It has been a while since I last posted my new ins. I usually do these, when I have a lot of new products that I have been testing and using, but I don't necessarily have time to write individual reviews of all of them. That's when I do a short review in this kind of post.
Balea Beauty Expert Body Cremegel 5% Niacinamide
It's unscented body lotion made of glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol, sweet almond oil and coconut oil. It has that super smooth glide on the skin, which means you need very little as it spreads so easy. I actually love the feeling of it in the summer, because it's not too greasy, yet it spreads with such ease and it feels hydrating enough. For dry skin, it probably wouldn't be enough. Niacinamide is great for sensitive skin as well and I love it doesn't have any fragrance, which means less irritation for my skin.
You can buy it in DM.
Balea Vital+ Straffende Augen Creme mit Calcium
I bought this for my studio, because I needed thicker, more nourishing eye cream for the clients that have particularly dry under eyes. It's proven to work great under makeup. Some of my clients have already commented on how great it feels, instantly soother the skin. It's got a bunch of oils, panthenol, calcium and peptides. It's thicker white cream that gives you proper nourishing layer with some shine. It feels soothing on those that have very dry under eyes, yet I find it doesn't feel heavy and I haven't noticed it clogging my pores or causing milia. I have used it in colder months though, for the summer it would be too much. I find it great for, if you have irritated or sensitized skin from retinols for example.
You can buy it in DM.
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream
I've been eyeing Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion for a while, but I find it too expensive for body product as I tend to buy cheap for my body. I prefer investing in my face more. CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream looked like a good alternative to Ameliorate and I was gifted it by a friend. It's got that typical ceramide thicker cream texture as their popular moisturizing cream, but it also has 10% urea and salicylic acid as well as lactic acid (so both AHA and BHA). Among ingredients you'll also find niacinamide, shea butter and hyaluronic acid. It has no fragrance. It's suited especially for keratosis pilaris and psoriasis, but great for exfoliating skin on your body in general, if you want to keep it smooth. I especially like this as a prep for summer as I find it made my skin smoother, but it doesn't feel irritating and it's nicely hydrating.
We have CeraVe in pharmacies.
Filorga Flash-Nude (Fluid) Pro-perfection Tinted Fluid 01 Nude Beige*
The bottle of this instantly reminded me of the Chanel Vitalumiere foundation that was all the rage many years back. It has liquid texture that is easy to blend and actually gives you dewy finish. It has light coverage, since it's named tinted moisturizer. I prefer medium coverage in general and something more velvet looking, but I haven't tested this properly yet. I tested it in the hotter months, which was a mistake for my combination to oily skin as it just looked way too greasy on me after a few hours. If I combine it with a more matte foundation, it's fine. I'll retest in fall, when I still have some tan and my skin isn't as greasy. But in general it feels like a nice formula for those with normal to dry skin that don't like too much coverage.
You can buy it on Beautypharmacy.
Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum
It's retinal serum that has light yellow lotion consistency. It spreads like a light cream and layers nice as well. There is also allantoin, panthenol and biosaccharides in it, so it's actually supported by soothing ingredients. That is also why it never felt irritating on my skin. I didn't really get the sting I usually get from retinol products. This one has 0.05% of retinal, but there is also slightly stronger version available with 0.1% retinal which I will probably buy next, when I use this one up. I tend to stop using retinol products in the summer, so I will go back to it in colder months.
Geek & Gorgeous 101 Stress Less 0.5% Beta-Glucon + Madecassoside Serum
This is serum for sensitive, damaged, irritated and dehydrated skin. It has beta-glucan from oat and madecassoside from centella asiatica - one of my favorite skin care ingredients. It's light viscose serum consistency that completely absorbs and feels like you have nothing on the skin. I find this formula so lovely. It actually feels sooting and like it's really helping to heal and calm the skin down. It's one of those serums that anyone can benefit from, but especially sensitive or damaged skin. I love healing ingredients, even though the skin on my face isn't as sensitive as on my body.
I bought both on Superskin.
Ikoo Volumizing Scalp Scrub
This is physical scrub for your scalp. It has sugar beads in it as well as sweet almond and rhassoul clay. Clay is acting sort of as a mask to draw out impurities and sugar scrub exfoliates your scalp. I find it to be way too thick and actually greasy feeling on the hair. It can quickly turn my hair into a mess, so I have to clean it out well. This is difficult to apply to scalp, if you have long hair. It would work much easier on shorter hair. It didn't impress me much, but I will obviously use it up.
I got it in Austrian DM.
Jouer Essential High Coverage Liquid Concealer
Jouer concealer is always top rated and I wanted to try it, because most say it's less matte and less drying than the infamous Tarte concealer. It's got thicker formula, which is easy to blend and gives you some time to work with. It gives that soft matte finish that doesn't look too drying, but can be problematic on very dry under eyes. It has really nice coverage. There is no need to keep layering it. Color range is good. There are very similar shades, but with a bit different undertones. I use Macadamia most, but for covering blue under eye tones I like Creme Brulee as well. It's lovely formula when you want something that covers, but doesn't look too obvious or dead matte.
Jouer is available on Cult Beauty.
Kiko Smart Fast Dry Nail Lacquer 103 Rosy French
I love Kiko nail polishes, because they are pigmented enough, they have great color selection and apply evenly. I love these small bottles as I tend to wear nail polish very little these days, so I prefer to have selection of shades in small bottles that I can actually use up. I choose these two shades only based on swatch photos, because I ordered online. This is that pale warm pink that is perfect for french tip manicure as one layers looks almost transparent. I love to layer three coats to get that almost see through pink hue on the nails that make it look like they are fake. It's an interesting shade.
Kiko Smart Fast Dry Nail Lacquer 004 Rosy Nude
This one is your usual pastel muddy mauve shade. I wasn't that excited about this one. It looks a little dull for my taste and a little too cool toned. Kiko nail polishes are one of those longer wearing on me, so I like to buy their formula as it lasts better than most of our cheap drugstore ones.
When I saw this blush on sale, I knew I would love the shade, since they had many brownish tones in the collection. Silky Sand is that perfect peachy brownish shade that is warm, but still looks more muted and neutral. It's baked blush formula, so naturally this is more dry to the touch, but it will literally last forever, has great pigmentation and blends easy as well.
I've had this highlighter in the past and I knew how much I love it and why. It's that creamy stick formula that can blend well into your foundation or just on the skin. It has the perfect neutral champagne shade that will suit most light to medium skin tones. I love that this has such tiny shimmers that it looks like skin, but still gives you the glow. It's one of those formulas that will look so natural. I love it no makeup days as well as over foundation for when I want something more subdued.
I bought it online on Kiko Austria.
Lazartigue Nourish-Light Light Nutrition Mask Soy Oil*
I have shampoo and volumizing spray from this range as well and now I tried the mask as well. It's got that thicker mask consistency, which I love. It has soybean oil in it and it's supposedly light nourishing texture. There are no silicons in it, but it still feels very nice on the hair. It doesn't give you that super smooth feel to the hair, but they look nourished and hydrated. I like Lazartigue products, because they leave some texture to my hair, so it's great to use when you want to add curls later or any kind of volume. It's definitely light enough that it doesn't weight down my hair. It has woody floral scent which smells like spa.
Lazartigue is available on Beautpharmacy and pharmacies.
Maybelline Fit Me! Loose Finishing Powder - 15 Light
This is highly rated loose powder and since it's affordable I decided to give it a try. It's mineral powder that should keep your skin shine free and smooth. It has a hint of color and there a few shades to choose from. I got 15 Light thinking that 05 Fair would be too light for me. 15 Light is more for my summer complexion. For my winter complexion I would need to get 05 Fair. It has super fine powder that is smooth to the touch and it actually looks very smooth on the skin as well. I like it for that. It's not the most matte looking powder, but it does a good job of making the skin look shine free for a while. It's probably one of the best loose powders when it comes to drugstore, I am just disappointed we don't have it in ours, as per usual. We never get the best products here.
I bought it on iHerb.
This is hydrating essence that I use first thing after cleansing, or second, if I use acid toners. It contains panthenol, ectoin, niacinamide, aloe vera, arginine, allantoin and lactic acid. It's light as an essence, but it has ingredients of a serum. It's soothing, protecting and hydrating formula. I absolutely love it. It has replaced my Cezanne High Moist Skin Conditioner. It's perfect right after cleansing, because it calms down the skin and makes it instantly feel more hydrated. It leaves a bit of tackiness, so it feels like hydrating serum. My skin loves it too and I am planning on repurchasing it. It's perfect for summer or oily skin that doesn't like to layer heavy serums, this layered a few times can act as replacement for moisturizer.
I got it in Austrian Bipa, but it's also available on Flaconi.
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale Dry Oil
I have the original dry oil from Nuxe, as well as the shimmery one. This is I think the latest version which has floral fragrance. It's definitely more of a floral scent, but there are some oriental notes to it too, because I usually don't like florals, but this one smells chic and not too flowery. It's dry oil that can be used for every part of your body. I prefer to use it on my body, though I have used original on my face as well. It's too much for my fine hair though. It's dry oil which means it never feels greasy on the skin, but rather absorbs in fast. It's my luxury body product, I use it for special occasions when I want to smell expensive.
Available in local pharmacies or on Sophia.
Rephr brushes are one of the best brushes I have tried so far. They are Japanese handcrafted brushes made of natural goat hair. These are one of the softest brushes, but they still manage to pick up product well. Obviously natural hair brushes work best with powder products. I have been using these brushes non stop since I got them, because once you get used to the softness and the ease of blending, you can't go back to your usual brushes. I especially like angled cheek brush for the easiest contour ever and the smallest pencil brush I have ever seen for the perfect eyeliner. They often times have discounts that make these brushes very affordable.
Rephr has its own online shop.
Wet n Wild Big Poppa Mascara*
It's volumizing and lengthening mascara with black color. It has those natural hair bristles wand that it's hourglass shaped. When I first started using it, I thought it was way too wet, but then it got better. It made my lashes visibly thicker and a bit longer, but there wasn't as much definition as I usually like. I don't like the wand, because I think it picks up way too much products and it's too big for my eye shape. It's not a bad formula, but it's definitely not going to be amongst my favorites. There's just something missing.
Available in local drugstores like DM.
Hadalabo Gokujyun Oil Cleansing
I've heard so many great reviews of this cleansing oil and it has been on my wishlist for a long time, so I finally gave in and bought it, because I got a good deal on it. Man this is so nice. It's got that light oil feel, nothing as thick and greasy as Balea for example. You need only one pump for your whole face and it easily melts even waterproof and long lasting makeup. There is no scent to it, which I love as well. I will definitely repurchase it in the future, but I have my eye on a few more Asian cleansing oils to try out as well.
A'Pieu Pure Block Aqua Sun Gel SPF50+ PA+++
It has milky white consistency like a gel-cream that is thin and spreads well. You need to massage it in a bit, but it's chemical SPF, so it doesn't leave any white cast. It's got alcohol in it and you can definitely smell it a bit. The fragrance of this SPF is sort of fresh, like one of those old school cleansing milks. It's hydrating formula with some hyaluronic acid in it as well. This gives you that light hydrating layer on the skin that will leave a bit of shine, if you skin isn't dry, but it doesn't feel greasy or looks too dewy. I use it on a daily and my skin like it.
Canmake Tokyo Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF50+ PA++++
This is probably my favorite Asian SPF for the face. It's got no fragrance, which I love compared to other Korean SPFs. Texture is similar to A'Pie Pure Blocks creams, but it's just a tad thicker in cosistancy, though it still blends like a gel cream. It's super smooth to the touch and it feels like ligth hydrating cream. On my skin there is a bit of sheen for sure, but I put makeup on top anyway. But it's not dewy looking either. I feel like this one looks a lot more velvet than A'Pieu Aqua Sun and I love it more for that reason and the fact that it has no fragrance and there is no alcohol in it.
Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule
It's slightly viscose serum like consistency, but a bit more lightweight. There is some nourishing layer that it leaves on the skin, but it absorbs fast and is great for layering. It's 100% pure centella asiatica extract, which my skin absolutely loves it. I've had many products with this ingredients in it and my skin loved them all. It's soo soothing, great for repairing the skin, if you have blemishes or any irritations and it has such an elegant simple formula.
I bought all of these on Stylevana.
Viderage Gel Intimo
This is actually designed for your intimate care, but Slovenian skin care influencers started using it for face as it has growth factors - ingredients that help with healing, elasticity and tone of the skin. Along with growth factors (peptides) there is also hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and some seed oils. It's basically like a very light gel formula that absorbs quick and feels like nothing on the skin. I use it, when I have blemish marks or irritated skin to help it heal faster. I can't say I notice any major change, but it seems to help my skin looks better after some damage. I have read that it works better on acne or damaged skin in general. Normal skin may not see any obvious benefits.
It's available on Pharmagea.
This was one of my favorite repairing serums and I have repurchased it, though I admit I've been trying many different serums like it as well. But at the time, I loved it so much that I repurchased it. It's another great serum for repairing and strenghtening your skin barrier. It has a lot of amazing ingredients like their Uriage themal water, centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, panthenol, prebiotics and dipeptides. It's all supporting ingredients for healing and keeping the skin strong. It's slightly viscose light serum that absorbs well and is very lightweight, but also so soothing.
SVR [B3] Ampoule Hydra
Anothe mini tester version of SVR hyaluronic acid serum. I love these minis and always take them with me when I travel. It's nice hyaluronic acid serum that ads additional hydration to other products on top. I have had some of these minis before and I love that I get to use them all up.
My got to cream for when I want something on my body to heal super fast, like blemishes or any scars. I use this on my body mostly for atopic dermatitis and sometimes on my face as well. It's thicker nourishing cream that would be too much for my face, but it's great for damaged skin as it sits well on the skin and actually has some great healing ingredients. I repurchase it and always have it in my stash.
All products can be found on Beautypharmacy.
I have used quite a few bottles of this cream already. It's my current favorite cream for the body, hands and sometimes I even use it on my face. This is the best nourishing cream for irritated skin and if you have atopic dermatitis or very sensitive skin in general, I highly recommend this one. It's one of those formulas for every part of your skin. I buy the biggest 400 ml bottles with pump and I have it on my desk, so it's on hand at all times.
Beautypharmacy sent me with it a bunch of other products that I have been already testing out. They have the best selection of testers. I always find some new products that I like and those testers come so in handy for traveling. Reusable cup and soft makeup bag were lovely addition. They are both already in use.
Filorga Hydra-Hyal Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate*
It's in essence hydrating and plumping serum with 4 different types of hyaluronic acid. Ingredients list is extensive and you find much more ingredients in it than just hyaluronic acids, like retinol derivatives and niacinamide, but in low concentrations. I am not a huge fan of hyaluronic acids as I just don't see that much of a difference if I use it on its own or not. My skin is generally well moisturized. This is transparent viscose serum that is very slippery and easy to apply. It leaves a bit of layer on the skin, like most hyaluronic acids, but it wear good under makeup, though I mostly use it just in the evening. It's scented, the scent is pleasant, though I could do without. It makes my skin look plumped right after application and it actually hydrates it as well.
SVR Topialyse Baume en Spray Anti-Recidive*
It's one of those itch relief, soothing and restoring balms in a form of spray. This sort of splatters something that looks like milky cream on your skin and you need to massage it into your skin. Then it acts as a soothing spray that will relive your itching in a matter of few minutes, but it also gives you this nourishing layer on the skin that lasts. It contains coconut oil, niacinamide, shea butter, babassu butter and prebiotic sugars. Itch relieve is instant and doesn't last that long, but it definitely nourishes the skin long term. It has sort of that shea butter scent. I already had this product in the past.
Uriage Eau Thermale Thermal Micellar Water*
I've had many micellar waters, but none come close to my beloved Bioderma Sensibio H20. I find this one to be less effective. I need to use a lot more to remove stubborn long lasting or even waterproof makeup with this one. It's also scented, which isn't ideal, when you're removing eye makeup with it as it can sting your eyes. This one is good for those that use very light makeup that isn't long lasting. I used it all up, because I don't like wasting products, but I wouldn't rebuy it for me personally. But then again, I will probably never like any other micellar water more than Bioderma.
SVR Topialyse Baume Lavant and Baume Intensif*
Both creams for irritated, sensitive and allergy prone skin. One is slightly lighter in texture and one is richer. I love these minis, because I take them with me in the handbag and use them on my hands. Both are great nourishing creams that help to nourish the skin and strengthen your skin barrier. They are designed for sensitive skin, without any fragrances.
SVR [C] Ampoule Anti-Ox*
This is another mini I have had in the past. Serum with vitamin C - ascorbic acid in water base that has that typical vitamin C scent. I actually haven't found vitamin C that I would be totally in love, but this one is a nice one. I like that it doesn't sting my skin and it isn't as oily as some other formulations. This mini is the perfect size to actually use for a very long time.
All products are available on Beautypharmacy or local pharmacies.
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