April 2017 Favorites

I'm currently in the phase of trying out new products every day, so I have a few new ones that impressed me to share with you, as well as some oldies that I've brought back out. 



Colab Dry Shampoo Paradise 

The first time I tried it I was underwhelmed. It seemed to give me nice scent, but didn't really degrease my hair. It's definitely not as powerful in oil absorption as Batiste and I wouldn't use it on the days when my hair is really greasy. It's more for those days when you can't decide if you need to wash the hair or not yet. Because it doesn't leave any white residue, but it adds a bit of texture. It makes the hair slightly fluffier and slightly cleaner looking. I also love it as a good hair spray for the hair, as it has a nice tropical fruity scent. 

L'Oreal Elvital Absolue Anti-Shuppen Shampoo

This is the anti-dandruff shampoo from their new Clay line. I've already tried the one for greasy roots and dry ends and liked it as well. I've tried this one now, because I started to get dry flakes of dandruff on the roots. It definitely stopped that and I don't have dandruff anymore. It's a milky white consistency that leathers well and has that typical green apple Fructis scent. I feel like this one makes my hair more squeaky clean than the one for greasy roots and dry ends, but I would expect this from an anti-dandruff shampoo. So I always use moisturizing conditioner after it. L'Oreal has been surprising me with their hair care range and I'm eager to try some of their other products. 


Avon Nutra Effects Velvet Soft Moisture For Body, Face and Hands

I started to use it again, because it's on its last leg and I don't like half used products laying around my drawers. It has light, but moisturizing creamy consistency. I like that it moisturized my body well, but doesn't make it too greasy. It has subtle sleepy scent to it. It's perfect body moisturizer for this season when it's not quite warm yet, but also not cold anymore.


I've been absolutely in love with this scent in the past month. It's such a floral, yet kind of sweet, but very gentle scent. Perfect for spring, as it's a bit lightweight as a cotton candle would feel, but it has a subtle blend of floral notes mixed with something woody to give it sweetness. I don't like typical floral scents at all, but this one is like a comforting scent of a fresh bedding with a splash of sweet flower. 



I can't stop liking this. It's the softest makeup sponge I've ever tried. Sometimes makeup sponges can feel hard as rock and it feels like you're just bouncing it off of your face and it doesn't blend foundation in either. But this one is so soft and it blends foundation lovely. It soaks a bit of it in, but it definitely gives you a natural looking finish. I always use it, even if I apply foundation with a brush, I go in with this to blend any edges or hide brush marks.  

Etude House Deep Moisturizing Ceramide Sheet Mask

I've recently bought some sheet masks from Etude House and I've tried the Ceramide version already. I love it. It has a milky white consistency. The sheet is very saturated with the essence and it's quite thin, so it sticks to the face well. There's also a lot of essence left in the bag, so you can use it the next day as well. This left my skin so soft and plump looking. I have a feeling that milky essences tend to be more nourishing than the other ones with a transparent essence. I also bought Hyaluronic Acid version, which I haven't tried yet. 



Well of course this one ended up in my favorites. Not only because of the name, but I really like this matte redish brown shade. It has nice pigmentation and blends well. I love it as a crease shades, but almost prefer to wear it on its own all over the lid. There's just something about red based warm eyeshadows that go so well with my eye color. Even thought the shade feels more like a fall shade, I still love it now.

Physicians Butter Bronzer - Bronzer

This is the first time in years that I've found a bronzer that can be applied so effortlessly and can look so good on light skin tone. It has wet buttery formula that just seems to melt under your fingers when you touch it. The shade Bronzer is definitely warm toned, but has that hint of greyness to it, that you can see while looking at it in the pan. It applies like a dream. Pigmentation is great and I always use a light hand with it, because I want it to look lighter on the skin. It suits my light warm skin tone very well and looks really natural. It has tiny shimmer in it which is actually almost undetectable, but it gives the skin such a lovely natural sheen. Can I talk about the smell? It smells like intense pina colada, more pineapple than actual coconut. It gives me so much joy when I apply it, just like my Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette. This is definitely one of the best purchases I've made recently.


I'm all about nude lip pencils with creamy non-drying formula and this one is my new favorite. It's a warm peach toned nude that goes with everything and it's just slightly darker than my natural lip color. I love how creamy it is, yet you can still define the lips with it. It wear well and doesn't dry out my lips. Total winner in my opinion.


When I wrote a review of pen and brush version, I said that I prefer the brush version, because it gives me more precision and I can make thinner lines. But sometimes this also means that you have to be more precise with the actual application and go over the line a few times. While with pen versions, you can create the wing faster, but it's not as thin. I must have become lazier, because I have been reaching for this version more. It seems like it does the job quickly. It has nicely saturated sponge applicator tip and it also applies color more evenly. The finish has a slight sheen, which I don't actually mind. It stays on the eyelids the whole day and doesn't smudge.



I remember when this shade came out years ago and I saw it on Lisa Eldridge in one of her videos. This is my favorite yellow nail polish shade ever. It's like a milky light yellow that looks good in the winter to bring some brightness to your tired skin, as well as a pop of color in the summer to compliment the tan. To me it's the perfect spring shade, as it's still more pastel, but already gives you a nice pop of something colorful and bright. The formula is opaque in two coats. 
Source

Fast and Furious 8  - The Fate of the Furious

Spoiler Alert!

I've been watching Fast and Furious movies ever since they first came out. In the beginning it was all about the cars and racing. Through the years these movies have evolved into featuring more and more special effects to help create unbelievable car chases and scenes. It has also become more dramatic. I feel like every movie these days try to have a bit of comedy, drama and action in it. The latest one has been even more dramatic and the car scenes have been even more unbelievable, but I've adored the scene with Jason Statham and the baby Brian at the end of the movie the most. It was my movie highlight.  I love Jason Statham as an actor and watching his serious face trying to be playful with an adorable baby was really cute. 

Review: Essence Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer - 05 Ivory

I've been loving Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer. It's my favorite concealer. It covers well, is not too drying and has a good staying power. When I saw that Essence made something that looked exactly the same to Catrice's, I had to try it out. Here are my thoughts on it.


It's called Essence Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer. It comes in a plastic transparent lip gloss packaging. The top is orange. It's slightly bulkier than Catrice's version.

In it is 5 ml of product and I think it costs a bit under 3€ (I've forgotten to write the price down).


It has doe foot applicator that holds a bit of product, but I always have to go back into the tube for more, when I do my whole face. The applicator is fluffy and works nice.



I got it in the lightest shade called 05 Ivory and it's fairly neutral shade. It actually looks slightly pink and slightly peachy all in one, although on me it still turns more warmer than cool. It's a light shade, but it oxidizes on my hands. It does not oxidize on the skin. This shade will suit fair and light skin tones. 


I also compared it to my other concealers. Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer in 005 Light Natural is slightly darker and has a very obvious yellow undertone. Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer in 010 Porcellain is the darkest and looks more neutral. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair is just a tad lighter than Essence and has a bit more pinkish tone to it. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15 is also yellow toned and slightly darker, but not as yellow as 005 Light Natural. 


On the photo below they've all oxidized a little. MAC is the only one that doesn't seem to oxidize. I don't notice oxidation on the face itself, just on my hands when I swatch them.


Formula is creamy and almost seems to be a bit like a mousse. It has good pigmentation, but goes on a bit more sheer. Coverage is light to medium. You can build it up to a medium coverage and I find that it doesn't look cakey. If you apply it heavily, it can cover red patches and pimples. It also covers slightly colored under eye area, although it doesn't eliminate it completely.

It's also a bit moisturizing, but doesn't slide all over the place. I prefer a bit of moisture to the concealer, especially for under the eyes. Matte formulas tend to grab into fine lines and make them look worse. This one is great for under the eyes. It doesn't crease.

It has an average staying power. Under my eyes, where I have drier skin, it stays through the whole day, while it definitely fades off on my oilier parts like around the nose and on my forehead. It starts to look just a bit sheeny after a few hours, even though I always powder my face. My oilier t zone always gets a lot shinier through the day anyway. 

It has that typical muddy clay scent that most of foundations have, so no added perfumes.




On the left photo I have foundation and on the right photo I also added concealer under my eyes, around the nose, in the middle of brows and around the mouth. I hope you can notice how much brighter I look on the right photo. I love that the shade is light enough to make me look brighter.



Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer is one of my all time favorite concealers and I wanted to test how it compared to Essence Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer. I applied one on one side and the other one on other.

Essence is more liquid and sheerer. Catrice is a lot thicker and therefore also looks heavier and has better coverage. Essence looks sheerer and more natural. You can apply more, but it won't look as cakey as Catrice. Essence also has a bit more of sheen and doesn't look as matte. It gives you just a bit of slight stickiness. The coverage is lighter with Essence. Both lightest shades look really similar when applied and I don't see as much difference between them as I do when I swatch them. I only notice that Essence looks brighter on me.

After about 6 hours of wear they both become a bit shiny on my T zone, but I noticed that the Essence side was shinier than the side with Catrice. So Essence is better for those of you that have drier skin. It also works best on my under eyes, which are drier than the rest of the face.


I think Essence concealer is perfect for those of you that don't need too much coverage, want something that lasts well, but mostly want something that is more moisturizing. It's perfect for drier skin as well as fair to light skin tones. The shade is fairly neutral and the formula is creamy and has good pigmentation. I adore it under the eyes and on drier parts, but I wouldn't use it for covering something really red or pimples. It also doesn't have that perfumed scent that Catrice has. I've heard some say that this bothers them. Catrice is my preferred choice because of the higher coverage, but they both have their good sides. And actually I've been using more of the Essence one lately, because of the more natural look. 

If you're interested in darker shade - 10 Nude, you can check out Lana's review

Review: Cherie Lashes - Extra Lovely

I am not a huge wearer of false eyelashes, but I wear them with certain makeup looks as I feel that fake eyelashes really make everything more glamorous. I don't wear them as often, because I still have trouble putting them on, although I've gotten better at it. I noticed that it also has to do with the quality of a false lashes. Really cheap ones have harder bands and tend to pop back into their shape no matter how much you try to bend them. Today I'm talking about Cherie Lashes, which are total opposite of those. 


I got my Cherie Lashes in a black matte box with white writing and cute pink bow. I like the design. It's simple yet luxurious in a way. Maybe I like it, because I'm also a sucker for baroque ornaments. 


Inside it's a pink plastic that holds the lashes in place. There's also a transparent lid on top to prevent the lashes from getting dirty or falling off.


I got mine in the style Extra Lovely. The price is 6.90€ and you can buy them here

They are described as the lashes for everyday wear. They give you minimal volume, add a bit of drama, but the overall look is very natural.


I love when false lashes have invisible bands. They sit better on the eyes and look more natural. They are usually also easier to bend. These are longer than my natural lashes, but don't have any extreme volume. Lashes form a natural look with one laying over the other. They are slightly shorter on the inner corners and slightly longer on the outer corners, but it's almost invisible. The lashes feel soft to the touch.


I tried to wear them on their own without the eyeliner that I love so much. Eyeliner usually hides mistakes and makes false eyelashes blend with yours better.  

These are definitely very comfortable to wear. They bend well and with more wear they actually hold the shape that you want to have. They say that you can wear them up to 10 times and I've worn them about 8 times. They still look pretty much as new. If you remove glue after each wear and don't apply mascara on them, they can last you even longer. They are also lightweight. I've had some pretty heavy lashes, but these don't feel heavy at all. Sometimes inner corners still stick up, but I'm sure that has to do with my lash glue and not the lashes. 





 I've also worn them in some of my makeup looks that I already posted like in this Festival Makeup.



You can also see them in Classic Smoky Eye Turns Glossy post.



I have to say that compared to cheaper false eyelashes, I think these are better. The lashes are really soft, feel lightweight and you get a lot of wear out of them. I also feel like this style suits me, since it's still very natural and I prefer this over huge really fake ones. 

*PR product.

Review: Catrice Lip Foundation Pencil (020 Caramel Blonde To Go, 030 Addicted To Cafe Au Lait)

One of the Catrice novelties that got my attention when I saw it in the store, were their Lip Foundation Pencils. I adore Essence lip pencil formulas, but Catrice's were usually a bit drier and they didn't have as many nudes. Now they came out with a range dedicated only to nude lip colors. 


It comes in a pencil form with black design. The bottom and cap should indicate the shade inside, although I would urge you to test them in the store, if they offer testers. 

In each is 1.3 grams of product and it costs 2.59€.


My problem with lip pencils is that they usually have names written on the pen and once you sharp it a few times, the name is gone. These have names on the caps, just don't mismatch them, if you have more then one. 


It's a regular pen that you have to sharp and it fits into most regular sharpeners.


Catrice offers 4 nude shades. The lightest one 010 Can't You Hear That Super Base? was a bit too pink for my liking. I like nudes to be more warm toned and less pink. I also didn't get the darkest shade called 040 Take You To The Chocolate Shop as it looked too dark for my natural lip color. In general these are all very much suited for light to medium skin tones. If you're darker, these will look too pale on you.

I got two shades that seemed the most similar to my natural lip color, although I have very pale lips anyway. The shade 020 Caramel Blonde To Go is a more pink toned nude with warm undertone. 030 Addicted To Cafe Au Lait is more peach toned nude and it also has warm undertone


I compared it to some of my other similar lip liner shades. Golden Rose Dream Lips Lipliner in 501 is the peachiest nude of these all and it's somewhat brighter than others. Essence Lipliner in 11 In The Nude (old formula) has similar warm nude tone, but it's a bit more brownish and slightly darker. 


The formula reminds me of the old Essence Lipliner formula. New one is a bit harder to the touch, while older version was creamier. Essence Longlasting Lipliners are even creamier than this one from Catrice and could easily be categorized under lipsticks. I find that it's the most similar to my Golden Rose Dream Lips Lipliner formula, which I adore. It has the perfect combination of good pigmentation, creamy waxy texture and it's not greasy. 

Finish doesn't have any shine. It's what they describe velvet matte and I agree. It's smooth to apply, but gives you wanted precision and it wears comfortably. I don't feel like it dries out my lips, but it's a matte formula, so it won't nourish the lips either. It will accentuate any dry patches that you may have.

On me these last really well, like normal bullet version of matte lipsticks. 

You can also see how both shades look on me. The difference between these is minimal, but you can still notice one being more pink and one being more peachy nude.





I am a true lover of nude lipsticks and even more so of nude lip pencils. With a nude lip pencil I can define my lips and even cheat a bit with making them slightly larger on certain parts. It gives you the lasting power of a matte lipstick, but doesn't dry out your lips. Formula is creamy enough, but also precise enough for detailed application. Both nude shades are perfect my-lips-but-better shades. I am really impressed with these and for the price, you should really try at least one shade, if you like nude lip pencils.

Color Correcting With Essence and Catrice Products

Color correcting has had a comeback and I too was convinced to try some color correcting products by Essence and Catrice. My under eye area has suddenly become darker. I've always had sallowness around my mouth and redness is also a common issue with fair skin tones as mine. Let's see what I think of some of these products that I've been testing.

Let me just clarify what color correcting is. It means that you use the opposite color on the color wheel to correct the color that you have in your skin. For example, if you have red cheeks and you want to neutralize that redness, you would use something green on top of that redness to make it disappear and look like the rest of your skin.


Essence Colour Correcting Liquid Concealer - 30 pastel green

It comes in 3 shades. Green is for neutralizing redness, pink is for visibly brightening tired looking skin and yellow is for concealing dark circles. I got the green one called 30 pastel green, because I wanted something fairly light for my redness around the nose and on the cheeks.

It comes in transparent plastic lip gloss tube with white plastic top. It has doe foot applicator that is quite fluffy and holds enough product to cover smaller areas.

In it is 5 ml of product and it costs 2.79€.


Shade is indeed like a pastel green with milky white base. It's sheer and pretty liquid. This almost looks like a green primer, as it's so sheer and easy to blend. It gives you a wash of sheen over your skin.


It neutralizes red area, but won't cover any bright red pimples. This is perfect for someone that has larger slightly redish areas like I have my cheeks and around the nose. It can even be worn on its own as it's so light that it just evens out the skin tone and makes it more neutral. I also think that this could be fun to use with foundations, if you have more olive skin tone, but don't find enough olive based foundation colors. 

It leaves velvet matte finish on the skin and it stays put quite well, but it's lightweight. 


Essence Colour Correcting Stick - 05 say no to tired skin

Stick versions come in 5 different shades. There's a pink, yellow, orange, green and purple. I chose the purple shade called 05 say no to tired skin

It comes in a plastic purple pen packaging. You don't need to sharpen it, you just swirl the bottom and it comes out. 

In it is 3.2 grams of product and it costs 2.79€.


Shade 05 say no to tired skin is white based pastel purple. It's a waxy creamy formula that can be applied sheerer or more pigmented, depending on how much pressure you put on and if you apply it in one coat or two coats. It blends out to a sheerer shade than what it looks like in the pen, but it's still stronger than liquid concealer version. It's also a bit thicker cream, so it grabs on the skin better and doesn't blend out so sheer.


If you use it heavier, it's better that you apply it under the foundation or concealer as it can leave quite a lot of purple color on the skin. You can also sheer it out and apply it lightly. That way you can wear it on its own and just use it to slightly even out skin tone. This definitely neutralizes my yellow ring around the mouth. The difference is very noticeable. 

It also stays on the skin well, but don't think of it as long lasting foundation. I usually use these products under foundation anyway. Finish is velvet matte.


Catrice Camouflage Cream - Wake Up Effect

I have their regular colored Camouflage Cream concealers and those are great. Well pigmented and they remind me of MAC Studio Finish concealers. Recently they've added 3 shades as a color correcting concealers. You can choose among salmon, yellow or green shade. 

It comes in a black plastic pot with transparent lid. It has a screw on top. In it is 3 grams of product and it costs 3.29€.


Wake Up Effect is a salmon shade. To me this is the perfect mix of pink and peach. It will work perfectly to neutralize blue or green under eye are. The formula is creamy and almost feels a bit greasy, but it's quite well pigmented. As with all the other products, you can also sheer it out, if you like. Compared to Essence stick version, this one is more pigmented and stickier, which means it also sticks better to the skin. The shade is white based and really acts as a brightening shade


I apply the tiniest amount under my eyes and it neutralizes my skin in instant and covers any imperfections as well. It has the best coverage out of all the three products that I mentioned in this post.

The finish is matte with just a bit of sheen. This is very long lasting and you can easily wear it on its own, but it works great under the concealer to just make under eyes brighter and less colorful. 


Here are swatches of all the shades. These are all very light and more appropriate for light skin tones. Purple one is the only one that's a bit darker.


I wanted to show you the difference that it makes if I use these for color correction or no. On the left side of the photo is my skin with all three products and on the right side is my natural skin with a bit of moisturizer. I hope you can see that my under eye is a lot brighter, my cheeks are less red, as it's the skin around the nose and that yellow ring around the mouth is totally neutralized. I think the difference is even more noticeable in person. 


My all time favorite formula and product of these is the Catrice Camouflage Cream in Wake Up Effect. It covers darkness under the eyes so well and it's also really nicely pigmented. It can be used on its own or under concealer. Essence Colour Correcting Stick is for you, if you want a lighter version in a more useful pen packaging. I would still recommend this one to be used under the foundation, as it can leave a bit of obvious coloring. It also means that it neutralizes well. Essence Colour Correcting Liquid Concealer is for lighter imperfections and almost works more as primer or a base product on its own. You'll still get a bit of green color on the skin, but it can be blended out into a really sheer coverage.

It turns out that color correcting comes quite useful when you have certain areas on the face that need something to neutralize different color tones in it. These kind of product work great under foundations as it prevents you from piling on tons and tons of concealer or heavy foundation to cover discoloration. Some can even be worn on their own, as the formula can be sheered out. If you have areas that really bother you, I highly recommend you to try out color correcting technique and this products are a good place to start at.