BUY or SKIP: L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil

QUICK FACTS:

Price: ~ 8 Pounds

Content: 150ml

Packaging: Clear orange bottle with a pump dispenser

Available at: drugstores and supermarkets

If you are looking for a product that will remove all of your make-up (including waterproof mascara!) as well as dirt and grime then BUY!

If you are sensitive or allergic to Mineral Oil then you might want to SKIP this product as it is one of its main ingredients. If that is not a deal breaker BUY!

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If you have dry skin and are looking for a makeup remover that does not strip the natural moisture levels of your skin then BUY!

If you are sensitive to scents you might want to SKIP!

If you are tired of using a vast range of eye makeup removers, cleansing milks and wipes to take off your make and are looking for an easier and faster alternative BUY!

I found that the oil made my eyes a bit blurry when I washed it off with water. The effects only lasted a couple of seconds, however if that make you feel uncomfortable then SKIP! If it doesn’t bother you BUY!

Hope this helps you on your decision whether to BUY or SKIP the L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil!

 xoxo, 

Christina

Monthly Empties: December 2015

Here it is. The last empties post of 2015, I hope you enjoy it!

Eucerin 10% Repair Lotion // would repurchase

Overall the product is quite greasy and it takes a while to absorb but once it does it leaves the skin feeling super soft. In winter this is a life saver for me as I tend to have very dry skin and gets itchy.

I also really enjoy applying it on my legs after I shave as I find it to be very soothing.

It’s quite expensive compared to drugstore lotions but considering this lasted me for over 6 months it’s definitely worth.

Frizz Ease Straightening shampoo // would repurchase

Frizz Ease is one of my favorite shampoo (and conditioner) brands out there. Over the last 7 years I have repurchased it time and time again. My hair feels moisturized and nourished while still having a bouncy flow. I looove it!

VO5 Smoothly does it conditioner // would repurchase

This is 500ml bottle of pure (and cheap!) joy. The conditioner feels super lightweight on my hair yet nourished as well. 500ml for only 2 pounds, that’s what I like to call a steal.

Rexona linen dry deodorant // might repurchase

It was a good deodorant. Did its job, yet sometimes leaving behind some white residue. Maybe I will repurchase.

Lee Stafford Argan Oil // would not repurchase

If you live in a hot/humid place, this is great. As it tamed my frizzy hair making it overall more manageable, at least that’s the impression I got after using this on vacation. However once the temperatures dropped I didn’t see any difference when I applied this on my hair or not. Will not be repurchasing it.

Dirty Works Moisture Mask // would not repurchase

This is one of those products where I can´t quite explain why, but I just didn’t like it. Sometimes I found that it made my skin feel softer others not at all. Not convinced at all which is why I won’t repurchase.

St. Ives Olive Face Scrub // would not repurchase

The peeling effect is much softer as with the apricot version, almost to soft because you can’t really notice doing something for your skin. It comes out very goopy out of the packaging. Very very goopy. I ended up using it as a body scrub instead as I didn’t feel comfortable using it on my face due to the texture. Not a repurchase for me.  

What products have you finished up lately?

xoxo, 

Christina

NotW: Essence “That's My Pop Cake!”

When I went through my nail polish collection and decluttered some of my old nail polishes I found a long forgotten polish.

Essence “That's My Pop Cake!” is a beautiful reddish/pinky glittery shade. As this polish feels more like a topper to me, I like to pair it with a red nail polish underneath so that I don´t need to apply many layers to get a full coverage.

How to recreate this design:

1. Apply one to two coats of any red nail polish you have (it doesn´t really matter which one as the glitter will cover most of it anyway).
2. Apply two coats of Essence “That's My Pop Cake!”.
3. Once the nail polish has completely dry take a black nail polish (I used Essence “Black” stamp polish) and Konad stamping plate M77 and stamp the “jeweled” design onto your nails.
4. Before applying a coat of your favorite top coat (I love Essence “Better than Gel Nails Top Coat) I recommend to wait a little for the black polish to completly dry. Then carefully take a rhinestone and place it onto your design.
5. In order to secure the rhinestone add another layer of top coat and you´re done!

I hope you enjoyed this design!

xoxo, 

Christina

Monthly Empties: The Project Pan Edition 2015

I cant believe it has been 5 months since my last make-up empties. I have been working really hard on finishing some more products before the end of the year. This is what I manage to use up:

Maybelline the eraser concealer in “light” // would repurachse

Thus far my favorite drugstore under eye concealer. This is probably my 5^th tube and I will continue to repurchase it time in time again.

Catrice Liquid eyeliner in “Dating Joe Black” // have repurachse

Best liquid eyeliner ever! I have mentioned it here.

Catrice Eyebrow Pencil "Date with Ash-ton" // would repurachse
Already repurchased. A good eyebrow pencil, although I am still looking for "the" one.

Catrice Camouflage concealer in “Ivory” // might repurachse

The consistency of the concealer was very creamy and it did a good job covering up the blemishes I tend to get around my chin area. I would not us it as an under eye concealer because I find too dry for that but it works perfectly for blemishes around your face. I would say it lasts about 4-6 hours before it starts to fade. Definitely worth a look if you don’t want to invest in MAC concealer.

Catrice Lipliner in "Choc´aholic" // would not repurchase

The color was a bit too dark for my taste. So I wouldn´t repurchase it.

Maybelline LashSensational Mascara // would not repurchase

You can find the review about it here.

Essence LE "Mountain Calling" translucent powder // discountinued

A good translucent powder for a reasonable price. I would repurchase it if it weren´t for the fact that it was a limited edition product.

Catrice Photofinish Foundation in “Fair” // discountinued

The foundation had a high coverage which I really enjoyed. However the lightest color was still a bit too dark for me. I could pull it off over summer. I believe they discontinued this foundation, not too sad to see this go as I have other foundations in my collection to go through.

Revlon Lipgloss in “Petal Peach” // discountinued

I believe this is long discontinued lipgloss, but “Peach Petal” used to be a perfect dupe to MAC “Underage” lipgloss for around a third less of the price. I got it this before I started University (5 years ago!) so I am happy I was able to use it up before it went bad.

Catrice Eyeshadow in “Oh its toffeefull” // discountinued

I have two other backups, this is how much I love this shade.  It´s very close to Patina, which is probably the reason I love it so much. I am sad to see it go, but not too much as I have two more to use.

Are you working on using up makeup items? If so, which ones?

xoxo, 

Christina

Catrice Liquid Metal Eyeshadows

While doing some decluttering a couple of days ago I found these two lovely Catrice Liquid Metal Eyeshadows in “070 Gold Leaf Me” and “020 Gold n' Roses” which I got in my Germany haul last year and had almost forgotten about.  

I always feel naturally drawn to green eyeshadows which is why I had to get “Gold Leaf Me”, an olive green shade with a golden sheen. “Gold'n'Roses” is a rose golden eyeshadow which to me is one of those "one-of-a-kind" shades. No wonder I ended picking it up as well. Normally I find rose shades hard to pair but I like using it with warm brown tones on my crease.

I prefer to use these eyeshadows wet because there is less fallout that way and the payoff is more intense. If not wet I would recommend to use them over a base to maximize the staying power as well as the pigmentation. I noticed that when blending them they tend to sheer out but that’s nothing a second layer won´t fix. With around 4 Euros (5 Dollars) a piece they are really budget friendly metallic eyeshadows that are worth checking out if you haven´t done so already. I absolutely love the colors and feel tempted to try out more shades.

 

What do you think about the Catrice Liquid Metal Eyeshadows?

 

xoxo, 

Christina 

MAC "Copper" Pigment

MAC „Copper“ was not on my radar until I swatch it in store. It is a metallic true penny alike shade. The first thing I noticed is how finely milled it is compared to other pigments. It literally glides on your eyelids. I prefer to use it wet because if like how vibrant the shade looks (almost like liquid metal) but even dry you get a similar effect.

I initially thought there was product missing because the container look half empty however MAC pigments are packed by weight, so that was “normal”. “Copper” is a part of MAC permanent range and it is definitely worth a swatch the next time you go a MAC counter.    

How do you like Mac “Copper” Pigment?

 xoxo, 

Christina

Project: Pan those Nail Polishes II

Nail polish is THE beauty category I can go nuts about. However at the beginning of this year I decided that 215 nail polishes was a bit too much and decided to embark on this “Pan those Nail Polishes Project”. Last poste (here) was not quite what I expected it to be (bought 26 and only used up 6...ups) but now I am finally seeing some progress that I am super excited about. Still not quite where I want to be but definitely heading towards the right direction now. Although this update is coming a bit late, I still wanted to share with you my progress.

Over the last four months (May-August) I managed to empty 12 polishes. I have to admit even I am surprised by that number. Ok, most bottles were half full to begin with but 12 is definitely a personal record. Not too bad, right?

I don´t think I will be able to keep up with that speed in terms of using up products, mostly because the bottles I aim to finish now are full but I will continue to work on it.

I couldn’t quite resist buying some new nail polishes as well but I didn’t go near as crazy as last time.  I bought and used up a total of 12 nail polishes, having a total of 236.

My goal for the third and final update of this year is to actually reduce the number of nail polishes I own (compared to this update). In order to do so I will restrain myself to buy 1 nail polish (if even) a month and hopefully be able to use up an average 2 nail polishes per month. Ideally I would like to own 230 polishes by the end of 2015. I will do my best, keep your fingers crossed!

OLD TOTAL: 235   

NEW TOTAL: 236

Added: +12

Used up: -12 

Are you also working on using up nail polishes? Any tips and tricks?

 xoxo, 

Christina

NotW: Essence "Party in a bottle"

There is something magical about glitter, especially when it comes to glittery nail polish. I always feel like a moth drawn to the flame. Well at least that´s pretty much what happened when I saw Essence “Party in a bottle”. It was love at first sight and for under 2 Pounds/Euro/Dollars a real steel.

The only downside is that that I already know that it will be a pain to remove (because all glittery nail polish are) but I just love how fun and flirty it looks. I especially like how the black crackling toned the glitter a bit down making the look more daytime appropriate.

How to recreate this design:

This step is optional: apply one coat of a teal nail polish as base for the glitter nail polish.

1. Apply two coats of Essence “Party in a bottle”.

2. Apply one coat of Essence “crackling” top coat in black (make sure that the glitter polish has completely dried otherwise the crackling won´t work).

3. Apply one coat of your favorite top coat to seal the design and you´re done!

How did you like this design?

 xoxo, 

Christina

Review: Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

QUICK FACTS

Color: Blackest Black

Content: 9,5ml

Price: ~ 8 Pounds; ~ 10 Euros; ~ 9 Dollars

Where to buy? Drugstores

I am always on the hunt for a mascara that separates and defines my lashes while providing some volume. So when Maybelline launched the “Lash Sensational Mascara” I decided to give it try and see how I like the product. I have been using this mascara for the last three months and have to say I feel a bit torn about it.

The “Ink Formula” of the Lash Sensational Mascara can be described as wet, almost gel alike. I find that the brush picks up a bit too much of the product making it a bit hard to obtain those nice defined lashes. Wiping off some of the product before applying it or using a lash comb afterwards definitely helps but I feel the formula could be a tat more dry. After a while of using of course the product dries out a bit more but the gel-like-consistency makes it slightly clumpy to use.

Apart from that the mascara does not smudge or flake at all which is always great as panda eyes do not look flattery (on me) at all.   

I find the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara to be a stable drugstore mascara that might be worth the shot trying. The perception of a mascara always depends on the user. Personally I don’t find it to be a life changing product nor something I see myself repurchasing in the future but I don´t regret purchasing it. 

Have you tried the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara? How did you like it?

 xoxo, 

Christina

NotW: Essence "Frosted Champaign"

This week I wanted to try a “No matter what you wear, your nails will match your outfit” kind of nail design. I wanted something easy and simple because I know I didn’t have much time to paint my nails. The base color is actually more on the white side but as I used a sparkly golden top coat it comes off yellow/golden. Although it wasn’t purposely intended to look that way, I have to admit that it is a nice side effect that I will recreate for sure in the future. 

How to recreate this design:

1. Apply two coats of Essence „Frosted Champaign“ nail polish.

2. Apply one coat of Revlon “Sequins” nail polish.

3. Last but not least apply one coat of your favorite top coat and you’re done!

How did you like this design? Will you recreate it

 xoxo, 

Christina

Monthly Empties: The Make-up Edition

This month I decided to sharewith you some Make-up empties. Thruth be told that finishing make-up products takes me longer than other beauty related items. Some of these items I have been working on for the past six months. Anyway lets jump right into it.

Catrice Liquid eyeliner “Dating Joe Black” // will repurchase
My favorite liquid eyeliner as it is super easy to draw a cat eye wing with it. It has a rather matt finish and stays put pretty much all day. I will continue to repurchase this time and time again.

Revlon “150 Buff” Colorstay Foundation // will repurchase
A great foundation that has an amazing staying power and is light enough for me. This is the second bottle I have bought and I sure it won´t be the last. I wish it would come with a pump though to make the application easier. Downside is that I noticed it kind of stained my brushes, making it harder for me to get them squeaky clean.

Bobbi Brown Gel eyeliner “Espresso” // might repurchase

Find the review here.

Essence translucent fixing powder // might repurchase
I bought this powder ages ago because I read somewhere that you can use fixing powder to make your lipstick last longer but I never really used that for it. As the packaging takes up quite some room in my makeup collection I wanted to use it up. I normally tend to go for pressed powder but I have to say I was quite happy with this one which is why I would consider repurchasing it. Just not in the near future as I have plenty of other powder to do through.

MAC LE “Way to love” Lipstick // won´t repurchase
This was the first MAC lipstick I bought and have used up. It was a pretty everyday pinky blue shade that I am glad to see go because I have plenty of these colors and I must say I prefer everyday nude colors over pink ones.

Alverde eyebrow gel // won´t repurchase
This used to be an all-time favorite but somehow this time it felt kind of wet. I am trying out the Catrice one at the Moment and being one Euro cheaper than the Alverde at the same quality I believe I won´t be repurchasing this one.

Catrice “005 light” Light Reflecting Concealer // won´t repurchase
I wanted to try out a highlighting concealer that wasn’t too expensive. The shade was good as it was light enough but I was only able to use it like 10-15 times. I don´t really think it is worth the money. I might just go get a really light concealer and use that for highlighting instead of this one. 

Essence black Eyeliner // would repurchase
I think they discontinued this eyeliner which is unfortunate because it had a really nice creamy consistency and worked really well to line my upper lash line.

Catrice “Starlight Espresso” Eye shadow // might repurchase
I used this to fill in my eyebrows and it worked well. Currently I am using a Mac eye shadow. After that one is finished I might repurchase this one.

Essence “I love Stage” Eye shadow Base // won´t repurchase
As an eye shadow base it worked perfectly but this was way way too orange on me. Every time I put it on my lids I used NYX “Milk” Eyeshadow pencil to conceal the color. I wouldn´t repurchase it which is a shame because other than that the product was great, especially for the money paid 

Total: 79,50 Euros (~95 Dollars // ~63 Pounds) 

What make-up products have you used up recently?

 xoxo, 

Christina

NotW: Essie "Cocktails & Coconuts"

Personally I loved how this designed turned out (especially because I wasn´t too sure about it in the making). I really like how the coral gives the quite neutral design a bit of an edge and the lace makes it look a whole lot more elegant.

How to recreate this design:

1. Apply two coats of Essie “Cocktails and Coconuts”.

2. Take a coral nail polish like “Kiko 360" and paint one strip in the middle of your nails. If you want the lines to be really sharp, take some adhesive and use it as a stencil. While the nail polish is still drying slowly and carefully remove the tape.

3. Once the nail polish has completely dried (and I mean completely dried) take your lace stickers and cut the desired length (mine are from Essence but unfortunately I don´t know the name). Then place it them around the coral line.

4. Apply a coat of your favorite top coat and voila.. you are done!

 How do you like this design?

  

xoxo, 

Christina

Drugstore Haul #3

Nivea “Hawaii flower & Oil” Shower Gel 

Last summer I got the “Sunny Melon & Oil” shower gel and I really liked it. Now I wanted to give the “Hawaii flower and Oil” a shot. The scent is very fresh making it perfect for summer. 

Dove “Youthful Vitality” Shampoo & Conditioner

I got these two a while ago because they were on sale. I haven’t tried them out yet but I am curious to see how they will be like.

Dove “Pomegranate & Verbena” body lotion

The “Pomegranate & Verbena” scent is my favorite one out of the Dove line (although the “Mandarin & Tiare Flower” one smells amazing too). I never tried out a Dove body lotion but I am sure I won’t be disappointed with this one.

L´Oreal EverRiche Nourishing intensive mask

I got these two at Sainsburry when they were on sale for 2 pounds! I real steal considering they retail for double and even triple as much. I like the shampoo and conditioner from that series because they leave my hair feeling super soft and smooth. Hopefully the hair mask will be just as good.

Rexona invisible “aqua” deodorant

The Rexona invisible deodorant used to be my favorite deodorant back in my teenage years. I used to buy it year after year and I can´t quite remember why I stopped so I am giving this one another chance and see if I like it as much as I used to.

What have you bought from the drugstore lately?

xoxo, 

Christina