SUNDAY SPECIAL: Recent beauty disappointments

As you probably know from your own experience, not everything in sunshine and rainbows in beauty land - every once in a while we all encounter products we expected a lot from but didn't perform as we hoped for. And since I like to write honest reviews about the products I use, it's only fair that I also talk about the ones I didn't like. I will say that I love these brands, just not these products, and while the products did not work for me, you might like them - I am just stating my own personal experience.

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.

WEDNESDAY SELECTION: Happy birthday to L'Occitane!

Would you believe it if I told you that L'Occitane is celebrating their 40th anniversary? No, I didn't think so. I admit I had to look twice to believe it. But thinking about it now it makes sense - it's one of the brands that really combines tradition and quality as it once was with contemporary designs and fresh approaches. Today, we get to enjoy all of the amazing products because of Olivier Baussan - the founding father of L'Occitane who believed in the power of nature.

To celebrate, L'Occitane decided to pay a tribute to two plants that have been with them from the very beginnings - verbena and lavender. 

MONDAY MADNESS: Empty that can!

I haven't emptied my trash can in a long while - too long, I might add, so I was presented with a pile of used products that you now get to view for your own pleasure :) I'll try to write short reviews, but you know how it is with me - short posts are definitely not my forte. 

Starting off with hair products, I am done with the Aussie Repair Miracle shampoo and conditioner for damage control. I found these two OK, but after using them for a long time I noticed they did make my hair a little bit heavier and they got greasier a bit quicker. I will not repurchase. 

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Sheet masks

First of all, my hat goes off to the person that first thought of sheet masks. I love the whole concept since it's a quick, easy and mess free procedure. Giving some extra love to our skin literally could not be any easier. But let's begin at the beginning. 

These are the sheet masks that I have bought so far. As you can see, I broke the number one beauty blogger rule (take photos before use), but I knew it will be a while before I'll have time for this post so I couldn't help myself. 

The concept of a sheet mask is simple. You open it up and inside, you'll find a sheet mask that looks like a large wet tissue applied to a plastic mask like the one in the photo below. The application is super easy, because the mask already has all the holes where you need them and additional cuts by the nose and on the chin that make it easier to really mold it to your face. I would say it takes me about 30 seconds to really apply it well. 

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*). 

MONDAY MADNESS: NBB (New bits and bobs) from June - review

It's that time of the month again - time to look back at the products I bought in June (*click* for the original post) and have been trying out for the past couple of weeks. I haven't had a chance to use all of them, but if I have an opinion, you'll find it below. As always, it's a long one - but by now you probably don't even need that warning, right? :)

I really like the Aussie Festival Fresh Dry Shampoo - you can read my review and comparison with Batiste dry shampoo *here*. I also tried and loved the Avon Senses Joyful tropics shower gel - the scent (papaya and peach) is a bit sweeter than I normally like, but this one somehow agreed with me. I'm still waiting to try the Artdeco Senses Asian Spa shower gel, as well as both Afrodita goodies. I did however give a go to the Biobaza deodorant and so far, I'm not too impressed. These sunny, hot and humid days are a real make-or-break test for any deodorant though, so I'll hold off on the final verdict. 

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Battle of dry shampoos

OK, OK, it's not a battle - but it sure sounds interesting, doesn't it? I did a Battle of the blenders a while ago comparing Real Techniques and Beautyblender sponges (*click*) so I thought I'd stick to the tradition. 

Today, I wanted to do a quick comparison of two popular dry shampoos - Batiste Original and Aussie Festival Fresh dry shampoo. 

Price and availability

Batiste dry shampoos can be bought at Licila.si for 4,90 € per bottle (200 ml), while you can get Aussie dry shampoo at Muller drugstore (probably also DM, but I'm not sure about that) for about 4 € per bottle (180 ml). 

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???

MONDAY MADNESS: New Bits And Bobs (NBB) for June 2016

I must admit that it didn't exactly feel like I was shopping that much or received that many goodies as in the previous months. But when I hauled everything to the seaside and started taking photos, I realized that I might have a lot going on here. I already spoke briefly about some new products you'll see below, but generally, this is the overview of everything I bought or received this month.

Also, be prepared for a long one next month as well - June is my b-day month and I always go a little overboard when ordering new things, but most of them are yet to arrive :)

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Sun protection collaboration

Dear ladies,

first let me welcome you to the whole new look of my blog. I'm still working on improving some things, I have some editing to do and a whole lot of corrections, but I still want to post in the meantime, so please bear with me :) I hope you like it, since I have been wanting a new look for a long time and this one really caught my eye.

Secondly, and possibly even more important, I want to again address the issue of safety in the sun. I already wrote a long post about it, which you should go and read since it guides you through understanding SPF in general (*click* to read that post).

I won't repeat the dangers of exposing your skin to the sun in exaggerated amounts - you do need some sun exposure to get the all important vitamin D, but keep in mind that you need to be careful in the way you achieve that.

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.