March Empties (part 2)

One more month down. March was amazing as a lot of greatness happened in our house as well in my makeup bag. I finished some of the product I've been waiting to finish, and purchased a bunch of new ones that exceed the expectations. Since this is an empties post, let's move on and talk about the finished items.

-Avene Thermal Water: I keep buying this or Evian water once in a while, but each time end up not using it. I will use it during a hot summer day to refresh my face, but then forget about it. I finished up this one as a face toner. The only complaint I have about the spray bottle (this goes to Evian water as well) is that I can't finish the product completely as it stops spraying while there's still quite a lot left (if I had to guess, I'd say at least 1/5 of the bottle was still full).
-Patyka Neroli Face Cream: I just loved the light pink color of this cream! I also love neroli in my skincare, so of course I had to buy this cream. I purchased it for winter time to give more moisture and protection for my skin. The cream is rich enough, but doesn't leave oiliness. I was happy using it, but not sure if I'd buy it again. As a cream it is really nice, but it did nothing magical, and I get the same result using Weleda's face creams for 1/3 of the price. With Patyka I got what I was looking at that time, which was a nice face cream and a high-end looking packaging.
-Boscia Green Tea Oil-Control Mask: For a while I wanted to get a peel-off face mask, but it seems quite hard to find one with decent ingredients. I was happy with Boscia, and with this mask specifically. I'm usually quite lazy to use face masks that I have to wash off, so this was an easy to use product. It would refresh my skin, and leave it soft and clean. I also tried the sample pack from Boscia with 4 of their peel-off masks, and the only one I really liked was Green Tea mask. I can't remember my opinion about the rest of them, but some smelled to weird, and I think the black one was so hard to peel off that it felt as if I'm ripping of my skin (I was crying while trying to remove it).
-Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfollating Treatment (sample size): While this sample size looks small, it's bigger than it seems! It lasted me for a while as you only need a tiny big for the whole face. This scrub is easy to use as it stays on the skin for only 1-2 minutes. I quite liked the tingling, and it didn't irritate my skin.
-Eminence Firm Skin Acai Cleanser (sample): Since I only had a sample, I can't tell much about it. However, I liked every single Eminence product, and the cleanser was no exception. I love the smell, it removed the makeup great, and left the skin fresh.       

-Madison Reed Hair Color in Roma Blonde: I color my hair myself, and use Garnier's White Chocolate every 6 weeks. It's easy to apply, and it's quick. I leave it on my hair for 10 minutes (roots and halfway through the hair). However, I wanted to try something different, and probably with better ingredients, so I turned to Madison Reed. Roma Blonde seems like a good match to White Chocolate, and I got it. I did get an extra tube of hair dye as it's recommended for long hair (I'm fine with one pack of Garnier though). I love how fast the shipping is, how safely the products are wrapped, and how the hair color box includes everything that's needed (2 pairs of gloves, hair cap, barrier cream, wipe, mini shampoo and conditioner). The result turned out great and I'm really happy with my blonde locks, but the process was painful. I'm used to coloring my own hair, so I used the same technique with Madison Reed. First, I struggled with getting the dye out of the bottle as the cream was quite thick and I'd have to shake each time before squeezing it out. Second, my hair got so tangled while coloring it that I didn't even try combing the color through the hair (I put the comb to my roots, and couldn't go an inch without stopping). I ended up using 2 boxes of the hair color to fully dye my hair. Third, washing it out was another painful and long experience. It wasn't too hard to remove the dye from the hair, but my hair was left so dry that I had to apply hair conditioner twice to full length (I usually put conditioner only to the ends of my hair) just to be able to run my fingers through the hair and not to have a tangled dry ball of hair on my head. The only hair color that dried my hair this badly before was L'oreal. Anyway, while I like the result, the whole experience is not worth to keep on using this dye. It takes me way longer, it's more expensive, and it's painful.

-Giovanni VitaPro Fusion Leave-In Hair Conditioner: This used to be my go to product for a long time, but as it happens quite often, I wanted to make a break and try something different. I did, and I came back to Giovanni. It smells nice, it helps to detangle my hair, it doesn't leave the hair greasy, and it conditions well. I really like this product a lot and would recommend to anyone!

-John Masters Organics Geranium & Grapefruit Body Milk: I love JMO's face and body products, so I was excited when they released new body milks last year. I'm not big on geranium, but in this product it smelled good and not overpowering. The body milk is light, absorbs easily, leave no greasiness, but provides moisture to my skin. It's great when you're in a rush, because it sinks into the skin quickly, and you can dress right away. I'm sure I'll buy it again.

-Alba Botanica Shave Cream: I've used this before, and this time I got it for my man (or maybe just borrowed while he ran out of his shaving cream). My man didn't like it, and I ended up using it myself. He didn't like it for the same reason I didn't like it - it's invisible. The cream is white-ish, but when applied on the skin it becomes see through, so it's hard to see if the whole area is covered. Other than that the cream did its job (Giovanni shaving creams are still my favorite).

-I went through my brush collection, and getting rid of two: Tarte double ended brush and Sigma SS194. I've never really used Tarte's brush as I didn't like it. Sigma's brush came in a travel set that I got a long time ago. While I still have brushes from that set, this one is never used as I don't like this shape for my concealer (Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki is hands down the best wet/dry concealer brush). 

Review: Lily Lolo Sculpt & Glow Contour Duo

Today I'm going to review Lily Lolo "Sculpt & Glow" palette. Since I wasn't too excited about my bronzer, I was looking for something new. The big issue for me was that I wanted a clean brand, and no orange-y tones in the product. I had this Lily Lolo palette in my wishlist, and I went for it.

This duo contains a bronzer and a highlighter, and is super convenient to take on trips or just to throw in your makeup bag. When I received the package, I was surprised by its size. I'm not sure why, but I imagined it to be bigger, yet I'm very happy it's so compact. It's 10g total, so 5g of each product. I think it's a perfect amount as I never go through the usual 8+ gram product before the expiration date.

The colors of "Sculpt & Glow" are beautiful and well pigmented. The texture is nice, and not powdery, so it doesn't leave a cloud of dust when using it. I fell in love with the product and easiness to use it, so now it's my favorite makeup item. I apply both products, and then use a big fluffy powder brush to gently blend them together.

The bronzer has a beautiful cocoa-y tone, and is perfect for contouring. It looks very natural on my light skin! You can layer it for a more intense effect, and still look natural. However, I'm not sure if that would work on darker or tan skin as the shade might be too light.

The highlighter gives a continuous glow that can be worn day to night. It doesn't have any individual glitters. Just as the bronzer, the highlighter can be layered to achieve a more luminous look. It should look gorgeous on any skin color.

         

Makeup Removing Cloths: Makeup Eraser vs. Jane Iredale's Magic Mitt

So today I decided to do a comparison review on two magical products. I say magical, because these cloths do not require any other product, except for water, to remove all your makeup.

I got Makeup Eraser from Sephora a couple weeks ago. I picked out pink one, but it does come in black and red as well (I didn't see red in the store near me). I was happy with my purchase, and decided to get Jane Iredale's Magic Mitt so I could switch while one is dirty and being washed, drying, etc. To tell the truth, I didn't know about the Magic Mitt until I was researching some lip products from the brand, and was really excited to find it.

However, despite all the good reviews online, the Magic Mitt is a disappointment for me. I ended up returning it to the store, because I can see it will not last long, and adding few $ more I can get a quality product. The material of Magic Mitt is very thin and not nearly as soft as Makeup Eraser's (if I didn't get it at Nordstrom, I would think I got a fake one or something). While it does remove makeup, it looks too worn just after using it twice. The instructions advice washing it by hands after each use, but I don't like that. I think that just as any other towel, these cloths should be washed in a washing machine to remove any makeup residue.

 

The Makeup Eraser can be washed in a washing machine, and is supposed to last at least 1000 washes. It is larger and thicker than Magic Mitt, so I only use about 1/4 of the cloth when removing my makeup, and I wash it every 2-3 days. After a couple weeks of constant use it still looks like new! Not only the size and thickness differs, but it is also double sided, so after you remove your makeup with one side, you can turn the other size for some exfoliating action. I admit I don't do it, so can't comment on how well it works. As for makeup removing, the Makeup Eraser works perfectly, and leaves face fresh and clean. However, I still like splashing some water for extra freshness after I use my cloth and micellar water.    

While sometimes reviewing products I try to stay impartial, and let the consumer decide which one is better, in this case Makeup Eraser wins hands down. While Magic Mitt does it's work in removing makeup, I would not recommend it to anyone due to poor quality of the cloth.

Highlighters: Kide "Gold" vs. Honest Beauty "Midnight Reflection"

I'm pretty minimal in makeup, and don't feel the need to have more than one of certain products (with exception to lip products), so I was very happy with my Kide Y Highlighter in color Gold. I have a review on it here. However, I came across Honest Beauty, and to satisfy my interest in the brand I purchased a few products. One of those products was Luminizing Powder in color Midnight Reflection. The second I tried it out, I knew I want to make this comparison post.

Kide is a Finnish brand that uses diamond dust in its products. It caught my interest a while ago, but the only place to get Kide products in the USA is thedetoxmarket.com, and with high prices ($85 per item) it kept me in doubt for a while. Y Highlighter is still available on the website, and is currently on sale for $55. I have color Gold, but it comes in Silver as well.

Honest Beauty is Jessica Alba's company, which offers clean products for face and body. Luminizing Powder comes in 3 shades, and retails for $25.

Both highlighters come in the same size - 10 g / 0.35 oz, but the packaging differs a lot. Kide comes in a wooden box, and is quite bulky. That might not be a problem if you only keep it at home, but if you want to throw it in your handbag for touch-ups or when traveling it takes up a lot of makeup bag's space. Also, you probably noticed that the box looks dirty - it is, because the box is made from untreated wood, and every single dust sticks to it without a possibility to clean it. Honest Beauty's packaging is way sleeker, and is convenient to take with you on the go. It has a built in mirror as well which is a great bonus (even though I personally rarely use mirrors on product's packaging).  

While both of these products seem different in the packaging, the effect is super comparable after they're applied on the skin. As you can see from the photo, Kide highlighter (on the left) is multicolor with gold swirls in it. It also seems a bit darker, a bit powdery and has more visible glitters. It's softer to the touch and gets on the brush in a second while Honest Beauty has harder texture (not a hard one that requires struggle to transfer to the brush though!!!). Honest Beauty highlighter (on the right) has an even color, seems smoother, and is less shiny. In fact, for a moment I thought I might use it on the whole face, but that was until I tried it out.

I know this photo is very light, but I hope you can see the applied highlighters on my hand (top one is Kide, bottom one is Honest Beauty). I tried to capture the shimmer in the light from a few different angles. As you can see, the result on the skin is so similar that it's impossible to tell which is which. Both highlighters give a smooth effect without any single sparkling particles.


I still love having both of them in my makeup drawer, and choosing one of them would be tough. Due to the identical results and product size Honest Beauty's slimmer packaging and more affordable price seems to be a natural winner. Though diamond dust in Kide's highlighter is so tempting, because who doesn't like diamonds?

A Comeback With Mid-March Empties

It’s been a while, and it’s been a ride! After this long break I’m back here as I miss writing and sharing my thoughts.

It’s only the middle of March, but I’ve saved a bunch of finished products so far, and I decided to do a post them now. So here the goodies (and some less good ones) are:

 -100% Pure Caffeine Mask (5pack): I have hate/love relationship with 100% Pure products. Some of them I enjoyed a lot, the others I liked less or didn't like too much, but for some reason there were very few that I bought again. Most of my misses were with makeup as the colors don't match what I see on the screen, and it's hard to find swatches online. However, the brand offers amazing return policy. Back to the caffeine mask... I have a full review in my earlier post, and my opinion didn't change after using 5 more. The mask is nice while being used, and the skin feels plump and soft for the rest of the day, but the effect is only one-time, and doesn't last.
-Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum: This one (as well as some other Eminence products) was on my wishlist for a while. It smells divine! Though the most important thing is the results, right? The serum has thick-ish pink gel-like texture, applies to the skin easily and dries quickly. I used it both morning and night, and quite a lot of times I used only the serum at night (I did apply face cream on top of the serum in the mornings). My skin is normal-dry, a bit sensitive, but this serum didn't irritate it, and gave enough moisture even without layering it with additional skincare products. I didn't see any obvious changes in my skin, but I enjoyed using the serum, and I was happy with the moisture it gave my skin. Would I buy it again? Yes! Although not right away as currently I use another serum from Eminence, and there are few others in my wishlist.  

-Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water (200ml): I haven't used many micellar waters, and there doesn't seem to be a wide variety of natural/organic ones in the USA, but Caudalie micellar cleansing water is my favorite so far! It doesn't irritate my eyes or skin, removes even the toughest makeup, and lasts pretty long. Besides, I love convenience of the pump. This micellar water is sold by Sephora and other stores as well, but I included a UK based store, because of the price difference. Naturisimo.com ships worldwide for free, and often offers coupon codes (mostly 10%), but even without a code this product is cheaper than on other websites. I purchased Caudalie micellar water from Sephora a few times until I saw it on Naturisimo, and the last time I got it I used 10% coupon code saving about 30% from the retail price at Sephora (not including sales tax). Since micellar water is part of my skincare routine now, it's easy to plan and buy it in advance cheaper (more money for other purchases!!!).  

-Dickinson Witch Hazel Toner: Witch Hazel toner has been part of my skincare for as long as I can remember. It's believed to be more suitable for combination/oily skin, but it is good for all skin types, and it doesn't dry or irritate my skin. I've used a bunch of Thayer's witch hazel toners, but switched to Dickinson as it is more accessible (I find it in my local Walgreens). When traveling I use Dickinson witch hazel towelettes due to convenience, but I think I prefer the liquid form. (Note: use code PIL356 on Iherb.com to save $5 off your first order! You also get 10% loyalty credit off your purchase amount to use on your next order.)    

-Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray: I don't remember where I got this spray from anymore (I'm pretty sure it was some gift with purchase at Sephora). I'm not a fan of makeup setting sprays as I'm happy with how my makeup stays on through the day without a spray. In fact, the sprays make my skin feel tight, uncomfortable, and, to tell the truth, I see no difference in makeup wear. That might be because I wear little makeup, and it's in dry form. All Nighter spent an eternity on my makeup counter, and finally it's time to get rid of it as I'm not using it and not planning to.

-Equaline nail polish remover: I'm not even looking for a link for it as it's one of CVS brands. I haven't noticed a difference for my nails when using more natural, acetone-free, and other good-for-you nail polish removers, so I keep using the regular CVS remover due to convenience. P.S. If you want a better option for your nails, go with Zoya's nail polish remover - it gets rid of any nail polish like magic.

-Madre Labs Citrus Squeeze Shampoo: This bottle is endless, and i mean ENDLESS! When eyeing, it doesn't look so big, but it contains an unbelievable amount of product. I was trying to finish it for a few months - it was a task! As for the shampoo itself, I liked it, but not as much that I would buy it again. It's a shampoo that doesn't excite me even though the hair does look good using it. I used to love Madre Labs shampoos from a while ago ("strawberry oasis" was one of those I repurchased), but the new one is just ok if compared to the other ones.

-Dolce & Gabbana Rosa Excelsa Fragrance: Did you notice how roses dominate fragrance market this spring? Recently I used up a few of my perfumes, so I'm looking for something new, and while roses are not my choice in perfumes/skincare/bodycare, I decided to give Rosa Excelsa a try. The rose notes didn't bother me, and I kinda liked the fragrance, but it wasn't THE perfume for me. I guess I'll keep on looking...     

-Living Nature Summer Bronze Pressed Powder: This bronzer was too dark, too orange-y for my skin tone. I never really tan, so I want a more natural looking bronzer. I'm also not a big bronzer user, and use it mostly for contouring. So when this bronzer didn't satisfy me, I put it deep in my makeup drawer, and forgot about it. I was tempted to get rid of it, but felt bad about throwing out a new product. However, last summer I got my tan, and decided to try it for my cheeks. Surprisingly I liked the result, and kept using it until now. I learned to play with the bronzer and other products to make it soft and light on my winter skin. However, I'm still not loving it, and was super excited to check the expiration date (which actually is 18 months after opening the product) - the bronzer is going to trash!

-Tom's of Maine Propolis Myrrh Toothpaste: I like Tom's of Maine toothpastes, and keep using them for a while now. I do switch up among few brands, but I keep repurchasing this one.

-Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara: I got a mini size from Naturisimo.com. Mascara is one product that I haven't really switched to natural/organic, because I haven't found one to fully satisfy me. I want big, bold, full lashes that wouldn't look fake, but would be noticeable. Longest Lash doesn't give me that. The brush is huge, but I could live with that if the result was what I'm looking for. The mascara does lengthen my lashes, but it doesn't thicken them, and looks too natural and not very noticeable, and I can't layer it. For this reason I'm moving on to the next mascara in my makeup drawer...

-Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara: Yes yes yes! This one's a winner! I did have a mini size (I love that as I use my mascaras for 3-4 months and never go through the regular tube by then), This mascara gave me all I wanted, and was easy to layer for a more dramatic effect. My lashes were full, thick, and nicely arranged!