Empties #8 (hair & body care)

It’s been almost six months since my last empties. The results are tragic – a full bag of empty product, so many that I cannot possibly fit them into one post. Today, you can read all about my hair and body care products. This post will be followed by skincare and make-up empties in the following week. Let’s jump right into it.

Empties: hair care

empties shampoo loreal elseve

I haven’t been very good when it comes to shampoos because I’ve been loving the L’Oreal Elseve Extraodinary Clay&Purifying shampoo and conditioner so much. Again and again, I’m amazed how clean, shiny and fresh my hair feels after use. I especially like the fact that it prolongs the time during washes for a day, if not more. I’m now on my fourth pack of these. On the other hand, I wasn’t too impressed with Precious Argan shampoo and conditioner. I didn’t like the scent and my hair got greasy very quick. Wouldn’t repurchase either of them.

empties shampoo nivea pantene briogeo

I was also relatively pleased with the Nivea Care & targeted care shampoo and conditioner for dry hair. My hair was soft and more manageable, but products for dry hair really shouldn’t be used by those of us who have problems with greasy scalp. I should have paid more attention to that. I also used up two samples of Briogeo Don’t despair, repair hair mask and didn’t find them to be revolutionary. In fact, they didn’t do anything that a regular conditioner can’t do. Last but not least, I also used up the Pantene Aqua Light shampoo which was good for my hair but made my scalp itchy and dry.

Empties: body care

empties shower gel nivea afrodita just

I generally forget to save up shower gels, but I really wanted to show you these two – Nivea Waterlily & Oil and Afrodita Sweet almond oil gel. They are similar in the sense that they both lather up nicely and have a wonderful smell. I would repurchase those but I need to get through my stock of Afrodita shower gels before that. I also used up what is probably my tenth bottle of Just Intimate Gel. It’s not irritable and I think that’s extremely important when it comes to personal hygiene.

empties deodorants nivea le couvent des minimes dolce gabbana

Last but not least – deodorants. All three have been lying in my empties bag for months, since I’m now a religious user of Mirta deodorant (you can read all about it *here*). I cannot many nice words about the Nivea Pure&Natural deodorant except for the fact it doesn’t contain aluminium salts. It didn’t fare well when it comes to body odor. I could probably say the same about the Dolce&Gabbana Light blue deodorant, but I only used this on special occasions and didn’t put it through as many paces. On the other hand, I have only nice words for the Le Couvent Des Minimes deodorant with essential oils. It did the job and I personally think it’s worth the money, since it took months to use it up.

If you used any of the product above, I’d love to hear your opinion about them. Until next time, stay beautiful!

Blogmas #8: BEST OF 2016 – SKINCARE ***** NAJBOLJŠI IZDELKI 2016 – NEGOVALNI IZDELKI


We’ve done best of make-up 2016, now it’s time for skincare. I must say that this year, I’ve been paying more attention to my skin than ever before since I had so many issues with it because of hormonal imbalance during my pregnancy (but the end result is worthy every discoloration and pimple, I promise). I also discovered many new brands and the end result is here.

O najljubših ličilih leta 2016 sem že spregovorila, zdaj pa je čas za negovalne izdelke za nego obraza in telesa. Priznam, da sem moji koži v zadnjem letu posvečala več pozornosti kot kadar koli prej, saj sem imela med nosečnostjo zaradi hormonskega neravnovesja nemalo težav (vendar prisežem, da je končni rezultat vreden vsakega pigmentnega madeža in mozoljčka). Odkrila sem tudi nekaj novih znamk in tu je končni rezultat.

First, let’s talk showers. I absolutely adore cream-to-foam products and the one I’ve been loving the most in the past year is the Senses Asian Spa foaming shower gel in the scent ginger and goji berry. This is actually an Artdeco brand and I first discovered it during summer. I appreciate the scent and also the fact I have to use the smallest amount to get all cleaned up.

Najprej čisto na kratko o najljubšem gelu za tuširanje. Obožujem izdelke, ki se iz kremastih spremenijo v peno in moj najljubši je bil letos Senses Asian Spa foaming shower gel v vonju ingverja in goji jagod. To znamko, ki sodi pod Artdeco, sem prvič odkrila poleti. Poleg super vonja mi je všeč tudi dejstvo, da potrebujem res majhno količino, da se namilim po celem telesu. View Post

Last 2016 empties ~ porabljeni izdelki!

 

So here we are. December is almost upon us and it was time to do a proper clean out of my bathroom cabinets before the packages from Black Friday start rolling in. This is going to be a long post so without further ado, let’s jump straight into it!

Pa smo tu! December je tik pred vrati in resnično je bil čas, da pospravim svoje omarice, preden prispejo paketi z vsem, kar sem kupila na Črni petek. Ker bo objava dolga, predlagam, da kar začneva!

Let’s start with a very random set of products that have nothing in common. I used up the Nivea anti-persprirant Double Effect which was OK and did the job well. However, I don’t think I’ll repurchase because I have recently discovered Borotalco and like it a lot! Next, we have a random complexion sponge I bought off eBay and let me tell you – it’s rock solid. I feel like I’m punching myself in the face using it so normally it has to go. Last, we have a product by my lovely Ole Henriksen – the Walnut complexion scrub. This was a deluxe sample and it lasted me about a year because I did use it sparingly. It is quite rough so I used it with my Olay brush because I was too harsh with my fingers. I would repurchase this again in a minute – I love it!

Za začetek bi spregovorila nekaj besed o izdelkih, ki sicer nimajo nič skupnega. Nivea Anti-perspirant Double Effect je bil OK in svoje delo dobro opravil, vendar pa sem pred meseci odkrila Borotalco deodorante, ki so mi bolj všeč. Gobico zraven sem kupila na eBayu in resnično je trda kot kamen! Počutim se, kot bi se udarjala po obrazu, ko jo uporabljam, tako da mora seveda v smeti. Nenazadnje sem porabila tudi moj ljubi Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub. Ta vzorec sem uporabljala sem in tja celo leto, večinoma s svojo Olay ščetko, saj sem bila s prsti pregroba. Ta piling bi takoj spet kupila, ker ga naravnost obožujem!

Next, here are the EOS lip balms – I think these are Sweet mint, Pomegranate and Honeysuckle. I think that these were good for about 6 months and even then they were a bit too waxy for my taste. They left a film on my lips and I couldn’t really apply a lipstick over it. However, the smell changed in the past few months so although they are 3/4 full, they are still going in the trash.

Naslednji so EOS balzami, o katerih se veliko govori (še posebej zadnje čase, ko so dostopni na veliko prodajnih mestih v Sloveniji) – na sliki so Sweet Mint, Pomegranate in Honeysuckle. Prvih šest mesecev so bili še kar ok, čeprav so bili za moj okus preveč voskasti. Na ustnicah so mi pustili film in preko njega nisem mogla nanesti šminke. V zadnjih par mesecih pa se je njihov vonj spremenil in čeprav je vsak še na tričetrt poln, morajo v smeti.

Next, we have another category of empties that technically aren’t empties at all. I had this Max Factor Weightless Foundation stored up for god knows how long and it separated completely. I don’t want to use it because it looks funny, but otherwise this is a really good foundation that gives medium coverage but really feels like second skin, so I’ll definitely repurchase. The ELF Makeup Mist&Set is also a nice product, although it cannot really compare to Urban Decay or Mac Fix + setting sprays. I mainly used it to wet my brush before applying eye shadow for certain looks. However, it now smells just like alcohol so I’m pretty sure it’s gone bad. Last but not least is the Eucerin Hyaluron Filler CC cream. I love the way this looks on my skin and how much coverage it gives me while at the same time being really moisturizing, but unfortunately it breaks me out every time I use it. I’ll pass it along to a friend because I’d be really sad to throw it away.

Naslednja kategorija so porabljeni izdelki, ki pa to v resnici niso. Max Factor Weightless Foundation sem imela že ne vem kako dolgo na zalogi in barva se je popolnoma ločila od olja. Ker vse skupaj izgleda sumljivo, ga ne bom uporabila, vendar pa moram reči, da je to sicer res dobra podlaga s srednjo prekrivnostjo, ki mi ne daje občutka, kot da imam kaj na obrazu. Vsekakor jo bom še kupila. ELF Makeup Mist&Set je dober izdelek, vendar ni primerljiv z Urban Decay ali MAC Fix + zaključnimi spreji. Večinoma sem ga uporabljala, da sem za določene videze zmočila čopič, preden sem nanesla senčilo. Sedaj smrdi po alkoholu, zato sem precej prepričana, da se je pokvaril. Zadnja v tej kategoriji je Eucerin Hyaluron Filler CC krema, pri kateri mi je izredno všeč videz, ki ga ustvari na moji koži, saj dobro prekrije in je hkrati super vlažilna. Na žalost mi povzroča izbruhe mozoljev, zato jo bom raje podarila prijateljici – res bi bila namreč nesrečna, če bi morala v smeti.

 

 

Staying with make-up, I’ve used and abused my Tarte Amazonian Clay bronzer for almost two years and now we’re at the point that I think would just ruin my brush if I continue using it. It’s probably my favorite spring and autumn bronzer since it’s not too dark but still create a really nice shadow. It’s a real bronzer though, I don’t think that anyone could use this for contour since it’s really warm toned. I’m also done with two mascaras and I didn’t enjoy any of them. First is the Manhattan Long&Swing mascara that curled my lashes but didn’t give them any volume and the second a Clarins Wonder Waterproof Mascara that clumped my eyelashes despite the brush being a really promising shape. I will not repurchase either of them.

Če še za sekundo ostanem pri make-upu, sem porabila tudi moj Tarte Amazonian Clay bronzer, ki sem ga uporabljala skoraj dve leti, zdaj pa ga ne morem več, saj mi rob že uničuje čopiče. Verjetno je to moj najljubši bronzer za pomlad in poletje, saj ni pretemen, ampak ustvari res lepo senčenje. Vsekakor je to pravi bronzer, ki se ga ne more uporabljati za konturo, saj je preveč tople barve. Svojo kariero zaključujeta tudi dve maskari, od katerih mi nobena ni bila preveč všeč. Prva je Manhattan Long&Swing maskara, ki je lepo privihala trepalnice, vendar pa jim ni dala praktično nič volumna. Druga je Clarins Wonder Waterproof Mascara, ki je na mojih trepalnicah naredila ogromno grudic kljub dejstvu, da mi je krtačka izgledala zelo obetavno. Nobene od njih ne bom ponovno kupila. 

I finally finished my Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner – about 3 months after I was done with the shampoo. It’s a nice high-end conditioner but I didn’t feel that it gave my hair that silky effect that I get from more nourishing conditioners so I will not repurchase it. I also finished two Garnier micellar cleansing waters. The pink one (which is regular) Garnier Micellar water was OK but as I’ve heard from other beauty bloggers it contains some ingredients that we should all avoid so I will not repurchase. On the other hand, I really liked the Biphase Micellar Cleansing water in oil. It removed my make-up perfectly and although it’s oily while the packaging says it isn’t, I’ll let that slide (see what I did there? Ha!). Each bottle lasted me for about 3 months which is a good deal in my opinion.

Končno sem porabila tudi svoj Joico Moisture Recovery balzam – približno tri mesece po tem, ko sem porabila šampon. Je dober balzam, nekoliko dražji, vendar pa moji lasje niso bili tako svileni, kot so po uporabi nekaterih hranilnih balzamov, zato ga ne bom ponovno kupila. Porabila sem tudi dve Garnier micelarni vodici. Pink, originalna vodica, mi je bila všeč, vendar pa blogerke, ki se spoznajo na sestavine, pravijo, da vsebuje nevarne sestavine, zaradi katerih se je moramo izogibati, zato je ne bom ponovno kupila. Na drugi strani mi je bila res všeč bifazna micelarna vodica (zlata). Moj make-up je super odstranila in čeprav je bila nekoliko bolj oljna, kot bi si sama želela, mi je bila vseeno zelo všeč. Vsako stekleničko sem uporabljala približno tri mesece.

Last but not least I also used up a bunch of small perfumes because I received quite a few in the past months and wanted to make room. I won’t go into detail on the D&G Light Blue perfume which is my favorite perfume of all times and I didn’t care much for the Victoria’s Secret Secret Escape Mini. But I would encourage you to one try the My Spirit perfumes – they are really good value, smell exactly like the originals and on my skin, they last for an entire day. I really like them and I continue to buy more for myself.

Čisto na koncu še o parfumih, ki sem jih porabila kar nekaj, saj sem v preteklih mesecih prejela kar nekaj novih in sem želela narediti prostor. D&G Light Blue ne bom podrobno opisovala, saj gre za moj najljubši parfum. Prav tako me ni navdušil Victoria’s Secret Secret Escape mini parfumček. Vsekakor pa bi ti priporočila, da vsaj enkrat preizkusiš My Spirit parfume – dobiš jih po res dobri ceni, po mojem mnenju je vonj identičen originalom in na moji koži se obdržijo cel dan. Meni osebno so res všeč, zato jih bom kupovala še naprej.

 

I also used up a bunch of samples but hey – that’s a whole other post right there, coming soon. Did you try any of these products? What is your opinion about them?

Porabila sem tudi cel kup testerčkov, vendar mislim, da je to že tema za naslednjo objavo. Si že kdaj preizkusila kakšnega od izdelkov, o katerih pišem? Kakšno je tvoje mnenje o njih?

Until next time, stay beautiful! ***** Do naslednjič, ostani čudovita!

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Movember! (collaboration with The Beauty of Nail Polish blog)

 During the month of November, the streets are crowded with  bearded and unshaven men. They proudly show off their facial hair (or lack of it) and I think they are enjoying the fact that they don’t have to shave for a month and nobody is judging them because of that. But I also think that many of them don’t know what Movember really stands for.

Meseca novembra se na cestah po svetu kar naenkrat pojavi ogromno bradatih, neobritih moških. Ponosno razkazujejo svoje bolj ali manj goste in dolge dlake in po mojem mnenju kar uživajo, ker se jim cel mesec ni treba obriti in jih zato nihče ne obsoja. Mislim pa, da jih v resnici kar veliko ne ve, kaj v resnici Movember sploh je.

The word originates from the words Mo (Mustache) and November. Long beards and mustache are supposed to draw attention to various issues that can trouble men but don’t get spoken about that often. Among these we can mention prostate cancer, testicular cancer (which is most common among young men!) and also psychological issues with special attention to suicide prevention.

Beseda izvira iz besed Mo (Mustache, torej brki) in November. Dolge brade in brki naj bi opozarjali na najrazličnejše težave, ki lahko pestijo moške, pa o njih ne govorimo pogosto – med njimi lahko omenimo raka prostate, raka na modih (ki je najpogostejši prav med mladimi moškimi!), pa tudi psihične težave, pri čemer se posebej poudarja preprečevanje samomorov.

Although health is first and foremost the task of every individual, ladies can take care of their men as well and remind them to self-check regularly and visit the doctor at least every so often. The same applies for mental health. Too often, men think that they can save themselves and the world, holding their emotions in until sometimes it’s all too much and help doesn’t come in time. Even a long, honest conversation can help your partner, brother, father, neighbor in distress a lot.

Čeprav je v prvi vrsti zdravje naloga vsakega posameznika, pa lahko tudi dame poskrbimo za svoje moške in jih spomnimo na redno samopregledovanje in redne preglede pri zdravniku. Enako velja za duševno zdravje. Moški vse prevečkrat menijo, da lahko sami rešujejo sebe in še svet in čustva držijo v sebi, dokler ni – včasih – vsega preveč in pomoč pride prepozno. Že samo dolg, odkrit pogovor lahko tvojemu partnerju, bratu, očetu, sosedu v stiski veliko pomaga. 

When I was thinking about how to write about taking care of self, I took a peek into my partner’s bathroom cabinet and the topic was clear in my mind. What you see in the photo below are all the products that my hubby uses in everyday life. Afrodita shower gel, Ombia shaving foam, Carolina Herrera 212 Men NYC deodorant and aftershave and Johnson’s baby shampoo.

Ko sem razmišljala, kako bi o skrbi zase spregovorila v kontekstu svojega bloga, sem se zazrla v omarico mojega dragega in takoj mi je bilo jasno, o čem moram pisati. To, kar vidiš na sliki spodaj, so vsi kozmetični izdelki, ki jih uporablja v vsakdanjem življenju. Afroditin gel za tuširanje, Ombia peno za britje, Carolina Herrera 212 Men NYC deodorant in aftershave ter Johnson’s otroški šampon.

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Product empties

I haven’t emptied my trash can in a long while – too long, I might add, so I was presented with a pile of used products that you now get to view for your own pleasure 🙂 I’ll try to write short reviews, but you know how it is with me – short posts are definitely not my forte. 

Starting off with hair products, I am done with the Aussie Repair Miracle shampoo and conditioner for damage control. I found these two OK, but after using them for a long time I noticed they did make my hair a little bit heavier and they got greasier a bit quicker. I will not repurchase

I also finished up the Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner for dry and damaged hair. I love the smell of the Fructis products and the thickness of the conditioners which really sit on my hair and don’t leak all over the place. These two made my hair nice and soft. I will repurchase in the Fructis line in general. 

Sadly, I’m also done with my Batiste Dry shampoo (clean&classic original). You can read my detailed thoughts about it *here*. I will definitely repurchase.

I’ve also been burning up deodorants like crazy. Both of  the Garnier antiperspirants were a huge miss. I like the idea behind the new version of Garnier Neo since the new spray format really distributes the product nicely. But it left white patches on my skin and I think that about half the bottle evaporated into nothing – I wasn’t using it at all and then, all of a sudden, the bottle was empty. Definitely not a repurchase which also goes for the Garnier Mineral InvisiCalm Post-Depilation antiperspirant. My skin literally hurt after I applied this. I honestly don’t know why I bother with antiperspirants at all since they obviously mess up my body chemistry. 

My life saver in the beginning of the summer was the Bionsen deodorant. It’s intended for sensitive skin and without aluminum and parabens. It works like a charm, but unfortunately I would like the scent to be a bit more prominent for a summer deodorant. Will repurchase as a back-up. View Post