Bourjois Cream Blush in #01 Nude Velvet, #02 Healthy Glow, #03 Rose Tender review

Bourjois Cream Blushes in  Nude Velvet #01, Healthy Glow #02 , Rose Tender #03 

I hardly ever buy anything by Bourjois as I believe the brand is slightly overpriced. I can't explain why I actually did pick three cream blushes by Bourjois. First of all I don't like their blushes and secondly, I'm not a fan of cream blushes for a variety of reasons. But these little babies looked sooo cute and kept receiving really good reviews, so I thought I might give them a go.

Nude Velvet #01 (top left), Healthy Glow #02 (top right), Rose Tender #03 (bottom)

These new blushes are approximately the same size as the regular powder blushes, but sort of thinner, flatter. The packaging is very similar, the main difference being the magnetic closing instead of snapping the lid shut. The regular baked powder blushes are dome-shaped, the cream ones are flat. There are four shades altogether, the number of each of them is printed on the lid and also the shade of the packaging reflects the shade inside pretty well, which I find very convenient.

What I'm going to say about these blushes may be taken both for an advantage or a disadvantage. All three in my possession go on very sheer and getting a decent colour pay off requires piling a lot of product. I'm quite fed up with super pigmented blushes, which make you look like a clown if you're not careful, so I treat them like a nice change.

The major issue I have with cream blushes in general is that they look patchy on my cheeks, and these do as well, but I figured out that when applied with a beauty blender kind of sponge they go on flawlessly.

Many people describe the formula as cream-to-powder one, but I wouldn't agree. These blushes remain creamy, but they feel way drier than other cream blushes I've used, which is good for my oily skin. Don't confuse these blushes with stains, they don't set, so don't touch your cheeks too much! 

As I've already said, I have oily skin and these blushes last on my skin for a couple of hours only, then I need to reapply.

I'm pale, so I can make these blushes work for me, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone with a deeper skin tone.

These blushes have a sort of smell, which I find very difficult to describe. I'm not sure whether I like it or not, but I don't need to wonder as the smell is not strong enough to be perceptible once the blush lands on my cheeks.

What I've said above seems like a critical review, but I actually like these little babies a lot. They offer such a pretty, natural summer glow to my cheeks that how could I dislike them? I love the packaging, it's lightweight and travel-friendly, won't take up too much space in your make-up bag. If you need to touch up on the go, there's a tiny mirror you can use. The drier formula seems to attract less dust than the creamier ones. And bless the Lord for that! 

Shade no. 1, Nude Velvet, is a kind of mixture of peach, coral and pink. Looks pigmented when swatched, but goes on very sheer when blended. Looks very pretty and natural on the cheeks. The best method of application is simply to dab the blush on the cheeks, blending erases the blush completely.

Shade #02, Healthy Glow, is a coral shade with warm, slightly orange undertones. Upona vary close inspection you will notice gold micro shimmer. It adds to the 'glow' factor, but it's imperceptible on the cheeks. This one seems to be the brightest and the most pigmented out of the three.

Shade no.3 is a rosy pink with some mauve undertones. Looks very pretty on cooler complexion, such as mine. This blush has a more pronounced silver shimmer, which is quite rare among cream blushes. Cream blushes are pretty glowy per se, but since the formula of this blush is rather dry, it balances quite safely on the borderline between glow and oilslick.

    

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 July 2013

After a highly disappointing Glossybox in June, I found the items I received in July highly satisfying. I knew beforehand that the box was supposed to be a summer edition with the box itself bringing beach holidays to my mind so I feared it would be packed with pre- and after- sun products. Inside I didn't find anything that could have a direct reference to the box's main theme.

What I got (in order of satisfaction level) 

1. Tolpa dermo face hydrativ eye cream (I love Tolpa and I love eye creams)

2. Lierac Energising Smoothing Fluid

3. Nails Inc mini nail polish in Brook St (I love Nails Inc, yet Brook St is not my favourite shade)

4. Artego hair conditioner

5. Fly High Active Foot Gel (I don't use this sort of products, but it'll do)

6. gel eye mask

The Balm Instain blush in Lace review

The Balm Instain blush in Lace

I won't deny I got The Balm Instain blush because of the packaging. I'm a sucker for such cute cardboard boxes with look a bit like a minature book. However, the blush itself doesn't disappoint!

The Balm Instain blush in Lace

Instain blushes  are powder blushes which promise to stain the cheeks and last all day long. And they do. At least the one I own.

The Balm Instain blush in Lace

Lace is a madly vibrant pink shade. It's totally matte and the texture is rather hard. I mean, the brush doesn't kick up clouds of pink dust, it rather picks the amount required without messing everything up. I really like how this shade looks on my cool-toned complexion.

The Balm Instain blush in Lace

The pigmentation is insane. You really need to be careful not to end up looking like a clown. The way of application which works best for me is not only to tap off the excess, but to swirl the brush on my wrist first, before touching my cheeks. Also I tend to use soft fluffy brushes with sparse bristles, and if I use too much I blend everything out with a large kabuki brush which I normally use to apply powder.

The Balm Instain blush in Lace

With the blush being sooo pigmented I really see no possibility of anyone using this one up, even if this was the only blush in one's possession. 

Actually, this pigmentation is the only issue I have with this blush. I think too much pigmentation makes a blush quite difficult to work with. Perhaps this staining formula requires hyper pigmentation. 

If you like spending time blending out blushes or if vibrant cheek colour is what you're after, this one is a godsend for you. I love it a lot for the shade, lasting power and the packaging and I find myself reaching for it rather often.

The Balm Instain blush in Lace

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.

The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner review

I have oily skin and I'm always on the look out for products which will help me control my oils. The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner is a product which targets oily and combination skin. It clarifies the skin and helps to control sebum without drying the skin out. This toner doesn't prevent blemishes or breakouts so it's alcohol-free and therefore relatively mild. I really like how fresh it smells and how refreshing it feels on my skin. Its effects aren't too dramatic, it doesn't dry out my skin, on the contrary, I feel that my skin is hydrated. The skin doesn't look spectacularly matte but it looks fresh and well-balanced. 

In the picture above you can see a 60ml travel-size bottle, but I have already replaced it with a full-sized one. I'm too curious of other products to remain loyal to this toner for long, but it's a very decent product and it suits my skin very 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.

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask review

I've recently noticed myself wondering around The Body Shop outlets more often than I normally do and I seem to enjoy their products again. My recent pick is the Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask. This mask is meant for combination to oily skin and it promises to cleanse the face and reduce excess oil.

IMMEDIATE OBSERVATIONS:
This is a true clay mask, by which I mean that it's different from a number of other clay masks I've used, eg. the Innisfree one was sort of creamy and retaining some elasticity even when dry. The Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask is hard consistencywise and applies like real clay. It dries to a crust, tight and uncomfortable on the face. I also feel a slight stinging. The mask has a very pleasant smell.

RESULTS:
You  leave the mask on for 10 mins, then you soak you face in water and take it off. I found the mask easier to remove than the creamier counterparts as it doesn't turn into a kind of gooey substance. My skin looks substantially whitened afterwards. This mask is a godsend for oily skin, makes my skin feel way drier, pores are diminished and tightened. It's a great mask to wear before summer nights out when sweating and oil production is hard to control in the heat.


The mask is sold in sachets and tubes, tubes more economic, sachets are always affordable.

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.

Something Japanese: Biore UV Mild Care Sunscreen Milk for Face & Body SPF30/ PA++ review

There's no sunscreen that I trust more than Asian sunscreen. First of all the SPF is usually high enough and the formulation is more watery and dry to the touch than the European ones. That's why, for the second year in a row, come summer I reached for a sun-protection product from Biore.

Having my kids in mind, Adam, who suffers from skin allergies in particular, I ordered a mild one with SPF 30/PA++. 

I'm not disappointed with this product!

First of all, and most importantly, Biore UV does not cause any allergic reactions on Adam's skin. 

Secondly, the SPF is just right for the sunless Polish summers. Could have been SPF50, but 30 will do as well.

Thirdly, I absolutely love the formula. The lotion is thin and watery, absorbs immediately and leaves the skin absolutely dry, yet not powdery. This is very important when spending time on a beach cause the sand doesn't stick to the skin like crazy.

A couple of times I used this lotion on my kids and myself in full sun on the beach and we returned home as pale as before, no sun burns whatsoever. 

The only disadvantage of the product is that the bottle is small, which makes it travel-friendly, but pretty expensive.

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.

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer #27 The Pinky And The Brain review

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer #27 The Pinky And The Brain

I don't normally lean towards pinks of any kind, yet, for the second time in a row, when summer comes I feel a sudden urge to get something pink. This year I actually craved for a kind of raspberry pink with purple undertones, saw one within the Skinffod range, but didn't wish to spend that much money on something that was a temporary folly.

When I was browsing through Catrice 50% off discounted items I saw a bottle of pink polish which seemed to fulfil my expectations.

In the photos The Pinky And The Brain looks much more milky and less bright, slight purple undertones are also more there in real life.

The formula is pretty dense and opaque. One coat gave fully opaque coverage but I added one more coat to even out any imperfections. The polish wore for a couple of days without chipping. 

I would generally say that the polish is a good way to satisfy an unreasonable urgent crave without wasting too much money, if it hadn't been for the fact that the cap cracked when closing during the third use, and now it's impossible to close tightly. The picture below shows the weird angle at which it closes now.

I won't purchase any more Catrice nail polished because of the crappy packaging. 

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.

Bioderma Sebium Mat Anti-Shine Fluid for Combination/Oily Skin review

Having oily skin means for me constant search for products which will matify my skin and keep my oilies at bay. 

Encouraged by my positive experience with Bioderma Sensibio micellar solution, when reordering another bottle of the aforementioned liquid, I added to my basket Bioderma Sebium Mat, their anti-shine for combination/oily skin.

I must admit thet this stuff really works well. It leaves my skin more matte than anything else. The thing with oily skin is that it gets used quite quickly to the matifying stuff you apply and these products don't work as well as in the beginning. However, I've been using this fluid for a couple of weeks now and I haven't noticed any of this happening. Perfect!

What you definitely need to know about the product is that although it claims to moisturise, it hardly does so. It's very lightweight and feels watery at first, but once it soaks in it leaves the skin very dry. I don't mind, but I guess some of you would like to know, especially that the product is meant to target combination to oily skin. I believe this fluid works strictly with oily skin, I'm absolutely sure it would be a disaster to use this on any drier areas.

I love this cream and I will repurchase. It's something that any person with excessively oily 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.

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit review

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit

I won't try to deny that what attracted me most to Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit was its cute design. 

The kit, which consists of two cream eyeshadows/bases and four powder eyeshadows comes in a cardboard box which looks like a little book.

This is not the most handy packaging ever. It's bulky, the lid doesn't stand upright, the mirror is hidden behind a little booklet which tips and tricks, but nobody reasonable would try to apply make-up holding this box up to the face, with its flip sides wide open.

I can't also imagine anyone travelling with this box.

The cream eyeshadows, however, aren't attached to the box and can be stored separately. That's at least what I do.

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit

I was quite lucky to get this box. I was planning to get all three of Benefit World Famous Neutrals but they sold out in my local Sephora and were never restocked.

I picked the Sexiest Nudes Ever kit as it sontained the least dupable eyeshadows in my collection.

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit

The two cream eyeshadows are not full-size products. They come in tiny little jars, but I don't mind their size, there's just enough product to use for a good while before they start drying out. both cream eyeshadows apply smoothly and evenly and dry out to a smudge-proof finish, however, on oily lids like mine I wouldn't risk wearing them without setting them with powder. 

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit

Bikini-tini is a champagne pearl colour. It's a close dupe of my Shiseido H9 cream eyeshadow with the Bikini-tini being a tad more yellow-toned.

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever eyeshadow kit

Holy Smokes is dark pewter with brown undertones.Again, I can come up with a close dupe from my own stash, namely Catrice cream eyeshadow in Romans Gone Bad, which Romance Gone Bad being slightly warmer.

left to right: milk it!, raincheck?, pause for applause, blingo!

The powder eyeshadows are all of superior quality and satisfactory pigmentation. They blend well, last all day over a primer and produce little fall out.

Milk it! is a matte white eyeshadow. This is not the most pigmented white in history, but it's not as bad as MAC Gesso.

Raincheck? is my favourite within the palette. It's very unique and I don't know myself how to describe the colour. It's a kind of mauvey purple with dusty gray tones to it. It's dry in texture and it has a matte base with a lot of micro shimmer.

Pause for applause is is another one I find hard to define. It looks like a dusty pink, again with mauve tones. This eyeshadow lacks any pigmentation so it is barely visible when swatched. It's a good transition colour but   I can't see myself using it on its own. 

Blingo! is a beautiful silver colour. It's pigmented, shimmery and performs really well. Unfortunately it's way too frosty to look on my hooded and oily eyelids. I can use it over some matte eyeshadows, but I must be extra careful not to blend it too high cause this doesn't look good at all.

World Famous Neutrals are the first eye product from Benefit I've tried. So far I associated the brand with face products and now I know that they manufacture really good eyeshadows.

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.

Dior Hydra Life BB Eye Creme in Beige Lumiere #01 review

I'm a great fan of eye products and BB creams, initially Korean, but currently the western brands are also doing fine in that area, so when I saw a BB cream with combines both I was more than curious. Then I heard one of my trusty Youtubers Essiebutton rave about this product and I knew I had to have it. 

I had to order it online from the UK cause for some reason unknown luxury products are on average 20% more expensive in Poland than in the West, and with a 15-20% off voucher I can get something like a real bargain from feelunique.com or escentual.com. 

When my BB Eye Creme arrived I instantly loved the cute packaging. It comes in a small, light blue container  with a silver top which carries a doe-foot applicator. 

I also liked the shade that I picked (#01), which is a light peachy beige, definitely a good pick for fair skin types.

But it took me some time to fall in love with the way this product works for me.

The thing is that a BB eye cream is a relatively rare product on the market, even Korean manufacturers cannot boast on many, if any, products of this kind. Of course I'd read the description, which you can check below, but this is what most concealers are promise to do. I didn't quite know what an eye BB cream is, and to be honest, I still don't know. I definitely would fail in a blind test telling me to find a difference between an eye BB cream and a concealer.

I'm also a bit confused about how in theory the Dior BB Eye Creme relates to the concept of BB creams in general. BB creams tend to claim anti-wrinkle and skin-pampering properties, whereas the Dior one does not specifically mention any of these. Anti-wrinkle properties may be understood between the lines as the product contains SPF20/PA+++, but reducing puffiness or brightening, mentioned in the leaflet, are typical features of concealers.   

So, not knowing what to expect, I was at first a bit disappointed by how sheer the coverage is. If you suffer from serious dark circles, save your pennies and don't buy this product.

Fortunately, dark circles are not my issue, so what this BB cream does for my eye area is to even out the skin tone and brighten in the most natural way possible. It's utterly imperceptible on my skin under my eyes. If I don't overdose this BB cream never creases or migrates towards my fine lines. It's moisturising but doesn't look greasy so most of the time I don't even need to set it with powder. It doesn't dry my eye area out and thus doesn't accentuate my wrinkles like some concrealers do. Blends easily with my fingers or using a fluffy synthetic brush. Lasts pretty much all day. And what I like most about it, contains a decent SPF, which hardly ever happens in case of concealers and eye products in general. Now, in the summer, I reach for this product every day and it works perfectly fine for me. I'm sure I'll use this up by the end of the summer and will repurchase another one next year.

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.

The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream review

I've always enjoyed using body products by The Body Shop so I was superexcited to receive their Coconut Shower Cream in one of my Glossyboxes.

This product is in no way new to me, I've used a couple of these shower creams, I just don't remember whether the coconut one was one of them. 

What I can say is that this is a lovely, creamy shower gel which moisturises your skin and smells divine, as long as coconuts are your story, of course. 

I won't probably purchase a full-size bottle because I don't like spending much money on shower gels, I prefer to invest this money in body lotions and butters, even though the pleasure of using TBS shower products in undeniable.

This shower cream sample is travel friendly so it accompanied my family on our recent travels. 

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Who Wore it Red-er. Review and swatches.

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Who Wore it Red-er

Maybelline Color Whispers have arrived to Poland! The shade range is limited comparing to what you can get in the US, but nonetheless, I picked one to see what they are like. I choose the one which was supposed to be the only red within the range but it turned out to be not red at all.

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Who Wore it Red-er

The packaging looks somewhat different from the American one. It's the same transparent plastic case, the colour of which represents the shade inside, however the Whisper print is missing. I like how sleek and lightweight it is, though the plasticky feel does not appeal to my taste too much.

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Who Wore it Red-er

Who Wore it Red-er is not red as the name would suggest. I found this fact quite disappointing at first as, even though I had swatched it prior to buying the lipstick, I still believed this lipstick was somewhere within the red family. In fact this shade is raspberry pink, which fits nowhere within my comfort zone. When you apply one coat only the lipstick goes on quite sheer, but you can build it up to achieve a very bright and stunning lip colour. To my surprise I fell in love with this lipstick and it became my holiday favourite. I use it all the time and I'm really glad I'd bought it! 

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Who Wore it Red-er

Before I this product arrived under my roof  I'd read a lot about Color Whispers. They were often compared to Revlon Lip Butters, however, I can't find any similarities between the products apart from the transparent plactic packaging. While Revlon Lip Butters resemble lip balms, Maybelline Whispers have more gel feel. They are lightweight and moisturising, but definitely lack the thick, balmy quality of Revlon lip butters. To me they seem more similar to Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks.

What I like a lot about the one I picked is that it fades evenly and leaves a sort of stain which lingers on my lips for hours. It's not a stain, though, cause eating will erase the lipstick completely, but as long as you refrain from that, the colour will last for a really long time.

The colour never looks patchy, there's no white line on the edge of my lips and it looks very natural even when it begins to fade.

I doubt I will be using this lipstick a lot in the autumn, but it's definitely a perfect choice for the strawberry/raspberry season I'm indulging in right now.

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Who Wore it Red-er

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.

(bi-)weekly snippets #2

Another two weeks have passed on idle holidaying.

Last Wednesday we turned ourselves into festival crowd and enjoyed ourselves at Heinekenn Opener Festival. I consider our festival debut successful, repeat visits are highly possible.

Music didn't matter that much. For a parent of two spending a warm summer night outdoors constitutes an event. Even better if the night is spent in the right company, with the right music around.

On Saturday Ania threw an Opener afterparty, which, apart from the general drunkenness, was a night of curious social interactions with a sundry mix of characters gathered at the table.

Apart from a very intense party time, I'm also indulging in the pure relaxation of holiday by the sea. Now that we\re about to move further landwards, I'm starting to love the fall in love with spending days by the sea. Last week we spent a beautiful morning on the beach, with the weather being nowhere near scorching heat, the beach was not the most popular place in the city. The boys played in the water until the waves reached Adam's hat and he announced out retreat home.  

Plenty of other small things have been going on. 

I seem to enjoy fruit/veggie shopping. I don't really like the greens, but they seem so delicious this year.

The boys move around on scooters. I run behind them.

I sleep long and take 2-hour nap every day.

I go to bed late.

I'm trying to eat healthy and I hardly eat any meat, though I find almond ice creams from Lidl irresistible. And I don't even like ice creams.

I try to exercise.

I'm getting addicted to the love I receive from my children. Hearing I love you mum makes me the most fulfilled woman in the world.

Dr Brandt CC Cream Mat in Light to Medium review

Dr Brandt CC Cream Mat in Light to Medium

This Dr. Brandt CC Cream Mat is the first CC cream I've ever used and I must admit it was not love at first sight. But over the weeks of using it I gradually learned to love it and now I know I'll repurchase each summer.

Dr Brandt CC Cream Mat in Light to Medium

There are many things that put me off at first. First of all, the packaging is of sort of lower drugstore quality. As you can see in the picture above the lid, when screwed tightly on, closes at a weird angle, which makes it difficult to open the product. Not a big deal, but for the price tag I'd expect something better.

The tube generally looks kind of cheap, with the brand being a niche one and the packaging so unimaginative you'd never suspect that this is actually a high-end product.

Dr Brandt CC Cream Mat in Light to Medium

The second thing was the shade, which initially seemed way too dark, but in fact it blended in so well that it wasn't an issue at all.

The third thing that repelled me was the fact that this cream offered almost no coverage at all. An expensive sunscreen, I thought. But after I'd read more about CC creams, I realised that this was actually what CC creams were meant to be like. They offer numerous skincare benefits while subtly correcting the skin tone.

And this is exactly what Dr. Brandt CC Cream Mat does. 

It's lightweight-almost whipped-and, effortless in application, buildable, smooth, odourless and leaves healthy mat finish.

Dr Brandt CC Cream Mat in Light to Medium

During the recent heatwave I tested this CC cream on the beach and it proved an excellent choice for such situations and temperatures for a number of reasons: 

• While it toned down my redness and evened out my skin tone, it still looked suitable for the beach, without looking like I'd slapped on too much make-up
• It lasted decently in the heat. It didn't look weirdly matte, but didn't allow my face to look like an oil slick. Didn't melt either. 
• With its SPF30/PA+++ it offered good sun protection, I didn't notice any natural tan on my face, not to mention any sunburns
• Moisturised my skin well

One thing you definitely need to remember when applying this cream is to shake it well, otherwise it separates. This was quite difficult to do when the tube was full, but now, when it's half-used 

I wouldn't recommend this CC cream to anyone who has something to hide, the coverage is almost non-existent. Dry skin types may find it too drying. I wouldn't wear it to work as the finish it offers is not 'polished' enough. 

To me this is a perfect holiday product, no matter whether on a beach or in the city. It's easy to travel with, the packaging is lightweight and you don't need to carry tons of brushes to apply it as your own fingers are the best tool. It gives a natural finish for oily skin and protects you from the sun. 

Although I see the product disappear from the tube quite quickly - it's not a little-goes-a-long-way kind of product at all - I think this tube will last till the end of my holiday. Next year I'll repurchase.

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.