October 2016 Favorites

Yet another month has passed. This one seemed the most fallish and I've been enjoying watching warm colors of nature. I've also been testing some new products and a lot of those ended up being in my monthly favorites. 



Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Cold weather is definitely here and my lips are feeling it. I have those kind of lips that quickly get dry. I've noticed that it also has to do with how much I drink through the day, but nonetheless, heating and wind are not the best combination for me. This cream is the only product that I've been loyal too and that I feel can prevent major chapped lips. If your lips get chapped, this won't cure them over night, but it's the best product for maintaining lips in the best condition. I use it through the day, at night and in the morning. 


Trend It Up Powder Blush 010

I've already talked about the shade 050 and I like it so much, that I both two more shades. One of those being this lovely peach shade. It's the most my kind of shade of blush and I like the satin finish. Most of my peachy blushes are actually shimmery or a bit pinkier, but this one is an orange based peach and I adore it. It looks especially pretty paired with warm fall eye shades.

Ebelin Powder Brush

DM had some offers on their Ebelin brand and I decided to try some of their brushes. Their lip brush is my favorite lip brush. Powder brush is so soft. It has tapered bristles and it's the perfect size for lightly dusting powder on your face. I don't like huge powder brushes, because you don't have any control with those. This one would be just as amazing for applying blush (like Real Techniques Blush Blush). 


Avon True Colour Eyeshadow Quad - Smokey Blue and Smokey Brown

I've also got some new Avon eyeshadows and since this month has been all about the glitter, I've loved two glitter shades from these two palettes.  Shade 1 from Smokey Blue is a white based, a bit transparent shade, with bright blue glitter. I love applying this over other shades to add sparkle. I've also been liking shade 4 from Smokey Brown, which is a dark brown with coppery warm glitter. I like a bit of brown smokey eye with the shimmer. Smokey eye can sometimes look boring and glitter makes it more interesting. It's also rare to find glitter shades, because most of them are shimmery.



Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

I got this, because most people said that it's aa Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion dupe. Since I have that one too, I wanted to compare them. So far, I love it. It works pretty much the same. This one has a bit more pinkish base, but it blends into nothing, because it's a thinner formula and doesn't leave behind any color. It makes eyeshadows blend easily and it also makes them long lasting, which is all I can ask from it.

Clio Kill Brown Waterproof Brush Liner

This is a fun story. I accidentally ordered brown shade instead of black. Typical me. I actually ordered black again and they screwed up my order and sent me foam applicator instead of the brush version. I was so mad, because I only got a half refund back. Now I ordered black brush version again and hopefully they don't screw me over again. Anyway, I wasn't that mad about the brown one, because I actually love brown liner, especially for the fall. I've never had a liquid brown version and I've been loving it. It's not as pigmented as black and you need to go over the line a few times, but I love brush applicator and the shade is perfect for warmer and less harsh looks.

Trend It Up Ultra Slim Kajal in 020

I've already said in the review that I've been using it for brows. It's all I've been wearing on my brows this month. I love super slim and precise tip and the fact that I can fill in my bold spots. Once it dries, it stays on for the whole day. The shade is great for my current hair color. It's a really lovely product, if you want something precise to actually draw on your skin where you're missing the hair.



Avon Gel Shine Nail Enamel - Marmalady and Stonewashed

Fall selection of Avon Gel Shine Nail Enamels is right up my alley. I love green and orange shades. Two shades that stood out to me the most and that I have to mention in my favorites are Marmalady and Stonewashed. Maramalady is the most unique dirty orange brown shade. It looks like an apricot jam. I've also been enjoying wearing Stonewashed, which is a grey based shade with olive mixed in it. It's a lovely muted olive.


Avon Naturals Escape Coconut & Starfruit Shower Gel

This is totally unseasonal and I should have taken this out in August, but I love it now. It smells very tropical - definitely not like a coconut. I don't know how starfruit smells, but I would bet it smells most like it. It's refreshing and sweet and it brings me back to holidays. Formula is like a regular transparent shower gel, nothing special. It's the scent that I love.


Avon Life Eau de Parfum

This perfume has been made in collaboration with famous fashion designer Kenzo Takada. I've already had some Kenzo perfumes in the past and I was intrigued to find out how this one smells. I mostly remember Kenzo scents having that powdery feel to them, which I love. This one is a lot more floral than I thought it would be. I've said it before that I'm not a fan of floral scents, but the oriental base in this scent made me love it. I like it when it's been on my skin for a while and when the initial floral burst wears off. Then it because a more sophisticated and very elegant oriental base. It's one of those scents that I wear when I want to feel super grown up and elegant. Not too powerful or invasive, but a very classic scent. 


Glitter

This month has been all about glitter. I feel like it has obsessed me a little. I've made two Halloween makeup looks and they both had lots of glitter. Who doesn't like glitter?! I bough a pack of about 16 glitter shades in Kik. It was last year and I didn't find it this year. Every glitter was packed in a small bag and the whole pack of glitter only cost 1€, which was a bargain. I depoted these into small lip balm like pots. It's a lot more useful and it looks so much prettier. I'm definitely going to use them in some other projects as well.

My favorites are also both of my Halloween looks - Glamorous Ghost and Galaxy Skull. It's been so fun creating unconventional makeup looks and using more free spirit applications. It's the one time of the year that you can try something fun and it's still appropriate to post on blog. There's been so much inspirational YouTube videos and images on Instagram, that I had to create something myself and I love both looks. 




Galaxy Skull (Halloween Look)

For some reason, I am feeling very inspired this week. No wonder, since there are so many Halloween looks and tutorials going around social media. This galaxy skull look was inspired by Desi Perkin's Melting Skull. I've seen a lot of skulls and they don't impress me anymore. But the melting part looked so cool that I knew, I want to try it. I didn't have liquid latex, so I just drew it on. Galaxy makeup was in my mind for a long time, so I also included it in this look. Hope you get some Halloween excitement from this look. 


This look is half melting galaxy and half skull. I wanted galaxy to be upper part and to look like it's melting over skull. That's why I took lip liner and started drawing drops. I made a mistake taking pink pencil, because I though my look was going to be pink. It would be better to do this with nude or white pencil or even face paint. Then I took white face paint and colored in lower part. I had a very basic white face paint from drugstore and it doesn't perform like some professional face paints. Sometimes, you just got to work with what you have. I set it with translucent loose powder. 


I took a black gel liner and started drawing on teeth for the skull part. I was looking at Crisspy's Halloween Skull Makeup, because her teeth looked really nice. I followed her tutorial and tried to shade them to make them appear as real as possible. They're not nearly as good as hers, but I was satisfied with them. From far, they don't look bad at all. 


For the melting galaxy part I used lots of pinks, blues and purples. I used mostly shimmery eye shadows for that reflective look. It was probably my favorite part, because it's so easy. You just take a blending brush and blend shades on your face. I also incorporated a bit of silver here and there. For the eyes, I decided to make one blue and the other pink. How many times do you get a chance to wear different shades on different eyes? Go for it. 


When I came to the melting part or the drops, I already shaded a bit. I made the edges a bit darker. Nose was sticking out and I painted it black, like in the skull. I also set it with black eye shadow. 


Here comes the tricky part. You have to shade and add highlights to your drops to make them look 3D. I got this part from Desi's Ice Cream Girl Halloween Look. Feel free to correct me, I am not a painter, but I tried my best. I used medium taupe shade to shade curved lines and then I took white face paint to highlight on the opposite sides. 


I added glitter to some parts of the galaxy half. Blue on top of blue eye shadows, pink on top of pink and even some white. I applied them in a milky way kind of shape. On top I also applied silver nail rhinestones. One in the shape of star and some dots to represent stars and add some sparkle.


I also applied corresponding glitter on each lid. I applied pink on the pink eye and light blue on the blue eye. For one brow, I used dark purple liner and on the other I used blue liner. They were both metallic for that additional outer space look. I also added some shimmery light shades around the lower lash line and some false eyelashes. Because the band of these was fairly thick, I also applied some liquid black liner to hide it, but I didn't do a wing. 



I like how shimmery eye shadows made this look - sparkly and galaxy like. Glitter adds some sparkle and fun details. Glittery eyes make this look a bit more glam and fun. Glitter makes everything better. Skull on the lower part is unexpected and adds some edge to the look. I find teeth drawing very challenging, but it looks so good and like you've put a lot of effort into it. I'll definitely need to practice this more, but for a second try, it's not bad. 






You can rock this look with any hair color. I wanted to try it with a white wig and it looked a bit more made up, which I liked. It hides most of the work that you did, so you might want to choose one with regular parting that still shows out your forehead. I also like this look with two top buns that have been so popular lately or even two boxer braids. 





I'm not going to lie, this look took me a few hours to make. It's definitely not the quickest one, but it looks impressive. I showed it to my friends and family and they all said, that no one would know this is me. So, if you're planning on not looking like yourself, this one might be the one for you. If you're like me, you'll also love all that glitter that you never get to wear throughout the year.


Products used

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer
Oriflame The One Illuskin Face Primer
Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation - 010 Light Beige
E.l.f. High Definition Powder - Sheer
Essence Longlasting Lipliner - 02 Sweetheart
Jofrika Theater Schminke White Face Paint
Catrice Gel Eye Liner - 010 Black Jack With Jack Black
Clio Kill Black Brush Liner
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette - Licorice
Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette
Pink and Light Blue Glitter (lids)
Avon Supershock Vivid Liquid Eye Shadow (Pink Party and Sparkling Platinum - lower lid)
Avon Liquid Chrome Eyeliner (Plum Dazzle and Electric Blue - brows)
Born Pretty Store False Eyelashes
Artdeco Adhesive For Lashes And Sparkles
Catrice Lash Dresser Comb Mascara
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette - Puddin
Blue, Pink and White Glitter
Silver Nail Rhinestones (stars, dots)

Review: Plantae Bitter Orange Blossom Spritz and Sea Buckthorn Berry Night Cream

I've already spoken a bit about Plantae, so I won't go into brand details. You can read it here. I love their Rose Hip + Fruit Seed Serum. It's the best thing for dry skin or colder months in general. This time, I've been trying out their spritz and night cream. 


Plantae Bitter Orange Blossom Spritz

It's from their Flower Power range which should balance and brighten normal or combination skin. It comes in a plastic white bottle with a spritz top. In it is 100 grams of product and it costs 22.14€ here


Spritz produces good amount of mist, which is quite fine. It definitely wets your face. I usually use two to three spritzes for the whole face. There's just something about this spray version of toner that I love. It's that first refreshing boost after you've taken off makeup or would like to apply some on.  


Key ingredients are grape seed extract which is a superfruit and potent antioxidant. It should make skin firmer and hydrated due to its extremely high polyphenol antioxidant activity. In it is also bitter orange flower oil which is detoxifying, refining and regenerative. Other two main ingredients are also mandarin peel and lemon balm



As I've already mention, I love the refreshing zesty citrus refreshment that this gives to my skin. I use it as a toner after I cleanse my skin or before I put any skin care on. It has lovely citrus, but also bitter, scent to it. Almost smells like when you're peeling off grapefruit or lemon. 

I like to use it with thicker creams, because the wetness of it helps me to spread on creams. It soaks into the skin quickly and doesn't leave behind any layer. You do slightly feel like you have something on top which I like. Sometimes, my skin can feel a bit dry after washing it, so I use this as a first product to return some moisture back into the skin. I can't notice any major nourishment or moisturizing effect, but it feels light on the skin and the skin doesn't feel like it's tightening.

I've been using it a lot while being on sun and I've noticed that the skin didn't get darker spots. I wouldn't say it's brightening, but it definitely prevents additional hyper pigmentation which I sometimes worsen on holiday. 

It's suitable for normal to combination skin, as it says. It's not for dry skin, because it's not moisturizing enough. 


Plantae Sea Buckthorn Berry Night Cream

Night cream is from their Berry Bliss range which means it's suitable for dry or damaged skin and it should renew and replenish the skin. It comes also in a plastic white bottle with a pump top. In it is 50 grams of product and it costs 43.29€ here (currently on sale for 34.64€).


Pump works good and you can really control the amount of product from tiniest amount possible to a whole pump. I usually use a pump and a half for my whole face and neck. The only problem is that small amount of product that stays in the end of pump and dries up. It's wasting a bit of product


It contains organic anti-aging plant complex for exceptional circulatory and anti-aging properties to promote smoother and healthier skin. Main ingredient is organic sea buckthorn berry which is an enriched plant source of natural vitamin C and omega 7 and it promotes skin elasticity and hydration. Another main ingredient is rosehip fruit which is a rich source of omega 5, 6 and 9  and beta-carotene and lycopene antioxidants to help protect skin from premature aging. Some other ingredients are also  evening primrose oil, borage, auvergne pine bark, blackcurrant leaf and damask rose otto oil

It's a nourishing, restorative cream that should stimulate cell turnover and tissue repair



It has a firm texture, but is not thick. It feels very lightweight and it has a smooth buttery consistency. In some ways it feels water based, but it also has some greasiness to it. It goes on light yellow and you need to massage it into the skin. It leaves behind light layer of oiliness which feels lovely because it soothes the skin and really sticks to it. It can feel a bit sticky even after it soaks in. 

It's a night cream and I love the greasy layer of it, because it means it will stay on the skin for longer. It's not heavy or very rich, so it's more suitable for combination to normal skin, maybe even lightly dry. If you're skin is too dry, this won't be enough on its own. I have a combination skin and it was perfect for warmer months, but it's not rich enough for colder months. I usually combine it with their serum, which is more of an oil, and it works great together. 

It has a specific strong natural and herbal scent. Some might hate it, but I've gotten used to it. 

In the morning my skin feels nourished and looks plumped. It's not greasy, but just looks normal and well hydrated. As for the renewing claims goes, I think it definitely helps with renewing skin's surface a little, but if you have major pimples that you've picked, this on it's own won't be enough. For that I would highly recommend you the serum, which really helps with that.



I don't expect much from toners. Usually they're my first boost of moisture and this one also feels really refreshing, It's actually perfect for the summer. It restores ph balance and prepares skin for other products. Night cream is lovely and feels very soothing on the skin. It's lightweight, but still has some oiliness to it which keeps skin hydrated and nourished. It works great for normal to combination skin. For dry skin, combine all of these with their serum and you have a winning combination. 

In case you decide to purchase anything from their site, you can use my code adjustingbeauty and you'll get 10% off your order here

Katja also reviewed this cream here, so you can get a second opinion on her blog. 

*PR product






Nekaj sem že govorila o Plantae na mojem blogu. Več si lahko preberete tukaj. Obožujem njihov Serum iz plodov in semen šipka. Je odličen izdelek za suho kožo, še posebej primeren za hladne mesece v letu. Tokrat sem preizkušala tonik in nočno kremo.

Plantae Pršilo-tonik iz cvetov grenke oranže

Je iz njihove Flower Power linije, ki naj bi uravnotežila normalno in kombinirano kožo. Izdelek je v beli plastični embalaži s pršilom. V embalaži je 100 gramov izdelka in cena je 22.14€ tukaj

Pršilo prši fino meglico in ravno dovolj izdelka. Vsekakor zmoči obraz. Po navadi uporabim dva do tri pritiske za ves obraz. Všeč so mi toniki s pršili, ker so tako enostavni za uporabo. Takoj dodajo osvežitev pusti koži. Po navadi po umivanju obraza ali pred uporabo drugih izdelkov za nego. 

Ena izmed glavnih sestavin je izvleček iz grozdnih pešk, ki je vodotopni in močan oksidant. Zagovatlja izjemno učvrstitev kože in vlaži zaradi antioksidantnega delovanja izredno močnih polifenolov. Druga glavna sestavina je olje cvetov grenke oranže, ki deluje raztrupljajoče, prečiščevalno in regenerira kožo. Vsebuje tudi mandarino in limono.

Kot sem že prej omenila, tonik da koži osvežitev s citrusi. Uporabljam ga kot tonik in sicer po čiščenju kože in pred nanosom drugih izdelkov za nego. Ima citrusni vonj, ki pa je tudi rahlo grenak. Diši skoraj kot takrat, ko si lupite grenivko ali limono. 

Rada ga uporabljam kot podlago pred zelo težkimi kremami, ker se te potem lažje razmažejo. Se hitro vpije v kožo in ne pusti za sabo očitnega sloja. Vsekakor se čuti, da je nekaj na obrazu. Včasih je moja koža po čiščenju precej suha in ta tonik vrne izgubljeno vlažnost. Ne opazim nekega izredno hranilnega učinka ali navlaženosti. Na obrazu je zelo lahek in poskrbi, da se koža ne počuti zategnjeno. 

Uporabljala sem ga tudi med tem, ko sem bila veliko na soncu. Po mojih izkušnjah ne odstranjuje pigmentnih madežev, jih pa preprečuje. Meni določeni deli kože na obrazu potemnijo na počitnicah, tokrat pa tega nisem opazila. 

Primeren je za normalno do mešano kožo, kot piše. Vsekakor ni za suho kožo, ker ne bo zagotovil dovolj vlažnosti. 

Plantae Nočna krema z rakitovcem

Nočna krema je iz linije Berry Bliss in je primerna za suho in poškodovano kožo. Izdelki iz te linije naj bi obnovili in nahranili kožo. Krema je v plastični beli embalaži z pumpico. V embalaži je 50 gramov izdelka in stane 43.29€ tukaj (trenutno je znižana na 34.64€).

Pumpica z lahkoto kontrolira želeno količino izdelka. Lahko iztisnemo zelo malo. Sama po navadi uporabim eno in pol pumpico za celoten obraz in vrat. Problem povzroča količina izdelka, ki ostane v pumpici in se posuši. S tem nepotrebno zapravimo nekaj izdelka. 

Ena izmed glavnih sestavin so organski plodovi rakitovca, ki so obogateni rastlinski viri naravnega vitamina C in omega 7. Spodbujajo elastičnost kože in jo vlažijo. Druga glavna sestavina so organski plodovi šipka, ki so bogat vir antioksidantov, kot so omega 3, 6 in 9, beta-karotena in likopena. Ščitijo kožo pred prezgodnjim staranjem. Vsebuje tudi svetlinovo olje, olje boreča, lubje bora, črni ribez in eterično olje vrtnice, ki obnavljajo in vlažijo kožo. 

Ima čvrsto teksturo, ki pa ni gosta. Daje precej lahkoten občutek in je gladke maslene teksture. Ima unikatno mešanico lahkotne vodne teskture in dodatka nečesa mastnega. Je svetlo rumene barve. Kremo je potrebno dobro vmasirati v kožo. Na koži pusti rahlo oljnat sloj, ki deluje pomirjujoče in se dobro oprime kože. Tudi po nanosu je še vedno rahlo lepljiva. 

Ker gre za nočno kremo mi je izredno všeč ta rahlo masten občutek na koži. Zaradi tega se dlje časa obdrži na koži. Ni težka ali preveč bogata, zato je primerna predvsem za mešano do normalno kožo, ali rahlo suho. Če imate zelo suho kožo, sama krema ne bo dovolj za vlaženje. Sama imam mešano kožo in mi je bila krema odlična za toplejše mesece. Za hladnejši del leta pa bo sama po sebi premalo. Po navadi jo kombiniram s serumom, ki je bolj kot ne olje, in skupaj delujeta odlično. 

Ima precej specifičen močan naraven, skoraj zeliščen, vonj. Nekateri ga bodo sovražili. Sama sem se nanj že navadila. 

Zjutraj je moja koža nahranjena in izgleda navlažena. Ni mastna, ampak dobro navlažena in zdravo sijoča. Glede obnovitvenih zmogljivosti lahko rečem, da vsekakor obnavlja površino kože. Če pa imate veliko iztiskanih mozoljev, vam jih čez noč ne bo zacelila. Za to bi vam bolj priporočila serum, ki je v tem res odličen. 

Od tonerjev nimam velikih pričakovanj. Po navadi so tisti prvi naval vlage na kožo. Ta je poleg tega še precej osvežilen. Še posebej primeren za poletje. Občutek imam, da obnovi ph nivo in pripravi kožo na nadaljno nego. Nočna krema je čudovita. Koži daje zelo pomirjevalen občutek. Je lahka, ampak še vedno ima sloj mastnosti, ki ohranja kožo navlaženo in negovano. Deluje dobro na normalni ali mešani koži. Za suho kožo bi priporočala uporabo skupaj s serumom. Takrat dobite res zmagovalno kombinacijo. 

V primeru, da se odločite za nakup na njihovi strani, uporabite mojo kodo adjustingbeauty s katero boste prihranili 10% od svojega nakupa tukaj

Katja je prav tako ocenila nočno kremo tukaj. Lahko si preberete še njeno mnenje. 

*PR izdelek

Glamorous Ghost

In our country we don't really celebrate Halloween. There are some Halloween themed parties, but it's definitely not on a you-must-dress-up kind of level. I find that this holiday is a good excuse for beauty bloggers to release their creativity. I too, sometimes get those urges of doing something different and that is how I came up with this a bit more glittery, glamorous ghost version. It's really easy to recreate and even might be a last minute Halloween idea. 


I started my makeup by applying white face paint that I bought in a drugstore. I also added a bit of contour all over the face to get some dimension. Later, I deepened all the contours. For the contour I used a bit of grey brown as a base and I also went over with a light and a bit of dark grey. It will give your face dimension and make you look dead. I added contours along my nose into the brow, on my jaw, under cheek bone, around hair line and under the lower lips.


My eyes needed to look dark and somewhat soar. That's why I applied beige matte shade all over the lid. Then I took warm brown and red brown and defined my crease with it. You don't need to be precise with that. It's just gonna give you some shadow and depth. I applied it in a rounded shape. Then I used dark plum to further deepen it. I used matte black shadow on the lid and a bit into the crease. 


On my lower lash line, I repeated the same steps. Because this is a glamorous ghost, I also added a black winged liner. This will also hide the band of false eyelashes, which I added later, because I wanted to have a bit more impact on the eyes. I also applied coppery gold glitter on the center of the lid. 


I added a bit of black eye liner around the lower lash line. If you can, apply it in the waterline. This will make your eyes ever darker. But my eyes are too sensitive for me to do this. I also applied a bit of mascara to my top and lower lashes. 


I did my brows the usual way and then I took a spoolie and white face paint and ran it through my brows. It gives you dusty effect, like you've been gathering dust for years. 


As I've mentioned before, I deepened my contour after I finished my eyes. For a bit of a glam, I also added some highlighter with a white sheen, but only on the tops of cheeks. 


On my lips I used two shades of lip liner. First I used darker plum based red all over the edges and in the corners. On the center of the lid I used lighter red for just a bit of ombre. I went over it with a red glitter. I also did the same in my Red Glitter Lips makeup look. 



I decided to put my hair in a little bun. As for making them white or dusty looking, it's really easy. Just take some of that trusty dry shampoo and go crazy. I knew my Batiste stock would come in handy some day. If you don't have dry shampoo, try some baby powder. It's really cheap.

I would pair this look with some sort of white clothing. You can make the dress yourself, like I did mine for Ice Queen. Don't forget to paint your ear and hands, because you want to look uniformed. 





I think this look is really easy. If you own any kind of makeup, you'll only need to buy white paint and some glitter. It's my take on a bit more glamorous ghost. Instead of looking just dead and dusty, sparkle with some glitter. It doesn't require any real skills. The messier eye makeup looks, the better. What do you think of this look? Would you wear this to your Halloween party?




Face:
Jofrika Cosmetics Theater Schminke - White
E.l.f. High Definition Powder Sheer
Contour: Essence Eyeshadow 15 Hazel Me Not!, Sleek i-Divine Ultra Matts V2: Thunder + Noir
Highlight: Sleek Highlighting Palette Solstice: Subsolar + Hemisphere

Eyes:
Avon Ideal Flawless Eyeshadow Primer
Zoeva Cocoa Blend - Bitter Start
Zoeva Cocoa Blend - Substitute for Love + Freshly Toasted
theBalm Nude'tude - Sexy
theBalm Nude'tude - Sleek
theBalm Nude'tude - Serious
Clio Kill Black Brush Liner
Born Pretty Store False Lashes
Artdeco Ahdesive For Lashes And Sparkles
Catrice Lash Dresser Comb Mascara
Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner - Black
E.l.f. Makeup Lock & Seal
Copper Glitter

Lips:
Catrice Longlasting Lip Pencil And Cherry On Top
Avon True Colour Perfectly Matte Lipstick - Red Supreme + Berry Blast
E.l.f. Makeup Lock & Seal
Red, Brown and Purple Glitter