RIMMEL Lasting Finish Nude Foundation
010 Light Porcelain
You wouldn't believe how much I'm struggling with this foundation. I bought it because I ran out of Match Perfection in the same shade, which is one of the lightest colours I ever found, but I disliked the formula, so I mostly used it for mixing with other foundations to make them lighter. I hoped the new Lasting Finish Nude foundation has a more tolerable formula, so I could just use it on its own, but I just can't get this to work for me 90% of the time. Figuring out a method of application that would make this look decent on the skin is more difficult than defusing a bomb. On the first day I applied it with a Real Techniques Expert Brush and then went out - I actually had my cousins say that my foundation looks so weird, like I have a band-aid on my nose. Literally my nose looked all patchy with redness shining through and it looks normal without foundation. I find that out of my brushes only E.l.f. Powder Brush works with this and I can use just a small amount of foundation, which means I can only get a light-medium coverage, instead of medium-full, which it's fully capable to do. God forbid you put powder on this, it will look intolerably cakey and it will ruin your day. I had to take the entire makeup off one time in the middle of the day, good thing I carry makeup wipes with me. I'm currently on the-mixing-it-with-different-foundations stage of testing.
I just don't get along with Rimmel foundations. They feel a bit gross on the skin and look so obvious, but I just adore the their 010 Light Porcelain shade because it's such a great match for me. I will try working with this foundation further and do a review.
Feel Unique, €10.39
URBAN DECAY Naked2 Basics Palette
It had to happen. I'm a huge fan of the original Basics palette and I use it almost every day as it's just the perfect palette for me. I squealed like a little girl on helium when I first saw the press release for the Naked2 Basics and it instantly went on my wishlist. I patiently waited for a discount and then placed an order for this pretty palette. I love it. Simple as that. I love all the colours, they combine so well, the quality is again amazing. So happy I got this. I was thinking of doing a little comparison with the Catrice Absolute Matt palette.
Feel Unique, €28.60
CATRICE Longlasting Lip Liner
040 ...And the Cherry on the Top and 150 Vintage Rose
I had a sudden urge a few weeks ago that I "desperately" need lip liners, since I had only a few and even those I disliked apart from the Bourjois one. I asked on Instagram which lip liners you recommend and Catrice was by far the most recommended brand, so I grabbed four in the shop literally three hours after posting that picture. I took two classic liners that need to be sharpened - a dark red one and a nude one. They are harder than Essence's, something I like, but not as hard as Bourjois', which means staying power isn't impressive, especially of the lighter shade. Swatches and pictures have already been taken, so expect a post about these shortly.
Müller, 2.29 €
CATRICE Ultimate Stay Lip Liner
040 Love the Way you Plum and 080 Mauve Me, Tender
I grabbed Love the Way you Plum based on Taya's recommendation as I needed a better match for my Rimmel's 107 lipstick and Apocalips in Eclipse than Rimmel's Black Tulip. It's perfect. It matches both beautifully, so I'm very happy I got it. I got the other one Mauve Me, Tender because I wanted to try a bit of a darker version of the 90's trend, but without going brown (which is so not my colour), but this is just too purple on me. You'll see in the review how it looks on me, but I'm not a fan. These are twist up pencils, however, the quality of the packaging is shoddy at best and these break off ridiculous easy.
Müller, 2.49 €
CATRICE Absolute Eye Colour Mono
790 I Wear My Plum Glasses At Night
One of the new shades for autumn I believe. I'm a fan of Catrice's matte eyeshadows and I fell in love with the shade, so I had to get it. It's a taupe with strong purple tones - basically a plum toned Starlight Expresso (also by Catrice).
Müller, 2.89 €
CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm
I was send a very generous sample of the famous Beauty Flash Balm (remember when Lisa Eldridge started the hype? I've been itching to try it since) along with some other samples, which I'll discuss latter. It's a primer and you have to be very careful to really apply the smallest amount as a tiny dot can be distributed on a large area. It's not particularly silicone-y and it reminds me a bit of the Max Factor Stay All Day primer, but it's more moisturising and more spreadable, so essentially you get to use a lot less product. I'll do a review.
Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique
CLARINS Gloss Prodige
03 Rose
Why is this shade named Rose? I don't get it. Anyway, I was sent this as well, you might surmise that, since it's not the colour I'd pick from the counter, at least not any more. It's not as nude as it looks and the coverage is more on the sheer side, however, the formula is excellent. In fact, it reminds me a lot of their Instant Lip Perfector in a sense, that it's again that buttery, very comfortable formula to wear, but it is a thick gloss. It smells fantastic, like candy (Kiki soft candy).
Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique.
THE BODY SHOP Vineyard Peach Body Mist
Finally! *angels singing* I have been lemming this body mist for ages. I even went to Celovec/Klagenfurt primarily to track this down and received a shock when I was told it was out of stock due to popularity. I finally found a seller on eBay that was willing to send this overseas, but I did pay a lot for shipping, though still it's less than for petrol to Celovec or Gradec again. I'm a massive fan of the Vineyard Peach collection and I utterly, utterly adore the scent. I have the corresponding body butter and scrub as well, so I am one happy bunny right now.
eBay, 8 € (without shipping).
KÉRASTASE Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant Anti-Dandruff Moisturising Shampoo
If you don't know yet, I've been suffering from dry itchy scalp and dandruff since I was 11 and nothing ever helped, while my dermatologist refuses to prescribe me anything. Anyway, this is the latest shampoo I'm trying out. Kérastase in my favourite brand, so even if this doesn't help with my dandruff, at least I have a great shampoo. This is one of those exfoliating shampoos that has beads in it and it should help removing that coat of dead skin on the scalp (sounds delightful right? Welcome to my life). I've only used it a few times, but I think that the applicator is simply genius because I can get the shampoo directly to the scalp and the exfoliating beads actually reach my scalp. It smells nice as well.
Feel Unique, €17.68
KÉRASTASE Nutritive Nectar Thermique
My HG heat protection for my dry hair. I reviewed this a few days ago, click here for review with a giveaway - the prize is another heat protectant Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique Creme.
About 20 € (depends where you buy it), available in some salons and online shops.
BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer
Too many people raved about this and I can't resist a new hair product, especially an all-in-one heat protection. Based on the name, I expected something like Orofluido Sahara, but this is closer to a very light lotion. Honestly, I'm a bit underwhelmed. It may be that I'm too spoiled by Kérastase, but for the Bumble and Bumble price, I pretty much expect the same type of miracle product. It's a nice heat protection that much is certain. It's easy to apply because of the spray and can be used on damp or dry hair (I advise moderation on dry hair), however, it doesn't control frizz well (I tested it on me and on someone else), it doesn't hydrate the hair as well as Sexy Healthy Hair leave-in or Kérastase Nectar Thermique, though it is moisturising and it smells very blah, like a classic soap scent mixed with porcini mushrooms (SLO jurčki) and cream. I have been using it a lot though because it's a fast way to apply heat protection, but it does make the hair feel wet, unlike the Tigi S Factor one. I need more time before I say my final verdict, but it should pop up in a post one day. By the way, I used it here.
Look Fantastic, €24.70
PALMER'S Coconut Oil Formula Strong Roots Spray
Sunday Girl recommends this for soothing an itchy scalp and though I have my Alpencin Forte to help me with that, I wanted to try something else, since Alpencin smells like herbal schnapps and is hard to get now. Palmer's also hydrates the scalp, which is something I need, since my scalp is very dry. However, when it comes to alleviating itchiness, it's not nearly as effective as Alpencin. It smells a lot nicer, like coconut with mint and the application method is a lot better, still it's not as effective and it can make my hair greasy, which if you know how dry may hair is, is not something I'm used to at all. However, I haven't used it on damp hair yet, just on dry. I'll keep using it and report in time if I have more to say.
Feel Unique, €4.93
REFAN N.135 imitation of Lancôme Pôeme
Oh, the smell of the 90's. This was my mother's fragrance for a certain period. It's a difficult fragrance to describe, since like all the "before 2000's fragrances", it has a ton of notes, so it's not like now when you can clearly smell a certain note due to there being so few. It's a strong and warm scent, but it's nothing like cookie vanilla celebrity scents, though it does have vanilla in it, rather it's more of a balsamic, floral and even a bit green scent. Basically, it smells very expensive and classy. In fact, it's similar to Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli, but the latter smells more modern and better in my opinion.
15 ml 5.80 €
NIVEA Powder Touch Anti-Perspirant
I screwed up. I planned to repurchase the pink version called Pearl & Beauty, which is wonderful - it smells lovely, actually works for a spray deodorant (I layer it over my trusted Rexona) and leaves little white marks despite having powder in it. However, they didn't have it in the supermarket, so I picked up Powder Touch instead, thinking surely it's just as good. It's just horrible when it comes to white marks! This actually sprays white powder and my armpits are like covered with flour. Holy smokes! It also doesn't smell the best. I mean it's ok, but Pearl & Beauty smells a lot better. Oh, what am I going to do with it…
Interspar, 2.99 €
ECOTOOLS Bamboo Tapered Blush Brush
Since my Bobbi Brown Blush Brush and Art Deco Blush brush are both ancient, I thought it was high time to get something new, but still on the budget. I have several Ecotools brushes and I think they are excellent, plus their blush brush has an excellent rating on Makeup Alley, so this is the one I've chosen. I am very happy with this brush. It's super soft, softer even that Real Techniques brushes, which I thought was impossible. It is tapered and flatter on one side, but most importantly it's not too big for me, which I'm frequently concerned about when buying brushes. It picks up the blush well and applies it nicely on the cheeks. I really like it.
iHerb, $6.99
TWEEZERMAN Mini Slanted Tweezers
Green Tea
I have been searching for a pair of super precise tweezers that would grip even the tinniest hair and pluck it out. Tweezerman's are a cult favourite and the minis are very small, so I expected great precision. The are quite precise, though not amazingly so, however because they are very, very sharp, they cut through about half of the hair instead of pulling them out. I'm not terribly pleased, but as far as precision goes they are the best I've tried so far and way superior to the clumsy Ebeline version. These come with a plastic holding tube.
Look Fantastic, €16.25
JESSUP 5 pc Eye Makeup Brushes
I was really curious what these will be like. I'm not going to say that I didn't expect much for the price as I have very cheap brushes that are so good and I've been using them for years. These feel very well made. There are many sets to choose from, but I chose a set of 5 eye brushes for start. I'd say four are excellent as they are super soft, but one, the pointed one, is simply too dense and I don't know how to use it yet.
One is a classic dome brush, though to big to fit in my "crease", so I use it for blending. The other three have a flat surface, but are cut differently - straight and slanted. These are excellent for blending concealer. They kind of changed my world a bit as they make it so easy and flawless. They are also great for applying a base colour on the lids, or applying powder under the eyes so the concealer won't crease. In general, I'm very, very happy with these.
ECOTOOLS Six Piece Essential Eye Set
I got this as a birthday gift for my cousin, but I'm posting a quick picture here nonetheless. The handles are short and based on a quick unpacking we did in the restaurant, they looked really nice, dense and soft - basically classic great quality Ecotools brushes. There is a
large eye brush for applying a base shadow over the lid, an angled crease brush for definition to the outer corner, a blending brush, a highlighting brush and a smudge brush.
large eye brush for applying a base shadow over the lid, an angled crease brush for definition to the outer corner, a blending brush, a highlighting brush and a smudge brush.
iHerb, $7.99
CLARINS Samples
As I said before I got several generous samples of Clarins skincare and I'll planning on doing an empties type of post soon where I'll talk about the products. So far I am in love with the Instant Eye Make-Up Remover - brilliant stuff.
As I said before I got several generous samples of Clarins skincare and I'll planning on doing an empties type of post soon where I'll talk about the products. So far I am in love with the Instant Eye Make-Up Remover - brilliant stuff.
Fragrance Samples
I received a slew of fragrance samples, which I so chuffed about because I adore fragrances. I'm planning a sort of a Christmas guide on fragrances maybe later in the month or in December, though I can post it sooner if you wish. I'm loving several scents - Reveal, Sheer Beauty and Forbidden Euphoria all by Calvin Klein as well as Just Cavalli.
I also ordered NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Copenhagen over a month ago and the package hasn't arrived. There is quite a bit of angry emotions brewing under my, in general, cool exterior. I hate dealing with all the back and forth messaging on eBay, but it happens way too often. Too many parcels just get lost. I really wanted that lip cream. At least I got a refund.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!