Last 2016 empties ~ porabljeni izdelki!

So here we are. December is almost upon us and it was time to do a proper clean out of my bathroom cabinets before the packages from Black Friday start rolling in. This is going to be a long post so without further ado, let's jump straight into it!

Pa smo tu! December je tik pred vrati in resnično je bil čas, da pospravim svoje omarice, preden prispejo paketi z vsem, kar sem kupila na Črni petek. Ker bo objava dolga, predlagam, da kar začneva!

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Best of the rest 2015

Last Sunday I wrote about the make-up products that impressed me the most in 2015. This week, I’d like to share the skincare, haircare and nail products that have been my absolute favorites in 2015 (and the months after).

Let’s start with skincare. My favorite moisturizer and face mist both come from the brand Melvita. I wrote an extensive review of both already and you can check it out in this post (click). In short, my face has been mainly clean of imperfection and my skin is feeling well hydrated ever since I’ve started using these products. They are not the cheapest, but I look at it as an investment!

I’ve tried many make-up removers in 2015 and yet I keep returning to the Decleor Aroma Cleanse. This gentle cleansing milk really removes both normal and waterproof make-up off my face and leaves it feeling smooth. The 200ml bottle costs about 20 € - I buy if from my beauty salon. This bottle lasted me about six months, so it’s not overly expensive for the amount you’re getting. 

I am so bad at moisturizing my body in the colder months! Once I get out of the shower, I just want to get dressed as quickly as possible and not stand there waiting for the lotion to soak in for the next 10 minutes. The L’Occitane Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli body lotion from the Pierre Herme line is one of those lotions that takes no time at all to sink into the skin. It leaves my body feeling well hydrated and fresh. Since I used it throughout the pregnancy and escaped without a single stretch mark, I’m giving it a 5 out of 5 points for effectiveness as well!

I like smelling fresh even after I’ve been out and about all day, but applying perfume all the time would be overdoing it, and expensive to boot. The Le Couvent Des Minimes Eau Amiable cologne is a great alternative, since the smell is not overpowering and the spray really distributes the product evenly. I tend to spray it on my clothes to make it linger a bit longer. A bottle will set you back anywhere between 15 and 30 € depending on the size and you can usually find a good deal at Müller!

I don’t usually like sticky scrubs and prefer to use dry scrubs that can be mixed with water and applied, but I’ve completely fallen in love with the Afrodita sugar scrub with brown sugar and shea butter. I used this religiously during the summer to build up a healthy tan and keep my skin supple. It also worked great at removing dead cells after the summer when my skin started to dry up due to the heating. At about 5 € per jar (I think it would last you about a month if used at every showering session) it’s a bargain! After using this scrub, you won’t need any body lotion since it will leave your skin feeling soft I and well hydrated.

Nail polish is one of my weaknesses and I tend to stick to higher end brands that really deliver on the promise of true color and longevity. However, I’ve received a few polishes from the new Avon lines and I’ve really been loving both the Mineral Crush (from Magic Effects) and Gel finish polishes (so much so that I’ve ordered a whole bunch of them in different shades). The effect of  the Mineral crush line on the nails is especially fun and I’ve gotten a whole bunch of compliments on it!

Last but not least, let’s talk about hair. I rarely talk about anything that I receive in sample size (or a deluxe sample size) since I often cannot get a real feel of the product before it runs out. However I can firmly say that the Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint shampoo and conditioner from the Teatree line have been my absolute favorite hair products in the year 2015! Each time I used this combo, my hair felt really clean and amazingly soft. A 300ml bottle of each costs about 20 € which is a lot but used sparingly it can last you a long time. It’s also not much more expensive then the Joico products I’ve been using so far so I’m definitely going to treat myself to the full size in the future! You can buy them in several online stores or in hair salons around you.

I tried using less leave-in products in the past year since I’ve been instructed by my hairdresser to let them breathe as much as possible. With the exception of hair oil once in every blue moon, I’ve stuck to my Beauty Works 10in1 Miracle Spray. It promises a lot (nourishes, detangles, prevents split ends, enhances natural body etc.) but as for me, I’ve just found that it gives my hair a lot of volume and a nice smell while also keeping the frizz of baby hair in check to a certain extent. At 15 € per bottle it’s priced reasonably and I’ll definitely repurchase it after it runs out.

That’s it for the products that I’ve been loving the most in 2015. Did you find any of your favorites among them? Next Sunday, keep your eyes open for the disappointing ones! And don't forget - you've got two more days to enter the giveaway! Find the instructions here!

Until then, stay beautiful!

(Low) Maintenance Beauty Massive Haul - part 1 (face & body care, perfumes)

This post could have also been addressed - I flew, I bought, I conquered. And I am sorry that I've been gone this long, but workload before holidays was insane and I barely had the chance to pull it off before we flew to US.

Obviously, shopping wasn't the sole purpose of the trip, but in the end me and my hubby bought way more stuff than we even thought possible. We flew to San Francisco with 28 lb of luggage between us (2 suitcases) and flew back with 148 lb + all the stuff that we packed in our carry-on bags. So yes, quite insane.

But the thing here is that you guys that live in the States probably have no idea how lucky you all are. The clothes from the brands we like (Banana Republic, GAP, Levi's, VS, Abercrombie etc.) were so inexpensive that we bought enough clothes to last us at least a year. How lucky you are that you probably all live across the street from Bath & Bodyworks. I spent 2 hours in there and my only though now when I'm trying all the products out is that I should have bought another suitcase. And make-up...yes... but this is the story that we'll get into a bit more in-depth.

I bought both drugstore and high-end make-up. Some I got because it was so ridiculously cheap compared to prices here in Slovenia (I will try to compare prices where I can). And some I bought because I wanted to try all the new, pretty, shiny brands that were attacking me from every corner. I will try to go over the purchases in the same order I would use them. So without further ado, here is THE haul.

FACE

I must say, that I am a bit skeptical about all these gadgets that supposedly make your face feel like newborns. So I didn't go for the Clairsonic but instead opted for the less expensive version  - the Olay Pro X. So far I must admit that I'm very impressed so this might just be a step towards actually getting the Clairsonic. But I can tell that I'm breaking out less and that's what's most important.

ProX also came with a pore scrub of some kind which I haven't tried out yet. I also purchased a Neutrogena purifying pore scrub. First impression - not too crazy about it. It seems kind of difficult to wash off. But it's early days still.

ProX cost about $30 , I'm not sure if you can get it in Slovenia. I did try to look for the Neutrogena scrub and couldn't find it in my local drugstore.