The best liquid eyeliner from the drugstore!

Some like gels others prefer powders or pencils I love liquid eyeliners. While searching for the perfect liquid eyeliner I have tried a lot of them out and ended up falling in love with the Catrice “liquid eyeliner” in “01 Dating Joe Black”. In fact I love this so much I have repurchased it probably 10 times over the last 3 years. 

 

Here is why:

 

- The felt tip is not too soft nor too rigid, making it very easy to draw a precise wing in seconds

 

- The black is an intense semi matt jet black, no need to layer the product

 

- The liner lasts all day. Obviously this is not a waterproof version, hence if it rains or if your eyes get wet it will smudge. For everyday wear however, it’s perfect

 

- The value for money is amazing. Compared to high end liquid eyeliners that I have tried and liked, this one is a steal as it retails for 3,45 € for 1,7ml (Urban Decay Liquid Liner retails for 1,7ml for 20,00 Euros; Mac Superslick Eyeliner 1,8ml for 22 Euros and Kat Van D Tattoo Liner 0,7ml for 20,00 Dollars)

 

If you are looking for a liquid eyeliner I can honestly recommend you the Catrice “liquid eyeliner” in “01 Dating Joe Black”. It’s been my go-to eyeliner for the last two maybe even three years (like you can see in some make-up empties posts here, here and here). Its super easy to use, I love the precise tip and the value for money couldn’t be better.

 

Seriously if you haven’t tried it out thus far, you need to go get it!

 

 

Have you tried the Catrice “liquid eyeliner”?

How did you like it?

xoxo, 

Christina

Monthly Empties: December 2016

Another month has passed which means another empties post is just around the corner..

Dove “1min Intense Repair” conditioner // would repurchase
You have probably seen this in a couple of empties. I love this intense repair mask and will continue to repurchase.

Litamin “Buttermilk & lemon” peeling // would repurchase
I like that the peeling doesn’t feel too harsh on my skin, thanks to the finely milled peeling seeds. For someone with sensitive skin, you should try this one out. The buttermilk lemon scent was great, especially over summer.

Nivea soft cream // would repurchase
I absolutely love this cream. I remember that when I was younger I would either use this or the “bebe” body lotion. It nourishes my skin very well, absorbs quickly and the scent is amazing. Must try!

Essence acetone-free nail polish remover // would repurchase
This is my favorite acetone free nail polish remover. It does the job perfectly without drying up my nails.

Balea Beauty Effect Hyaluronic Booster // might repurchase
I ended up using it on my entire face instead of just my eyes. I can’t decide whether I would repurchase this or not as I am not sure it did something to my skin.

Fa cream and oil “coconut & sheabutter” bodywash // wont repurchase
I didn’t like the scent under the shower. It smelled very heavily perfumed and I prefer fruitier and/or fresh scents. I’m glad this is done.

Guhl "Feuchtigkeitsaufbau“(moisture) conditioner // wont repurchase

I have been wanting to try this line out for a while so a couple of months ago I finally decided to purchase the shampoo and conditioner. While they were not bad I cannot say they were great either and for around 4 Euros I would have expected more.

 

Guhl "Tiefenaufbau“(moisture) hair treatment // wont repurchase 

Again, I expected more. This had no effect on my hair whatsoever so I won’t be repurchasing it.

 

 

What have you used up this month?

 

 

xoxo, 

Christina

BUY or SKIP: Balea "Reinigungsöl" Cleansing Oil

 

I am a big fan of cleansing oils. I used to take off my makeup with wipes but ever since I discovered the magic of oils I have been a big fan. Naturally when I heard about the Balea one (available at the German drugstore "dm") I had to give it a try.
 

 

FACTS

 

Price: 2,50 €

 

Contains: 100ml

 

Available at: dm

 

SKIP or BUY ?

If you are looking for a cleansing oil that offers a good value for money, then look no further you have found one, BUY! This is the cheapest cleansing oil I have tried thus far and I must admit that it works just as well as more expensive ones.

 

The product has no alcohol, conservatives or perfumes, perfect for those of you who have a sensitive skin. BUY!

 

If you like cleansing oils but hate that blurriness just after taking your make-up off, then give this one a try (BUY!). I honestly had no problems with the oil getting into my eyes and causing that blurry effect that I have had with other ones.

 

As the product has 100ml it is very convenient for travelling, BUY! What I love about it, is that it removes all of your make-up you don´t need to pack any additional products with you.

 

A little note on the side: If you are wearing a heavy eye makeup or waterproof mascara you might need to use a bit more product. I don’t mind that at all, because for 2,50 € I don’t mind having to use a bit more product (I usually use 5-6 pumps then to get the job done).

 

Check out my other reviews on cleaning oils here and here.

xoxo, 

Christina

Monthly Empties: November 2016

 

Yes, its that time of the month again... Empties!!

Odol-Med-3 Mouthwash // will repurchase

You probably know this from previous empties post. I really like this mouthwash. Keeps my breath fresh and it tastes minty-fresh. Will continue to repurchase.

 

L’Oréal expertise “Smoothing” shampoo and conditioner // would repurchase

I like the nourishing version (yellow one) a bit better than this one as it leaves my hair feeling softer and more nourished. However these were not bad either, so if you are curious it´s worth giving them a try. The entire line is one of my favorites regarding hair care. Plus, they are silicone free.

 

L’Oréal expertise “Nourishing” hair mask // would repurchase

I really love the shampoo and the conditioner of this line (honestly might be a holy grail next to the frizz ease series). The hair mask was nice as well even though I used it with the “smoothing” series.

 

 

Balea “Reinigungsöl” Make-up remover // will repurchase

This is a great drugstore oil make-up remover. Compared to others I have tried this doesn’t give me a blurry vision right after using it. I switched oils a couple of years ago and I love them.

 

Balea “Eucalyptus” bath // might repurchase

Generally speaking I love eucalyptus/menthol scent. I would have loved this product even more if the scent was a bit stronger in the bathtub. I mix it with some bath salts from Kneipp. The combo was good, however I am not sure whether I like this on its own enough for me to repurchase it.

 

Balea Shower & Oil “Apricot” Shower Gel // won´t repurchase

Big disappointment! This was not by any means nourishing even though the oil beads are supposed to give more moisture. Plus the smell under the shower reminded me of plastic not fresh picked apricots. Will not repurchase this.
 

 

What have you used up this month?

 

xoxo, 
Christina

MAC “Cheers my dear” Pigment

MAC “Cheers my dear” pigment is a limited edition shade that I got as a part of the “Cool Thrillseekers Pigments/Glitter” set back in 2010. It was also re-released in the “Archie´s Girl” collection in 2013.

The color can me described as a frosted pink/lavender with silver sheen. Initially I thought this could be a dupe for Kitschmas Pigment by MAC, but Kitschmas seems to be a bit more cool tone (and more chunky in terms of quality). If you had to choose between these two I would go with “cheers my dear” because I like the quality better (finely milled!).

 

How do you like “Cheers my dear”? Hit or Miss?

xoxo, 

Christina

Product I have hit pan on 2016 – almost done!

Every time I hit pan on a product I get a little bit excited and sad at the same time. Excited because that pan is evidence that I have enjoyed using that product and sad because there is not much left of it. Do you ever experience the same?

Here are mine “hit the pan” products, hope you enjoy!

MAC “Mulch” eyeshadow

I have been working on using this eyeshadow up on what is feels like forever.

It’s a nice warm tone brown with golden glitter but I have a lot of similar shades which is why I want to use this one up.

Repurchase: No

MAC “Beautiful Iris” eyeshadow

I love this light lavender shade. It´s one of my favorite eyeshadows from MAC.

Repurchase: Yes

MAC “Omega” eyeshadow

I use MAC “Omega” as a transitioning color. If I am honest though, I would rather repurchase Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow instead of this one. “Naked” has bit better color payoff and is just easier to blend. Nonetheless not a bad eyeshadow.

Repurchase: Maybe

MAC “Blanktype” eyeshadow

This is my all-time favorite under the brow bone matt highlighter. I love how buttery soft this eyeshadow is and how light the color is. Perfect shade for me.

Repurchase: Yes

Maybelline “Though as taupe” color tattoo

I have been working consistently on this product and believe I might actually be able to use this up by the end of the year.
Repurchase: Yes

Benefit R.S.V.P. (sample size)
A lovely rose champagne color. I have been loving applying this kind of shade on my eyelids so hopefully I will be anle to make some progress and use it up by the end of the year. Hopefully I will be able to do so as the product is starting to dry out. This is getting dried up
Repurchase: Unsure

Manhattan Clearface Powder in "70 Vanilla"
I had heard about this powder so I wanted to give it a try and see if I liked it. So far so good. It has a medium coverage that sometimes might looked a bit cakey. But with a light Hand, perfect especially paired with a sheer foundation.
Repurchase: Maybe

Catrice LE “Enter Wonderland” Highlighter
I love this highlighter. In fact I love it so much that I already used up one of these entirely. Yes, that is 10gr of highlighter that I finished. It´s a perfect everyday glow and just looks amazing on my skin. I´ll sure be sad when this is gone.
Repurchase: I have, 3 times! 

xoxo, 
Christina

Second Update Project Polish 2016

This is my long overdue second update on my project polish. I have been making quite some progress on my project polish nail polishes as well as some additional items which I am quite happy about.

From left to right..

Ciate “Playdate”
I liked the formula of this polish a lot – reminded me of a gel nail polish. If the color would have bit a bit more vibrant perhaps I would have loved it even more. All in all a nice polish that was easy to use up.

Essie “Lovie Dovie”
I loved the color but I´ll admit the formula was not the best as I needed between 3-4 coats to get the opacity I wanted. Having finished this huge bottle (~13.ml) makes me so happy and as pastel/nude pink shades are my favorite I have plenty others in my collection.

Revlon “Sequins” Top Coat
I got this as a gift with a purchase a long time ago. I really like the color of the golden glitter as it was not too warm toned. However at the end the polish was soooo goopy and difficult to use, I cannot say I am missing that at the moment. Glad to see it gone for now. 

Essie “Nice is nice”
This was a nice light lavender shade that I enjoyed using over summer. As I have other similar shades in my collection I am not sad to see this go but rather happy to have finished another polish. 

Basic “Multicolor” Glitter Top Coat
I can honestly say I would repurchase this immediately. I don’t think I have a clear multicolored glitter nail polish with those kind of sparkly almost holographic reflections so I am sad to see this one gone.

Essence “Crackeling” Top Coat
While this polish was not originally in my project polish I managed to finish it anyway. I loved this top coat and would purchase it again if Essence would still make it. Click here and here for some fun designs using this top coat.

CURRENTLY PANNING
These are the polsihes I am still working on...

 

Essence “Frosted Champaign”

Sadly I have only twice and I am not sure I like the color so much on my nails. There is probably 1-2 more applications in it, so I should manage to finish it until the end of the year.

Essie “Playa del Platinum”

Since the last update I think I have used this once. Then again, as it was spring and summer I was more in the mood of some fun summer shades rather than this one.

As I was able to finish quite some polishes I will be adding the following ones

MNY “306A”
I loved using this color over summer. As there is only one more application in here I decided to include this nail polish in my project even though winter is just around the corner and this is more of a summer polish.

 

Essence “Hazelnut Cream Pie”

A great nude shade with a very subtle blueish undertone.

Manhattan “46T”
I have been loving this plum colored nail polish lately. I figured out that since I was reaching for it quite often I could include it in this project.

My next update will be my project polish finale where I hopefully will be able to show you my progress on my remaining polishes. Wish me luck panning!

xoxo, 

Christina
 

BUY or SKIP: Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation

 

After seeing this foundation on so many YouTube channels and blogs I knew that whenever I got the opportunity I would want to try this foundation out. Well, the opportunity presented itself a couple of months ago and I was able to purchase the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation in “105 Classic Ivory”.

 

FACTS
 

Price: $8

 

Shades: Available in twelve shades (mine is “105 Classic Ivory”)

 

Contains: 30ml

 

Available at: Drugstores

 

 

SKIP or BUY?

 

If you want a budget friendly foundation that applies easily and blends well then you should BUY.

 

If you are a fan of a dewy finish, then you should BUY it.

 

If you have fair skin and a yellow undertone, you might want to SKIP this foundation as the foundation tends to oxidize and look slightly orange. Hence it won’t match your skin tone perfectly.

 

It might be difficult to find the right shade as there are only twelve available so if you are not a fan of mix and match then you should SKIP it.

 

If you want a medium coverage able to conceal redness then you should give it a try and BUY it.

 

If you want a super long-lasting foundation you might want to SKIP this foundation. I personally can wear it for about 6-8 hours before it wears off. However if you use a primer and setting spray, well then problem solved.

 

Plus Points: I personally prefer a foundation that comes with a pump or like it is in this case a squeeze tube, as I find the application to be more hygienic and mess-free.

 

Will you be buying or skipping “Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation”?

 

 xoxo, 
Christina

MAC “Dark Soul” Pigment

I got “Dark Soul” as a part of the “Smokey Thrillseekers Pigments/Glitter” set back in 2010. The shade has also been released as part of other holiday gift sets such as the “Objects of Affection Silver + Blue Pigments/Glitter” set and just in case if you were wondering it is also part of MAC´s permanent range. So the good news is, that you can get the full-size at any time. “Dark Soul” can be described as a dark charcoal gray color with a silver sheen/glitter.

I must admit that I rarely find myself reaching for this pigment. Mainly because I find the application of a dark pigment quite difficult as I typically tend to get too much on my brush and end up with big panda eyes (hello fall-out!). I guess I find it more convenient to use a black pressed eyeshadow instead of a loose one. I don’t think I would have purchased this pigment on its own. Maybe I can multitask this into a beautiful nail polish. What do you think?

How do you like “Dark Soul”? Hit or Miss?


xoxo, 
Christina

Monthly Empties: September 2016

Another month has gone by which means it is empties time. So without further ado let’s get started..

Isana Professional “Effektiv-Kur Oil Care” // would repurchase
This was an impulse buy at the drugstore for 1 Euro. I can honestly say that I didn’t really expect all that much for that price but I was curious to try it out. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. This hair mask made my hair feel super soft and I really liked the scent.

Dove "1min Intense Repair Conditioner" // will repurchase
I absolutely love this intense repair mask. In fact I always I have one of these in stock (thts how much I like it!). It leaves my hair feeling super soft and smooth without weighing it down. If you haven’t tried this out, please do so! That is if you don’t have a problem with silicone products.

Dove “Cucumber” Deodorant // will repurchase
Great deodorant. Smelled really nice and fresh and didn’t leave any white cast behind. What more could I ask for? Will definitely repurchase.

Rival de Loop “eye make-up remover” waterproof // will repurchase
I have been purchasing this eye make-up remover ever since I started doing my make-up. It removes everything and for 1-2 Euros there is nothing bad I can say. I will admit that it is a bit oily, so if you don’t like that feeling this might not be for you. However I wash my face after using this, so I don’t mind it.

Fusswohl “Schrundenbalsam” Feet cream // will repurchase
Amazing foot lotion. Seriously go out and buy it now. I pretty much never put cream on my feet, because typically I forget to do so I end up having dry feet. This works miracles. My feet end up super soft and smooth for days. Big thumbs up!

Soap & Glory “Beauty Sleep Accelerator” face cream // might repurchase
This was an alright face cream. The scent was great (peachy) and it didn’t felt greasy on my skin. However it didn’t do anything special for me and as it costs 13 pounds I am unsure whether to repurchase this or not.

Guhl "Feuchtigkeitsaufbau“(moisture) Shampoo // will not repurchase 
I have been wanting to try this line out for a while so a couple of months ago I finally decided to purchase the shampoo and conditioner. While they were not bad I cannot say they were great either and for around 4 Euros I would have expected more. They are your average shampoo and conditioner. I prefer other shampoo and conditioner (especially for that price) which is why I won’t be repurchasing these.

Pantene Pro-V Hydra-Intensify Shampoo // discontinued
I got this shampoo on sale. Similar as with the Guhl shampoo, it was a good shampoo but I didn’t feel that it did anything special for my hair. Won’t repurchase.

What are your monthly empties?

 

 xoxo, 
Christina

The Nail Polish Guide: “Essence”

A couple of weeks ago I shared my experiences with Essie Nailpolishes, today I want to talk about Essence. The brand updates their permanent range twice a year and every month they launch new limited edition shades. Naturally there are hundreds of polishes that all vary in packing, size and of course color. Keeping track might therefore be a bit challenging. However I love how experimental and creative the brand is. They are constantly launching new formulas and finishes. From matt to metallic over to gel and glitter (I have even seen and formulas that change according to heat) there is a bit of everything. Being priced under 2 Dollars // 2 Euros // 2 Pounds they are really affordable which is great because it allows you to pick up a polish and test whether you like a particular formula or color on you without braking the bank.

In terms of quality there might  be an occasional black sheep’s among their range, but I feel that is more of an exception rather than a rule. Especially over the years the overall quality has improved a lot. So far I have been very pleased with Essence nail polishes and with the right top and a base coat my manicure lasts for days without any problems.
 

Click here, here and here for of NotW inspirations using Essence nail polishes.
 

 
What are your favorite Essence shades?

xoxo, 

Christina