Empties #10 - Part 2

Τον περασμένο μήνα στο προηγούμενο post σας έδειξα το πρώτο μέρος των empties που κατάφερα να μαζέψω εδώ και κάμποσους μήνες, το οποίο περιελάμβανε προϊόντα μακιγιάζ που τελείωσα. Ήρθε λοιπόν η ώρα να σας δείξω και τα υπόλοιπα προϊόντα που τελείωσα τα οποία έχουν σχέση με περιποίηση προσώπου και σώματος. Και επειδή αυτό το post μου βγήκε λίγο μεγαλύτερο πάμε να τα δούμε ένα ένα.

Pharmacy Haul - Apivita, Korres, Frezyderm & Avene.

Καλημέρα everybody! Πριν λίγες μέρες έκανα μια αγορά σ’ ένα ηλεκτρονικό φαρμακείο γιατί είχα ανάγκη από κάποια καινούργια skincare προϊόντα μιας και τους τελευταίους μήνες αντιμετωπίζω κάποια προβλήματα με το δέρμα μου που σχετίζονται με λιπαρότητα και σπυράκια. Και μιας που δεν έχω κάνει ένα haul post εδώ και αρκετό καιρό σκέφτηκα ότι τώρα είναι μια ωραία ευκαιρία να σας δείξω τι ακριβώς πήρα.

Empties - Products I've Used Up #5 - Part 2

As I mentioned in my previous post, this is the second part of my latest empties, all the make up products that I've used up lately and some more skincare stuff of course. I was going to write this post a bit earlier but I've been sick for the past 5 days and I was pretty much like a zombie inside my house all that time so please excuse the delay. OK soooo let's start!

Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water

My HG thermal water spray for many years now, I've used up so many of these bottles! An absolute summer must have for me, I can't not have this in my beach bag and when the weather is ridiculously hot is a life saver! Also it's perfect for those with sensitive skintype, it calms all the skin irritations.

 Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion

I've been using the Clinique #2 Clarifying lotion for almost seven years, and even though it's a product that many people hate, I actually really like it. It's not a product that I use everyday, I like using it whenever I'm having breakouts, I find that it really helps. I really like this one, the Anti-blemish Solutions, it's a little stronger than the #2  that I usually buy but it's great for when I'm having really bad skin days. I don't know, I may repurchase it again, propably in the summer time.

Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream

I know I know.....you've seen so many empty bottles of this moisturizer this past year, I've mentioned it countless times already, it's my HG moisturizer, the one that I always come back to. I'm not going to bother you anymore with it, if you want to know more you can read my full review on it here.

Frezyderm Eye Balm

When I first got this eye cream I used to hate it, it didn't  moisturize my under eye area at all, but that's when my skin around my eyes was super dry. I decided to give it a second chance around June when my skin became more oily again, I didn't have any problems with really dry and itchy skin around my eyes, and I was surprised that I actually really liked it! I've been using it in the summer and I found it very refreshing, it never felt heavy or greasy. I would definitely repurchase it but only for summertime. I have to mention that it did nothing for my under eye circles but then again I don't expect anything like that from an eye cream since my problem is genetic and nothing ever helps with that.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Eye Cream

I don't know what possessed me into buying this eye cream since I don't have any problem with fine lines, propably it was a "late twenties" life crisis I had back then I don't know, but I absolutely hated this eye cream! It made me eyes super dry, the least I'd expect from an anti aging eye cream is to help with moisturizing the skin around the eyes becasue as we get older the skin around our eyes is becoming more dry. Such a dissapointing product from Clinique, I don't recommend this to anyone!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

OK to be honest this is a "forgotten" empty, and by forgotten I mean it was completely empty in my fridge for about.....two years.... please don't judge! If you want a super moisturizing eye cream then this one is definitely for you. It's so heavy that I could never used it under my concealer, for me it was a night eye cream only. If you want to know more, I've done a full review on it here.

Apivita Express Beauty Face Mask with Pomegranate

One of my HG Apivita face masks along with the Propolis one. It instantly gives a glow to my face, it makes me look more awake and fresh even many hours after I've used it. I've tried many masks that promised to give a "glowy" face but failed completely. This one is an absolute gem!

Sephora Smoothing and Brightening Concealer 

For a year now I've been really into the highlighting concealers, I prefer these over the regular ones even though I have really bad dark eye circles, they make me look more awake. This one from Sephora was really good, it's the #05 and it has peachy undertones which is perfect for my dark circles problem, it's quite similar to the Mac Prep n' Prime Highlighter in Bright Forecast. If you want to know more about it, read this post I wrote a few months back about my concealer collection.

 Clinique Even Better Make Up in Ivory

Two years ago this used to be my HG foundation, along with Mac's Pro Longwear, it's almost full coverage and it gives such an amazing flawless and glowy look to my face. It's not long lasting, it transfered after a few hours of wearing it, but that's not the main reason why I don't want to repurchase it again, it's because I'm over the whole thick and full coverage foundation phase now. I still love Mac's Pro Longwear foundation because it's not as thick as the Even Better, but the Pro Longwear is my limit, I won't buy a foundation that is thicker than the Mac one.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream

Αctually this is not an empty product, more of a half empty product I would say, but I had to throw it away because it really broke me out and I wasn't going to use it anymore. Even though it's targeted for oily skintypes I find it quite dewy for my combination skin and I was using it at winter. The Garnier BB cream for oily skins way better than this one!

Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme! Mascara

This one is propably my favourite Maybelline mascara, from all the ones that I've tried of course. It gives a feathery-soft look, perfect for everyday! You can read my full review on it here.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Urban Decay's Primer Potion was the very first eyeshadow primer I've ever tried back in 2006, it was sent to me as a gift from a friend in the UK and back then I had absolutely no idea what an eyeshadow primer was! But this one completely changed my mind about eye make up in general, when I was using it even the cheapiest eyeshadow looked amazing and lasted for hours. But even though it was my very first eye primer, I have to say that I love the Too Faced Shadow Insurance more because of the texture. This mini primer potion I was using came with the Urban Decay Naked palette I bought two years ago.

Mac Studio Finish Concealer NW25

I've tried almost all of the Mac concealers and this one was by far the one that I enjoyed using the most, but not anymore. When I first bought it I got it for my under my eyes, and back then I didn't have dry under eye area, so it was perfect for covering my bad dark circles. But after my skin became really dry I started using in on spots, pimples and stuff but the orangey shade was so wrong for my skintone, also it transfered like crazy, that's why I'm not going to repurchase it again.

Escada Cherry In The Air Perfume

I don't know how many of you love the summer limited edition Escada perfumes, or maybe I'm the only one? They're so fresh,fruity and summerish! This one, Cherry In The Air was a birthday gift from my mother last year and I've used it all up within a year.

Essence Get Big Lashes Waterproof  Mascara

One of my most favourite mascaras, even though it's waterproof I really loved it this summer, plus it's super affordable! You can read my review here, if you want to know more about it.

Essence Get Big Lashes Triple Black Mascara
As much as I loved the waterproof version of this mascara, this one I absolutely hated it! It irritated my eyes, and when Ι was wearing it it was like I had no mascara on. For me it was a real disappointment, I don't recomment buying it, get the waterproof one instead.

Loreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara
This mascara was a bit meh for me. The very bendy wand it was really annoying, it didn't really give any volume or length to my lashes. You can read my full review on it here.

So that's everything, all the empty products that I've been collecting for a few months now, and please excuse the really long post, but I like giving you my full opinions on the products that I've used up. 

Have you tried any of these products? Did you like them? Let me know!

Empties - Products I've Used Up #4

I haven't done an "empties" post in ages! I think the last time was six months ago. So when I realised that I haven't done one for so long and right after I opened the bag that I was keeping all of them I panicked because I had so many, especially the amount of mascaras, which I find ridiculously big! So I'll try to keep this post as small as I can. OK then, let's start!

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Shampoo

I've tries almost all of the Herbal Essences shampoos and this was propably my most favorite, it's the most moisturizing from all of their lines, but still after a two months of using it, it did dry out my hair and for that reason only I don't think I will repurchase it again.

Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner

This is one of my HG conditioners, it manages to moisturize and detangle my hair without being heavy at all, even its texture is very lightweight and when I first tried it I never thought that a conditioner with such a lightweight texture could moisturize my hair that well! I have already repurchase it and I will continue repurchasing it in the future.

Sephora Coconut Smoothing Body Scrub

This was one of the worst body scrubs I have ever tried, it was something between a shower gel and a scrub but it never exfoliated my body as good as I wanted, it's a huge no from me and I will never purchase it again.

La Roche Posay Physiological Micellar Solution

One of the best micellar lotions/waters in the market, in my opinion it's even better than the Bioderma Sensibio, and it's very underrated noone ever talks abou it. It's extremely gentle with my sensitive skin and it leaves my face matte and not sticky at all. This was the second bottle I've used up and of course I've already repurchased it.

Vichy Purete Thermal 3 in 1 Cleansing Micellar Solution

Before trying the La Roche Posay one the Vichy Micellar Solution used to be my HG cleansing water because it was so gentle with my skin, but it kinda left my skin sticky. If you want to know more about it I've done a full review here.

Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream 

It's not a secret how much I love this moisturizer, since last August I've used up 2 bottles and now I'm using a third one, it's amazing for my combination/oily skin and it never broke me out. If you want to know more you can read my full review about it  here.

Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream with Cotton Extract

I was never a fan of night creams, I always thought they were too heavy for my skintype, but this one completely changed my mind, it's like my skin really needed it, especially in the wintertime. It calmed down my all of skin irritations, itchyness and peeling skin, it's perfect for sensitive skintypes! I've also done a full review here if you want to know more about it.

Korres Pomegranate Cleansing Scrub

I've used up so many of these little tubes the past couple of years, it's the only facial scrub that exfoliates so well and never irritated my skin that's why it's my HG. Right now I'm using the St.Ives Apricot one that I got last year from the UK but it's not as good as this one, I can't wait for it to finish so I can get the Korres one once more.

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

The body butters from The Body Shop are essential products for me, I always have to keep one in my cabinet. I've tried so many of them but the Shea will always be my HG one, I loved it since I was a teenager. It has a warm-nutty and not overpowering scent that makes me want to eat my own skin everytime I use it.

Sephora Waterproof Eye MakeUp Remover

One of the best eye makeup removers that I've tried, it never irritated my eyes and takes off even the most stubborn mascaras without trying too much. I don't think that I will repurchase it again though because it's kind of expensive and I found another one that does the exact same job for less, but I may repurchase a mini one if I'm going to travel, it's so handy.

Vera Wang Princess Perfume

I'm not good at describing perfumes and scents so I'm not going to do it. I'm only going to say that I'm very picky with my perfumes and not only I've used up this bottle but I've also repurchased it and for me that says a lot, I rarely repurchase the same perfume. It's my HG everyday scent.

Seventeen Ideal Cover Liquid Concealer

I've gone through so many tubes of this concealer, no matter what new concealer I try I always come back to this one. The consistency is just perfect, it never made my undereye area dry and it covers my dark circles quite well.

Erre Due Volumizing Waterproof Mascara

This is a mascara that made my lashes extremely curled but it didn't do anything more than that, for me it was kind of meh. But if you want to know more here's my full review about it.

Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara

I was exremely dissapointed with this one, from the moment I opened it it was very dry, it's like it was opened way before I bought it. It was very hard to use it on my lashes and huge pieces of mascara were falling under my eyes. I had to throw it away only a month after I first used it.

Radiant Studio Perfect Mascara

I didn't have the chance to do a full review about this mascara, I had to stop using it only a few weeks after I opened it because of an eye infection. But overall it was an average everyday kind of mascara, it only gave a bit length to my lashes and nothing more.

L'oreal Mega Volume Collagene 24H Mascara

No doubt this is the best L'oreal mascara, from all the ones that I've tried from the L'oreal brand of course. It gives volume, it's super lightweight and it leaves my lashes really soft. If you want to know more about it, this is my full review.

Sephora Lash Plumper Mascara

The HG of all the mascaras that I've tried so far in my life, guys I think I've found the one! It has the same lightweight texture as the L'oreal Mega Volume Collagene 24H has but the results are way better, it gives amazing length and holds a curl like no other. I'm definitely going to repurchase it. You can read all about it here!

So these were all of my empty products for the past six months, I hope I didn't bore you with my long post. Have you tried any of these products? Did you like them? I wanna know!

Collective iHerb and Pharmacy Haul (Apivita, Bourjois, Real Techniques, Frezyderm, Elancyl, etc.)

If you follow me on Instagram you propably already know that a few weeks ago I placed two orders, one from iHerb and one from an online pharmacy, the Pharmnet, so I think it was about time to do a detailed haul post showing you exactly what I got.

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation

I'll start off with something that I got about a month ago and I absolutely love, the Bourjois Happy Light foundation. A couple of months ago I tried a sample of this foundation and I knew I had to get it in full size, the formulation of this foundation is something else! It doesn't have the texture of a regular foundation or any foundation that I've tried so far, it's extremely thin and fluidy, it provides a light to medium coverage and the best part is that even though it leaves a matte finish it's not that flat matte that most oil free foundations leave, but more of a glowy matte if that makes any sense. It may sounds really similar to Mac's Face & Body but it's not, Mac's F&B was extremely sticky on my face and it was really hard to blend , also the coverage was close to zero. Happy Light's texture is very similar to Garnier's BB cream for oily skins, I actually compared them both on my face and I find them extremely similar, they also provide the same coverage but the Garnier BB is more matte, it doesn't have the glow that Happy Light has. My only problem is that the shade 52 which I always buy at Bourjois foundations, the Happy Light in 52 is way too dark for me that's why I got the 51. I can still a small difference between my face and neck, especially the first half an hour of wearing it but after that it's like it melts with my skintone and I can't see any difference, which I find too weird.

 

Apivita Light Texture Face Cream SPF30 with Sea Lavender & Propolis

The quest for a face sunscreen that doesn't break me out has officially begun for me! Generally I have a really bad luck with face sunscreens, 99% of what I try always end up breaking me out, and I've tried so many brands, Avene, Vichy, LRP, Clinique, Korres, Shiseido, Roc, and many many more but in the end they all broke me out, and the ones that didn't, which are very few, they were extremely oily for my skintype. But there's one brand that so far I hadn't try and that's Apivita, so I decided to get the Light Texture Face Cream SPF30 with Sea Lavender & Propolis, which also came with a Face Mask with Sea Lavender as a gift, which is a huge bonus! I've tried it four times and so far I like it, I haven't noticed any break outs yet ,but it's be too early to tell. It doesn't leave the skin super matte, even though it says it's for oily skintypes, but it's not heavy at all. One time it did get shiny on my skin but that happened because I put way too much product on my face, and after I blotted my face with a blotting paper it didn't get shiny again even after many hours of wearing it.

 Elancyl Cellu Slim Night 

I don't know how many of you have tried anti-cellulite creams, but I have and that's because I do have a cellulite problem and to be honest I hate it, so once in a while I try a new one, and that time just happens to be only a few months before summer, (you get me right?). I do not expect any miracles from creams like these, but if the cream is good I do notice a difference at the texture of my skin, it's smoother and I like it. So far I've tried a few drugstore ones, which did absolutely nothing, and from french pharmacy brands I've only tried the Vichy one which I used to like until they changed the formula a few years ago. I've heard really good things about Elancyl, which is a very famous brand when it comes to slimming creams, so I got their newest one which is the Cellu Slim Night with Cecropia extract, Caffeine and booster GP4G, and it's an intensive night slimming care. I haven't tried it yet so I don't have an opinion about it, I only hope it works.

Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream

The last thing that I got is my HG moisturizer the Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream, because I just run out of the one that I had and I seriously cannot live without it! This is the third time that I've repurchased this moisturizer within 7-8 months, and for me that's a record, I don't think I've ever repurchased three times the same moisturizer in the past. If you want to know more about this moisturizer and why I absolutely love it, you can read my full review here.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and Blush Brush

I always enjoy an iHerb haul, especially when it comes to make up brushes! I really wanted to get a second Blush Brush because the one that I had till now I've only used it for bronzer and I wanted a second one to use it for blushes, that's how much I love this brush! Also it was a great oppurtunity to try the Miracle Complexion Sponge, I've never tried the original Beautyblender because to be honest I would never spend 20 euros for a make up sponge that I would have to throw away after a couple of months but I read really good reviews about the Real Techniques one and it only costed me 5 euros so I said why not? Plus I really love sponges to apply my concealer, I always use some cheap disponsable ones, I hope this miracle complexion one will do an amazing job!

Cococare Jojoba Oil

Jojoba Oil is something that I've never tried before, and I read really good reviews about it. I got it mostly for my undereye area because sometimes it's super dry and an eye cream isn't moisturing enough for me, that's why I went for the Cococare Jojoba Oil, because even though it's a small bottle I think it will last me for ages as you only need a tiny amount of this for both eyes. I haven't tried it yet because I don't have a problem with dryness on my undereye area this period, but I hope I'll like it.

Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula

A witch hazel is also a product that I've never tried before and I really wanted to, and because I wasn't the only one, my brother also wanted to try it so I got the most plain one that I could find, the Unscented Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula. So far I've only tried it once, and I'm not so sure if I like it or not, it leaves a tight feeling on my face, maybe I will like it more at the summer when I'm super oily.

So that's everything that I got, I hope you liked it. Let me know if you've tried any of these products, I want to know your opinions about them! 

Oh and if you've never ordered from iHerb before, you can use the code TDZ975, and you will receive $10 off your first order of $40 or more, or $5 off if your order is less than $40.

Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream Review.

I decided to start doing reviews of products that I love more frequently because it seems that I always forget to mention them, even though I include them in my monthly favourites I think they deserve a  seperate and more in depth review post! Frezyderm's moisturizer has been my HG moisturizer for almost six months now, so I think it was about time to write a review about it.

 Packaging

It comes in the most bizzare packaging for a moisturizer that I've ever seen before, it's a plastic "chemist" test tube that closes into a hard plastic tube with a pump, honestly it's so confusing. I have to say that the packaging is not one of my favourites, it's very heavy and not travel friendly at all, and I've had problems with the pump quite a few times. I understand the whole "pharmacy" look they want to give to their products but they could also consider if the packaging is practical or not for everyday use, I would prefer a simple tube packaging over the one they have right now.

Texture

They say not to judge a product from the packaging, and even though I really dislike the packaging I will have to agree with that, because the actual product is superb! It has a milky consistency, that absorbs into the skin easily. It doesn't leave an oily residue to my skin , I'm not so sure that you will like it if you have a very oily skintype, but if you have more of a combination to oily one it will suit you really well. I need to mention that it never broke me out, which is very important to me because I have a very acne prone skin and most moisturizers do tend to break me out.
It's also really good under make up, again not so good if you have very oily skin, but I prefer this moisturizer for under my make up, because I used to apply gel textured moisturizers underneath foundation and they never really helped with the dry patches on my face. It claims that it gives a 24H hydration, I don't think it does that, especially if you cleanse your face twice a day you will need to apply moisturizer also twice a day, but it definitely lasts for 12 hours. I noticed that it hydrates even better than my Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream, so in my opinion you can use this moisturizer for day and night with no problem!

Price 

Frezyderm is a greek pharmacy brand, that unfortunately you can only find in Greece, it retails for 23 euros in pharmacies and Hondos Center stores. But if you buy it through an online pharmacy you can find it with 25 or even 40% off.


Pros
- Perfect for combination skintypes, hydrates really well without leaving an oily residue, and absorbs quickly into the skin.

-It has a light and pleasant smell.

-Perfect for underneath the foundation, it helps with the dry patches.

-Never caused me any break outs, and I have acne prone skin.

Cons
-The main problem I have with this moisturizer is the packaging and the problematic pump. The packaging is way too complicated and heavy for no reason.

-The price. In my opinion the price is way too high for a simple pharmacy moisturizer, even though it's better than most of the pharmacy moisturizers that I've tried, it's still too high.



Rating: 9/10
Besides the two negative parts, the packaging and the price, this is an excellent moisturizer that I've purchased twice within 6 months and I will continue repurchasing it in the future. I like to try new skincare products all the time, but I'm happy that I finally found a moisturizer that I will always come back to.


Have you tried the Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream? Do you like it?
Let me know!

Top 13 Favourites of 2013.

 It's the last day of the year 2013, and what a better post to write than my top 13 favourite products of the year that is about to end in a few hours! You've may seen already these products many times in previous posts but that's the whole point of this post anyway, to write about the products that I've used and loved the most this year. So let's start!

 The highlight of the beauty products that I've tried this year has to be the skincare ones, because I experimented more with my skincare routine this year and I found some really good products that I love using this period. I changed the cleanser that I was using for many many years non stop, to the Apivita Creamy Face & Eye Foam Cleanser with Olive and Lavender. My skin now is not how it used be a few years ago, the continuous use of harsh cleansers dehydrated my skin a lot, so I had to change it. This one from Apivita is the best for those who have oily but dehydrated skin, you should definetely check it out! A moisturizer that I really love and purchased twice within a few months is the Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream, this one also helped a lot with the dehydration of my skin, it's not very  lightweight but it also doesn't leave a heavy feeling on my face. One more thing  is that it never broke me out and I have a bad history with break outs from various moisturizers, so this one is definitely one of the best moisturizers that I've tried so far. One more moisturizer that I really love, this time a little heavier and more appropriate for the nightime, is the Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream. It can be a little heavy underneath foundation, but it doesn't leave my skin feeling oily, so it's comfortable enough for the nightime, also it never broke me out and it's really good for those who are sensitive to perfumes.

My top foundation of the year hasn't really changed at all since last year, it's still the Mac Pro Longwear! I just love this foundation, it's long lasting and the coverage it provides it's really good. I like trying new foundations every once in a while but this one will always be my top one, you can read a full review about it here. My top beauty discovery of the year has to be this blush from Seventeen, the Cafe Au Lait Silky Matte Blusher. I've completely stopped using any of the bronzers that I own and I've been using only this one since last summer. I don't think I've ever used a better shade of bronzer before, it's a warm brown shade without any red undertones, it's also very longlasting and the texture is very velvety, I just couldn't find a better bronzer for sure!

 The Stila In The Know eyeshadow palette is also one of my best beauty discoveries of the year, an eyeshadow palette with only matte neutral eyeshadows. They have amazing quality and pigmentation, I wouldn't expect anything less from Stila, they know how to make amazing eyehadows! I've already done a full review about it here, check it out!

Even though  I included 2 blushes in my top 13 favourites, I'm gonna cheat and count them as one product. Essence's Silky Touch Blushes completely changed my mind about cheap blushes, I even think that they're better than my Mac ones, they have amazing texture and pigmentation. The ones that I love the most are the Secret it-Girl, a true peach shade, and Sweetheart, a light neutral pink. This year also I decided to try some of the Real Techniques face brushes, and they're definitely the best brushes that I've tried so far, especially the Blush Brush which I love using it to apply my bronzer and blushes, I'll definitely need a second one, really soon.

The lipgloss that completely blew my mind this year is the NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige! I'm not a lipgloss person, and even though I own many I rarely wear them, but this one from NYX is my weakness, I keep reaching for it and it's always in my make up bag whenever I go out. It's a medium pink that goes with every single look that I do, and the texture is very silky without being sticky but in the same time it's not watery, it has just the perfect texture for a lipgloss. A lipstick that I used a lot last spring and summer is the Dior Addict lipstick in Delice, it's a medium sheer coral-peachy shade, it's so easy to use it like a lipbalm, and that's the main reason why I love the Dior Addict lipsticks.

When it comes to nails, the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top Coat is definitely my baby and I just can't live without it! It dries my nail varnishes within a few minutes and it's way better than the famous Seche Vite which is very thick and hard to work with. The Insta-Dri does the exact same job as the Seche Vite but it's very lightweight and not sticky at all.  The perfume that I literally wore the whole year is the Vera Wang Princess, it has a light everyday scent that I love wearing all the time. If you like light scented perfumes, you should check this one for sure.

And I left the last favourite of the year for the haircare, the Sunsilk Nourishing Oil Spray for dry hair, which is propably the best product I've used on my hair this year. It's the perfect detangler, it makes my hair super soft super soft without weighting it down, I've tried many leave in conditioners but they never worked as good as this one.

So those were my top 13 products for the year that is about to end. Have you tried any of them? Let me know what were your favourite beauty products of 2013. I hope you'll have an amazing New Year's Eve, I'll see you next year my lovelies!

Collective Drusgstore Haul (Essence, Apivita, Maybelline, Frezyderm)

For like 2 weeks I've been hauling drugstore products like crazy. I had a few of them in my wishlist for like a really long time and I decided to purchase them all at once! They're mostly some of Essence's new products, and a few skincare ones. So let's see what I got!

Essence All About Matt! Oil Free Make Up

I never thought that I would buy a foundation that costs only 4 euros, but I read really good reviews about it so I said why not? I have nothing to lose. I got the shade 20 Matt Nude and I guess this is a really popular shade since I got the last one that was left in the store, which is really closr to a Mac NC25 shade but more beige and less yellow. I thought that this would be a matte foundation, but it's not. It gives a dewy but not greasy look, it doesn't have the traditional matte finish like most matte foundations have, it's like a dewy but oil free foundation, which actually surprised me. At first it feels a bit sticky but after you apply some powder on top you're good to go, and it doesn't get oily throught the day. If you don't like matte foundations but you have oily and combination skintype, you should give this one a try!

Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder

I've been reading so many good reviews about this pressed powder and it made me really curious because I wanted to find a cheaper version of my HG Mac Blot Powder. What exactly is the All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder? Is a translucent powder, and as you can see it looks completely white, but don't worry, once this powder melts into your skin it's like you put nothing on your face. I have to agreee that it mattifies really well, without feeling or looking cakey or ashy, which is a problem I have with Mac Blot Powder. But it doesn't leave my face oil free for a long time, maybe an hour or two but that's it, while Mac's Blot Powder leaves my skin oil free for a really long time. I've only tested it out with 2 liquid foundations, the Essence All About Matt! and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, but I'm going to test it out with more foundations to see if it performs any better.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 20

I've been testing out concealers like crazy lately,my mission is to find the perfect one, which I know that's inpossible but I'm doing it anyway! Most of the ones I have are either too dry or have the wrong shade. I read that the Maybelline Fit Me concealer is one of the best selling drugstore concealers and it's actually hydrating. First of all I like the fact that for a drugstore concealer it doesn't cost a fortune, only 8 euros while most of the drugstore concealers here in Greece retail between 11 and 15 euros, which is very expensive in my opinion. Now to the actual concealer, I really really like it, it's not drying at all, actually it's really hydrating which is very hard to find even in high end ones. It has a medium coverage, not as much as I wanted to provide but it's rare to find a liquid foundation with really good coverage. Actually it's really similar to my beloved Seventeen Ideal Cover, but more hydrating and also more yellow, which I don't really like that, I prefer the beige shade of the Seventeen Ideal Cover. Overall I think that the Fit Me concealer is definitely going to be my HG for this fall and winter!

 

Essence Stay Matt Lip Cream in Velvet Rose

I saw these Lip Creams at the Essence counter a few weeks ago, at first I wasn't sure if I wanted to purchase one because I'm not a big fan of matte lipsticks, I have dry lips and they don't look good on me, also everytime I wear one I have the need to apply a lip balm or something on top of it because otherwise I keep licking my lips, don't ask me why I do that, I really don't know! Anyway after a week I decided to purchase it just because I was completely in love with the shade. Velvet Rose is a very light neutral pink, very cute and flattering color in my opinion. I've tested it out a couple of times, I really like the texture when i first apply it but after an hour or so it starts to become very dry and creates a thin line on the inside of my lips, not a very flattering look trust me, I look like a sick person. So I have to remove it really well and reaply it, but before I have to use a lip balm, and as you can see it takes lots of work to apply just a lip color. 

Essence Silky Touch Blush in Life's A Cherry

You all propably know by now my love for the Essence Secret It Girl blush, for I don't know how long, about a year or so? It's the one blush that I always reach for, my go to blush, so I decided to expand my Essence blush collection. I saw that they released two new shades in their permanent line, Life's A Cherry and Sweetheart. Last week I only found Life's A Cherry but yesterday I managed to find the Sweetheart also so I grabbed it, unfortunately I took the pictures a few days ago so I only have Life's A Cherry to in the pictures. It's a really beautiful strawberry pink shade, I tend to avoid pink blushes especially the cool toned ones, but this one it's warmer and it looks amazing for the fall. Also it's crazily pigmented, you can see in the swatch picture down below exactly how pigmented it is.

On the left is the Life's A Cherry blush and on the right the Velvet Rose Lip Cream. Can you see how pigmented the blush is? And it's only one swipe! The Lip Cream for some reason looks more orangey in the picture, but in real life it's more of a beige-pink shade.

Apivita Creamy Face & Eye Foam Cleanser with Olive & Lavender 

I don't know how many of you remember, but two months ago I bought a mini version of this cleanser just to try it out, and all of a sudden it became my HG cleanser. My skin had been through so many changes last summer, and I figured out that most of them were caused by my face cleanser, my face became very dry and I had constant break outs for no reason. It was hard for me to realise that my cleanser was causing me so many problems, because it's the one I've been using for more than 15 years, but I guess as we get old our skin changes, so did mine. I've used the mini bottle of the Apivita cleanser for a little over a month, and my skin completely changed, no more dry patches and itchy skin. So when I run out, I went and got it in the full size, but I chose the really big, 300 ml size, which I guess it will last me for a while since I only need a tiny bit of this for my whole face, not even a full pump. If you suffer from dehydrated oily and combination skin, please try this cleanser, you won't regret it.

Apivita Purifying Tonic Lotion with Propolis & Citrus

I rarely use toners all over my face, I just use the Clinique #2 Clarifying Lotion whenever I have break outs around my chin area, and it works, it's the only one I've been using for many years. But since I was at the Apivita counter to get some stuff I told myself to give this toner a try because I like the natural ingredients it contains, and I want to use it all over my face. I've been using it for 2 weeks straight, I can't really say if it has done anything for my face so far, but I like the fresh feeling it leaves on my face, and the light citrus smell it has.

Frezyderm Eye Balm

I was in desperate need for a hydrating eye cream, the one I've been using, the Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Eye Cream, has done nothing for my undereye area, it doesn't hydrate and it hasn't help with the fine lines at all, so I went for a simple hydrating eye cream this time. This one from Frezyderm, is a very lightweight hydrating eye cream, which unfortunately doesn't hydrate as much as I wanted to and also it has a very runny texture. It would be a great eye cream for the summertime, but for the winter I think I'll need something heavier for sure. I'm gonna use it all but the search for the perfect eye cream still continues!

Apivita Radiance and Revitalizing Mask with Pomegranate 

I was looking for a face mask that will give my skin some kind of glow. I don't use face masks that often, I used to use oil control masks when I was younger but not anymore, I can't stand the tight feeling they give to my face. Now I prefer the more hydrating or cooling face masks, this Pomegranate one from Apivita it's really good, it has a really thin and non sticky texture, when I first applied it on, my face felt so cooling and refreshed, and after when I rinsed it off, I was left with a very bright and clean face. What this mask does is giving your face a really bright and clean look, an instant pick me up whenever you feel awful and your skin looks stressed and dull. I got this mask in the 2 pack packaging but I'm definitely going to purchase it in the full size in the future.




So that was all for my drugstore haul, sorry if it was a really long post but I wanted to share with you my first impressions of all the products. I have one more haul to saw you with all the NYX goodies I ordered from Cherryculture a few weeks ago. Until then tell me, have you tried any of these products? Do you like them? Let me know!

July & August Favorites.

This year like the previous one I decided not to post my July favorites and post together my July and August favorite products in one post, just because at summertime I don't usually wear make up that often and also because the whole July I was experimenting with some new products that I got. I think now it's the perfect time to show you what I enjoyed the most this summer. Sorry in advance because this post contains too many pictures!

Frezyderm Face Foundation PF30 

 I've talked a lot about this foundation in my blog for more than a month, I really really like it! It's a foundation and a sunscreen in one, which is very convient because I didn't have to use 2 different products on my face. It's also good for oily skintypes and it stays on for hours!

  Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

This concealer really saved me the past moht because I had some bad skin days and I broke out a lot around my chin. This concealer is actually one of the best I've tried for covering pimples and redness! The shade #3 is the best for my skintone ( NC25) but under my eyes the #2 looks better, sometimes I like to mix both shades.

Seventeen Cafe Au Lait Matte Blusher

I've talked about this blush like a million times, I switched from a traditional bronzer to this and I'm very happy, it gives to my face a beautiful warm tanned look. I'm pretty sure I'll continue using this for the next few months a lot!

Essence Secret It-Girl Silky Touch Blush

This blush is the only I've been using for a little over a month, it's beautiful, pigmented, matte and peachy, what more could I ask? Propably one of the best peachy blushes that can be found in the drugstore, and it's so cheap!

Essence Dreaming Under a Cherry Tree quad

I didn't use much for my eye make this whole time besides a mascara, bust sometimes whenever I was feeling the need to use a little more color on my lids I used the peachy and the coral shade from this Essence palette. this palette was released with the Cherry Blossom Girl collection last fall, too bad it was limited edition.

Mac Pleasureseeker Lipstick

 One of Mac's most beautiful peachy lipsticks and it had to be a limited edition like pretty much all of their peachy ones. It's a sheer light peachy shade perfect for the summer, with a satin finish. This is my second tube of this lipstick, I used to have the one that it was first released back in 2008 with another limited edition collection, but for some reason it gone bad really quick.

Essence I'm Sailing Lipstick
This one from Essence is a little more coral peachy than Mac's Pleasureseeker and also more pigmented and glossy. I've mentioned it a couple of times in my blog, I love it and if I had to choose only one lipstick to wear all summer it would be this one. Unfortunately it was limited edition a couple of years ago.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lipgloss in Kate
I don't usually wear lipglosses, but because it's summer sometimes I wanted a more juicy look on my lips, this one from Bare Escentuals is just perfect, because it has a light pink tint and it's very glossy, I wore it on top of my peachy lipsticks or sometimes on its own.

Real Techniques Blush and Setting Brushes
Since I got my Real Techniques brushes I've been using them all the time, but the blush and setting brushes are the ones that I love the most. I use the blush brush to apply my bronzers, occasionally I use it for blush too but I find that it applies the blush way too light for my liking. And the setting brush is just amazing, I use it to apply powder under my eyes to set my concealer, but I also love it for appying highlighter on my cheekbones and sometimes apply concealer under my eyes. This brush is so multipurpose that I seriously consider purchasing a second one soon!

Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream
This is the only face moisturizer I've been using for more than a month day and night and I'm very happy with it. My skin has been through many changes this summer, it went from oily to super dry and flaky with break outs, and back to oily and then just to normal, and this moisturizer really helped to control the hydration on my skin. The only problem is that whenever my skin was very dry and  flaky this moisturizer wasn't enough, but it's perfect when you have normal and mixed skintype.

Nivea Soft
Such a cult beauty product, and only this summer I realised just how awesome it is. At first I was using my mother's jar to moisturize my legs and feet and now after 2 months I've gone through 2 jars, a 200 and a 300 ml one, and I've already repurchased a big one. It hydrates my body very well without feeling sticky at all, it leaves a cooling sensation on my feet which is pretty amazing because most of the lotions and creams that I apply on my feet they feel so sticky and heavy, and I can't stand them. And when my face was in a bad situation I used this cream twice and I was amazed by how good it hydrates the skin without feeling oily. Such a multipurpose cream.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Shampoo
From all the Herbal Essences shampoo that I've tried, and I've tried like most of them, this is the best one by far. If you have normal to dry hair you will love it. The rest of the Herbal Essences shampoos that I've tried can be drying, even the ones that are targeted for dry hair, but this one never did that, it leaves my hair soft and detangled. And even if I like to switch up my shampoos very often, I will come back to this one for sure.

Sunsilk Nourishing Oil Spray
I've already talked about this hair oil a lot, I've been using it a lot all summer and I love it. It's a mix of a hair oil and a leave in conditioner in a spray bottle. It's so practical you, can carry it around with you for a quick hair fix, or travel with it or even at the beach, it leaves my hair incredibly soft.

Sunsilk Sensational Curls Leave In Cream
One of the best curl creams that I've ever tried, and if there's any of you that has curly or wavy hair you should definitely try it. It creates the most beautiful and well defined curls, even more beautiful than the ones that a curling iron gives, because they're small loose but well defined at the same time! All summer I didn't use any heat on my hair, I was just using hair oil and this curl cream. And the best part is that it's ridiculously cheap, only 2.5 euros.



I know this post is way too long but I wanted to show you all the stuff that I've been enjoying the past couple of months. I want to know if you've tried any of these products and if you like them or not. Also what were your favorite summer products? Leave me a comment.