In July I was so boring with my makeup choices. I tested some new products that quickly became my favorites and just stick to the old products that I know and love. I could pretty much copy my June and May favorite, because I used most of those products. I am also including some hair products that have impressed me lately.
Pantene Pro-V Repair & Care 3 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner + Treatment and Conditioner
I first tried their Skinfood version of conditioner and was so surprised how much I liked it. So I thought, I should get some more from Pantene to try out. And I did. Mateja was the one that loved their Repair range and I gave it a go too. I bought this shampoo that I took with me on holiday by the sea, because I always take more nutrient shampoos, when I know I'll wash my hair everyday and that I'll have to wash out a ton of salt. It worked so nicely. My hair was super soft, nicely moisturized and it looked shiny too. I also bought conditioner from the same line, which is about the same - makes my hair very smooth and doesn't weigh them down. I love it. Plus all of their products smells so nice - sort of sweet. I am realizing that Pantene might be one of those rare drugstore hair brands that actually has really nice products comparable to high end formulas.
Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Luster Lock Multi-Perfector
I was also regularly using this leave in treatment, because my hair can get really damaged in the summer. It's a milky product with good amount of slip to it, so it makes it lovely for dry ends. It coats them and creates smooth glide, shine and gives them some nourishment. It should also protect your hair against fading and damage. It can be used daily. I feel like colored and damaged hair would really benefit from it. One thing about this product that just gets me, is the scent. Their whole K-Pak range smells so nice to me, but this one smells the best by far. It's such a luxury "hair salon" scent. And it lingers on hair too, which I love. It makes me feel like I went to a really chic hair salon, although I don't go in hair salons at all. But I might fool someone.
Every time I go to the sea, I pile face sunscreen on my face and it results in clogged pores and blemishes that happily camp on my skin after the holiday and I need about a week to normalize my skin. I feel like this year this was the it product that helped me the most. In conjunction with Cezanne hyaluronic acid. Snail mucin is known for its healing benefits and I applied this vigorously every morning and evening and normalized my skin as much as I could. My breakouts were gone in a bout a week and there wasn't as many inflamed ones as usual.
This is one of my stand outs from Catrice's new range of new products. It's a palette with two highlighters and one highlighting bronzer. I don't care for the bronzer part, to me it's more like a peach based blush or blush topper, but the two highlighters are lovely. Especially the first one. It's quite light shade with more of a champagne base, but it has such a fine shimmer to it, that it gives you that really believable skin glow. I love it and I think I'll like it even more in the winter, when I am paler. Second, golden shade, is the opposite of the first one. Really shiny and metallic looking warm gold, but the shimmer is still nicely milled, so it doesn't look chunky. That is your go to night time highlighter or when you really want to make a statement. Formula is almost a bit wet and it glides on like a dream. You don't need more than one or two swipes.
Catrice Blush Box 020 It's wine o'clock
Another favorite product of Catrice's newest launch that I have been using so much this month. It essentially combines three blush shades in one packaging. I usually just swirl them all together and it gives me that very wearable warm pink shade with a tad of mauviness to it. Plus it has such a lovely cooler sheen on the cheeks, again similar to that first highlighter from their highlighting palette. Formula is more on the wet side and pigmentation is just great. You have to use a fluffy brush to not overdo it.
Kiss Blooming Lashes - Camellia
I have worn these eyelashes for about 5 times already and they are still in descent condition. After some research of best affordable lashes, I have found Kiss as one of the brands that is most recommended. I believe we have them in Müller, but I bought a lot of these in Austrian Bipa, because they were on sale and cheaper. The quality is nice. They are very light, I love invisible seam and they have more natural styles. I am not one for huge lashes, since my eyes are small and hooded. Camellia is similar to that Ardell Wispies sort of style and these have two rows of lashes which makes the more dimensional and natural looking. What surprised me the most, was adhesive that comes with them. It held my lashes like nobody's business. It was the only glue I have tried so far that held my lashes on entire day, even the inner and outer corner. I since bought their Lash Adhesive in a tube and I feel like it's not the same. The one that came with the lashes had better hold.
Catrice Dewy-ful Lips Conditioning Lip Butter - 020 Let's DEW This! and 040 DEW You Care?
I believe Catrice added one more shade to this range of ultra comfortable lip gloss, liquid lipstick and lip balm hybrid formula. I just love that it feels so ultra comforting on the lips. I don't really wear lipstick all that much in this hot weather. It feels a bit heavy. I reserve it for special occasions, when I actually have to attend some sort of event. Otherwise you'll almost always see me in those comforting glossy products. I have two shades of these, one more peachy and one more brown. I use peachy for more warm toned looks and brown for every other look. It's so easy to apply, applicator is great and it just wears so nicely. If you often times deal with dry lips, I highly recommend you to try this. Or just get one and throw it in the bag for when you want to add a bit of color to your lips.
This is another one of those ultra soothing lip products that has been saving my lips this month from dryness and tightness. It's basically transparent, so more for those days when you just want something shinier without the color. I love that it sticks to the lips so well, but is not sticky at all and it almost feel nourishing because of the oils in it.
Mali Junaki or Hooray Heroes Personalized Children's Book
I bought one of these books for a special occasion for my niece and even though she is too little to understand what her mom is reading to her, it will be a great gift for when she grows up a bit. I found this idea of personalized book so unique and such a fun gift that will actually stay with her for the rest of her life. You can change some visual characteristics of the main character in the book to match the child your buying it for - like hair color, glasses, freckles, name. My niece is adorable light brown haired, blue eyed little girl named Sara. So I named main character Sara and named her character's friend in the book Petra - orange haired, glass wearer girl to sort of represent me in a more playful way. I had to share it here, because it can be so hard to buy gifts for little children that are unique and not just boring and so predictable. This is made by Slovenian company named Mali Junaki, but you can also find it under Hooray Heroes (ships to France, USA, Austria, Germany and Italy).
Short Getaway to Crikvenica - Croatia
I also went to a short gateway on Croatian coast in the city named Crikvenica. I have always loved the sea and I made a choice to go to the coast at least once a year. This year it was a very short trip, but nonetheless worth it. I am definitely one of those people that would choose sea over any other type of holiday. One reason being that salty sea is a therapy for my skin allergies that always heals it - no eczema while I'm by the sea and the second being that I feel most relaxed listening to the sound of waves and diving into the water. It just calms me and it's the best anti-stress therapy ever. Crikvenica was lovely. Sea was fairly cold for my personal taste, but it was so hot outside and the water was so clear that I didn't mind at all.