You might already know Petra from Adjusting Beauty, I do kind of mention her a lot here, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she one of my favourite bloggers ever and I think she landed on my Blogs I Heart page 0.002 seconds after I found her blog years ago. She does amazing makeup looks that always leave me self-conscious about my makeup skills and she does fantastic lip swatches that make me want to buy the entire line of lipsticks, so if you don't follow her yet, please check her out, you won't be sorry. It's our first collaboration and we chose to do a products worth the hype post. I had a hard time distinguishing the products that I bought because of the hype from the products that I may have hyped up myself (just a teeny bit), but I think I managed it ok. Not all of the things are the ones you'll hear a lot about on blogs, but more on Makeup Alley where they hold a high rating - it is a type of a hype, right?
I'm not sure what's more hyped up on my list: Sheer Glow or the Naked palette. So do I, who am in general more of a drugstore girl, think it's worth it? I do. It's so worth it. Not just because they have a the shade called Siberia, which is a godsend for all the pale girlies who have a hard time finding a match for our porcelain complexion, but also because this is beautiful on the skin. I don't like high coverage foundations, but this I love. It makes your skin look so perfect, but at the same time it doesn't feel heavy nor does it sink into pores or make a cakey mess. The finish it leaves is satin, but in a healthy way, however, ironically despite the name it is neither sheer nor dewy/glowy. It's such a difference from drugstore foundations, you really notice it with this one, though the 40 € price tag makes me weep.
The hype around this foundation was short compared to others. I don't really know why, nonetheless it's completely justified. It's one of the rare matte foundations I like and that's because it doesn't look flat on the skin like most do, but it has that luminous matte finish, meaning this is far from that draining, looks-thick-as-wall-paint, cakey foundation and it actually disguises pores better than any primer or foundation I tried. It's also instantly dry to the touch, which I greatly appreciate, but it can cling to dry patches, just to warn you, so it's not the best for dry skin. The colour range is a bit of a miss as both lightest shades, Porcelain and Vanilla, are pink toned and L'Oreal is terrible at making foundation colours, so it can end up looking a bit orange if your skin tone is very warm, but on my neutral skin, it's decent enough. I love wearing this especially in the summer when my skin is a bit oilier.
There was a time when every British blogger swore by this concealer. The hype died down considerably, mostly because I think people got bored of it, but I'm one of those people who stays loyal to the end and I stand firm at the claim that this is one of the best concealers ever. This baby covers up almost anything you throw at it - circles, redness and blemishes, though the latter might need another layer or two if they are approaching volcano status. It can look cakey, I won't lie, especially on dry skin, so I don't like to pile a lot on, but those with oily skin can probably afford to be a bit more generous with this concealer. It also lasts very well on the skin which is a huge bonus. Much to my dismay, it's still hard to come by since at Boots International it seems to be constantly out of stock, but it's usually always available on eBay.
URBAN DECAY Naked Palette
This is so worth it. Seriously, it is. If you plan to get just one thing from my list, get this. It's arguably the most famous palette on the planet and for a good reason. The selection of shades is lovely, though my latest theBalm Nude'Tude palette that isn't hyped up has more shades that I tend to use, but my perfect palette would probably be a mix of the two (plus some matte taupes). The quality of the eyeshadows is some of the best I ever tried. They are so pigmented, smooth, they have a lovely buttery texture and they blend so well. Their matte eyeshadows are just amazing. I've tried several budget palettes in all these years and honestly, I'd rather save up and buy one of the Naked palettes instead (or theBalm one). Perhaps this makes me an eyeshadows snob, but I just don't care. 95 % of the time I do makeup on other people, they ask me to use this (and Nars Deep Throat blush) which says a lot.
MAC Lipsticks
This might be a bit of a surprise because I don't really talk much about MAC lipsticks. The reason is that I mostly have just samples from The Body Needs, which don't really look terribly pretty, but if you count those then I have 23 shades of Mac lipsticks. I know they are expensive (hence why I have mostly samples), but they really are worth it. Not all shades, mind you, but if I had a chance to buy full-sizes, I'd definitely pick up several: All Fired up, Relentlessly Red, D is for Danger are a priority, but I also love Peach Blossom, Please Me, Coral Bliss, Impassioned, Russian Red, Diva, Dangerous and Lady Danger. Formulas differ from range to range, but my favourite would be Matte or Retro Matte. I think that the real selling point are the shades - MAC really knows how to make universally flattering and interesting colours.
BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet
I was wearing Nude-ist not long ago to a sort of a long dinner I had with my family and at the end of the day, I checked in the mirror, saw that my lipsticks is pretty much intact and just thought to myself - worth every damn cent. I just love these because they are the perfect products for those who love matte finishes and long-lasting lip products. The texture is closer to a mousse, so they aren't as drying as some other matte lip options, however, they might still dry-out some people's lips. I'll admit that Grand Cru probably won't blow you away with its formula, though the colour is gorgeous, but I would definitely recommend you check shades Nude-ist, Frambourjoise and if you're feeling brave, Olé Flamingo. I hate myself for putting off buying two more shades, but I have serious issues with keeping things on my wishlist for way too long.
Some Slovene readers might not know about this one because like many super popular things, this frustratingly isn't sold here. But check MUA, Fragrantica or Sephora's website and you'll realize this is one of the most sold fragrances. Thankfully in recent years online shops started selling this here, but you won't see in it our drugstores, despite it being very cheap and having universal appeal (because screw logic, right?). I think it's one of those love it or hate it fragrances because it's so intense and űber sugary. The initial candy floss/pure sugar burst is very strong, almost burning the nostrils with its potentness, but it's the soft vanilla that keeps it from being too overboard sweet to me. Some might see it as the ultimate girly fragrance (the type that conjures associations of unicorns and rainbows), but I think it's a bit more grown up than Fantasy as there is very little to none of fruitiness in it. The one thing that is a plus of this not being sold here is that I'm one of the rare people who wears it, while I have a feeling that the incredible popularity abroad, made some people hate it (happened with Chloe to me. I swear every other sales assistant in Műller wears it).
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse
I'll admit that I'm responsible for a part of the hype for this one. I regret nothing. It's brilliant and it deserves every praise it gets from me, in fact, as far as I'm concerned I don't talk about it enough. This is one of my everyday heroes, I always finish the day with it. In case you missed 485,215 posts where I recite love poems to this, here's a recap: I've been using it every day for the past 4-5 years as a face moisturiser and it keeps my skin in such good condition. It's soft, there are no dry patches and it has a natural radiance to it. I also think that it makes my skin heal a bit faster, but I might be imaging this. This used to smells divine to me, but in all these years I barely register the scent any more, which is a shame, but that's what you get when you love the product as much. I also have a gold version, which I tend to use more for my hair because it's one of the best quick fixers for very dry hair and it gives the hair some shine, but when used on the skin, it gives it a hint of colour and a golden glow. I have on occasion used it under the foundation and it gives that Victoria's Secret glow to the skin.
I think the hype of this died out as well, but it really shouldn't have. I consider myself a big fan of this and I use it every time I curl my hair. It creates texture, which means that it helps achieve volume, it also makes the curls look more lived-in and helps them last longer. This one has a bit more hold than the rest I tried, so it's like a hair spray mixed with a dry salt spray and it can make you hair feel a bit crispy if you use a lot of it, but in moderation it's fine. It also has a lovely fruity scent.
There are two thing I'm very demanding at and usually a bit bitchy about when it comes to reviews - mascaras and hair products. My standards are very high when it comes to these items and even this treatment failed to impress me the first time I used it despite the overwhelming positive reviews. But I've since fallen in love with it and I consider it one of the best drugstore hair treatments. It's enough for my dry hair, but it's not a heavy treatment at all, in fact the texture is somewhat like a gel-cream hybrid. It smells quite strongly of Hubba-Bubba fruit fantasy bubble gum tape which is totally my jam and I love the packaging because they are no screw off or flip lids, you just squeeze and the product comes out. Of course, I leave it on longer than 3 minutes, like any other conditioner/mask before rinsing it off, but that's just me.
Check out what products Petra finds are worth the hype here.
Have a great day!
