Health Beauty Tips

Clarins Gloss Prodige 03 Rose

I'll start by saying that this was given to me to review, since as you may have noticed, it's not a colour I'd normally wear, at least not any more. I used to love such pale nudes when I was really young, but now I find that I need some colour on the lips to keep me from looking too washed out, but such pale shades look really good with a smoky eye.

I have no idea why Clarins chose to name this shade rose as it is nothing rose like, unless they meant yellow roses, but this lip gloss isn't yellow despite of how it may look in the tube. It's a very warm nude shade and I presume the yellow tones in it are meant to counteract the red tones, so the gloss actually looks nude on the lips (MAC has/had Spring Bean Lustreglass that works in the same way). It's very similar to Mac's Florabundance and Underage in terms of how it looks on the lips, so it's like it slips into every line and crevice under close inspection, but surprisingly it appears relatively even when looked from afar. The finish is more of a creamy glossy shine rather than mirror one.

The formula is very, very similar to their Instant Lip Perfectors, perhaps just a bit thicker and it's stickier, but it's so incredibly comfortable on the lips, like a little cushion for the lips and I think that it even nourishes the lips like an expensive lip balm. Staying power is nothing special when it comes to how long the glossy finish lasts, but the creamy layer stays a lot longer.

It smells so good, like candy, Kiki soft candy to be more specific. I love any candy scent, so this is a big plus for me.

The packaging is beautiful with the gold cap, but I'm not a massive fan of the applicator as it is big and therefore on the clumsy side.

If you're a fan of nude glosses and have quite reddish lips, this might work better for you than classic nude glosses. The formula of these is so lovely and comfortable, but in other aspects it's still a normal gloss.

I've seen that these costs 18 GBP on Boots International, but forgot to check the price in our shops. It's probably somewhere around the 20 € mark.

Izdelki Clarins so na voljo v Müller drogerijah, Maximarketu, Nami, Beautique drogerijah in Kompass shop-ih.

Have a great day!

New In #26

L'OREAL Super Liner So Couture

Words cannot express how disappointed I am about this product. I was originally going to repurchase that fab Kardashian Beauty one, but decided to try this one before, since it's sold in our drugstores. Not so funny story about this one -I grabbed one at the back of the stand like I always do, since I know how ill-mannered some women are (there is a special place for you lot) and when I came home it was completely dry. People at DM replaced it for me without any issues (and put mine back on the stand *awkward cricket sound*), but I'm still peeved. The nib is smaller than at the Super Liner Perfect Slim, which I actually find to be not such a good thing, while the formula is definitely not as good because it's not as black and it dries up before I have the chance to do both eyes. I must shake it constantly to get the nib saturated with product and sometimes it's so dry I can't do anything. I regret not sticking to the plan, it was really stupid of me because now I have no decent liner to use.

DM, 9.99 €

ESSIE Nail Lacquer

Bahama Mama

I wanted this for ages, but only recently splurged for it. When I say splurged I mean I bought it when it was 50 % off. Man, am I happy I got this. It is exactly what I wanted - Tyrian purple, so a deep berry or the perfect mix between purple and pink-rose, which is my second favourite colour after mint green.The formula is spectacular as most Essie's meaning it's really smooth as well as easy to apply evenly and it's fully opaque with two coats.

DM, 9.90 € (regular price)

ESSIE Nail Lacquer

Watermelon

Another shade I was considering buying for at least a year and it was totally worth it. It's a warm medium pink and has an even better formula than Bahama Mama. If you have Cute as a Button shade you know what kind of formula I'm referring to. It's super pigmented, basically a one coater and you can easily get it right with one swipe of the brush due to a smooth formula. Excellent quality nail polish.

DM, 9.90 €

ESSENCE Colour & Go

167 Candy Love

Thanks to Katja from Viva La Vida for this recommendation. Candy Love is a warm, peachy nude with barely-there silver shimmer. The formula is like at classic pastel polishes, so quite a thick and streaky one, but two carefully applied coats should work just fine. I noticed that even with Seche Vite on top, it doesn't shine much.

Müller, 1.69 €

ESSENCE Colour & Go

175 Be Berry Now

This is Bahama Mama's lighter, rosier sister. It's a beautiful colour on the nails, even better than in the bottle. I couldn't stop looking at my nails when I wore it.

DM, 1.69 €

DEBORAH Smalto Gel Effect

I saw this on Makeup and More blog and immediately fell in love with it. I actually expected it to look warmer, but it's a nude with a strong rose-violet-taupe tone and I just love it on my nails. The formula is so smooth, especially for a nude and it feels like such a nice quality nail polish. It performs so much better than Essence's Candy Love and it's super shiny. I'm currently wearing this on my nails and it's definitely one of my favourite nail colours at the moment.

DM, 5.59 €

MAX FACTOR Glossfinity

155 Burgundy Crush

In the bottle this looks like a slightly redder Bahama Mama, so another variation of my beloved warm purple-red colour, however, on the nails it's much more mundane and it's a classic bordeaux colour, so it's basically a deep red, but it does have that purple hue in it (again it's a nail colour that looks different on the nail wheel than on my nails). The formula is thick, in fact it reminds me of pastel nail polishes, but due to the darkness of the shade it performs less streaky than for example a mint green nail polish might. It's a one coater that's how intense the formula is. It's still a touch streaky on some nails, so I do a second coat purely because I'm used to, but I could easily leave it at just one. The brush is one of those stone age thin ones.

6.99 €

BALEA My Golden Twenties Pflegecreme mit Rosen-Lavendel Duft

Universal cream with rose-lavender scent

Since I love the 50's Forever cherry version, I got the other one as well. These are fantastic. Seriously. I use them as hand creams because they absorb so fast, yet do the job well and I even started using them on my face, since I ran out of my moisturiser and they are great. Ha, I just found a face cream for a euro. Score! This version has, as the name suggest, a rose-lavender scent, however to me it smells a bit like honey mixed with lavender, so I love it.

DM, 1.19 €

YVES ROCHER Pear Caramel Shower Cream

Last year's Christmas collection by Yver Rocher was very fruity inspired and I was super lucky to win this in a giveaway they organised (I never win anything!). I really like this, it's actually my favourite shower product at the moment. It smells exactly like pears and I mean exactly like it. It feels like an expensive shower product and it is pleasantly creamy while it still foams very well. My only complaint is the packaging. It's just a simple bottle with a screw off lid, so the content just run out of the bottle, but it looks so pretty in the bathroom. This thing needs a pump.

Yves Rocher, 6.60 € (400 ml)

GOT2B Volumania Volumising Hairspray

I have the whole Volumania range now. I'm a fan of the mousse and the styling powder is a lovely product as well, so I took a leap of faith and I grabbed this without researching, since I had a 50% off and I couldn't find my favourite Lee Stafford one. I hate to say this, but this is the dud in the line. It's wet once applied, therefore sticky and it leaves the hair too stiff. I'll probably end up using it next year to spray the Christmas tree so it stays fresh for weeks becuase on the hair it's just to noticeable.

DM, 5.89 €

LE PETITE MARSEILLIAIS Huile Elixir Karité & Argan

I saw this pre-wash treatment in E.Leclerc and it intrigued me instantly because it's a nice combination of oils without silicones (soy oil, argan oil, shea butter oil and a couple of vitamins. Ingredients here.). My hair is super dry at the moment (central heating and using mostly drugstore masks is just bad for my hair), so I'll take anything to make my hair not dry out the second day after washing. This oil is in spray form, but the nozzle is rubbish, so it's better to spray a bit in the hand and then apply it. I've applied this very generously overnight and it's fantastic. My hair hasn't felt this nourished since summer and it didn't dry out for several days. I must say, so far I'm impressed. I've tried using it on the ends of the hair on second and later day hair to cope with the dryness, but it's very, very greasy so even I have to apply it very moderately. The scent is kind of a nutty one, but it's not the best.

E. Leclerc, 5-6 €

LEE STAFFORD Hold Tight Hair Spray

Oh, how happy I was to see this in Celje's Műller, it's long gone in my town. I didn't hesitate to grab it and run to the register with it. This is hands down the best hair spray I've tried so far. No stickiness, wetness, stiffness, it's like nothing is in your hair and yet it holds so well. The Angel-like scent is not my favourite, but I will gladly put up with it, just so I have this in my life

Müller, 4 €. (Original price probably around 8 €. If you can't find it anywhere, since I know DM sells only shampoos and conditioners, it's on Boots International)

EBELINE Nagellack -Entferner Express

Nail Polish Remover

I bought the second one of these, though I have noticed that it dries my nails and the previous one got "dirty/coloured" way quicker than Bourjois one. It's cheap that's why I got it. The one thing that it is better than at the Bourjois one is that the foam is softer and feels better quality.

DM,1.99 €

EBELINE Polishing Nail File

This is one of those files that is designed to polish the whole nail. I haven't polished my nails in a while, so they desperately need it and I really like how glossy they look after polishing, almost like I used a clear nail polish. I used to own the Essence version a long time ago, but Ebeline's one has only three different textures compared to four at Essence's file.

DM, 1.59 €

Have a great day!

My Birthday Wishlist

My birthday is at the end of the month and the only fairly exciting thing in these cold, after-holidays boring days of January is picking up what to splurge on as a treat.

1. JOHN FRIEDA Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer

You may remember that I bought this as a gift for someone in December. Well, I had the chance to try it on her hair and it's bloody amazing. With one swipe all the frizz was completely gone, it looked even better than using a straightener. My precise words after the first try where: "Holly mother of God, I need this!". And the hair looked so shiny, it just looked like someone photoshopped it, except for a tiny strand where too much of the product was applied (note: wipe the wand before application). I've been dreaming about this ever since. The catch is that I can only find it on Boots International and that 10 € shipping fee is painful if you don't buy several items. Perhaps I should try some sort of a clear mascara available here first?

2. L'OREAL True Match Foundation

So many people included this in their 2014 favourites and I almost bought it several times last year, but changed my mind at the last second. With the help of one my readers I established that I probably need shade N1, which is one of the shades not sold in Slovene drugstores (a round of applause for the importers *sarcasm off*), so I've got no other choice than to order online (with a nice discount code, I'll get it cheaper than here anyway).

3. IT'S A 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

As a hair care junkie and I can't avoid the hype surrounding this. Just as Healthy Sexy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave-in Conditioner this is a highly praised product especially on MUA and since HSH leave-in is the bomb.com, I have high hopes this is good as well. It promises to repair dry damaged hair, add shine, smooth & control frizz, seal & protect hair colour, to detangle, stop hair breakage and protect against heat damage. Basically it contains keratin and proteins, while it's a nourishing leave-in conditioner and a thermal protector. I'm heading to order this right now (on eBay from the USA), so it will hopefully arrive on my door step before/on my birthday.

4. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Siberia

I know, I know, I included this in a couple wishlists already, but it's hard to part from so much money. I did promise myself last year after I bought Radiant Creamy concealer that next year I'll get this for my birthday. The thing is that the damn shipping costs are so high on NARS EU website (20 €!?) if I don't order over 50 € and the foundation plus the pump costs below that mark. The reason why I want to order from there is that it's the only place which has the pump for a reasonable price, otherwise I'd just order the foundation from HqHair. First world problem here. One of my readers Tamara sent me a sample of Siberia and it's a nice match for me plus it looks a lot nicer on the skin than my other paler foundation Rimmel's Lasting Finish Nude, which tends to settles in my pores and just looks a bit off. Though I admit, Sheer Glow does get a bit patchy at the end of day (that's my only complaint), I love the coverage and the finish, plus I got a lot of compliments wearing it (especially regarding the colour match).

5. HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Powder

Diffused Light

I so wish I could try one of these or their blushes (the trio palette is gorgeous), but I think that for now this will truly just remain merely a wish. I could order it from Urban Retreat Boutique, but together with shipping (10 €) it would put a serious dent in my purse, which I find hard to justify. It's a finishing powder/highlighter hybrid, so similar to Guerlain Meteorites, but in pressed form. I have Bourjois Java Poudre de Riz powder, which I think is similar and I adore it, however, I always wonder if the grass is greener on the high-end side.

6. BALEA Bodybutter Nuss

Sara (Passing Fancy) caused the lemming for this one with her wonderful Nuts about Nuts & Cocoa post. This body butter looks like a nice cheap thrill and I always love such products. Sara says it smells like Monte (hazelnut-chocolate-milky dessert), which in my books can't be bad at all. Though, I should try to use up one of my body butters before buying this.

7. Katy Perry Royal Revolution

I always love it when the bottles look like a decoration in the room and this one is beautiful. I included this fragrance on one of my previous wishlists, but I think it's time I finally take the plunge, I have, after all, used up several of my fragrances and I keep spraying this in the shop. It's very different from the vanilla sweet Killer Queen, which didn't completely appeal to me, rather Royal Revolution is not as strong and vanillary, but more toned down, yet still sweet. Notes.

8. Britney Spears Fantasy the Naughty Remix

I'm getting pathetic with putting this on so many of my wishlists - just get it already, right? As a huge fan of the original Fantasy, I find that this is the best flanker so far because it's just a fruitier version of the original, but still a lovely, warm scent for these colder months. Notes on Fragrantica.

9. Aqualina Pink Sugar

A year or so ago, I ordered a sample of this and I was so underwhelmed that I just put in in my purse as a "just-in-case/backup fragrance" (I have a few in there. I'm aware I'm odd, but I feel naked without a fragrance) and forgot about it. I sprayed it one day when I was bored out of my mind waiting for someone and I just loved it so much. I'm a huge fan of candy, sweet fragrances and this is exactly it. It's so cosy and sugary, like a warm hug, but I think it's not completely gourmand like Fantasy. I smell a mix of caramel and liquorice notes, but mostly cotton candy and there are also some fruity notes in the background.

10. RED CHERRY Eyelashes

Not long ago I wore Ardell's Demi Wispies again and I loved it so much. I know I don't really need falsies, but they look so pretty and eye-catching. I should get the Ardells again, but I'd also like to give these a go. Dizzy Brunette talked about ordering a pack of six from this seller in this post.

Lara Sweetheart Neck Skater Dress in grape from Boohoo

I love the colour and it's not too expensive, not to mention I happen to be the skater dress/skirt queen as I wear them throughout all year (I find trousers so restrictive, like little legs prison). I'm just not sure about the fit of this dress. I ordered two of their dresses and I had to fix them, though the quality is great.

Black Bow Ring (s) from eBay

I don't pay much for jewellery as you will see. I think this ring looks cool and it's adjustable, which is always appreciated if you have slim fingers like me.

Infinity Ring from eBay

I've wanted to have this for ages, this and a dainty bow ring, but as someone with slim fingers my choices are limited. This one is supposedly 16 mm wide, which is exactly what I need. I'd love to have the infinity necklace from H&M as well. I just love dainty jewellery.

Sleepy Owl Silicone Case

I haven't had a chance to tell you that I got a new phone and this is the case I chose to keep it in. By the way, from now on the pictures on the blog will be taken with Samsung Galaxy S5.

Elastic Gold Leaves Headband

I'd like to have some more glamorous or metal headbands and the leaves motive appeals to me. This one from H&M is gorgeous as well

Leaves Gold Hair Pin

Another leaves inspired hair accessory. I just think it looks so pretty. I love the bees version as well

Gold Chain Elastic Headband

Another gold headband. I've seen a prettier one in H&M in rose gold, but it was 5€, which is a bit much for just a simple hair accessory (I'm one cheap bastard, aren't I?).

ASOS Petite Skater Dress With Textured Seam Detail And Short Sleeves

ASOS Petite brand fits me like a glove, which is a rarity, since I'm a short stick of nothing (I get (to me hurtful) comments about my size pretty much daily). It's a really expensive dress for what I usually pay for clothes, but the material looks nice and I really like the colour.

Wallet Case for Smartphone

I like these, though I think it makes it easier to lose everything valuable at once if someone nicks it, but I can't deny it's not damn practical. My wallet is quite big and sometimes I don't want to carry everything with me, so I'm getting one of these. I just can't decide which one. There are so many pretty ones, but I really like these because they have a mirror. Some of my other choices: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Which one do you like best?

So I'm off doing a bit of online shopping. Have a great day!

Essence Lash Princess Mascara

It's difficult for me to properly review mascaras with a regular formula because when I use them, my lashes drop like a rock and I've just basically wasted some mascara, while it still looks like I have no lashes if you look straight on (but not from sideways, obviously. Pic of my natural lashes here). So even if the mascara is absolutely amazing in terms of volume, if it's a regular formula, it does very little for me. This mascara is precisely such a case. It's a really, really good volumising mascara, seriously top notch and it gives pretty much the false lash effect on my lashes (I have been asked once if I'm wearing falsies, but this mascara was applied over a waterproof formula one), unfortunately once the lashes drop it's very hard to see all the volume. For this reason my pictures of the lashes don't look even close to the real effect and they look a lot shorter than in real life, so you'll just have to trust me when I say that the effect of this mascara is just phenomenal when it comes to volume, it's just that the rest is not ideal for my needs.

The brush is an interesting curvy shape that deposits a lot of product onto the lashes, but still keeps them separated enough, though I still like to comb through with an old mascara wand just to give it a more defined look. The wand is a bit long for my taste and it does make the application a bit clumsier. The formula is very black and very wet. I've had mine for a couple of months now and it's holding quite well and is only a bit dry, which is a stark opposite of that Kardashian Beauty mascara I reviewed a while back, which is now almost completely dry (I got them a couple of weeks apart, both were given to me to review, hence why they are regular formulas.).

Despite it not being a waterproof formula, I do use it on my lower lashes since I don't have a problem with smudging nor do I need them to stay curled, but it creates the doll eyes effect and it just makes the removal a bit easier. I use it often over several coats of waterproof mascara (that average performing Bourjois 1 Second one) on top lashes and it gives a lot more volume, but it does make the lashes drop faster despite being merely "a final top coat".

This is one of the most volumising mascaras I've tried so far, though I actually think that the I <3 Extreme and L'Oréal Paris Voluminous in Carbon Black are actually very, very similar. It's also very lengthening, so it's a very glamorous looking effect mascara with the huge lashes, at least on me. However, due to being a regular formula and so wet, my lashes drop within seconds and the effect on me is barely visible when looking straight on. If you don't have such stubborn lashes like me, give it a go, for one it's better that Kardashian Beauty mascara when it comes to volume, but it just doesn't hold the curl one bit and if you have trouble with that like me, this isn't for you.

Have a great day!

Bourjois Lévres Contour Edition 02 Cotton Candy

2014 was the year when lip liners stole the spotlight (well, at least two MAC shades) and even my previously very humble, rarely used collection expanded significantly with the latest addition being this Bourjois one that I got as a gift from my cousin, who loves a more 90's kind of shade called 01 Nude Wav (thank you). I own another Bourjois pencil that I bought years ago, in the shade Rouge Soyeux, which is a pretty good dupe/match for MAC's Ruby Woo, however, it appears that the formula has been changed, since this new pencil performs much better because it's less drying.

Texture and staying power: These new pencils are very different from the other shade I own, Rouge Soyeux, which has a drier formula that won't appeal to many, but I don't mind it because I can get a very precise line with it. The new formula is very, very creamy, but still waxy, so it feels like a lipstick in a pencil form, though it's not overly creamy like Essence pencils. It's also a lot creamier than both versions of Catrice lip pencils I own and due to the comfortable creamy formula, I have no problems wearing it on its on. Of course, creaminess has a downside - you have to sharpen it very frequently, so I imagine it can't last long if used every day.Usually creaminess means that staying power has been sacrificed for comfort, but this pencil is actually very long lasting considering the type of formula. I don't check the time when testing lip products because I have better things to do, but it was still going strong in the middle of the day after being applied in the morning.

Colour and finish: Cotton Candy is a light-medium warm pink on me, but on most it'll be a classic nude shade. It's similar to MAC's Please me, only a bit lighter, however, on the lips these differences are almost invisible. I've Got you Babel by Catrice is a slightly warmer and peachier version of this shade. The finish of this pencil is creamy-matte and not completely matte as the previous version, however, it's that type of formula that despite being creamy, emphasises little wrinkles on the lips, which if you don't intend to wear this on its own, doesn't really matter.

Price and availability: I believe these are around 5-6 €. I'm not sure if these are replacing the old ones or not, but they haven't been released everywhere yet.

The new formula will appeal to all who like very creamy pencils and don't mind frequent sharpening. Due to being such soft pencils, it of course means it gets dull almost immediately, so precision it not its forte. I actually love wearing this pencil on its own because it's such a comfortable formula to wear and I like the colour on me.

Have a great day!

L'Oréal Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive Blake and Laetitia

I've been raving about these two a lot so far, they've even been in my Best Buys in 2014 post, so here's a proper review to start off the new year. I wanted these so badly, swatched them every time I went to the shop, then the right people took the hint, gifted me both the shades that caught my eye and I couldn't be happier about it. These two lipsticks have been on my lips pretty much every day since I got them and Blake got the honour of being my New Year's Eve choice, while Laetitia is more of my everyday choice.

The texture of both of these is so smooth and they glide on the lips like a dream. The pigmentation of both is fantastic and they need just one coat for a fully opaque, crisp colour, while the finish is matte, or creamy-matte just like at Catrice's MATTraction. My lips are almost never dry, so I don't want to mislead you into thinking that these aren't drying because I can't assess that properly, but I did notice that after several hours of wear, Laetita is a touch drying (nothing tragic, though), while Blake is ok.

Staying power of both of these is fantastic. Obviously it helps that they are darker colours as well as that they are matte, but even so just swatching them on the hand left me with a stain that could not be removed just with soap. These last a long time on the lips, thought they do fade if you eat or drink, but don't completely disappear.

The packaging of these is different than regular Colour Riche range as they have a sort of a leather design that makes them look a bit more expensive.

Blake

Blake is probably the most popular colour in this collection, also because unlike Laetitia it's available everywhere. It's a ruby cherry red with a blue undertone, so it's a very classic red, but I have nothing similar in my collection. I think that the matte finish makes it even more striking and because the formula isn't drying as well as it's smoother, I prefer it to Ruby Woo, though the shade of the latter is brighter and not as blue toned (comparison at the end).

Laetitia

Laetitia is the darkest shade in this collection and for some reason not sold everywhere (this may just be one of those impossible situations where Slovenes are the lucky ones). I'm a huge fan of Rimmel's Matte Lipstick in 107, but this is even better, especially regarding staying power. It's a proper deep red with some purple tones that are not as apparent as in 107 when on my lips. It's a striking shade and I have been wearing it on most days since I got it.

Laetitia vs. Rimmel's 107

It's strange how Laetitia looks so different in the bullet than on the lips. In the bullet is almost like an unappealing dark brownish red, but on the lips that purple tone shows up and it's a classic burgundy shade.

Pure Reds lipsticks cost 13-14 € depends on where you buy them, but so far I find that in Müller they are cheapest.

I adore both of these, everything from the colour to the formula and staying power is amazing. Their only fault is the high price, which is ridiculously high for drugstore, but I can't say that they are not worth it, since they are better than some MAC and high-end lipsticks in my opinion.

Do you have any favourites in the Pure Reds collection? Have a great day!

2014 in Retrospect: Popular Posts and My Favourite Bloggers

It's been a great blogging year for me and enjoyed every moment of it. It's been the most prolific so far, my blog reached 1 million views in July and perhaps the biggest surprise to me has been that my followers numbers have almost doubled, which I greatly appreciate, so thank you all who read me regularly. Thanks for every comment, save on Bloglovin', pin on Pinterest and like on Facebook as well as Instagram - you're all awesome!

All images bellow are links to reviews, so feel free to click away and if anyone is interested in last year's post you can find it here.