Too many opened mascaras…

Fact #1 – I love mascaras. Fact #2 – when I buy a mascara, I really, really want to open and try it straight away. And fact #3 – this means that I always have at least 3 mascaras opened at the same time, consequently waisting them. Oh well, I’ll do better in the future.

These past 2 months have been particularly bad in this sense – I have no less than 5 mascaras that I have been using and most of them I need to get rid of because they’ve gone dry. But before throwing them away I can do a quick post about them. I will go from the worst to the best one by my personal opinion. The fact is that the likeability of mascara depends on what you want from it. I personally have quite long lashes to start with and am consequently looking for mascara that will add volume. So it really is a personal preference all around, as it is with most mascaras. There are two photos for you – one with the product closed and one with them opened so you can see each of the wands.

#5 : GREAT LASH by MAYBELLINE

You know, how drier mascaras have the tendency to flake? Well this mascara is so wet that I can feel this wetness for several minutes after applying it, but it still somehow manages to leave my undereye area looking like the Halloween came early It clumps the lashes into long, spider like legs. I’m not a fan of either the wand shape or the packaging itself – it really looks quite juvenile. Even though it’s drugstore, it could still be a bit classier.

If you’re looking for length, are willing to comb through your lashes and you don’t mind the panda look, go for it. Otherwise, run away as fast as you can. Would I repurhcase: no way!


#4 : BETTER THAN SEX by TOO FACED

I’m usually a fan of Too Faced products, but this one left me cold. Thankfully I didn’t purchase the whole size but got a deluxe sample in one of their trial kits. Also, what’s with the name? I know that Too Faced isn’t exactly a PG rated brand, but let me just say that this statement is not true 😉

Anyhow, when I opened this mascara I was expecting a hell of a lot from it. The wand has super dense fibers of different lenghts which looked like they will hug every single lash and give it length and volume. Well, the mascara is not bad, but it’s not great either. Completely opposite of the Great Lash it has a very dense formula which tends to flake a lot. So while it does give you long and bold lashes, especially if you apply more than one coat of it, you will have to check under your eyes every hour or so. Would I repurchase: no – it costs more than $20 and I think there are better mascaras out there for that price.



#3 –Voluminous Waterproof mascara by L’OREAL

This again is a mascara with quite wet formula but it dries much faster than the Great Lash so it’s not too much of a problem. It has a very standard wand which many of us have probably used with this or that mascara so that’s not really what’s appealing. But trust me – go out and buy it, if you can. It leaves you with long and dense lashes, it doesn’t clump, smudge or flake and it holds to its promises. I’m putting it in 3rd place only because I bought the Waterproof version which is such a pain to remove that I have to brace myself before starting the process every evening. Would I repurchase: yes, but the regular one, not the waterproof.

#2 – Volum’ Express Colossal Cat Eyes – MAYBELLINE

Probably the mascara with the longest name out there 🙂 It wasn’t an instant love affair with me and this mascara – I had a hard time getting used to the curved wand and I didn’t find it that impressive. But when I took my time and really tried out what different parts of the wand to to the eyelashes, I fell inlove. When using this mascara I don’t even curl my eyelashes before – the wand does the trick by itself. So it curls, lengthens (to the point when I need to stop applying it because my lashes are touching my browbone and leaving tiny black dots) and adds volume when adding one or two layers to the primary one. Would I repurchase: absolutely, especially for this price. View Post

September favorites

September rolled by so fast that I was actually stopped dead in my tracks when I glanced at the calendar. Oh well, another month older, and only 2 months to go until December which is my absolute favorite month of the year. But anyway, here are my favorites for this month and you can tell from the background that I’m really going to miss the summer as well.

First up, let’s talk about the Philip Kingsley products. I got these trial sizes from Look Fantastic website for a couple of € – the Body and Shine try me kit included 20ml of an elasticizer, 20ml of shampoo and 20ml of conditioner. Now supposedly this should be enough for only one use, but I was able two scrape out two from the bottles and there’s still some left. I didn’t care much for the elasticizer, but the shampoo and condition left my hair bouncy and silky the way they usually only look when I leave the hairdresser. The full size is very expensive, but I think they will be my Christmas gift to myself this year.

Next up – again from Look Fantastic – I got the Ambiance Volumizing Dry Shampoo in Blonde, which is the color I dye my hair. I would normally never buy this because it regularly costs about 15 €, but it was on sale for about 5 € and it even came with a free refill.

It claims to clean and refresh hair without water, and maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, I can’t really tell. But I haven’t had the time to go to the hairdressers in over a month (don’t judge – it takes over 4 hours) and my roots are starting to show, so I’ve been using this dry shampoo as some sort of fake everyday color. It applies with a brush which is great for even application. The only downside with this is that it’s really difficult to stuff the brush back in when finished, but I can live with that. View Post

Very late August favorites

I have been feeling under the weather so much lately that my blog also suffered from it. However, I am feeling really productive today so hopefully things will get better. Does the weather affect you as well?

Anyway, it’s time for the much overdue August favorites. As you can see, it’s been a very nail oriented month, especially because I spent some of it at the seaside and we all know what sea and sand and being all-around crazy will do to your nails…

Two of these I actually picked up in the USA – the OPI »I’m not really a Waitress« (BTW, the names of OPI polishes crack me up, I spent a good ten minutes just reading them and laughing out loud, which is much less unusual in America as it would be at our local DM store). Unlike most nail polishes, this one actually comes across a bit darker than I would have imagined, but that’s OK, because it will be a pretty fall color as well. I love the consistency (it’s my first OPI and I didn’t know what to expect), but above all I love that it actually lasts more than 2 days on my nails. So, favorite it is. View Post

Low maintenance – really?

Yesterday, my significant other watched me put on make-up from start to finish while he was taking a shower. When I was done he was utterly amused by the fact that I am writing my blog under the »low-maintenance beauty« name. Because, in his words, I’m anything but. And you know what? After reviewing my morning routine I realized he is right. What I want to know from you is if you find the bottom list something normal – something you do as well – or am I taking it a step too far?

This is the list of everything I put on yesterday + all the tools I used for application in the exact order I use them.

  • moisturizer (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel) and lipbalm (EOS)
  • face primer (Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser) + fingers
  • eye primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) + fingers
  • liquid foundation (Rimmel Match Perfection) + Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
  • compact powder (Bourjois Healthy Balance) + BH Cosmetics Powder Brush
  • light concealer (Make Up Revolution Concealer) + Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
  • under-eye concealer (Instant Age Rewind Concealer) + Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
  • bronzer (Tarte Mineral Bronze Powder) + Ecotools powder brush
  • blush (NYX Blush in Pinched) + BH Cosmetics Blush Brush



  • eyebrow powder (NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder) + brush that comes with it
  • eyebrow gel (Essence Lash and Brow gel)
  • eyeshadow (Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette) + 3 BH Cosmetics eyeshadow brushes for application and blending
  • eyelash curler (no idea of the brand, picked it up at Walmart for a few $)
  • mascara (1 coat of Maybelline Volum Express Colossal Mascara + 1 coat of Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara)
  • eyeliner (Maybelline Master Precise liquid eyeliner)
  • lip liner (Uma Cosmetics)
  • lipstick (Barry M)
  • setting spray (e.l.f. Make-up Mist & Set)

Total? 19 products and 9 tools.

I’ll be the first to admit that this is a full face of make-up, although I apply it in a way that is still appropriate for daytime. I mainly separate daytime and night time looks by the amount of contouring and the darkness of the eyeshadow – there is probably some other things that could also be taken into account? How do you change your daytime/night-time make-up?

At the moment, putting this on takes me a good 15 minutes, which is a ridiculous amount of time. I hope to get a bit faster eventually, but so far it is what it is. What I will say though is that I absolutely love the mornings now because every day I get to play around with make-up and try something new, which is something I never did before.

What is your favorite part of mornings?

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!

Office must-have products

There are not many things I need in my office to keep me happy throughout the day. Actually, there are just 6 staples that are always, always somewhere around when I need them.

1) A glass of water in a cute mug because I forget to drink when I’m busy and therefore need a constant reminder.

2) A handcream – currently the Yummy coconut hand cream which I just ordered from Click2chic. It has a beautiful summery smell to it and although it takes some time to absorb I really feel like it’s doing the work.
3) Guarana Natural energy vials by Medex – these give me a kick when I’m feeling under the weather/have not slept enough/am burnt out. These vials are just a natural burst of energy and very convenient to use as well. Otherwise, Medex is one of my favorite Slovenian brands of all times – they have so many great natural products in different categories, which include many cosmetic products.
4) Tissues. Any tissues will do, but I prefer Kleenex because I find them the softest.
5) Antibacterial gel because let’s be honest – our office space isn’t exactly the most hygienic around. The keyboard, computer mouse and telephone themselves carry so many nasties that I find it absolutely imperative to use this gel several times a day. Right now, I’m using the Bath & Bodyworks gel in vanilla – berry sorbet, but normally I have the *24 gel which is easily available in Slovenia.
6) A lipbalm. I am in love with my eos lipbalms. They are so easy to carry around since they won’t open and get any filth in them. The flavors are fantastic and they really keep my otherwise very chapped lips under hydrated.

Which are your beauty products in your office/workspace/study?

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!