Collective Summer Haul (The Body Shop, Mac, Sephora)

Hello everybody! I hope you're having a great summer so far, here it's extremely hot and I can barely function! Anyway, I've done some hauling lately for the summer, not much though. Unfortunately this is going to be a small haul post but I'm propably going to get a few more stuff within the next few weeks so you should expect one more summer haul post in the near future!

From The Body Shop I got a much-needed Shea Body Butter because I run out of my previous one and also because it was on sale, there's no need to say more! In my opinion this is the best body butter from The Body Shop, it has a very warm/natural scent that it's not overpowering, perfect for any season! I also needed a new gel cleanser, I was using the Avene Cleansing Foam but I'm almost out and I prefer using gel cleansers when it's summer. I used to love the Seaweed Day Mattifying Day Cream, you can see my review here, so I wanted to try the Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash too. So far I think it's a very good gel cleanser, it never dried out my skin, but I'm not 100% convieced that this one worth the money,  it costs 11 euros for only 100 ml of product which in my opinion is a lot. Last from the Body Shop I got the brand new Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet moisturizer, the idea of a face sorbet really impressed me. It's oil free and it leaves a matt finish which is not usual for a product from the Body Shop's Vitamin E line, but it doesn't do anything more than that. It doesn't hydrate my skin at all and it doesn't leave a refreshing/cooling effect on my face which is a shame because that's why I bought it in the first place. I also have to mention that it has a very strong floral scent, it took me more than a week to get used to it! The first week it caused me headaches and made me nauseous, I've never had this problem with any other moisturizer that I've used in my life.

I visited Mac to get a new Blot Powder because I hit pan on my previous one and but also it was very old and I had to replace it. It's the only powder that keeps my oilness away, I've tried many powders that failed to do that, even the famous Rimmel Stay Matte was a huge disappointment. I also got the Charged Water Skin Hydrating Mist, which is a product that I wanted to try for a really long time but I always hessitate to buy, I thought that it would do the exact same job as the Avene Eau Thermale Water Spray, but they're not similar. They're both refreshing waters/facial mists but the Avene one is just plain water, as the Charged Water actually hydrates the skin, after I spray it on my face I can feel it being a bit sticky for a few minutes. I love using it mostly as a toner right after I've cleansed my face and right before I use my moisturizer. I don't know if it worths the money, propably not because it's overpriced, but I love using it, it's like an extra-luxurious step in my skincare routine.

Last but not least, I got this new limited edition Sephora Sol De Rio bronzing powder, which is literally humongous! We're talking about 20g of bronzing powder, and let's be honest, I'm never going to finish this up, at least in this lifetime! Colorwise and texture wise it's one of the best bronzers I've ever tried, it's unbelievably smooth, like a cream, also very blendable. It's completely matte and it has a true brown shade which works very well with my NC25 skintone but if you're darker than a NC30 I don't think this one will show up on your face. Here's a swatch:

 Well that's everything that I bought, I know it's not a lot but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I'm pretty sure that there will be another one soon, since my birthday is next week and I'm planning to get a few more goodies! I'm wishing everyone a relaxing and sun soaked weekend!

Top Summer Nail Polishes.

 Two years ago I wrote three different posts about my favorite summer blushes, lipsticks and lipglosses but I never wrote one about my favorite summer polishes. I realised that haven't done a "nail polish" related post in like ages, in fact my very first blog post was about my favorite winter nail polishes so I think it was about time to talk you about my top five, and of course hottest, summer nail polishes! I really like bright shades on my nails, so every summer I love painting my nails with beautiful corals and peaches and of course neon shades, what can I say, I just love my neons!

 It was hard for me to choose only 5 since I have so many similar shades but I chose the ones that I've used the most and I'm sure these are some shades that everyone loves to use at summertime!

   ChG Flip Flop Fantasy, Model's Own Pink Punch, Nails inc. Notting Hill Gate, Korres Flamingo Pink, OPI Cajun Shrimp

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

A very beautiful super neon coral-pink shade, in my opinion the hottest pedicure shade for the summer. The only problem I have with this one is the texture, it has a very thick and streaky formula but I can put up with it because of its amazing shade.

Model's Own Pink Punch

This is the only Model's Own polish that I own and of course it had to be a neon one, it's a bright warm pink shade with a hint of coral-orange, it has a runny formula that never streaks which I prefer.

Nails inc. Notting Hill Gate

One of the few cool toned neon pinks that I own, it's really beautiful, not super bright as the other two that I mentioned before but still quite noticable.

Korres Flamingo Pink

This is by far the most beautiful orangey-coral shade I own that it's not neon, it's a nice alternative for those who like bright and vivid shades but don't want the bright neon that glows in your face.

OPI Cajun Shrimp

I saved the more classy one for last, this was actually the first OPI nail polish that I've bought years ago and it's still as good as new! For those who prefer more classic colors on their nails this one is the perfect summer red with a hint of coral just to make it more warm.

Do you love bright nails at summertime like me? Let me know what are your favorite summer nail polishes!

Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme! Mascara Review

I love trying new mascaras, right now I'm using Maybelline's newest addition to the Colossal line, the Go Extreme!, it was given to me a few months ago when I attended a Maybelline event. I've been waiting for a few months to open and try it because I've had a few ones opened already. I've been using it for about a month now and I have to say that I'm really impressed by it! Let's see why.

Brush/Formula

Before I talk about the brush and the formula of this mascara let's all appreciate how beautiful and fun the packaging is-yellow and pink-it screams summer to me! I think Maybelline did a great job designing the packaging of the new Colossal mascara. Now let's talk about about the brush, it has quite a big brush with a unique shade that is fat in the middle and more narrow at the tip, the small tip helps a lot grabbing the inner and smaller lashes and somehow it manages to wing out the outer corners perfectly. The really packed and long bristles define the lashes quite well and it doesn't clump at all.

It has a wet formula but that doesn't weigh down my lashes at all,  I've also noticed that it doesn't leave them soft or hard, I'd say something in between it doesn't make my sensitive eyes tired after a while.

Application

It's really easy to work with this mascara, it coats all of my lashes and lifts them up, it holds a curl for hours with no problem. Also the shape of the brush really helps winging out the outer lashes creating a feathered look,the one that "The Falsies Flared" also from Maybelline completely failed to do.

I'd say that it gives more length than volume to my lashes, it also seperates them really well. If I coat them lots and lots of times with this mascara it does create a more dramatic look but I don't like doing that because adding more product it makes them feel very heavy, I only do that when I want more of a night time look.


Price
In Greece it costs 13 euros, it's less than the price of The Falsies mascara which is 15 euros, but I still believe that the price should be less than that. In Europe drugstore mascaras are way pricey!


Pros
-It has a really fun packaging.

-It gives length, seperates the lashes really well and it holds a curl for hours.

-It's winging out the outer corners creating a feathered look.

-It doesn't smudge, even many hours of wearing it.

-It's a great mascara for daily wear.


Cons
-I expected to give more volume to my lashes.

-It doesn't give an "extreme" look to the lashes, it's great for a daily look.



Rating: 9/10
In my opinion this is the best Maybelline mascara in the market right now, all the previous ones that I've tried from Maybelline disappointed me. I really enjoy using it mostly because of the feathered look that gives to my lashes, it makes my eyes look more awake. I think that if you don't have high expectations about the "extreme" look that it claims to give, you will definitely enjoy this mascara for an everyday use.



Have you tried the Maybelline Colossal Go Extreme mascara yet? Let me know what you think!