New In: Drugstore Hair (Styling) Edition It's all about drugstore hair products today. Got2b had most of their product either 30% off in my local supermarket or 50% off in DM (via the points system valid for November and December) and I decided to try some of their stuff. I was planning to get some other styling products, but I'm really glad I bought these. I think I'll try their Glued hairspray next and perhaps even some other bits. By the way, I had their Guardian Angel heat protectant a few years back and I hated it. It'll be a colourful post - I love colourful posts!
got2b Volumania Volumizing Spray Mousse
Probably my favourite product in the bunch. A mousse in a spray form - genius! It's so easy to apply evenly and I can really control the amount I want. It's not sticky, doesn't weigh my hair down and holds style so well. Both the mousse and styling powder smell like a raspberry drink (Dana's Malinovec), so pretty much delicious. I apply it all over the hair, concentrating on the roots. The spray makes it easy to apply it evenly to the roots and the length of the hair, however, you can spray it in your palm if that is what you prefer. I then do my regular thing: blow-dry with a round brush and put my hair in a high bun. I had tons of volume in the morning, like always, but this time my hair didn't drop in the next hour. I then curled it with a 2,5 cm (1 inch) barrel curler. It holds volume for a day, but the hair needs to be "refluffed" in the morning, which is pretty much standard with any mousse I tried so far. I was even more impressed how well my curls lasted as they still looked great on the third day. Having volume brings the necessary evil, the ever annoying frizz, and yes, also with this mousse, but it looks much, much better than Balea's Power Volume mousse. This is the best styling mousse I've tried to date, but I only had drugstore ones so far. I highly recommend it. Regular price is about 6 €. It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets.
got2b Volumania Volume Refreshing Styling Powder
I'm not completely convinced about this product. I bought another one of got2b's volumising powders calledPowder'ful about a year ago and while it definitely gives volume, it makes your hair feel sticky and a bit dirty, but what bothered me most was the fact the volume lasted about 15 minutes. So I wasn't impressed. I sort of expected Volumania Styling Powder to be a similar product, but improved and in a spray form. It actually feels closer to a dry shampoo, but without the freshness. It almost feels like I'm not using anything at all and at first I wasn't sure if it even works in any other way than making my hair smell deliciously raspberrish. So I tried to "fluff up" my hair with and without the Styling Powder on each side of my head and it actually does make a difference, which is odd since it feels like nothing on the hair, nor does it give any type of hold or texture. It's not a necessary product, I actually think it can easily be replaced by a dry shampoo, but I do like using it to refresh the volume every day.
Regular price is about 6 € (5.80 € in DM). It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets.
got2b Öl-La-La Styling Öl-Spray also called Oil-licious Triple Oil Dry Oil Mist
Healthy hair and shine in a can. That's how I would describe this product. But mind you, I mean it just cheats the appearance of having healthy hair, it doesn't actually nourish it much. It's an innovative concept - argan oil in a spray can, even though it's the last ingredient on the INCI list and there are two silicones high on the list. Orofluido has something similar called Sahara, but this is much lighter. It gives an amazing amount of shine, just like using any of the silicone-oil hybrids (Orofluido, Morrocanoil,...) and helps fight the frizz, but without the fear of ruining the hairstyle or curls because of touching (my curls always drop if I touch them). I'm impressed got2b! Another very likeable product. The scent is a bit out of place, especially after trying the Volumania products. It's far from fruity and it's more like a generic soap or lipstick scent. I actually quite like it. I can spray a ton of it on my hair and it doesn't weigh it down one bit, build up or make it oily, however, my hair is dry and thick. It think it would work for fine hair, but maybe used in moderation. But this is the best way for any of such girls to use an oil product. Regular price is 6.99 €. I found it only in Müller.
Lee Stafford Hold Tight Hold Firm Hairspray I really like this hairspray. It has a nice flexible hold without being sticky, doesn't feel crispy or stiff at all and Idon't even feel it on the hair. I find it similar to Tigi Mastermind (only that it's cheaper and easier to get) andL'Oreal's Elnett extra strong, but without the Elnett scent that so many people dislike (I actually find it very similar to Chanel n.5). In fact, I tried L'Oreal's and Lee Staffords side by side and I notice no difference whatsoever. Hold Tight Hold Firm has a musky and sweet scent, which is apparently a signature scent of the Lee Stafford products and it reminds me a bit of Thierry Mugler Angel if I remember that fragrance correctly.
50 ml can costs 2.45 € in Müller. I don't know the price for the 250 ml can, but it's about 7-9€.
Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner also called Honey I'm Strong conditioner I can't find the Hello Hydration hair mask anywhere (why?!), so I grabbed this instead. For the price it is actuallyquite good. It's thicker than the Hello Hydration mask and moisturises well even my dried up hair. Of course, I use it in a conjunction with a leave-in conditioner (Sexy Healthy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave In), which makes a massive difference by itself. It doesn't smell as amazing as the Hello Hydration line, but it's similarly fruity-floral with a hint of honey. It will be a part of my Top 5 drugstore conditioners post that I have ready. Price 2.45 € in Müller.
Lancôme Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume Waterproof Mascara I finally found a worthy contender to my favourite mascara, which is Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Black waterproof. I have very stubborn lashes that refuse to stay curled unless I use a good waterproof mascara. So far I have rarely been truly impressed by any, a notable exception being the HR one. That one ticks all the boxes, but it is so expensive. There was an offer for 20% off on all mascaras in my local drugstore and since it doesn't carry Helena Rubinstein, I opted for Lancôme Hypnôse Custom-Wear Volume waterproof mascara instead and I'm so glad I did.
I had the regular Hypnôse years ago and I liked it, but found Dior's Iconic and Chanel's Inimitable a bit better, though I only had regular versions of both. The design of the Hypnôse's waterproof version is the same as of the regular one's and it has the same classic brush. No fancy design, just a good old classic wand.
The formula is on the dry side and also quite thick. It doesn't make the lashes clumpy except if I decide to really go for it (for comparison, HR keeps the lashes defined regardless of the amount of coats). It gives tons of length. Seriously, my lashes are touching my brows (I have small eyes and little lid space, but it counts). It gives a nice amount of volume, yet not quite as much as HR one, but it's more than enough for me. The lashes stay curled all day, just like with HR one and that's what is most important to me. Just for the formula, Lancôme gets my two thumbs up. Picture of my lashes with no mascara is in this post.
Price-wise it's no cheaper than HR one. It's an eye-watering 32€ in my local drugstore, however, Feel Unique has it for a lot cheaper (25€ at the moment, while I paid the same amount with the discount). I still think HR is a bit better, but Lancôme is so much easier to get a hold off. If you're in need of a brilliant mascara that gives an almost hypnotic amount of length, holds curl all day and is easy to work with, I highly recommend it.
Diorskin Nude BB (plus Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau BB)
I am a fan of foundations/BBs that give that skin-like finish and Dior's BB is exactly that. A while back, I had a sample of this BB cream which really impressed me. So as soon as I found a nice offer I snatched a tube for myself.
It is a medium thickness BB cream that blends into the skin so well. I find it looks best applied with a brush, I like Real Techniques buffing brush the most for applying this BB, but fingers work ok too. The finish is semi-matte and there is some healthy radiance to it. It looks like skin and you can't really see that your wearing anything, it just sort of melts in. It reminds me of Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, but less radiant andBourjois BB cream. Much like Bourjois HM serum, it leaves the skin (almost) dry to the touch, which is a huge plus for me. I set it with powder in this hot weather otherwise my T-zone gets shiny, but I probably won't have to in colder months. It looks fantastic in combination with Mac Mineralize Skinfinish natural. My skin doesn't get flaky during the day and it wears off nicely. Staying power is nice, there is a lot left on the cotton pad when I take my makeup off at the end of the day. I also find it works fantastic if you reapply it over existing makeup to freshen up.
It has light coverage, even lighter than Bourjois HM Serum and less than all other foundations/BB's I own. It doesn't cover circles and my freckles are still visible, but you can build it up a bit with more layers. Basically, it just makes the skin looking more even, like you have naturally great skin. For any imperfections, I use concealer as would with any other foundation/BB. Every time I find a really light shade sold in my country, I get really excited. 001 is a very light, pink-toned shadethat is a nice match for me and blends very well with my skin tone. I have more or less a neutral skin tone and Bourjois 51, which is yellow toned, also matches me nicely because it has low coverage. But as far as undertones go, my absolute best match is Missha Signature Real Complete BB in 13, which is neutral. There are tree shades of Diorskin BB available, 002 might be most universal.
The packaging is great. A sleek tube with a great pump that dispenses the desired amount. This is how it should be done. I always use quite small amount of foundation and one pump is enough for my needs. The BB has an SPF 10, which is shamefully low, but it works nice with the sunscreen I use, so it's not a deal breaker.
I got mine from Feel Unique for 31€, when I had a discount. Regular price is around 37€. If you're a fan of light coverage with skin-like finish, give it a go, but I suggest you get a sample first. I'm wearing only the BB here:
Since we are on a subject of high-end BB's, I had a sample of Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau BB when I was deciding whether to get Dior's one or Guerlain's. I did a swatch of the shade and took a picture of how it looked on the skin.
Unfortunately, the lightest shade is a bit too dark for me. Though it wasn't the worst match, it was dark enough for me to notice. I would have to self-tan to be able to wear it. The coverage is much higher than Dior's BB, I'd say medium (medium-full if you build it up), and I didn't need to use concealer under the eyes or around the nose, only on blemishes. It has an SPF 30, which was the thing that draw me to it. The texture is thicker and heavier than Dior's, but the finish is the same semi-matte. It's a lovely BB cream and I would buy it if they had a shade that suits me. There are only two shades available.
I've liked Fame by Lady Gaga fragrance since I first tested it, but I only got it recently because it had a nice discount in Müller. I've been really enjoying wearing since I got it, mostly because it has honey in it, loads of it and I love honey. However, this is not a full-on honey scent, but rather a lovely honey-floral fragrance with a strong fruity note in the beginning and a hint of smokiness from the incense. A new "push-pull" technology was introduced in this fragrance instead of the "regular" pyramid structure and the notes are belladonna, incense, apricot, honey, saffron, tiger orchid and sambac jasmine.
It starts with a sweet fruity note, apricot, but to me it smells like grape juice. My family owns a vineyard and this is how freshly squeezed grapes smell to me. Almost immediately the sweet honey makes an appearance and takes the dominant role, while the floral notes and apricot are in the background, however, they are still quite strong. To temper the sweetness of honey and the fruity note, there is a smoky note, incense, which differentiates the scent from the rest of the celebrity fruity-florals that mostly have vanilla, caramel and/or amber notes, but in its essence it's still a typical celebrity scent.
Staying power is quite good, I'd say moderate as is the projection. It's an eau de parfum, which makes it more concentrated, however it's not too strong.
I find the bottle so beautiful. I really like the design of the cap, even though it's plastic, but it sure looks cool. It looks like something an evil queen from a fairytale would have on her vanity. The liquid is black, well more of a really dark purple if you look towards the light, but it doesn't spray black, however I still wouldn't spray it too close on light clothes.
I became very, very pale this winter, too pale for my beloved Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51, so I went on a search for an extremely light shade of foundation or BB cream. I found some great reviews on MUA for Missha's BB creams and their shade number 13, so I ordered myself a small tube of the M Signature Real Complete B.B. Cream. This is my third Asian BB and it is very different than the other two I tried (Skin79 Pink Label - review and Holika Holika Peach Girl - review), particularly in terms of texture.
The texture is very light and runny. It reminds me a lot of Bourjois Healthy Mix serum, but the latter has a bit more coverage. Also, unlike HM serum, this BB leaves my skin tacky for about a 1/2 hour, then it finally dries and sets. It has an SPF 25 PA++. Like most Asian BB's, it best applied with fingers, namely it needs the warmth of the finger tips to blend in. Since it's not as thick as the rest BBs, it also works fine with a brush.
It has light to medium coverage. It evens out the skin and covers minor redness, however, as you can see on the picture below, it doesn't cover blemishes, dark circles or strong redness. It has a dewy finish and I suspect most with oilier skins will perhaps find it too dewy. Like Healthy Mix Serum it makes your skin look like you have nothing on, it justlooks like your skin but better and this is the finish I love the most. I don't detect any grey tones that Asian BB creams usually have. Staying power is decent, it's not going to last all day, but keep in mind this is a dewy, light coverage foundation. It wears off nicely, evenly and doesn't go patchy like foundations with fuller coverage do on me.
It smells like baby powder and the scent is quite strong, but it disappears quickly.
The shade I got, number 13, is the lightest I have ever come across. It's somewhere between neutral and pinky toned, and fits me perfectly right now. In fact, this is the first foundation/BB that fits me that well and Bourjois foundations, though very light, are very yellow toned. There are two more shades, number 21, which I hear is close to Skin79's Pink Label BB, and darker one, number 23. I got the small, 20g tube, which is nice and it's easy to get the product out. The full size tubes come with a pump and contains 45g of product.
I bought it on eBay for 11$ (8.5€ / 7.30£). Full size is about 14€ / 12.50£ / 17$ (it depends on the seller, obviously).
I've had it for a month now and I really enjoy wearing it, however, I got blackheads on my nose, which I've never had before. I can't be certain that this BB is the cause for it, it could be Collection 2000 concealer causing it, but these are the only things I changed. I haven't had any breakouts elsewhere.
I really like this BB, because the shade is perfect, I love the light texture, dewy finish and the fact that is almost undetectable on the skin. However, I don't like that it leaves my skin tacky and I'm concerned about the blackheads. It rivals my beloved Healthy Mix Serum, however, I still think the latter looks and feels better on the skin.
I wanted this concealer for so long and had so many problems getting it, but it was worth it. First, I couldn't find a seller on eBay that would ship it to Slovenia, so I asked my friend, who was just going to London if she could get it for me. She couldn't find a single Superdrug where it wasn't sold out. I gave up and bought EL Maximum Cover instead. Of course I had to shell out 40€ for it, but I'm not sorry. Then in end of January, I finally ordered it on eBay and the package got lost. Fortunately, the seller refunded me and I ordered it again from another seller. This time it took only three days to arrive, I guess I had to get lucky sometime. It is a great concealer, especially for spots. I haven't found a drugstore concealer with so much coverage. Too bad it's not sold in Slovenia, I suspect it'd be a best seller.
Coverage is almost full, it's definitely full with two or more layers. It's great for covering blemishes, redness and other imperfections. It covers circles very well, however, I prefer Maybelline's the Eraser Eye for under the eyes because it looks like skin and is brightening. In terms of coverage it's close to Maximum Cover, however, the latter has more coverage and you use far less.
The texture is creamy and thick, it blends nicely both with fingers and a brush. The finish is matte and it'snot particularly moisturising. I like a bit more moisturising concealers for under the eyes, so if I feel I need more coverage, I put Collection 2000 on first and then Maybelline's the Eraser eye on top to brighten it a bit and to avoid it looking cakey. Because it sets matte, it can look cakey on dry skin, but this becomes more of an issue when it's wearing off. If your skin is dry, I suggest using a heavy moisturiser underneath.
Staying power is amazing for a drugstore concealer. It outlast all of my foundations apart from EL Maximum cover. My only problem is that sometimes it can look patchy when it wears off.
It have the lightest shade called 1 Fair which is a very light shade with neutral to yellow undertones. It's definitely not as yellow as Essence Stay with me 10 or Healthy Mix 51.
Packaging is a slim tube with a doe foot applicator. Like so many reviewers, I noticed that the writing wears off fast.
When I first got it, it reminded me a lot of Essence Stay All Day concealer. The texture is similar, however, the Collection 2000 one has a lot more coverage
As I said I bought it on eBay for 9€ with shipping. It's sold mainly in the UK in Superdrug.
Maybelline Color Tattoo Permanent Taupe I never really planned to get any of these Color Tattoos, mainly because I have too many eyeshadows and I rarely wear any apart from Nyx's black as a liner and a matte skin colour as an all-over wash. However, as soon as I swatched this colour, I was taken aback by it's beauty. I have a thing for taupe eyeshadows, because I find they work great with my eye and skin colour. It's a grey-brown shade, actually an equal mix of the two and such shades bring out the blue in my eyes. It's a matte shade, which makes me love it even more and I've been wearing it a lot since I got it.
I was very impressed by the staying power. When I swatched them in the shop, they didn't budge after they dried and I couldn't wipe them off, I had to use water and soap. My lids are dry-ish and this lasts very well on me. I didn't actually ever pay attention to how many hours it lasts, but it survives at least 8 hours. Towards the end of the day, it fades a lot, but there is still some colour left close to my lash line where I apply most of the colour. I don't need to use a lot and it is quite pigmented, but I have to layer it to get the desired intensity. It blends nicely, I like to apply it with fingers, it's quick, easy and gets the job done. These are great for a quick eye makeup when you're in a hurry. Compared to Essence Stay All Day and Catrice Made to Stay, I find the texture similar to Catrice's, but the Maybelline's one feel like they have more (or better) silicones in it. I would like to commend Maybelline for creating a matte shade, I hope Catrice and Essence will follow in their footsteps. I read somewhere that it is a good contouring colour, but I find it way too grey and cool, it will make you look like a corpse rather than a babe with awesome cheekbones.
This shade makes a great base for eyeshadows and I like using it with Catrice Starlight Expresso (a gray-taupe shade). It is one of my favourite shades and I use it to do makeup very similar to this one - click, just adjusted to my eye shape. It's my version of a simple daytime smokey eye. It works well as a base with other darker colours, such as Smog from the Naked palette. I paid 4.95€ for it, which is a reasonable price for such a good eyeshadow. I believe there are 8 shades available here, most are shimmery and I'm not really drawn to the colours. I like On and on Bronze, but I find Copy Right by Essence too similar to have two. Two Slovene bloggers swatched other shades available in Slovenia: Passing Fancy and The Puzzle of Sandra's Life.
Are you familiar with imitation fragrances? You know, the ones that are duping famous fragrances for a fraction of the price? There are conflicting opinions about them, but I have been buying them for years. I wrote about individual scents here and there, mostly in my monthly favourites, but it's time for a proper post. I have to admit, I really like them and I notice no difference between the original and imitation, apart from the pretty bottle and, of course, the price. Sure the bottles are really plain, but hey, at least they're cheap. They nozzle sprays a fine and even mist, plus I can easily throw a bottle in my bag without the fear of breaking or any spillage. Though, you do need some sort of a labelling system if you own more than one. Over the years my collection has grown quite a lot and all I own are in the smallest 15 ml bottles. I'm a person that rarely sticks to wearing one fragrance for a longer period of time and at times I switch my fragrances daily, so these fragrances are a nice way for me to own several scents without breaking the bank.
The list of available fragrances in Slovenia is here (it changes, so check their website for a more current selection. Locations of shops are also on the list).
Currently, I have these in my collection (names are as they are on their list of fragrances):
001 Dior Miss - Dior Cherie The definition of a girly scent, but for a classy young lady. The sweet fruity notes of strawberry and cherry are mixed with sticky caramel and cotton candy which are then rounded by patchouli to give it a more grown up feel. This is the only fragrance I notice the difference from the original and even that only in silage. The Refan version is fainter, however, I owned Dior Cherie years ago and swapped it due to it being absolutely too strong (it felt so suffocating to me at the time), so I actually prefer this one.
022 H.Boss - Nuit Woman Gaga's Fame and this are my absolute favourite scents right now. It's such a lovely everyday scent - grown up and yes, a bit generic (just a typical Hugo Boss fragrance). It starts with a fantastic proper peach bust and then the scent evolves into a more flowery fragrance (white flowers) with some sandalwood. It ends up smelling a bit like fabric softener, but an expensive kind. I'd describe it as the perfect everyday, office scent. The lasting power is fantastic for such a scent with no strong base note like vanilla or amber.
023 Bvlgari - Omnia Coral Fresh, fruity and green. This is how I imagine a tropical garden with coral hibiscus flowers smelling like. If you like Daisy, you'll like this. As the original, the staying power is very weak.
110 Laura Biagiotti - Venezia (not available anymore) A creamy, woody fragrance with some vanilla. I hear others notice a strong plum note, but it doesn't develop on me.
127 C. Chanel - Chance A much fresher and lighter version of Coco Mademoiselle, but without the sweetness. I mostly get pink pepper and patchouli with a hint of citrus and jasmine.
138 Bruno Banani - Purple Woman It's actually Bruno Banani Magic Women, I don't know why the name is different. It's a sweet, fruity, yet a more warm scent that has quite a lot of silage. I get strawberries and other berries with some musk and violets.
166 C. Chanel - Coco Mademoiselle One of my absolute favourites. To me it smells like camomile tea with honey mixed with patchouli. It's like a toned down and grown up version of Miss Dior Cherie. Actually, I would love to own an original bottle of it, simply because I find the bottle stunning.
177 Burberry - Body It smells like roses, but not like a grandma type of rose. Normally, I dislike rose scents with passion, but not in this composition. There are other notes that temper the rose scent, which makes it smell more fresh, creamy and powdery. Basically, it's a clean skin scent. There is supposed to be peach in it, but I don't smell any fruity notes at all.
178 Armani - Emporio Armani for Her The wood, floral notes and musk combined create a simple, fresh, clean and classic scent that is slightly bitter.
08 L. Lempicka - Lolita Lempicka This smells like anise and licorice with vanilla. It's spicy, warm and fuzzy, there are clouds of vanilla surrounding the person who uses it. I find it hard to wear as I really need to be in the mood for it, but this is a very wintery scent.
Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum One of my favourites. It's a very heavy, rich, balmy and strong oriental-floral fragrance. This is a scent for those who want to be noticed. It's a fantastic mix of orange blossom, benzoin, vanilla, pink pepper and tonka bean. I got mine from Croatian Refan, but I think it's available in ours as well (n.024).
I owned several other scents, but the one I'll repurchase is Chanel n.5 because it's such a lovely, classic scent. I also bought several men fragrances for my family and friends as gifts, in fact I (re)purchased 210 Z.Davidoff Hot Water and 219 Paco Rabanne 1 Million several times (both are brilliant).
Have you ever bought an imitation fragrance? Do this kind of shops exist in your country? What is your take on them?
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Regular price is about 6 € (5.80 € in DM). It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets..jpg)
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