Maychiri's Thoughts: 2022

Haus Laboratories Sparkle Lipstick Review

December 28, 2022

Here’s something truly special! The Haus Laboratories Sparkle Lipstick!

I didn’t have a lot of makeup when I ordered this lipstick so I wanted to treat myself to something luxurious. And since I really like Lady Gaga this seemed like a logical choice. The other Haus Laboratories products were all absolutely amazing, and at the (for me) steep price of £20, I really, really hoped it would be as good as the other products.

Let’s start with the packaging because it’s really beautiful. It’s either metallic or plastic (not sure which tbh) and rectangular. Both the cap and the base are rectangular, making it really elegant and modern. There’s a very pretty gray gradient along the cap. The text is silver metallic, which I find to be really nice and luxurious, and it fits perfectly with the modern, angular aesthetic of the packaging. What I love the most about the packaging is that there are magnets on the cap and base, meaning that the cap closes magnetically in only a certain orientation. It’s really cool! And it means that no air can possibly get inside when it’s magnetically sealed, keeping the lipstick fresh for much longer! Even the retracting mechanism seems to be higher quality, as it is smoother and more precise and just seems more robust than in less expensive lipsticks. Oh, the bullet has a striped design, by the way! How cool!

Source: hauslabs.com

Ingredients: no nourishing ingredients and no parabens, either. The scent is not too intense and smells perfectly festive, like vanilla cookies! That’s fitting for a lipstick that was a Christmas limited edition exclusive! You can thank ethyl vanillin for this delicious scent! The expiration date is 12 months after opening, but it can last twice that time without going bad no problem. I have had mine open since Christmas 2019 and it still isn’t showing any signs of chemical changes, the scent is the same, the texture is the same... so, I wouldn’t worry too much about the PAO.

Colour: true red with golden shimmer. It’s a really flattering shade of red that looks gorgeous on pale skin. The shimmer isn’t actually as intense as the official description of the lipstick states. Sure, it is pretty metallic, but it doesn’t look cheap, no, it looks creamy and rich. The golden shimmer is much more visible when you’ve already been wearing the lipstick for a while. Freshly applied it’s more like a creamy sheen.

Worn with the matching Haus Laboratories RIP Lip Liner [Supermodel]

The pigmentation is extremely intense! Just the lightest touch is enough to get perfect coverage, so you will want to be careful while applying it. It’s incredibly easy to apply as it just glides across lips thanks to the creamy, super soft formula that melts into the lips. The shimmer is really fine and mostly cannot even be felt; even when I do feel it it’s not scratchy, just the tiniest bit coarse. This lipstick smooths the lips, and doesn’t exaggerate or collect in the fine lines of them. The formula is really buttery smooth and creamy on my lips, I love it!

Wearing just this lipstick

The texture is creamy, shimmery and a little bit metallic. It is quite intense, I must say! Not at all subtle! It is perfect whole year round, but it is especially gorgeous in the holiday season! It is not drying, although the glitter can start to feel a tiny bit more coarse the longer you wear it. Since it is not at all tacky, the shimmer is fine enough to not feel rough, and is supremely creamy, that all means that this lipstick is super comfortable to wear the whole day!

Wearing just this lipstick

This lipstick is extremely long-lasting, and doesn’t fade, smudge or change much in any other way at all! It even survived eating and drinking, having a little fading only in the middle inner part of the lips. And since that part is not very visible while not talking, it’s really not a big deal. I would still suggest fixing it after eating but it’s not absolutely necessary. It’s really surprising that it’s this durable against food while still being super creamy!

Worn with the Bourjois Paris Lèvres Contour Edition [10/Bordeaux Line]

Even the removal is fantastically easy! Red lipstick can be more difficult to remove than other colours and can easily leave stains. This red lipstick isn’t like that, though. It’s both incredibly easy to remove, even if you only use micellar water, and doesn’t leave any stains whatsoever. There also aren’t any leftover shimmer particles. It was super cool to see it just disappear after a single swipe with micellar water! Also, that does mean that it is fairly easy to fix mistakes; I wanted to touch up the shape a tiny bit and I was able to do so easily with a dry cotton swab.

In conclusion, this lipstick is definitely worth its high price! The brilliant pigmentation, superbly creamy feeling on lips, endless longevity, and ease of removal... It’s almost got it all! The only negatives, and they are minor, are that the lipstick fades a tiny bit in the inner parts of lips and that the shimmer might start to feel a teensy bit coarse. But, given how gorgeous it looks, and just how comfortable it is to wear for hours on end without being drying, those are really negligible complaints. It especially looks good if you slightly overline the lips, making them look pouty and super kissable. It’s honestly just a fantastic lipstick, and it’s definitely the perfect red shade for me. Now, if it were matte instead of shimmery, it would be the absolute perfect red lipstick. Even still, I rarely look at other red lipsticks, as I’ve got this one! Absolutely recommend it!

Rating: 9/10

Would buy again? Definitely YES

Price at time of first purchase:	19.79 ₤ ( ~23.39 € )

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Demi-matte

Haus Laboratories RIP Lip Liner [Supermodel] Review

December 28, 2022

So, after the first order of Haus Laboratories and seeing how amazing the products were, I knew I had to get at least a couple more, despite them being too expensive for me. So, I ordered one more RIP Lip Liner, this time in the shade Supermodel. £12.5 for one lip liner is definitely too much for me, but is it actually worth the price?

Packaging: it's fairly typical, just a black wooden pencil with a coloured part on one end that matches the colour of the pencil perfectly. What sets this liner apart from others is the cap. The cap has a unique shape: it’s got a pyramidal top that is actually quite sharp! I like this design because it looks so dramatic and edgy, and it stands out among all the other liners!

Source: hauslabs.com

Ingredients: wow, only 6 Ingredients (if you are not counting the colorants, that is)! Among those six, there aren’t any nourishing ingredients nor parabens. Such a slim ingredients list helps make this lip liner appropriate for even the most sensitive of skin types. The scent is woody, like a normal coloured pencil. The expiration date is 12 months after opening, although I can safely say that it can go for more than twice as long without any changes to it.

If sharpened properly, this pencil is extremely precise, but most wooden lip pencils are anyways. I do still think that I have an easier time lining my lips with this pencil as the pigment glides amazingly easily across lips without any tugging or pulling at all. Even if my lips feel dry and chapped this liner glides without any pulling. There isn’t any smudging, even when the tip is totally blunt! Although, of course, the sharper the tip, the more precise the line! The formula is beautifully soft and waxy! This is one of, if not the best, formulas that I have ever used in a lip liner! Even better, despite feeling pretty soft, lining and filling my lips doesn’t use up that much liner, so it lasts for a really long time! The pigmentation is extremely intense and bold, and both feels and looks rich. This is a classic red lip liner with a bit more cool undertones. This shade of red is just perfect for any occasion, be it a formal or informal one and it looks spectacular on pale skin! I kid you not, I don’t even want to buy other red lip liners because this one is just absolutely the perfect red for me!

The texture is demi-matte, which means that it’s not completely matte but has a very soft, waxy shine to it. So it’s something between semi-matte and matte. This is one of only two true demi-matte lip liners that I have (both Haus Laboratories) and I really love this finish! I love how it looks matte but still soft and not terribly dry like matte lip products can be quite often. And the soft shine makes it look luxurious and expensive! While this is not the softest feeling lip liner, it still feels very nice on lips and still relatively soft.

This is a super comfortable formula to wear for hours, and it doesn’t end up drying much, if at all! Even under a face mask it is still really comfy to wear and doesn’t get too dry! That of course means that it also doesn’t dry out my lips one bit!

Lady Gaga specifically says that she makes sure all her makeup products can last her an entire performance, and since her concerts are terribly physically demanding, you know that she sets the highest bar for her products' durability. And that is not just empty words, for once! The durability of this lip liner is off the charts! There is no fading or smudging in the slightest even after 8 hours of wearing it! And it is also waterproof, as advertised, as there was barely any transfer on my water bottle.

It is also food-proof, how much depends on how greasy or oily the food you are eating is, but it ranges from totally to extremely. Like, I ate a greasy chocolate covered donut and there wasn’t much fading in the centre of the lips, I only noticed it when I opened my mouth and even then it was ever so slight. Although, to be fair, it does transfer if you touch something with your lips (like, kiss someone). Still, it’s definitely the perfect lip liner to wear if you need extreme longevity.

You might think that such an intense, rich red lip liner would be difficult to remove and that it might leave a stain. After all, red lip products have been known to leave stains occasionally! Yeah, that’s all not true when it comes to this lip liner! It’s super easy to remove, be it with micellar water or a specialised remover and it leaves no stains! Imagine my surprise when I just swiped across my lips with a micellar water-soaked cotton pad and it was already gone, without any stains! Phenomenal, just phenomenal!

And another positive thing: it’s extremely easy to sharpen! I honestly don’t think I’ve had it break even once, and I have been using it a lot!

Conclusion: Lady Gaga’s lip liners are fricking phenomenal, and are well worth all the hype or praise they get. I know that, as a Gaga fan myself, I was extremely hyped for her (then new) makeup line, but I didn’t expect it to be actually extremely high quality! Expensive, high-end products can be just as good (or bad...) as their cheaper counterparts but this liner deserves this price! There isn’t a single bad thing I can say about it, so it’s no surprise that it’s become my all-time favourite red lip liner! The colour is just the perfect red, 'nuff said. It feels relatively soft but it is still incredibly comfortable to wear and doesn’t dry out lips at all. The formula just glides across lips and deposits pigment richly with even the slightest touch. I love how it looks so luxurious with its soft, barely there shine. And best of all, it’s endlessly long-lasting, and also waterproof and food-proof no matter what you eat! Even removing it felt like child’s play, and took about... 5 seconds, maybe? So when Gaga says that it’s built to survive a concert performance, you’d best believe it because she isn’t lying! I honestly don’t think I will ever buy another red lip liner as long as I can keep buying this one, it’s just that spectacularly amazing! If you can afford it, be sure to try it out (especially in the US, where you can go to Sephora and see it in person), I promise you won’t be disappointed! Absolute, top recommendation!

Rating: 10/10

Would buy again? Absolutely YES (despite being a bit too expensive, perfection comes at a cost)

Price at time of first purchase:	12.50 ₤ ( ~14.77 € )

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Haus Laboratories

Reviews From the Past - Part 12

December 28, 2022

Here's something extra special!

This lipstick and lip liner were both ordered on Amazon, as the price of shipping them from the US would've been exorbitant. As soon as I saw these two on Amazon, I knew I just had to order them! I have always had a great deal of admiration for Lady Gaga, both as a singer and as a person. And I just love all the ways she does her makeup; she was indeed what finally made me wear makeup! So the idea of being able to wear her own makeup was too good to pass up, even if I am not the biggest fan of red lipsticks. But it's good to have a sparkly red lipstick for Christmas and New Years, it's good fortune! (Or so they say)

So, without further ado, these are the two items for today:

Haus Laboratories RIP Lip Liner [Supermodel]
Haus Laboratories Sparkle Lipstick

See you soon!

Maja

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Balea

Balea Pflegecreme You're the Sweetest Review

December 21, 2022

The next review is Balea's Pflegecreme You're the Sweetest.

This is one of those tiny hand creams in a pan that are always part of limited editions. It’s super affordable, too! But the main reason why I bought it is because it had a chocolate drops smell, and I am a known chocolate lover. The matching shower gel smelled divinely yummy; I hoped the cream would smell just as yummy.

Packaging: just a small round metal pan. The lid could close more tightly, though, but it’s not too loose. It’s small enough to fit in any purse and there’s a delicious cookie print on the front. I do mind that there isn’t any tamper proof foil or tape or anything, luckily, the cream I picked hasn’t been tampered with.

Source: www.dm.hr

Ingredients: glycerine, shea (Butyrospermum parkii) butter, coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil for nourishment. No parabens. The scent is so, so delicious! It smells like chocolate cookies! It’s also quite an intense scent, that lasts for quite some time! Although, there is a chemical scent after the initial chocolate scent evaporates that isn’t too great. So, it smells like the matching shower gel for a short while, and then it takes on a more chemical, synthetic smell. The expiration date is not listed as PAO, but as an actual best used by date, which was 09/2022 (I used it up before the end of the best by date).

This is a white cream that does look like Nivea Crème, especially since it too comes in a small metal pan. The formula is very smooth and creamy, but on the other hand, also really thick and greasy. Because it is so greasy that makes it really easy to spread on skin. Surprisingly, it does not feel horribly heavy on skin! It is heavier than your typical hand cream, but it is not unbearably heavy. It’s also absorbed rather quickly, despite the thick, heavy formula.

I do think that this formula isn’t too comfortable to wear. It’s just too thick for me, and the greasiness isn’t helping. That said, it does seem to be quite hydrating, as my hands feel a bit more regenerated overnight. I apply hand creams before bed because I really dislike the feeling of greasy hands during the day. In the morning my hands still feel greasy but more slick and noticeably lighter than the previous night.

It’s really easy to wash off. I did not notice any irritations while using this cream, and I have very sensitive skin, so this is great. I do suppose such a heavy, rich formula is far better suited for dry to very dry skin.

Conclusion: I do like this cream, but it is just far too heavy for me. I really like how it feels nourishing and how it helps the skin regenerate. The smell is definitely the best thing about this cream: it smells just like chocolate cookies or chocolate drops, such a divine smell that I cannot get enough of! But the extremely greasy, heavy formula is too much for my oily skin. Still, if you have dry or very skin, do try this cream. It is super affordable, so why not try it? I will recommend it just because of the cookie scent.

Rating: 7/10

Would buy again? Probably YES

Price at time of first purchase:	5.90 HRK ( ~0.78 € )

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Balea

Balea Bodycreme Copacabana Review

December 21, 2022

Hello!

The second review for today is going to be the lovely Balea Bodycreme Copacabana.

I honestly wasn’t planning to buy it, but when I saw that it was available at my local DM, and at a serious discount as well, I just had to buy it! It was literally like £1.15 (what a steal)! I didn’t have any expectations, so let’s see whether it is a good cream or a rubbish cream.

Let’s start with the packaging: it’s quite simple, just a plastic tub with a cap and a safety lid inside it. I really like the colour they used, the coral is really pretty and quite summery, too! There’s also really pretty drawings of palm leaves, which adds to the summery feel. In general, the plastic feels quite sturdy and the cap can be screwed extremely tightly.

Ingredients: sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) oil, glycerine, shea (Butyrospermum parkii) butter, coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil, cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) seed butter, wild carrot (Daucus carota sativa) seed oil, vitamin E, açaí (Euterpe oleracea) fruit oil, guarana (Paullinia cupana) seed extract. Whew! That’s a very impressive list of emollients and caring ingredients, especially at the price this was being sold at! Naturally, no parabens. There’s also caramel, but I will come back to it in a minute. The scent is divine! It’s a very, and I mean very, tasty scent that reminds of a traditional American apple pie! Besides the sweet apple pie-like scent, I can also smell a salty, buttery scent that smells like beach in the evening, or maybe even that’s what the Brazilian Copacabana would smell like! Remember how a few moments ago I said that there’s caramel in the ingredients list? Well, that’s definitely where the salty notes come from. The scent is intense but it also quite relaxing and very pleasant! I really, really love how it smells! The expiration date is sadly only 6 months after opening.

The colour of this cream is light cream/light beige; it really looks like butter! The formula is also divine, just like the scent! It’s a very rich, creamy and thick formula that is so wonderfully easy to spread on skin thanks to all the butters and oils present in this cream. It really feels more like butter than a cream, but that’s just nit-picking. Although it is a thick formula it is not heavy, neither while applying it nor afterwards on the way it feels on the skin; it’s a wonderfully light formula that is perfect for summer. It is very easy to buff into the skin, although it does leave a white cast for quite a long time. I find that to be an acceptable trade-off for how nourishing and hydrating it is, which is to say, extremely. Since it’s got a ton of emollients in it, it’s no surprise that the skin feels incredibly soft after applying it and I could even feel how the skin is taking all that hydrating goodness in, which is a sign of this cream being super hydrating.

Applying it was super easy, it is so beautifully creamy and soft and glides across skin like butter. The rich formula is not one bit greasy and is absorbed within 10 seconds. About five minutes later the white cast has almost completely disappeared. It’s like the rich, creamy formula literally absorbs instantaneously on skin contact!

After using this cream for some time, mainly after shaving (by the way, it is literally perfect for that), I can safely say that my skin loves it! The cream calms it down, minimising any chances post-shaving irritations or bumps could form, and the skin feels hydrated and silky soft for hours after applying the cream. There were no signs of any kind of irritation from using this cream, thankfully, because if it were so, I would have been really sad because I wouldn’t be able to use this amazing cream.

All in all, this is a shockingly great body cream! I know a lot of people who would scoff at it due to it being really low-priced, but it literally feels like a luxurious high-end cream. There’s a buttload of nourishing ingredients packed inside this cream that all work to make your skin extremely soft and make sure it is well hydrated. The formula is rich, creamy and wonderful to use, being very easy to buff into the skin and it is absorbed within seconds. One of the best things though, is the scent! I am in love with this scent because it is at the same time summery (reminds of beaches in the evening) and so yummy (reminds me of caramel and apple pie). The only negatives I could point out is that its shelf life is quire short (just 6 months after opening) for such a large size, and that it leaves a white residue on skin (it does disappear after a while though). What a spectacular cream Balea has mixed up in their lab/factory/whatever! Absolutely recommend it!

NB: it was 50% off at my DM, so it is unfortunately likely that it won’t be manufactured anymore. What a tragedy! Just when you find such a fantastic product, it is soon discontinued, just my kind of luck!

Rating: 9.5/10

Would buy again? YES (if it wasn’t discontinued, that is)

Price at time of first purchase:	~~19.90~~ 9.90 HRK ( ~~~2.64~~ 1.31 € )

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Black

Ebelin Drehbare Make-up Ei Aufbewahrungsbox [Pink] Review

December 21, 2022

The first review is this make-up egg sponge case from Ebelin, the Drehbare Make-up Ei Aufbewahrungsbox, in the colour Pink.

Source: www.dm.hr

As I had already bought a few makeup eggs, I wanted to have a place where to store them, and this case was too adorable to ignore! There were 3 colour options to choose from, I decided to buy the matte pastel pink. It was the cutest one!

This is a standard makeup egg case; it has a rotating part that functions as the cover and a fixed part that is perforated to help sponges dry efficiently. The bottom is perforated, too. The build quality is good, though the rotating cover does feel a bit loose and just a bit flimsy. I don't mind it, as it rotates easily and clicks into place, in both positions (open/closed).

This case is big enough for any regular sized makeup egg sponge when it's dry. Moist eggs will be too large for the case. I like how many perforations there are as it really helps the sponges dry in a very short time.

I really love this little case, it's cute and pretty and perfectly functional! While the cover is a bit loose, it's alright. It keeps my sponges safe from dust and dirt and helps them dry quickly. It's a perfect accessory to have if you like to use makeup egg sponges. The Ebelin case is great, but since this is a standardised design, you'll find them elsewhere, too. In any case (heh), I absolutely recommend getting this, it's simple but quite necessary if you care about cleanliness!

Rating: 9/10

Would buy again? YES, definitely (I have already bought the other 2 colours!)

Price at time of first purchase:	19.90 HRK ( ~2.64 € )

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Balea

Reviews From the Past - Part 11

December 21, 2022

Hello!

Time for a few reviews! This time from DM, and mostly skincare focused.

My grandma had sent me to buy her the Encian calendula cream, and as typical of me, I ended up buying other things, too!

I won't be reviewing the shower salts or the Encian cream in detail. The Encian because I don't use it and never have used it, so I cannot give you my opinion on it.

I will, however, give a brief overview of the salts.

The first one, Balea It's Always Me-Time Duschsalz Peeling, with white tea extract and white lotus scent, was excellent! The salt particles were very large and because of that it really was a peeling, in every sense of the word. I doubt there was a single dead skin cell on my skin after using this! It is slightly aggressive, especially if you have sensitive skin like me, but it doesn't actually damage the skin. The scent was extremely intense, but oh so pleasantly floral and relaxing. One satchel was way more than enough for my entire body. After washing it off and drying my skin felt remarkably soft and supple. And not one bit dried out! Fantastic!

The second one, Balea Duschsalz Peeling Sunny Side, with sea salt and coconut oil and a warm sea breeze scent, was also quite good! But less so than the previous one. This one was a salt peeling whose particles were much finer but just as coarse and abrasive. Again, my skin was thoroughly cleansed of dead skin cells, and, while it was quite abrasive it didn't harm my skin. After drying my skin felt relatively soft, less than with the It's Always Me-Time salts, though. The scent was extremely intense, and it really smelled like the seaside, salty and aromatic. This satchel too had way more salt in it than I needed. I liked it very much!

(photo source both: Balea Facebook)

So, these are the reviewed items:

Ebelin Drehbare Make-up Ei Aufbewahrungsbox [Pink]
Balea Bodycreme Copacabana
Balea Pflegecreme You're the Sweetest

See you soon!

Maja

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Acetone-free

Ebelin Nagellack Entferner Acetonfrei [Kokos-Duft] Review

December 14, 2022

So, the last review, at last!

This is Ebelin's Nagellack Entferner Acetonfrei, variant Kokos-Duft (Nail polish remover acetone-free, variant coconut scent, in English).

Ebelin's acetone-free nail polish removers are generally quite good, and they are literally dirt cheap. I decided to get this one because I like the smell of coconut and the bottle was quite large, which would last me for a long time.

Packaging: plastic opaque bottle that is turquoise blue with a black cap. The cap fits securely so that there isn’t any unwanted spillage. This is a very basic design, but really, does it need to be excessively fancy?

Ingredients: sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) oil for nourishment. No harmful ingredients nor parabens. The replacement for acetone is ethyl acetate. Despite not being acetone, ethyl acetate still dissolves various plastics so be careful not to spill it. The scent is extremely strong at first, smelling like most nail polish removers. After that initial scent evaporates you are left with a lovely, gentle coconut scent. The expiration date is 12 months after opening.

This is a colourless liquid that evaporates in an instant on nails. It does stays a while longer on cotton pads, though. It’s very easy to use, like most polish removers.

How well does it remove nail polish? Well, quite well, but I still find I need to rub my nails a bit to get the polish off completely. I am satisfied with how well it removes polish, though the best one still remains the Ebelin Acetone-Frei Express Remover.

It doesn’t seem to dry out nails a lot, which is most likely thanks to the almond oil. Of course, all polish removers dry out nails to some extent, but thankfully it’s minimal with this one.

In summary, this is a good nail polish remover. As good as most Ebelin removers, anyway. It removes polish with ease, although I did have to rub a little to completely remove it. My nails didn’t seem dried out from using this remover. And the scent is just so lovely: a gentle coconut scent that is so relaxing! Also, this remover is a great value for your money as it costs almost nothing yet you get this huge bottle that lasts a really long time! But, the Express Remover spoiled me, so now I expect every other remover to be as perfect as it is. Nevertheless, this is a good nail polish remover, so I will recommend it!

Rating: 8/10

Would buy again? Probably YES

Price at time of first purchase:	11.90 HRK ( ~1.58 € )

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Acetone-free

Ebelin Nagellack-Entferner Acetonfrei [Cozy Mandel-Vanille Duft] Review

December 14, 2022

The second to last review is here! This is the Ebelin Nagellack-Entferner Acetonfrei, variant Cozy Mandel-Vanille Duft. Or, for those who don’t speak German, this is Ebelin's Acetone-free nail polish remover, variant Cozy Almond-Vanilla Scent.

This was a totally new product at the time when I bought it and I quite liked the previous Ebelin nail polish removers, so I thought that this one would be good, too. I also fancied having an almond coffee smell on my nails after removing polish. Also, it was really cheap, so why not try it?

Packaging: plastic, opaque, beige with a black cap that closes tightly. It is a very simple design for the packaging but it is alright; at least there’s a pretty picture of a coffee cup with a heart pattern.

Ingredients: nothing nourishing in here; naturally, there’s also no acetone, its replacement is ethyl acetate. Just a pro-tip: even though it’s not acetone, ethyl acetate still dissolves plastic almost as much as acetone, so do keep it away from keyboards, mice, and other PC related stuff. The scent at first smells like most nail polish removers, but after the solvents have evaporated it takes on a very pleasant vanilla coffee-like scent. It really smells nice on nails. The expiration date is 12 months after opening.

It is a colourless liquid and it evaporates extremely quickly on nails, although it does stay for a while longer on cotton pads. It’s really easy to use, like most removers, anyways.

As for how it removes nail polish? I can say that it does a good job removing it, although not quite as good as the Acetone-free Express Remover from Ebelin. I didn’t have to rub a lot to remove nail polish from my nails, so I would say that it is above average at removing polish, but not extremely good. I was satisfied, though.

I don’t think that it dried out my nails. It’s also super easy to wash off.

In summary, this is a good nail polish remover, if you’ve never used the Express Remover, that is. I have, and it has totally spoiled me, as it can remove nail polish within seconds, so all other removers seem inadequate in comparison. But, objectively, this is a good remover: it doesn’t struggle with removing various types of polishes, and it smells divine! The only downside is that the bottle is relatively small, so you’ll end up using it up quickly. To be completely honest, the vanilla scent is the primary reason why I bought it, and I am not regretting it on bit. I will recommend it.

Rating: 8/10

Would buy again? Probably NO (too hooked on the Express Remover)

Price at time of first purchase:	6.90 HRK ( ~0.92 € )

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Glossy

Trend it Up Royal Nude Nail Polish [020] Review

December 14, 2022

Let’s take a look at this, shall we? This is Trend it Up's Royal Nude Nail Polish, in the shade 020.

I was looking for a nice pinky nude shade, and I saw this Trend it Up polish on the shelf, among the other nude duotone nail polishes. As I had a special coupon for Trend it Up, I thought “Why not try it? It looks nice.” So, let’s see what it’s like!

Packaging: rectangular clear glass bottle with a rose gold cap. The glass is very thick and seems to be quite sturdy. The cap can be closed very tightly, so don’t worry about leakage.

Source: www.dm.hr

Ingredients: vitamin E added for at least a bit of nourishment. Also, there’s diatomaceous earth and Lithothamnion calcareum extract, interestingly enough. This polish is 3 free (DBP, formaldehyde, toluene). The scent is like most nail polishes, although it is a bit more... hmm, metallic? The expiration date is 24 months after opening.

The colour is pretty interesting: it’s a nude gentle rose/pink shade at first glance, but if you look closely, you will notice that there’s a vibrant purple shimmer. The shimmer is difficult to capture on camera; it’s much more visible in person. Even though the shimmer is really vibrant in the bottle, it’s subtle on nails, adding a nice purplish sheen to the nails. I quite like it, I must admit.

The brush is really quite nice. It’s a large flat brush that picks up a ton of pigment (too much, even) and applies polish nicely evenly and is just pleasant to use. It’s not quite as good as Catrice’s nail polish brushes, but it is close!

The formula is very watery but it’s surprisingly not too thin. It kind of feels a tiny bit gelly, especially after it has dried. This formula is somewhat runny and therefore it’s a bit difficult to paint the nails without going outside them at least a tiny bit. I would definitely prefer it to be a bit more thick, but not too gelly, more like Catrice's polishes, let’s say, as they usually have the ideal consistency.

One coat was totally sheer, contrary to what they say on DM’s website. Only with two coats will you get adequate coverage; even then it’s not completely opaque, but it is high coverage. I really wouldn’t apply more than 3 coats, 2 is already enough, in my opinion. The texture is glossy; the shimmer is fine enough to not affect the finish of the polish.

I will say that the durability of this polish was a very nice surprise. Even though it did get scratched up on the first day the scratches were barely noticeable and didn’t affect the glossy finish. Still, I would recommend a top coat. It held up extremely well, having no visible damage until day 5 of wearing it. On day 5 it started chipping after a hair wash; the damage was mostly limited to the free edges of nails. I never expected it to last this long, especially without a primer coat underneath!

It’s also really easy to remove, I didn’t have to rub too much at all. There were no stains or residual shimmer. I love how easy it is to remove!

Overall, this is a surprisingly good nail polish! Trend it Up can be quite hit or miss, fortunately, this polish is definitely a hit! The colour is very nice to wear as an everyday nude shade: the pinkish rose enhances the natural beauty of the nails while the purple shimmer adds an interesting twist to it. You do need at least two coats to have good coverage. It’s also stupidly durable: it only started to chip on day 5 and even then the chips were minor and not too noticeable. There were a lot of tiny scratches though, but they weren’t too visible either. This is just a lovely everyday pink nail polish that is better than it has any right to be! Sadly, it seems it is being discontinued, at least in Croatian DMs. I recommend it!

Rating: 7.5/10

Would buy again? Maybe YES

Price at time of first purchase:	16.90 HRK ( ~2.24 € )

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