2012. Favorites

Some of the past year favorites :)

Laura Geller Baked Matte Highlighter, from Fresh Brewed Beauty set.

Got it few months ago because it's described as matte highlight. It looks matte, but it's not. It gives face the most natural soft glow, almost undetectable. It doesn't contain any shimmer, as you can see on pic below.

It's available in one shade French Vanilla, yellowy beige shade.

Soon as the sun comes out, I'll do some proper swathes :D.

 

 

Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, only lip balm I use. One pot will last you whole year. Detailed review.

 

 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB cream, for combination to oily skin. I bought it 4 months ago, I use it daily and maybe half of it is gone. It has light to medium coverage. It will even out the skin tone, and cover redness but not imperfections. It gives demi matte finish. It doesn't dry out skin.

Since I got it, I stoped using foundations.

 

 

Bourjois Volume & Fast mascara, excellent mascara that gives lenght and volume to my medium lenght straight lashes with one coat. Lashes are evenly coated and seperated. There is no clumpling, even with few coats. My lashes are flexible and stay curled all day, unlike most other mascaras that keep them curled for few minutes and then they just go down.

It's easy to use, even in a hurry. It doesn't dry out to fast, it will last you few months. But once it starts to dry there will be slight fall out at the end of the day. I'm on my 3rd one.

 

 

Vichy Deo roll-on, mentioned in montly favorites. I still use it daily, and still love it :)

 

 

Manhattan Soft Compact Powders, read full review in montly favorites.

 

 

Deborah 24 ore eyebrow pencil, also mentioned in montly favorites post :)

 

 

 

Bioderma Sensibio Micelar solution. Been using this one a lot. I occasionally try some new one, but I always have few of theese in reserve. I already did full review.

 

 

Batiste dry shampoo, another long time favorite. Been using it for years now. I has very fine particles of powder, so once you brush it out, hair stays mattified and it's not white, which is important if you have dark hair :D

It also gives hair nice volume and lift. Only thing I don't like about it is the floral scent.

Package contains 6.73 fl.oz. and it lasts few months.

 

 

Last but not least, brushes. I love brushes so much I could go on and on about them :D

Here are my favorite brushes that I use all the time, and sadly neglect rest of the collection.

 



Elf Studio Powder brush, bought it 2 years ago. I use it only for loose/presed powders, but since it's synthetic it can be used for cream products as well.

It's medium dense, flat top brush, with very soft bristles. It doesn't shed or leek dye. Blends like a dream :)

With time the hadle got detached, but I simply glued it back with hot glue.

It can be bought in stores in US or online. It also available on  ELF UK for peple in UK and Europe.

 

 

Real Techniques Expert Face brush, best multitask brush ever.  I have alredy writen praises  so no point repeating them :D

 

Available in US at Ulta or online, for pepole outside US or Canada, it can be bought on iherb.com, or HQhair.com, Love Makeup. co.uk and other UK online stores.

 

 

Sigma E25 Blending brush. Only natural hair brush (I own few, but rarely use them) that I use all the time. I simply prefer synthetic brushes, since they don't scratch and they're multifunctional.

Brush is flat but fluffy and rounded on top. Bristles are soft, but not too soft.

It's not too big, so it's great for precision blending and defining crease. It blends like a dream.

Available at Sigma.

 

 

Real Techniques shading brush, small dense flat shadow packing brush. Excellent for precision apllication of eyeshadows, and for small eyes. It's also great for blending liners and applying ES on botom lashes. Works great for all tipes of shadows.

Like all other RT brushes, it picks lot of product and transfers it all, there is minimum or no fall out.

 

Available in US at Ulta or online, for pepole outside US or Canada, it can be bought on iherb.com, or HQhair.com, Love Makeup. co.uk and other UK online stores.

 

 

 

What were your favorites last year :)

New in

First, Happy New year everybody :D

I did lots of buying over the holidays, so I thought it about time to show you what I got :D


Coastal Scents hot pots
Most eyeshadows are matte. Southern Belle is lot more golden yellow, and brighter, and Miami Spice isn't that dark, and has tiny blue glitter.
I'll swatch them soon in hopes it will show how they trully look.



Southern Belle, Chamois Nude, Pale Nude, Peach puff, Puce, Mauve, Cameo (not available any more), Miami Spice
Oatmeal Tan, Coconut husk, Light Taupe, Burnt Umber, Persian Pink
Sand Dune, Camel Taupe, Cherry Moss, Maroon Berry
Olivewood, Deep Sage, Thunderous, Elven Midnight, Chocholate Berry
 

 

Various Brushes:

Sedona Lace Midnight Lace 7 dijelni set
I have been using Small Tapered brush for a month now and I love it. It works great for precision aplication and blending concealer.

224 Small Tapered, 872 Small Flat top, 312 Small Round, 618 Small Angled Flat, 733 Small Angle, 847 Small Round Flat, 217 Small Round Dome

 

 

 

Sigma

E25, E20

E25, E20

 

 

Coastal Scents, ELF, Bdellium Tools

CS Bionic Flat Top Buffer, Elf Studio Angled Contour i Flawless Concealer brush, Bdellium Green Bamboo Series780 Pencil Brush, Bdellium Studio Line, 716, Smokey eyeliner brush, CS Domed Large Kabuki, CS Domed mini Kabuki

 

 

 

 

Shampoos:
Lush New and Seanik. Donna Piu Linea Proffesionale shampoos for hairdressers. It's Italian brand I never heard before. I got one for prevention of hair loss, and one for oily hair.



Lush New and Seanik, Donna Piu shampoos 

 

 

 

Yesterday at local drugstore. I used up some discounts :D

Himalaya Neem Foaming Wash, Garnier Pure Active energizing scrub, Manhattan Soft Mat Loose i Soft Compact Powders, Bourjois set (Volume and Fast mascara and 3D effect lipgloss, shade 29), Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara

What have you bought lately?

 

Monthly Favorites

It's a state holiday, and it pouring outside (few parts of the town are already flooded, and it's just a begining; it's going to rain all through fall/winter) so great time for a quick post :).

There isn't lot of them so this should be relatively short post.

Manhattan Soft Compact Powder

My shade is actually not in the picture (8 Vanilla) because I used it all up. I first bought the darkest shade (9 Chocholat)  by mistake, then I got the right shade (Vanilla). Few months later I got light shade (3 Beige) to mix with the darkest since it was too dark even during summer.

This is great inexpensive (drugstore) powder for oily skin. It's mattifying and it will kill all shine, so if you don't like flat looking skin, this is not powder for you.
It has light to medium coverage, depending how you apply it. It not cakey and it doesn't set in the lines and pores.
It can be used on it's own, or as a setting powder.
I use flat top brush or RT Expert Face brush to apply it.

Available in 7 shades and it contains 9g of product.


Vichy roll-on deodorant/antiperspirant

For sensetive/depilated skin.
I bought it recently after reading so many positive reviews.
The manufacturer claims it will genlty regulate sweating, and it's not a lie. It really stops you from sweating with first application. And I sweat.
It's odourless, non iritating and can be used right after depilation.
Since I got it, I completely stoped using all other deodorants/antipespirants.
It's alcohol and perfume free. And there are some version that are aluminum free.


Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara

Colored mascara that should brighten and enhance your eye color. I got one for blue eyes, it's dark blue with subtle glitter, since I didn't like one for brown (my color) eyes (dark grey with silver glitter).
I can't say if it makes your eye color pop or not. I like it because it is a very good mascara.
It gives some lenght and volume to your lashes. Volume can be built up with few layers. It doesn't smudge, flake off, or clump your lashes together. Lashes are flexible, not brittle or stiff, seperated and evenly coated.
Also, once curled (with lash curler) they stay curled, they don't fall down with time (mine usually go down within few minutes of any mascara application, regular or waterproof).
It has medium size rubber wand, that's tappered at the end so you can easily coat even the tiniest lashes in the inner corner of the eye.
Formula isn't too wet, or too dry. Glitter is fine and it doesn't flake off.

Also, it doesn't dry to fast. I have mine for 2-3 months now and it's still good.

Available in 4 shades, for blue, green, brown and hazel eyes.
Contains  7.2 ml of product.


Deborah 24 ore Brow Pencil

Long lasting brow pencil. It stays on all day, even with light pespiration, unless you wipe it off :).
I have mine for few years now and I just bought new one, beacuse this one is becoming to short (and it's expiration date is close).
I have tried brow gels, powders, pencils and I always go back to this pencil.
My shade is 281. It seems little light for me (dark brown hair, mousy, dark grey brows) but it's perfect shade. My brows are very sparse and this pencil fills them in very naturally. Brows look enhanced but not overdrawn, or to emphasized. There no need to brush them through after.

Pencil is medium soft, and little dry, but it smoothes easily. Also is stays on the areas where there's no hair (some pencils don't  transfer at all, or too much).

Only downside is, it's not automatic, and it could use a mascara tip instead of this comb.

Available in 4 shades.

Here are the swatches:

Daylight, indoors.

Daylight, in front of a window

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

I just got this primer few months ago. I refused to buy it since UDPP was such a disapointment and I didn't want to waste more money.  I only  bought it because our Sephora was closing for good.
It is the one of the only two primers (the other) that actually work for me. It stops shadows from creasing or fading for few hours up to whole day.
True test will be during summer.


Real Techniques Expert Face brush

Since I got it, I only use this brush for entire face. You can read a review here.