APIVITA Express Beauty with Grape Mask Review

Hello dear readers,

as a huge fan of moisturizing masks, I couldn’t help trying another one. So far, I’ve only used one Apivita product (a lip balm) and I found it pretty good so I was looking forward to try out more.

Apivita has a huge range of Express Beauty masks , but I have picked up Express Beauty Mask with Grape because it claimed to moisturize the skin, plus it contains antioxidants (vitamins A and E).

The mask is supposed to firm the skin and remove lines (not that I can comment much on it). You shouldn’t apply it to the eye-contour area. The instructions say to rinse it off well with water after 10 minutes, but I prefer to to apply a thicker coat of it and leave it on over night. I have to warn you that I currently use Ystheal plus 20% glycolic acid peel, so my skin can handle a lot. If you have a sensitive skin, you might be better following the instructions.

The colour of the mask is light, light pink with a red dots here and there (I have no idea what are those). The consistecy is very light, almost lotion-like.

I do feel a light stinging after applying the mask, but it disappears quickly upon the application. Other than the stinging, there are no other irritations. The mask sinks in very quickly (even though I apply it liberaly).

The mask isn’t as moisturizing as, let’s say Sisley masks are, but overall, my skin really likes it. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t moisturize my skin – it does, but if I find myself with truly dehydrated skin, I’d use something else.

As for the efficiency, I really love the mask. Together with my current routine, it made my skin great (compared to how my skin usually behaves). Ever since I use it, I haven’t had any problems with flakey skin (which usually is the case in this time of the year). I cannot comment its firming properties, but this mask is a good choice for a radiant-looking skin.

The mask is really affordable compared to the rest of the Apivita range – you get two sachets (each containing 8 ml) for approximately $7. Each sachet lasts a long time – I think I’ll get at least 10 uses out of each.

Although I’ll probably experiment with more Apivita masks, I’ll always have a sachet of two of the Grape mask as a back-up. I recommend it

Love,

Tamara

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APIVITA Express Beauty with Grape Mask Review

Pozdrav dragi čitatelji,

kao velika obožavateljica hidratantinh maski nisam si mogla pomoći, a da ne probam još jednu. Do sada sam koristila samo jedan Apivitin proizvod (balzam za usne) koji mi je bio toliko dobar da sam poželjela isprobati još.

Apivita ima veliki izbor Express Beauty maski, a ja sam za početak izabrala masku s grožđem jer sadrži antioksidanse (vitamini A i E) i trebala bi hidratizirati kožu.

Maska bi također trebala učvrstiti kožu i ukloniti bore, što ne mogu komentirati. Masku ne bi trebali nanositi na područje oko očiju. U uputama piše da bi masku trebalo dobro isprati vodom nakon 10 minuta, ali meni je draže staviti deblji sloj maske i ostaviti ju na licu preko noći. Ipak vas moram upozoriti da ja trenutno koristim Ystheal i 20% glikolnu kiselinu, tako da je moja koža prilično otporna. Ukoliko imate osjetljivu kožu, savjetujem vam da pratite upute.

Maska je jako svijetlo roze boje, s komadićima crvene (nemam pojma što bi to bilo). Vrlo je lagane teksture tako da podsjeća na losion.

Nakon nanošenja osjećam lagano peckanje koje ubrzo prestaje i osim toga nema drugih iritacija. Maska se upija brzo.

Maska nije toliko hidratantna kao na primjer Sisley maske, ali sveukupno moja ju koža voli. To ne znači da maska ne hidratizira kožu, ali ukoliko mi je koža zaista dehidrirana prije ću posegnuti za nekom drugom maskom.

Što se učinkovitosti tiče, jako obožavam ovu masku. Zahvaljujuću maski (a i ostatku preparativne kozmetike koju trenutno koristim), moja je koža u jednoj od do sada najboljih faza. Od kad sam počela koristiti masku, nemam problema s perutanjem kože, što mi se inače redovito događa u ovo doba godine zbog suhog zraka. Ne mogu komentirati tvrdnje o učvršćivanju, ali ova je maska dobar izbor ako želite blistavu kožu.

Maska je relativno jeftina u usporedbi s ostalim Apivitinim proizvodima. Za cijenu od 38 kuna (nisam 100% sigurna) dobijete dvije vrećice od kojih svaka sadrži 8 ml. Svaka vrećica traje dosta dugo – pretpostavljam da će jedna vrećica biti dovoljna za 10 nanošenja.

Iako ću vjerojatno eksperimentirati i s drugim Apivitinim maskama, uvijek ću u zalihama imati vrećicu ili dvije ove maske. Preporučam

Voli vas,

Tamara

FINISHED! January Edition

Hello lovelies,

if you are following me on Instagram or Twitter, you could have seen that I finally have a new camera (Canon EOS 600D) and so far I’m loving it. Of course, I’m still learning and experimentating (I’ve had it for only two days), but this post will feature the first pictures I’ve taken with it.

As I’ve been promising, January is finally the month where I have some substantial amounts of products to show. So let’s start.

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Zdravo dragi,

ukoliko me pratite na Instagramu ili Twitteru, mogle ste vidjeti da sam konačno nabavila novi fotoaparat (Canon EOS 600D) i za sad ga obožavam. Naravno, još učim i eksperimentiram (imam ga tek dva dana), ali u ovom postu možete vidjeti moje prve ekspermente.

Kao što sam i obećala, konačno sam uspijela potrošiti poštenu količinu proizvoda. Pa idemo redom:

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BODYCARE / NJEGA TIJELA:

YVES ROCHER Jardins du Monde Fleur de Cotton and Ylang Ylang shower gel. The whole Yves Rocher is my favourite – cleansing and non-drying. As for the scent, I prefer Ylang Ylang. / YVES ROCHER Jardins du Monde Fleur de Cotton and Ylang Ylang gelovi za tuširanje. Obožavam cijelu Yves Rocher liniju za tuširanje jer čiste, a ne isušuju kožu. Što se mirisa tiče, draži mi je Ylang Ylang.

AVEO Berry Nail Polish Remover. I’ve heard many raves about this product, but to me it is nothing special. It smells sickly sweet. I won’t repurchase it. / AVEO Berry odstranjivač laka za nokte. Ovaj su odstranjivač puno hvalili, ali ja sam ostala razočarana. Miriši umjetno slatko, što mi se ne sviđa. Sigurno ga neću opet kupiti.

SISLEY Soir de Lune Body Cream. An excellent body cream if you like the scent. / SISLEY Soir de Lune mirisna krema za tijelo. Ova je krema izvrsna ukoliko vam se sviđa miris parfema Soir de Lune.

ARTDECO Intensive Nail Treatment. I couldn’t have waited to get rid of it. It did nothing. / ARTDECO Intensive Nail Treatment. Nisam mogla dočekati da ga konačno potrošim jer od ovog proizvoda apsolutno nije bilo nikakve koristi.

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SKINCARE / NJEGA LICA:

SISLEY Lyslait and Floral Toning Lotion. I’ve reviewed them many times so I won’t anymore. / SISLEY Lyslait mlijeko za čišćenje lica i Floral Toning Lotion tonik. Toliko sam puta već recenzirala ove proizvode tako da više neću. Dovoljno je reći da su izvrsni.

SISLEY Moisturizer with Cucumber. A nice moisturizer if you have combination or oily skin. It is not good enough in winter. / SISLEY Moisturizer with Cucumber. Vrlo dobra hidratantna krema za miješanu ili masnu kožu. Doduše, zimi mi nije dovoljna.

L’OCCITANE Angelica Protective Lotion. A basic moisturizer. Nothing special. / L’OCCITANE Angelica Protective Lotion. Standardna hidratantna krema, ništa posebno.

SISLEY Sisleya Radiance Anti Aging Concentrate. It is one of my favourite serums – it makes my skin look more radiant and healthier. / SISLEY Sisleya Radiance Anti Ageing Concentrate. Jedan od meni najdražih seruma jer mi koža izgleda sjajnije i zdravije.

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MAKE-UP and FRAGRANCE / ŠMINKA i PARFEMI

YVES SAINT LAURENT Teint Parfait. It is my favourite primer/tinted moisturizer and it is a shame it has been discontinued. / YVES LAURENT Teint Parfait. Jedan od najboljih baza/toniranih kremi i šteta je da ga više ne proizvode.

GUERLAIN Rouge G in Gaela. A lovely, albeit a bit too cold pink. The lipstick was very pigmented, but not as moisturizing as I’d like. I probably won’t purchase more Rouges G because I prefer the formula of Rouge Automatique. / GUERLAIN Rouge G u nijansi Gaela. Vrlo lijepa iako malčice prehladna nijansa roze. Ruž je jako pigmentiran, ali ne baš hidratantan. Najvjerojatnije više neću kupovati Rouge G liniju jer preferiram teksturu Rogue Automatiquea.

NAOMI CAMPBELL Paradise Passion. This fragrance stinks awfully. I kind of hope that the sample has gone bad because I can’t believe that someone would actually launch something so stinky. / NAOMI CAMPBELL Paradise Passion. Ovaj parfem zbilja smrdi tako da se nadam da je uzorak bio pokvaren jer ne mogu vjerovati da bi netko pustio nešto tako smrdljivo u prodaju.

MOSCHINO Hippy Fizz. A cheap fruity horror. / MOSCHINO Hippy Fizz. Jeftin voćni užas.

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Well, that would be it. I’m planning to swatch many lipsticks, so stay tuned. Until you hear from me the next time, enjoy your weekend.

Love, Tamara

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Evo, to bi bilo to. Planiram poswatchati hrpu ruževa preko vikenda, tako da pratite blog. Uživajte u vikendu.

Voli vas Tamara

SISLEY Sisleya Global Anti-Aging Cream Review

Hello dear readers,

I’ve been incapacitated for everal days and barely had enough strength to go to work. My skin was a complete mess too – extremely dehydrated and constantly flaking. To battle such a condition, I needed a real weapon: Sisleya Global Anti Aging Cream. I have several GWP  jars (5ml) which I use sparingly because I’m not willing to shell out over $470 for a jar.

The cream is very thick and has a nice herbal scent. To apply it, I take a small amount and warm it up by rubbing it between my fingers. This makes the consistency less thick so you can apply smaller amount and spread it easily. It won’t sink immediately, so I usually put it on an hour before I go to bed. It is possible to use it underneath the make-up, but be sure to use extremely small amount so that it can sink quicker.

As for the effects, Skinleya is great.  It instantly fixes up all the traces of dehydrated skin. Sisley Masks are good, but some things are even beyond their repair, so this is where Sisleya comes it. The skin is completely healed, renourished, smooth and soft.  My skin is typically oily and dehydrated, but this Sisleya isn’t too rich for me. My skin feels greasy, but only until the cream sinks in. However, if you have a drier skin type, you should probably look into the version for dry skin.

Skinleya is definitely one of my favourite creams, although the price makes me look for cheaper alternative. If you know one, feel free to recommend one :)

 

Zdravo drage čitateljice,

zaadnjih sam nekoliko dana bila izvan stroja, jedva imajući snage da se dovučem na posao. Koža je također bila u potpunom rasulu – jako dehidrirana i perutava. Kako bih ispravila to stanje, trebala sam naći pravi lijek: Sisleya Global Anti Age Cream. Iman nekoliko posudica kreme koje sam dobila kao poklon uz kupnju i koje jako štedim jer mi je puna cijena od cca 2500 kuna ipak malo previše.

Krema je jako gusta i ima krasan biljni miris. Nanosim ju tako da malu količinu kreme lagano protrljam među prstima kako bih ju zagrijala i kako bi krema postala lakšom za nanošenje. Krema se neće odmah upiti, tako da ju obično nanosim sat prije spavanja. Moguće je kremu koristiti ispod šminke, ali tada to trebaju biti jako male količine kako bi se krema što prije upila.

Što se tiče učinkovitosti, Skinleya je super krema. Odmah briše sve tragove dehidrirane kože. Sisleyeve maske su inače jako dobre u tome, ali u nekim situacijana ni one ne mogu pomoći te tada nastupa Sisleya. Koža je potpuno izliječena, nahranjena, glatka i mekana. Moja je koža obično masna i dehidrirana, ali ova krema nije prebogata. Krema je na koži malo masna, ali to nestaje kako se krema upija. Doduše, ukoliko imate suhu kožu, radije isprobajte verziju za suhu kožu.

Skinleya je definitivno jedna od meni najdražih krema, iako zbog cijene tražim jeftiniju alternativu. Ako znate koju, slobodno preporučite

FINISHED! December Editon

Hello dear readers,

first I would like to wish you all happy new year. I hope that all your wishes will come true and that every day of the new 2013 will be fulfilled, that you’ll live every day like your last and that you won’t regret anything and you’ll look forward to good things to come.

I know that in my November edition I have promised many more finished products, but December is even more of a fail than November. I guess it seems that January will be perfect.

Also, January will be the month when I (hopefully) will finally get a DSLR camera. The store in which I planned to buy it obviously isn’t interested in selling (weird, because they are Canon importers) and, as far as my experience goes, has a poor customer service, so I’m looking for another (probably cheaper) store.

Anyway, I’m planning on publishing 2012 favourites this week and the next week you can expect the photos of my collection. You’ll also see the round-up of my so called „low buy“ (yeah, right).

Without further delaying, here are the items spent in December:

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Dragi čitatelji,

prvo bih vam željela čestitati Novu Godinu. Nadam se da će vam se ispuniti sve vaše želje te da će vam svaki dan nove 2013. biti ispunjen i da ćete svaki dan živjeti kao da je posljednji bez da žalite za bilo čim te da ćete se radovati svim dobrim stvarima koje vam ova godina nosi.

Znam da sam u studenom obećala više potrošenih poizvoda, ali po tom pitanju prosinac je bio pravi debakl. Izgleda da će siječanj biti savršen.

Također nadam se da ću u siječnju konačno nabaviti DSLR fotoaparat. Trgovina u kojoj sam ga namjeravala kupiti očito nije zainteresirana za prodaju (što je čudno, budući da su oni zastupnici Canona) i prema mojem iskustvu nemaju bog zna kakvi odnos s kupcima, pa tražim neku drugi (vjerojatno jeftiniji) dućan.

Također planiram objaviti post s favoritima u 2012 ovaj tjedan, a idući tjedan možete očekivati slike moje kolekcije, te sažetak moje takozvane „smanjene“ kupnje kozmetike (moš’ mislit).

Da dalje ne duljim, ovo su proizvodi koje sam potrošila u prosincu:

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MAKE-UP (Šminka):

SISLEY Skinleya #20 foundation sample (2ml) . A light coverage foundation which I use in combination with Phyto Teint Eclat to get the correct shade for my skin. - Tekući puder s laganim prekrivanjem kojeg koristim u kombinaciji s Phyto Teint Eclat da bih dobila točnu nijansu.

SISLEY Phytocernes + Concealer #2 sample (0,5 ml). A concealer which I have used in combination with Effacernes, to dilute it and to get the correct shade. - Korektor kojeg koristim u kombinaciji s Effacernes korektorom kako bih ga razrijedila i kako bih dobila točnu nijansu.

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SKINCARE (Njega kože):

BIODERMA Sebium H2O micelle solution (250 ml). An excellent make-up remover which I’m tempted to buy (and I probably will after I spend Sisley Eau Efficace). Considering the amount, it has lasted a long time. – Odličan odstranjivač šminke kojeg ću vjerojatno ponovno kupiti nakon što potrošim Sisley Eau Efficace. S obzirom na količinu, odstranjivač je trajao puno duže nego što sam to očekivala.

SISLEY Hydraflash mask sample (4 ml). A nice pick-me up for my winter-dehydrated skin. – Dobra maska za oporavak kože dehidrirane zbog hladnoće i suhog zraka.

BIODERMA Sebium Hydra cream sample (5ml) . Plain basic moisturizer. I probably won’t repurchase. – Obična hidratantna krema. Vjerojatno ju neću ponovno kupiti.

SISLEY Sisleya Eye Contour Cream sample (2 ml). An excellent eye contour cream, but too pricey for what I get (+ the full size comes in a jar). – Izvrsna okoloočna krema, ali puno puno preskupa.

SISLEY All Day All Year sample (10 ml). A very good day cream, althought I don’t trust the alleged SPF much. – Vrlo dobra dnevna krema, iako se ne pouzdajem previše u navodni zaštitni faktor.

SISLEY Sisleya Radiance Concentrate sample (3 ml). The perfect serum for my skin, but I think that SVR Clarial is a bit better. – Savršeni serum za moju kožu, ali mislim da je SVR Clarial ipak mrvicu bolji.

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FRAGRANCE (Parfemi):

MOSCHINO Light Clouds EdT sample. Unremarkable. – Ništa posebno.

MOSCHINO Funny! EdT sample . Unremarkable. – Ništa posebno.

MOSCHINO Toujours Glamour EdT sample. The best fragrance from the Moschino line, although it isn’t something special. – Najbolji Moschinov parfem, iako ni on nije ništa posebno.

DSQUARED She Wood EdT sample. To my nose rose is prevalent, but it is grounded by something woody. Interesting. – Parfem u kojiem prevladava ruža prizemljena drvenastom bazom. Zanimljivo.

LA PRAIRIE Silver Rain Shimmer Mist sample. It smells expensive, but something just doesn’t agree with my nose. – Miriši skupo, ali nešto u parfemu mi ne odgovara.

BY KILIAN Beyond Love. Indeed, it is beyond love, it is perfection. My absolute favourite. Idiot me didn’t purchase the big bottle. – I više od ljubavi, to je savršenstvo. Moj najdraži parfem. Glupa ja nije kupila veliku bočicu kad je mogla.

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And that would be all. Thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of your holidays

Love, Tamara

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I to bi bilo sve. Hvala vam na čitanju i uživajte u praznicima

Voli vas, Tamara

SISLEY Hydraflash Formule Intensive Review and Ingredients

Dear readers,

today I’ll review one of my favourite Sisley products – Hydraflash. It is a hybrid between a mask and a cream (you can use it both ways) which comes in a 60ml tube and retails for cca $150.

The mask claims that it contains beta-hydroxy acid, but I don’t see it listed on the ingredients list.

Hydraflash is a thick cream. As I have mentioned it can be used as a mask (you wipe it off after 10 minutes) or as a cream. It has a natural scent which reminds me of lavender and sage.

Hydraflash is supposed to leave your skin moisturized and radiant and on my skin it really performs as it should. I usually apply a generous amount of the cream twice or thrice per week and simply leave it on. Since I spend a lot of time outside (and the cold weather is killing my skin), this mask is a real saviour. I have noticed that when I use Hydraflash, my skin doesn’t require much of additional moisture and I have no problem with flakey skin.

The mask sinks in very quickly and leaves almost matte finish.

My only issue, and the reason why I’m so hesitant to purchase the full size, is the fact that it doesn’t last me a long time. I have to use really huge amount of the product for the mask to be effective and I simply can’t afford to spend $150 every two or three months.

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Dragi čitatelji,

danas ću recenzirati jedan od meni najdražih Sisley proizvoda – Hydraflash. Hydraflash je zapravo kombinacija maske i kreme (može se koristiti na oba načina) koja dolazi u tubici zapremnine 60 ml te košta oko 1100 kuna.

Na proizvodu piše da sadrži BHA, ali ja tu kiselinu ne vidim izlistanu na sastojcima.

Hydraflash je gusta krema za koju sam već spomenula da se može koristiti kao maska (obrišete ostatak nakon 10 minuta) ili kao krema. Ima prirodan scent koji me podsjeća na lavandu i kadulju.

Hydraflash bi trebao hidratizirati kožu te joj dati blistavost. Na mojoj koži ta krema zaista tako funkcionira. Obično nanesem obilnu količinu kreme dva ili tri puta tjedno te ju ostavim na licu preko noći da se upije. Budući da provodim dosta vremena vani (a hladan zrak mi ubija kožu), ova maska me zbilja spašava. Primjetila sam da kad god koristim Hydraflash ne trebam koristiti nikakvu drugu hidratantnu kremu te nemam problema s perutanjem kože.

Maska se inače upija jako brzo te ostavlja gotovo mat finiš.

Jedini razlog zbog kojeg još nisam kupila punu veličinu nego koristim testere je činjenica da se maska brzo troši. Zbilja trebam nanijeti ogromnu količinu proizvoda da bi maska bila učinkovita i jednostavno mi je trenutno previše davati 1100 kuna svaka dva ili tri mjeseca (koliko bi mi, po mojim proračunima, trajala jedna tubica).

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Sisley Hydraflash INGREDIENTS (sastojci):

SVR Chronolys 1st Wrinkle Eye Contour Cream Review

 

SVR is a brand available in pharmacies for which I have first heard when I was looking for a Vitamin C serum. It turns out that, besides Vitamin C products, they have quite a choice of high percentage glycolic acid exfoliators. I’m currently using one any you can expect a review in the next two or three weeks.

What I’ll review today is SVR Chronolys 1st Wrinkles Eye Contour cream. The cream comes in a 15ml tube and retails for approximately $20 to $25. Since SVR often has 20% off, you can save quite a bit if you buy it during the promotion.

Chronolys eye contour cream first surprised me by its consistency – I have expected something thicker and creamier and instead I got a runny, lotion-like product. However, don’t be fooled by it – it is very moisturizing, even though you need a tiny bit, as it spreads easily. The lightness of the formula helps the cream to sink in quickly, so this is a good choice to use in the morning before applying make-up.

The cream has a mild, slightly chemical scent which can barely be felt.

All in all, I’m very satisfied. Chronolys is considerably more moisturizing than Bioderma Sensibio and I expect that I’ll use it for a long time.

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SVR je ne tako poznati brand dostupan u ljekarnama za koji sam prvi put čula kada sam tražila serume s vitaminom C dostupne na našem tržištu. Osim proizvoda s vitaminom C, SVR ima I dobar izbor proizvoda s visokim postotkom glikolne kiseline. Trenutno koristim jedan njihov piling koji ću recenzirati za par tjedana.

Danas ću recenzirati SVR Chronolys 1st Wrinkled Eye Contour kremu oko očiju za prve bore. Krema dolazi u tubi on 15 ml i košta oko 120 kuna. Ja sam svoju kremu kupila u Farmacia ljekarni kada su imali 20% popusta na SVR proizvode. Oni inače često znaju imati promocije tako da se isplati čekati popust i nešto uštedjeti.

Chronolys krema me je iznenadila svojom teksturom – očekivala sam nešto gušće i kremastije, a dobila sam gotovo tekuću teksturu. Svejedno, nemojte da vas tekstura zavara – krema je poprilično hranjiva te je dovoljna mala količina proizvoda jer se krema lako razmazuje. Zbog svoje lagane formule, krema se brzo upija pa je pogodna za korištenje ispod šminke.

Krema ima blag, jedva primjetan miris.

Sve u svemu, jako sam zadovoljna ovom kremom. Chronolys je puno hidratantiniji od Biodermine Sensibio okoloočne kreme, te vjerujem da ću ovoj kremi ostati vjerna na duži period.

BIODERMA Sebium Hydra Moisturizing Cream Review

During the last month I’ve been using Bioderma Sebium Hydra moisturizing cream. According to the pharmacist, this cream should moisturize skin without making it too greasy. I haven’t purchased the full-size, but the pharmacist gave me several 5ml samples to try.

The cream has a very thick consistency, but it isn’t greasy. It spread easily, but I need to use quite a lot for my face. It has a very mild scent which shouldn’t bother anyone.

My skin is oily and dehydrated with huge pores. As for the efficiency on my skin, I find the cream okay. It helped (to some extent) with dehydration, but my skin needs much more moisture in the winter. From what I can notice, the cream hasn’t clogged my pores or caused any breakouts.

Since it didn’t make my skin greasy, I think this might be a nice solution for late spring or summer.

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Proteklih mjesec dana koristila sam Bioderma Sebium Hydra hidratantnu kremu. Ova krema bi trebala hidratizirati kožu bez mašćenja (barem mi je tako magistra rekla). Nisam kupila punu veličinu (mislim da košta oko 80 kuna), ali mi je magistra dala par testera of 5ml da isprobam.

Krema je dosta gusta, ali se ne čini masna. Lako se razmazuje, ali usprkos tome trebam dosta veliku količinu kreme sa lice. Ima jako lagan, jedva primjetan miris koji ne bi trebao ikom smetati.

Moja koža je masna i dehidrirana s ogromnim porama. Što se tiče učinka kreme na mojoj koži, ova krema mi je samo ok. Pomaže koliko-toliko dehidriranoj koži, ali trenutno moja koža traži puno više hidratacije. Dok sam koristila kremu, nisam primijetila da čepi pore ili uzrokuje prištiće.

S obzirom na to da nije mastila moju kožu, ova mi se krema čini kao idealno rješenje za kasne proljetne ili ljetne mjesece.

APIVITA Lip Care with Propolis Review

Hello, dear readers.

It’s been awhile since the last decent blog update. I apologise, but a lot of things were going on and I simply couldn’t find time to update.

Today, I’ll review Apivita lip balm. I’ve bought it several weeks ago. I was in a desperate need of a lip balm (up to then I used lipstick, but then you can’t wear lipstick at night) and Apivita seemed like a convenient choice.

The balm doesn’t feel too waxy – since it contains beeswax, I was afraid that I’ll have problems with difficult application, but it goes on smoothly. It has a dusty coconut scent – not something I’m fan of, but I can tolerate it.

As for the care, it really nourishes my lips, especially during night. It doesn’t disappear quickly, so sometimes when I wake up, I can still feel that there’s some balm left on the lips after all night sleep.

Quality wise, it is a good product for an affordable $10 (contains 4.4 grams of product).

The only issue I have is the packaging. It literary feels like it is going to fall apart in my hands. It feels super cheap and of bad quality.

The repurchase of this (or some other lip balm from Apivita line) depends on how well will the packaging hold. I don’t expose it to any extreme condition – it simply sits on my table, so I don’t expect much problems, but you can never be sure.

FINISHED! November Edition

 

Hello, dear readers.

As much as November was a success in business life, it was a total FAIL when it comes to finishing products. I can’t recall a month with less finished products. Luckily, I haven’t had time to buy much, so this kinds of balances it. Still, I’m staying positive and I’m hoping that this means that December will be something. I’m kind of looking forward to see what kind of fail my low buy was, lol

So, without further ado, here are the products I have finished this month.

SKINCARE:

 

 

 

Sisley Lyslait 30ml.

Sisley Floral Toning Lotion 30ml. Since I’m finishing these so often, I won’t review them any more. Suffice to say I love it.

Sisley Ecological Compound 5ml. A lovely, lightweight moisturizer.

Sisley Sisleya Radiance Anti-Ageing Concentrate 3ml. One of my favourite serums with the least favourite price. It makes my skin very even, without redness.

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MAKE-UP:

ESSENCE I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base. An excellent product for the price and I have already repurchased another. It lasted for almost a year.

SISLEY Instant Perfect primer 2ml. A nice primer.

ESSENCE Nail Art Sealing Top Coat. When I bought my first bottle, I was very satisfied with it. After finishing the second, I’m not sure I love it so much any more. I’m switching to Eveline. P.S. I have no idea how the bottle got so dirty. I tried to clean it, but it didn’t go away.

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HAIR and FRAGRANCE:

GARNIER Natural Beauty Coconut and Cacao Butter Shampoo (not on the photo). An excellent scent, but didn’t help much with dry hair.

GUERLAIN Idylle edt sample. A lovely spring-time scent.

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA Gelsomino soap. An excellent soap for hands.

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Well, that’s it. 10 products in total. We’ll see what December will turn like.

I’m a kind of busy right now, having to attend another conference and then I’m going on a short trip somewhere, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t post as regularly.

Have a great week,

Tamara

SISLEY Black Rose Cream Mask Review

Being a huge fan of Sisley masks (especially Express Flower Gel and Hydraflash), I wanted to try this as soon as it came out. However, the stores were always out of samples (and sometimes even out of the full sized product), saying that this masks simply flies off the shelves. I was so happy when Sisley decided to include the 10ml size of the mask into their GWPs, so currently I have 40ml of the mask.

The full sized mask comes in a 60 ml tube which retails for around $140.

Like the name says, the mask is a pale peachy cream. It feels light and rich at the same time. The instructions say to apply it on the clean face and leave it on for 10 minutes to sink in, then wipe off the excess. I don’t follow the instructions and I use it as I would use a moisturizer, only I apply a thicker amount.

It sinks in slowly, but it is far less sticky that the Express Flower Gel.

When I compare its effectiveness, Express Flower Gel gives my skin a more “I got a full-night sleep” appearance, while Black Rose effect is not as dramatic in giving fresh-looking skin.

On the other hand, Black Rose is way more moisturizing than Express Flower Gel – once I use it, I can count that my skin won’t get dehydrated for the next several days, no matter what I do with it.

The only real minus I could find (besides the price) is the scent. I think that this is the most disgusting scent I’ve ever smelled. Although the name says Black ROSE, I can barely scent a rose in it – it smells more like you’ve put rose petals into water and they started to rot and became stinky. Another thing the scent reminds me to is the scent of the depilatory cream – you know that poorly masked stink of the chemicals which dissolve the hair? That’s exactly the scent of the Black Rose mask. When I first put it on, I had to make sure that I didn’t put a depilatory cream on the face by accident, lol.

I got used to the scent to some degree – at least I don’t have to check whether I applied a depilatory cream – and it won’t make me stop using this mask, but I felt the need to warn you.

SISLEY All Day All Year Review and Ingredients

All Day All Year is, together with Creme Reparatrice, Floral Toning Lotion, Express Flower Gel and Lyslait, one of Sisley’s signature products. I’ve been listening the glowing reviews for years and I’ve always wanted to try it, but I could never get a sample so I didn’t want to risk.

The full-size All Day All Year comes in a 50ml pump bottle and retails for $398. Luckily, I got 5 GWP samples, each containing 10 ml, so I practically got the full-size for free. I’ve been using it once per day (in the morning) for two weeks and I haven’t even spent a half of the tube.

All Day All Year has a slightly unpleasant scent, which disappears upon the application.

When I squeeze it out, the consistency feels whipped, but when I spread it on the face, it feels thick, greasy and sticky (like a heavy sunscreen). However, half a minute after it dries up to a matte finish. I use it underneath the make-up – it is a great base to put underneath the foundation.

All Day All Year boasts with sunscreen, but it never says which SPF it has, so I wouldn’t put much confidence in it to protect me from UVA/UVB rays.

Ever since I’ve started using this (in conjuncture with some other products – Soapless Facial Cleansing Bar, Ecological Compound, Sisleya Radiance Serum and Floral Toning Lotion), my skin feels and looks great – soft, radiant skin with minimal oiliness and no dehydration.

I was a bit worried that it will break me out, but luckily it didn’t.

I recommend this cream as a basic day-time moisturizer because it protects my skin primarily from the environmental damage (cold and dry air). I trust the claim about UV filters to protect me during cloudy winter days, but it wouldn’t be my go to sunscreen in spring, summer or fall. The only drawback is the price, which is steep for something so basic, but I hope that the samples will last me a long time.

All Day All Year INGREDIENTS:

Water (aqua), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, squalane, isopropyl palmitate, cetearyl alchohol, corylus americana (hazel) seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), sesamum indicum (sesame) extract, pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, propylene glycol, polysilicone-14, cetearyl glucoside, phenoxyethanol, salix alba (willow) leaf extract, potassium cetyl phosphate, dimethicone, tocopherol, butylene glycol, polyacrylamide, ceteareth-33, methylparaben, C13-14 isoparaffin, xanthan gum, silica, juniperus communis fruit oil, salvia officinalis (sage) oil, arginine, oryza sativa (rice) bran extract, butylparaben, thymus mastichina herb oil, ethyparaben, laureth-7, disodium edta, citric acid, propylparaben. (cont. linalool, limonene).

SISLEY Sisleya Radiance Anti Aging Concentrate Review

The full-size Sisleya Radiance Anti Aging Concentrate comes in a 30 ml pump bottle and retails for $510. I haven’t purchased the full-size, but I have 6 samples, each containing 3 ml, so this sums up to a little more than half the full-size.

So far, I have spent two samples. One sample usually lasts for 9 to 10 days, if I use it once per day.

Sisleya Radiance Anti Aging Concentrate is a very light yellow-coloured serum. A little goes a long way – I use a pea sized amount for the whole face. It spreads easily and sinks in immediately. The serum is scented – a herbal scent on which I’m still trying to get used to, but the scent disappears quickly upon the application.

During the two and a half weeks, I’ve been using this serum in the evening, after cleansing and applying a toner. An hour or two after applying the serum, I used Ecological compound, for an extra moisture boost. Every morning, I applied All Day All Year.

The effect of this serum is amazing. At first, I’ve planned to spend all six tubes, but now I think that I’ll save some for later.

My skin is oily, but dehydrated with giant pores (I can’t do nothing about it, unfortunatelly) and whitehead bumps. I can count on one or two cystic acne per week. Of course, when a cystic acne is gone, you can count on the fact that it will leave a reminder in the form of redness which isn’t gone for ages.

After using it for two and a half weeks, my skin appears more even. In this whole period, I only got one hormonal cystic acne, which was gone pretty quickly, without leaving a red mark (I expected more of them). The redness is minimal and all in all, my skin looks the best it could be (if only this worked on pores).

I didn’t notice more blackheads – actually, they seem to be pretty diminished. I’ve also noticed the diminished size of the whiteheads. My skin is no longer dehydrated and the oiliness diminished.

I am truly amazed by this serum and yes, I consider repurchasing it. However, I’d like to try some other, cheaper, serums first, because the price of this serum is a bit out of my league.

SISLEY and CHANEL Shopping

Hello everybody.

Since I’ve named this week Sisley week, it should only be appropriate to post another shopping. Other than Retinol and Glycolic acid creams + mascara and other products I have no back-up of (and maybe Chanel or Guerlain holiday quad), I think I’m done for this year. Some people really shouldn’t be allowed to manage money or credit cards, lol. Although, I wonder who could miss such a bargain.

Anyway, one of the perfumery chain had a 20% off of everything and they also offered a GWP with Sisley skincare purchase (and I’m a sucker for both Sisley and their GWPs). I got 4 GWPs in total (all four had the same products) – 3 for buying the products and 1 when I exchanged my points.

Well, I got the following products.

- Sisley Eau Efficace Gentle Make-Up Remover (I got is for $90, full-price is $120). I’m close to finising Bioderma Micelle Solution, and from the product description, Eau Efficace seemed like a Sisley version of Micelle water so it was a logical choice. Another thing that talked me to purchase it is how the water is dispensed (I’ll describe it more in my review).

- Sisley Ecological Compound Discovery set (I got it for $105, the full price is $145 ).

I’ve already used one bottle which I liked enough to buy another one. I’ll review Ecological compound during the next month because I want to remind myself why I liked it so much.

Basically, this set is worth almost double its full price if you count the value of the deluxe samples you get with it (10 ml of All Day All Year, 15 ml of Express Flower Gel and 5 ml of Eye and Lip Contour Balm).

- Phyto Lip Gloss in #3 Rose ($40, the full price $50). This is the new, fall launch and this beautiful pink with a hint of coral was on my wishlist ever since I’ve seen it.

- Hydrating Longlasting Lipstick in L9 ($44, the full price $55). The lipstick was on a whim purchase. It is another warm pink with a hint of coral shade which reminds me of my YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Pink Dahlia.

The GWPs contained the following products:

30 ml of Floral Toner

30 ml of Lyslait

10 ml of All Day All Year

10 ml of Black Rose mask

8 ml of Soir de Lune Body Lotion (I wonder if they’d ever stop giving this)

3 ml of Sisleya Radiance Concentrate

5 ml of Instant Perfect Primer

2 ml of Skinleya foundation

 

This shopping was a total bargain. For the total of approximately $280 I have spent on Sisley, I got additional over $1000 worth products, out of which 80% are my favourites and the rest are the products I’ve wanted to try for ages.

However, this means that besides the essentials, I shouldn’t purchase much more.

I have barely put my collection back under control and this has set me back for several months.

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The last purchase is from Chanel. Even though I’m disappointed with how long (or better, how short) the Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadow lasts, I got another one. Currently my days are very busy and I appreciate every second of sleep, so my make-up routine is minimized. For that reason I got the shade Emerveille (pearly pink), so that I can only slap it on the lids, without bothering with primers and zillion other shadows.

Since it was suggested to me that I stored Mirifique in a wrong way, I’m storing Emerveille on the lid from the beigning. After six months I’ll update if this has taken any effect.

As for Mirifique – I put a drop of Duraline in it every time I use it and it works that way, although the shade is not as dymensional – there is no silvery sparkle.

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Thank you for reading

You can share your recent purchases in the comments.

SISLEY Global Perfect Pore Minimizer Review and Ingredients

Sisley Global Perfect Pore Minimizer is the new product launched this fall. It comes in a 30ml pump bottle and retails for $210. It promises tightened pores, smooth and flawless skin.

My major skin issue are my pores which are huge (just check any of my foundation review and you’ll see what I’m talking about). Otherwise my skin is pretty OK, a blemish or redness here and there and oily T-zone.

Since Global Perfect pore minimizer seemed like an answer to all my skin issues, I couldn’t wait to try it. A nice SA gave me the sample a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been using it since then. The sample is tiny (1,5ml), but it has lasted for two weeks of once per day usage and there’s still some left.

According to the SA, it can be used twice per day, on its own or like a serum underneath the moisturizer. I’ve been using it together with Hydra-Global and Tropical Resins Complex, but only in the evening.

The consistency is creamy and a little goes a long way. It has slightly peachy-pinkish colour and the scent is the same like the scent of Sisleya Global Anti Age cream. The scent disappears upon application.

It skinks immediately and it could be used under make-up as a primer.

Now, the effects. After two weeks of usage I can see that my pores are slightly, but only slightly, diminished and there is less redness on my skin. However, the effect is not dramatic enought to justify paying the full price, in my opinion. This is the best pore tightening product I have found so far, but for $210 I expect more dramatic effect. I still have some Bioderma pore minimizer to test and only then I’ll be able to decide whether Global Perfect is worth it.

DECLARÉ Hydro-Energy Moisture Boost Cream-Gel Ingredients and Review

Hydro-Energy was my introduction to the Swiss brand Declaré.

I was intrigued by it for a very long time; however, while not too pricey, it was still too expensive to buy it without previous testing.

When I saw that they offer travel-sizes of some of their creams, I couldn’t resist. I’ve bough Hydro-Energy for a start, although in winter I may try something richer.

The travel-size creams come in a 15ml jar and Hydro-Energy retailed for $8. Others cost approximately in the range of $10-15. If I remember correctly the full-size of the cream costs somewhere around $20-25.

The travel-size cream doesn’t come in a box, but the opening is sealed with a foil which is pretty difficult to open.

The consistency of Hydro-energy is just like the name suggests: a creamy gel; a bit more creamy than, let’s say, Sisley Floral mask. The cream has a light mint colour and light, inoffensive scent which disappears upon application. A little goes a long way – a pea-sized amount was more than enough for my face.

Once applied, it sinks in quickly and it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.

As for the effect, it is amazing. Since it is a cream-gel I didn’t expected it to be so moisturizing, but it is. My skin type is oily, but very dehydrated so I’m always trying to find something that will moisturize without being greasy. Hydro-Energy perfectly moisturizes my skin without making it too oily. It works well under make-up, too.

It definitely fixed my skin after Dior One Essential Serum ruined it. Hydro-Energy didn’t give me any breakouts.

All in all, Declaré is the brand I’ll pay more attention to in the future and I can’t wait to test some of the richer creams in the winter.

BIODERMA Sebium H2O Micelle Solution Ingredients and Review

I have received a 250ml bottle of Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution with the purchase of Sebium cream. 250ml bottle is the medium sized one – there also exist a bigger, 500 ml bottle and one smaller. As far as I can remember, 250 ml costs around $13.

Bioderma has two varieties of micelle solution: Sensibio (for sensitive skin) and Sebium (for oily skin). I was a bit worried that, since my version is for oily skin, it would be too drying, but it wasn’t.

Ever since I’ve tried it, micelle solution is my favourite method for removing make-up. It takes off the layers of foundation and powder, eyeshadow, mascara and eyeliner without irritating my eyes. Keep in mind that I don’t generally use waterproof make-up, but I’ve started applying Chanel Illusion d’Ombre mixed with Inglot Duraline, which makes the make-up longwearing.

Micelle solution is a transparent liquid, with light scent, which looks like a water. The scent is barely there, but don’t get it in your mouth, because the taste is horrible.

I’ve been using it almost daily for two and a half months and there’s a bit more than half left, although at first it didn’t seem as if it would last for so long.

My only problem is the packaging – it comes in a flip top bottle and I think that it would be easier to dispense it if it contained a pump. As it is now, I sometimes have a hard time not to overspill it.

In spite of this, I’ll continue to use micelle solutions, although I may explore other brands.

FINISHED! September Edition

September was a really slow month when it comes to the products I have spent. I also have to brag myself a bit and say that, with the exception of Essie nail polish (shade Recessionista) I haven’t bough any single product, be it make-up or skincare, since August 10th. That’s almost two months of an unintentional no-buy. It wasn’t so hard – I simply didn’t think about it at all.

Anyway, I’m planning on having a huge shopping spree – I need some Vitamin C serums, glycolic acid peel and something with Retinol. I’m kind of low with the body-care products, too, and I’m planning to raid Yves Rocher store.

Also, Sisley has launched new blushes in the trashiest packaging possible (the plastic cover with zebra pattern) but I’m in love with the coral shade.

Next, I’m gathering the courage to get my hair cut – I haven’t been at the hairdresser for over two years (because of the very traumatic experience) and my hair is in horrible condition. I’ll have to cut off at least 10 to 15 centimeters and I just need to find a reliable salon. This also means that I’ll have to get some hair-care products.

SPIRIG Daylong Extreme SPF 50 Review and Ingredients

Daylong Extreme by Spirig is another sunscreen that I have tried this summer. My mother is a faithful user for years (she is extremely sensitive to sun because of the antibiotics she had to use).

Daylong comes in a 100 ml flip top tube and it retails for around $25. As far as I can see from the ingredients list, it is 100% chemical sunscreen.

The consistency is creamy and very sticky. It spreads easily, but approximately 10-15 minutes after application it sinks in and the stickiness is gone.

The scent is a turn-off (at least for me) – slightly medical with milky coconut undertone; but it disappears upon application.

When I used it underneath the make-up, it felt heavy on my face.

This sunscreen is extremely hard to wash off. It is probably the only sunscreen that I had to remove with double cleansing like I remove make-up. This signalled that it might cause the breakouts, but I didn’t get any. Another bonus is that it really moisturizes the skin – I have dehydrated oily skin, but this helped with battling the flaky skin.

In spite of the benefits, I’ll only use it as a beach sunscreen or during work-out, and not like an everyday sunscreen.

EUCERIN Sun Lotion Extra Light SPF 50 Review and Ingredients

Eucerin Sun Lotion with SPF 50 was one of mine everyday sunscreens this summer. I got a 10 ml tube as a sample with purchase and, since the pharmacist told me I shouldn’t use it on the face, I have forgotten about it. Unfortunately, I don’t have any info on the price (I suppose it is around $20-30) or the amount the full size comes in.

However, having gotten a nice reddish freckle caused by the sun on the side of my forehead (I wore SPF30, but I had to spend all day out in the sun), and having only Eucerin as a high SPF sunscreen, I decided to bit the bullet, thinking that it couldn’t do more damage. Here is the picture of the freckle. Since the photo was taken with flash, the colour is slightly washed out, but in reality the freckle is a bright pinkish red).

Eucerin Sun Lotion is a combination of physical and chemical sunscreen.

The consistency is, as the name says, very light. It spread easily and it sinks in quickly, without being sticky. It doesn’t leave whiteish cast.

The scent is fairly strong, alcoholic, but disappears upon the application.

Because of the alcohol inside, it is a bit drying. I have oily dehydrated skin, so it didn’t do much damage, but drier skin types should be cautious. I was the most afraid that it will break me out, but it didn’t.

It is possible to put the make-up over it, but I still prefer Bioderma Photoderm SPF 30.

GARNIER Essentials Eye Remover Review

 

I’ve heard so many raves about this eye-make up remover, but after using it, I was pretty disappointed.

It comes in a 250ml bottle with a flip opening. IT is really cheap, I think around $4 in Croatia.

I generally wear a lot of eye-make up (primer, several eyeshadows, liner and mascara), so I’m always looking for the perfect remover which will take off all the make-up without unnecessary scrubbing. Since it claims that it removes waterproof make-up, I have thought that Garnier Essentials will be perfect.

However, it didn’t impress me. I need a lot of remover and even then, the make-up isn’t completely gone. Even though it claims that it is for sensitive eyes, it managed to irritate my eyes (which aren’t sensitive at all).

What this is good for is to use it to remove eye-shadow fallout or to do clean-up after applying eye make-up.

It is a “won’t buy anymore” for me because it seems that it works on removing eyeshadow, but it fails when faced with non-waterproof mascara and liner.