I've accumulated quite a few of new products, so prepare for a longer post. I really should do these more often to make them more enjoyable for you.
Primark Scrunchies
Off beauty related, but this turned out to be my new favorite. If you're a nineties child, you'll know how scrunchies were so old school back then, but look at them now - on trend. I like these because they feel less damaging on your hair. This is faux silk design with nude and blushing pink colors. It was super cheap and I love it.
Primark Brush
Sadly, I am not even sure what is called, but I think it's a bronzing brush. I got it in hopes of using it with shimmery oils for my body, because I hate applying such products with hands, but it turns out it's too soft for that. The bristles are super soft and it would be great for powder products for body, but not so much for liquids.
Primark I-Envy Premium False Eyelashes - Au Naturale 01
Kiss adhesive that comes with those lashes is one of my favorites. So I thought why not try the lashes as well. Unfortunately, I haven't tried them yet, so I can't say how these wear. Design looks pretty natural and I love invisible bend. I'll report on these on Instagram stories, once I try them out.
Primark PS...Charcoal Cleanse & Purify Mud to Foam Cleanser
Summertime is the season when my pores get most clogged and since I have a very oily T-zone, I'm always looking for something to deep cleansing. I bought this on a whim, but turns out I'm not a huge fan. It's basically like a clay mask, but in a cleansing format. It foams a bit and has dark charcoal color which can be a mess in your sink and hair, but what bothers me the most is the scent. It smells so manly to me and it turns me off. I didn't see any major deep pore cleaning results either.
Primark PS...Prep & Perfect Prime & Infuse Instant Hydration Priming Spray
I was like, really Primark?! They're not even trying to hide where they got their "inspiration". I'm sure you all can see that it's the exact same bottle as the infamous MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Spray. I'm telling you the ingredients are very similar as well. This one has mostly just water, glycerin, propylene glycol and castor oil with some extracts and coconut oil, but that is already farther down the list. MAC's one has also mostly water, glycerin, butylene glycol and some extract, but there is also castor oil in it. So, if you've ever wanted a super cheap alternative - this is it. They had many different scented versions, but obviously I went for coconut and that is also why this version has coconut oil in it. It has a lovely creamy coconut scent - not too artificial in my opinion. This is hydrating mist that you can use at the end of makeup to make powders look less dry on your face. It gives me that worn in look - meaning my makeup looks slightly more luminous and it has a healthy sheen to it. For what this is, I really like it.
Primark Alex Steinherr Maximum Moisture Moisture-Locking Everyday Moisturizer
This is a very nice basic moisturizer. It reminds me a lot of the Cerave Moisturising Cream. Texture is so similar, but this one is even more spreadable and feels slightly lighter on the skin. This is great basic moisturizer that will moisturize your skin and nourish it without feeling heavy or greasy. Plus it's fragrance free. I've been loving using it a lot, but right now I put it aside, because I am testing some SVR products.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Cucumber and Greet Tea
Mario Badescu is well known skin care brand, but I haven't had the chance to try anything form them. Their facial sprays are those that a lot of makeup artist use as a prep for makeup. I was a bit disappointed with it. My expectations must have been to high. This is just like a scented water. It's mostly water, propylene glycol and a bunch of herb and fruit extracts mixed with perfume. There is nothing much to rave about it, unless you like those basic facial sprays that smell nice. The scent is mostly green tea.
I already have a full review of these lip pencils. They've basically become one of my favorite classic lip formula and I absolutely love huge shade selection of nudes.
Avon Attraction One Fresh and Intense Eau de Parfum*
I have loved so many of perfumes from Avon's Attraction range, but these two are just not up to my taste at all. It's two perfumes that are marketed as unisex perfumes, which means they can be worn by men and women. Usually these type of fragrances contain fairly neutral notes and aren't really sweet like I like them. First of all, if it's unisex why do two versions? Fresh is white one and has notes of fig, Brazilian orange, violet, The One Chord, saffron, lemon blossom, benzoin, musk and cedar wood. Intense is black one and has notes of bergamot, cardamom, pink pepper, The One Chord, transluzone, orange blossom, coffer, vanilla and sandalwood.
Fresh hits me with citruses right away and then it sort of dries down to a more woody tone, but it's still one of those very citrusy scents and I don't know why I get the grandma feel to it - probably because of the fig, which I hate in perfumes. To me this is definitely a more feminine fragrance for those who like fresher citrus scents, but with a heavy wood dry down. Some say it reminds them of Calvin Klein CK One, which kind of makes sense because of the white packaging and heavy citruses.
Intense is a lot more intense in its power and heavier. In the beginning I get a sort of sweet, but intense oriental spicy notes. As it dries down it becomes that sweet, but spicy oriental scent. It has very nice sweetness to it paired with a heavier masculine spiciness. To me this is definitely male fragrance, but again one of those slightly sweeter ones that Avon tends to do so well. Obviously, I wouldn't want to wear it, but on my boyfriend it smells divine.
Both are packaged in a soft matte look, one is white and one is black in a half moon shape.
In it is 50 ml of eau de parfum and you can get them for around 20€/each.
Avon came out with vegan makeup range and I've tried some of the eyeshadows and mascara. Eyeshadows are surprisingly nice and mascara isn't bad either, but it's more lengthening than volumizing. I have full review up already.
This has quickly become my favorite perfume and I have used it every day since I got it and am already left with only one third of it. It's that good. I have a full review, but it's basically a powdery perfume that is just sweet enough and a bit woody.
Another favorite from Avon which I have already repurchased, but this time in black version. It's now my favorite mascara, because it gives me volume, but still leaves my lashes defined. I've noticed that it's much more defining than my other favorite L'Oreal Paradise mascara.
I also already reviewed this blush. Usually, I prefer powder products, but this one I liked. It has descent pigmentation and the color is very universally flattering mauve pink. If you apply it with a brush it can look very natural.
Avon Naturals Aloha Monoi Coconut & Tiare Flower Body Scrub, Scented Spritz, Body Lotion*
The scent of this collection reminds me a lot of Bath & Body Works Oahu Coconut Sunset which I and tester of. It's that creamy tiare coconut mix which to me smells more tiare than an actual coconut which I prefer (I like Yves Rocher Malaysian Coconut type of scent more). It's a set of products for body care. Piling is creamy with a tiny beads that are pretty gentle on the skin. Body lotion is also on a more lightweight side. It's more for warmer months, I prefer something thicker in the winter. I like scented spritz the most to just spray on while I am at home not going anywhere, but still wanting to smell nice. It isn't strong as a perfume, but a more subtle whiff of scent which I like for certain occasions too.
Balea Rasier Gel LE Lufting Leicht
I believe this is a new limited edition from Balea which celebrates 25 years of Balea. It's a very cutesy sweet oriented edition. I got this shaving gel, because I always use these and the packaging was so cute. It should smell like marshmallows, but to me it smells like something very sweet - one of those sickly sweet scent which I personally don't mind. It has minty gel which turns into a foam and I find that the razor glides over it lovely.
Bronx Colors Makeup*
I received a generous package with Brown Colors makeup products which I have tested a bit already, but there will be a separate posts on the products in different categories - face, eyes and lips. Some of these I really like and some are just a no-no for me. But I think it all depends on your preferences and skin type.
Catrice Glow & Care Primer
Mateja was the one that got my attention to this product in the first place, because she said it's pretty much the same as Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter. It's currently on sale 50% off, because it's being discontinued, so I had to try it. It's a liquid product which has some thickness to it. Color looks like a neutral peach tone and once you blend it onto the skin it just gives you a lovely very natural sheen. That sort of sheen that I can get from a good moisturizer or my natural sebum, but just a tad more sheen and dimensional. Shimmer in it is very fine, but then you can see certain larger parts, still very small. There is no glittery or shimmery effect, just a very natural sheen. On my combination skin this is barely noticeable once my sebum comes through, but I feel it works even better on drier skin like Mateja's. I like to mix it in with more matte foundations to give it more dimension and not look as flat. The only thing that bothers me is the scent, it has a weird sort of plastic/clay scent to it. It doesn't linger though. I love this on no makeup days the best. If you like these kind of products, I definitely recommend to get it while you can.
Chicatella Cream*
Chicatella is Slovenian brand which has developed this cream great for anyone with dry, dermatitis or eczema skin. I was immediately drawn to the story of its creator - makeup artist Jure Čuk. I could relate to his story of being a working makeup artist and having problem with atopic dermatitis and constantly dry hands. It can be so helpless to work in a field where you have to meet with clients in person and they see your hands as unsanitary or even worse disgusting. It's a skin condition that isn't infectious, but many still aren't informed about it enough. So I can understand how certain skin conditions can affect your work. He developed this cream to help his hands stay nourished and moisturized. It's a very thick cream which you'll need to massage into the skin well. It reminds me a lot of those creams that pharmacy mixes up for you according to your doctor's recipe.
It contains ingredients like lanolin, petrolatum, olive oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, allantoin as well as retinol. It should relief symptoms of atopic dermatitis, eczema, make it less itchy, recover faster and protect from external aggressors. I really like the thickness of it, because it makes for a great occlusive for night time. I usually apply it as the last step before going to sleep and it helps to protect my skin from further drying out through the night. I'll admit, it's too rich for the day, because if I apply it on my hands and do anything, it will leave greasiness everywhere. If you're looking for a really thick occlusive moisturizer that will prevent your skin from further drying out or to protect it from outside effects, you will probably love it. If you're looking for a lightweight moisturizer and hate heavier products, this is definitely not for you. But it's intended for skin that need more attention anyway.
In it is 59 ml of product and it costs 18.30€. You can buy it here.
DM Sundance Teint Selbstbräuner Konzentrat Gesicht & Dekollete
I've had self tanning toner from DM once and this concentrate seems similar, but a slightly thicker texture. It's almost like a viscose serum with a pale bronze color to it. I love mixing it with my moisturizer in the evening and applying it on my face as well as neck. I am very diligent with my sunscreen application on the face plus I also use some active ingredients which brighten my skin tone, so my face and neck are always pale. My body, however, has a pretty strong tan for someone as pale as me. So I love this concentrate because it offers a slow building up of the color which actually looks fairly natural. I'm sure it may look more yellow on cooler skin tones, but for me it works. I will reapply this every second or third day to keep it up from fading with all of my skin care products. This is cheap and it works nicely.
e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer
I hear this being compared to Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer and it's apparently a good dupe. This was a bonus buy for me with some other products from iHerb as wanted something similar to the original Catrice Prime And Fine primer which came in a pot and hat that silicon feel to it, very similar to this one. It has that smooth thick texture which blends into nothing and has that silicon glide to it. I only use this on larger pore areas. Less is more here. If you apply too much it can pile up. It's better to push it into the skin. I can't say I've noticed major difference with my pores looking smaller or more filled in, but I haven't tested it a lot either. I will have to report back on it once I try it a bit more.
Essence LE Wanna Bee My Honey? Mattifying Fixing Powder
This was part of limited edition, but it's pretty much the same as the one from their regular range. I just liked this LE packaging in a cardboard as plastic packaging always breaks on me. It's a transluscent pressed white powder which blends into nothing. It sets makeup and makes it less shiny, but won't prevent your sebum coming through for too long. I have already used it up and I like it.
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot - Soft Ochre
I was afraid when ordering it, that Soft Ochre would look too yellow on me. But it has an interesting texture, which is thick cream that actually has a good glide to it as well as coverage, but doesn't look heavy or thick on the lids. It still covers my veins well and provides even canvas for eyeshadows. Eyeshadows don't crease with it and they last well on my lids for the whole day. Color has a tint of that yellow beige to it, but actually matches my skin tone well.
Cerave SA Smoothing Cleanser
It's a gentle cleanser with ceramides, salicylic acid and hyluronic acid. It's a gel formula which has no fragrance to it. It leathers a bit and cleans the skin without stripping it or leaving it squeaky clean. I wanted an alternative to COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. This one turned out to work great for that second cleanse in the evening. Because of salicylic acid, it also exfoliated the skin a bit and prevents my pores from getting clogged and blemishes to form. It can be dehydrating, if your skin is drier or tends to get dehydrated, so I don't use it every day, maybe every second or third. But it's gentle on my skin and I had no irritation with it.
Nivea Soothing Cleansing Oil With Natural Grape Seed Oil Sensitive Skin
I've seen this one being liked by other bloggers and since I am always looking for something new that could replace my other oil cleansers, I gave it a go. It's paraffin based oil cleanser with minimal ingredients. Texture is very liquid oil which is feels thicker on the face than it looks in the bottle. You need less of it to remove makeup than for example Balea's oil. Compared to my favorite from Avon, this one doesn't turn as milky while washing off and it leaves a bit of that oily residue on my skin which I don't like. Luckily, I always go in with a second cleanse which takes care of that. I like that it has no fragrance and doesn't irritate my eyes. I like it, it's descent, just not my perfect oil cleanser. I still have to find that one.
SVR Xerial 30 Creme, Liftiane Creme, Sun Secure Fluide SPF 50+*
I had the chance to test out more SVR products. I first loved their Cicavit cream and Topyalise lotion. This time I got to try out more skin care products. Xerial is urea rich cream which is intended for very dry parts. I wanted to try it, because it claims to work for ingrown hair as well. With ingrown hair you can work with exfoliation and hydration. I feel like exfoliation works best. This one is more moisturizing and I don't see any major difference so far.
Liftiance creme is a favorite already. I am not a fan of scented skin care, but I can overlook this with that one as it's just the perfect amount of hydrating and moisturizing. It works great for my combination skin and feels good. Sun Secure Fluide is another face sunscreen which I like. It's a lot more sheeny formula than I expected, but it will be perfect for winter and every day use. It didn't disrupt my skin despite heavy fragrance.
I also received a lot of testers which I am trying to properly test out before I report on all of them to you. There will be a separate post about SVR products int he future.
Viseart Paris Edit Eyeshadow Palette
After Warm Edit version, I decided that I like Viseart formula and format that these eyeshadows come in - single pans that can be placed into magnetic eyeshadow. Paris Edit was on sale on Beauty Bay and I couldn't resist. It's a bit unusual color scheme for me, but that's why I go it. There are shades that I don't own yet. It's a very romantic sort of pink mauve toned palette that can create soft subtle looks to a more neutral smoky eye. It's a sort of bridal inspired. Formula is again very buttery and soft as per usual. I will have a post with some makeup looks on my blog as well.
*PR products
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