TheBalm Frat Boy Shadow/Blush

Frat Boy is on the top of most reviewed/highly rated theBalm products on Makeup Alley and its apparently THE universal blush that is flattering on so many skin tones. Well, it's a peachy-pink blush and we already know how popular such shades are, in fact it's almost by default. I've reviewed a couple of their cheeks products (Hot Mama and Mary-Lou Manizer) and I have to say they are some of the best quality such products I've tried, but for such I price you kind of expect that already. 

Frat Boy is a matte peachy-pink, but it's peachier than for example Nars's Deep Throat and Orgasm, but less coral than Coralista. It looks more of a muted version of the shade in the pan, but it's bright when it's swatched. What impressed me is how smooth it feels when you swatch it. I don't think I have any other blush with such a texture, but on the cheeks it behaves like any other (high-end) blush. It's quite a pigmented blush and it shows up well on my cheeks, in fact I need to use it in moderation, so I don't overdo it. It has quite a brightening, cute effect, that peachiness really lifts up the face.

It applies smoothly, even with a rubbish old brush and blends nicely, but what more impressive is the staying power. The first time I wore it, I had two different blushes on each cheek, a Kiko bouncy blush and this one. While Kiko's disappeared during the day, Frat Boy was still going strong at the end of the day. 

Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in Rose on the lips.

The packaging is cardboard, which is kind of a standard for theBalm's cheek products (except highlighters) and it even had a mirror, though this one is already too small. It has the retro image of an actual frat boy, a quarterback. Some people like these (mostly older women, I noticed, so a gift idea maybe), some hate them, I've never been a massive fan of retro things, but it doesn't bother me.

It costs 20.99 € in Müller.

Frat Boy is a product that clearly deserves all the praise it gets. The shade is universally loved and should fit so many skin tones, plus it's very pigmented and the texture is so smooth. If you're not a fan of intense glow that the Hot Mama gives, this will be more to your taste, but I'm currently loving that one a bit more.

Have a great day! 

Essence All About Nude and All About Bronze Palettes

I'm probably not the only one who is not as trusting of Essence eyeshadows and to be fair they haven't given us much reason to inspire trust so far. However, I've been hearing some chatter about these palettes, first from Ana Ina from Bijou Beauty and later from Vesna (Chunky Cheeks) and then Petra (Adjusting Beauty), so I gave these a swatch in the shop and was very pleasantly surprised by the pigmentation and quality of these. I picked up two, both very neutral, wearable palettes, All About Bronze and All About Nude.

Texture: In the shop these appeared to be very soft and pigmented, basically a massive step up from what Essence usually does, however, when I tried doing makeup with these at home, I wasn't as enthusiastic any more. These are another set of eyeshadows that need to be built up and I'm the type of person who doesn't like to spend long on my eyeshadow look trying to get the intensity up. Of course, not all the shades all like that, it's mostly the All About Nudes that fails to impress, but the bronze shades in All About Bronze are nice. In general the latter does perform better which is not as surprising considering it's made out of shimmer shades. They blend ok and aren't patchy like some Catrice matte shades can be (referring to the Chocolate Nudes palette). I noticed these perform better if I apply them with fingers, at least when it comes to building up the colour.

All About Nudes

All About Nudes is the most classic neutral palette consisting of vanilla, brown and taupe shades in various intensities, finishes (mostly matte or satin mattes plus two shimmers) and a mix of warm and cool tones. The medium shades (the four in the centre) are not my favourite as they aren't as intense as in the pan, but the darkest one in the top row performs well, while the shimmery taupe is nice, but still not as good quality as bronze shades in All About Bronze. There is a choice of a classic vanilla base and the shimmery vanilla highlighter which has quite a nice glow to it. This is the type of palette I would consider being almost perfect since it's a great mix of mattes and shimmers, but I wish some shades were more intense. In terms of colours isn't not that different from Catrice's Absolute Matte palette except that one performs a lot better.

Jordana Matte Lipstick in 10 Red on the lips.

All About Bronze 

All About Bronze is a much warmer palette than the Nudes and also completely made out of shimmery shades. The quality is a bit better, but here the darkest shades aren't as intense on the eyes as I would wish, so all ends up a bit too monochrome. Also missing is a matte base shade as both lightest ones are quite shimmery. The two golden bronze shades (bottom row) are almost too warm-orange-y for my skin tone, but these would look fantastic on skin darker than mine. I prefer the medium brown shades in the top row as the main lid colours, both are nice quality. It's easier to built these up, but still it looks a bit too washed out if I don't use a cream eyeshadow under it. I used the darkest shade in the Nudes palette to deepen the outer corners on my picture bellow because the two in this palette weren't cutting it. 

Jordana Matte Lipstick in 60 Plum Passion on the lips.

Staying power: I can't say I've noticed anything special about staying power or how these wear. They're pretty average on my normal lids. Creasing usually happens late in the day for me as at most eyeshadows and even that isn't tragic or at least I'm never bothered by it. 

Price and availability: I got both of these in Müller for 4.39 € per palette. 

I had the strangest deja vu with these. I have one of their eyeshadows from the Metal Glam Eyeshadow line called 18 Choco-Chic which swatches so pigmented, but I cannot get the same intensity on the eyes. These are better, but still not what I expected based on swatching it in the shop. These are nice palettes for simple neutral eyeshadow looks, but you won't get the same pigment as in more expensive palettes. When I decide to use them, I always pair them up with a cream eyeshadow as a base, so I get the intensity and staying power I expect from any eyeshadow. I would pick these up if I were a teenager or on a very tight budget, All About Bronze especially is a nice addition with its warm medium shades, but the reality is that I will still pick up my theBalm palette more often.  

Have a great day!

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Va Va Voom Volume Mascara

I've had this mascara for several months now and it's actually almost dry, but for a time this was by far my most used mascara, despite my love for waterproof formulas. I would post it sooner, but I waiting for it to be posted on the other blog I write at. Why they decided not to post it, maybe they forgot, I don't know, but I'm not wasting a good review. Waterproof formulas are challenging to remove and even though regular formulas don't perform as well on my lashes as those, I use them when I want to give my lashes a break, though I must admit to you that I haven't actually purchased a regular mascara in years (and yet I currently have four). This mascara is absolutely stunning to look at, but the formula inside is pretty impressive as well, in fact so much that it managed to wow my cousin who absolutely hates mascaras with a plastic brush and that tells something (though she loves the Eye Booster Instant Lash Extension even more. I have a review ready of that one too). I already featured it one of my monthly favourites and I think that so far, this is the best regular formula mascara I used as far as my preferences go, but it has its little faults.

The brush is an oval thick one with short bristles. It's very similar to Max Factor's False Lash Effect (or Cover Girl Lash Blast) and it's another one that is a bit scratchy on my eyes, however, a lot less than Max Factor's, which I basically can't even use. I would prefer a regular brush, but I can put up with this one. 

The formula is thin from the start, but after a week or so it thickens and it gives an amazing amount of volume. It's the type of mascara with which you get a pretty natural result with one coat, but two or three give you big, glamorous lashes similar to Essence's Princess Lash, but unlike at that one, my lashes don't just drop down. It manages to lift my lashes a little bit, half way at most, but it's a lot more than any other regular mascara ever managed. This effect only started after the mascara was already a little bit drier, as long as it's new and wet, it won't hold a curl. I took the pictures in the first week when I got it because I felt like I need to hurry with the review, but the amount of volume almost doubled later. 

The packaging was clearly designed to impress. It's a mix of a red metallic effect with black lace and red velvet details. For the final touch they included a mini silver stiletto with a black bow. I think it's stunning. A black version with red lace exists as well with a different plastic brush. I'm thinking about trying that one as well, even though it's not waterproof.

It does have a downside, which is actually typical for plastic brush mascaras, and that is that it dries out fast. I got it in mid-September and it was almost dry in about three-four months.

(How lame will I sound if I say I have this picture as one of my wallpapers? Review of the blush here)

This is a mascara that kind of fits all tastes. With one coat you get natural, defined lashes, while two or three coats bump up the volume to the max and give you huge lashes. It's an expensive mascara (even abroad) and you can get a similar one for less money. That being said, it the only regular mascara that didn't make my lashes drop like a rock. It has the whole package -  a great formula with a gorgeous packaging, though I feel for most people it will be more like an occasional treat or lovely gift item rather than something they'll regularly repurchase. 

It cost 14.90 € on Click2Chic. International readers can get it on iHerb.

Have a great day!

*In case you didn't catch it in the text, I didn't buy the mascara myself.

Unboxing: My Beauty Box (December)

No, I didn't make a mistake in the title, even though December is gone, but I got this a couple of days before Christmas, so have an excuse why I'm showing you last month's box only now. My Beauty Box Slovenia surprised me with a Christmas gift, which is very kind of them (actually my only Christmas gift last year, apart from the Milani blush) and they even customized it a bit, so it would be more to my taste and now I have an opportunity to show you a product from a brand that is joining their selection soon. I already talked about the whole box system in Slovene in my previous post about them, but it's the same deal again, you pay a monthly subscription and you receive a combination of five samples and full sizes each month. The price of the December box was 15 € plus shipping.

I felt the previous box was missing that little bit extra and I think I got it in this one. Mine included three full size products: Weleda Buckhorn hand cream, Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick and Essie's nail polish, along with a sample/votive size Yankee Candle and a sample of Ginvera BB cream. Included was also a chocolate Lint Santa, which didn't survive long after I took the pictures. I was completely overjoyed about the nail polish because it's exactly what I've been looking for, but more about it in individual reviews. The box is the same as the first one, so a nice quality violet box that you'll want to keep for organizing your collection or anything else.

ESSIE Nail Polish 

Summit of Style

I already included this nail polish in my favourite products of 2015. You may find me rash for including it in my selection, but it truly was love at first sight and I've worn it for Christmas over a navy nail polish (picture below). Summit of Style is a part of the Luxeffects line and it's a bronze shimmer that is a mix of small glitter particles and larger hexagons. It's more of a top coat with medium dense shimmer, however, you can built it up, though making a perfect fully opaque layer is time consuming as well as difficult because you end up with too much of that clear base. It can be done, but some bald patches are bound to happen. The effect of it is stunning, it's way better in real life than in my pictures, so go check Pinterest for manicures with it for a better idea of how it looks. Of course, it is the type of nail polish that is excruciatingly hard to remove, as those hexagons stick to the nails like glue even if you use one of those pot removers, but I think it's worth.

Left picture: One or maybe two coats of  summit of Style on my middle finger and trying to get full opacity on my ring finger. The base nail polish is Deborah Gel Effect 01. On the right is my glitter ombre Christmas manicure with Misslyn Nail Polish 610 Night Club as a base. The original picture is twice the size, so just click on it if you want to see it closer.

RIMMEL Moisture Renew Lipstick

330 Sloane's Plum

I was told I'm the only one who got this lipstick, so I had the chance to test it before they official add the brand to their website. Rimmel is a lovely drugstore brand that someone appears to be hell-bent on it not to be sold in Slovenia (any more. We used to have it over 15 year ago), but My Beauty Box is bringing it on our market. I've decided to a separate review about this lipstick, which you can find in my next post, but just a quick recap: Sloane's Plum is a vampy plum shade with a very moisturising formula and good pigmentation.

GINVERA Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

I already received this BB in my previous box and I said I liked it, though the shade is quite dark. I'll save it for the summer, when I'll start self-tanning again. I just copied the review from my previous post:

I remember a British blogger raving about this, about how it's her HG base, but I don't know who it was. The box contains an 8 g sample, which is a decent size, however, the tube is not full - still it lasts quite a few applications. It comes in only one shade, which is just lazy, how could you possibly expect that it will fit everyone? It's quite a dark shade from my perspective. It's darker than my darkest foundation Catrice's Nude Illusion in 010, but at least it's a neutral shade and it didn't end up looking too off on me also because of the coverage. The latter is light, with additional layers it can be built up to light-medium, but you'll definitely need concealer for under the eyes, redness and spots. The texture is very light, it blends beautifully and sets fast, in fact it reminds me of a less greasy version of Missha's Signature BB Cream. It looks very natural on the skin, it just sort of melts into the skin and it has that Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum effect, where it's not obvious you're wearing anything. I really like how it looks on the skin, only it sometimes looks a bit weird on my pores, but I think this has to do with my skin condition and not this BB. It has a strong, but pleasant scent of green tea.

WELEDA Sanddorn Handcreme

Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream

I was never a fan of hand creams because I hate that greasy feeling and I so rarely use them. I expected this is be such a greasy, heavy cream because natural brands like Weleda tend to have such products, but even though it is a thick, intensely moisturising cream, this magically just sinks in under a minute. I don't think I've ever tried anything like it. I'm able to be behind the keyboard again in less than a minute. It leaves a sort of a film on the hands, but not a greasy one, rather almost powdery. It sound strange, I know, but it's nice. The second thing I was concerned about was the scent, since I really dislike the "natural/organic/bio stuff" as they mostly smell herbal or just strange, but this one surprised me with a pleasant scent of oranges, though there is that familiar herbal note in the background. The packaging is a metal tube. Uncommon words for me, but I quite like it, despite the fact it's a hand cream and a natural one. 

YANKEE CANDLE Red Apple Wreath

I already burned this for New Year's Eve. It had the most typical Christmas scent of apples with cinnamon, but mixed in was also a strong bubble-gum note. It filled the room(s) nicely and people kept asking what the lovely smell was. 

Stran My Beauty Box in Instagram My Beauty Box Slovenije. 

So what do you think about this box? Have a great day!

*Box was sent to me.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick 330 Sloane's Plum

If you read the post about My Beauty Box unboxing first, then you know this lipsticks was in it. Since they plan to include Rimmel in their selection, people at My Beauty Box included it in my December box. Moisture Renew is actually an old line of lipsticks by Rimmel, but it was revamped about two years ago. As the name suggest these are supposed to be moisturising and judging from this shade, I agree. Check Fleur's post for swatches of these lipsticks.

Texture: The lipstick is richly pigmented, lightweight, very balmy and comfortable to wear. The finish is almost glossy, which at such a dark shade is not my preference as it can get messy (still a matte girl), but if you're looking for a moisturising vampy shade, this was made for you. I have a feeling these may have a lot less wax in them than lipsticks usually contain, as it reminds me of Revlon's Ultra HD lipstick. So basically it's another type of lipstick that you can wear as a substitute for a lip balm, however, I have read some reviews of these and I think the lighter shades might not be as moisturising as darker ones.  

Colour: The name pretty much says it all - it's a plum shade. It's like a deep burgundy with strong violet tones and a great vampy shade for the colder months. The closest shade I found is Maybelline's color Drama Lipstick in Berry Much. Due to the type of the texture, it's a very simple shade to wear as a stain. 

Staying Power: Here we have a combination of a dark shade with a very creamy formula, which means both of these features kind of cancel each other out and you get an average wear. It won't last all day, but it also won't disappear in an hour, proving of course that you don't eat or drink as this transfers a lot. As I said before if can get messy, especially at such dark shades, as this is a very creamy formula that has a lot of slip.  

Scent: It has quite a strong scent of Nivea cream. I find it pleasant.

Packaging: Reminiscent of Maybelline's lipsticks, so a plastic silver tube and a semi-clear violet cap. It's not the most high-and looking, but for the price it's ok.

Price and availability: These aren't yet available on My Beauty Box, but it'll probably happen soon. All of those who don't live in Slovenia can probably just walk into the nearest drugstore and get it. Feel Unique also sells these for about 9 €.

I think the formula of these will be a winner for all of those who always suffer from dry lips. I would stick to lighter shades, just because the more creamy the lipstick, the more chance of a mess it is. But if you like glossy, vampy shades this one is worth a try. I was thinking once about getting the shade Vintage Pink, which is the type of colour that is very in now, so that 90's like muted rose.

Have a great day!

An Epic Birthday Wishlist

This post is by no means me trying to give certain people hints what I'd like for my birthday which is at the end of the month. Honest! It's just an innocent little post. I haven't done many wishlist posts last year, I update it on my Pinterest anyway, but now I'm making a massive one to makeup up for it.

1. TOO FACED Chocolate Bonbons Palette

You're probably familiar with TF's chocolate palettes, well, they just released a new one. This is one of those "never gonna happen" fantasy parts of this wishlist, like Benefit's Rockateur bellow because firstly I don't know where to get yet and second, it costs mucho, many monies. I love the shades in it, maybe not that pink one, but it just looks like a great wearable palette. To be fair I wouldn't mind owning the previous ones too.

Ulta, $49.00

2. STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

A recurring product on my wishlists, you'll see many such items. I still didn't get, even though I really need new one. So many people swear by this one and say it's super black, has great staying power and I heard it also lasts a long time before it dries out. It's expensive, but this is the eyeliner I would most like to try. The greatest irony is that if I bought it last year, it'd be almost two euros cheaper due to exchange rate.

Feel Unique, €19.58.

3. MAKEUP FACTORY Mat Lip Fluid Longlasting 

61 Velvet Rosewood

Surprise, surprise, another thing I talked about already in my previous wishlist and still didn't get. It's like a darker, less pink Bourjois Nude-ist and it dries to such a nice matte finish. I would really like to expand my matte lip creams collection.

Müller, 11.95 €

4. ORIFLAME Volare

Yeah, talked about this too before. Twice *rolls eyes at herself*. I shallowly admit I want it purely for the gorgeous bottle. I'm not sure I'll like it as a fragrance, since I don't know how it smells, but I hear it's similar to Lancome's Tresor, which is more of an early 90's scent.

Oriflame, 20 €, Salma, 16.90 €

5. PHYSICIANS FORMULA Nude Wear Glowing Nude Powder

Last year I feel in love with PF products. This powder is supposed to set the makeup, but leave a radiant finish, so it's probably not that different from Ambient Lightening powders. Of course the packaging is stunning, I already have the blush and I can confirm these are so well made.

iHerb,$14.35

6. URBAN DECAY Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer 

Fair Neutral

One more concealer can't hurt that's what I always say. I heard a lot of good things about it on several blogs, so naturally I'm intrigued. Apparently it's a better (more moisturising) version of Nars Radiant Creamy concealer.

Feel Unique, €23.63

7. MILANI Color Statement Lipstick Matte

Flirty, Love and Passion

Since I've tried the shade Darling, I'm adamant on owning more of these. I'm seriously impressed by the quality and I think these might be the best matte lipsticks I've tried so far. I'd like several shades, but I'm most interested in Flirty, Love and Passion. 

Milani EU 5.56 €

8. MAC Lipsticks 

D for Danger, Relentlessly Red and All Fired Up

Technically, I already own these shades, I have the sample sizes, but I would like to have a proper full size, since these are my favourite shades. Especially D for Danger is beyond gorgeous and I'd like to wear it without being concerned it will run out any minute.

MAC, 20 €.

9. THEBALM Nude Dude Eyeshadow Palette

So I finally found the elusive theBalm counter (oh, the irony) and had a chance to swatch this palette. My love for Nude'tude is well documented here, but I think this one might be even prettier. It is absolutely stunning. I loved almost all the shades, I think one or two weren't the best and the quality of some was even better than in the Nude'tude (it may have been Fit that was incredibly buttery). I hate the packaging, just like the previous one. 

Müller, 35.70 € or 31 €, I'm not sure.

10. BENEFIT Rockateur Face Powder

I wanted this for absolutely ages, but that damn Benefit is apparently trying extra hard for us Slovenes not to be able to get their products anywhere. I would order it already, but where? It looks like my type of shade, which usually implies it's similar to Catrice's Rose Royce or I'm Nuts About you, they describe the shade as rose gold.

Feel Unique, €31.73

11. BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick 

Don't Pink of It

As a massive fan of Velvets, I would of course love to have more shades. Not just this one, but also Happy Nude Year and maybe one of the two new ones. I think Don't Pink of It is the lightest in their selection and it's a nice warm light pink. I'm baffled why this shade isn't sold here. I'd love to buy it and Happy Nude Year if I could. I just feel like it's not in the stars for me to have this shade. I've tried ordering it twice so far and it was either out of stock or it wouldn't let me though checkout.  

Feel Unique, €12.14

12. LOLITA LEMPICKA Elle L'aime 

I bought a sample of this last year and I'd love to have a full size despite it's lacking staying power because it's such a lovely summery scent. It is reminiscent of the über popular Bronze Goddess, but with a slight citrus twist. It's beachy, coconuty with neroli and jasmine plus some lime that keeps it from being too cloying.

Salma, 25.60 €

13. THE BODY SHOP Body Butter 

Satsuma and Shea

To be fair, here I could just write that I'd like to visit The Body Shop for my birthday. I love that shop, even though people find it overrated. I'm a fan of their body butters, they are the best I've tried and I had many scents, but now I'd like to basically repurchase their Shea and Satsuma version. First is a simple, creamy scent and the second a refreshing, juicy citrus scent. 

The Body Shop, 7 € for 50 ml, 19 € for 200 ml

14. MAYBELLINE Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner

I love trying out new eyeliners and currently I'm in a need of a new one. Emily from Beauty with Emily Fox likes this one and she's tried a lot of eyeliners, so I'm sure it's worth giving a go.

Feel Unique, €8.09; Salma, 6.96 €

15. VICTORIA'S SECRET Body Spray

Amber Romance

I'm currently running out of Coconut Passion version and I'd like something new. Most of their body sprays smell the same to me and lack staying power, but Coconut Passion, Vanilla Lace and this one are proper silage monsters that last very well. Amber Romance is vanilla-amber combination that's not a complicated scent, but a crowd pleaser.

Müller, 13 €

16. SOAP & GLORY Crush Body Scrub

I don't use scrubs enough because I have a problem and save products too much which is utter stupidity since I have the worst problems with ingrown hair. I need to basically surround myself with more scrubs, so I'll want to use them up and the best one I've tried so far was Soap & Glory's Flake Away, but I'd like a different scent now, so any would do and this one sounds nice. Boots International has been promising they'll start selling Soap & Glory. I hope they deliver.

Boots, €9.36 (300 ml)

17. THE BODY SHOP Body Scrub 

Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter or Brazil Nut

As I said I need more scrubs, so I would mind trying a few from The Body Shop. Cocoa one has the best reviews on Makeup Alley.

The Body Shop, €16.00

18. MILANI Rose Blush

I already have 01 Romantic Rose and I'm so blown away by it that I want more (I'll have the review ready soon). The more natural looking shades that is, so Blossomtime Rose, Awakening Rose and American Beauty Rose, all are limited edition.

Milani EU, 9.16 €

19. SEPHORA Cream Lip Stain 

03 Strawberry Kissed

Raves about these is very hard to miss, some even claim these are the best they tried and I do love a good matte liquid lipstick. Strawberry Kissed is most "my type of shade", though I find a lot of them very pretty. Of course, there is no way I could possibly get them online.

Sephora, 14 $

20. MILANI Amore Matte Lip Creme

Lust, Flirt and Romance

Milani also has matte lip cream that they released sometime last year (as LE, but now they might be already permanent). I would love to try a few and I'm most drawn to Lust, Flirt and Romance.

Milani, $8.99

21. I HEART MAKEUP Naked Chocolate

I've been eyeing this palette for ages and every time someone posts about it, I say I will get it. I don't know why I'm holding back at this one, I sort of have a feeling that if I could get it in Müller, I'd already have it. I love the selection of shades in this palette and I can see I would wear it a lot providing the quality impressed me. I did hear it has very decent matte eyeshadows, so I'm hoping it's good. 

Makeup Revolution, £7.99; Ličila.si, 10.95 €. 

22. YVES ROCHER Serum Vegetal Ultra Plumping Serum

A had a nice amount of samples last year and I really liked it as it definitely had a very positive effect on my skin, so I've been thinking about it ever since. Of course in my usual manner I've been holding back and walked empty handed several times from their shop. To be fair, it's not the most affordable skin care item.

Yves Rocher, 26.50 €, 

23. MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick

Oh, Lady, To Matte With Love and High Drama

Oh look, another matte lipstick. Noticing a theme yet? Mac surprised us with their version of liquid lipsticks. A bit late to the party, but I've seen some reviews of these and the matte finish looks so good. These were just released this week and it's probably not available in Europe yet. I'm most drawn to the deep purple-pink Oh, Lady, All-Fired-Up like To Matte With Love and the vampy High Drama, but a lot of the shades are really pretty.

MAC, 20 $

24. ESSIE Nail Lacquer

Starry Starry Night

Essie use to have this gorgeous dark blue nail polish called Starry Night which looked like the night sky, but they discontinued many years ago. Now they are releasing it again in a collection Retro Revival that should be available already, though I haven't seen it here. The new shade is called Starry, Starry Night and it's not the best remake, but it's close enough and it looks beautiful.

If it ever reaches our DMs, I assume it''ll be 9.90 €

25. ESSIE Apricot Cuticle Oil

I talked about this before and I keep avoiding it in the shop, even when I have a discount. I'm still completely neglecting my cuticles, so typical of me and I have a feeling that since this smells like peaches, I might be more inclined to use it. 

DM, probably 10 €

26. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream 

Copenhagen

I ordered this last year, but it never came. I'm still fuming, since so many packages get lost and it's like I have the worst luck in the world. I still want it. It's a burgundy and matte, which I can't resist.

eBay, 5.30 $ plus shipping

27. THEBALM Meet Matte Hughes

Charming, Adoring and Loyal

Yes, another matte lip cream, but it's the last one I swear. These were also released last year and as far as my experience with their product goes, these should be amazing. I haven't seen these in person yet, we still don't have these here, however, they are available online. I'm most interested in the Nude-ist type shade Charming, the burgundy Loyal and deep red Adoring.

Feel Unique, €18.23; Salma, 15.61 €

28. L'OCCITANE Pivoine Bath

Talked about this before too, but I've been avoiding going to L'Occitane because I'm just not in the mood for that type of shopping experience with a sales assistant constantly around me and talking. When I shop, I want to be left alone, otherwise I just want to leave as soon as possible. I love the scent of their Peony line, it's so gorgeous and I would love to have the fragrance too. This is a bath oil, which is the type of product I do need (Avon's bubble baths intrigue me as well, but I'm not a fan of the current scent selection) and it's made out of two phases, so it turns milky white in the bath, but I think I can use this as a shower oil, like the almond one. I might go to their shop this month since I have a discount card and I need to repurchase their cleansing oil.

L'Occitane. 20.30 €

29. ZOEVA Rose Golden Complete Eye Set

Another recurring wishlist item and something I'd really, really like to have, even though Ličila.si send me Nanshy eyeshadow set to review. These come highly recommended and look so pretty, plus there are brushes in it that I still need. Nanshy's are great, but as I said it the review, there are a few types of brushes missing. 

Zoeva, 65 €

Have a great day!

Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick Divine Wine

Even though a miracle happened and these are finally sold in Slovenia (don't get two excited, it's only four shades), I haven't seen this shade here yet. I ordered Divine Wine online a little bit before I saw these in our shops and I got this because I was curious what the formula is like. Several of you readers recommended me to try these, since my love for matte finishes is well known and I picked Divine Wine, because this was the only shade that really appealed to me from the choices I had available, but also because I just really love such deep shades. 

Shade: Divine Wine is actually very similar to Mac's Diva. Both are very deep reds with a slight brown undertone (Laetitia has a purple-berry one), though this one is more brown. It's a very dark shade, not in an almost black way, but definitely a great choice for the almost obligatory autumnal vampy shade. 

Formula: Everyone was telling me how amazing these are. The formula is nice, actually really nice, but as far I'm concerned, this is not a proper matte lipstick. It's a very creamy lipstick and it glides on the lips with ease as it has quite a slippery texture, so the finish isn't matte, but creamy-satin. Despite being a creamier dark shade, it doesn't bleed over the line, however, it does obviously transfers when touched. These will appeal to those who are not fans of proper matte lipsticks, but prefer a much more comfortable, creamy version, though don't expect that "Instagram/Pinterest matte finish". I don't find it drying, but I can't really assess if it might be drying for some people, as my lips so rarely get dry. Still, this could be the safest best when you're searching for a matte lipstick and your lips tend to get dry a lot. 

Staying power: It's a deep, richly pigmented matte lipstick, so obviously the staying power is really good. It'll survive drinking and eating well enough, but it'll start slowly fading after a few hours.

Packaging: A classic Maybelline's square tube, but with a matte green-grey lid. I just feel that Maybelline's need to let these go. It's time for something new, fresh and less cheap looking. 

Price and availability: I got mine on Look Fantastic for €9.85. As I said, it's not sold here is Slovenia because that would just be insanity to offer a full range of lipsticks and other popular makeup by Maybelline #sarcasmon. 

I get why these are so popular. Their creamy matte texture is very comfortable to wear and formula is in general excellent. I wish they were a bit more matte, but then people would probably find them too drying, so it's great they went this way instead. You will like Maybelline's more if you think Laetitia is too matte for you, but I like the real deal. By the way, I actually already bought one of these in March as a birthday gift, shade Touch of Spice, which I was allowed to swatch and you can find picture of it here and here. These are worth checking out as they are great quality lipsticks and I wish we had a larger selection of shades here. 

Have a great day!