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Beauty

Le Petit Olivier Green Clay ready-to-use paste

2. 3. 2015

Hi, lovelies! As promised in my latest New in post, here are my thoughts about the Le Petit Olivier Green Clay ready-to-use paste. I’ve come across Le Petit Olivier in September last year and I was surprised about how lovely all of their products look like. Well, this French brand is producing organic cosmetics while respecting animals and the environment. I bought their green clay mask in the beginning of February and have been testing it ever since, I am absolutely fascinated by it! I’ve been using clay masks before, but none of them has ever cleansed my skin as thoroughly as this one. And I’m not just saying that, my skin had some serious breakouts recently, but calmed down completely after a few uses.

The tube contains 300 g of the products which will last forever, especially because a little goes a long way. Green clay is insanely beneficial, so it isn’t surprising that it has been used since ancient times. It is rich in minerals, such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, etc., and is known for its purifying, absorbing soothing, re-mineralizing and antibacterial properties. Another characteristic is that it removes excess sebum, which is generally great. Just bear in mind that the skin produces less sebum in winter, so you should apply it on T-zone only or it will dry your skin on those parts that do need some natural oils. You can start using it normally in warmer months. In addition, the Le Petit Olivier products don’t have any parabens, added colourings or scents, which is great. But you won’t believe me, this mask smells like amaretto! ♥

The use is the same as with any other face mask: make sure that your face is dry and clean, then apply a thick coat of the mask on your skin. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse with plenty of warm water. The mask dries in a matter of minutes, but the feeling on the skin is completely different from other clay masks, it is incredibly compact and doesn’t crumble at all. However, the skin can feel a bit dry, so I usually apply a moisturizing serum afterwards.

There are five different versions of green clay masks available on the Le Petit Olivier website: the basic green clay face mask and green clay with tea tree essential oil, rose clay and macadamia oil, white clay and mint essential oil, and yellow clay and grapefruit essential oil face masks. I must say, I want to try them all so badly! I bought this one in Müller for around 12 EUR, they also sell the green clay and tea tree essential oil face mask along with some other skin care products.

To sum it up, the Le Petit Olivier green clay mask is a wonderful product, it doesn’t make my skin only soft and clean, but also provides some very important nutrients. I like this brand so much that I will probably try their Ultra moisturising day cream with olive oil, aloe vera and vitamin E very soon! :)

I hope you’re having a wonderful week! Take care ♥

(ps: the dress is black and blue!) ;)

Vesna

Beauty

Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara

21. 2. 2015

So, let’s talk mascaras. I’ve never been much interested in testing new ones, as I always felt that the one that makes my lashes look great is the one. Last year, however, I began to search for new ones and that actually led me to become quite an expert in this area, at least as far as my eyelashes are concerned. When I first opened this cute packaging of the Maybelline Lash Sensational lash multiplying mascara, I knew this would be perfect for me. The formula itself is very similar to the Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express, a bit liquidy, which works like a charm on my lashes.

The Maybelline Lash Sensational is characterised by a new plastic brush that is thought to multiply the lashes and make them much more fuller and visible. It has ten layers of bristles that are of different length and shape: in the inner part, the short ones are used for the first step reaching the roots of the lashes, and the longer ones on the other side to fan them out.

In the natural form, my lashes are curled and long and I feel very blessed that I don’t need the curler at all. But surprisingly, not a lot of mascaras do the job properly. Some make them clupmy and begin to crumble after a few hours, no one wants to look herself in the mirror in the middle of the day and realise she looks like a little panda. Unless that is the goal, I’m not judging ;)

The verdict: I believe this mascara is great, the first coat lengthens the lashes and gives them volume, whereas the second coat makes them even longer. As far as the brush is concerned, I always prefer plastic brushes over regular ones and this one works great. In my opinion, the second coat is completely optional because the first one gives the lashes the most effect.

Have you already tried the new Lash Sensational mascara? :)

Take care ♥

Vesna

Beauty

New in #5

10. 2. 2015

December (& January for that matter) passed like a breeze and only now I’ve realised I forgot to mention what I got for Christmas. Unfortunately, it seems like I’m going to skip that one out, so I’m going to focus on a few products I got in the last couple of weeks. After my Essence splurge in the beginning of January, I felt like I had to hold myself back a bit, because I already have so much make up that I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish it in my lifetime. However, I cannot resist all the time, and I have a great excuse I come up with every time I see something interesting: “This is for research for my blog, don’t blame me!!” I’m gonna have to work on that in the future. ♥

♦ The first product is the Le Petit Olivier green clay ready-to-use paste. When I was strolling in Müller a few months ago, I heard one of the costumers say that this is the best facial mask she’s ever tried. As you can imagine, I was intrigued, but completely forgot about it. Until last week, that is! I decided to get this one spontaneously and I’m currently trying it out. I’ll report on that one in a separate post in a week or two!

♦ It seems like January was all about face masks, as I got the Balea peel-off mask too. This one is with with panthenol, witch-hazel, apricot extract and royal jelly for combination skin. It’s supposed to provide deep cleansing and nourish the skin, but I don’t know much about that. Just the fact that I can peel the mask off makes it much more fun ;)

♦ Lots of Slovene bloggers have been raving about Crazy Rumors lip balms, but I haven’t been able to put my hands on them just yet. This is why I grabbed the Bee Natural 100 % natural lip balm with mango scent in Müller with both hands, they look so alike. When you smell it, it seems like you have fresh cut mango in front of you, and it nourishes the lips insanely well. These lip balms are free from petroleum, dyes, fragrances and other man-made chemicals, which is always a plus.

♦ I’ve worn fake eyelashes on several occasions and they accentuate my eyes as nothing else. However, I don’t want to wear the whole lashes every time I use them so I decided to try out the Essence 04 single lashes mix. There are 40 single lashes in 4 different lengths, which allows you to personalize your lashes to create the exact look you want. I’m very eager to try them out, I’ll keep you posted! :)

♦ Next is the Essie nail polish in shade beach bum blu. It must be obvious I got this one as a gift as I would never buy a blue nail polish. However, the color is so intense and wearable even in winter. In addition, small glitter makes this nail polish stand out even more. This polish too has the two characteritics that I tend to hate: glitter and the fact that it is blue. Every glittery nail polishes I’ve ever tried have chipped off the first day, and blue nail polishes leave ugly yellow stains despite the fact that I use the base coat every time. Nevertheless, the color itself is gorgeous.

♦ My sister kindly got me the UMA EYETTENTION PLEASE eyeshadow pen in shade gorgeous grey 040 for no obvious reason, isn’t she great? ;) This pen brings me memories of my metal high school years when grey and black eyeshadows were the most important part of my outfit, haha :D You can smudge it to create a light grey hue or add a bit more to achieve an intense silver-gray shade. The only downside is that I have to apply a bit of grey eyeshadow over it otherwise it wears off very quickly.

♦ The last product is the Essence waterproof eyeliner pen. Because of my lovely hooded eyelids, I wear eyeliner for 30 minutes and then I realise I have a black mark in my crease, that’s just great. So, I decided to try out a waterproof eyeliner again, just in case. You can create a thin line or a bit more bold flick with its felt tip. However, I tried out its waterproofness and was disappointed when I found out I can rinse it off with just a tiny amount of water. It seems like I’ll have to search for good long lasting eyeliner for a a while. Do you have any recommendations where to get one? :)

Take care ♥

Vesna

4 Comments

Beauty

January favorites ◊ 2015

4. 2. 2015

February is here and it’s time to share my January favorites! These are the products that I’ve been using a lot in January, there are some make up bits, some pamper products … Everything I need for a productive day and a bit more relaxed evening! I don’t feel like wearing smoky eyes or having my face contoured like it’s summer lately, but I love to combine a simple, subtle makeup with bright lips.

The first product is one of my favorite lipsticks at the moment, it’s the Deborah Milano lipstick in shade 9 with SPF 15. I have actually never tried any of their products before, I do go through every time I’m in the drugstore but usually nothing steps out in particular. Except for this lipstick, obviously. I have to mention that my camera doesn’t seem to distinguish between red and pink lipsticks, this causes me problems every single time!! Well, the shade is somewhere between cherry red and pink, it seems like it has both pink and red pigments as one thin layer makes my lips completely pink, whereas a bit thicker layer makes them quite red. It is surprisingly long lasting, but I have to apply a lip balm or the lipstick after a few hours, just to make it even again.

Next are the eyes! For the base, I’ve been using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in shade Pink Gold. I got it in December from my best friend, she always knows what to get me! I immediately fell in love and as with any other Color Tattoo eyeshadow, you can use it as a base or by itself, I’ve been using it both ways. When I feel like adding a bit more color in the crease or just wish to accentuate the whole look, I add a bit of the Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio Eyeshadow in shade Rose Vintage. Its applicator is still intact, I don’t even try applying anything with these smaller-than-ever applicator brushes. Instead, I’ve been using the e. l. f. professional Blending Eye Brush and this is an insanely good low budget eye brush that perfectly blends the eyeshadow in the crease.

I almost forgot to mention my favorite nude nail polish at the moment, the China Glaze nail lacquer in shade Diva Bride. It contains some nail hardeners, but I haven’t noticed any difference in the longevity. On the plus side, even the second coat is quite transparent, which comes in handy if your nail polish is chipped off and you don’t have the time/are too lazy to paint your nails again (meaning: you have to be extremely attentive to see those chipped parts!).

As soon as I realised I’m going to run out of my Tea Tree Pore Minimiser from the Body Shop at the end of December, I had to find a new one immediately. I found a perfect replacement, the Alverde Mineral Make-up Base Gel and I’ve been using it all the time! The one thing I expect from primers is to mattify the skin and this one does the job very well. It’s in a nude gel-like consistency and a little goes a long way. The next product completely changed my perspective towards medium coverage foundations. I’ve been obsessed with high coverage foundations for years and now I feel I don’t need to hide every little imperfection from the world. I’m glad I stepped out from my comfort zone and started using the Maybelline Affinimat perfecting and mattifying foundation in shade Golden beige 24. This is quite a runny foundation, but nevertheless provides a good medium coverage that builds up with every additional layer if necessary. It’s intended for oily to combination skin, and although mine is a bit oily in the T-zone, this one makes a very good job – It’s not sticky and doesn’t smudge throughout the day.

The last two products are more of a pampering nature, I’m currently in the middle of exams and I need a bit of relaxation every few days. You can imagine that my face routine is not the best at the moment, so I try to moisturize my skin in the evening, usually with the L’Occitane Instant Hydration Mask with organic Angelica water and essential oil. My skin feels so refreshed and nourished after I use it, a real skin saver! And when I fancy a bit of aromatherapy, I add a few drops of the Eucalyptus essential oil that I bought in DM a while ago. It feels like the air in the room is much cleaner and fresher. I believe I’ll repeat these two pamper steps today! :)

Winter is having a blast here, we’re expecting up to 50 cm of fresh snow or even more this Friday! I love watching snow swirling from the sky, with a cup of chai latte and a good book in my hands … or rather a pile of notes ;) Have lots of fun ♥

Vesna

4 Comments

Beauty

New in: Essence haul & swatches

22. 1. 2015

Me and my friend have been strolling around the city centre in the beginning of the week and “spontaneously” decided to take a look around the makeup section in Müller. What we didn’t expect is that Essence currently has huge sales on lots of products that will be discontinued soon. Imagine my surprise and childish enthusiasm when we saw that, haha :D You know, I just went for it, because all of these products cost only € 0,99 and I just didn’t feel the need to hold myself back, why would I! An opportunity like this doesn’t come around so often ;)

Let’s start with my favorite, shall we? This is the Sun Club All-In One Bronzing Highlighter and, according to the packaging, it suits best to blondes with lighter skin. I’m a brunette and have a medium complexion, but would nevertheless say it suits mine fairly well! I decided to show you the two separate parts and the blend of all of them together, because, let’s be honest, you can use it as, please, stay with me: a bronzer or a highlighter or as a bronzing highlighter. I love this product, it is so flattering to the skin and creates a beautiful shimmery&summery effect. I bet I will be using it a lot!

The next one belongs to the same category, it is the How to Make Your Face Wow make-up box. It is basically a palette with a bronzer, a highlighter and two different blush shades. And, of course, a little mirror inside. The bronzer sun date is fairly light and somehow similar to the blended All In One Bronzing Higlighter, whereas the highlighter is much lighter. The two blushes are quite interesting, the first one is think pink and is definitely something I would never go for if I was buying a mono blush. Now that I have it, I’ll give it a try, but probably not before masquerades in February :D The second blush peach babe is much more pleasant in my opinion, a lovely peachy shade that I’ve been trying to get for quite some time! It creates a wonderful look if I add just a tiny bit on my cheeks, I love it! Except form think pink blush, this palette is much more shimmery, but also intense. A lovely combination!

I’ve only had one Essence mascara until now and I didn’t like it very much, I had a feeling that it didn’t dry on my lashes at all. However, I decided to give another mascara a go and chose The Lash Curler volume&curl mascara.

I must admit, I’m quite impressed with this one. It obviously lenghtened my lashes, but it didn’t give them much volume. It’s not one the most longlasting mascara, but is nevertheless just fine if you need to apply some mascara very quickly.

I recently decided to start using more lipglosses as they are great by themselves or applied over a lipstick. I went for the XXXL Longlasting lipgloss in shade I love pink (4). Not much to say, a lovely pink shade with a pleasant texture and shiny finish.

I also got the Match 2 Cover! cream concealer in soft beige (20), very similar to the Catrice Camouflage cream, but still a bit more creamy. The pot contains two shades which are impressively similar to the foundation I use at the moment. A real catch, I say!

The next product is the Glam Style sparkling hair & body spray. I definitely don’t need that, but who doesn’t like a bit of a sparkle on her hair in summer or for any other special occasion! I find it really cute. Well, the glitter is pretty small and has a whole feast of shades, and it smells like cupcakes!! What’s not to love ;) Last but not least, I got the Studio Nails nail care pen with vitamin A&E, ginkgo extract, essential jojoba oil, avocado oil and almond oil. I have very dry and brittle nails and with one nourishing product more you just can’t go wrong.

That’s all from my part today, I’m glad I finally managed to get some of the Essence products on sales. And go to your nearest drugstore in Slovenia if you fancy some of these products, because I don’t know for how long they will be available! Everything in moderation, moderation in everything – I have to repeat this in my mind the next time I go shopping :D

Take care ♥

Vesna

6 Comments

Beauty

Empties #3

11. 1. 2015

I’ve been pretty lazy with storing everything I used up in the last couple of months which is bizarre, because I do like to read empties on other blogs. This is why I dedicated one box to the products I used up a few weeks ago and now it’s time to share the products I’ve used up so far with you! :)

♦ The first one is The Body Shop Mango Body Butter, a rich and decadent body butter that sinks into skin quickly and leaves it extremely soft. I can’t get over the scent of mango, it actually smells like fresh fruit. I have to stock it up soon! Note to self: buy mangoes too! ;) Repurchase: A big yes!

♦ If I stay with The Body Shop, I almost used up their Tea Tree Pore Minimiser serum with tea tree oil. There is just a tiny bit left! I won’t say that pores are completely invisible after use, but it prepares the skin very well for the foundation. In addition, it mattifies the skin and the tea tree oil inside helps fight blemishes, which is definitely a plus. Repurchase: I’ll definitely repurchase it one day, but I’d rather try something new before that.

♦ I stopped using regular face creams as soon as I found the Balea Aqua serum. It moisturizes the skin and makes it much less greasy than other moisturizing products tend to do. However, I prefer using a primer before applying the foundation as the serum doesn’t mattify the skin the way I want. Repurchase: I already have! :)

♦ I’m a big fan of exfoliators and the Balea Creme Peeling is by far one of the best. The cream is full of tiny exfoliating particles that remove the top layer of dead skin. Despite making your skin fresh and soft, those with very sensitive skin should be careful using it as it can be quite intense. Repurchase: Definitely!

♦ One of my favorite mascaras is the Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express mascara. It lengthens my lashes and gives them lots of volume, basically everything a mascara should do. Repurchase: Yes, but only after I use up the ones I have at the moment! :)

♦ I finally used up the Eyes Lips Face Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, it really lasted for a long time. What I love about it is that it creates a great base for applying eye shadows. However, my eyes are hooded and everything starts to smudge in a while and this primer doesn’t make any difference. In my opinion, the Maybelline Color Tattoo eye shadows are much better as a base. Repurchase: Probably not.

♦ One of the greatest inventions must be dry shampoos. If you don’t have time to wash your hair, just spray a bit on the greasy parts, wait for a minute, then comb through your hair and it’s done! The Batiste Dry Shampoo is crème de la crème when talking about dry shampoos, they saved my hair countless times! This one comes with a lovely floral scent. Repurchase: I already have, I’m using the original one at the moment! :)

♦ The last two products are the Garnier Ultra Doux Heritage de Provence shampoo and conditioner with lavender and rose for hair without shine. I love these two, the shampoo makes my hair really clean and doesn’t make them greasy like lots of nourishing shampoos do, and the conditioner makes them a bit softer and leaves a subtle lavender scent. Repurchase: Yes!

Oh my, exams are approaching with speed of light and I don’t think I’m completely ready for them! The next two months will definitely be tough. Unfortunately, in stressful situations I tend to forget that our body and mind are all intertwined. The one thing I must keep doing in the following weeks is to practice yoga regularly and eat healthy food, lots of smoothies and such. But it should be fun :) Take care ♥

Vesna

Beauty

My favorite 2014 beauty products!

7. 1. 2015

It’s time to share my top ten beauty products of 2014 with you! :) This was a very hard task, especially because I love so many products I started using in the summer and later in the autumn. This is why I included some products I bought the middle of the year just because I’ve been pretty obsessed with them and probably will be until I find something even better :) Let’s go! ♥

I wrote about The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing powder a while ago and it’s still my favorite bronzer. This one is in the shade medium matte (03) and it’s quite fair, but still dark enough to contour the face. As I predicted, it is much more visible on my skin now than it was in the summer. On the plus side, it has a perfect mirror which is great if you carry it in your handbag. ♦ If we stay in the cheek area, I always like to complement the bronzer with a bit of a blush. The one I’ve been using the most is the Bourjois blusher in the shade Frosted Rose (54). The packaging is so darn cute, and the color! It is very pigmented and a bit shimmery, which is great because you don’t need to apply additional highlighter. However, the blusher is literally hard as a rock and it’s nearly impossible to apply it with a soft Real Techniques blush brush. This is probably why the enclosed little brush is so harsh, because almost none of my brushes is suitable :D I still love it, it leaves a lovely finish. ♦ The next one is my life savior when my skin gets crazy (which is happening right now!), it’s the Catrice Camouflage Cream in the shade Light Beige. I even hit pan last week which must be the best proof that I use it a lot. The coverage is insane for such an affordable concealer, and although I’ve been using it quite regularly over the year, the pot will surely last for another few months. ♦ As far as eye shadows are concerned, I use lots of eye palettes, but this product is the one I use as a base or just by itself throughout the whole year. It’s the Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade Permanent Taupe (40). It’s so pigmented, long lasting and doesn’t smudge and although I use it practically every day, the majority of the product is still there. A wonderful product, big thanks to my best friend who gave it to me as a gift. Thank you, Anita! ♦ The last one from this series is the Rimmel Stay Matte long lasting pressed powder in the shade Silky Beige (005). Nothing special to say here, obviously a great mattifying and setting powder I use every single day.

I have two favorite nail polishes this time, the first one is the Essie nail polish in the shade Bahama Mama. I’ve used quite a lot of it, and how wouldn’t I when the shade is so gorgeous! The rich and deep plum color makes it perfect for autumn and winter, but I love to use it in warmer months too ;) Love! ♦ The next one is the Rimmel nail polish in the shade White Hot Love (703). I never cared about white nail polishes, but this one just does the trick! It really steps out in summer when my skin gets darker. ♦ The next one is my favorite lip stick ever, it’s the Revlon Colorburst lipstick in the shade Fuschsia (030). I used it in every season, it’s such a long lasting lip product in bright pink. ♦ I have to mention another lip product, the Alverde lip balm. I don’t completely understand in which scent it is, the packaging says Cranberry in English and Kirsche (Eng: cherry) in German, let’s just say it has cherry scent. It is great at moisturizing the lips and prevents them from chapping. I also adore the one with vanilla and orange, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere, it was probably a limited edition. Anyway, this must be my fourth or fifth lip balm so far, I can’t stop using it! You can get it in DM. ♦ Last but not least, we have the Catrice Liquid Metal Gel Eye Pencil in the shade Leaf The World Behind (040). It is in a bit smudgy form, but is nevertheless very long lasting. I use it instead of an eye liner and although it’s in dark green, it goes great together with almost any make up look!

These are my beauty picks of 2014, have you tried any of them? :) Take care,

Vesna

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