Wella Pro Series Volume Hairspray brief review

This is going to be the shortest review ever. Wella Pro Series Volume Hairspray wasn't my favourite hairspray at all simply because it didn't live up to its claims. First of all I use hairsprays to hold my style and I was surprised that a strong hold spray didn't. Secondly, I didn't notice any spectacular volume that it promised. The good thing was that my hair felt soft and flexible after using this spray, but it was all at the cost of its efficiency. What's the point of using products that do nothing? None. That's why I won't repurchase. 

L'Oreal Color Riche nailpolish in Fluo Azur #831 review

I bought L'Oreal Color Riche nail polish in Fluo Azur #831  with one aim in mind, to use it for a statement nail much in the vein of the new Dior Transat collection. I'd had a number of blue nail polishes, but none of them was bright enough, so I went on a drugstore hunt where Fluo Azur seemed the closest to what I was looking for.

In terms of shade this bright cobalt blue turned out to be a hit, but everything else about the polish is a major disappointment. 

First of all the quality of this polish is horrible. It's sheer, streaky and uneven. What you see in the picture below is 5(!!!) coats and still the colour isn't fully opaque. As a consequence of this, can you imagine how long it takes to dry 5 coats of nail polish? The answer is forever. 

The polish surprised me by its matte finish, although there was no mention of that on the packaging. I might have actually enjoyed a matte polish, even though this was not what I wanted, but I had to cover it with a fast drying top coat (Seche Vite) as the polish simply refused to dry and that's why it looks glossy in the picture below.

     As far as performance is concerned, five coats plus a base and a top one never last long. not only did it chip, but also dents appeared it it while still not fully dry.

I generally like the packaging, the price and the 5ml size and it's a pity the quality of the polish is so poor. I'm definitely not going to reach for it very often. 

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.

project empties #14

1. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash was nice and foamy but I didn't enjoy its sweet lime scent.

2. Pat & Rub body scrub I got in one of the Glossyboxes was the worst body scrub in history. The substance that held the granules of salt or sugar (I don't remember which one) was soooo incredibly greasy and it wouldn't come off my body in any way. And the lime scent again.

3. Zamien Gold Cacao Pack was one of my first Korean goodies and I loved the mask a lot, it smelled of chocolate and did a world of good to my oily skin. I love clay masks and their likes a lot!

4. It took me ages to use L'Oreal Mythic Oil up. And I must say I didn't quite like it. It didn't weigh down my hair or turn it into oil slick, but I don't think it did much to my hair.

5. I used to love the original Urban Decay Primer Potion in the original packaging. Then they put it in the tube and reformulated and it was no longer my favourite eye primer. This was the last sample sized Primer Potion in its first packaging that I had and I enjoyed it a lot.

6. Maybelline Lasting Drama Eyeliner dried out so quickly and when all rewscue operations feiled it made its way to the bin.

Maybelline Falsies Feather-Look mascara review

Ii's general knowledge that before you find your favourite drugstore mascara you'll spend more money than you would if you bought one high-end one and I've recently experienced that in my own life.

At some point, dissatisfied with some of my highly branded purchases, I resolved to save my pennies and find something equally good or perhaps better. And the first attempt turned out to be a miss.

When searching for my new mascara Maybelline seemed the obvious choice. I'd used the Collosal mascara fanatically during my early make-up days so I have very fond memories connected with the brand. I love the Rocket Volum' one dearly. I also remembered that Tanya Burr would always swear by Maybelline Falsies, so I resolved to pick that one.   

The first problem arose when I found myself gaping at the Maybelline display where I could see at least four or five mascaras called Falsies. They had different applicators, curved and straight, flat and round, wider and smaller and I couldn't really figure out which one specifically Tanya Burr uses. In the end I picked the most standard one as I didn't recall her using anything fancy.

I ended up getting The Falsies Feather-Look one. I'd focussed all my attention on the brush shape but I didn't notice the info on the packaging which stated clearly that this was a 'flexor-brush'. And here lies the trouble. I don't like the brush. Of course, it does not bend as much as demonstrated in the picture below, but you can feel how it gives in upon the contact with the lashes. I don't quite understand why anyone would like this. I do admit that the brush feels gentler, but coating my lashes requires so much effort. The spoolie is on rather big side and it's triangular shape makes it quite difficult to manouvre when reaching the bottom lashes. The combination of the brush and the wet formula of the mascara means that one coat of mascara is barely visible at all. It takes time to build it up with countless coats and as a result you'll get decently volumised, lengthened, non-stiff, feathery but slightly spidery as well.

This is not a terribly bad mascara. It's cheap, especially if you get it on offer, it's easy to remove, doesn't smudge much and I do use it as my go to mascara. But I can assure there are way better offerings from the drugstire than this one, so I surely won't 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.

Glossybox May 2014

If I could say just one thing about my May Glossybox it would be that it has been the heaviest box so far. 

It contained products that I found either useful or interesting.

The most exciting find was another Korean product by It's skin, a Pearl Sheet mask.

Playboy Play it Sexy body lotion smells sickeningly sweet, but I'm going to use this up for sure.

DAX Cosmetics (Polish brand)  powder pearls left me more than a bit confused. I didn't quite get the idea of the packaging. The puff was located below the sifter and I didn't understand what the manufacturer had in mind by placing a sifter on non-powder product. What's more, in spite of this being a full-size product, the pearls barely cover the bottom. Nonetheless, I use the pearls every day now and they seem to be my favourite go to highlighter.

Sesderma C-Vit serum is a tiny sample of antioxidant serum for all skin types

Yoskine micellar solution is another product by DAX Cosmetics. I think two products by the same brand is a symptom of wrong marketing strategy, but a micellar solution is always welcome.

And finally Got2B sparkling shine styling spray is a product I've already had and wasn't enthusiastic about, but now that I started to straighten my hair, I feel I might change my opinion about it. 

a garden of forking paths

The past week was sheer madness. Emotional ups and downs, combined with heavy work overload drove me to the edge of insanity. 

At first Adam went down with some sort of virus and kept vomiting whenever he ate or drank anything. This meant the entire night spent changing bedclothes, Adam's pyjamas and washing the floor. Kuba stayed with him as there was no other option. On Tuesday he had to be driven to my mum who'd just had the dog operated and neither my mum nor the dog were taking it well. Weak as he was, Adam spent the entire day lying in bed in front of TV while mum was nursing the half-conscious dog, who actually kept vomiting too.

  Wednesday was the first day of really hot weather and also Mikolaj's birthday. We hadn't even had the time to buy him a present. Were planning to take him out on a little spree, but instead of that we had to have a terrible row with the contractor who had been delaying the completion of works on our house for about a year and now I'm red hot furious about it as Mikolaj is supposed to start school in the new place in September and with current state of affairs I can't see that happening.

My friend called me to say that her husband, who is about 55 years old, was cheating on her with his ex-wife, aged sixty something, who could be my friend's mother. The story is developing and I'm being regularly updated. There's a silver lining to it all, however, as it suddenly made me realise that even when I'm even older and uglier than I am now, there might be someone who'd find me attractive.

Mr Hubby's cousin gave birth to her first baby past the age of 40 which made me believe in miracles. I want a baby too. Perhaps a little girl this time?

 To end the day we went to McDonalds to get the kids Oreo ice creams but we all realised we were starving as we hadn't had anything to eat so we ended up devouring burgers. And me feeling guilty about my diet going astray.

On Thursday my best friend's mum commited suicide. She couldn't bear her life any longer. She chose a path that doesn't fork out any more. Such an unexplainable waste.

The fact that I'm darn busy at work and spent the entire weekend there hardly deserves a mention, compared with other events of the week this is nothing. But makes me dead tired. 

Overslept to work today and broke my heel on the way there. A silly thing but it seems it was the last straw. When I arrived my hands were shaking and I couldn't express myself clearly. Had to apologise and explain myself.

Tomorrow's the funeral. 

La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Legere cream review

I got this sample of Hydraphase Intense Legere in my Glossybox and I liked this cream very much.

This is a lightweight, fragrance-free cream for normal and mixed sensitive skin types. It applies very smoothly on the face, sinks in immediately, leaves a semi-matte finish on my oily skin. My skin feels hydrated, but not oily at all. Works very well under make-up, making my foundation go on well and evenly. If I had sensitive oily skin I would seriously consider getting a full size version of this. 

Aesop Fabulous Face Oil review

Today I'd like to review the last sample of Aesop face products I received with one of my purchases. The last one and in my opinion the worst one. 

Like all Aesop products the Fabulous Face Oil has top notch ingredients, most of them of natural origin and I suppose it may be beneficial for sensitive skin. But the thing is that the oil is the densest face oil I've tried, and believe me I've got some experience in that matter. It's just hard to distribute and massage on the face. I think even professional masseurs use lighter oils to rub on your back, and I 'm not sure whether massaging something that requires so much force and effort is actually beneficial for the skin on your face. 

The second thing is that this oil refuses to sink in, it just sits on the skin. I don't think anybody, even those of us with super dry skin would enjoy this. This means hair sticking to your face, grease in the hair, stains on the pillow or melting down make-up. 

And there's this horrible 'natural' herbal medicine smell.

No. Not only am I not getting this full size, but also I didn't manage to use this sample up, which is highly unusual in my case.  

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. 

Revlon Parfumerie nail polish Moonlight Woods and Orange Blossom review & swatches

I thought I'd owned all nail polishes I needed and didn't feel like getting any new ones until, out of sheer curiosity, I tried the Revlon scented polishes and a new obsession was born. So far I've collected quite a few and have been disappointed only once. 

What I absolutely adore about these is the bottle that looks more like a minature of a perfume than a nail polish. The brushes, however, are on the narrow side, which most brands are stepping away from for the convenience of application.

When  I heard that these polishes were scented, I thought this notion referred to how the polishes smelled when applied, while the perfumed scent fully comes to play once the polish is dry and lingers on for one and more days, depending on the polish. 

My very first picks were Moonlit Woods and Orange Blossom.

I picked Moonlit Woods as I thought it was beautiful and totally unique in my collection. In the bottle it seened to be a silvery blue shade with the most unusual satin finish. Unfortunately, upon application it turned out to be a metallic shade that I couldn't master. The polish was pretty opaque, but no matter how many coats I applied I couldn't get rid of the horrible streaks each brush stroke left. I think the polish looked gorgeous from a couple of meters' distance, but the streaks kept bugging me each time I looked at it.

I'm not sure if I use this polish ever again.

Orange Blossom, on the other hand, is a shade I'm totally in love with. It's a bright orange that seemed very uneven in the beginning, but levelled itself out quite miraculously with the second coat. Coated with Seche Vite the poliush remained vivid and glossy and chip-free for a week or more. This has made one of my favourite spring polishes ever!

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.

Garnier Hydra Adapt mattifying cream-sorbet for combination and oily skin types review

Out of the plethora of Garnier skincare products Hydra Adapt mattifying cream-sorbet is the only one I didn't quite like. 

This cream is one of the cheapest drugstore offerings and the only claims it makes are mattifying and refreshing.

The product has a very weird gel-cream consistency that contains some kind of very fine granules that made me immediately think of starch. I thought that after absorbtion this cream would turn to powdery matte finish, but I couldn't have been more wrong. 

There was nothing matte about it on my oily skin, quite the contrary. I noticed sticky finish and quite substantial glow.

As far as the refreshing feel is concerned, I think that this mostly relates to the scent, which is nice and fresh indeed.

I paid less than $5 for this cream,. but I can't say this was money well spent. I think I'll use this up one day, but I don't see myself reaching for it very often.  

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.

Avene Cleanance Mask review

Avene Cleanance Mask is one of the most unusual face masks of the same kind I've ever used. It's a mask for oily, blemish prone skin which combines cleansing, moisturising and exfoliating properties.

At first it seems to be just another clay mask, thick and pasty. Then you notice that it's full of granules that do not melt and will exfoliate your skin once you start washing the product off. Then you'll be surprised that, in spite of what you expected, this mask doesn't dry to a crust and is actually quite moisturising. There's a lot of slip when rinsing it off.

This mask makes my skin look and feel lovely. Nice and soft and nourished.

I've tried a number of other products from the Cleanance line and this one is my absolute favourite. Although it's recomended for oily skin, I think everyone could use it as it's soothing and not drying at all.  

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. 

Fruitique Exfoliate Papaya Enzyme Exfoliating Gel review

I got this sample ages ago and somehow never got round to using it. 

But today was the day. 

Fruitique Papaya Enzyme Exfoliating Gel is a kind of exfoliant that most of Korean cosmetics users should be familiar with, while it's totally no-existent on the European market. 

What you need to do is to apply this gel onto your face and then massage for 30-60 seconds until, according to what the manufacturer claims, dead skin cells form kind of lupms on the surface of your skin.

I'm not sure why the producer wants us to believe that this gentle exfoliator manages to rub off so much of my skin. What in fact happens is that the gel coagulates, forming extra gentle exfoliating beads.

This fragrance-free exfoliator is one of the gentlest I've ever used, but also one of the least effective. I didn't feel it did anything to my skin really, which is quite unusual. Meh.

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 Rouge Infusion lip stains in Ruby, Rosewood and Strawberry review

The commercial promoting these new Sephora Rouge Infusion lip stains made me want them badly. When I saw them on 3 for 2 offer I grabbed 3 to try out. They turned out to be a product I have very mixed feelings about, so read on to see what I think about these.

These lip stains come in a long, sleek tube equipped with a traditional doe foot applicator that comes on a long stick which can be a bit harder to control than a short one. All applicators are red, which might be a bit confusing as they do not represent the actual colour of the product. The tube is sleek and lightweight and contains 0.15oz of product, while most standard packaging contains 0.2oz or more.

When I swatched these lip stains I loved how opaque and saturated they were and I also appreciated a large colour selection. They also left noticeable stains on my hand, which promised long wear time.

 In practice these apply way better than any stains I've used. The formula is not runny like the Benefit one so the product glides on as if it was a lip gloss. I don't seem to have my regular issues with these like uneven colour or difficulty in coating my upper lip. I find it hard to describe the finish of it, though as it kind of develops in time. At first they go on glossy, but not vinyl glossy, it's watery glossy, then they set and achieve a demi-matte, velvet look. Once they set, they don't transfer much. They have the characreristic rosy scent that is a common feature of all lip stains I've used so far. 

But then the problems start. At first I believed they made me my lips go dry and peel but then I realised it was the dried out product that balled up and peeled, especially when I'd packed too much on. Secondly I really hate what they look like once they begin to fade. The colour turns patchy, my upper lip is lighter than the bottom one, the concentration of colour migrates towards where the lips touch each other, forming an ugly line on my bottom lip. The colour fade presentation below shows pictures taken within two hours of application, no eating nor drinking except sipping diet coke through a straw. My lips aren't dry and they're generally in good condition, most lipsticks wear for a decently long time on me. 

I don't like wearing these alone, but I've discovered that they make lovely bases to be used under a wide variety of glosses.They allow a countless number of colour combinations and prolong the wear time of glosses. 

Now, the shades I've picked:

#07 Strawberry is a lovely strawberry red, rather dark and very summery.

#02 Rosewood is a gorgeous my lips but better shade. It's a perfect rosy, brownish nude shade.

#11 Ruby is a dark, vampy cool-toned red. 

Above you can see them swatched and how they stain after just a couple of seconds.

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.

peony and lilac season

Peony and lilac season is at its peak. To celebrate my favourite flowers and scents I tend to reach for products that reflect my love for the two.

I spritz myself with Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede cologne and reach for pink toned blushes that make my cheeks look soooo fresh like Milani Delicioso Pink, Burberry in Peony, Bobbi Brown in Peony and Tarte in Dollface. 

On my eyes I like to use my beloved Estee Lauder eyeshadow in Cyber Lilac, L'Oreal Color Infallible in Metalic Lilac and Inglot pigment #47

Korean goodies: Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil Moisture review

 Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil is the second product from the line I've tried so far. The cleansing balm reviewed here would have been perfect if it hadn't contained mineral oil. So the first thing I did upon the arrival of my new cleansing oil was to check the list of ingredients. No mineral oil was to be found, but there was a long list of scientifically-sounding chemicals that might actually be even worse. Nevertheless I did give it a go and I've been using it for over a month now so I feel ready to write this review. 

The oil comes in a simple plastic bottle equipped with a pump that distributes the right amount of product. For those unfamiliar with cleansing oils I'll say that you need one or two pumps of this, massage your face, including the eye area, and then remove the oil from your face with cleansing tissues or simply rinse with water. I prefer the second option as at this point the oil turns milky and non-greasy, leaving my face cleansed, soft and and moisturised. The Real Art Cleansing Oil does away with my face and eye make-up perfectly well with a notable exception of waterproof mascara which wouldn't budge but the use of oil helps break down my mascara and preps it for any other eye make-up remover. The good thing is that it doesn't sting or make my vision go cloudy.

  

I have oily skin and always fear using oils may cause break outs that's why I double cleanse most of the time, however, I haven't noticed any problems on days when I'm too lazy to do so. 

The cleanser has a strong citrusy scent, which I'm getting used to but I'm not a great fan of.

Overall I really like this product. I like how nice and smooth it makes my skin feel and how efficiently it does away with make up. I also appreciate the simple, yet convenient 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.

project empties #13

Some products mentioned here are victims of spring clean, some of them are real empties. Nonetheless all of them found their way to the bin...

1. MAC Studio Moisture Cream was a decent moisturiser, but on the other hand, nothing to write home about. I think drier skin types would enjoy it better.

2. Etude House Cleansing Balm was a lovely balm cleanser, the only tiny little hiccups was that it was based on mineral oil. Otherwise I was perfect.

3. The three Inglot Soft Precision Eyeliners aren't used up, as you can see, but they were so hard and tugging and pulling that I got rid of them.

4.  Rimmel Wake me Up concealer was way too dark for me, darker than most of my foundations and that didn't look good at all. 

5. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter Body Lotion was a lovely moisturiser, smelled gorgeous, the only thing that bothered me was that the pump stopped picking the product when there was still more than 3-4cm left. It was virtually impossible to get the remains out. 

La Roche Posay Hydrahphase Intense Eyes review

When I saw that La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Eyes was actually a clear gel, I was highly suspicious. All eye gels I'd tried so were soothing and highly hydrating for my quenched skin in the area but only for a short while and acted more as serums than proper eye treatments and needed to be followed with some yey cream.

Hydraphase Intense Eyes is totally different and has just landed on my wishlist. This cream left my eye area truly rehydrated and looking less tired without any kind of dryness. When fully absorbed it was non-sticky and worked well under make-up. 

This little sample lasted for a good couple of days, so I believe the standard 15ml packaging will last for ages.

The product is fragrance-free.

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.   

Aesop Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm review

Aesop Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm is a yellow substance that is neither thick nor thin and resembles a lotion much more than a balm.

It's intended for dry skin types or areas like elbows and knees, but I don't think its balmy enough to treat problems related to severe dryness.

This cream absorbs quickly and makes my skin feel nice, but I didn't notice any extraordinary results that would encourage me to invest that much money in this product. 

What's more, like all Aesop skincare, this product contains no other fragrance than that of its natural ingredients, which in consequence means that this body balm smells like tree bark mixed with something sweet. Very weird and discouraging.

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. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy EDP review

When spring comes I drift towards clearly floral scents and arrival of Marc Jacobs Daisy EDP is a result of my search for the perfect spring/summer scent. 

While perfect it is not, it'll do as a nice and refreshing scent of the season.

I'm not sure whether Daisy refers to the flower or the name, to the best of my knowledge daisies aren't particularly renowned for their smell, nor do they look like the flower on the cap, but they're vaguely assocoated with the coming of spring, hence I suppose the name.

I absolutely adore the bottle. It's way prettier than the EDT one with its black glass flacon and golden cap with three flowers on it.

According to the description the top notes are citrusy and fruity, the middle ones are white floral and the base ones are woody, musky and vanilla. I'm not good at describing scents, but I simply can't sense the three tier complexity of the perfume. To me it is a bouquet of flowers, but not of sickeningly sweet nature, rather crisp and fresh like morning dew. I do sense the citrus notes, but my nose doesn't detect any vanilla sweetness nor dark and stuffy base of musk. Marc Jacobs Daisy is fresh right through.

This is not an overpowering scent that will make everyone gasp for air. It lingers on my skin in a nice way and remains on my clothes until the next day. 

This may not be my favourite perfime of all times, but I like it a lot. That was definitely money well spent. 

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 Diorshow Fusion Mono Matte eyeshadows in Mirage #761 and Nocturne #019 review & swatches

I'm a great fan of hybrid eyeshadows and the ones by Dior are one of the best examples of this type of product. They offer the creamines and the ease of application of cream products combined with staying power and satin finish of powder eyeshadows. 

When Dior released Fusion Mono Mattes I knew I needed to grab a couple of these. As I've said I like the forrmula of Dior Fusions and above all matte hybrid eyeshadows are a rare find.

The first one is called Mirage (#761) and it's a gorgeous greige shade. I've seen some reviewers describe it as cocoa, but I see nothing chocolatey about the shade. It's a bit taupeish, I could even call it a cool-toned grayish taupe, but as brown as cocoa it certainly is not.

It applies so heavenly well. I usually use my finger or a synthetic brush. It may be sheer or built for intensity. It may be used alone or as a base for other shadows or with something darker in the outer corner. 

I love what it looks like paired with a cobalt liner for a pop of colour.

The second pick from this collection is shede #019 Nocturne.

Nocturne is a strange member of the collection as this is not matte at all. I can sort of understand what Dior had in mind calling it matte as this is a satin matte eyeshadow with silver micro glitter. All together they make a gorgeous eyeshadow, but if you're looking for a flat matte, you might be disapppointed. 

In my pictures the eyeshadow looks blue, but, although it is a cool-toned black, blue it definitely is not. 

The shimmer is not very much pronounced, which makes this eyeshadow wearable on all occassions. I like using it on its own for a smokey look and together with Mirage to intensify the look.

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.

we fall back into fields of rape

May holiday started with a spell of nice sunny weather which induced us to go to Wirty botanical garden for the first time this year. Rape was in full bloom and smelled overpowering which made me wonder why this scent is never used in perfumes or toiletries. Probably because of the name.

Halfway through the day a wave of chill air destroyed our picnic sending us shivering back to the car where we noticed that it was barely 7 degrees Celsius. Before that, however, we'd managed to walk among blossoming trees, fresh green lawns, through the bogey forest and down to the lake.

The remaining days of holiday we spent Geocaching in Gdynia forests which I'd never been to before and which enchanted me with their beauty. I'd forgotten to charge my camera battery, so it died soon after our trip began and that's why there are hardly any photos except the one below with Kuba trying to locate another cache with our phones suddenly out of range in spite of being within the city limits.