Mateja's Beauty Blog: New in #125

Beauty

October 22, 2022

Mateja’s Beauty Blog: New in #125

GOSH Mineral Powder

002 Ivory

Someone who has a similar skin tone recommended this to me on IG, since the lightest shade is so pale. Coverage is surprisingly good and buildable. Currently I have a slow-healing red mark from an old blemish and this covers it. It also covers my under eye circles, but some of my freckles are still visible. I’ve had it look too powdery and nicely “meshed” with my skin, so it’s not always natural looking, but it can look really nice on the skin when I combine it with enough skin care. It takes away greasy shine from heavy moisturisers and SPFs, yet it doesn’t look flat matte. This needs moisture or oils too look better on dry skin, so assume it should work well with oily-combination skin that gets oils through the day, while I compensate for that with skin care on my dry skin. I’ve had it for about two weeks and I like it, but it also reminded me how messy these mineral powders are to apply, as the powder flies everywhere and the process is slower than a liquid foundation (mostly because of the packaging). Shade is nicely pale and once it’s blended on my skin, it matches my neck.

Notino 10,20 €

BENEFIT Dandelion WANDERful World Mini Blush

This is the only shade that escaped Benefit’s blush shakeup, where they discontinued all of their existing shades and released a bunch of new ones. I bought Shellie and Willa, which impressed me with their quality, so I got Dandelion too, since considering it’s existed for so long, is worth exploring. It’s a light baby pink shade in the box, but that’s not the shade I get on my cheeks. It ends up more peachy on me and in one or two layers, it’s like my skin was just deepened a couple of shades, while when I build it up, I get more pink, but more of a peachy-pink. I expected it to look more pink on me, but the shade is so light it doesn’t overpower your natural skin tone enough to show what’s in the pan. Maybe that’s why it’s so popular in the first place. Formula is not nearly as pigmented as the other two, as I only need to touch Willa and Shellie with a brush to get enough for my pale skin, while this shade I need to build for intensity.

CATRICE Full Satin Nude Lipstick

050 Full of Boldness

A brownish rosy shade that’s in the 90’s style of lip colours. It’s a part of five nude shades collection and this is the deepest one, as well as the only reddish one. Formula is not quite as smooth as Vegan Collagen Matt Lipstick and it doesn’t glide with such an ease as those, but it’s close and still a nice quality formula with a good colour payoff.

I talked about this in August favourites and I got a backup. I’m a fan of this shade that I wear all-over the lips on its own. It’s a natural warm pink shade that almost matches my natural lip colour. Formula soft and easy to apply all over the lips, plus you get a sharpener on the other side so you can keep it always precise.

Essence’s newest mascara. There’s also a regular formula in a metal pink-purple tube. I bought this before I got that PR parcel which I reviewed separately, so I included the review already there. I can just say that after two weeks it hasn’t improved and I still miss better definition.

A repurchase. This is one of the two of my favourite mascaras, the second being Essence I <3 Extreme waterproof. Formulas are similar, as both hold the lashes curled and create enough volume, Revlon’s just has a more manageable brush, since it’s smaller. It’s not quite as defining and multiplying as Essence’s or even Revlon’s So Fierce! Big Bad Lash (which I only tried the regular version, though waterproof one exists too), but it creates enough volume and length. I was told on IG that this formula suits sensitive eyes if that helps anyone.

MAX FACTOR Miracle Pure Nail Polish

840 Moonstone Blue

I got this months ago and already featured it in August favourites. It’s a new range of nail polishes that’s plant based and vegan. Formula isn’t as smooth or nice as gel formulas, but three coats get me an even application that isn’t streaky or looking too thick. Colour is a beautiful shade of mint green that leans to light blue. I’ve only worn it with Seche Vite so far it and it survived work around the house just fine, like regular nail polishes usually do.

ESSENCE Gel Nail Colour

10 Did you mist me?

Newly updated Essence nail polish formula that I also got months ago and despite my initial concerns about it being a poorly performing formula because reviews are pretty bad on their website, this shade turned out to be just fine. It’s a typical thick gel formula that applies evenly with one coat and evens its self out, so there’s not streaks. It’s mostly opaque in one coat. I’ve worn it a lot since I got it because the colour is a great nude for my skin tone – a pale rosy nude that reminds me of my favourite Anny 300 Makeup shade.

SECHE VITE Clear Dry Fast Top Coat

I got backups of my favourite and the only top coat I’ve been using for many years. I’m not a patient woman when it comes to painting nails and this dries the nail polish in a minute. That’s the only thing that matters to me. It’s hard to find in recent years (a seller that ships to Slovenia), but I got these on eBay from Poland. Formula thickens before you can use it up, so I have Seche Restore drops too. Before I found this, I was using Essie’s Good to Go, which is similar, but Seche is quicker.

LIP SMACKER Lippy Pal Lip Balm

Unicorn Magic

I’ve always liked Lip Smacker formulas, they are great for dry lips and aren’t too waxy feeling. All are also very sweet smelling and have a candy taste, so more for a younger crowd. This one has a berry type of scent that is very similar to one of their Frozen balms, I believe it was Sven, so they tend to repeat their scents. Packaging is a little girls dream come true.

LIP SMACKER Lippy Pal Lip Balm

Cuddly Cream Puff

So Unicorn one was taken from me by a child (entirely unexpected given how it looks), so I went to repurchase it and it was out of stock, so I grabbed this one, which was on my wishlist anyway. It’s even better. It smells like The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin body butter, so a delectable vanilla almond combination.

ESSENCE Heart Core Fruity Lip Balm

01 Crazy Cherry, 02 Sweet Strawberry, 03 Wild Watermelon

As cute as these look, they are not terribly impressive tinted lip balms, neither in terms of colour payoff nor the nourishing abilities. They are very sheer with barely any visible change to the lips and in comparison Labello/Nivea balms are better. Formula is more on the hard side for a lip balm, though still ok. Essence has better products for dry lips, like their Cranberry Lip Oil and Booster Lip Butter with coconut oil.

LABELLO Caring Beauty 2 in 1

Pink

One of the three shades of new Labello/Nivea lip balms (one is red and one is nude or beige). It’s almost exactly the same as their Dragonfruit version that I had many years ago – the same shade of pink and scent, which is tropical fruity, closest to melon or watermelon. This shade can be built up to a pretty intense colour, so it’s like a creamy-glossy lipstick. Formula is more hydrating than Essence balms, but not as soft and balmy as Lip Smackers.

SNAILS Children’s Nail Polish

Candy Floss

This is a washable nail polish for kids that’s easily removed with soap. There are several shades to pick, all pastel, but first try revealed this is a clear/ lightly milky off-white shade with shimmer. It can’t really be built up to this pretty shade that’s seen in the bottle, but luckily kids don’t care. It washes of easily and dries fully on the nails (but it takes a while), so it has the look of a nail polish.

It’s a Girl Thing Lucky Peel off Nail Polish

I found this in the toy department in Müller. Remember when Catrice had peel off glitter nail polishes, which were so much easier to remove than proper glitter shades? This feels exactly the same. It’s like a thick glue with glitter. It can be peeled off, but the nail polish coat needs to be thick. It dries quite slowly, but it does eventually. Glitter is bigger than was in Catrice’s version and more sparse.

IT’S SKIN 10 Power Formula Propolis Serum

A repurchase. This used to be in DM, but they suddenly and without warning stopped selling it, which I found out too late and didn’t get any spare bottles. These got a new packaging and I think new bottles were in DM, though now I can’t find them on the website – they didn’t have the new Propolis version, so it doesn’t matter. I found it online on Notino, but they had the picture of the old bottle, while they sent me the new one. I haven’t opened it to see how it compares to the old one, as I still have a few drops left, but I was told by someone who was as big a fan as me that the formula is now thinner and not as effective – hopefully the new formula works for me, but formulation has changed for the worse. There’s no more honey extract nor niacinamide, and propolis has been delegated to a lower position on the INCI list. Old formula just worked well with my skin and made it look better. Propolis products tend to make my skin look more healthy with a nice glow.

Old formula: Honey Extract, Propolis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Sea Water, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Freesia Refracta Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Fragrance, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA

New formula: Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Propolis extract, Panthenol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Pyrus Communis (Pear) Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Disodium EDTA, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Cucumis Melo (Melon) Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Leaf/Stem Extract, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence

A repurchase. This is one of the products I use every day almost without fail and I’ve used up several bottles so far (one actually lasts me a long time). This is another product that just works for me. It improved the texture of my skin, my pores don’t look as bad as they did and my makeup applies so much more smoothly since I started using this. It’s not a miraculous product, but it’s a lovely thicker toner-like product that I trust. It has 95% galactomyces ferment, while the rest is combination of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and a couple more ingredients.

GLAMGLOW SuperMud Charcoal Instant Treatment Mask

Another repurchase and my favourite clay mask that I use only in emergencies when my skin is spotty or behaving odd. I didn’t have a full size pot yet as I realised one small lasts a while considering my needs. Besides full size is just insultingly expensive. Glow Supermud combines AHAs (six of them), clay and charcoal, so it’s an exfoliating cleansing clay mask. It has a liquid type of texture and I find you need a thin application, as it just works better than way. It’s so far the best clay mask I’ve tried, including the original black version of Glam Glow and it makes my skin look better, fresher. When I have a spot, this is more effective than L’Oreal’s Glow Clay masks I still have in my cupboard. I don’t get any tingling from AHAs when using this, but my skin looks maybe a bit brighter after. I can also see how it sucks the stuff (mostly sebum) from my pores, though I can’t say they look any better after and I still have blackheads.

HADA Labo Tokyo C-Vitamin Sheet Masks

Revitalizing & Glow

A pack of 5 sheet masks with nice ingredients – niacinamide high on the list, vitamin C in a stable form and hyaluronic acid. I wasn’t not very impressed by these and it has mostly to do with the material and shape of the mask. It’s thick, so it doesn’t feel as saturated with product and the shape is ill-fitted, as the forehead is the smallest I’ve seen at such masks and it also doesn’t have proper cut-outs, so there are flaps hanging under the eyes, which with the thick material feels even more uncomfortable. If this were one of those 0,2 mm masks like Etude House or Papa Recipe, I’d likely like it a lot more. Formula was nothing special, a simple essence. I didn’t see a glow from these like I do at Papa Recipe, but my skin was hydrated.

BALEA Beauty Expert Nacht Crème 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol

This has been out for a few months and while this boldly claims it has retinol, it’s actually retinyl palmitate, so this is not a proper retinol product in my books and it’s a very mild product, but I wanted it for the 2% of Bakuchiol. I’ve had a couple products with this ingredient, but with a weaker concentration. It’s a rich moisturiser, so I used it as the last step in my routine. I haven’t noticed anything special from this and now I switched to Afrodita Professional, so I’ll keep this bottle for some time later. The formula is the type that doesn’t absorb for a very long time and I prefer lighter formulas, but it may come handy when my skin is drier.

AFRODITA PROFESSIONAL Next Generation Retinol Shot

After the first three Shots that I believe all became best sellers (or at least the vitamin C one), Afrodita Professional added two more using currently the most sought after ingredients: Vitamin A and Bakuchiol. Instead of using actual retinol, which can be very irritating albeit very effective, they went with the “newbie” in the retinoid family, HPR Retinoid or Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate. Internet tells me it’s a retinoic acid ester, so directly related to retinoic acid aka tretinoin. From what I can gather, it’s something like retinal, so a gentler version that causes less or no irritation. Still Afrodita says to include this into the routine gradually. My skin is used to retinal (which never caused any reaction unlike retinol), but I did feel something when I used it for the first time (but not later). It was that sensation of almost burning if you know what I mean, but it disappeared in about 10 minutes and there was no visible reaction. As per instructions, I’ll include this in my routine gradually and let you know how it goes in time. Aside from 0.1 % HPR Retinoid, this also contains Urea, Panthenol, Squalane, Ceramides, Cholesterol, Beta-Glucan, amino acid Glycine, Lactic Acid and Niacinamide.

AFRODITA PROFESSIONAL Bakuchiol Phyto Retinol Shot

This contains 2% Bakuchiol and a bunch of the same ingredients as the Retinol Shot (Panthenol, Squalane, Beta-Glucan, Ceramides, Cholesterol, Urea, Niacinamide,…). Bakuchiol is a plant based alternative to retinol and it’s much gentler with no irritations. Their instructions say start using Bakuchiol only after about a month of use of Retinol Shot when the skin gets used to it, so that’s what I’ll do. They recommend to use this in the mornings and on days when you don’t apply Retinol Shot. I heard, though, that the ingredients work together really well, as bakuchiol stabilises retinol, but that goes for the actual retinol, not the version that’s used here – for this one I don’t know. Both Shots have a milky light lotion texture, similar to their vitamin C Shot. Bakuchiol is suitable for those who find retinoids to much for their skin (despite the retinol in the name of this product, this contains no retinol).

MOROCCANOIL Smoothing Conditioner

I absolutely adore the mask from Smooth line, but it’s insanely expensive, so it occurred to me that maybe I should invest in a cheaper conditioner to see if it’s smooths the hair like the mask. I only got a mini to try to see if it’s worth getting a full size and boy is it! It’s one of the best conditioners I’ve tried and it works very similarly as the mask. My hair dries so smoothly with it and frizz is significantly diminished. It’s much lighter than the mask, which is almost balmy, yet it’s nourishing enough. I really want a full size bottle. I still need to try the Smoothing Lotion, which is on my wishlist.

MOROCCANOIL Dry Shampoo Light Tones

Travel size

I have a full version for dark hair from the days I had my natural hair colour. The latter is pretty light, so I occasionally use it in a large amount on the roots to hide dark growth. That shade has a warm tone to it, which can show when I apply a lot of it, so I got the Light version, since it also has purple tones to tone out yellow. It turned out too white for hiding roots (you have to apply a lot for the white to show, as it’s almost clear in smaller amount). It’s not what I hoped it would be, but better than L’Oreal’s Magic Retouch, which is yellow and suits me when my hair is a shade or two darker. This is my favourite formula of dry shampoos, though I don’t use them for their original purpose as my hair never gets oily, just a lot drier, but this formula is so fine and silky, it doesn’t leave that gritty feeling where you need to wash the hair the same day you used the dry shampoo. It also smells amazing.

K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask

This has some fancy new insanely expensive hair peptide-based technology, which is hailed as the new Olaplex or even better. It’s so expensive I only got the 5 ml tube, which I knew won’t be enough for my hair. But actually a little goes a very long way with this one and I managed with only 4 ml of product. It’s not a mask and you’re just supposed to wash the hair with shampoo, then just apply this leave-in. It promises to reverse some serious amount of damage, specifically from bleaching, but I wasn’t nearly as impressed by it than by Joico K-Pak line or Olaplex n.8. The main thing that bothered me was that my hair missed hydration and there was so much frizz, like I didn’t use anything else but a basic shampoo. So I had to use heat tools to look presentable, while these days with my regular routine I only need to use my Remington round drier. Maybe I used to little, but for that amount of money per ml, I expected to be very impressed. If I had more left, I’d give it another go with combination of hydrating leave-ins, but I’m not getting another tube, since this is too expensive per use.

ARIANA GRANDE Cloud body mist

This is severely overhyped online and I fell for it like a little idiot. Reviews describe it in glowing terms and compared it to some other overhyped fragrance Bacarat Rouge. The shelf with this fragrance has been empty in my local Muller for months and I stupidly ordered it without trying it – which I do all the time and in most cases it ends up fine. It’s so bland. I get no notes other describe. It’s weak, it almost smells like nothing apart from something chemical – when I put my nose to it, there is a faint sweet smell, but it goes away. I don’t know if this scent just doesn’t work with my chemistry, but I just don’t find it anything special. Still given that it’s so popular, don’t feel discouraged by my experience to try it, as people say it’s really something special.

SOL DE JANEIRO Brazilian Bum Bum Jet Set

Sandra gave me a sample of the body cream a while ago and I liked it, but always found it so overpriced. Now decided to treat myself to this set of minis I found on Notino. The scent is nothing beachy to me, instead it almost Christmasy with heavy notes of nuts and vanilla – it definitely something for cool months for my taste and closest to The Body Shop’s Pumpkin Vanilla (they aren’t dupes, just in the same fragrance category). Cream has the nicest scent of the three and sadly they didn’t capture it in the mist. The latter is sharper, not as creamy nutty and not as unique as the body cream, but it’s very strong and lasts well for a body mist. My clothes still smell of it days later. Shower gel is nice and creamy, while Bum Bum Cream leaves a lingering scent (you can easily skip owing a body mist or separate perfume and just use the cream), though I remember it as being thicker, more nourishing.

AVON Eve Confidence

Top notes: Whipped cream, Pear and Black Currant

Middle notes: Frangipani, Red Fruits and Jasmine

Base notes: Vanilla, Musk and Oak.

A soft fruity-musky scent. It’s a simple “shampoo” scent, feminine and easy to wear for any occasion. I can’t point out any of the fruity notes, it just smells sweet fruity and there’s some jasmine. From the base I only get musk.

I love these mini sizes for my bag and they are actual sprays, which is so much better than roll-ons.

AVON Attraction

Top notes: Blackberry, Pear and Pink Pepper

Middle notes: Musk, Black Orchid and Jasmine

Base notes: Amber, Madagascar Vanilla, Praline and Labdanum.

Another soft scent, though this one almost purely vanilla. Fruity notes are barely noticeable in this and I can’t really point anything out it this, but it kind of smells like a new car to me due to the basic vanilla note. It’s another scent that’s easy to wear, though neither of these are strong and I prefer Avon’s Today.

BALEA Duschgel

Jungle Breeze and Flower Shower

LE shower gels. Jungle Breeze smells like peaches, but with an orange flower note that cuts though the juicy freshness. That last note bothers me. Flower Shower smells like Haribo raspberry sweets in a plastic way, so neither of the two are Balea’s best scents. I’m trying to use them up soon.

ILIRIJA 1908 Shower Gels

There’s a very old, affordable and popular line of shampoos in Slovenia that are more known by their version names than their brand – Breza (Birch), Kopriva (Nettle), Kamilica (Chamomile) and Česen (Garlic). They are basic, but beloved by all generations. So now Ilirija launched a line of shower gels, each with a different skin caring ingredients and scent.

Ameriški slamnik / Echinacea with hyaluronic acid and a gentle floral scent.

Šipek / Rose hip with saccharides and a rich floral scent.

Ognjič /Marigold with panthenol and a sweet floral scent.

Oves / Oat with lipids and a gentle creamy scent (this one is my favourite).

Breza / Birch with urea and a fresh woody scent.

Unlike the shampoos these have a flip top lid. Formulas are vegan.

NIVEA Soft Care Shower Gel

Apricot & Apricot Seed Oil

A regular repurchase. I love the authentic apricot scent of this. Formula is not as nice as Dove, but better than cheap gels from Balea or Aveo.

BALEA Duschgel After Sun

DM brings this back every summer. It’s thin, but a bit oily and it lathers up ok. Scent is difficult to describe, but in the “solar category” without smelling typical of coconut or tiare flower.

NIVEA Care Nourishing Cream

I’m a far of Nivea’s Souffle formula, but I don’t love either of the scents they offer (coconut/tiare and cherry blossom). I got this in the hopes it’s similar and it is. It’s another rich formula that absorbs quickly and feels properly nourishing. I trust Nivea most for the best lasting hydration effect. Scent is the typical Nivea cream one. I got two of these.

SUBRINA Bye Bye Yellow Purple Shampoo and Mask

New products by Subrina, so currently still only on Click2chic and in drogerija Ilirija, but I expect them in drugstore and supermarkets. Shampoo is an intense purple shade, the same as L’Oreal’s and Olaplex n.4P, while Mask is a lavender shade, meaning a lot less strong than their Colour Refresh Mask, which I can mix using a small amount with desired mask or conditioner. I tried both and given that usually Subrina hair care falls a bit short for my very dry hair, this made my hair feel quite nice. Shampoo is not at all that drying formula that would leave the hair too squeakily clean, neither does it leave any residue that would bother those with thin, lifeless hair. Mask is also light, yet surprisingly enough for my hair – well for a day, like most drugstore stuff. I find shampoo overall better because it’s so intense (if you want only one product), but the mask nicely completes it without being so strong it would already overtone. If you need an intense toning mask, try Colour Refresh in Diamond Blonde or the super strong Subrina Professional Colour Silver Mask. Formulas are vegan.

PANTENE Pro-V Intensive Repair 3 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner + Treatment

I’m a fan of the conditioner and mask from this line. I had the regular shampoo and it’s nice, though not as much as L’Oreal’s Extraordinary oil, but good for dry hair. This one claims it’s all in one, but I see it as a regular shampoo, so I wouldn’t skip on conditioner, since my hair is so dry, but this is nourishing enough for those with normal-moderately dry hair to use it on its own. I quite like it, but it won’t replace my Joico Defy Damage + Olaplex n.4 combination.

I already have one of these that I haven’t finished yet, as although I loved it from the start, it quickly stopped working on me. I went back to Dove and also discovered Borotalco. I got this as a gift from someone who didn’t know about my history with it.

BOROTALCO Invisible Deo Spray

This is just a mini size. Borotalco products sure are very strongly fragranced, so more for us who like intense scents. It works as well as their stick deodorant and the scent of this one is a nice clean powdery one that is different than the original.

SUBRINA Charm Super Cool Demi-Permanent Toner

Repurchase. I use this all the time now and love the colour I get. But it’s really starting to annoy me how little product it’s inside. I can’t apply 1 box it all over, just on the freshly bleached roots and two is already expensive. It’s a demi-permanent colour with a gentle 3% developer, so I prefer using this after bleaching, providing of course, I actually manage to bleach light enough, which on my dark hair is a challenge. I find my hair looks glossier with this shade compared to Garnier Color Naturals I normally use in a shade or two darker. Result I get with it is here.

Izdelki so na voljo v DM-u (samo marmelada) in Müllerju.

*PUPA Multifuction Tanning Unguent

This is called a marmalade in Slovene, so it’s a tanning jam, but this one is without SPF unlike the Afrodita Professional’s one (not that SPF 10 means anything to me). It contains Melastim Tech, which stimulates melanin and ensures a fast and long-lasting tan. It’s mostly mineral oil, but it also has almond oil and shea butter. This is a balm that turns to oil, so it leaves a nice sheen on the skin, but it’s not very greasy feeling. It’s heavily scented with a scent that reminds me of L’Occitane Vanilla & Orchid solid fragrance I’ve had for ages (it’s discontinued). Pupa says this can be used on the hair after sunbathing, as a pre-wash treatment to neutralize harmful effects of salt water – I used it for hair myself, as it reminds me of that Palmer’s balm I’ve showed you in one of the favourites that I use it for taming the hair – Pupa’s smells nicer. I gave this to someone else to test it for me on a holiday and all three products got glowing reviews. I was told it did help the skin become tan quicker.

*PUPA 3 in 1 Multifunction Tan Activator

I think this is another tanning jam, but it says it works even when there no sun (it’s not a self-tanner, as it’s DHA free). It says “when applied daily in the period before sun exposure, it prepares the skin for tanning, evening the complexion. When applied under sunscreen, it accelerates and intensifies melanin production, for an even and intense colour in less time. When applied daily after sun exposure, it maintains the melanin, fixing and prolonging the tan.” It’s got a classic creamy texture that absorbs fast enough and has an orange scent. Just as the jam, it was reported back to me it does what it promises.

*PUPA Multifunction After Sun Milk

A fast absorbing face cream for after sunbathing. It’s cooling and refreshing at application, though not in a tingly way (it has no peppermint or similar ingredients). It’s leaves a nice silky feeling on the skin and it’s nicely hydrating. It contains an active ingredient Sun Optimizer that ensures that the stays longer. This was the favourite product of those I gave it to test, highly praised.

L’OCCITANE Osmanthis Eau de Toilette

Top notes: Apricot Delight, Pear Accord, Bitter Orange Oil

Heart notes: Osmanthus, Carrot Seed

Base notes: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Ambrettolide.

I get strong apricot and pear notes from the start, then a floral note which I assume is osmanthus or a nice woody base. It’s quite a young, fruity sweet fragrance, though it has some bitterness.

VICHY Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster

One of the many hydrating products with hyaluronic acid. It promises to hydrate, plump, smooth the skin, help promote a healthier skin barrier and lend the skin a radiant and revitalized look. It’s a serum with a gel-feel and just simply a hydrating product. I find it nothing special and I have many other products with hyaluronic acid.

Aqua / Water, Peg/Ppg/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1.

LA ROCHE-POSAY Cicaplast Baume B5 SPF 50

This this what you’d expect – a rich cica cream with added SPF. It’s thick, greasy and stays tacky on the skin for hours. It’s as expected very shiny and it stays like that – formula is very similar to Mixa Cica-Cream (my tube version is discontinued), which I used to save my skin after a retinol reaction. It contains Madecassoside and 5% Panthenol. LRP mentions it’s suitable for protecting tattoos.

Aqua /Water, Homosalate, Panthenol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Alcohol Denat, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Peg-8 Laurate, Sorbitan Oleate, Zinc Gluconate, Madecassoside, Manganese Gluconate, Isohexadecane, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Silica, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Perlite, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Poloxamer 338, Disodium Edta, Copper Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Bht, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol

LA ROCHE-POSAY Hyalu B5 Serum

A hydrating serum with glycerine, panthenol, madecassoside and hyaluronic acid. It’s a light, liquid serum that’s heavily fragranced (floral scent). It’d be more likeable if it didn’t have that alcohol high on the list and I would consider purchasing it in that case.

aqua / water • glycerin • alcohol denat. • propylene glycol • panthenol • pentylene glycol • dimethicone • peg-6 caprylic/capric glycerides • ppg-6-decyltetradeceth-30 • glyceryl isostearate • madecassoside • sodium hyaluronate • ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate • disodium edta • hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid • caprylyl glycol • citric acid • xanthan gum • butylene glycol • tocopherol • phenoxyethanol • parfum / fragrance

LA ROCHE-POSAY Hydraphase Light

A simple light lotion-like moisturiser with hyaluronic acid. It’s gently scented and feels best suited for oily-combination-normal skin, while those with dry skin may want something heavier.

aqua /water / eau • glycerin • caprylic/capric triglyceride • lauroyl lysine • c15-19 alkane • myristyl myristate • ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate • stearic acid • potassium cetyl phosphate • glyceryl stearate se • sodium hyaluronate • sodium hydroxide • myristic acid • palmitic acid • hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid • capryloyl glycine • caprylyl glycol • xanthan gum • pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate • parfum / fragrance.

L’OCCITANE Immortelle Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum

My cousin always stocks me up with these samples, since I pretty much never go to L’Occitane anymore (price are so high for the stuff I like and nothing new is exciting). Every time I use this my skin looks and feels so nice. But it’s so expensive and it has nothing impressive in it. No vitamin C, retinol, bakuchiol, ceramides, niacinamide,… It’s just has immortelle oil that might be somewhat anti-ageing. And it has adenosine, so it’s something. I can’t justify buying a product at such a price that has nothing of note in it, but I sure enjoy my good skin days when I have testers.

aqua/water – propanediol – glycerin – isononyl isononanoate – butylene glycol – pentylene glycol – dextrin palmitate – limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil – helichrysum italicum flower oil – helichrysum italicum extract – origanum majorana leaf extract – acmella oleracea extract – helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil – adenosine – fructose – carbomer – maltodextrin – sodium hydroxide – palmitic acid – disodium edta – cellulose gum – amodimethicone – tocopherol – chlorphenesin – parfum/fragrance – ci 40800/beta-carotene

L’OCCITANE Immortelle Enriched Water

Like pretty much all Immortelle products it’s heavily scented with their herbal-floral scent. It’s a simple toner with extracts and hyaluronic acid, but it has alcohol high on the list.

aqua/water – glycerin – alcohol denat. – pentylene glycol – peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil – helichrysum italicum extract – betaine – lens esculenta (lentil) fruit extract – sodium hyaluronate – levulinic acid – xylitylglucoside – anhydroxylitol – sodium levulinate – xanthan gum – xylitol – glucose – sodium hydroxide – citric acid – sodium benzoate – parfum/fragrance – benzyl salicylate – hexyl cinnamal – alpha-isomethyl ionone – citral – limonene.

Carolyne Adams

Mateja’s Beauty Blog: New in #125

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