Golden Rose event

Golden Rose brand recently celebrated its first year since bringing the brand to the Slovenian market. I've mentioned their products quite a lot on my blog already since Golden Rose brand has a wide variety of products and the prices are very reasonable.

Znamka Golden Rose je pred kratkim praznovala prvo leto, odkar so svoje izdelke pripeljali na slovenski trg. Na mojem blogu sem o znamki že večkrat spregovorila, ker gre za znamko s pestro ponudbo izdelkov in žepu prijaznimi cenami. 

Until now it was only easy for us girls from Ljubljana to get the Golden Rose products (in BTC Hala A and City Park), but this story changed a couple of months ago - now, you can buy their products in the online store Licila.si and shops in Celje and Velenje.

Do sedaj smo imele le Ljubljančanke ta privilegij, da smo z lahkoto lahko prišle do Golden Rose izdelkov (v BTC Hala A in City Parku), vendar pa se je zgodba bistveno spremenila nekaj mesecev nazaj - sedaj lahko namreč izdelke kupiš tudi v spletni trgovini Licila.si ter v trgovinicah v Celju in Velenju.

Autumn favorites **** Jesenski favoriti

It's been quite a while since I last wrote a post about my favorite products. I'll admit that some months, there simply aren't any that I would want to write about and I don't want the products to repeat themselves. But I've had quite a few favorites this fall and it's only right that I say a few words about them. 

Že kar nekaj časa je minilo, odkar sem napisala kakšno objavo o mojih najljubših izdelkih. Priznam, vsak mesec se jih pač ne nabere dovolj, da bi o njih želela pisati, prav tako pa ne želim, da bi se izdelki preveč ponavljali. Ampak to jesen se jih je nabralo kar nekaj, zato je edino prav, da o njih spregovorim nekaj besed.

Let me start with Melvita rose hip oil. I got to choose this oil at the Beautiful Bloggers conference (*click* to read more about that) and I've been using it for well over a month now. At night, I apply a couple of drops to a clean face and follow up with my night moisturizer. I must say that the effect has been amazing - the skin feel tighter, but even more importantly it feels softer and well nourished. Rose Hip oil is meant for the first lines, but Melvita offers a whole range of oils so you can surely find the one that will suit you the best.

Začela bom z Melvitinim šipkovim oljem. To olje sem si lahko izbrala na Beautiful Bloggers konferenci (*klik* če želiš prebrati kaj več) in ga zvesto uporabljam že več kot en mesec. Zvečer ga nekaj kapljic nanesem na očiščen obraz in potem uporabim svojo nočno vlažilno kremo. Moram reči, da je učinek prav neverjeten - koža se mi zdi bolj napeta, predvsem pa mehkejša in bolje nahranjena. Šipkovo olje je mišljeno za prve gubice, Melvita pa ponuja cel nabor drugih, tako da lahko gotovo najdeš najbolj primerno tudi zase.

I apply La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Unifiant every morning after my morning routine. The cream has only slight coverage so it cannot act as a liquid foundation for me personally, but I feel it evens out my complexion nicely, covers up a bit of hyper-pigmentation I have remaining from my pregnancy and gives the skin a nice glow. It's definitely a product that makes me feel a bit more put together during everyday work and playing with my son.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Unifiant vsak dan uporabim zjutraj po osnovni negi obraza. Gre za res rahlo prekriven izdelek, ki vsaj meni osebno ne more nadomestiti tekoče podlage, vendar pa se mi zdi, da prav lepo poenoti polt, malo zakrije hiperpigmentacijo, ki mi je ostala od nosečnosti in da koži zdrav sijaj. Vsekakor izdelek, zaradi katerega se počutim malo bolj urejena tudi med vsakdanjimi domačimi opravili in igro z mojim sinčkom.

Ebelin Gel Eyeliner brush turned out to be a really nice surprise. My previous brush lost all shape and I realized it's time to get a new one. Not being able to find an alternative at the drugstore, I settled for Ebelin (DM brand) and I must admit that I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I was in for a pleasant surprise - the brush does its job well being compact enough and at the same time not too stiff so it glides along the eye nicely. It's also thin enough to create a nice wing. I would definitely recommend it and I'll also have a closer look at other Ebelin brushes.

Ebelin čopič za gel eyeliner se je izkazal za prav prijetno presenečenje. Moj prejšnji čopič je izgubil vso obliko in ugotovila sem, da je čas za novega. Ker v drogeriji nisem našla alternative, sem se odločila za Ebelin, ki je DM znamka, pri čemer priznam, da nisem pričakovala preveč. Bila sem prijetno presenečena - čopič odlično opravi svojo nalogo, saj je dovolj kompakten, pa vseeno ne preveč čvrst, da lepo zdrsi ob očesnem loku in dovolj tanek za lepo krilce (wing) ob robu očesa. Vsekakor priporočam, sama si bom ogledala še druge Ebelin čopiče.

Catrice Matt Lip Artist in the shade 020 - Best ROSEbuddies Forever is basically a jumbo lip pencil. It dries quite quickly, the finish really is matte and on my lips it lasts quite a long time (but not as long as some liquid matte lipsticks). It doesn't dry out my lips so that's why I'm giving it an A. My pink shade with red undertone is beautiful and there are quite a few other shades to choose from.

Catrice Matt Lip Artist v odtenku 020 - Best ROSEbuddies Forever je v bistvu jumbo svinčnik za ustnice. Ob nanosu se posuši dokaj hitro, zaključek je bolj kot ne res matiran in na mojih ustnicah zdrži kar nekaj časa (vendar ne toliko, kot kakšna mat tekoča šminka). Mojih ustnic ne izsuši in že zato dobi oceno odlično! Moj rožnat odtenek z rdečimi podtoni je čudovit, na izbiro pa je še kar nekaj drugih.

Last but not least autumn favorite is the Trend It Up Contour&Glide Lipliner in the shade 401. It's a classic lip liner but its main advantages are that it lasts a really long time and its creamy texture. There is a sharpener on one end so you don't have to worry about the tip losing its shape and becoming dull. Shade 401 is pink with a bit of orange undertone and I must say that I've been looking for a lip liner in this shade for quite a while now.

Zadnji, vendar nič manj pomemben jesenski favorit pa je Trend It Up Contour&Glide Lipliner v odtenku 401. Gre za klasično črtalo za ustnice, pri čemer je njegova prednost izjemna obstojnost in kremna tekstura. Na eni strani svinčnika je tudi šilček, tako da ne gre skrbeti, tudi če konica nekoliko izgubi obliko in postane topa. Barva 401 je roza z nekoliko oranžnega podtona in moram reči, da sem črtalo za ustnice v tej barvi iskala kar nekaj časa.

These are my fall favorites - do you have any that I should definitely try out? Let me know in the comments below!

To so moji jesenski favoriti - imaš tudi ti kakšnega, ki bi ga obvezno morala preizkusiti? Svoj namig mi sporoči v komentarju.

Until next time, stay beautiful! ***** Do naslednjič, ostani čudovita!

Trend It Up products & quick reviews

If you just so happened to be in a coma for the past month, you probably missed it. If not, then you most likely know that DM brought their Trend It Up line into stores across Slovenia. I picked up a couple of products and have been trying them for the past month - now, I'm ready to tell you more about them!

Če si slučajno zadnji mesec preživela pod skalo, potem si verjetno zamudila... Če pa ne, potem najverjetneje veš, da je DM v svoje trgovine po Sloveniji pripeljal Trend It Up linijo. Sama sem kupila nekaj izdelkov in sem jih v preteklem mesecu testirala - sedaj pa sem pripravljena, da ti povem več o njih!

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Benefit Cheekathon (review & swatches)

I have wanted this palette from the second I first laid my eyes on it at the Sephora website. So when opportunity arose (thanks, Urša!), I made sure to have it join my collection.

The packaging is quite sturdy and closes with a magnet. It’s also super pretty, if you’re into such girly things (sure you are, just admit it). When opened, you’re facing five full size Benefit face products and a brush with natural bristles. There are four blushes: Dandelion, Dallas, Coralista and Rockateur, and the Hoola bronzer.

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: 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). 

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS: Buzzfeed make-up?

If you don't know Buzzfeed, you probably live under a rock. The hugely popular website presents us with videos ranging anywhere from 1 minute to 15 minutes (but usually quite short) about various topics. I love watching a few before going to bed every night, they usually put me in a good mood and today, I want to share with you some of my absolute favorites that revolve around beauty.

#1 What's the best way to clean your Beautyblender?

We all have our own struggles keeping our make-up sponges clean so I think this is quite a useful video. I use my Freedom Brush Bath with good results, but I have tried a few of these before myself...

WEDNESDAY SELECTION: Nabla and L.O.V.

Today, I want to talk very quickly about two new brands that have become available to us beauty junkies in Slovenia and Europe. There is never enough of a good thing, right?

The first brand is Nabla. Currently, they are offered by Licila.si (*click*) or via their webpage (*click*). 

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!

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS: 6 things I hate about make-up

Never thought you'd see the day, right? Me - hate make-up? Well, it's not the actual make-up I hate, it's the occasional issues I have it. I'm sure you'll be able to relate, so keep on reading.

#1: Hitting the pan

The Balm: Mary Lou-Manizer

One day, you have this perfect product, and the next day, there is a HOLE in it, making it far less desirable. And why, oh why does the hole always appear in the middle???

I heart makeup Black Velvet palette

I noticed that my Blogvember was strangely lacking in make-up reviews, so I decided to switch posts around a little bit and show you the newest addition to my palette collection, the I heart makeup Black Velvet palette. 

This palette was also a gift I received at the Beauty Bloggers Meetup from the online store Licila.si which you all know I am a big fan of and their regular customer. You can get the palette here for  10,95 €. And, you know, feel free to look around, they always have great offers and promotions!

Anyway, back to the palette. This is not my first I heart makeup palette and although I am a bit ashamed of the photos in the post about the last one, you can read about my I heart passion palette here.

This palette is very much one  I can see myself using each day, since it contains so many different shades, but very few are so bold that I'd skip on them for my everyday look.

Secrets of the Trebnik Mansion

Trebnik Mansion, geddit? The brand I want to write about today is actually named Dvorec (i.e. Mansion) Trebnik, but it sounds much more exotic the other way around in English, so I'll roll with it. 

I've been obsessed with Dvorec Trebnik bath salts for about a year now and haven't used anything else since I first purchased them. For some reason unknown to mankind, I have not tried any of their other products until we got a nice goody bag at the Beauty Bloggers Meetup (which I keep mentioning and will mention throughout Blogvember, so get used to it) full of products from their DT line.

Inside the bag, we found three products and I've been using two of them non-stop for the past couple of weeks. First, I want to talk about the DT Energy tonic - a refreshing face and body mist. 

Pink October: Pretty in Pink

Most of you probably know that October stands for the breast cancer awareness month. Along with fellow Slovenian bloggers, we decided to join together and dedicate one of our posts to this issue. 

As with many other illnesses, prevention and early detection is the key factor. Remember to do regular check-ups and remind your loved ones to do that as well. If you need additional information, talk to your doctor or visit the website of Europa Donna which is a great foundation that fights breast cancer. 

For my post, I went through my products and selected those that I really love in the color pink, which is the official color of breast cancer awareness month. 

I love the Sleek blush trio in Pink lemonade which includes two powders (left and right) and one cream blush (middle). For highlighter, I can't go wrong with The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer. Both of these are available from Licila.si. 

The powder blushes are quite intense, so I usually tap away the excess from my brush before applying it. I particularly love the far right shade called Icing sugar for the autumn and winter months – it's a nice coral shade which I think would look great on any skin tone. 

A new player in town: Golden Rose Slovenia

A week ago, I was kindly invited by Golden Rose Slovenia to join them in opening their first ever store in Slovenia. As some of you who follow me on Instagram know, I mentioned I could live in that store  - it’s absolutely packed with wonderful products and my hands started itching the moment I got there.  The store I visited is in BTC Ljubljana in Hala A, but they opened another one today in Mercator Center in Šmartinska, which by the photos looks just as great and I can’t wait to visit it as well. 

Golden Rose is a Turkish brand and this is their first appearance in Slovenia. Even though their selection is already huge, they will be adding BB creams and primers (among other products) to it in the following few weeks. I got a sneaky peek at both of them and I can’t wait to get my hands on the BB cream – it was smooth as butter and really gave good coverage as well.

Anyway, the lovely ladies at the store were very kind and helpful and since I was allowed to pick out a few products to try out, I let them do the choosing. Honestly, I couldn’t be more satisfied with their choices. I also really like the fact that all the products displayed are only testers and the new products are given to you from the back – that way, you’ll always know you’re really getting a new, sealed product that hasn’t been opened yet.

I really think that there is something for everybody in this store – but beware, if you’re a nail polish junkie, you might want to take a day off. All of the products are really inexpensive and what’s even better, the price – quality ratio is absolutely wonderful.  

Look Fantastic Beauty Box – August 2015

After some months, I finally used up most of the products from my previous Look Fantastic boxes and decided it was time to see what they have up their sleeve this time. 

 

Look Fantastic Beauty Box is a subscription service box (in which case you save a bit of money), but it can also be bought individually for 20,85 €. Generally, one or two out of 5 products in the box already bring the worth to the 21 € mark, but that doesn't really mean anything if you don't like the products, now does it? This is what I found inside the August box. 

I must say that I really like the pick, since I haven't used any of these brands except for Rimmel before. I think that this is a real advantage of subscription boxes as well – being able to use samples or deluxe samples (and sometimes even full size products) of brands I would otherwise probably never reach for or even think about, really.  

Freedom Makeup London - review & swatches

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to receive a couple of Freedom Makeup products from the online store Licila.si. In the package, I found the following three products. 

I was most excited about the bronzing trio, since I'm always on the hunt for the perfect bronzer/contour. This is the Bronzed professional Pro in Shimmer lights (you can get it here for 5,95 €). 

The packaging doesn't seem the sturdiest, but for the price, a bit of saving on that front can be expected. I am also not particularly happy about the fact that there is no mirror on the compact.  The three colors can be used mixed together in a shimmery bronzer or used separately, which is how I use them. I normally prefer the colors to be physically separated in the compact, but each of the shades is big enough for my brushes so I don't pick up the shades I don't want to. 

The swatches on hand don't do complete justice to the product, since the brush picks it up a bit better, but this is more to give you an idea about the colors and shades. I really like the pink shade of the blush and the warmth of highlighter, but the actual bronzer has very poor pigmentation. 

The next item I received is the Pro Conceal Palette in Light/Medium (get it here for 6,95 €). 

Again, the packaging is nothing special, but I like the variety of the shades in this palette a lot, since I don't own anything like this at all. 

From the entire palette, I've been using the right two shades the most so far – the beige for actual spots and imperfections and the yellow toned shade as an under-eye concealer. The consistency of these concealers is quite soft, so I would definitely suggest putting a setting powder on top if you want them to remain in place for the entire day. Still, I think that regarding the amount of product you get in one palette, this is really good value for money. 

The last surprise gift was the Pro Lipstick in 109 – Red Wine (available here for 1,95 € along with numerous other lovely shades).

This lipstick is right up my alley since I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone a bit with some bolder colors. It swatches quite lighter than it appears in the packaging, so it's not a dark red, but rather a light red with a bit of fuchsia undertone. I love this lipstick and I'll probably get some darker shades for the upcoming winter months. 

I would like to see your reviews or opinions on the Freedom products as well, so leave them below!

Until next time, stay beautiful.

New products – August 2015

I tried to be reasonable with my shopping in the past month, since I've got quite some business and personal trips coming up in the near future and I intend to purchase some products that are not easily available to me in Slovenia (or not at all). That being said, I still slipped on some occasions and I also received some Freedom Make-Up from Licila.si to try out, but I will review those in a separate post.

First off, I took advantage of a nice Yves Rocher offer where one could choose three products for 12,50 € (the promotion is still valid). 

Since I've never tried Yves Rocher products before, this seemed like a nice opportunity. I bought the Replumping serum foundation, Blackberries sparkling body powder and Hair Repair Oil. The company also sent me some extra samples to try out and a shopping bag which comes in handy for my everyday grocery purchases. 

I haven't tried all of the products yet, but can I just point out how beautiful this packaging from the sparkling body powder is? I absolutely love the little puff and the smell of it as well – it really does smell like blackberries!

It was love at first sight for me and the Kaviar Gauche for Catrice face powder (about 2,5 € on sale). This one comes in shape of little balls which can easily be gently swirled around with a smaller face brush and give away just enough product. I personally use them as highlights on my cheekbones, since they are a bit too shiny for the entire face. I give Catrice ***** on the packaging alone – it could have easily been a Chanel or Dior product as well. 

I also purchased two Bourjois products from Look Fantastic website – the Silk Edition Compact powder (12,75 €) which I've used before and absolutely love, and another shade of Bourjois Rouge Edition 12 Hour Lipstick in Rose Vanity (11,35 €). 

I really like the consistency of these lipsticks and although they don't exactly last for 12 hours, they are still reasonably long-lasting and not drying at all, which is something I normally associate with long-lasting lippies. 

I have not yet touched The Nuxe Melting Cleansing Gel with rose petals (17,75 €), but I have used up samples from the Rose line before and liked them quite a lot. 

I am also excited to use the Kera Care Silken Seal (10,65 €) – since reading the great reviews for this product on Look Fantastic website, this was the product I was most excited for to arrive. I will definitely report back on it.

And since I did spend quite a lot of money on the Look Fantastic website, I was gifted some extra goodies from them. I received the Origins Skin Saviour Set (worth 27 €) which includes a face wash, exfoliator and overnight mask. But as if they suspected that my skin is in quite rough shape at the moment, I also got the Elemis Absolute Spa Collection (worth 67 €) that includes a milk bath, Pro Collagen Marine Cream and Papaya Enzyme Peel. I am looking forward to treating my skin to these new products and see if any of them will work wonders. 

Stay tuned for the review of Freedom Make-up products coming up tomorrow! Until then, stay beautiful!