FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Bocassy Clean&Tone Tonic

Over the years, I've learned that the less stress and steps I add to my skincare routine, the more likely I'm to follow it, hence also making it more likely for my skin to look good. 

Admittedly, I could blame my recent lack of routine on baby M, but the truth is he sleeps for 12 hours straight throughout the night, making it perfectly easy for me to do the things that need getting done. So here it is - I'm lazy. That's right. After taking off my make-up, I slap on some night cream and call it a day. 

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

Now my only question about this product is: why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?

First, let’s do the technical part of this amazing product. It contains Flash Fusion Technology meaning that when you mix it with something, it transforms into pure pigment. It is formulated without parabens, sulfates and phthalates. 

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Nabla Shade&Glow Contour Bronzer

I always get super excited when new brands enter our little market and when I first heard of Nabla cosmetics being sold by Licila.si, my excitement was just as big as with every other more known brand. So yes, I went and spent some money because – why not!

A couple of things about the brand, before we kick of the actual review. Nabla is an Italian brand, not a huge one, but the variety of products is there. All of their products are cruelty free (like really cruelty free, they don’t test or commission the tests to be done by others and even more cool, they don’t sell to countries where testing on animals is mandatory!) and vegan. They offer a wide range of their staples as well as some limited edition collections, which we always like to see. But today, let’s talk about one of the classics – a bronzer.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Ole Henriksen African red tea foaming cleanser

I love me a good face wash and while I'm normally using the Mirati face wash these days, I was cleaning out my cabinet and realized that I actually had quite a few uses left in the Ole Henriksen African red tea foaming cleanser - it was just hiding in the back and I forgot about it. 

Anyway, I decided to start using it again and I remembered how much I loved this since the day I got it. It's a foam cleanser that is easy to massage into damp skin and simply rinse off. It contains anti-oxidants from the red tea which is another bonus.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick

I've been dreaming about owning one of these lipsticks ever since I first saw them online. I didn't know anything about the formula, but I was simply enchanted by the bullet.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette

I've been promising to do a review of this palette for ages, since it's my go-to contour palette which I use on a daily basis. You can also tell from the photos below it's being well loved. So I decided that I'll do a quick review with swatches on a Friday, since this palette is absolutely a favorite of mine. 

The palette is unfortunately hard to come by if you're from Europe. It's sold at Sephora for 46 $ which is a reasonable price IMO considering the amount of product you're getting (it's about 2,3g of lighter shades and twice as much for the darker ones). 

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Artdeco Long Lashes mascara

Over the years I've grown a bit cynical about mascaras that promise to give long lashes. It seems like 90 % of mascaras on the market give that claim and than fail to deliver, at least in my (or better said, on my) eyes. So I wasn't expecting much from this particular mascara, to be quite honest. I did however love the look of it the first time I took it out of the box - it's one of the prettiest things in my bathroom right now.

I however quickly changed my opinion about the performance the first time I used it. It gives me incredibly long and voluminous lashes in a single coat but without clumping. The color itself is one of the darkest black I've seen in a long time, if ever. The formula is quite thick which is another reason why a single coat does the job. It has no smell I could detect which means it's probably good for more sensitive eyes as well.

The wand is hourglass shaped, meaning you can really get your lashes from the inner corner to the outer lashes in a single swipe. It looks like nothing much, but it works wonders. The only thing I'm concerned is how this shape will perform when the formula goes even thicker - will it start to clump or will the color distribute normally? Stay tuned for that.

Anyway, so far I am really impressed with this mascara and it will probably become a staple in my collection. I like to have at least one mascara that I can rely on to perform wonderfully every time (while testing others that might not do the job as well) so I'm happy to have another go-to product that's easily available. 

You can buy this mascara in Muller drugstores or online *here*. It will set you back 14,95 € which almost half the price of my other favorite, the Lancome Hypnose mascara. I must admit that I've neglected the Artdeco brand for quite some time, but now I have a feeling that some more wonderful products might be hidden in the line and I'll continue on my search for them.

Until next time, stay beautiful!

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Mirati Face Wash

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – having a small child means that anything that promises you’ll become more refreshed, invigorated, have more energy or anything similar is a sure bestseller. 

Normally, I love soft, creamy shower gels but for the last three months (baby M is exactly 3 months today) I’ve only used ones that give me a boost of freshness in the morning and in the evening.

All of the above are also the reasons that Mirati Face Wash won me over in an instant. It combines Aloe Vera with lemon essential oils, making it both kind to your skin and refreshing at the same time.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Pfeilring crystal nail file

My nails have never been great. I suspect I'm missing a vital nutrient that would make them stronger, but so far, I've had little luck with supplements. Some make my hair grow like crazy but my nails stay more or less the same all the time. So I decided that it was time to try something else.

Lovely Tara from The beauty of nail polish suggested I go ahead and try a glass or crystal nail file. I actually ordered one from Czech republic but we had some shipping problems so unfortunately, I never got it. So I simply walked into a Muller store and bought one. I thought that it probably won't do much good anyway.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Grazia Beauty Award Winners 2016

This Thursday, the Slovenian issue of Grazia Magazine gave out the Beauty Awards for the first time in Slovenian history. Among 111 products, seven beauty experts chose winners in different categories. We also got to vote, but I haven’t gotten any feedback from Grazia if our votes counted in any way (will update if I find out).

Anyway, here are the winners. All the photos (which are gorgeous, are from the Grazia website, give them some love *here*).

Life changing product: Vichy Dermablend

I have not tried this product yet. It is supposed to cover minor to major imperfections, such as redness, dark circles and uneven skin surface).

I voted for: Vichy Dermablend, because Nika from Beautyfull Blog gave it a big thumbs up :)

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Lancome Juicy Shaker

Usually, I don’t really care about how my make-up looks on the outside. Sure, I want the packaging to be sturdy and not leak, but “pretty” or “cute” are not words I use to describe the visuals very often.

But you know what? Lancome Juicy Shaker looks like a little tumbler that needs to be “shaken, not stirred” and is one of the cutest things I’ve seen in a long while!

Although I would normally associate the phrase “flavored lip gloss” with something I’d wear in high school, I was kind of intrigued what the hype is all about. This lip gloss pairs nourishing oils with pigments, meaning it gives a soft glow and tint to your lips while keeping them nourished.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Urban Decay De-slick Makeup Setting Spray

As the summer draws closer and closer and the days grow longer and warmer, many make-up lovers are hard pressed to find make-up that will last all day and not melt off or require constant corrections.

Personally, I like to know that my make-up will last me the 8-10 hours I’m usually out and about and while mineral powder will do some of the job with my foundation, my true friend in the next few months will be the Urban Decay Make-up setting spray.

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Freedom ProStudio Brush Bath

Dear beauties,

I am guilty as charged. Of what, you ask? Of buying overpriced brushes and not taking care of them enough. Of preaching about skincare but at the same time not making sure that the brushes that daily touch my face are super clean. Yes, I am guilty on both charges.

Before I received the Freedom ProStudio Brush Bath, I used the Makeup Revolution brush cleaner to give my brushes proper care. It did the job well, but soaking the brushes and giving them a nice clean used to take me an hour or more which is why I regularly procrastinated on the topic.

A few months back, I was sent the Freedom Brush Bath by the online store Licila.si and at first I wasn't too sure about it since I haven't had too much good experience with the brand Freedom so far. This brush bath is a solution that is supposed to instantly sanitize, cleanse and condition the brushes.

 The packaging is nice and sturdy and closes well. It contains 100ml of the product. The solution itself looks and feels like soap and has a light scent to it. The directions state to wet the brush and swirl it around in the jar, then work the brush on the palm of your hand to really lather it up (you could use any kind of brush cleaning gizmo here, such es BrushEgg etc.), rinse and squeeze the brush to remove access water. Simple enough.

On the left photo you can see that the surface gets quite messy during the whole procedure. I make sure that the brush I'm putting in the jar is not to wet so I don't waste the product. Once I find the whole thing too dirty, and obviously at the end, I simply rinse it under water and it instantly becomes clean again. There are no dirty cups needed - the jar is the only tool you need. 

For this post, I washed five of my Real Techniques brushes: blush brush, powder brush, eye blending brush, concealer brush and a smaller brush I generally use to apply powder to my under-eye area. As you can see, they were quite dirty and really needed a good wash.

The cleaning took me about 30 seconds per brush with the exception of concealer brush which was so dirty it took about a minute. I could easily also wash a couple of eye brushes at the same time this way. 

In all, I am really impressed with this brush bath. It's inexpensive (get it here for just under 11 € - if you own a reasonable amount of brushes, it will probably last you a year to get through it), super easy to use and leaves my brushes nice and soft. I would definitely recommend this product to everyone who finds washing brushes a hassle and wants to get it over with quickly.

Until next time, stay beautiful!

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Melvita Pulpe de Rose and Damaske Rose Floral Water

Dear beauties, 

those of you who suffer from hormonal imbalance are surely aware of the damage that those pesky hormones can do to your skin. I had little trouble with my skin before I got pregnant, and most of those were due to poor skincare - not taking my make-up of properly, not giving my skin enough hydration, years of reckless tanning without proper protection etc. 

But all of the things my face had experienced before were nothing compared to what was happening to my poor skin during pregnancy. You name it, I had it - hyperpigmentation, deep acne, clogged pores. I used the heaviest foundation I own and piled on tons of concealer before I even walked out the door to look barely presentable, but that didn't exactly help my skin, either. 

Fast forward nine months - in the first two weeks after giving birth, the hyperpigmentation was gone but my skin was still in very poor shape. So I decided that I will reduce my make-up and my skincare to a minimum (also due to the fact that I didn't exactly have the luxury of doing long skincare routines twice a day). And now, five weeks later, my skin is looking quite good if I say so myself, thanks to these two products - Melvita Pulpe de Rose cream and Damascan Rose floral water.

Pulpe de Rose is described as a plumping radiance cream that also battles first wrinkles. It comes in a 40ml tube with a pump, which I find great but I'll admit that it's not working as great now when I'm almost done with it, so I'll probably cut the tube to really get all the product out. Otherwise, a single pump is enough for the entire face.

The cream is based on rose hip fruits and blossoms making it rich in vitamin C. I absolutely adore the smell of this cream- it is fresh and sweet at the same time. Even my hubby who never notices anything to do with skincare mentioned that he likes the smell a lot, so that's saying something. After using this cream for only a week or so, I saw that my skin was getting a bit firmer and I also like the fact that it absorbs very quickly. All in all, it's one of the best face products I've ever used and I'll repurchase it again. You can get it at Melvita website for 34,90€. If used sparingly, it should last you about 2 months. 

Since we're still keeping the heating on at home because of the baby, my skin is still relatively dry. I tried applying face cream several times a day but somehow, that didn't seem like the most practical solution. Then I remembered the Melvita Damascan Rose Floral Water still sitting in my cabinet waiting to be used. I put it on the bathroom counter so I was reminded to use it several times a day. 

I love the smell of this floral water as well - it smells like childhood to me since the smell is very similar to a toner my mom used when she was little, a true rose smell. Whenever I spray this on my face I can literally feel my skin absorbing the moisture and the process only takes about a minute or so, leaving my skin feeling fresh and hydrated. I am also a fan of the spray as well since it covers quite a large surface, so I only need about three sprays for my entire face. You can get it here for 7,10 € for smaller bottle (50ml) or 15,30€ for a bigger bottle (200ml - which is obviously the best price/quantity ratio). 

I would highly recommend these two products to anyone with dry or normal skin and I also believe they would work well for you if you have sensitive skin. Granted, Melvita is not exactly an inexpensive brand, but it's well worth your money in my opinion.

Until next time, stay beautiful!