Happy Easter!!!

This is the snowiest Easter I can remember.

Though, after I'd given birth to Adam exactly 3 years ago, I remember seeing heaps of snow through my hospital window. It seemed to me that my pregnancy had been as everlasting as the horrible winter of three years ago and Adam's birth would mark the end of winter.  And so it did.

This year I'm not pregnant, does it mean that spring will never come? 

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12h Wear in Dark Brown Matte (#24) review

Here's another stunning Sephora product I want to review. I have already expressed my love for Sephora Jumbo eyeliners here, and as I'd expected I did add a new shade to my teething collection of these liners.

This time I picked this gorgeous coffe brown matte shade.

Although matte formulas are usually more difficult to work with than shimmery ones, this one poses no such problems. It glides on incredibly smoothly, can be smudged before it sets. I sometimes apply it onto my finger and then just dab in the outer corner for smoky effect. 

Although this product is meant to be an eyeliner, it makes a perfect eyeshadow base. It prolongs the wear time of my eyeshadows and also intensifies their colours.

Very pretty and being completely matte it's quite unique when used as an eyeshadow base.  

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Scottish Fine Soaps Poetica Shampoo and Conditioner review

Scottish Fine Soaps Poetica Shampoo and Conditioner 

A couple of months ago I received in my Glossybox a body lotion from Scottish Fine Soaps, which I loved dearly. That's why I was super excited when I saw two hair products from the brand in my March Glossybox.

Unfortunately, I didn't like these at all.

First of all this product doesn't target any particular hair type. There's no mention about any benefits it brings so I suppose this is a generic product that just washes dirt off your hair. Didn't work for my hair at all.

Secondly, when buying a product named 'poetica' I'd expect something floral about the smell, while Poetica smells like anti-dantruff shampoo for men. I quite like such smell on my hubby's hair, but on mine? Not at all.

Finally, this product is so runny that it streams out of the tube in excessive amount each time I open it.

So as not to waste this product, I'm currently using the shampoo to wash my make-up brushes. I haven't found any use for the conditioner yet.

Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fancy Red (02) review

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love Sephora brand products. They are high quality, affordable and represent the newest trends in make-up.

From the wide selection of products I've recently picked the Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fancy Red. 

Similar produducts are also available from such brands as Urban Decay , Nars or NYX (and many others I suppose).

The shade is very pretty cool-toned sparkly red with slight fuchsia undertones. I love this shade madly. It suits my complexion well and its bopld and daring, just how I like it.

It's sheen is incredible, first of all due to its creamy vinyl finish, secondly due to the micro sparkle, not to be mistaken with glitter.

Unfortunately this pencil turns out to be very difficult to wear.

It's very soft and melts on my lips, which makes even application impossible. And with such a pigmented dark shade every flaw is visible.

This is also the first lip product which feathers on my lips. I dread to think how messy it will become in the summer heat. Taking it on holiday is not recommended. 

Although the lip pencil is very pigmented the saying a little goes a long way is of no use here cause as the product melts on my lips it gets used up at enormous speed.  

But on the other hand, most of these issues can be combated simply by using a lip pencil. 

On the bright side, the lip pencil is very moisturising in its creaminess. It feels like a balm on my lips.

To sum up, I really love the shade, which I find pretty unique. The wear time is decent and it fades evenly. Unfortunately it's not as easy to wear as I expected.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in #41 Fascination review

When I saw this Chanel quad in Fascination I felt mesmerised by the selection of shades, which just spoke my name. I've had many Chanel eyeshadows in my life, but this is my first baked eyeshadow quad by this brand. The quad comes in a black velvet pouch with Chanel logo to protect this classy and simple case. There are also 2 sponge tip applicators, which of course are useless and every reasonable person, except me, would discard them in the first place.

This palette is a combination of teals and grays.

In the top left corner there is a gorgeous bright teal, almost turquoise with shimmer.

In the top right one, we will find a very pale gray or white with strong gray undertones. Satin finish. Not the most pigmented shadow in history. Can be used as a base shadow all over, but certainly this is not your browbone highlighter due to its gray cast.

In the bottom left corner sits dark gray with satin finish, not the most unique of colours, but certainly very pretty. Pigmentation is excellent on this one.

And the last one, in the bottom right is blackened teal with satin finish and good pigmentation.

I absolutely adore the shades and the way they apply and blend but unfortunately me and teals don't really go together. My make up in teal looks either sad and gloomy or when I try to bring more life to it with the turquoise shade my make-up looks kind of cheap and tacky and so eighties.

So, it took me a while to make this palette work for me. 

I use it with NYX matte taupe eyeshadow as a transition colour which tones down the turquoise tones and adds depth to the colour.

My personal dissatisfaction with how these shadows look on me is a very subjective disadvantage. But the quality of these eyeshadows is an objective one. They crease within 5 hours of use over a very good primer and in spite of reapplication and blending anew things only get worse. I have oily lids, but since I started using primers none of my shadows, both high-end and drugstore, have creased. I even managed to forget bout my problems with creasing. I am quite surprised as this is quite unexpected when dealing with such a brand. 

All in all, what I want to say is that I don't regret buying this palette cause it's very pretty and unique, but it made me draw a conclusion: no more teals and no more Chanel baked eyeshadows for me.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Sisley Gentle Eye and Lip make-up remover review

I have a strong tendency to fall in love with everything Sisley, but this was not the case with their Gentle Eye and Lip make up remover.
The sachet contained 2 large cotton pads soaked in liquid which resembled micellar solutions. I didn't notice anything special or unique about this product. Indeed it was gentle but waterproof mascara refused to budge even after holding the pad on my lid for about one minute. Time consuming and ineffective. I ended up using my Bourjois oil-based make-up remover.

Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Glossybox March 2013

This time Glossybox was not a box but a make-up bag which contained (in order reflecting my satisfaction level):

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush

L'Occitane body lotion

Lierac Micellar Solution

Clarena Repair Vit U cream (Polish brand) 

Artego Dream Repair Lotion

plus a booklet about fashion trends with stickers

I must say that this time I'm quite satisfied with the contents, reviews are coming up soon!

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Halfmoon review

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Halfmoon

I have recently had the chance to acquire a number of excellent eyeliners and Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Halfmoon is no exception.

This is a twist-up pencil, which requires no sharpening so it's very comvenient when travelling.

The pencil is incredibly soft and smooth, glides on beautifully on bare lids and over powder eyeshadows. True to the manufacturer's name, the product may be smudged before it sets and once it dries it stays put all day. Performs well on the waterline, though obviously doesn't stay there for so long.

I really love the shade, which is satin gray. The stars on the packaging are misleading cause they make me expect glitter or at least high shimmer, but there's none. 

Does this product have any flaws? Well, I can't see any apart from my very personal dislike for these plasticky twist-up pencils. I actually enjoy sharpening and holding a real pencil in my hands. But this is a matter of my individual taste.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Halfmoon

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in #91 Apparition review

Words cannot express how much I love all those hybrid eyeshadows available from such brands as Chanel, Armani and L'Oreal.

That's why I was super excited to spot this little beauty by Chanel.

Apparition is the most gorgeous shade of navy blue. It's dark and cool-toned, but never leans black. There's also a sort of golden sheen to it, nothing too obvious but it makes this shade more dimensional.

The texture is semi-creamy, sponge-like, that is why it is best to apply this eyeshadow with a finger or sponge-tip applicator or, if you're desperate to use a brush, with a synthetic flat brush.

You don't need to hurry with blending cause this product doesn't really set, but I feel that the best blending method, if you want to avoid pulling at your lids, is to simply tap a sheer amount with your ring finger.

Now on to some drawbacks of the product, cause it's not without its flaws.

This eyeshadow tends to crease if not used over a primer.

I'm not sure how it'll perform in a couple of months' time. Basing on my experience with these eyeshadows I can say that they age differently. Illusoire hardened, but it remained very easy to use. Mirifique turned kind of gooey and produces a lot of chunky, crumbly fallout. Similar, yet less spongey, eyeshadows by Armani and L'Oreal seem unaffected by the passage of time.

and finally, this shadow is not the easiest to apply and blend. You need to take your time learning which method works best for you.

And finally: my favourite look created using this eyeshadow.

I like to pair it with Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Illusoire and a blue liner and blue mascara.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Korean goodies: Missha Time Revolution Aqua Youth Cream review

According to what the manufacturer claims this cream is basically meant to moisturise dehydrated skin. It might posess other features as well, but I couldn't find full info in English.
Anyway, the cream fulfils the manufacturer's promise well. It glides on very smoothly and you notice the moisturising effect immediately. It creates a kind of dewy shield on your skin, the moisturising effect is pretty long-lasting.
It was too dewy to be used under make-up on oily skin like mine but I'm sure this would make an excellent night cream. I will consider getting it full size after I've used up all the moisturisers I got in my Glossyboxes, which probably means never cause they come in almost every single box.



Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Dior Capture Totale One Essential Serum review

Recently I have had the pleasure to test a number of excellent face products, Dior Capture Totale One Essential Serum included.

This serum boasts of soothing and regenerating properties and it doesn't disappoint.

The formula is a bit gel-like but not too runny. At the very moment of application it made my skin feel incredibly smooth. It leaves slightly dewy finish that's why I didn't want to use it under make-up. I applied it before going to sleep, following it with Dior Capture Totale Nurturing Rich Cream and when I woke up in the morning I still felt this particular softness of my skin. My skin looked smoothed and well-rested.

Excellent product, the only disadvantage is its price. 

Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Benefit Fake up Concealer in Light review

I didn't intend to buy this concealer at all. I'm not a concealer fan at all. They all tend to crease or look cakey or just smudge my make-up. I just had a glance at Benefit Fake Up out of curiosity, blended it on the back of my hand and fell in love instantly. It looked so satiny and evened out any imperfections surprisingly well so I thought it'd do a great job concealing redness under my eyes.

What is so special about this concealer?

Well, it looks very much like my very first lipstick which had moisturising core, just in this case this is the other way round. The concealer is enveloped in vitamin infused moisturising balm. It melts upon contact with skin and blends perfectly well.

It's easy to guess that this concealer doesn't dry my undereye area, which is my main issue with concealers. It's concealing power is surprisingly good, you wouldn't expect  that much from a product which is 70% balm, not concealer.

Even more surprisingly, this product doesn't crease, settle in my fine lines, migrate anywhere etc. Incredible, considering how creamy it is. Moreover, it feels very lightweight. 

The shade range is limited to 3 shades, which doesn't bother me cause light is a perfect match for me. It's a beautiful light beige shade which leans neither yellow nor pink. I'm sure this shade will match a variety of fair skin tones, mine is NW20.

Although I've been raving madly about this product so far, it doesn't mean it's free of flaws, the major one being the fact that it dissolves all my mascaras, even the most waterproof ones. To counteract the greasiness of the concealer I need to pack on a lot of setting powder under my eyes, which in turn makes my make-up look heavy and accentuates wrinkles.

It took me weeks of experimentation and I figured out the perfect solution: first dab the undereye area with a sponge wedge to remove excess product and then dust lightly but evenly with Rimmel Stay Matte powder using my Inglot 6SS brush. This worked out for me, but I suppose everyone will need to find their way of dealing with this product.

To conclude, I'd like to say that although it's not my holy grail at all, it's a very decent product and I'll use it up for sure.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

DHC Velvet Skin Coat review

I wasn't aware of the existence of a brand called DHC and their excellent Velvet Skin Coat make-up primer until I was sent a couple of samples by my lovely reader Lanalei.

Velvet Skin Coat is thicker in consistency than any other silicone-based make-up primer I've ever tried. You need only a tiny amount, otherwise it may start rolling. This little sample lasted as much as 4-5 applications. It applies smoothly and creates matte velvety canvas on my face. It has amazing oil control properties. It made my skin look matte for hours and hours. It also made the application of my foundation easiy and flawless.

I don't wear primers on daily basis and I've got quite a few of them in my stash. If it weren't for the fact that I first need to use them up, I'd definitely try to get this one cause it's surprisingly good.

Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

First day of Spring in Poland!

Is it spring already?

 The weather does nothing to make me believe that.

I'm trying to fight the coming depression with routine activities or occassional outbursts of madness.

Also attempted warming and cheering myself up with cherry liqueur (quite successfully, but I can't do that every day, can I?)

I was born in March and I believe this is when my cycle of birth and annual rebirth starts, and normally I blossom under the first spring sun rays. Not this year, however. And the weather forecast is not even worth checking.

Sorry about the silly picture below. There are million better ways of concealing your car plates, like creating some sort of snow wirlpool or local blizzard in the right area but the snowman seemed so much more appropriate. 

Today I guess every Polish facebook user saw this caption under some snowy picture:

Help Spring. Eat Snow.

Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine nail polish in Burgundy Frost review

I bought the Wet'n'Wild polish in Burgundy Frost cause it was inbelievably cheap and looked pretty.

It exceeded my expectations by all means. 

The only thing that hints at the lower shelf on which the product is positioned is the packaging. It's convenient and practical, but there's something about the print and the cap which tell you immediately that you're dealing with a cheap product.

The shade is gorgeous. This is the first polish in my collection which is neither too dark or too light. This burgundy shade doesn't lean brown (as other burgundy shades in my collection do) but it reveals some sort of rosy undertones. The polish is highly shimmery, which adds to its shiny look.

The polish applied perfectly. The colour was opaque in two coats and there was no streakiness whatsoever. I really liked the brush and the consistency of the formula which made the application easy.   

It stayed on my nails decently long preserving its shine all the way through.

Gorgeous polish for less than $2! for such price you relly can't go wrong!

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Korean Goodies: Missha Super Aqua Ultra Waterfull Gel Serum review

The first thing you notice about this serum is that it has the most surprising texture ever.
It feels like a typical silicone primer (eg. Smashbox), applies incredibly smoothly, absorbs fast and leaves skin looking very dewy. I have rather oily skin but I think that even I could get away with wearing it under make-up as long as I don't follow it with some other cream because it is not greasy. I can imagine that this serum could bring relief to very dry skin, especially when paired with a moisturiser.

This product has no smell, which is an advantage for many of us.

I won't purchase it in full size cause it's not meant for my skin, but I would strongly recommend it for dry to very dry skin types in need of extra hydration.


Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12h wear in Marine (#13), Dark Taupe Shimmer (#22) and Brown(#07)

Today I'd like to write a couple of words about the amazing eyeliner pencils from Sephora. These are not my first jumbo pencils, so far I've been using similar pencils from NYX (reviewed here and here) but the Sephora ones are far better than the NYX ones.

Jumbo pencils by both brands look very similar but the difference is that the ones by NYX don't set  and therefore are not smudgeproof while the Sephora pencils will not budge a minute after the application. I use NYX pencils solely as eyeshadow bases but the Sephora ones can actually be used alone as liners or eyeshadows.

In spite of their jumbo size Sephora jumbo liners can draw a very precise line, especially after sharpening (my sharpener gives them a fine tip, which is no different than a tip of a regular eyeiner pencil). Moreover, thanks to their incredible creaminess you can cover an entire lid with them with no effort.

Out of a wide selection of shades I picked three: Marine, Dark Taupe Shimmer and Brown, other shades are awaiting their turns.

Marine is a very pretty navy blue with cornflower undertones. This is a shimmery shade.

Dark Taupe Shimmer is exactly what the name says: dark taupe with shimmer. Absolutely stunning!

Brown seems to me another taupeish shade, lighter than Dark Taupe Shimmer and more bronze.

All three perform equally well, apply smoothly with no patchiness.

Apart from all merits mentioned before I must admit that I appreciate the accessibility. They aren't part of any limited editions, collections etc. so there's no need to hurry to grab them. They're always there when I fancy something new.

What else can I say? Excellent stuff, will be getting more of these!

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel/Cream Liner for Brown Eyeas review

Physicians Formula

I have already written a full review of Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips gel/cream liners (read it here) so today I'm simply going to focus mainly on the shade of the second stack of shadows which I've recently bought.

This set is meant to enhance the colour of brown eyes. I don't have brown eyes but I often wear coloured lenses and even more importantly I love purples on my eyes which explains why I wanted to have this set.

The set consists of 3 shades:

black with barely perceptible blue shimmer 

bright plum purple which seems matte

dark brown with slight golden sheen.

All three of them are opaque and highly pigmented. The purple one creates lines which actually look purple, not muddy dark, the same can be said about the brown liner. The black is not the most pigmented black liner in my possession, but it performs well.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Sisley Self tanning Hydrating Body Skin Care review

The thing about high-end brands is that they are often very cleverly marketed pretty-packed goods with quality no higher than many drugstore products. I receive large amounts of samples from Sephora and Douglas which gives me the opportunity to test numerous expensive products and I hardly ever find any justification of the price. I mean, they're good products, but I feel that drugstore ones are just as good.

Whatever I have said above does not apply to Sisley Self tanning Hydrating Body Skin Care. From the moment I applied the first portion of this  body cream I knew I was dealing with something different. It applied soooo smoothly, leaving a kind of satin film on my skin. Soooo lovely. It was a pleasure for me to feel my own skin, so velvety smooth it was. It has a very nice soft smell and I couldn't sense even a hint of this funny self-tanner smell.

When I woke up in the morning my skin had the most beautiful warm, lightly tanned hue. The tan was even, non-yellow and my skin didn't have any weird smell. My hands weren't stained, there was no discolouration on my knees and elbows.

I thought I found my holy grail and was desperate to get it, so I checked the price in online shops and my jaw dropped. A 60ml tube costs approximately $130. This is where my story ends. Pity, cause this is one of the rare situations when I was really able to see the difference between high end products and the drugstore ones but there's no way I'm gonna fork out 130 bucks for a tiny tube of self tanner.



Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.

Sephora Outrageous Prisma Chrome eyeshadow in Outrageous metallic taupe review

I display signs of serious obsession with everything taupe. It's such a beautiful suit-all shade.

This Sephora eyeshadow was part of their Holiday 2012 collection. I was lucky to get it during post-Xmas sale with 50% discount. 

The eyeshadow is very large but it's not bulky thanks to its very practically designed, yet elegant, packaging. The eyeshadow has a very pretty quilted pattern.

The shade is a mid-toned neutral taupe (by which I mean neither too yellow nor too gray) with silvery sheen. Seems a bit too festive and sparkly for everyday wear but you can always pair it with something matte. This eyeshadow is incredibly pigmented without being powdery or chalky. It doesn't feel creamy either. It applies smoothly and evenly, blends well and lasts all day or even longer. I feel this is one of the prettiest (and cheapest) taupes in my collection.

Sephora has recently been doing a very good job producing supreme quality affordable make-up. I can't wait when the new custom palettes are introduced here in Poland as I've already seen a couple of gorgeous shades to fill one such palette for me. Outrageous metallic taupe is a limited edition eyeshadow but it makes me believe in these new eyeshadows which are to arrive here any moment now.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Korean goodies: Etude House Sweet Recipe Chocolate Smudge Liner in Dark Choco Brown review

Today I'm going to review a product which won my heart at the very first sight simply because it comes in the cutest packaging ever.

It looks like a chocolate praline, served on a pretty brown paper. So yummy I couldn't resist it!

Upon closer inspection the packaging turns out to be a bit tacky, looks like a dog toy or one of these fun things sold alongside with fake poop or whoopee cushions. When you turn the praline upside down you'll discover a lid which opens up to reveal a container with the actual product.

The product itself is of surprisingly good quality. It's creamy and smooth and the line you can produce is even and opaque in colour. The shade is, as the name suggests, dark chocolate brown but it doesn't look anything near black. It's such a beautiful shade! 

Straight after the application the line can be smudged, but once it's dry it will not budge, but it isn't difficult to remove.

Every cream eyeliner needs to undergo a time resistance test. All of them go dry in time, but some perform equally well even if they harden, some of them are useless. It's too soon to say anything about it yet. But even if it does dry out soon, the waste wouldn't hurt me that much cause it cost about $7 including shipping.

All in all it seems to me that this eyeliner is not only a gimmick, but also an excellent product.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.