Lancome Renergie Multi-Lift Lifting Firming Anti-Wrinkle Cream Review

Lancome Renergie Multi-Lift is a cream I didn't like at all. Luckily I tried only a sample, if I'd bought a full-size jar I wouldn't have been able to use this up.

The problem lies in the consistency of the product.

This is as thick as this all-purpose Nivea cream which my mum smeared me with in winter. Horrible stuff and it doesn't melt upon the contact with my skin, making it necessary to rub the product into my skin with quite massaging movements.

This cream is a firming, anti-wrinkle cream for all skin types. When something is for all skin types it's no good for any of them. And most certainly not for oily skin. This cream is so thick and greasy that I can only use it as my night cream. Using this during the day makes me look oily and ruins my make-up.

The cream has SPF15, which is good, but what's the point since I can only use it at night? I hate packing my skin with useless chemicals like chemical sunscreens when there's no clear benefit.

I guess someone with dry skin might like the cream, though I cannot really imagine anyone enjoying applying something so thick.

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.

Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream review

My dear MUAs at Sephora have recently showered me with lots of Korres samples. I didn't know and think much of the brand and without the samples I would never have explored it. 

To my big surprise Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream turned out to be one of the best eye creams I've ever used and I'm getting it full-size as soon as I can.

So what's so special about it?

Well, first of all this is one of the rare examples of eye creams with relatively high SPF. The vast majority of eye creams have no SPF whatsoever, and those I managed to find reach no higher than SPF8. I've got one from Clarins sun care line but it is uncomfortably drying and I'm going to use that one only in beach situations.

So SPF15 to be found in this cream is unique and satisfies me perfectly.

Secondly, this cream has stunning moisturising properties. It leaves my eye area moisturised all day long, the feeling of dryness does not occur even if I use a concealer and set it with powder.

A little goes a long way. I need only a tiny bit to cover the undereye area of both eyes. That's why I believe a 15ml tube will last me for ages. I've been using this sample for a week now and there's still about half of it left.

The consistency is light and smooth. It seems a bit runny at first but it's by no means watery. The shade is beige and I suppose it has a slight brightening effect. Yet, there are no shimmering particles to be seen.

It says on the packaging that this cream targets fine lines. I haven't noticed any significant improvement in that respect. But well-moisturised eye area generally looks better. 

There's a very faint rosy smell which counteracts any smell of sunscreen, making it imperceptible.

Korres is available in my local Sephora, which saves a lot of fuss and trouble.

All in all, excellent stuff, worth every penny.

EDIT: Got it full size. Here's what the packaging looks like:

And here are some important facts about the product:

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.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Blush in Pink Patent #02 review

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Blush in Pink Patent #02

I was highly suspicious about this blush by Estee Lauder. My experience with cheek tints hasn't been good so far. I also found the plastic packaging cheap and tacky, not representative of a high-end product. Persuaded my a make-up artist at Sephora, I gave in and I'm happy I did cause this turned out to be one of my favourite blushes for the summer.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Blush in Pink Patent #02

This blush comes in a pink plastic container with a brand name imprinted on a gold band round the neck. The pump is easy to control and it distributes as much product as you wish. The blush has a gel-like consistency which is neither watery nor thick and creamy.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Blush in Pink Patent #02

The shade is bright bubblegum pink which blends out reasily and evenly. The colour is barely visible at first, but do not add more coats cause it oxidises and becomes much more pronounced about 30 seconds later. It's easier to add colour as needed than remove excess cause this blush does tint your cheeks and stay all lay long.

However, when treated with make-up remover the blush disappears without leaving semi-permanent stains on my cheeks.

What I particularly like about this blush is that it is weightless on my skin. It doesn't look greasy, nor does it accentuate pores.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Blush in Pink Patent #02

As advised by the MUA I apply this with a brush. Real Techniques Setting Brush works perfectly fine, ELF duo fibre brush also does the job well. Just stipple this thing onto my cheeks, then blend out in circuklar movenents et voila!

As much as I like my other blushes, this is a perfect pick for the coming summer. It will not melt in the sun, look cakey or need touch-ups during the day. The colour is pretty sheer which means I will not look excessively-made up on a hot summer day. Well done, Estee Lauder! 

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Blush in Pink Patent #02

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.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in #2 Vanilla review

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in #2 Vanilla

My fascination with concealers continues and here's one of the best results of my search for perfection. 

Nars Radiant Creamy concealer is their new release which I suppose opens a new era in concealer business and will set a new standard for concealers.

What I find so innovative is that I see this concealer as a hybrid product. It combines cream concealers which typically come in pots or pans and liquid concealers which are packed in tubular containers and apply with doe-foot applicators. The result of this blend is a concealer with insane pigmentation, easy application, great lasting power and hygenic packaging.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in #2 Vanilla

A little goes a long way. I just dab a tiny dot of the product and then blend it in with my ring finger or a synthetic brush. This is the most pigmented concealer I've ever used, a thin coat will cover most people's dark circles. If it doesn't, nothing will. I didn't notice any major creasing or migration of the product towards my fine lines. When dry this product has a sort of semi-matte finish which I don't need to set with powder. And it doesn't give me racoon eyes! I also don't think it gives me more wrinkles than I already have. The concealer wears pretty much all day with no need for touch-ups.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in #2 Vanilla

The shade I picked is Vanilla, the second lightest shade which is a very pale beige with slightly pinkish undertones, this definitely doesn't lean anywhere near yellow. It's about two tones lighter than foundations I normally wear. This concealer brightens my eye area perfectly

Below you can see the Radiant Creamy Concealer swatched against Nars Sheer Glow foundation in Dauville for reference. As you can see it's really pale, but when used in moderation it doesn't look like white patches under my eyes.

This is a perfect concealer and I'm sure I will repurchase. 

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in #2 Vanilla (left) Sheer Glow Foundation in Dauville (right)

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.

Glossybox May 2013

The Glossybox I received in May has been the best so far.

I enjoyed playing with every product I found there.

So the contents go as follows (order reflecting the level of my satisfaction, though I really liked all of them):

1. Roberto Cavalli mini-size perfume

2. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel for Oily Sensitive Skin

3. The Body Shop oconut Shower Cream

4. Model Co. Cheek + Lips tint

5. Santaverde Aloe Vera Cream

Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Mattifying Moisturiser review

As a person blessed or cursed with oily skin every now and then I like to experiment with mattifying moisturisers. Before buying fairly expensive skincare products I always ask for samples to see if these live up to my expectations. Most specialist skincare targets not only sebum production but takes it for granted that oily skin means acne prone skin and contains a number of ingredients which are intended to prevent impurities and which I don't need cause my skin is oily but not acne prone at all. This exactly is the case with Eucerin Dermo Purifyer moisturiser.
So, what is this product like?
It's oil free, paraben free, fragrance free. The consistency is lightweight and liquidy. I noticed a mild mattifying result without my skin feeling tight. This moisturiser didn't do much to keep my skin matte on a hot day, but then, nothing does. Neither didn I feel my skin was moisturised enough. The results achieved after using this product for a couple of days didn't impress me much. This cream is not what I'm looking for.





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.

Korean goodies: Skinfood Blanc Pearl Caviar Premium Kit review

When browsing through Skinfood skincare products I came across this little set of miniature products. I like these sets very much as they give you the chance to test a number of products for more than a week before deciding whether you'd like their full-size versions or not.

Blanc Pearl Caviar line of skincare products targets dull skin with the power of white 

pearls and caviar. It promotes bright and luminous skin while preventing wrinkles.

This is a rich and luxurious line of products. Both the mini-products and the full-size ones look both gorgeous and expensive. The prices at which these products retail vary from $35-$43 depending on a product and a seller.

This line of products definitely targets drier skin types. I have oily skin but I don't suffer from acne and hardly anything breaks me out so I like to use more moisturising and richer skincare at night time, while using lightweight mattifying moisturisers in the morning. I found that even though these products weren' meant for my skin type, they worked amazingly well as part of my nighttime regime.

All of these have a very pleasant rosy scent which reminds me of Bulgaria rose oil I had in my primary school days and which was considered an example of bad taste in perfume and which I seem to enjoy very much these days. 

So, let's take a look at each of these products individually:

The toner belongs to this uniquely Asian, or perhaps Korean only categories of toners which are not meant to wipe off the residue of make-up after its removal nor to exfoliate gently. These toners are meant to be slapped all over the face without wiping them off. They are closer to liquidy moisturisers than to Western toners, and Blanc Pearl Caviar Toner is no exception in that matter.  This is a white liquid which preps my face for further skincare to be applied.

This emulsion is impossible to get out if this container. Luckily the full-size bottle is sold with a pump, otherwise I would discourage everyone from getting this. I ended up digging this out of its bottle with a cotton swab. This emulsion is highly moisturising and, to be honest, using just the emulsion satisfies my skin's need for water. It's lightweight, has a thick gel consistency, applies easily and absorbs quickly.

The cream is the thickest cream I've ever used,  but to my big surprise it didn't feel heavy on my skin at all. I wouldn't say it melts upon contact with my skin but it does apply very smoothly and makes my skin feel so supple and soft. I was worried it would leave tons of greasy residue on my skin and my pillow but this cream absorbs very quickly and leaves my face glowy but not greasy.

All in all this is an excellent line of products for dry or ageing skin. I would even consider getting the emulsion or the cream if they weren't on the pricey side. I believe I can find something cheaper and better suited to my skin needs.  

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: Skinfood Lemon Brightening Morning Cleanser review

Wnem making one of my Korean orders I thought I'd top it up with a couple of samples. I was looking for a new cleanser so my eyes fell on Skinfood Lemon Brightening Morning Cleanser, which seemed to fit my purposes perfectly.

This cleanser has a kind of curd-like consistency, it's partly gel-like and transparent, but there are some white particles in it as well. I mix it with a bit of water, then it produces fairly rich foam which removes all my night-time oiliness well.

Just like with all Skinfood foam cleansers my skin has a sort of rubbery feel to it after I splash it with water. I noticed an immediate brightening effect, though it didn't last very long.

This cleanser has a distinct lemon scent, so if you aren't into perfumed cosmetics you'd better pass on this one.

I really liked this cleanser, though I don't see any difference between this particular one and a number of other Skinfood foam cleansers I've tried. The consistency here is slightly more watery but the result and performance is exactly the same. The decisive factor in this case would definitely be the scent. Lemon is not my top favourite one so I suppose I'll  pick something else.

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.

Lierac Micellar Cleansing Water Face & Eyes review

I'd never been a fan of micellar solutions until I discovered Bioderma. This has aroused my interested in such products so when I received a sample of Lierac Micellar Cleansing Water for face and eyes in my Glossybox I was more than happy to try it out.

Unfortunately, I must say that this solution is nowhere near Bioderma. To be specific, it doesn't work. I mean, it works all right as far as wiping my foundation off is concerned but my mascaras simply do not budge when treated with this cleansing water. Removing mascara before going to bed is a long and tedious process. I was quite surprised cause the consistency of this solution seemed thicker than that of Bioderma, I know this is a contradiction in terms, but it even seemed oily, which would normally guarantee better make-up removal properties.

This micellar solution is scented and I'm not a fan of this smell at all. It evaporates quickly but it's very noticeable in the moment of application.

Clarins Extra Firming Body Lotion review

Hello there! Today I'd like to review Clarins Extra Firming Body Lotion, basing on a sample received from Douglas store.

What you notice at the first glance is that this body lotion is very thick in consistency and it doesn't melt upon contact with your skin. You need to massage your skin to rub it in. I suppose this is how it actually works, by massaging this into your skin you enhance its firmness.

Although thick, this lotion absorbs well and fairly quickly, keaving your skin feeling moisturised.

Smells nice.

There's nothing bad I can say about this lotion, but I'm writing this review from my notes a week after I've used this sample and I must say that this lotion didn't stay in my memory at all. I mean it's nice but nothing extraordinary, cheaper drugstore products can offer the same benefits for a fraction of the 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.

Korean goodies: Missha All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk SPF50+ review

What I like most about Asian cosmetics is that Asian manufacturers have become masters of sunscreen milks, lotions, creams etc. No Western brand has managed to get anywhere near Korean or Japanese ones in that respect.

My favourites so far have been Skinfood GoldKiwi Sun Cream (reviewed here) and Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence (read here), and now Missha All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk SPF50+ joins the club.

I am basing my review on a set of samples I got from e-bay, but I'll definitely get a full-size bottle after I've used all other sunscreens in my possession.  

When you apply this milk you can definitely smell alcohol, so be careful if you are sensitive to that. Apart from this fact, there are only good things I can say about this product. 

Missha All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk is rather thin in consistency and once applied it absorbs immediately without leaving greasy residue. In fact it feels almost like a primer and leaves a matte, somewhat powdery finish. I really like the fact that if I wear on the beach sand won't stick to it at all and moreover it can be worn under make-up without ruining it, quite the contrary I suppose it will enhance it's wear time. I don't live in a particularly hot country so the real test is yet to come in the summer months when I'll be able to see whether this protects my skin as expected. For the time being I use this on my face and I like it. Missha All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk makes a lovely base for my new foundation which is Nars Sheer Glow which contains no SPF at all.

Missha All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk has hardly any scent, is waterproof  and contains the strongest SPF available - SPF 50+.

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.

Sweet House Giveaway

I've just followed Sweet House giveaway. She's giving away a couple of skincare items by Etude House. It's open internationally. Click here to see all the details.

Not worth the hype: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light review

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

A thought has recently crosses my mind that there's nothing that would brighten my eye area better than a good concealer. That's why I set out to find the perfect one. 

Finding a good concealer is a very difficult task. It's hard to get samples to try at home because about 90% come in such packaging or shape that it's impossible to make a sample for you to take home and try out. 

That's why I had to resort to reading numbers of reviews which made me no wiser. 

But one name kept circling around, consistently receiving positive reviews - Collection 2000 (later the brand name was reduced to Collection only) Lasting Perfection. The brand seems new, however, Collection is not a manufacturer's name but a product line name by Constance Caroll, who has operated on the market, including the Polish one, for years, without ever winning my heart or interest. If I had known that before I would have never bought this product. Read on to find out why.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

This product is oftentimes mentioned by the Pixiwoos and many other YouTube gurus I watch. 

It comes in my preferred form for a concealer, namely a tube with a wand and doe-foot applicator. It promises to conceal flas, imperfections and blemishes for up to 16 hours, be water resistant and provide shine-free, blemish free skin.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

You can see it's a cheap drugstore the moment the product arrives at your hands, but that's all right cause I didn't expect I was getting anything other for the couple of pounds I paid for it.

But what I didn't foresee was that the packaging would be that crappy. You can see below what it looked like one week after putting it into regular use. The print wiped off the tube completely, staining my hands horribly.

Worse even, the neck of the tube simply cracked and the concealer started gushing out, producing mess everywhere around.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

The shade I picked is Light, which is a fair pinkish beige.

Theoretically this should be a perfect match for my skin  and I suppose it is but it didn't turn out to be brightening enough for my under eye area. I also noticed that this shade oxidised in my eye area, achieving a sort of reddish-orange shade. (see the difference in shade between the swatch made upon the arrival and the shade of the concealer gathered around the neck of the tube). This might have been caused by the constant access to air due to the broken tube or simply I should have picked the fairest shade.

As far as its performance is concerned, this is one of these concealers which require a well-prepped eye area, otherwise they tend to dry the eye area leaving it horribly wrinkled. When used over a good eye cream this worked fine. The coverage was pretty decent, though used in excess looked heavy and noticeable.

What I liked about the Lasting Perfection was the fact that I didn't need to set it with powder and it didn't look very shiny nor did it dissolve my mascara. 

This is not a terribly bad concealer, but also not a very good one. If  the only thing you're looking for is the coverage, with the right shade out of the 4 available, you could make it work for you.

I could actually have tried to make this work for me but the horrible packaging made this impossible. Down the bin it went within one week. No more Collection 2000 for me.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealers are made in China.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

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.

On the benefits of using coconut oil for beauty purposes

Today's review is a review of a non-beauty product which can be used as part of your beauty routine, namely coconut oil.

I heard so many people raving about miraculous properties of coconut oil so I thought I needed to try it out myself.

I suppose the manufacturer or the brand doesn't really matter as long as you buy virgin oil, preferably organic. I went to one of these organic food stores and I got this jar of Vitaquell coconut oils.

Coconut oil looks like a solid but it melts at around 36 degrees celsius so it instantly melts on your skin, and also in warmer climates it turns into liquid. In my bathroom it is as solid as butter in the fridge.

From what I heard I gathered women put this to a variety of uses. Coconut oil is a moisturiser, make-up remover, eye make-up remover, body lotion, eye cream, foot cream, hair oil, scalp, hand cream and more.

I wouldn't be me if I hadn't experimented with this newly acquired substance in every respect and I must disagree that this oil is a universal product which can serve every purpose.

Starting from the face:

this thing is WAY TOO GREASY to use as a make-up remover. I'm sure it does away with make-up but the amount of oil on the face is simply unbearable. It does break down your make-up but it's so hard to remove it from your face, together with your foundation etc.

As for removing eye make-up - the same thing. Or even worse cause it makes black mess in the eye area which is difficult to remove, you need other make-up removers like micellar solution to get rid of this thing and worst of all it tends to migrate towards your eyes and clouds your vision for a while.

I have oily skin but I sometimes use oils as my night time moisturisers cause they actually help restore balance of my skin and limit sebum production. Coconut oil, however, again is too greasy and it doesn't seem to absorb quickly, that is why it felt very uncomfortable on my skin. But I suppose this could be a godsend for very dry skin.   

Although this substance is too oily for me to serve as my moisturiser, I really like patting a tiny amount under my eyes when the area starts feeling dry. The comfort and the relief it brings is immediate and long-lasting. This is a good night time treatment, but during the day it tends to interfere with my nascara.

As for using coconut oil as my body skincare product, again this proved too oily. My skin refused to absorb it and the oily resudue lingered on my skin for much  too long, making my skin itch, not due to any irritation caused by the oil but due to the oiliness on the surface.

However, this proved to be an excellent hand and foot cream. On dehydrated areas it absorbs quickly and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. 

I also use this oil instead of hair oils to add shine to my dry hair and to tame the frizz I get after brushing my hair in the morning and to revive my curls. It works just as well as my Moroccan Oil did.

All in all, although this oil did not perform equally well in all respects, it won its place on my bathroom shelf as an all-purpose ointment for the whole family. Not this particular brand but just the oil.  

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.

Sephora Moisturising Body Lotion and Body Scrub in Peony review

Each spring I feel I need something floral around me. I get floral print t-shirts, skirts, perfumes, scarves and this year my eyes fell on peony scented body products by Sephora and I just found them irresistible.

Out of a wide variety of products I picked 2: the moisturising body lotion and smoothing body scrub.

Unfortunately, in case of both products what drew me to them turned out to be their major vice.

I just didn't like the smell. Instead of being flotal it turned out to be kind of plasticky. I do realise that most fragrances are artificial but this time Sephora did nothing to conceal this. This smell is not that bad in case of the body scrub but I really didn't like how my body smelled after using the lotion.

What I liked about the body lotion was the packaging. The bottle is equipped with a pump, which is very convenient. I liked also the fact that it absorbs really quickly without leaving my skin sticky. There's also a downside of this cause I didn't find this lotion very moisturising. I didn't feel it did anything particular to my skin at all. So I'm definitely not going to repurchase.

I liked the body scrub much more. It doesn't have any moisturising properties but it does what it promises to do - scrub. It's granules look like sugar and that's what I suppose they are, they don't mess my bath and do their job effectively. I also find the packaging very convenient. I might repurchase this one in a different scent. With my regular discount from Sephora it's inexpensive and efficient.

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.

Affordable make-up: NYX Love in Florence La Dolce Vita review

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed one of Spring 2013 eyeshadow palettes by NYX, Love in Paris. My good experience with that palette made me purchase one more from their Love in... line, this time I picked Love in Florence in the shade La Dolce Vita. I gasped when I saw the palette after it'd arrived, so gorgeous it was. Unfortunately, the quality proved much below my expectations boosted by how wonderfully my Love in Paris palette performed.

What I love about the palette is the shade selection. This is a well-composed mix of silvers, grays and blues. Every single shade has a good match within the palette. There's a wide variety of finishes, ranging from mattes to glitters. Some shades are quite unique in the pan, but unfortunately certain nuances do not transfer onto the lids. 

The shade in the top left corner is a shimmery, glittery pewter, in the centre there's a satiny cream shade, on the right we find a shimmery navy blue.

Two stripes below are charcoal black with navy blue sparse glitter and the one below is a satiny or matte gray which also seems to have some blue glitter strewn across it.

Unfortunately, these shades do not perform as well as they look. 

The pewter glitter is a really good quality, pigmented with good colour pay-off. There's a lot of fall out but this is nothing unusual in case of glitter eyeshadows.

I absolutely adore the cream shade in the middle. It's pigmented, soft, smooth and not powdery in the slightest. This is currently my favourite eyebrow highlight colour.

The blue one was my love at first sight, but it turned out to be the worst shadow within the pan. It's rather hard, I find it almost impossible to pick any of this powder with my brush, not to mention transfering it onto my lid and blending. In the swatches below all swatches are one swipe except the blue one, which took about 5 swipes to make the colour show up.

The glittery charcoal one is nice, but this blue glitter becomes invisible once applied on my lid, you can see it in close-up below.  This shade looks nice in the outer corner.

The matte gray is very pretty but it applies patchily and it seems to vanish once I start blending. 

This palette is exceptionally pretty, but its quality is far below my expectations. When you buy things online, without the possibility of seeing them first, you are bound to experience such disappointments. Fortunately it wasn't very expensive and I was able to find some use for it.

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.

NYX Matte Finish setting spray review

Having oily skin means constant search for things that would keep shine at bay. I've tried out a number of primers, creams, powders, foundations which perform better or worse and there came the time to test a mattifying spray. 

I picked NYX Matte Finish spray cause I saw a favourable review of this product, calling it a dupe of a similar, but more expensive product by Urban Decay, so when Cherry Culture offered all NYX products with 20% off I thought that was the best moment to give this a try.

I must say I don't quite like this product. 

Firstly, I doubt whether it works at all. It does make my face feel uncomfortably tense and dry at the moment of application but I don't think it keeps my oilies at bay. 

What is more it smells horrible. It's not a cosmetic smell at all, it smells of vinegar, which makes me worry about my skin and contact with eyes. 

And finally, the pump distributes large drops of liquid, which you are advised to blot out with a tissue.This always makes me fear my mascara will smudge or eyeliner will run. I would very much prefer a sort of mist to cover my face in an even yet sheer and lightweight veil.

I'll probably use this up as I don't like to throw things away but surely I'll never repurchase. This experience has also made me wonder whether similar products by Skindinavia or Urban Decay are any better or they may be simply a waste of much higher sums of money.

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.

Affordable make-up: Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajals in Nude, Silver, Taupe, Bright Blue, Turquoise, Purple

Today I'm going to review a product line I went absolutely mad about. I love good eyeliner pencils and when they're cheap I love them even more. Of course you know what I'm talking about, you've seen the title. Anyway, the products in question are Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajals.

Some of the shades are unavailable in Poland so I had to purchase them online from feelunique.com and actually, with some 10% off offers they turned out to be even cheaper than here.

All of these pencils are traditional wooden pencils which are incredibly soft and pigmented. They glide on smoothly like butter and once they set they're set.

One of the first shades I picked was Nude (#005). To be honest I picked this one because everyone was raving about this one. It was supposed to be used on the waterline to brighten up your eyes and make you look more awake. 

I must admit I didn't like it quite as much as I thought I would. First of all, this pencil being so soft was sort of sticky on the waterline and I felt like it was actually tiring my eyes instead of perking them up. Secondly, this pencil, like all other pencils didn't last on my waterline very long, so what's the point of using it there? It's not a bad pencil, but I can't seem to find the right use for it. It could actually make a nicew blemish concealer but it's too dark for that purpose.  

 The second shade I picked is #010 Silver, which is also one of my favourites. Contrary to Nude, this one has truly brightening properties. 

This shade is light silver, yet not light enough to be mistaken for white pearl. I like to use it on my bottom lashline, combined with all sorts of cool-toned eyeshadows.

#014 Bright Blue is a stunner. It's true to its name a bright kind of royal blue. This shade is so unique and so pretty. I like to combine it with taupes or teals, makes a very unusual, unexpected, yet very pretty match. It's insanely pigmented, looks vivid blue even over black.

Even though I believe this shade to be very unique, I feel there's a much more expensive dupe for it. Urban Decay have recently come up with a number of new 24/7 eyeliner pencils which match eyeshadows which were released earlier. Rimmel Bright Blue reminds me very much of UD Chaos, which I don't have in the pencil form but I do have the eyeshadow and it's exactly the same shade, just a bit lighter than Chaos. That's why I believe they are very close dupes and I don't need to tell you that for the price of one UD pencil you can get the whole bunch of Rimmels. 

Taupe (#004) is one of the two shades that had to be ordered online. I picked it because I simply can't say no to anything taupe. 

This pencil is a medium-toned matte taupe. I use it to line my bottom lashline discreetly. It could also be used to create a very work(or school)-friendly nude make-up just by lining upper lashline with it. This pencil is nicely pigmented but because of it's rather light tone it looks like nothing too obvious. Obviously, lined over some darker eyeshadows this shade is almost invisible.

#007 Turquoise and #013 Purple are my last and I suppose final additions to my Rimmel Scandaleyes pencil collection. 

Turquoise is a gorgeous shade which leans more blue than green. It's shimery, bright and makes my eyes pop. It's a perfect summer shade for me, I'll just line my lashline with this pencil and I'll be good to go with my kids to the beach.

Purple is also very pretty, though much less vibrant. It's a kind of muted plum purple, not very dark, with  matte finish. Looks very pretty on its own.

To conclude I would like to say that I love every single Rimmel pencil I've got. Unlike the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, which sometimes apply patchily and unevenly,  all of  my Rimmels perform consistently well. These pencils mean a nice variety of shades (though not as wide as the UD ones), saturated colour, even application, smooth feel and lasting, smugdeproof colour. What else could I ask for? Well, bring out more unique shades!

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.