Sunday 30 June 2013

Scottish Fine Soaps Body Butter Oatmeal review


Scottish Fine Soaps is a brand which is generally unavailable in Poland but I learned about it when I received their body milk in one of my Glossyboxes. Since I liked the body milk very much I was more than happy to find their Oatmeal Body Butter in TK Maxx.
A huge container of the body butter was very reasonably priced and I felt attracted by its strongly perfumed smell, which reminded me a lot of one of my favourite perfumes by Givenchy, Insolence.
This is a rich, creamy butter which glides smoothly on my skin, absorbs fairly quickly and makes my skin look and feel fresh. I really love the smell and I think it'll last for ages. 


Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for this body butter subsided when I saw mineral oil on the second position on the list of ingredients. I still believe this cream performs exceptionally well, however I'd prefer it to be based on shea butter or something similar.
What i learned fron this experience is that I always need to check the ingredients first before buying anything from Scottish Fine Soaps.



Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.



Saturday 29 June 2013

Korean goodies: Etude House Sun Prise Natural Corrector SPF42 review

Etude House Sun Prise Natural Corrector SPF42


When it comes to sun care Korean products are the only ones I reach for. They offer great SPF and most of them are non-greasy and can be easily used under make-up. They are also quite affordable.

The thing is that having so much choice makes it really hard for me to decide what to pick. Testing samples makes the job easier, but it also offers new possibilities when I've already decided what to get.

I got this sample from my lovely reader Lanalei and I liked Etude House Sun  Prise so much that it actually replaced Missha All Around in priority order.

I'm a bit confused about the name of the product. Is Etude House Sun Prise Natural Corrector SPF42 a sunscreen or a primer? This doubt remains unresolved after consulting a couple of websites and using the product myself.

What I found inside the sachet was a pink substance which applied beautifully on my skin and left it smooth and matte which was great for my oily skin. Foundation applied on top wore beautifully and I feel shine started to show later than normally. The second time I used it was over make-up when I realized that I'd forgotten to use any sun protection. It was my day off so I didn't bother whether this sunscreen was going to ruin my make up or not. To my surprise my make-up remained untouched, what's more my face remained oil-free for a couple of hours spent in the sun, which hardly ever happens. Excellent!

This sunscreen didn't leave the typical white cast on my face, nor did it smell of sunscreen. In fact it had a very nice floral fragrance.

The only thing that confuses me is the difference between my opinion and the opinions of some of other reviewers. A couple of them found this sunscreen oily whereas I believe this gives a matte finish and helps to control oil on oily skin. This only proves that there as many opinions as users.


Thank you, Lanalei, for the sample!

Friday 28 June 2013

project empties #1



Project Empties is a new series of highly irregular posts which will present products I've used up and my brief opinions of them after reaching the bottom. Most of the products presented have already been reviewed, so I'm not going to go over them again in great detail. The point is to give a final judgement before I say goodbye to them!

LEFT:
1. Bioderma Sensibio micellar solution is an excellent make-up remover and face cleanser. I'm not saying goodbye to it, just moving on to a larger bottle.
2. The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner improved my skin condition a lot. I'm currently using The Body Shop seaweed toner and after I've used it up I'll decide which one of the two to repurchase.
3. Goldwell Style Sign Twist Around Curling Lotion is the best hair stuff for curly hair I've ever used. You use it on dry hair, it's activated by the heat of the hair dryer and I suspect it will make even straight hair curl.
4. Tony&Guy Men Styling Fibre is a nice texturising paste which can be used not only on men's hair.
5. NYX  make-up setting spray matte is something I won't repurchase. Smells awful, the pump distributes huge drops instead of mist and I don't think this works at all.
6. Skinfood Gold Kiwi Sun Cream SPF36 is a lovely sun cream. Leaves my skin matte and smells gorgeous. The only reason I won't repurchase is that there are so many excellent Korean and Japanese sun products to try out that I see no point in staying loyal to one product line only.
RIGHT:
7. Revlon Lip Butters in Candy Apple and Berry Smoothie. Excellent lip balms to wear outdoors and at home.
8. Rimmel Stay Matte powder has already been replaced with its translucent version straight from the UK, which differs substantially from the one traded in Poland. Good setting powder for low budget.
9. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Sari d'Eau - one of my favourite soft orange shades - and Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle which is one of my favourite lip shades and has already been replaced by a cheaper dupe by Rimmel.
10. Smashbox Photo Finish primer, which is a nice, smoothing primer but didn't do much to keep my face matte and felt too silicony on my face. It's all right but I feel I can get better.
  


Korean goodies: Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint review

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

I've been recently quite impressed with Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint. I couldn't figure out which shade I got, but very obviously it is the pale pink one.
I'm not normally impressed with tints as they are just too watery and therefore hard to apply, whereas the consistency of this one is gel-like and it works pretty well both on my lips and on my cheeks.

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

On my lips it looks, well, pink and very natural. But I actually enjoyed using this tint on my cheeks even more. I poured a drop into a small container and applied it on my cheeks with my Real Techniques setting brush. This gave me a very natural pink flush on my cheeks. I must say that this product reminded me a lot of  the new Estee Lauder Pure Color cheek Blush, just the shade is different.
The only drawback of this product is its strong, artificial cherry smell. Otherwise this is a perfect blush or lip stain for the summer, which can be worn on the beach without the risk of smudging or melting and looking too much over the top.

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Thursday 27 June 2013

Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing cream review



This review is based on a couple of samples only so I'm going to discuss my immediate reflections instead of long-term results.
Advanced Time Zone cream is a lightweight cream which glides on nicely and moisturises well. I believe this cream would suit normal to combination skin types. On my oily skin it produced too much shine to be comfortably worn under make-up. The presence of SPF15 makes is obviously a day cream. The cream has a very pleasant smell.
In spite of all these positive sides, I didn't notice anything unusual or exceptional about this cream that would encourage me to get it full size. All the benefits offered by Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone can be equalled by most drugstore face products.


Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.



Toni &Guy Men Styling Fibre Casual Everyday Texture review



I know that this styling fibre is for men. However, the lady in the shop said the main differences are the smell and the fact that this is meant for shorter types of  hair so I grabbed it to add texture to my hair.

And indeed, this cream texturises my hair very well, it even enhances curls on my hair. It also helps to lift my hair at the roots. The smell is not too strong and I'd describe it more as unisex rather than deodorant for men on my head. 

The main disadvantage of this product is that it's thick and heavy. Feels unpleasant on my fingers and is quite difficult to spread. This paste will weigh your hair down if you use it excessively and also if your hair is too long for this kind of product.
I have dry hair, so I don't notice this on my own hair, but I'm sure it may make oily hair look greasy.
This kind of product definitely needs to be used in moderation, just to add hair some texture and lift, otherwise it may turn to your hair's enemy instead of a friend.

Toni &Guy Styling Fibre is sold in two sizes out of which I picked the smaller one. This little tin jar has lasted for a good couple of months of daily use and there's still some of the product left. The packaging looks good, it's small and compact, travel-friendly and doesn't occupy too much bathroom space.

 I won't repurchase immediately but I'll consider getting this again if I don't find anything better.


Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Korean goodies: Skin Food Broccoli Sun Cream review


I've waited to try Skinfood Broccoli Sun Cream for quite a while. The thing is that there was hardly any sun in the past couple of months, so there was no point. 
When I finally reached for it it turned out to be quite disappointing. I mean, a year or two ago I would have been completely satisfied with it as it resembles all European sunscreens that were available to me before I discovered how good Korean ones are.
This sun cream is a thick white substance which leaves white cast on my face. It doesn't absorb completely, leaving greasy film which will attract sand and make my face look like oil slick. It has a more pleasant smell than most sunscreens, though.
I'm sure it's good as far as sun protection is concerned, but you can get way better.


 Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.


Monday 24 June 2013

Clarins Sun Wrinkle control Eye Contour Care SPF30 review


For reasons unknown to me eye creams with sunscreens are rare on the cosmetic market. That is why finding one with SPF30 on a sale shelf is almost a miracle.
Clarins Sun Wrinkle control Eye Contour Care belongs to Clarins sun care line and it seems to me that the wrinkle control results more from the sun protection than from the content of some beneficial ingredients. Fine by me, that's what I want.
This cream is a typical sunscreen, which also means a couple of disadvantages. It leaves white cast and it's not moisturising enough. Luckily, white cast in the eye area can actually be quite brightening. It seems to even out the skin tone, especially on my upper lid.
My undereye area feels a bit too dry when I use this cream on a rather cold day. On hot days all my face is sweaty and sticky so I don't notice any issues. But anyway, to offer more moisture to my undereye I follow this cream with a bit of Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream and it works perfectly fine.
This is not a cream that I would use all year round but I'll definitely keep repurchasing every summer.   


Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.


Glossybox June 2013


After a very successful Glossybox comes the one I honestly hate. Seemingly it's all right, and I'm sure there are girls who love it but it's totally useless for me.

The products are:
Batiste Dry Shampoo (this is the second Batiste dry shampoo I received within a couple of months for my very dry hair which barely needs washing)
Figs & Rouge lip balm (while I liked the previous one, this one contains glitter. What for?)
Pat & Rub - Polish brand- Illuminating Oil for face and body (not a fan of oils)
Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner & Shadow (meh, I've seen better)
Emite Make-Up eyelash curler (I've got Shu Uemura, definitely not interested in this one)
and a gift for loyal subscribers:
Gilette razor


I'm considering arranging a giveaway to pass the things I don't need to someone who'd be happy to have them. What do you think?

Sunday 23 June 2013

Sisley Sunleya Age Minimizing After-Sun Care review



I live by the sea, but I rarely sunbathe. I'm usually pale and the tan I get is mostly fake. That's why I never buy any after sun products and I'm not a very competent reviewer in that respect. Recently, however, I spent about 2 hours with my sons in the midday sun. I'd used strong sunscreen so I didn't get sunburnt at all but when I returned home my face was red due to exposure to heat. I thought I'd treai it with Sisley Sunleya Age Minimizing After-Sun Care. This is a white cream infused with essential oils and plant extracts. It applies very smoothly and does not irritate inflamed skin. It was very pleasant to use and surely brought relief to my skin after spending a couple of hours in the sun.
If I were a regular sunbather, I'd seriosly consider getting this product.


Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

weekly snippets #1

This has been an eventful week. It seems like most events concern Mikolaj.

Mikolaj learned to ride the bike in one day, which reflects his character a lot. There's no middle ground in his world. Things are either black or white. The learning process is unnoticeable, things just happen overnight when the right time comes. When he was 2 he barely spoke at all. Then it started and after a couple of weeks of practice he was able to say 'Mum gimme a biscuit, life's not easy,you know'. Potty training took us about 2 weeks resulting in complete elimination of nappies even at night time.And now he's learned to ride a bike.

On the second evening of bike riding practice Miki got a severe allergic reaction to some kind of grass growing in the park. The night care pediatrician misinterpreted the symptoms and we ended up in hospital having his eyes tested for infection. Under the influence of the medication he received the symptoms subsised the following day but we received information that our son is allergic to something in the air. From now on we'll need to travel with all the medicaments necessary to combat the symptoms.

Mikolaj went to two birthday parties arranged in these play areas in shopping centres. One of them was actually a post-industrial loft with millions of attractions for the little brats. The kids looked like monkeys in a zoo and we, the parents, were sitting on the sofas watching their evolutions in the air. Only the tails were missing. It was so hot that I literally melted into the faux leather sofa.

Mikolaj has completed the first stage of his education successfully. We all went to the end-of-year show and heard him say two sentrnces in English in public. Amazing. I always have tears in my eyes when I see how distressed and clumsy he is when performing in his pre-school.

The sudden heatwave we're experiencing these days encouraged me to take the kids to the beach. I loved the fun they had whole playing there but I loved going back in the midday heat much less. I had to carry a backpack, two diggers, two buckets, a couple of spades and rakes, a fire engine and an ambulance and finally also Adam and I thought I would have a stroke. When I returned home my face was tomato red, not because of sun burns as my Korean and Japanese sunscreens do their jobs really well, but because of the heat.

On Saturday morning Kuba had a brainwave and he conceived a wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon. He took us to an Italian pizza place in Wrzeszcz by tram and bus. Travelling on the public means of transport constitutes a major attraction for the boys as they are normally driven everywhere by car. For me, this is an opportunity to observe people I don't normally meet in my life. And god, how ugly we are! Especially men. Nine-month pregnancy bellies hidden under those awful t-shirts with silly prints, knee-long patterned shorts with bulging pockets and sandals worn over white socks with Nike logo (a display of financial status, I suppose). Women tend to sport excessive tan which makes all of them look 20 years older.
Anyway, the pizza place turned out to be a very nice restaurant, run by real Italians, who don't speak Polish at all and who communicated with us in broken English. So cosmopolitan! And the pizza was heaven!

While getting ready for our journey I told Kuba to wipe the remains of chocolate off Mikokolaj's face. He did it so thoroughly that he pulled a tooth out of Mikolaj's jaw. I need to mention that the tooth had been barely moving. The tooth fairy brought Mikolaj 5zloty and when we asked what he was going to do with the money he said he would save the money he received for all his teeth and buy something later. Hmmm, we thought the tooth fairy was interested in the first tooth only, now she needs to revise her funds and Mikolaj needs a piggybank.


And finally, we went to a lovely party at Anka's which didn't end all that well for the three of us. Anka and me in particular. Drinking two bottles of sparkling wine wasn't really such a good idea, was it, my dear? Not to mention my own achievements, haha. No photographs taken.

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12h Wear in Taupe (04) and Purple Glitter (29) review


Sephora Jumbo Liner 12h Wear in Taupe #04 and Purple Glitter #29

This review is long overdue. I bought these eyeliners ages ago and somehow didn't get round to reviewing them. I'm a huge fan of Sephora liners and these two made a lovely addition to my collection.
All these liners are soft and creamy when applied and once they set they're waterproof, smudgeproof and long-lasting.
They work equally well as eyeshadows, eyeshadow bases and eyeliners.
They are more affordable than similar products by other brands, eg. MUFE or Clinique. 

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12h Wear in Purple Glitter #29 and Taupe #04

#29 Purple Glitter is exactly what the name says: violet purple with lots of silver glitter which sticks to the lid and doesn't cause fall out.
# Taupe is light shimmery taupe. I love to use this pencil all over the lid as my eyeshadow base. I'm a sucker for taupes and I love this one a lot.

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12h Wear in Taupe #04 and Purple Glitter #29


Since I've got a couple of taupe jumbo pencils, I thought I'd swatch them for reference:

Sephora Dark Taupe, Sephora Taupe, NYX French Fries
Sephora Dark Taupe is my favourite out of these three, it's a dark shimmer with cool gray undertones.
Sephora Taupe is light and leans beige.
NYX French Fries is a bronzey kind of taupe, but to me it still fits in the taupe category.


NYX French Fries, Sephora Taupe, Sephora Dark Taupe

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.


Saturday 22 June 2013

Korean goodies: Dr Jart+ Rejuvenating BB cream Silver Label review


Over the past year or so I've been obsessed with BB creams and I've tried heaps of them, sometimes samples, sometimes full-size products but somehow never had an opportunity to use anything by Dr.Jart+. Recently I've come across a couple of reviews claiming that the Silver Label one was meant for oily skin, what's more it was available, apart from the full-sized versions, in a 10ml tube, which was affordable and gave me the opportunity to see whether I liked the thing or not.  


I must admit that the packaging was my love at first sight. It's true that it looks a bit like a product for men, but who cares as long as it's pretty and appeals to my personal taste. It's matte black with silver print. Very minimalistic. However, obviously this travel-size packaging differs from the original one.  

As far as the substance inside is concerned, this is pretty much a typical Asian BB cream. It's thick so the best method to apply is to dot it all over the face and then spread evenly out with your fingers. It's one of the most buildable BBcreams/foundations I've seen, each layer added coverage without creating a mask or cakeing.
This BB cream feels rather heavy on the face and offers semi-matre finish, feels even kind of dry. It seems well suited for oily skin at first, but then it disappoints. I feel it does nothing as far as oil control is concerned. even more, I have a feeling that it somehow stimulates sebum production. My face gets unpleasantly shiny within about two hours in cold weatherand since then I need to blot blot blot and blot. 
In spite of poor oil control this BB cream lasted at least 8 hours on me with some minor fading in the oiliest areas.
The shade of this BB cream is one of the most unflattering muddy greiges which gives my face a kind of zombie look at first, but it adjusts itself to my skin tone as much as possible and with some use of powder, blush and bronzer I can achieve passable results.
The coverage is pretty high and as I've already said buildable.
As far as colour transfer is concerned, this BB cream sticks to my mobile phone like crazy, probably because of its poor oil control. I notice the same thing about many other Korean BB creams I've got.

I liked this BB cream a lot when I first got it, then I started noticing its disadvantages. I think that the formula is kind of dated, since the first BB creams appeared on the market they have evolved a lot. I think this BB cream would have satisfied me fully a couple of years ago, while now I expect something more.

EDIT: This BB Cream makes a PERFECT UNDEREYE CONCEALER. It's neither too emolient nor too dry. Being so buildable it offers a decent coverage without caking or looking weird. even the tone seems all right. And above all it has SPF35 which is unheard of among eye care products. It doesn't produce any allergic reactions (on my skin). I've relocated this product and now it occupies my concealer drawer.


Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Thursday 20 June 2013

Sephora Stippling Brush review

Sephora Stippling Brush

I am a big fan of Sephora brand and I usually buy products within its range without hesitation or regret but this time I can hardly find anything good to say about this brush, apart from the cute design. The other good thing is that I bought it with a 40% off discount, which makes my disappointment less painful.

When I was parading with this brush to the checkout my friendly assistant looked at my choice with a stare of strong disapproval, which I should have interpreted as a tell-tale sign. But I needed a small stippling brush to apply my cheek tints. I thought this might not be the best brush in history but how wrong can you go when making a stippling brush? 

Actually you can go as far as to make the tool useless. So after this long preamble, let me explain what I believe makes this brush the most useless brush in history. Well, its bristles are hard as hell. They don't bend to sheer the product on the skin nicely. They allow the product to be stamped in tiny little dots but not blended out. Of course, if you use substantial force you will bend them down but this is not a pleasant experience as  the bristles literally scratch my face. 
Moreover, there's a highly annoying synthetic rustle when using this brush.
All the flaws are noticeable atfirst glance and I would have given this brush a miss it it hadn't been sold with a sealed protective cap on.  Good for hygenic purposes, bad for product testing.

So, don't even look at this brush as this is not worth a single cent of the $33 it retails for in Poland.




Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.



Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Warm Ivory/Pale Yellow review


Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Warm Ivory/Pale Yellow

When searching for my HG concealer I came across Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit. The reason why I bought this duo wasn't in fact the concealer itself, I was rather looking for a lightweight powder meant to set concealers. It turned out, however, that I like the concealer more than the powder.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Warm Ivory/Pale Yellow

The concealer is really creamy, though it performs better when it warms up under my fingers. It's extremely pigmented and may turn out quite heavy if you use excessive amount. Bobbi Brown recommends using a highlighter on top of that but I really see no need to do that. The concealer works so well on its own and it's often referred to, quite rightfully, as a corrector. I actually did use  the Creamy Concealer with a highlighter, just to see what happens, but the whole thing looked cakey and started to crease pretty soon. The shade I'm using is Warm Ivory which is a pale beige with peachy undertones. Very pretty and brightening.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Warm Ivory/Pale Yellow
The Pale Yellow setting powder is a very finely milled pale yellow powder. It goes on quite sheer so I wouldn't bother about the shade too much unless you wish to pack tons of this powder under your eyes. It's all right but I don't think it does anything amazing to my undereye area. It sets the concealer without leaving my undereye area excessively dry but somehow I expected some ooomph or wow factor and nothing like that happened. 

Packing a cream product and a powder together always carries a risk of  dusting the cream one with the powder one. Not in this case. The brush doesn't kick up tons of dust and the packaging doesn't get too messy. The small compact which holds the duo is equipped with a handy mirror located in its lid. 

This concealer kit is definitely a good buy for someone looking for a high-coverage concealer.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Warm Ivory/Pale Yellow



Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Bourjois dissolvant Miraculeux one second nail polish remover review


When I was buying this nail polish remover I thought it was a kind of gimmick. Having your nail polish removed in one second sounded worth giving it a try. I thought it was an exaggeration of some kind cause there's a similar product from Sephora which promises to take only a minute to remove polish, so, as you can guess, the discrepancy between the efficiency of the two was hard to believe.

And all right, it doesn't take a second to remove nail polish from one nail. It takes about 3 to 5. Seriously. All you need to do is to dip your finger inside this plastic bottle filled with gray sponge, turn your finger sideways a couple of times, at voila, done!

I thought this remover was going to be harsh, but no. It's infused with almond oil and it's extremely gentle.
I thought it would stain my fingers with the remains of the polish, but no. My fingers leave the jar spotlessly clean.
I thought that after a couple of uses the remover left in the jar would be coloured red, but no. It's clear all the time.


It's hard to say how long this will last, but it doesn't matter. It's the quickest and the most efficient nail polish in the world. I'm going to stick to it as long as it's on the market. Unfortunately I need to keep the old one as well as there's no way I'm gonna stick my toes into the jar. Each of them separately.



Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Sephora Doe Eyed Felt Eyeliner in Blue #03 review


Sephora Doe Eyed Felt Eyeliner is the second eyeliner of this type in my collection, bought soon after my Milani Eye Tech eyeliner, therefore my Milani eyeliner is the only point of reference.


What I liked about the Sephora eyeliner:
  • the colour is pretty unique. It's supposed to be blue but it's very definitely teal, not blue.
  • the tip of the applicator is somewhat stiffer than the Milani one, which gives me more control over the application
  • easy to use
  • opaque
  • long-lasting, waterproof, smudgeproof
  • affordable and readily available just round the corner



What I didn't like about the product:
  • dries out very quickly. I've had this pen for about 2 months and used it about 10 times and it already seems dried out. It's weird but it seems like the liquid doesn;t reach the tip any more. When I press hard I notice there's plenty of liquid left but the tip is dry. I tried storing it in a number of positions, to no avail. I remember that the testers at Sephora displayed were equally dried out but I thought they were old and many people opened them all the time but it turns out to be a product feature.
  • Secondly, while I like the fact that the product is long-lasting and waterproof, I must say that I disliked how it stained my eye lids. It's simply impossible to remove. I've tried a number of make-up removers which removed everything except the eyeliner. Traces of eyeliner stain are still visible in the morning.
  • Colour blue turned out to be teal

I don't think I'll purchase any more of these liners. This one is all right but I suppose I can find something better. The only thing that would attract me to this product specifically is that its shade is pretty unique and unavailavble in other brands.


Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Monday 17 June 2013

Korean goodies: Etude House Collagen Moistfull Cream review


I received a couple of samples of Etude House Collagen Moistfull cream with one of my purchases. I had already tried a couple of products from their Collagen Moistfull line and this is my favourite item so far.

This cream is more like gel as far oa consistency is concerned. It glides on incredibly on my skin, leaving it noticeably moisturised and smoothed. This is one of these creams that feel like primers on my skin.

I have oily skin and I can wear this cream only at night time, but if my skin was drier, I'd certainly use it under make-up as I'm sure it would make a perfect base.

I'm putting this cream on my wishlist as one of the creams I need to consider getting when the need arises.


Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.


Sunday 16 June 2013

Korean goodies: Etude House I'm Blooming Moisture Cleansing Foam review


When I'd used up my previous cleansing gel I was browsing through the net, unsure what to get next, and my eyes fell on a new product by Etude House, their I'm Blooming Moisture Cleansing Foam. For the past couple of months I've been loving Etude House so, having trust in the brand, I thought this would be a good choice. And indeed it is.

I'm Blooming differs very much from Skinfood cleansing foams which sort of rubberise my skin (you need to try one to see what I mean) or from the "western" ones which tend to leave my skin unpleasantly dry and tight.

True to its name, Moisture Cleansing Foam cleanses my skin properly without depriving it of moisture. My skin feels comfortably moisturised after my make-up removal procedures. I like to use it as a part of my night time skin care routine as I believe it preps my skin for a night cream well. In the morning I prefer something more mattifying to prevent excessive shine. 
Etude House I'm Blooming Moisture Cleansing Foam is a wonderful cleansing product for dry skin. You can use it safely, never fearing this would leave your skin drier than before. I have oily skin, but my eye area is dry. I don't remove my eye make-up with foam cleansers, but it's hard to avoid any product reaching this area while washing or rinsing the product off and this is one of the rare products which don't leave the skin under my eyes tight.
I thought that this cleansing foam would have a strong floral smell - there are flowers on the tube - but it actually is almost fragrance-free. I must say it's probably the least fragranced Korean cosmetic item I've used.
The product comes in a handy pink plastic tube which is both travel triendly and looks pretty on a bathroom shelf.


Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.


Revlon Nearly Naked foundation #150 Nude review

I find it quite hard to review Revlon Nearly Naked foundation. This is a good product but it will satisfy  a limited group of people on certain occassions. 


So, who might like the product?
  • Women with normal to dry skin who have quite perfect skin and are looking for a product that will unify the skin tone a bit or rather perfect what they've already got. My skin but better kind of thing.
  • Also women who hate heavy make up will enjoy this foundation as it feels more like a face cream or even gel than a foundation
  • Women who like moisturising cosmetics and quite glowy looks.
  • Women who don't like to wear anything over the top during the holiday (like me for example)
  • Women who worry about the colour match. When I saw my foundation I innediately knew it was way too dark for me. However, with the foundation being so sheer, it actually turned out that the colour match is all right. The foundation quite literally melts into my skin.
  • Women who are looking for a product with  some sun protection, this one has SPF 20
  • Women who are looking for products with a lower price tag.


Who will not like the product?
  • Women who have something to hide. This foundation is very sheer, it offers hardly any coverage. It is buildable in the sense that you can allpy many layers without it looking cakey, but this does not improve the coverage at all.
  • Women with oily skin looking for a mattifying foundation to help control the shine. At first this foundation has a nice dewy/velvety finish, but pretty quickly my oils break through and it turns into shiny mess within 2-3 hours even on a chilly day.
  • Women who expect long-lasting results
  • Women who like their foundations to come with a pump (there's none)


So, if you are a woman endowed with beautiful, not excessively oily skin and like undetectable, lightweight make-up, this product is meant just for you. But if you aren't, I'd think twice before getthing this foundation.




Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Saturday 15 June 2013

Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening Mask review


I'm falling in love with Korres. 
I was given a large number of samples of Korres skincare by the lovely assistants at Sephora as they were launching the brand in Poland. Before that I'd heard of the brand but didn't know nor think much about it.

Wild Rose Instant Brightening Mask is the second skincare item I've tried. The first one I've tried is Wild Rose eye cream (reviewed here) which was so good that I bought it full size immediately.

This mask is different from any mask I've tried so far. It's chalk white in colour, looks almost like toothpaste but is very lightweight and creamy consistencywise. Applies smoothly and has a pleasant faint rosy smell.

This mask is different in the sense that chalky as it seems it doesn't dry to any sort of crust like mud masks do. It's creamy and moisturising, but it doesn't leave any greasy residue on my face. It's lightweight but feels terribly effective. Left my face look smoother and sort of better. 

I really like this mask, it's such a pleasure to use. A little goes a long way, yet I'm not sure whether I'm prepared to spend so much money on a face mask. I'm putting this mask on my wishlist anyway.




Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Friday 14 June 2013

Chanel Levres Scintillantes lip gloss in Savage Grace #175 review


Once a year, in the summer, I fall in love with a Chanel Levres Scintillantes lip gloss. I can't understand it really as these glosses do not appeal to me throughout the year at all. Yet, there's something special about Chanel summer collections, and their glosses in particular, that I find them irresistible. 


Savage Grace #175 is insanely beautiful. This shade looks very dark in the tube but it turns much more wearable when applied. It's by no means sheer but one layer of colour is obviously less dark than its concentration in the tube.
The shade fits in the berry family, I would even call it blackcurrant juice colour or blackened magenta with tons of micro-glitter which looks silver in the bottle and fushia when applied. The glitter is not gritty and you don't feel it on your lips at all but it adds to the incredible shine of the gloss.

This gloss may be applied sheer for a wash of colour and built up for more drama but it never looks as dark as a goth accessory.

The wear time is pretty average, no different than other glosses. The major colour disappears within an hour or two, yet a kind of tind and the glossy finish linger on for another hour or so. I also like the fact that it fades evenly without leaving any bald patches or residue.

I wouldn't describe this gloss as a perfect summer pick, but there's a mystery to it which I associate with warm summer nights. I see myself reaching for it often this summer.



Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.