New in #74

MAKEUP

*ORIFLAME Giordani Gold MasterCreation Foundation SPF 18

Rose Porcelain Cool

Oriflame launched a few new Giordani Gold products and this foundation is their newest formula. The only Oriflame base I had was a tinted moisturiser about 10-15 years ago (it was my very first such product) and I remember it being very orange, so I was a bit concerned Oriflame's shade ranges run dark. Good news: they actually have shades for us Snow Whites. I was very happy to discover that and I believe this is the first PR foundation whose shade actually fits me. This formula is promises an anti-aging effect and a natural finish, it contains no alcohol. It feels light on the skin and it provides about light-medium coverage that can be built up. Finish is dewy-glowy, as you might expect for a foundation meant for mature skin and it's indeed as promised natural looking, so it's one of those foundations that it's hard to tell you're wearing anything, but your skin looks better. It's the type of foundation I like and in a shade that fits me, so I'm very pleased with this one. It's heavily scented, which doesn't bother me, but it could be a problem for those with more sensitive skin. 

 Oriflame, regular price 23.90 €, currently 13.99 €

*ORIFLAME Giordani Gold MasterCreation Lipstick

Delicate Pink

I just love the high-end look of the packaging on this one. I picked the shade myself based on the swatches in the catalogue and it's quite accurate. I went for a wearable natural pinky-peach shade, just something I know I'll use. This formula promises an anti-aging effect, it contains a peptide and has a SPF 20. It's a standard lipstick, so not my usual preferred matte finish, but I liked this straight away. It's not one of those overly creamy formulas like most non-matte formulas tend to be, instead it's almost semi-matte, or better said satin. Formula is more firm than what I'm used to, but not in a waxy way and it glides on the lips with no problems. I actually prefer it being less creamy, as it's easier to control the application. It feels comfortable on the lips, I didn't even feel it on when I was wearing it. Given it's not matte I didn't expect it to last long, but I was surprised to see it still going strong after several hours. 

Oriflame, regular price 14.90 €, currently 8.99 €

*ORIFLAME Giordani Gold Bronzing Pearls

Natural Radiance

I didn't expect this to be so strongly pigmented and I also thought the shade is going to be more pink, at least that's how the beads looked in the catalogue. It's actually a warm peachy shade and not really a bronzer, as it's definitely a blush shade (swatches are in a highlighted story on Instagram). There are four shades of pearls inside: a cool light pink, dark warm pink, light bronze/tan and a champagne colour. Pigmentation is so strong I need to use my fluffiest brush, so these are more meant for someone with a darker and warmer skin tone than mine. Staying power is impressive, but it's not surprising given how pigmented these are. The colour blends nicely on the skin with no patchiness.

Oriflame, regular price 20.90 €, currently 9.99 €

*ORIFLAME Miss Giordani Intense

For me this is almost purely a neroli fragrance. It reminds me of some L'Occitane neroli scent they have/had, which had that similar very bright, sweet floral scent that reminds me a bit of red berries. Though it's quite sweet from the start, this is a mature scent and musk seems to be the strongest base note, while woody notes are less intense. It's a very sweet floral scent on a base that reminds me of "old school" classic fragrances that were popular in the 90's, such as Poeme by Lancome. It’s a strong fragrance from the start, but it loses power quickly and becomes more of a skin scent, so this is not the most long-lasting fragrance or at least one you'd notice/smell on yourself for long. The bottle is beautiful with nice a classic design and a gold cap which holds very tight. 

Notes:

Top: peach, green notes

Heart: neroli, baby’s breath, velvety purple gardenia

Base: white woods, vanilla orchid, musk

Oriflame, regular price 32.90 €, currently 22.99 €

*DEBORAH 24 Ore Extra Cover 2 in 1 Foundation and Concealer

The newest foundation by Deborah which similarly to Milani's Conceal + Perfect claims it can be used both as a foundation and concealer, meaning it's a typical matte high coverage formula like for example Revlon's Colorstay. It's one the most matte formulas I've tried so far and it's way too much for my normal/combination skin that rarely has any shine, so this foundation makes my skin look flat and emphasises lines. However, though it doesn't fit me, I think those with very oily skin might really like this. It claims to have pore minimising capabilities, but I find it doesn't look good over my pores and I have better foundations for that in my collection. The main feature of the packaging is the big doe foot applicator, which I quite like (even though I know it's unhygienic) and another thing I like is the scent, which though it's heavy, smells like creamy almonds and it reminds me of L'Occitane's Almond body cream. I have three shades:

0 Fair Rose - a medium shade that is nowhere near being fair and it has an orange tinge to it. It's about a shade darker than Catrice HD Liquid Foundation 010.

01 Fair - a bit lighter than 0, but more importantly more neutral. It looks like a far better shade in general because the undertone isn't strong.

03 Sand - two shades darker than the other two and with a warm undertone.

DM, 14.99 €

 *MAX FACTOR Radiant Lift Foundation

75 Golden Honey and 79 Honey Beige

I got two of the darkest shades available here and no amount of TBS drops can properly lighten either of the shades, so I'm not sure if I'll review these because I can't wear them without looking utterly stupid. This formula is marketed as foundation for mature skin, meaning it promise a radiant finish. I must say that if this came in a shade for me (the lightest here is much too dark as well, I checked), I'd probably like it a lot because it creates a radiant finish without leaving having that sticky, never full dry to the touch finish. Coverage is medium or possibly medium-full, but I can't really say because the shades are too dark and I can't really tell for certain. This sets on the skin quickly, so it feels dry to the touch, but it has that healthy reflect/glow to it. If you check the bottle towards the light, there is gold shimmer visible in the formula, but it's not visible on the skin. Such a shame this is only sold in such dark shades here, I'd love to try it properly. 18 shades in total are available, we only have 5 or 6 I think, starting with 40 Light Ivory (3 precede this shade).

 Drugstores, 15 €

 ECOTOOLS Precision Blush Brush 

I've had the old Ecotools blush brush for years and it has served me well (still will because it's in great condition), so I trust this brand when it comes to brushes and I got another one. Unlike my previous one which is tapered, this one is more of a classic round design, while the sizes are the same. It's as usual for Ecotools very soft and this one pick up less product than my old one, the back of the box mentions it's meant for a medium application of blush. It applies and blends the blush as it should, so I'm happy with it and I'll probably get some more of these new ones at some point.

iHerb, €6.94

SKIN CARE

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Honey Mask Wash Off 

I loved this from the moment I opened it. I'm a fan of honey scents, but apart from L'Occitane who stupidly discontinued their entire line, there proper honey scents are so rare and most smell very bland. I've had this on my wishlist for ages, however, I read it smells like hot toddy, so a spicy version of honey and I delayed purchasing it. If only I'd know this is one of the best honey scents I've found, I'd buy it sooner. This is a version of the Black Sugar scrub which I also have and it's amazing as nothing makes my skin so soft and smooth as that, but it is a very harsh scrub and not for anyone with sensitive skin. This also contains sugar, but much less of it and honey almost works as a cushion, so this feels much less harsh. In fact, this is more of a nourishing mask than a proper scrub, though it'll still so some of the job. This leaves the skin moisturised and nourished, so it's great especially for dry skin, but it'll fit most skin types.

iHerb, €9.99

CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist

I've had a very generous sample of this that my reader sent me and it lasted me a couple of months and in that time this has become one of my most treasured skin care products. It's hardly an exciting product that would make great changes quickly, but it's a fantastic hydrating product that contains ceramides, Job's Tears extract, 3 types of hyaluronic acid, collagen and amino acids. It comes in a massive 500 ml bottle, sadly unlike Kikumasamune it doesn't have a pump, but just a regular flip cap, but at least it's easy to control and you're not pouring too much of the stuff. My skin likes this a lot more than Kikumasamune (my skin is much clearer with it) and it's not scented, so it's also better for those with sensitive skin. 

eBay (japan-beauty-of-quality), $17.46

MY BEAUTY DIARY Sheet Masks

Natto (tightening) and Black Pearl (brightening)

I got a full pack of Black Pearl version which I've talked loads about before and I consider them some of my favourites. The formula of these evens out the skin and just makes the it look its very best. I also got one Natto version which promises a tightening effect and is one of their most sold versions of these classic sheet masks. I've already used natto and I liked it. It wasn't as impressive as Black Pearl, but it had a nice milky essence that absorbed fast and it left my skin feeling nourished and looking better, less bland. I didn't notice a massive tightening effect, but all the extra moisture filled my lines for a couple of hours.

Ingredients for Natto.

eBay (stitchy11), Natto $1.80, Black Pearl (8 masks) $15.97

MY BEAUTY DIARY Floral series Moisturising Sheet Masks

White Lilly (brightening)

Apart from Black Pearl I hear this is another of MBD great brightening formulas. I have yet to try it, but when I do I'll report back.

Ingredients.

eBay (stitchy11), $2.03

THE FACE SHOP The Solution Mask Sheet

Madecassoside (soothing)

A repurchase of one of my favourites. I already reviewed this here. It's great for healing, toning down inflammation and it's nourishing. I loved how my skin felt and looked after using this one, so I got more. I've tried all versions of The Solution masks and my favourites are this one, Pearl and Ceramide (Vitamin C is also nice, but soo sticky).

eBay (cosmeticmarket2012), 6 pcs for $10.50

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Sheet Mask

Madecassoside (soothing), Ceramide (moisturising) and Pearl (brightening)

I'm a fan of the thin sheets of these, while formulas differ. My favourite so far is Snail, but I wasn't happy with Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen. Madecassoside is a new addition to the line and I got it because I love the TFS version. Ceramides tend to work great for me too and Adjusting Beauty likes it too, so I got that version. Pearl is a brightening version and I tend to love all such formulas. I'll report back when I try them.

Ingredients for Ceramide, Madecassoside and Pearl.

eBay (coolpick), 0.99$

BODY

*THE BODY SHOP Body Butter
Fall for Pumpkin/Vanilla Pumpkin 
I've already included these in my Autumn Picks post, where I praised both the scent and the texture. This scent was first released last year and it was highly praised, so I'm glad I had a chance to try it myself. It's not much what I expected because there's no pumpkin and also no spices like cinnamon, instead it's similar to their old almond scent which is mixed with a heavy dose of cookie vanilla, hazelnuts and maple syrup. It ends up like a cross between baby cosmetics and gourmand vanilla, which in time becomes a yummy scent that reminds me of Monte white. It's a warm and cosy scent that is great for colder months. Texture of this version is like Satsuma's, meaning creamy, easy to spread and also very nourishing. What can I say - TBS really knows how to make great scents, I like almost all of them.

The Body Shop, 17.50 €

*THE BODY SHOP Shower Gel 
Fall for Pumpkin/Vanilla Pumpkin

This has the same delectable scent as the body butter and I love the texture of it too. It's so rich and creamy, just a joy to use. Despite being a thick formula it foams well and washes off completely.

The Body Shop, 6.50 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Nourishing Hand Soap

I have one of BBW autumnal hand sanitizers so I know they know to make the best cinnamon scent and I expected the same from this version, but I missed in this blind purchase, though I can't say it's a bad scent. It's not a gourmand that I wanted, instead it's one of more "fruity" smelling scents with a strong emphasis on pumpkin and not much cinnamon. It's a bit like apple scented soaps we have here, but not quite (we don't have pumpkin stuff) and it has a touch of spice, just not cinnamon . Texture is a classic creamy soap and it foams well, but it's not nourishing and I need a moisturiser after as with most regular liquid soaps. 

eBay (laptorium), $11.67

DOVE Shower Gel Sensitive Skin Micellar Water 

Micellar water technology is spreading to shower gels and shampoos. I've been a fan of Dove shower gels which are not really gels, but rich creams for years and this is  one of their more gel-like formulas, but it's still quite a rich formula. Scent is creamy clean and bit fresher than their original scent. I thought I wouldn't like it at first, but under a shower it's quite nice. 

DM, 2.49 €

 BALEA Body Scrub

Coffee & Almond and Coffee & Coco

Did I just spend 2 € for small bags of salt mixed with coffee? Yes, I did. This is my first try at the coffee scrubs and I expected, well, more coffee particles, but here the primary scrubby bits is the salt. So as far as innovation goes, these are nothing much but scented packs of salt. There is some coffee mixed in it, which also turns the water brown and it gives it a strong coffee scent. The latter I unfortunately am not a fan of, but I thought I might just deal with it since these are something new. The coconut one has a very authentic scent of coffee with coconut, and that latter note is really so nice. The almond one, on the other hand, smells like a lemon-scented cleaner and coffee, so pretty much like an office early in the morning. I'd really suggest if you plan on trying these, even though it takes seconds to make them at home, you grab the coconut one because the scent is so much better.

Ingredients for coconut and almond.

DM 0.99 € each

BATH & BODY WORKS Fragrance Mist Champagne Apple Honey

I have a bath version from last year and I feel in love with the scent. It's by far the best apple scent I've smelled. It smells like proper apples and it's a great mix of tart and sweet notes, though I can't say I detect proper honey, but there's definitely some nice sweetness in it. I want the whole collection and it's definitely a scent that can be worn all year.

eBay (laptorium), $7.78

BATH & BODY WORKS Fragrance Mist Crisp Orchard Leaves 

This is a similar scent than Champagne apple Honey and another one I love. It's less sweet and fresher pear and apple scent with some musk, and it really reminds me of an orchard in autumn. It lasts surprisingly well for something fruity, though it's not exceptionally long-lasting.

eBay (laptorium), $7.78

BATH & BODY WORKS Fragrance Mist Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte

This is one of the most praised autumnal scents from BBW and though it says latter, I read in most reviews it's not a coffee smell. Well, my sensitive nose that hates coffee definitely notices the bitter coffee note from the start, but luckily this doesn't last long and what's left is a marshmallow scent that reminds me of how Pink Sugar smells after a while, but a much more toned down version of it. Actually this is the same scent as I'm sorry I'm latte hand sanitizer, but this fragrance has a noticeable coffee note. 

eBay (laptorium), $7.78

  

 GARNIER Olia in 7.0 Mittelblond/Dark Blonde 

I wanted just a little bit of a change of hair colour, a shade or two lighter, really nothing much, though my wish since forever is honey blond and lately a nice balayage. I've always believed the ancient old wisdom every hairdresser preaches that box dye can't lift colour, it just deposits colour and on me you can't do anything without bleaching. I'm not terribly keen on doing a double-bleaching and toning on my hair just so I can put a light-medium brown shade on it, so I stayed off colouring for almost a decade after a series of bad bleaching & colouring job (hairdresser didn't use a toner on me back then, so you can imagine intense brassy result I had to live with until I put dark brown over it. It was so orange. Here's the only picture that exist of that time). But then I saw how wonderfully Garnier Olia lifted the colour from my mom's hair, who went from dyeing her hair dark chocolate brown to a light warm golden brunette, so I wanted to try it myself, convinced by the great results I've seen. I got myself a different shade called dark blond because I read on reviews it made someone's dyed blond hair slightly green, which means this has green tones in and those are necessary to prevent that reddish hue dark hair gets when it's lightened (mom's shade is 8.3 Golden Bronze which looks very warm and I don't think warm would work on me). Olia's are capable of lifting the colour by two shades and the back of the box promises to work on dark brown hair (at least the German version, it says dunkelbrown, while the extra box I got in Leclerc says only brown). My hair was virgin, I used two boxes, so my hair was completely saturated with colour and when I washed it off, there was no visible difference, apart from on my temples where my hair is much thinner than my natural coarse texture. I got the two shades lighter result as promised - it actually looks like a pretty colour there. My mom's hair had layers of dark brown dye on it and another thing I always heard is that box dye never lightens dyed hair, regardless this worked on her, but my hair refused to be lightened by this. I hoped at least that the lightening still happened, but the colour deposit ended up too dark because that tends to happen with box dyes, so I washed my hair with a dandruff shampoo a couple of times and it washes it off a bit, but only the golden tone was revealed, while my hair is now only a half a shade lighter and just at the top. Also this is a very drying hair colour despite the oil. My hair felt hard and very dry, and the conditioner did not fix it at all, so I added another of my conditioners again, but still didn't achieve any softness. It kept absorbing Creatures the Monoi oil like a sponge every couple of hours and only Morroccanoil Intense Hydrating mask really fixed it. Even though it didn't lighten my hair, I also hoped that it'll at least make my colour more vibrant and glossy, but I also didn't get that shiny new hair effect, so I'm just not a fan of this formula. By the way this is an ammonia free colour.

before and after

I got two boxes from different places. The ones in Müller have the large 50 ml conditioner in a tube and a plastic bottle with a nozzle for applying the colour (useless, get the cheap dyeing kit with the pot and brushes instead. I got mine in Tedi for 2 € with three brushes), while the ones in DM and Leclerc have a small conditioner and no bottle.

Műller, 6.99 €

*THE BRAZILLIAN Frizz Control Spray

This smells so good - it's got this a great sweet, tropical scent and I just love it. It's a spray that is used on freshly washed, still damp hair before drying and it promises to tame the hair. I have very unruly hair when I blow dry it, so I already use a lot of stuff to make it sleeker, including using a big round brush, but I still get some flyaways. This has a bit of hold to it, so it makes the hair a bit stiff, like using a mousse or a styling lotion. It managed to make my hair a bit smoother, but it worked better in combination with the spray mentioned bellow.

Click2Chic.si, 8.95 €

*CREATURES DE MONOI Shine Spray

This was love at first spray. It's very similar to Orofluido Sahara that I loved and it was discontinued a while ago and I was looking for a replacement ever since. It's a shine spray without alcohol, which is very rare and instead it's more like a light silicone-oil in a spray. This makes it not only a regular shine spray, but it also tames my hair and nourishes it a bit so I'm really liking this a lot. It's got the typical Creatures de Monoi scent of Monoi oil, which is tiare flower soaked in coconut oil. 

Click2Chic.si, 8.99 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Room Spray

Leaves and Mahogany Teakwood

These are in one way a disappointing purchase and in a another a brilliant one. First why I love it - I heard these are some of the most potent rooms spray, especially Mahogany Teakwood, which I heard you only need a spray or two and it fill the room with a lasting fragrance. I can confirm they are indeed super strong and very long lasting. You spray these and they can last for hours. Especially if you keep the doors closed, mahogany teakwood will lasts several hour. So in this respect I find these excellent, they are so much better than regular sprays which last 15 minutes tops. Now for the reason I find them disappointing - the scents. I got two of the most popular ones. Mahogany Teakwood is the most recommended one, while Leaves is the famous autumn favourite. Leaves is incredibly basic. It's exactly the same as any Airwick, Glade or even DM or the cheapest candles with that basic apple cinnamon Christmas scent. I am not a fan of those, I find them so boring because in winter they are everywhere in every shop that sells Christmas stuff, so the famous Leaves is nothing special. Mahogany Teakwood is a scent everyone describes it as a nice smelling man, which is a good way of saying it. Except everyone that smelled this in the house said it smells terrible. It smells like some men's shaving foam that I smelled before, I don't know the brand. The name describes it well a woody fragrance, but it's not as smooth as I hoped. It's sharper and just in general smells like a strongly scented men's cosmetics.

The cans are very small, only 42.5 g per can, so I overpaid them a lot (they cost 7.5$ in BBW), but they've come in so handy and I really find myself use them a lot. I only wish I'd pick different scents, maybe Fresh Linen and Pumpkin Pecan Waffle.

Notes of Leaves: Crisp Red Apple, Golden Nectar, Warm Clove Spice

Notes of Mahogany Teakwood: Mahogany, Black Teakwood, Lavender

eBay (cegan1234), $14.38; Notino 13.50 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Three Wick Candle

Palo Santo

I had my eye on this one for a while, both because it's so pretty and would make a great decor item on my vanity, but I also likes the sound of the notes, since I've developed a liking for woodsy notes. Despite very deceptive cutesy look, unlit this smells like fresh pine woods with notes on incense, but there is a little bit of soothing amber that tones down the freshness. Palo Santo is a tree that's used for making burning sticks and incense. Though I'm not a massive fan of the scent when it's unlit, I like how the scent develops where the candle is burning. The incense note is barely noticeable and all that's left is a smooth woody-amber fragrance. The candle costs an arm and a leg, but knowing me, this will last me a while and I get a super pretty pot once it's gone.

Notes: Palo Santo Wood, Warm Amber, Soft Musk

Notino, 27.90 €

Have a great day!

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New in #70

BOURJOIS Rouge Velvet The Lipstick

02 Flaming Rose

I finally got this in a shade I wanted myself. I've had four of these already (06&09 and 14&16), all press samples and none were in shades I'd wear every day, which sucked because the formula of these is amazing. I waited for a good discount and got the second lightest shade in the selection, so something I can wear with everything and is suitable for every occasion, plus it fits my pale skin tone. I've already reviewed the formula in depth, so just to recap, these are incredibly smooth and pigmented, and once they set, they have one of the best matte finishes that is close to the matte liquid lipstick look. Shade 02 Flaming Rose is a light pink shade which on me looks cooler than the packaging and the colour in the tube indicate.

Müller, regular price 13.89 €

CATRICE Light Correcting Serum Primer

Candlelight

I got this based on a recommendation of a reader Dejana, who raved about it in the comments. She said it extends the longevity of foundation on her combination skin with very oily parts and dryness in some places, and that the glow can be seen though the layer of foundation on top. It's one of those glowy primers that are subtle highlighters and primers in one. It dries perfectly matte to the touch and it keeps the oils at bay really well, so I would say this is a good product to try if your skin is oily. Despite the matte feeling, it has a subtle glow with no large shimmer particles and it creates a radiant skin look, but unfortunately I can't see it through my foundations, so it's better if I mix in the foundation. I got this at the wrong time in the year because currently my skin isn't oily and I didn't expect this to be so mattifying, so it did not impress me in the first uses. It makes it hard to apply my foundation smoothly, plus in time it just makes it look bad, like all life was sucked out of my skin. On normal-dry-dehydrated skin it looked bland, with no natural glow and pores were more obvious. With a good hydrated base (so in my case several layers of products) it already behaved a lot better and provided a good base. So recap - dry skin bad, oily skin good. The packaging is really nice with the matte glass and a rose gold pipette. 

Müller, 4.69 €

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

100 Warm Vanilla

Although my tube isn't empty yet, since I was in Austria I stocked up on my favourite foundation in the lightest shade. I already raved enough about this one, which is the foundation I actually get complimented on and that's not something that happens often when it comes to me. It's light-medium coverage foundation with some pore blurring capabilities and it just looks great on the skin.

Müller (Austria), 7.99 €

*MAX FACTOR Miracle Contour

Max Factor created a contouring palette that consist of shades that should fit a range of light to medium skin tones. There are eight cream products in the palette, four are contours, two are lifting concealers and two are highlighters. Three of the contours are quite warm while the lightest shade is a taupe and that's the one that works for me. The concealers are both quite light, the top lightest one is neutral and the bottom one is yellow toned, and the same goes for the highlighters. All products have a cream finish, so the highlighters don't have shimmer and are designed to make the area lighter instead of glowier.

Contours work ok and are pigmented when you apply them, but they are also very blendable, which means you need to build it up slowly, which at contour isn't a bad thing, but it takes time. I can only grab the colour with fingers and apply it on the skin because not even my densest brushes could pick the colour, but they blend easier and better with a brush once on the skin.

The lifting concealers are a dud for me. Though the lightest shade works for my skin tone, the coverage is too light even if I try to layer it, so there's not much of that promised lifting effect.

The highlighters did not impress me either. No shimmer means nothing on such a pale skin tones as mine, since it's too similar to my natural shade and there in no visible brightness where I apply it. However, it will work much better on darker skin tones.

I like the idea and it's great that they created such a product, but it could be better. I can work with the contours and even from that just with two colour, while the rest in a waste for me. The concealers are not the best in terms of coverage (they can be used as highlighters on darker skin tones) and the highlighters need to be shimmery for me, because my skin tone is already too pale for creating light areas.

19-20 €

*BOURJOIS Le Duo Blush Colour Sculpting

01 Inséparoses

I never mentioned this on the blog, but Bourjois baked blush was one of my first ever blushes that I got over a decade ago when I had no idea how to get that sculpted contour look and that an muted peachy blush won't cut it. But the shade wasn't the main issue, it was the formula that I just hated because it was so hard and had zero pigmentation, so I've been avoiding these ever since because of that bad experience, despite the fact these are so highly rated everywhere. I was sent this new version, which I assume was released in the light of the draping blush trend, so contouring with blushes. You get two shades in this, a bright shimmery pink and a muted brownish-pink, that looks more peachy-pink when swatched. Pigmentation is relatively poor compared what I'm used to, at least when I try to swatch it with fingers, but it shows up well on the cheeks with layering, so I like it way more than my first blush. This is one of the most scented powders I own and it has a typical "French/Bourjois" floral rose-violet fragrance.

About 7-8€

*BOURJOIS Le Petit Strobler Highlighter/Illuminator

Universal Glow

I'm not sure how new this is, but it's the first time I'm seeing it. It's a baked highlighter in a champagne gold-ish hue. The shimmer is very fine and the highlighter has a lovely sheen when I swatch it, but I need to build it up, since the texture is hard and you don't pick up a lot of product with one swipe. It's again very scented with the classic Bourjois fragrance.

About 7-8€

THE ORDINARY AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

I've had a few AHA products before and they were all too weak for me, so they didn't do much and I never got that super smooth and "renewed skin effect" (I get it with a physical exfoliator, my fave Skinfood sugar scrub), but this has really high concentration so I had higher hopes for this. Despite the whooping 30% content of AHA, I felt nothing on the skin, so no tingling and there were no irritations, but also again not much visible results either. I hoped that it'll make the area on my chin smoother and that it might help the old blemish mark fade a bit more, but I did not get the same glowy, even skin effect as I get with sheet mask which don't even have AHA's. My skin looked healthier in the morning and it was completely clear, so I do like this part, but it's not that special compared to other AHA products with much less % of acids.  The consistency is a thick liquid that doesn't run from the skin when it's on and it's a deep burgundy wine shade, so you look weird to say the least, but only for 10 minutes, which is the recommended time by TO to leave this on.

Beautyology, €8.20

THE ORDINARY Argireline Solution 10 %

This targets dynamic facial lines, so those caused by facial expressions, I got this because I want to reduce or at least stop the progression of my nasolabial lines, while I don't have other lines developing yet, but this might halt their progress. I'll mostly use it around my mouth and around the eyes, so I'll report back if I see any improvement or changes. I expect it'll take several months, but let's hope it does something. This feels like water and you need to be careful it doesn't run off your fingers when you're trying to apply it. It absorbs almost immediately and leaves nothing behind, so it's great as a first step after cleansing or acids.

Beautyology, €8.20

ROHTO Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence

I heard so many raves about this. It's a vitamin C based product that's meant fight pigmentation. I got it because I have blemish marks from spots I got in December and I want to finally fade them and of course those spots reappeared just as I was going to start using this, so I started with a very visible red mark on my chin. The packaging has only 20 ml, but this has such a unique packaging. The applicator is very small and lets out only drops of product at the time, so no air gets to the product and ruins Vitamin C. Texture is unique as well. It's like a very dry oil that feels oily from the start and spreads easily on the skin, but dries fast. I've been using it for over a month now, day and night, and it's a very slow progress, slower than I expected based on reviews. It hasn't faded the mark much yet, but I've been told to be patient and keep using it, which I plan to do. I'll report back, but at least when I use it, my skin is glowy and healthy (which I can also achieve with COSRX Galactomyces already)

eBay, $13.49

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Shea Butter

TBS makes my favourite formula of body butters and I've had a ton of versions so far. I've tried Shea Butter through samples and it was one of my favourites because it's got one of the thickest textures, so it's extra nourishing, plus the scent is the most neutral in the bunch, meaning smelling most clean. It's a bit bitter, nutty scent that develops a more creamy once on the skin and it's definitely one that also men who don't like girly smelling products can use. It's not as nice as L'Occitane's Shea Butter scent, but it's still a good one. These take longer to absorb than regular creams or lotions, which works for me, since always apply them before going to bed.

The Body Shop, 17.50 € (200 ml)

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Almond Milk & Honey

I so regret not taking a big pot of this and a small of Shea, though I actually prefer the richer texture of the latter. Almond Milk & Honey smells amazing to me. It's a warm, snuggly creamy honey scent which reminds me most of baby cosmetics, though it's not powdery in the least. The texture is lighter than most TBS butters I've tried, with the exception of Japanese Cherry and the discontinued Cherry. It's still thick for a cream and does the same great job of nourishing the skin as other versions. This one is also marketed as for sensitive skin.

The Body Shop, 6.90 € (50 ml)

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter

Satsuma

This is my love it/hate scent because it's one of those obnoxiously uplifting citrus fragrances that I either crave or can't imagine using at the moment. It's none of the citrus scents specifically, so I don't recognise orange or satsuma, but it's a refreshing and sweet version. It's got a slightly lighter texture than Shea Butter, but this still one of the thick body butters, so very nourishing and great for very dry areas.

The Body Shop, 6.90 € (50 ml)

*THE BODY SHOP Body Yogurt

Banana

I talked about this in my last favourites. It's a new collection of body moisturisers that launched recently and are available in several scents, but Banana is that one special one that doesn't exist in body care cosmetics, just the hair care so far. The texture is very light, like a gel and TBS did something similar before, their refreshing Body Sorbets. Press release brags about these absorbing in mere 15 seconds, so you can get dress quickly, but despite the high alcohol content which makes the liquid part of the product evaporate from the skin quickly, leaving just the nourishing ingredients behind, this takes a few minutes to completely sink in (it's still waaay faster than body butters) and it can feel a bit tacky/sticky for a while, but it's not that annoying. I've become a bit addicted to the smell and considering I'm far from being a fan of banana scent, it's surprising I like it so much. It's close to real ripe and sweet bananas, so none of that obnoxious Casali candy banana scent like in Tony Moly hand cream. I use it in the morning, mostly because I like the fragrance it leaves on my skin for a couple of hours, plus it's also cool I use at least something moisturising in the morning, even if it is light. But for real nourishment I still much prefer their body butters.

TBS, 9.99 €

BALEA Duschgel

They see me rollin'

This has a different texture than regular Balea shower gels as it's quite thick and doesn't go so easy out of the bottle. The gel is tinted blue with white frosty shimmer, so that's another cool thing apart from the packaging which always makes me think of those funny cat videos in the shower. It's one of their best smelling shower gels for my taste because it smells like berries, but more specifically like that kids pink toothpaste with a crocodile Vademecum, so it's not super sweet, but also a bit fresh.

DM, 0.99 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Ultra Shea Body Cream

Twilight Woods 

I already raved about this in my last monthly favourites and it's really so amazing. It combines two of the most important things for me when it comes to body moisturisers - a rich texture and a heavenly fragrance. It's like a body butter in a tube, the texture is thick and so nourishing, so just the way I like it. The scent is the same as my beloved Twillight Woods mist, so a fantastic warm, cosy woody scent. I'm seriously considering getting the Country Apple version, but after I use up some of my stash.

eBay, £14.99 (also on Salma, which I saw only after I ordered)

BILOU Creamy Shower Mousse

Tasty Donut

I own Fizzy Berry which really impressed me, so this was the next version on my list of the candy scents I wanted to try. It smells like my childhood. I can't quite pinpoint which sweets this smells like, but it's not like donuts, it's like some fruity candy. These mousses have a lovely, fluffy foam that's a pleasure to use and one can lasts ages.

Müller, 3.95 €

BILOU 2 in 1 Body Spray

Fizzy Berry

I love this scent and I've had some very good experience with the cheap body mists, but this literary lasts three minutes. You get a strong berry candy burst from the start, but five minutes later there's no trace of the scent, not even on clothes. I'm disappointed.

Müller, 3.95 €

DOVE Shower Mousse

Argan Oil

I've become a big fan of these shower foams after being very suspicious of them for years, but all I've tried so far have any amazing fluffy texture and they far outlast regular shower gels which is the thing I most appreciate. These Dove mousses are quite new I think, as I've only noticed them a couple of months ago and they exist in two versions, the Rose one and the argan one. So far I've tried Balea and Bilou, which to me are basically dupes, but I thought this Dove one will surely be even more amazing because their shower gels/creams are the best thing ever. The foam is more compact that the before mentioned brands and it's so luxuriously fluffy, but once you rub in to the skin, there is no difference between Bilou and Balea. It claims that is can be used as a shower foam and it works really well like that too, but so can the other two. I like it a lot, except it's so strongly scented and it's quite a men's cologne type of scent, so this version isn't my favourite.

Müller, 2.49 €

AVEO Intensive Care Shower Oil

I got this for washing my hands because regular soap, even the pH friendly one is wreaking havoc on my hands (I might be washing it a bit too much), so I thought oil might be a better idea. This emulsifies into such a rich and thick emulsion, it's actually kinda close to L'Occitane, which is amazing for the price, but I was disappointed with the first use because it didn't help my dry skin and I still had dry scales. Frequent use proved more fruitful and finally after months my hands don't feel like a sahara and I don't need to use hands creams all the time. I'm not a big fan on the scent which is like they just left the original strange oil scent and in my opinion they could have added some fragrance to it.

Müller, 1.95 €

DOVE Anti-Perspirant

Powder Soft

I buy these stick deodorants all the time, but so far it's mostly been Rexona, which was perfect until it stopped working on me, so I got the Dove version to try. It's ok, but not as good as Rexona used to be on me. It hold ok on normal days, but in stressful situations it fails. It smells nice, like describe powder soft, so feminine and pretty, but I need to be careful when I'm putting on a dark piece of clothing because it leaves white marks.

Müller, 2.99 €

ESSENCE Brush Sleeves

01 guardians of the brushes

I'm so glad Essence decided to sell these. They are simple brush guards, so those plastic meshes that you put on a brush to keep its shape. You get five small ones and five big one for 2 € which is an acceptable price, plus they are so easy to get.

1.99 €

SAMPLES

My lovely reader Lorena, who shares my love for exploration of K-Beauty, sent me a very generous amount of samples to try.

KIKUMASAMUNE Sake Skin Lotion High Moist

This is probably the most praised Asian beauty item alongside with Hada Labo lotion and COSRX Snail Mucin and its mass appeal comes from the fact that it's available in a very generous 500 ml packaging meaning you can use it very liberally for anything, face, body, some even use it for their scalp and hair. It's a hydrating product in a toner form, not a lotion as the name suggests, so this is very liquid and it feels light on the skin, but hydrating. It contains sake filtrate, arbutin, ceramides and glycyrrhizic acid, so it should be brightening and strengthening the moisture barrier, though I haven't noticed brightening, I only notice that my skin is more hydrated. It smells like a medicine for kids, somewhat like a strange banana scent, but most describe it as a sake scent (don't know how that smells like). It's not a strong scent and I don't find it bothersome.

CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist

This is basically the same thing as Kikumasamune, so a toner-like product in a 500 ml bottle that feels exactly the same on the skin except it's not scented. It contains ceramides, Job's Tears extract, 3 types of hyaluronic acid, collagen and amino acids, so based on ingredients alone, I find it more appealing than Kiku. It does exactly the same thing as Kikumasamune does for me, it's basically just very hydrating and that's it. I'm considering getting a full size.

SCINIC Honey All in one Ampoule

This was on my list to try if none of my replacements for Banila wouldn't work (I found LJH Propolis Ampoule then), but I think I'd probably buy it anyway because it comes in a 250 ml jar and I could use it for body too. It's gel-meets-honey type of texture and it's a bit sticky once it dries on the skin, but not like Banila was. The scent is a strong floral one in the pot, but on my face I can smell honey, so naturally I love it. I initially liked this because like Kikumasamune it's hydrating and comes in a big pot, but I strongly suspect this broke me out. It's a great hydrating product and worth the money, so I'll give it one more chance to see if it really breaks me out, but otherwise sadly I think this isn't for me.

HOLIKA HOLIKA skin & Good Cera Ultra Emulsion

This contains ceramides which strengthen the skin's barrier and it's a product that's designed for sensitive skin. It's a lotion type of product that still needs some time to absorb, but I've been using this morning and night for a week and my skin liked it a lot. It's nothing ground-breaking, but my skin felt great and also looked nice, so I like this a lot. Not sure I'd buy it, though I'm very tempted.

RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Toner

This is an upgraded Hada Labo's Hyaluronic Line and it contains one extra version of hyaluronic acid, bringing the number to 5. It's a thick serum type of product, not really a toner and it's thicker than the Lotion I have from the regular line. It's definitely a great product for the price and it's worth it, but unfortunately, it breaks me out, so I can't use this.

RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Milk

This is the milk version of the previous product and it can be used instead of a moisturiser if your skin isn't very dry. It does the same thing as a toner, except that it has a richer texture. 

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream

I already mentioned this in my monthly favourites. It has great ingredients, niacinamide is 4th on the list and it also has hyaluronic acid, adenosine and plenty of extracts. It's a medium thick moisturiser that is somewhere between a cream and a gel formula, similar to Etude House Moistufull Collagen, but less jelly. I've used this morning and night for a couple of weeks until the sample almost ran out and my skin really loved it. I'm not sure if niacinamide had any effect, but my skin just looked a picture of health - it had that lovely healthy radiance, zero spots or other pore problems and it felt comfortable. The scent is floral which is ok to me, but some might find it too strong and that's the only potential minus I can find at this. This is so far my favourite moisturiser.

TOSOWOONG Propolis Sparkle Ampoule

This was one of the products I was considering getting as a replacement for Banila, but I got LJH because the bottle was smaller and I felt better buying something small just in case I didn't like it. This comes is a much larger 100 ml bottle and 80% of it is propolis. It's thicker than the LJH version, but it works exactly the same on me, so I really love this, except that after a week I broke out and I'm not sure this was it, so I'm giving it another try in time. But up until the spots, this made my skin look much better, more even with healthy glow and hydrated, so if it turns out this didn't break me out (I think it wasn't because usually when I product breaks me out I notice it in a couple of days, but with this my skin was completely clear for over a week) I'm probably buying this instead of the 15ml LJH when it runs out.

MIZON Good Night White Sleeping Mask

If you're familiar with sleeping masks, this has that classic texture where it feels like it's going to be a light moisturiser, but then it just sits on the skin. It's nothing special, though nice enough. I didn't see that much brightening, but it was nicely hydrating and nourishing, still I don't think I'd buy this in full size.

MEISHOKU Ceracolla Perfect Gel

This is another ceramide based product, so meant for strengthening the skin's barrier. It's a thick gel type of product, quite a heavy one that sits on the skin, feels suffocating and sticky. I wasn't a fan of it and I much prefer the Holika Holika Good Cera.

RECAP:

Loved and would buy: BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream, HOLIKA HOLIKA skin & Good Cera Ultra Emulsion, KIKUMASAMUNE Sake Skin Lotion High Moist, CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist, TOSOWOONG Propolis Sparkle Ampoule (trying for the second time to see if it breaks me out, but regardless of that it's a brilliant product and I recommend you try it)

Liked, but I wouldn't buy it and I think it broke me out: SCINIC Honey All in one Ampoule, RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Toner, RHOTO HADA LABO Premium Hyaluronic Acid Milk 

Nothing special, though ok: MIZON Good Night White Sleeping Mask, MEISHOKU Ceracolla Perfect Gel

Have a great day!

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