with Reconstructor. I mentioned in monthly favourites that I've been using it on dry ends too in between washes then I add Nuxe oil on top and my ends stay moisturised much, much longer than usual, which makes sense when you know that proteins fill the empty spaces on damaged hair, fix the porosity somewhat and therefore prevent it from "leaking moisture like a sieve" (that's my way of putting it, but porous hair absorbs and also loses moisture much faster, that's why damaged hair dries quickly being wet). The bottle is massive with 300 ml of product which should last me a while. It's a light milky liquid that doesn't weight down the hair, make it greasy or sticky, so it should fit fine damaged hair like Joico says.

Notino, 19.90 €

MATRIX Total Results The Re-Bond 2 Pre-Conditioner

I already raved about this in my monthly favourites - with one use this duo became one of my favourite product lines ever, truly the results were flipping mind blowing and even since I used it, my hair feels like new even after using other care. It got that bounce back, since after I bleached my hair didn't fall as nicely as before, it just felt stiff and though Joico did a massive improvement already fixing in (basically adding strength), this made that extra step to make it feel more healthy. It made it feel more silky and it added a lot of shine, and results lasted even after I used other treatments, so this get high praise from me. I said in my monthly favourites I left it on a lot longer than instructions say, though that's just my thing, obviously for most those 5 minutes should be enough, but leaving on longer doesn't hurt. You get 200 ml of this for 8 € and the texture of the product, though it's on the thick side, is very emollient so it's easy to spread all over the hair without using excessive amounts. 

Notino, 8.30 €

MATRIX Total Results The Re-Bond 3 Conditioner

Re-bond conditioner is meant for frequent use unlike step 2, which is more of a special treatment (step 2 should be layered with the conditioner, so you should invest in both if you plan to get it. The shampoo from this line looks like a regular cleansing/chelating one to me and since I heard it's drying, I skipped it). Texture is quite a light, liquid conditioner that is very easy to spread. I have only used it with step two and once with a Moroccanoil Restorative mask (I'll talk about it in next new in because I just used it once yesterday, but so far I'm impressed), so I don't know how it works on its own, but it might be too light for me. I might use it one day on it's own and report back, but I plan to use it mostly in combination with step 2. There was no scent at either of the products. Here you get 300 ml for 7 € (if you buy online, I saw some crazy prices in a salon and on meindm, which shows prices in Austrian DMs - 18.5 €!).

Notino, 6.90 €

OLAPLEX n.3

A repurchase. I always say the same thing - I don't see visible results from this but I still use it because I bleached my hair and it's the only product that science proves rebuilds broken bonds, so the it's only one that fixes damage (L'Oreal's/Matrixes malic acid just lubricates the protein chains I believe, making the hair less brittle). I honestly wouldn't be bleaching my hair if I didn't have this in my collection. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Notino, 23.00 €

MATRIX Total Results Brass Off Custom Neutralization Hair Mask

This is a very complicated product to use, in fact I'm still trying to get a hang of it. It was designed for brunettes with blonde highlights, ombre, balayage - anything where bleach was involved. When dark hair is lightened you get first red, then orange, golden and lastly yellow tones, and to reach the lightest hair it can take several bleachings, so you can be stuck on more orange-yellow stages than a natural blonde would when lightening the hair and instead of a classic purple shampoo/mask, you need a blue product counteract those brassy tones that start to appear fast as the colour/toner is washing off. This looks so intense blue on the hair, it's kind of scary to see it, but at least it smells nicely like blueberries (Tigi's Small Talk has the same scent). It says to leave it on for 10 minutes and to use gloves (which stupidly I didn't as you can on my nails, but I don't like using gloves because I don't feel well where I already applied the product). It's a thick product, meaning you use a lot, especially since you have to make sure every strand is coated, so you use at least twice as much as of a regular hair mask (not sure if the conditioner is lighter, but it might have been a better choice if I got that instead. There's also a shampoo, but I prefer masks/conditioners based on experience). I assumed this was a product that is too strong for my relatively blonde hair by now, so the first time I left it on for only 5 minutes and I got zero effect. It all just washed off like I used nothing, like it was just a coloured coat sitting on top of the hair and it didn't even work on my lightest hair. I was surprised to see no effect because Subrina's Colour Refresh works almost in seconds. Same thing happened the second time I used it for recommended 10 plus a few more minutes, so that was two attempts that made me waste a lot of product. Attempt 3 was leaving it on for 20-25 minutes, only then I got an effect, but it was uneven just like with a purple mask. I got a mix of overcooled steel blue ends of level 10 (which were actually quite pretty if you like that grey effect), the level 9 yellow was toned most decently, but the hair where I actually expected toning, so golden yellow level 8 and some bit of orange level 7 stayed mostly the same (you can see that orange strand still peeking above the tube on the right picture, but most is hidden under the top layers). Basically I got a mix of super cool with warm shades and as expected now my hair is a bit darker, which some might say it looks terrible, but I just shrug and say whatever, I can deal with it. So the gist is, yes it works, but best results will be achieved on hair that is all lightened to the same level (so either all very light or all very golden-orange) and 10 minutes is not enough for hair that is not light blonde, which is exactly the type this was supposedly designed to. Also in the next washing most of it washed off, which I expected any way. In terms of how nice the formula is, it's a really good nourishing formula that was rich enough for my hair. I told you in an empties post that the back of my hair is quite orange (because I was bleaching my still natural dark brown there) and I immediately planned to re-do bleaching next time  I'm going my roots and hopefully get rid of strong orange and then this might be easier to use for me, the fact I didn't get the perfect result now is all the fault of my bad hair colouring anyway. Other options are that I leave it on for an hour and live with some very blue strands or try to single out those orange parts and just try this one those. 

  Notino, 11.52 €

SCHWARZKOPF GLISS Hair Repair Fiber Therapy Bonding Seal Mask

Though I see nothing particularly special on the ingredients list apart from a basic moisturising formula with a tiny bit of hydrolised keratin, I hope I'm just not knowledgeable enough to see what that omegaplex is at Schwarzkopf and gave it a go to see if it's any good. Omegaplex is supposed to be a bond builder, so something like Olaplex, but it can't be the same as Olaplex has their "special ingredient" patented. I also don't see any malic acid that L'Oreal uses in their Professional line and Matrix, nor succinic acid that Schwarzkopf has in their Blondme line. The texture is very thick, so it was not easy applying this on the hair quickly and I had to use a lot of it for one use. In terms of effect it was ok, nothing ground-breaking, but for a drugstore mask a nice one, very nourishing and that's about it. It can't compare to Matrix in terms of results, but for very dry hair that's not necessarily also damaged, it's a good one. 

About 6-7 €. I got it in Leclerc, since it's not sold in Műller or DM any more.

GARNIER FRUCTIS SOS Repair 10 in 1 All-in-one Leave-in

The 10 in 1 claim is obviously exaggerated - well, stretched out and kind of Captain Obvious one - but I got this because it has coconut oil high on the list, it's a heat protectant and because it can be used on damp and wet hair, so I had some hopes it's similar to the discontinued Dove Super Quench. It's not great on dry hair. The formula lacks silicones, so it quickly ends up feeling too heavy on the hair even on my thick, dry, unruly texture. On damp hair I had mixed results. The first time it added some extra care, but at the cost of that light, airy feeling of freshly washed hair. The second time I used only two pumps and results were much better. The the key here truly is quantity. The bottle is massive with 400 ml, so I have no idea when I'll use this up, especially since it's just a regular moisturising treatment to me and doesn't do the extra bits like taming the hair or making it feel smooth.
Leclerc, about 4-5 €

BALEA Handcreme Urea

I immediately liked this. This is seriously good just like reviews say and I really like using it. It leaves my hands nicely nourished and with this nice silky feeling so they feel softer with other hand creams. 

DM, about 1-2 €

FA Invisible Sensitive 48h Protection Anti-Perspirant

Rose & Hawthorne

This is my first time trying Fa deodorants. It's barely scented, but it appears to be working so far. It doesn't keep me completely dry all the time, but at least it keeps the odours at bay. 

BALEA Rasiergel Exotic Coco

An unwilling repurchase. I wanted any other scent, but this was the only one we had here for two months when I was checking out if we have the regular version or some new LE (ironically we got it a week after I bough this). It's not my favourite because it smells bland and not really tropically coconuty, but the gel itself is great as usual. 

DM, 1.99 €

BALEA Erfrischendes Wasch Gel

My regular repurchase. Packaging was changed again and now has the 10% aloe vera claim at the top, but I don't know if they changed the formula too.

DM, 1.99 €

BALEA Fusscreme 10% Urea

I got this after liking the hand cream. I'm not that impressed, it feels lighter than the hand version and therefore doesn't appear to be as nourishing despite more urea. I used up the 25% urea one and it wasn't super impressive. I was told this one is much better, but I think I'll just try to use it up quickly and use then use the hand version instead.

DM, 1-2 €

BALEA Reinigendes Handgel

Magical Team 

I had hopes this will be strongly scented, but it has this sweet floral scent that's nothing special. I wish we had Bath & Body Works here, those are so much more impressive. I hate this version only comes with the rubber sleeve which I have no use for; like the bottle isn't enough plastic already. 

BALEA Badesalz Wasser Melone

I got this as a gift and I haven't used this yet, but I can smell the watermelon through the bag. Something for giving you that summer feels in the bathtub. 

BALEA Pflegecreme Fűhl dich Gedrűck

I got this as a gift too. I used to buy these all the time and used them as hand creams because they are nicely nourishing and absorb fast. This one has a nice floral sweet scent. 

Deborah Milano Il Fondotinta City Defence

deborah foundation

Deborah Milano Il Fondotinta City Defence

Admin   May 08, 2019   Comment  

Deborah's newest foundation was developed with the intention to protect the skin from polluted air and blue light emitted by electronic screens. It promises medium coverage, a hydrating effect, lightweight feeling on the skin and a semi-matte finish. I agree with all of their promises apart from the first about the coverage level and in a short amount of time this became one of my favourite formulas. I was sent the lightest shade 00, which unfortunately is quite dark - something that doesn't make me happy, but I lighten it with The Body Shop Adjusting Drops. 

Texture: It feels quite creamy, similar to some tinted moisturisers and it's easy to apply and blend. I like to use a a big oval brush with this foundation because you can really take your time with it to blend it in seamlessly as it doesn't set very fast.  It reminds me of Maybelline's Fit Me Matte + Poreless, except it's more hydrating and better suited for me in winter. It looks nice over pores and doesn't make my (so far) small lines look worse like a lot of foundations do, so I'm pleased with this one.

Just foundation.

 With extra concealer under the eyes and on spots.

Coverage and finish: coverage is light to medium, I definitely need an extra concealer under the eyes, on the tip of my nose and on spots, but this lighter coverage also results in a very natural finish which I'm a big fan of. My skin is currently normal to dry and this sets to the promised semi-matte finish that looks similar to my favourite Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless, however, given that it's a hydrating foundation I have a feeling that similarly to Oriflame's MasterCreation this might stay tacky on normal, combination and oily skin.

Staying power: This wears beautifully through the day. It doesn't make my lines look deep as canyons after hours of wear time, it's doesn't go patchy or super shiny. I couldn't say precisely how long it lasts because I don't tend to look myself in the mirror during the day, but when I use micellar water late in the evening there still some traces left.

Shade: I got the lightest 00 shade which sadly Deborah decided to make quite dark. In fact it's a shade darker than Catrice's HD Liquid Coverage 010, which is already too deep for me. Undertone looks kind of peachy to me as it ends up quite orange-ish on my skin when I wear it on its own. I mix it with about 2-3 drops of The Body Shop Adjusting Drops so I get a close enough shade for me. How I wish this formula existed in a shade similar to Milani Conceal + Perfect 00A. 

Packaging: Deborah went with a very simple tube. I'm more of a fan of bottles with a pump, bit this is just fine.

Price and availability: I went to check the price in DM, but for some reason thought the stand was full of these, the price wasn't there. Basing on the prices of their other foundations, it must be about 15 €.

I love this one for my winter skin. It's like Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless and Healthy Mix had a baby, as it combines a hydrating formula that doesn't go patchy on my dry skin and a natural looking semi-matte finish that doesn't emphasise pores and lines. If only the shade were super pale, this would be a total winner, but luckily great products like The Body Shop's Drops exist, so I can wear this formula with no problems.   

Have a great day!

*PR product.

New in #78

Balea Bath & Body Works Bourjois catrice deborah Dove essence fragrance Got2B Joico L.O.V. max factor New In Oriflame Schwarzkopf

New in #78

Admin   March 23, 2019   Comment  

 *ESSENCE You Better Work! Volume & Curl Mascara

I'm a big fan of I <3 Extreme waterproof formula, so I had high hopes for this new mascara that also claims to be waterproof. There are two versions, one for length with a plastic wand and mine is a volume & curl version with a classic, but curved brush. I'm was immediately impressed with how nicely the brush combs the lashes in how much volume this mascara makes. It's definitely one of the nicest ones when it comes to effect, however, I'm unhappy about it not holding a curl. I spent quite some time curling my lashes and applying mascara, so I want it to last, unfortunately by the time I'm finished with the rest of my makeup, my lashes drop. For some reason Essence used a new formula for their waterproof version, one that is more wet than I <3 Extreme, which on me drops the lashes. I've tried gently curling them again and it worked, but I don't want to do that every time I use this mascara. It's hard to remove without an oil remover like a proper waterproof formula and I don't get any smudging with it, but still the fact it doesn't hold a curl is disappointing, especially since the general effect it's very pretty. I hoped it'll get drier in these weeks I got it, but unfortunately so far it hasn't changed, so I'm sticking to my trusted favourite I <3 Extreme. 

3.29 €

*ESSENCE The Dip Eyeliner Waterproof

This is an almost super eyeliner. I'll obviously compare it to my trusted favourite Catrice Liquid Eyeliner, which I use every day and I consider the best eyeliner I've tried. Formulas are both matte and Essence one actually dries even faster. Both are very black, but Essence one applies a bit sheerer on some points, which isn't that big of a deal because you can easily go over it. It lasts a bit less than Catrice, yet still very long for an eyeliner and I pretty much get a whole day with this with some minimal fading. However, my eyelids aren't greasy at all, so I couldn't say how it performs on oily eyelids. Formula-wise it's a nice one, definitely of the best, though not quite as good as Catrice's. My main complaint here is the applicator which is shorter and thicker than Catrice's, so drawing a nice line is much harder and I'm saying that as a person who's been using an eyeliner every day for years now. It limits you do only thicker lines and flicks are not easy to do, so I'd definitely pick Catrice's formula over this despite the slightly higher price. I already went back to Catrice also because the applicator feels softer and more pleasant.

2.78 €

ESSENCE Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara

My lovely fellow Slovenian blogger Sandra, whose blog you must check out, gifted me this, after she was also the reason I put this on my wishlist, since she praises it so much. She says that it's a mascara that can hold her lashes curled despite the fact it's a regular formula and I'm always on board to try such mascaras especially after a long string of disappointments. The volume this creates with just one coat is very impressive. This is definitely a mascara for those who want big, long, voluminous lashes. In that respect it's actually the same as the original Princess Lash, but the formula is noticeably less wet, which works in my favour as this doesn't make my lashes drop like a stone. In terms of holding my lashes curled, it can't compare to the waterproof I <3 Extreme version, but it keeps them lifted enough, about half way. I haven't experienced any eye irritations or it smudging, but I've received a few messages with reports of that happening to them. So far I like it, it gives tons of volume, doesn't look clumpy and the dry-ish formula is a plus for me as well as it doesn't weigh my lashes down.  

3.49 €

*DEBORAH Milano Il Fondotinta City Defence

00

Newest foundation by Deborah that according to the press release attached to it was developed with the intention to protect the skin from polluted air and blue light that electronic screens emit. It promises medium coverage, a hydrating effect, lightweight feeling on the skin and a semi-matte finish. I finally got sent the lightest shade by Deborah, which are usually very light, unfortunately that is not the case at this foundation as it's a shade darker than Catrice's HD Liquid Coverage 010. Shame because I actually really like this formula. I always mix it with The Body Shop Drops, so I make it work. It reminds me of Maybelline's Fit Me Matte + Poreless, except it's more hydrating and better suited for me in winter. Finish is indeed a similar non-flat semi-matte as at Fit me and the coverage is light-medium (instead of the promised medium), but the formula is more creamy, similar to some tinted moisturisers. It doesn't emphasise pores and it doesn't look too bad over lines, though I still apply less of it there. I like it a lot, but it's a shame about the palest shade because all this mixing every morning is getting a bit old.

15-16 €

*CATRICE Golden Dust Highlighter Drops

01 Spacegold

I've got a similar product from Catrice which is meant to be a primer and this just feels like they used the same formula, except they changed the colour and size of the shimmer. It's very weak, barely visible on its own on the cheeks, but it can be used all over or mixed in a foundation for an overall glow. I've got to say that I don't get why both Catrice and L.O.V, so Cosnova, insists on using these bottles with pipettes for these thick formulas because they don't work and I need so scrape the product off the applicator. Overall I just don't find this worth is it, at least when it comes to my taste in highlighters. 

5.39 €

*CATRICE 1 Minute Face Perfector

010 One Fits All

I used to have Essence's mousse concealer that I used as a pore minimizer and it worked a treat. This is a more cream-meet-mousse type of formula and it does a similar job, though not quite as effective. It hides/fills up more prominent looking pores and creates an even surface, but this also promises to hide wrinkles and it fails very miserably at that because it manages to make them so much worse, so it ends up quite ageing. I'd stick to only areas where you want to hide pores and want a matte look. Instead of making it clear or much more sheer, Catrice made an "universal" shade that is very dark and I need to be careful not to use a lot, blend it in well and put some coverage over it. I noticed it doesn't cooperate with all foundation formulas. With some it looks quite bad and there are some that this just make it so much better plus it prolongs staying power. It's really a mixed bag with this one, but for me the main minus is the shade. 

6.39 €

 *ORIFLAME The One Colour Stylist Ultimate Lipstick

Pink Flair, Cranberry Brush, Coral Ideal, Sunset Show and Trendy Coral

This is Oriflame's newest lipstick formula and it's available in 24 shades, which they arranged based on their suitability for cool, warm and neutral skin tone in the last catalogue. I was offered a set of these based on my undertone and since I'm neutral I got these five (if you don't know your undertone, I have a guide type of post here). All have an intense pigmentation, but in all the rest categories they differ so much that I could call them different formulas. Finishes range from semi-matte finish to creamy and the thickness of the formula varies too, but overall these are thicker than most lipsticks I've tried.  They didn't glide on the lips smoothly from the start, but they got smoother when I got through the top layer and I'm not bothered by that because it means they stay in place better with no smudging around. My five shades they picked for a neutral undertone are not entirely what I'd pick based on how well I know what suits me. Having said that I think they absolutely nailed shade Pink Flair which is the perfect mix of pale pink and beige nude - this is definitely THE shade for a pale neutral skin tone. Cranberry Blush is another fantastic shade for a neutral undertone, they again hit the that perfect spot of a muted berry that isn't too cool. I can't be 100% about Trendy Cocoa, but it looks like it would fit deep neutral skin tones well, but the shade is not for me. The coral and the red are the ones I have issue with, as they are such typical warm tone shades and there's actually no corals in their warm selection of colours. Coral Ideal is a less punchy orange I've seen in most ranges, yet for a coral on a neutral undertone, I'd definitely pick something with pink based on my experience. The choice for a red, Sunset Show,  surprised me as well as it's quite a bright, warm red and I think something like Russian Red would be a better choice. I'm really like shade Pink Flair and it's so going to be my go-to shade and Cranberry is a great one too. Staying power again differs so much for this range, Pink Flair is weakest and gone in a few hours, Cranberry, Coral and Cocoa last averagely well, while Sunset Show has an insane staying power for a classic lipstick, it survives eating intact and I got 9h with it before I took it off, at that point it was evenly faded and still vibrant.

Oriflame, regular price 11.90 €, but as is usual from Oriflame should be often on offer.

*MAX FACTOR Color Elixir Lipstick

610 Angel Pink

Max Factor was kind enough to send a bunch of bloggers and Instagramers their own personalised lipsticks with a name engraved on the cap. I was sent one of the lightest shades called Angel Pink, which I based on the base on the lipstick I thought it was going to be so my colour until I actually tried it on the lips and my very early teenage years came flashing back when we all wore that Labello Pearly shine (swatches of this shade and Oriflame lipsticks is my IG in a highlighter Beauty Updates story). It's a very similar pale pink with tons of frost - really not my thing, so I went to check other shades and though most shades are frosty maybe Rosewood looks ok enough that might get it and swap the cap. The formula is a pretty standard creamy lipstick that glides on the lips with ease, isn't drying and feels comfortable. Staying power isn't its forte, but we are dealing with a very pale shade in a creamy form.

9.69 €

*MAX FACTOR Creme Puff Pressed Powder

I use powders very rarely, mostly just in the summer on odd days when my skin is a bit shiny, but right now any foundation I wear comes off as matte to semi-matte since my skin is dry, so I can't say much about this powder's effectiveness. It didn't make my foundation go all patchy with time due to drying out the skin, so that's a plus. It's transparent as described, so it can be used on all skin tones. I'm going to get back on you with this in summer because right now I have no use for this, but I it's got that I got it because my only mattifying powder is very old. 

7.89 €

*MAX FACTOR 2000 Calorie Mascara

This is probably the first mascara I ever heard of and I still remember the old TV ads, but I never tried this version and my first mascara from MF was actually their Masterpiece mascara with one of the first plastic wands. I had the red version of Calorie, the curling one, which is probably my most hated mascara so far because it was so wet and messy. It's also the reason for avoiding the original and now I see I shouldn't be judging it so harshly. I like it. It's not amazingly volumising as it promises or like the Essence mascaras in this post, still it's a very good performer and it combs the lashes nicely, creates a nice fanned out effect and no matter how much I apply it, it doesn't got clumpy. The formula is not super wet, still it doesn't hold a curl, but it also doesn't weight my lashes completely down. In this respect Lash Princess and this mascara are similar. I can see why this is still sold after so many years, it's a nice gold classic. 

9.99 €

*ESSENCE Shine Last & Go gel nail polish

04 Millennial Pink

Essence decided to revamp their main nail polish line and switch from those cute hourglass bottles to these much less aesthetic ones. The formula however, hasn't changed at all, which isn't a bad thing because I always liked it. Two to three coats are required at this colour, it applies nicely enough with not much annoying streaking and these last fine on me. Millennial Pink is a pale pastel warm pink.

1.69 €

*CATRICE More than Nude Nail Polish

02 Pearly Ballerina

 Though I liked the look of these in the shop, seeing the price made me gasp for a moment. Not that's it's very expensive, but still this is a Catrice nail polish, pretty packaging or not. Formula is sheer and with three coats you get an about 80% coverage. These shades are meant to have a brightening effect and indeed that blue tiny shimmer in Pearly Ballerina gives it that effect. The base is a pale pink and together with the shimmer it ends up looking a pale lavender. The cap is in two parts, the rose gold cap is just a cover for a smaller handle.

4.79 €

 *BOURJOIS 1 Second Eyeshadow

02 Brun-ette a dorée and 06 Abracada brown

I really don't want to be too harsh here, but as soon as I've seen these I knew they were a bad idea. I've tried these 1-swipe-and-go concept with the Catrice version, which is less ambitions and only consist of two colours and this type of application just doesn't work as designed. First of the packaging is ridiculously bulky for 3g of product (those LOV eyeshadows below have 5g for comparison). The shape of the applicator is granted better than Catrice's and it does work to a degree, of course it all fails when it comes to the edges, so a separate brush is a must or at least some fixing with fingers. 06 Abracada brown is not as tragic actually and you can get a gradient application with some extra blending, however, it's most due to the well pigmented bottom shade, while the other two are much poorer performers. The 02 Brun-ette a dorée is a palette to avoid. I've genuinely tried hard with this one, even using regular blushes, but pigmentation is poor. I'm sorry, but I just can't say much positive about this, especially after trying to swatch these nicely for quite a while for pictures this morning. I'll post them on IG stories when I edit everything and maybe do an extra shot on the eyes. I only got these on Thursday, so give me some time play with these more, but overall I see it as a failed concept like their ombre lipsticks. 

 *L.O.V. The Galaxy Eyeshadow & Liner

500 Rosé exposed, 510 Precious copper, 520 Champagne sparks, 530 Magenta shimmer and 540 Dazzling emerald

I received a massive parcel filled with LOV products on Thursday just as I was about to post this post and I delayed it because of it, so my impressions about all the LOV products are very fresh and when I play more with these, I'll post my regular Beauty updates on IG stories. These are creamy eyeshadows with a glitter finish. In terms of texture they are like Maybelline's Colour Tattoos, so creamy, yet more powdery looking on the eyes. LOV named them as eyeshadow and liner type of product, but I don't see these working as a liner, except maybe Magenta Shimmer. Shades for the bottom row on the picture (500, 510 and 520) have a sheer base and are more about the glitter finish, so I would classify them as toppers. They can be used on their own of course, but you'll see mostly shimmer with these. The other two shades are much more pigmented. Dazzling Emerald, a smoky deep green with gold shimmer, can be built up to almost full coverage, but it's not easy to apply it evenly, while Magenta shimmer, a deep reddish-purple-brown with purple shimmer is a top performer with an opaque finish. Other three shades are Rosé exposed, a sheer pink with silver shimmer, Precious copper, sheer orange copper with gold shimmer, and Champagne sparks, a beige gold with gold shimmer (very similar to Essence's Metal Chrome eyeshadow 02 Ironic). I wore Champagne sparks yesterday which it's quite sheer, it lasted all day, but faded somewhat and there was some creasing. 

9.99 €

*L.O.V. GLITTERunexpected Sparkling Eyeshadow Palette

I've only swatched this and nothing more. Four shades are densely packed glitters and a creamy formula and the last pink shade is a "dry" satin eyeshadow with some larger glitter. Fame, a yellow-orange-ish gold, is a top performer with a foiled effect. Bright, a white with gold glitter, has a strange chunky texture. Bold, a mint green glitter, has the least amount of pigmentation and it's not the best. Dazzle, a smoky grey-purple with silver shimmer, is a bit chunky and doesn't have the best pigmentation, but can be built up. Daring, a deep purple with blue glitter is similar to, but better than Dazzle. Sparkle is a light pink with glitter that could be more pigmented. I'll report back when I use it more.   

14.99 €

*L.O.V. BLUSHment Blurring Blush 

n.30 beautiful minds empower other, n.50 yes she can and n.60 be the next She.E.O

I was most happy to receive these because I've been in "blush funk" and have been using only theBalm Instain Blush Houndstooth for months now. These are lovely, definitely some of the best drugstore blushes I've tried so far. They are baked blushes with super smooth texture and great pigmentation. These are actually the texture I wanted Max Factor Crème Puff blushes to be, especially shades 05 and 05 which have tiny shimmer that looks like a healthy glow on the cheeks. Shade 30 is a warm taupe-ish mauve, a strange looking shade in the pan, but it ends up a mute almost peachy shade on me. It has a satin finish and no shimmer like the other two. 50 is a very pale warm pink and even though it swatches very pale, it's quite pigmented and I can get enough colour fast even with a fluffy brush. The glow this shade creates is absolutely beautiful. 60 is a bright pinky coral shade. I haven't worn it on the cheeks like the other two, but swatching revealed it also has shimmer like shade 50.

9.99 €

*L.O.V. the GLOWrious Deep Metallic Highlighting Palette

Like I said I only got this on Thursday and I'm hoping this will get better when I get through the top layer, but I swatched this for the pictures today and I wasn't gentle with it, but this is so far quite poorly pigmented. Metal Glam and Rosy Radiance are useful, I just need to apply several layers with a thick fluffy brush, but I can't get Prismatic to work. It's a sheer peach with almost no glow to it. The other two shades are beautiful colours, Metal Glam is a lovely golden champagne with tiny glow-like shimmer and Rosy Radiance is a subtle rose gold with the same lovely shimmer as Metal Glam. I love the latter most and I can deal with applying more than I'm used to, but overall for this price, I'd expect the same pigmentation Essence's excellent Go for the Glow's first shade has. We'll see how this fares with time and more use. 

16.99 €

 *L.O.V. PERFECTitude Hyaluronic Serum Primer

This is more of less just pretty to look at in the packing and nothing much more, though ingredients are actually quite decent, since hyaluronic acid is high on the list. It promises a glow effect and appearance of tightened pores but it's basically pink glitter in a hyaluronic serum. It has no silicones, so no smooth feeling, instead the texture feels like that Hoffer Hyaluronic Serum I think a lot of us tried and stopped using. It sinks fast into the skin and after my skin is screaming for something more moisturising over it. No silicones also means no effect on pores whatsoever, for hiding pores try that Catrice primer I mentioned above. The radiance is none existent. It has glitter particles which are sparse once rubbed into the skin, so no lovely lit-from-within look that you see at primers that promise a radiance/glow effect. This is more a skin care product with glitter and it might be enough for normal-oily skin. 

13.99 €

 *L.O.V. Luxury Oil

Nowhere on the bottle, apart deep on the ingredients list, does this state it has gold particles in it. And LOV even used an matte bottle for this, so I don't get why they are hiding what looks like an obvious selling point, but what do I know. It's a shea butter based oil, something I haven't had before and it's not a dry oily, but it's also not super greasy. It takes some time to sink in completely, yet I've had greasier oils and once it sinks in it leaves almost a satin/silicone-feeling finish. The gold particles completely disappear when rubbed into the skin and I don't see any extra radiance, though the oily by itself adds shine. I find gold in skin care items excessive and gimmicky, though LOV claims has an antibacterial effect and it stimulates collagen production - I don't have the time to investigate further on such claims. Oil has an expected combination of beachy tiare flower scent mixed with cherries. I don't know if that's it, but that's how my nose recognises it and it's quite nice. I've only used it twice as a last part of my skin care routine and on my hair, so far I don't see anything special about it, but obviously I need to use it a lot longer to say definitely how I feel about it.

16.99 €

VERSACE Crystal Noir eau de toilette

I've wanted this for ages, possibly a full decade and I fully intended to finally treat myself with a bottle for my birthday, yet it was out of stock for months every time I was in the drugstore. I finally found it with a decent discount and grabbed the last bottle. This is what I call a spicy clean scent. It's like a super fancy fabric softener or a fabric softener mixed with a nice spicy fragrance. I think the "clean", soft part I'm smelling is a mix of gardenia, coconut and musk, while the spicy bit all the top notes, so ginger, cardamom and pepper. After all these years I still find it so unique among fragrances, there just aren't many clean yet spicy scents, they always drag patchouli into spicy scents which I hate. It also lasts so long on the skin. I've had a sample of this that I only used drops of and a little dab on the wrist lasted all day and it lasts ever longer on clothes. 

Top notes: ginger, cardamom, pepper 

Heart: orange blossom, peony, gardenia, coconut

Base notes: sandalwood, musk, amber

Müller, 31 €

ORIFLAME Amber Elixir eau de parfum

I had such high expectations from this, but for now I’m not convinced by it. I find it a bit bland and nothing at all as I’ve read in the reviews. I expected this rich scent, but it’s very soft, though its cosy and comforting start feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket, it later get this strange sharp floral note (it’s the same as in Posses the Secret) and that note persist all day (it’s a very long lasting scent). It just smells like an old perfume to me and not like a modern amber. Maybe I’ll change my mind in time.

Notes:

Top: mandarin, red grapes, black currant

Heart: peony, heliotrope, almond

Base: amber, musk and sandalwood

Notino, 12.90 €

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel

I was so happy to see this in DM. I'm not sure if we had this big size for long, but I've never seen it before. I'm a big fan of this creamy formula and every time I get a bottle, it's gone within two-three weeks like every shower gel in the house, so a big 500 ml bottle should finally last a bit longer. And it wasn't even that expensive for the size, especially since the regular size costs over 2 € here. 

DM, 3.49 €

BALEA Rasier Gel

Sweet Passion

I don't think I ever managed to catch the same LE twice. I like this one, it's a very sweet tropical scent with more prominent notes of passionfruit, while pineapple is not very noticeable. I've been buying these for many years and I don't plan to switch.

DM, 1.99 €

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Premium Developer 12%/40 Vol.

I talked about the bleach powder and a 6% developer in one of the previous New In posts and now I got the 12% which I original planned, but Amazon didn't sell it at the time I got this line. 12% together with the bleach promises to lighten up 9+ shades and I hear from reviews that this bleach is actually capable of doing that, but we'll see. I'm not in a hurry to colour just yet, I merely took an opportunity of the women's day offer to stock up. I detailed my experience with this line in the previous new in and said that this is such a fantastic bleach that caused no visible damage and didn't dry my hair. The bleach also contains bond builder, which is a similar thing to Olaplex, a must at all bleaching processes. The developer contains mineral oil quite high on the list and it maintains the good condition of the hair. I'll report with the result when I go about colouring my hair, but I don't think it'll be soon. 

Notino, 11.90 €

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Blonde Toning

Steel Blue and Sand

At bleaching a toner is a must and I grabbed two to mix. I got Steel Blue which is Schwarzkopf's slightly blue-intense grey toner that counteracts brassy-orange tones (their more popular Ice is designed for counteracting yellow tones) and I got Sand, which is their neutral blonde shade. I got these because I read in a review this combination creates a nice medium blonde shade, though I was originally thinking about getting Ice instead of Sand. These can be mixed with a 2% or 6% developer. 2% just deposits the colour and should be used on bleached hair, while 6% add some extra lift and they recommend to use on natural hair, but I only have 6% and I'll probably use that one.

Notino, 11.20 €

JOICO K-Pack Intense Hydrator 

A repurchase. This is one of my favourite hair treatments and one of the rare of that has a great effect on my thick, dry hair. I currently have Moisture Recovery Balm which is much, much thicker and though it's nourishing, it's not as good as this and because it's harder to wash off, it can leave the hair feeling "heavy". Intense Hydrator has a medium thick texture that doesn't feel heavy, yet it does so much for the hair. I saw Notino sells a massive 1000 ml version for about 35 € and I'm seriously considering taking it because this is much better than L'Oreal's Absolut Repair Lipidum that I have in a 500 ml pot. 

Notino, 14.30 €

GOT2B #Oh My Nude Tame it Softly Dry Lightweight Oil Mist

Ever since got2b Oil-liscious spray disappeared from our drugstores, I've been saving mine like crazy and when I was checking the ingredients of new products in the shop, this looked like a similar thing (silicones + oil and no alcohol). It had a discount recently, so I grabbed one to compare them and see if I can stop saving Oil-liscious for only special occasions and I can confirm it's the same thing. It's just like the name says a dry lightweight oil in a spray from. I called Oil-licious version my shiny, healthy hair faker often in on my blog and that's what this is as well. If dry shampoo is a quick saviour for oily hair, this is a such a product for dry hair. It gives great level of shine, tames frizz and just makes the hair look more polished. It's pretty much like a regular silicone oil, just lighter and faster to use, so best for finishing touches when you already used hair spray or wax and you don't want to touch you hair much anymore. The difference between the two is the oil they used, Oil-licious had a small amount of argan oil, while #oh my nude has a slightly larger amount (but still very little) of olive and moringa oil, but at both of these it's the silicones doing the actual job of taming. Another difference is the scent, Oil-licious has a lovely lipstick type of scent and #oh my nude has a more musky-sweet scent that's not my favourite. This is worth checking out no matter your hair type.  

DM, 2.99 €

Sandra send me all these samples (thank you). She knows how much I love BBW mists and since we both have to do blind purchases online, she sent me hers to test. She also added some of her other favourite products. 

BATH & BODY WORKS Fragranced Body Mist

Maui Mango Surf

This smells similar to DM's mango summer LE shower gels they tend to release every year. It's a very fresh, uplifting and sweet mango scent. It gets more floral in a few minutes, I think it's ylang-ylang I'm smelling and not hibiscus, which tends to be fresher. It's just a very classic tropical fruity summery mist. It starts our strong, but quickly become more of a subtle, skin scent on me that's less fruity and more gently sweet floral. 

Top: mango, guava, hibiscus

Heart: sea notes, driftwood, mai tai cocktail

Base: sandalwood, ylang-ylang and musk

Honolulu Sun

Partly similar to At the Beach, but a fresher version of it. There's a touch of citrus from the start, but it's overall more of a coconut musky scent like At the Beach, however, as an addition it has fresh, green notes and more of a seaside feel to it from the start, but later it smells the same as At the Beach to me. It's too musky for my taste. 

Top Notes: Fresh Island Coconut, Ocean Air Accord, Pacific Palm, Sun-drenched Citrus

Heart: Creamy Coconut Milk, Exotic Island Nectars, Pink Passionfruit

base notes: Driftwood, White Sand Musk

Sea Island Cotton

A typical clean sheets scent. It's so fresh and clean, and to me this is completely a unisex scent. Nothing from the list of notes stands out, apart from powder notes, but the freshness must come from other notes and musk. I like it a lot. It's like a shower and clean clothes in a bottle.  

Top: pear leaf, bloody orange, tangerine, clear floral accords, cotton, "a breeze of fresh air", green pear and tangerine

Heart: lily-of-the-valley, orange blossom, water cyclamen, cotton blossom, freesia and jasmine

Base: white musk, powder, sandalwood and vanilla 

Fiji Pineapple Palm

First burst is pure pineapple and that note is the heart of this fragrance, while the rest is barely noticeable. Lime and palm leaf make it more green, than the usual pina colada type of scent and I get no coconut milk in this. If you like pineapple this is for you.

Top Notes: Lime, Palm leaf, Pear nectar

Heart Notes: Star jasmine, Tiaré, Mango pulp, Pineapple

Base notes: Mango wood, Coconut milk, Caramel, Birch, Musk

Tahiti Island Dream

This is completely different that the other four and more along the lines of Oahu Coconut Sunset, but not that similar, I just means that both are much warmer, less fruity fresh. There is some fruitiness to it, but mostly it's about heavy florals and vanilla/amber/sandalwood combination. If I classify the others as daytime mists, this is a night time scent with much more punch to it as well as staying power. It's almost syrupy sweet, and I think that what I'm smelling is the jasmine-frangipani combination, or it could be kiwi flower, though I don't know how that smells on its own. The base notes make it a warm scent and it time it settles into a more subdued floral-vanilla. I get no typical coconut/sunscreen/Pina colada vibe from this, it's not even properly beachy and it will suit those who like stronger sweet scents (at least from the start).  

Top notes: coconut nectar, mandarin orange, pear and kiwi flower

Heart: jasmine, water lily and frangipani

Base: vanilla, musk, amber and Australian sandalwood

BATH & BODY WORKS  Nourishing Hand Cream

Twisted Peppermint

The scent of blue Orbit chewing gum with just a hint of vanilla. It's a nice fresh scent that I enjoy, peppermint always makes me feel better. Texture is surprisingly nice, medium thick and absorbs completely in about a minute, however, I wish it just a bit more nourishing, so more like L'Occitane's Shea Butter. I like any hand cream that absorbs fast, so I might check BBW's other scents. This was a LE. 

L'OCCITANE Almond Shower Scrub

I had version in a pot many years ago and this the the version in a tube. There isn't a trace of that famous L'Occitane Almond scent and it's not the strongest of scrubs, while I like mine very harsh. It's averagely strong and that will appeal to many.

L'OCCITANE 5% Karite Foaming Face Cleanser 

This feels so nice on the skin, I'd massage it forever. It's nicely creamy, feels luxurious and it washes off completely unlike many creamy cleansers I've tried. However, it irritates my eyes so much and it left my skin too squeaky clean for my dry skin to handle, so it's not for me. 

RITUALS Himalaya Scrub Sweet Almond & Indian Rose

Unlike the L'Occitane scrub, I loved this. It's a great salt scrub that's just the way I like them, so one of the harsh ones and it's got oil that isn't as obnoxiously greasy as Afrodita's. I like it, though the scent is nothing special. 

THE BODY SHOP Vitamin C Glow-Protect Lotion SPF30

This isn't half bad for a sunscreen that's easily available and I don't have to order from Asia. It's a quite thick cream, yet it doesn't take long to sink in enough to not feel greasy and heavy. It works under foundation well and the SPF is enough for me because I don't spent a lot of time in the sun. I love the orange scent most, it's so refreshing and juicy. The vitamin C content is rather low, but I look at it as a sunscreen and not some fancy skin care. 

Have a great day!