četrtek, 26. februar 2015

REVIEW: Essence I love Trends nail polish (02 i nude it)

Hello lovelies :)
How are you on this fine day? I was on a nail polish shopping spree a little while ago, because my nail polish stash shrinked. I am loving nude colours lately, so I got some new nude nail polishes that came to the drugstore not so long ago. Today I will be talking about the new Essence I love Trends nail polish, I am also planning on reviewing 2 new Catrice luxury nudes colours later :)





The nail polish comes in a round glass bottle with a black lid. There is 8ml/0.27 fl.oz of product in it and it retails for 1,99  in drugstores. The brush is long an flat. The nail polish applies a bit streaky, but I think that this is because of the formula, not the brush.


I nude it is a nice pale beige nude colour. It looks like it has some subtile golden shimmer, but the shimmer is not visible once you put the nail polish on the nails. It is fully opaque in 2 coats and lasts 2 days on my nails if I am very carefull. It usually lasts only a day though, it starts wearing of my tips at the end of the day and it sometimes chips. I do not mind this, since I usually wear different nail polish every day, but for somebody that likes to wear their nail polish longer it might be a deal breaker. The formula is quite thick and it applies a bit streaky. Even application is a bit harder to achieve, but the brush definetly helps because of it's nice shape. It is definetly better than their usual colour&go nail polish brushes, because it is not as wide.



2 coats, no top coat

2 coats and a coat of top coat

All in all I like this nail polish. It is a bit harder to work with and it does not have the best lasting power, but I personally do not mind that too much. I think it comes down to a personal preference whether or not you will like this nail polish.

Did you try any of the new Essence nail polishes?
Have a nice day :)
Thank you for reading :)
Tjaša :)

torek, 24. februar 2015

2015 Reading Challenge #1

Hello lovelies :)
I found this challenge in Invisibly Perfect blog at the beginning of the year and decided to participate in the challenge, since I am trying to read more books. I can not promise that I will finish this challenge, but I will try and I decided to write a little about the books I read during this challenge. It is fun to take a break from usual make up related posts from time to time :) I already finished two challenges. I read a book with more than 500 pages and a book with a one- word title.








A CLASH OF KINGS (GEORGE R.R. MARTIN)
I personally an a big fan of the Game Of Thrones series and recently I decided to read all the books, before watching the new season of the TV show, that starts in April. A Clash Of Kings is the second part of George R.R. Martin's brilliant series about war, love, magic, incest, killing and other cool fantasy stuff, called A Song Of Ice And Fire.
I am very much a big fantasy fan. so I think that it is needless to say that I really enjoyed the book. I also really like how the book is divided into chapters and each character has it's time to shine. Some of the characters I loved imediately (Jon, Snow, Tyrion, Arya...), others I never really liked (the Onion Knight, Stannis, Joffrey). The flow of the story was really nice, nothing was happening to fast or to slow and all of the characters decisions felt logical and organic. I do believe this book is worth reading (the whole series is), if you are even mildly interested in Game Of Thrones. However it might not appeal to everybody, because of the writing style of the author. I really do not have much to write about this book... It is a pure masterpiece :D




OUTPOST (ADAM BAKER)
This book was the first I found on my Kindle that had a one-word title. I have very mixed feelings about it. I do not usually read these kind of books and I did not connect with any of the characters in the book. The book is set in an apocaliptic world, where disease rampages and a few people, working on an Arctic refinery platform want to go home, while facing countless obsticles.

Kasker Rampart: a derelict refinery platform moored in the Arctic Ocean.  A skeleton crew of fifteen fight boredom and despair as they wait for a relief ship to take them home.
But the world beyond their frozen wasteland has gone to hell.  Cities lie ravaged by a global pandemic.  One by one TV channels die, replaced by silent wavebands.
The Rampart crew are marooned.  They must survive the long Arctic winter, then make their way home alone.  They battle starvation and hypothermia, unaware that the deadly contagion that has devastated the world is heading their way...

As said before, I really did not connect with any of the characters, especially with the main character Jane.

“Jane woke, stretched, and decided to kill herself. If she hadn’t found a reason to live by the end of the day she would jump from the rig. It felt good to have a plan.” 

This quote is basically how the book starts, with the main character wanting to commit suicide. She goes trough some character development, but in my oppinion it is way to subtile to be noticable. All in all she was a weak character in my oppinion. I did like some of the side characters better, especially Ghost and Nail a bit. Ghost was the only character I really cared about and wanted to succeede (spoiler, he does not succeede, but nether does Jane).
The book is fast paced at times and it is easy to get lost in all the things that are going on in the story. It was a solid book for a quick read, but I will definetly not re-read it.

That would be all the books I read so far :) Do you have any recommendations for other categories?
Thank you for reading :)
Have a nice day ;)
Tjaša :)

nedelja, 22. februar 2015

Comparing Catrice foundations

Hello lovelies :)
I like to use foundation every day, even when I do not have time to do make up I still slap a bit of foundation, mascara and brow gel on my face. Since my skin is quite iffy about the foundations I use, I found only a few that my skin could handle so far. Surprizingly all of them come from Catrice. I usually have a problem with foundations, because they do not stick to my skin (rubb off while I am applying them... I am looking at you Bourjois), oxidise like crazy (every Essence foundation ever) or slip off my face after two hours of wear. I am happy that I found something that suits me and is also wallet friendly :)





PACKAGING
All of the foundations come in glass bottles, each 30 ml. All Matt plus has a square bottle, which I find is the easyest to store. Velvet Finish foundation has a smaller but wider bottle and Nude Illusion has a round bottle. All the bottles are sturdy and do not break easily even when falling on the floor. All of the foundations have a black plastic pump that disposes just enough product. I like the packaging of All Matt plus the best, because it is square, but I like the pump from Velvet Finish and Nude Illusion is much better.

COLOUR RANGE
Both All Matt plus and Nude Illusion come in 5 shades total, ranging from pale to a medium colour. Velvet Finish comes in four colours. I personally like the colour selection, aldough I think that nobody can deny that more colours in different undertones would be awesome (something like Revlon Colorstay... they have an awesome range). I personally feel that the Velvet Finish line lacks a really fair colour, because their lightest colour is to dark even for me in the winter  (I think it is also because of the undertone). As far as colour matching goes for me I like to use All Matt plus 010 light beige in winter, Velvet Finish 010 Light Velvet in summer (mixed with a bit of All Matt plus 030 Warm Beige if I get a tan for some reason) and Nude Illusion 010 Nude Ivory or 020 Rose Vanilla in between.




FORMULA
These three lines have quite a different formula. All Matt plus is really matt and is also the most thick out of all three foundations. I do set it with powder, because I need to do that with every foundation, but somebody with normal or dry skin probablly would not have to set it, because it sets matt. Nude Illusion is the most liquidy of the three and leaves a nice dewy finish, if it is not set with powder. Velvet Finish is somewhere in between. It sets, but does not appear completely matt. If you can get away with not setting your foundation I think Nude Illusion or Velvet Finish would look the most skin like and the prettyest on the face.



LONGEVITY
This really depends on my skin. I found that All Matt plus usually lasts the longest, while Nude Illusion lasts just a few hours, if I do not prep my skin accordingly. If I want Nude Illusion to last longer I NEED to apply a mattifying primer and sett it with powder, if I don't the foundation just slips from my skin. Velvet Finish also lasts quite long.



PIGMENTATION
Both All Matt plus and Velvet Finish have nice pigmentation to it and can cover redness quite nicely. Nude Illusion is more sheer, but it is also the most buildable from the three. All Matt plus is the least buildable and can look cakey if applied too much, especially on dry skin.



I personally like All Matt plus the best, because it suits my oily acne prone skin the most, but I do wish that it would contain some SPF, because I am all about SPF :P
Did you try any of the Catrice foundations? Which one is your favourite?
Thank you for reading :)
Have a nice day :)
Tjaša :)


petek, 20. februar 2015

REVIEW: Catrice liquid liner (010 Dating Joe Black)

Hello lovelies :)
I was a big liquid eyeliner fan back in the day, before liquid eyeliners started to irritate my eyes. After a few years of using eye shadow as eye liner I decided to give liquid liners another chance. This lovely liner was the first one that cought my attention in the drugstore, especially because it is a matte finish and I like those the most.



The liner comes in a long black plastic packaging that is quite sturdy and easy to store. The cap is quite long and comfortable to hold. There is 1.7 ml / 0.05 fl. oz. of product in the packaging. I do not know how much product other liners have,  but I think 1.7 ml is more than enough, since the liner is lasting me quite a long time.


The applicator is a felt tip. It bends nicely and is thin enough to do some really detailed work with. It is also really easy to do a crisp line or a nice flick (If you have more skill than me :P). The colour of the liner is a brown based black, which is usually not as dark as blue based black, but this colour is really really black. It dries really fast and has a matte finish. I had no problems with smudging, but there was some transfer of the liner into the crease at the end of the day (keep in mind that my lids become very oily), if I did a really thick line. The liner also did not fade for the while day. The formula is liquid enough to glide on the lid nicely, but still opaque in one swipe. 




Here are the two make up looks where I used this liner. All in all I really like this liner and if you are on a hunt for a nice matte black liner I think you will like this one :)

Wj+hat is your favourite liner?
Thank you for reading :)
Have a nice day ;)
Tjaša :D


sobota, 14. februar 2015

2015 Valentine's day challenge - Love and Kisses

 Hello lovelies :)
It is time to do the last theme in the Valentine's Day challenge (made by  Theodora and Kaki) called Love and Kisses :) The challenge was over soo fast, don't you think? I really enjoyed doing the challenge and looking at all the creations that other people did. Soo many beautifull things were made for this challenge :D Well here is the last creation from me. I did a nail art using red and nude colours with some gold. Not really something usual from me, since I usually do not wear red on my nails, but it seemed appropriate, since it is Valentine's day today and it is al about red and hearts :)




Products used:
*Essence studio nails 24/7 nail base
*Essence I <3 Trends - 02 i nude it
*Catrice - C05 Ruling Red (Lala Berlin LE)
*Essence colour&go - 156 me & my lover
*Essence metal glam gold topper - 01 steel-ing the scene



 I used Essence studio nails 24/7 nail base on my bare nails and then applied Essence I <3 Trends - 02 i nude it on my ring and middle fingers and Essence colour&go - 156 me & my lover on my pinky and index fingers (both 2 coats). After that I used Catrice - C05 Ruling Red and the Love Letters stamping plate from essence to stamp the hearth motive on my ring finger and topped my index and pinky fingers with a coat of Essence metal glam gold topper - 01 steel-ing the scene.

I wish you all a happy Valentine's day aldough I personally do not celebrate it. In my oppinion every day you are with your loved one should be a Valentine's day :)
Have a nice day ;)
Thank you for reading :)
Tjaša :D

petek, 13. februar 2015

REVIEW: Wet'n'Wild Mega Last Matte lipsticks

Hello lovelies :)
I got these lipsticks quite some time ago and I finally had time to write a review. I must say I did not expect much, aldough many people like these lipsticks, because of the price and the fact that they are matt. I personally love matt lipsticks above everything else, but I think that it is hard to find a nice formula, when it comes to matt lipsticks.



The lipsticks come in a plastic black packaging with a transparent lid. The packaging is a bit flimsy and feels cheap, but the lid closes nicely and soo far the packaging is doing it's job, which is to protect the product. I used to have these lipsticks with me in my pocket or purse all the time and the lid did not open or crack, so I am happy with that. I got three colours, but there are many more beautifull colours that suit many skin tones :)



JUST PEACHY


Just Peachy is a pale peachy shade, I can not really decide if this shade is cool toned or warm toned. I feel like it is a bit on the cooler side. It does have a nice staying power for a nearly nude lipstick. I like to apply it straight form the bullet and then I soften the lipstick with my fingers, because I feel it looks nicer on me that way. It does emphasize dry parts, but it does not have the most drying formula out of the three lipsticks.




SUGAR PLUM FAIRY


This is such a beautifull purply plum shade. I fell in love with it the minute I applied it. It does require a bit more work, because it is a bit dry. I apply it from the bullet and then use a lip brush to correct the lip line. This lipstick lasts trough drinks and most meals. It does transfer but it does not fade for a long time, and when it does it fades in a nice soft purple pinkish colour. This is a must have for anybody who likes dark lipsticks.




CORAL-INE


I wished for this colour to be more orange. Instead it is an orange red colour. It is still beautifull though :) I find that this lipstick does not emphasize dry lips as much as other two shades do. It does last around 4 - 5 hours and fades into a nice reddish stain. 







All in all I really like these lipsticks. Aldough they are a bit dry they last for a long time once they are on the lips, but they might not be comfortable for somebody who has dry lips. I usually apply the Essence translucent lip pencil as a base, to help lipstick slip on the lips better. You can get these colours and many more on Destination Pretty for 2,97 .

Did you try any of the Wet'n'Wild Mega Last Matte lipsticks?
Thank you for reading :)
Have a nice day :)
Tjaša :)

četrtek, 12. februar 2015

Dashbox (February) - First Impresions

Hey lovelies,
so as you my know all of us beauty junkies love beauty boxes, but they are really rear in Slovenia. 
Dashbox has been around for few months now and this motnh i was sold, when i saw the first product, that would be in a box. 

Once a month you can order a box filled with 4-5 fullsize products (beauty, skincare, haircare, nails, lifestyle) and maybe some samples.
The price is 18€ + shipping 3-3,80€.

 In the box you get a paper with all the product informations, prices, short descriptions and how to use them.
It also came with a lovely baby pink ''wraping'' paper.
 This month there were 4 fullsize products, one sample and the other sample was a gift if you orderd in a first few days. Now let's start with the first impresions.
 Johnny Orgazmus Cacao Glow 
We were able to choose what to get from this brand and i decided for this one. It's a facial scrub & mask. It is organic and vegan wich is always a plus! The packaging is super cute in my oppinion, a bit vintage looking. It contains 50g of product. The smell, yes the SMELL IS AMAZING! I tried it as a scrub yesterday and i felt like i was in chocolate heaven :D
Price: 12,95€
 Farmona Sweet Secret Chocolate body wash gel + a sample of body butter
This smells divine, a strong scent of dark chocolate and pistachios wich are my favourite nuts.
The color of the shower gel is dark brown, like melted chocolate. It contains 225ml of product. I tried it yesterday and i love it. It didn't dry out my skin and the smell lasted for a while. I am saving the boddy buter sample for Saturday (Valentines day). 
Price: 12,35€ 
 W7 Powder Blush 
I was hoping to get the Candy blush, because they look so cute, but i got this one,
The packaging is simple  and contains 4g of product.
 It comes with a small brush and a mirror in the lid. Mine is in the color Tawny, muted orange with tiny golden shimmers. 
The pigmentation is suprisingly really amazing. Really soft and buttery and easy to blend. The color is not really in my alley but i will get the most use of it in summer when i will be a bit darker.
Price: 6€
 W7 Super Gel Delux Eyeliner 
This one is in the color Blackest black, you get 1,5g of product and on one end is also a sponge for smudging. 
 I didn't swatch it, because it's just a basic black pencil and those are always in use. I haven't tried it yet on my eyes but i will soon.
Price: 4€
Greenland Fruit Emotions shower gel (sample)
This was just an extra sample of a shower gel. It's in  a scent grapefruit-ginger and it sounds devine and really refreshing, perfect for mornings. 
Price for full size: 6,99€

I am really hape with the products i got and all of them you can buy in their online shop (linked in the begining of the post.)

From 1.2 till 28.2 you can get 20% discount on all Greenland shower gels!!

Have you tried any of those products? Are you planing to?
Let me know! ;)

Ajda*

sreda, 11. februar 2015

2015 Valentine's Day Challenge - Roses

Hello lovelies :)
It is time to do the fifth challenge in the Valentine's Day challenge (made by  Theodora and Kaki) :) I can not believe the challenge is almost over :) just one more challenge to go! But before that, here is the look I created, inspired by roses. I wanted to do something light and pink and incorporate a bit of green. Here is what I did and what I used.




Products used:
*Catrice Eyeshadow Pen (C01 Black's Pearl, Le Grand Bleu LE)
*Catrice Velvet Matt Eyeshadow ( 010 Vanilaty Fair,020 Pink-Up Girls, 030 Jump Up And Brown...)
*Essence Longlasting Eye pencil (010 Black Fever)
*Essence I <3 Extreme volume mascara
*Sleek Matte i-Divine palette vol.2 (Fern)


I used Catrice Eyeshadow Pen (C01 Black's Pearl) as a primer all over my lid and applied Vanilaty Fair on my browbone for a highlight. I used Pink-Up Girls on my lid and applied Jump Up And Brown... in my crease and a bit in the outer V. I used Fern on the outer half of my upper lash line and smudged it a bit to create a light smokey line. I finished the look by tightlining the upper waterline and the outer half of my lower waterline with Essence Longlasting Eye pencil (010 Black Fever) and Essence I <3 Extreme volume mascara on my upper and lower lashes.


And that would be it :) What do you think?
Thank you for reading :)
Have a nice day :)
Tjaša :)

torek, 10. februar 2015

REVIEW: Catrice Matt Nail Lacquer (Rock-o-co LE)

Hello lovelies :)
I actually did not mean to buy anything from the new Catrice limited edition, but when I saw that the nail polishes are matt I decided to get some, because I love me some matt nail polish and I had great experience with Catrice matt nail polishes before. I wanted to write this review a bit sooner, but did not find the time. I hope you can still find the collection in the drugstore if you decide to get some products :)




Nail polishes come in a round glass bottle with a round white cap. The bottle has a nice white pattern on it. I personally thinh tha the cap is a bit to small, but I am very clumsy and I am sure I will get used to the round cap. There is 10 ml/0.33 fl. oz. of product, which is quite a lot for a nail polish. The brush is long and flat and applies the product nicely. Catrice finally did a great job with their nail polish brushes :) It is also quite thin an easy to use.


I bought two shades. The grey shade is called C01 L'Ombre A Sanssouci and the frosty torquise shade is called C02 Lilas Bleus. They both have a nice formula, aldough they are a bit different. L'Ombre A Sanssouci has a thick creamy formula and is opaque in 1 coat. Lilas Bleus looks a bit frosty with no top coat applied. It is less creamy, but still nicely opaque. It emphasizes ridges in my nails, because if it's finish. Both of the nail polishes have a semi matt finish. They are matt, but appear creamy (does that make sense?). Lilas Bleus lasts on my nails for about 2 days and  L'Ombre A Sanssouci lasts a day, with a bit of wear on my tips.


2 coats of L'Ombre A Sanssouci an a glossy top coat

2 coats of Lilas Bleus, no top coat

2 coats of Lilas Bleus and a glossy top coat

Lilas Bleus, L'Ombre A Sanssouci and Barry M grey for comparison.

I also compared L'Ombre A Sanssouci with another grey nail polish I own from Barry M called Grey. Grey is a glossy finish and is a bit darker. I also feel like Grey has a bit of a blue undertone, while L'Ombre A Sanssouci looks more like true grey.

All in all I really like these two nail polishes. I also tried Lilas Bleus for stamping and I really like the effect.
Did you try any products from the Rock-o-co Le?
Thank you for reading :)
Have a nice day :)
Tjaša :)