March 2017 Favorites

In the March I have mostly been trying out new products and mostly those made it to my favorites. I love testing new products and when they impress me, it's even better. 




Primers are one of those products that I tend to forget about and don't really use that often. But since I've been trying out this one, I've grown back to loving them. Primer is perfect for warmer days, because it prevents me from being too oily too quickly. It has nice creamy and super smooth formula that gives me a velvet finish and makes the skin look a bit blurred. Perfect for my T zone and I'll be using it even more, once it gets warmer. 


My skin has been acting out, so I've come back to one of my all time favorite foundations. Revlon Colorstay is probably one of the best in terms of coverage in our drugstores. I love that it's not perfumed, covers well, is not too matte neither dewy and it wears so well through the day. This is perfect for all of you looking for coverage. 150 Buff is slightly too dark for me now, so I usually mix it with lighter foundations or BB creams. But man, do I love this foundation. I should really get a new one, because now it comes with a pump.

H&M Makeup Sponge

I bought Unicorn version purely because it looked so cute and boy, was I surprised. This is by far one of the softest makeup sponges that I ever had. Until now I've been using Ebelin (the one with three colors) and thought that is was soft. It's nothing compared to H&M sponge. I absolutely love it. It applies foundation nicely, although it does soak up some of it. But I'm used to this. It blends it out well and is just so squishy soft. I even went back for two more. They also have it in what to me seems a bunny packaging. I love products that are good as well as cute. These would be perfect gifts. 


Essence Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer - 05 Ivory

I love Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer. It's my favorite and I always have a backup. So when I saw that Essence came out with their version (cheaper by the way), I got it. Surprisingly shade 05 Ivory is lighter than Catrice's 005 Light Natural and it's also more neutral toned. I love that. Especially for under the eyes. It's slightly lighter in coverage and I feel like I use more of it, but it works the same. It's moisturizing, doesn't sit in fine lines and it wears fairly well through the day. I'll have a full review and comparison with Catrice's soon.

Catrice Camouflage Cream Wake Up Effect

My dark circles have become bigger and I don't know exactly why. But I've been trying to hide them and piling on layers of concealer just looked too heavy. That is why I decided to try this Camouflage Cream. It's the perfect so called salmon color - a mix of peach and pink. I love their regular Camouflage Cream concealers for when I need more coverage (usually for pimples), so I love the formula of this one too. It covers well, doesn't get into fine lines and wears well. I apply it only on the dark parts of my under eye and then go over it with a regular concealer. It definitely cancels out my darkness and helps it cover a lot better. Highly recommend you to check it out, if you have the same problem.


Makeup Revolution Strobe Highlighter - Ever Glow Lights

Makeup Revolution is one of those brands that keeps surprising with the quality. They're known for getting their inspiration at higher brands and making an affordable version. I didn't expect much from it, but I've grown to love it so much. In the time of extreme highlight craze, brands are coming out with slightly more subtle highlighters, so called strobe products. This Strobe Highlighter is the lightest from their range and it suits my fair skin tone well. It's definitely appropriate for very fair skin tones. It has white base that looks just ever so slightly yellow toned, but looks more or less white on the skin. The shimmer in it is fine and it gives such a natural sheen to the skin. You can build it up for a more intense look, but it's somewhat sheer in a light layer. I like that this looks almost not shimmery, it just gives you that natural sheen to the skin. Perfect for all of you that don't like crazy shimmery highlighters and want something natural, but still glowy. 


Nabla Eye Shadow Refill - Petra

I already have two of Nabla eyeshadows and I have to say their mattes impressed me more. From the start I wanted to get my hands on the shade called Petra - for obvious reasons. My name is Petra. I'm naive like that. Brands should totally take advantage of that and make more eyeshadows named by human names. I actually love this shade. It's a softer and buttery formula that has amazing pigmentation. In the pan it looks like redish brown, but on my skin it blends out more orange toned, which I love. I'm all about orange and warm browns. It almost has a bit of sheen to it, so not completely matte, and it wears through the whole day without moving. If you're thinking of getting Nabla eyeshadows, I highly recommend the matte ones. Shimmery seem less pigmented - based off of my one shimmery shadow that I got.



These lipsticks have been renamed, so this shade is the old version of Avon 3D Plumping lipsticks in the shade Bitten. It's my absolute favorite purple fuchsia shade that I own. It's so bright, pigmented, creamy and wears well. If you're looking for a bright pop of color for the spring or for whenever, get this shade. Whenever I wear it, I get compliments, because it just stands out. You can see swatch here.  



I've already wrote a review of it here, so I won't go into details. It's one of the prettiest warm toned top coats with little transparent flakes that reflect copper, yellow and light green shades. It looks the best over a black nail polish, but I like to wear this over light shades too, for a more subtle effect. 


Nikon D3300

I got my first DSLR and it's a whole new world that I have to conquer. Photos are one of the most important things when it comes to my blog. Not so much the pure quality of them, but the fact that they can present the product in a best way and that I can capture swatches and colors correctly. This has definitely cut down my post production. I don't need to balance the color as much, also don't need to brighten as much, so in that respect, it's much better. Obviously I have a lot to learn, especially manual settings, but I'm learning slowly. Even if I don't know everything, I can already make a descent photo. All the photos from this post are taken with Nikon, except the photo of Nikon itself. You can probably notice the difference. It's not as huge difference as I expected it to be, but it's the little things. I also got the cheapest DSLR, because that's all I can afford for now. I still don't take makeup photos of me with it, because I can't figure the color out. It either looks too cool or it has a magenta color to it, which I hate. I also need to get some additional Wifi gadget in order to actually see how to position myself. If you have any tips for me, as far as manual setting goes or anything else, I would love to hear. 


Zara Shoes

These are actually Zara Kids shoes to be exact. Because I am small, I have even smaller feet, so finding shoes for me is mission impossible. By that I mean finding comfortable shoes that actually fit me - size EU 35. I am so happy that Zara has so pretty sneakers in their Girls and Boys section. They also have one of the most comfortable shoes, because I usually get blisters with almost every shoe that I wear. I guess the fact that they are made for kids is in my favor. They also look really grown up and could easily pass as regular women shoes. I am obsessed with these two pairs that I got this month. Especially nude gray sneakers are so soft and light as indoor slippers. Apparently I'm far from being the weird on for buying on kids section. I asked sales woman and she told me that a lot of women buy shoes there. They have sizes up to 39, so it makes sense. Plus these are cheaper, which is always a plus. Anyone else here with small feet?

Source
Beauty And The Beast

I absolutely adore animated movies and although this is not entirely animated, I loved it. It's such a typical Disney story in a way, but you get the moral of the story so well. I saw it in 3D and was fascinated by beautiful animations of talking plates, clocks and mugs. As far as visuals goes it's stunning. The story is also pretty, very true to the original story and I love the French vibe that the actors and settings had. If you love pretty things, you'll love it. I want to go see it the second time. 

Overview of Avon Mark Brand (Mineral Powder, Lip Gloss, Primer)

Avon decided to rename a few of their old and new products and join them under a brand called Mark. I got a few of the products to try out myself and here are my thoughts.


Avon Mark Magix Face Primer

It comes in a plastic tube packaging. It's practical to use and great to travel with. In it is 30 ml of product and the regular price is 7.90€


The hole is very small, so you can really control the amount of product that you want to come out.


It's like a light white cream that has very smooth texture once you blend it into the skin. One of those typical silicon primers, but I don't find it as drying as some others. It has velvet finish, because it's not completely matte. I use it on my T zone where my makeup tends to break down first, because I'm the oiliest there. It makes my skin more matte and smooth. This also looks great over huge pores, because it almost fills them in and smooths out. It doesn't prolong the wear of foundation, it just prevents my oiliness to come through sooner. It has artificial scent that is not too invasive. 

It's a product that I'll definitely use a lot in the summer and it's perfect to pair with your silicon based foundations and oilier parts of the face. 


I hope you can see how the skin looks smoother on the right side and it also looks a bit blurred. 


Avon Mark Mineral Powder Foundation - Ivory

I've had one mineral foundation and I mostly just used it as a finishing powder and another layer of coverage, so I may not be the best to judge this product. It comes in a plastic pot with that dot dispenser. In it is 6 grams of product and the regular price is 11€. 


I have no idea how Avon decided to call this shade Ivory. Far from it. I actually use it as a bronzer since it's way too dark for me. It's the lightest shade in the range, so fair skin tones don't have a chance. It's a very fine powder. To the touch a bit wet and once you start to blend it into the skin it almost becomes a bit creamier, like a matte foundation. It has a bit of sheen to it, which actually shows up as small shimmer particles on the sun. In the shade it just looks like it gives a natural sheen to the skin. 


Ivory looks like a mix of orange and pink undertones in one. Sometimes it looks more orange on my skin, but once you apply it heavily, you can see that it also has pink tone in it. 


On the bottom photo you can see small shimmer particles that are visible in the sun. I prefer my powders to be matte, so the shimmer in it, I don't like. 


As I said before, it's way too dark for me, so I use it as a bronzer, which works fine. On the bottom photos you can see my skin with just foundation and then I used this mineral powder on places where I would put bronzer. 



The shade warms up my skin tone and actually looks fine as a bronzer. It has a light coverage. You can build it up, but it won't cover any redness or imperfections. It's also not very long lasting. I find that it fades quite a lot through the day and at the evening it's barely there. 


Avon Mark Glossy Tube Lip Gloss - Sugar Shine

It's a typical old school lip gloss tube packaging. In it is 15 ml of product and the regular price is 5.90€


It also has that basic plastic applicator with a small hole.


Shade Sugar Shine is a milky pink with silver shimmer. It has thicker consistency and it's quite sticky. On the lips it feels very nourishing, but also a bit heavy. I like heavier lip glosses, but I don't like it to be sticky, because it's a mess to wear with long hair. It also starts to build up on the inner corners, if you apply heavier coat. 

It has the most yummy sweet vanilla scent and it even tastes good. 


On the lips it looks very pale, almost a bit too pale for my liking. It sort of gives you a white cast over the lips. Because it's sticky, it does wear a good amount of time for a lip gloss. 




I already reviewed all shades of these here, so I won't talk much about it. These are my favorite Avon lipstick formula. Creamy, pigmented and comfortable to wear. Very basic, but good formula. Shade range is also lovely. 



These are one of those products that Avon already had and just decided to put them under Mark brand. Previously they were known as Avon Gel Shine Nail Enamels and I have a review of all the shades here. They apply nicely, have good pigmentation and are long lasting


As far as Mark products goes. at least the ones that I've tried so far, I would definitely recommend primer, lipsticks and nail polishes. Mineral powder and lip gloss didn't impress me enough. Lip gloss is just so old school and too sticky. It seems more childish. Mineral powder is good, if you like light coverage and would dare to go on the sun with something that has shimmer in it. It actually looks nice on the skin indoors.

Primer is a great basic silicon primer. It keeps the skin less oilier and it makes the skin really smooth. Lipsticks are the best creamy lipstick formula that I've tried and highly recommend you to get some, if you find the right shade. Nail polishes are also amazing. I find them one of the most long lasting Avon formula and the shade selection is huge, so I'm sure you'll find a shade for you. 

*Products were sent to me. 






Avon je nekaj svojih novih in starih izdelkov dodal pod novo znamko imenovano Mark. Sama sem dobila nekaj izdelkov teste in danes vam poročam kako so se obnesli. 

Avon Mark Magix Face Primer

Primer se nahaja v plastični tubi, ki je praktična za uporabo in potovanja. V njej je 30 ml izdelka in redna cena je 7.90€. 

Ima majhno luknjico skozi katero pride izdelke, zato lahko kontrolirate količino, ki jo potrebujete. 


Je kot lahka bela krema z zelo gladko teksturo. Sploh, ko primer zmasirate v kožo. Je tipičen silikonski primer, ampak se mi ne zdi, da ni tako mat kot večina. Finiš je bolj žameten, ne popolnoma mat. Jaz ga uporabljam na moji T coni, kjer podlaga najprej izgine iz kože, ker sem tam najbolj mastna. Mojo kožo naredi malo bolj mat in gladko. Zaradi njega podlaga ni bolj obstojna, mi pa prepreči dodatno mastenje kože. Ima umeten vonj, ki pa ni premočan. 

To je izdelek, ki ga bom poleti zagotovo veliko uporabljala. Odlično se kombinira s podlagami z obraz, ki vsebujejo silikon in z deli obraza, ki so bolj mastni. 

Avon Mark Mineral Powder Foundation - Ivory

Do zdaj sem imela samo en mineralen puder in še tega sem uporabljala kot zaključni puder in za dodatno prekrivnost. Mogoče zato nisem najboljša za ocenjevanje tega izdelka. Nahaja se v plastični okrogli posodici, ki ima majhne luknjice skozi katere pride puder. V embalaži je 6 gramov izdelka in redna cena je 11€. 

Nimam pojma kako se je Avon odločil ta odtenek poimenovati Ivory. Daleč od svetlega. Jaz ga uporabljam kot bronzer, ker je odtenek pretemen za mojo polt. Je pa to najsvetlejši odtenek v liniji, tako da svetlopolte, kar odpademo. Je fino mlet. Na dotik rahlo moker in ko ga zabrišem v kožo postane skoraj malo kremni, kot kakšna mat podlaga. Ima rahel sijaj, ki se pokaže kot majhne bleščice, če stopim na sonce. V senci bleščice niso viden in izgleda kot zelo naraven sijaj. 

Odtenek Ivory izgleda kot mešanica roza in oranžne podlage. Večinoma izgleda oranžkasto, ko pa ga nanesem več pa se opazi roza podton. 

Zame je pretemen zato ga uporabljam kot bronzer. Z njim koža dobi malo več tople barve. Ima malo prekrivnost. Lahko ga nadgradite, ampak še vedno ne boste mogli zakriti rdečice in drugih nepravilnosti. Tudi ni najbolj obstojen. Opazim da čez dan precej zbledi in zvečer je še komaj opazen. 

Avon Mark Glossy Tube Lip Gloss - Sugar Shine

Tipična plastična tubica za lip gloss. V njej je 15 ml izdelka in redna cena je 5.90€. 

Ima plastičen aplikator z majhno luknjico. 

Odtenek Sugar Shine je mlečno roza odtenek s srebrnimi bleščicami. Ima gostejšo teksturo in je precej lepljiv. Na ustnicah ima zelo negovalen občutek, ampak je tudi bolj težak. Mene sicer to ne moti, me pa moti, da je lepljiv. Še posebej nepriročno, če imate dolge lase. Če ga nanesete preveč se začne nabirati v notranjih kotičkih ustnicah.

Ima odličen sladkasto vanilijast vonj in celo dober okus. 

Na ustnicah izgleda precej bledo, skoraj preveč za moj okus. Ustnicam da tak bel sloj. Ker je lepljiv, je dobro obstojen.

Avon Mark Plump It šminke

Oceno vseh odtenkov šmink imam tukaj, zato ne bom dolgovezila. To je moja najljubša formula šmink od Avona. So kremne, pigmentirane in zelo udobne za nošenje. Zelo osnovna formula, ampak dobra. Nabor odtenkov je prav tako čudovit. 

Avon Mark Gel Shine Nail Enamel

To so eni izmed izdelkov za katere se je Avon odločil, da jih zdaj prestavi pod Mark znamko. Prej so bili znani pod imenom Avon Gel Shine laki za nohte in oceno vseh odtenkov si lahko pogledate tukaj. So lepo mazljivi, dobro pigmentirani in dobro obstojni. 

Glede Avon Mark izdelkov, ki sem jih preizkusila, zagotovo priporočam primer, šminke in lake. Mineralen puder in lip gloss me nista navdušila. Lip gloss je preveč zastarel glede embalaže in same formule. Deluje precej otroško. Mineralen puder je dober, če imate radi lahko prekrivnost in si upate na sonce, kljub dejstvu, da vsebuje majhne bleščice. Izven direktnega sonca izgleda precej dobro. 

Primer je dober osnoven silikonski primer. Mojo kožo naredi malo manj mastno in zelo gladko. Šminke so ena izmed najboljših kremnih formul kar sem jih preizkusila in jih zagotovo priporočam. Tudi nabor odtenkov je dovolj velik, da najdete nekaj zase. Laki so prav tako čudoviti in ena izmed najbolj obstojnih formula izmed Avonovih lakov. Nabor odtenkov je ogromen in zagotovo najdete kakšen odtenek tudi zase. 

*Izdelki so mi bili poslani.

Review: Essence Glamaxy Top Coat - 34 glamaxy far, far away

Essence does really interesting special effects top coats at affordable prices. I buy one every now and then. When I saw Glamaxy on the photos, I really wanted to get it. It had warm toned flakes in it which gave it such a nice warmth. Usually galaxy top coats are more cool toned. 


It has standard glass bottle. Top is silver. In it is 8 ml of product and it costs 2.19€.


Brush is straight cut and fairly thin. It applies nail polish nicely, but you do have to apply it in a few strokes. 


Shade is called 34 glamaxy far, far away. The base of it is transparent and it has multi-colored flecks in it. These flecks are irregular sizes and shapes. It looks like multi-colored transparent foils. It reflects copper, yellow and light green shades.


These type of top coats work better over dark colored nail polishes, but I tried it over light pastel lavender shade. As you can see, it looks more cool toned and very unnoticeable. But it's a look, if that's what you're going for. 




True beauty shows over a black base. Here flecks look mostly copper, but depending on where the light hits it, it can also look more yellow and light green. It dries down to a semi-matte finish. Not completely matte, but it doesn't have shine either. I applied Seche Vite over it to give it shine and make the flecks stand out more. 

It lasted well on my nails, as my usual nail polishes. The drying time is also average. 






If you're looking for something interesting to apply over dark nail polishes to make them warmer, then this one is a real beauty. It looks like you've put a lot effort into your manicure, but it just takes a few swipes of top coat. I especially like it, because it's copper toned. These kind of shades suit me well.

4th Blogiversary Giveaway Winner

I ran a giveaway for my 4th Blogiversary and the winner is Metka P. Congratulations girl! I already sent you an email.


Thanks to those of you that participated and I'm sure I'll have more giveaways in the future.

Have a good one,
Petra :)

Classic Smoky Eye Turns Glossy

Something a bit different today and a bit away from my usual light looks. I wanted to create a classic black smoky eye, but then I turned it into a glossy smoky eye at the end. First version is wearable, at least for special occasions, the second one may not be so much, but I loved how it looks.


I started my eye makeup with eye primer and bone colored matte shade all over the lid. I always define my crease with a light matte brown first, to make other shades blend easier. Then I added a darker neutral matte brown. I also wanted to put a bit warmer matte burgundy shade into the crease, to blend it well with red lipstick that I paired this look with.


Then I added matte black shade on the mobile lid part and I went back with the burgundy shade to blend these two together. To make my lash line darker, I added soft black pencil as an eyeliner and blended it out with a pencil brush. I also tightlined to make my lashes appear even darker. I used the same matte shades around the lower lash line, but skipped the black pencil. It can sometimes make my eyes smaller and I wanted to avoid that. I also applied a light coat of mascara.


For this look I used natural looking false eyelashes that gave me more volume and length. I also added shimmery champagne gold highlighter on the inner corners. 



On my face I used foundation, concealer and a bit of powder. Be sure to conceal under the eyes, because you don't want that fallen eyeshadow to give you dark circles. I also warmed up my face with bronzer and added shimmery highlighter. For the blush I used light mauve shade.


On my lips I firstly applied matte mauve lipstick and then went over it with a creamier dark red shade. I wanted this particular warm dark red, but I needed a colorful base, because this one on its own is not as opaque. Matte liquid lipstick in dark red shades would work great with this look.



I've been seeing glossy lids in editorials and I really wanted to try it out. I took glossy cream and applied it on the center of the lid. You could essentially use thicker transparent lip gloss. Obviously this is not a wearable look to wear on daily basis, because the gloss messes up eyeshadow. It's more of an editorial look for fashion shoots, but I loved how grungy and undone this looked. 






I almost never wear such dark smoky eyes, because to be honest, I don't have an occasion to wear it to. I'm not exactly party type. But I know some that swear by these classic smoky eyes. I loved it glossier even better, because it looked so different. Unfortunately it's not wearable otherwise I would rock it for sure.

What do you think about this look? Do you ever wear black smoky eye and would you wear the glossy version?

Products used
Face:
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation 51
Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer 005 
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder 001
Kiko Flawless Fusion Bronzer Powder 01
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Moonstone
Trend It Up Powder Blusher 050

Eyes:
Avon Ideal Flawless Eye Primer
Zoeva Caramel Melange - Wax Paper
Zoeva Caramel Melange - Universal Delight
Zoeva Caramel Melange - Finish Sensual
theBalm Nude'tude - Sexy
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar - Licorice
Nabla Eyeliner Bombay Black
Cherie Lashes - Extra Lovely
Duo Adhesive Transparent
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara Black
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hours Cream Skin Protectant

Lips:
Make Up Factory Mat Lip Fluid - 61 Velvet Rosewood
Avon 3D Plumping Lipstick - Revenge