Maychiri's Thoughts: February 2024

Essie Spring 2022 Collection Nail Polish [833 - Flight of Fantasy] Review

February 29, 2024

Oh my, what a lovely nail polish! And an Essie, to boot! Specifically, the Essie Spring 2022 Collection Nail Polish, in the shade 833/Flight of Fantasy!

Okay.. this might have been bought a tiiiny bit impulsively. I was shopping for Christmas presents at BIPA and they have this huge display that’s basically the clearance section, so old stuff more-or-less. But would you look at that – they had a respectable amount of various Essies at silly low prices (at least for Essie nail polishes)! I spent more than 15 minutes trying to decide which one to buy... they’re all so pretty! But this one stood out to me because it’s part of the Spring 2022 Collection, which featured gorgeous pastel shades perfect for spring – including this one, which seems to be an almost robin-egg teal! Oh yeah, I’m taking this one! And for only 4.30€! What a steal! So what if it is a bit older, it hasn’t been opened yet... and you don’t pass up on such cheap Essies! Flight of Fantasy... such a fanciful name, hope this nail polish will be just as good as the other Spring 2022 polish that I love so much (836/Keep Branching Out)! Well, let’s check it out! I, for one, cannot wait!

Packaging: ooh, so elegant! A large rectangular bottle that looks almost square-ish, with a quite tall white cap. This is the classic Essie bottle, and I love it! It looks so expensive! The cap closes extremely tightly, so much that I sometimes struggle to open it. I love the detailing around the bottle – it’s got an engraved Essie logo on two sides. This is so classy! And the white text is so pretty with this colour! All around classy bottle!

Ingredients: nothing nourishing, but also 3-free (DBP, formaldehyde, toluene). However, it does have colophonium/rosin, which can cause allergies in some people. The scent is your typical nail polish scent, but much more intense. It’s seriously very intense! The expiration date is 24 months after opening.

Brush: elegant and long flat brush. It’s not very wide, but that only makes it more precise. It’s a fantastically precise brush, able to easily paint the nails without making a huge mess. And it also applies nail polish wonderfully at the cuticles! Each coat of polish is applied richly and perfectly evenly, for a truly professional finish! Just do remember to tap off excess nail polish because this brush does pick up a lot of it! What a fantastic brush!

Colour: how do I manage to underestimate just how good light blue looks on my skin?? Like, I look at the bottle and I’m like, ‘meh, I guess it’ll be okayish’, but then, when I see it on my skin I’m always blown away. It’s like that with this colour, see. I wasn’t too sure it would look good on me when I bought it, but now that I see it on my nails, I am in love with it! This is a muted teal that is light and very flattering on light or pale skin. I’ve been trying to figure what this reminds me... it’s on the tip of my tongue... right! Yeah! This is almost the same colour as robin eggs (they are more vibrantly teal, though). Aww, such a pretty, gentle colour! It’s got just the right blend of blue and green pigments so that it looks incredibly elegant, not gaudy. A really gorgeous colour, perfect for the end of winter or early spring! Ahh, I love it so much!

Okay, this formula is just divine! It definitely feels expensive. Like, it’s not at all gelly (not that gel nail polishes are bad, mind you, but cheap nail polishes often are gel-type), but it also isn’t watery either. It’s so very creamy and rich and extremely easy to work with! Ahh, I’m so in love with this formula! It’s just so perfect! The formula here is, interestingly, quite a bit thicker compared to 836/Keep Branching Out, which is part of the same collection. I actually prefer this type of formula to that thinner, slightly water one that 836 has. It’s so easy to use that, even if you use many strokes to paint the nail, it won’t look streaky at all, and it’s always perfectly even. I was literally giggling while I was painting my nails because of how enjoyable and fun it was thanks to this marvellous formula!

This nail polish is pretty much completely opaque with one coat, so you could absolutely leave it at one coat. It looks perfectly even and the colour looks right. I wanted to see what would change if I applied a second coat, so I did. Answer: not a whole lot! It is still completely opaque and the colour didn’t really change much. But it does look richer, thicker now. But not in a bad way, because it looks almost creamy! So luxurious! The texture is glossy, but not as glossy as I thought it would be. It seems to have an almost muted shine from some angles. It may just be this colour that doesn’t show gloss too well... I don’t mind it at all because it actually looks like a robin’s egg! So nice!

Longevity is extraordinary, for the most part. It lasted for 4 days before starting to chip, and even when it did chip it wasn’t bad. Well, I did chip off a large fragment but that’s because, me being the klutz I am, opened my cabinet while holding it with my nails... it’s really a miracle that it only chipped this little. But it’s really resistant to normal life, and it doesn’t get scratched up at all! And this is without any kind of base or top coat! Amazing! But, sadly, it started chipping significantly as I was washing my hair. Large chunks started chipping off, so, when I was done, it didn’t look pretty at all. This is a shame, but it’s awesome that it lasted this long before it did actually start to chip off!

Oh my, the removal couldn’t be easier! Just a few swipes with nail polish remover and it is completely gone, no rubbing needed! And it doesn’t make my nails any yellower, yay!

In conclusion, a truly fantastic nail polish, like Essies ought to be. There’s little I dislike, honestly! It’s all very high-end and feels luxurious, from the brush, to the formula, to the longevity. The brush is long and flat, and it applies the polish perfectly evenly and richly. Like, only a few swipes and that’s it – it’s perfect! It’s such a precise brush that even painting the sides of nails is easy and doesn’t make a mess. The formula is so incredible, it truly feels very luxurious! It’s creamy but not at all too thick or watery. It’s literally the perfect consistency! Just right so that it applies perfectly even if you aren’t skilled with nail polishes. And you don’t even need two coats, as it’s already opaque and perfect with just one! It’s also quire glossy, but this gorgeous colour hides some of the gloss. It’s the perfect amount of gloss for this colour, so that it really looks like a robin’s egg! Just look at this colour! So pretty, yet muted and not very in-your-face. I think it’s very elegant, especially on pale skin like mine. Yep, I love this colour to bits! Even if I was initially skeptical. The longevity is another fantastic thing about this polish: it lasts for about 4-5 days without any chips or scratches or any sign of wear. It only started to chip at the end of day 4, and on day 5 as I was washing my hair. Okay, sure, it looked very bad after the hair wash, with huge pieces chipping off individual nails, but the fact that it lasted this long in pristine condition is astounding! I’m speechless... this nail polish is incredible! It really took me on a flight of fantasy, and showed me how good it can truly be! I would absolutely recommend it if it weren’t part of an old LE! But since it is, it’s going to be very hard to find it, sadly. But if you do, absolutely try it out – you won’t regret it!

Rating: 8.5/10

Would buy again? YES (sad that it’s an LE :( )

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Essie

Reviews From the Past - Part 43

February 29, 2024

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Cream

Sinsay Winter Hand Cream [Gingerbread] Review

February 24, 2024

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Brightening

Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask [Nourishing] Review

February 24, 2024

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Brightening

Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask [Moisturizing] Review

February 24, 2024

The second of three winter sheet masks – this time a shy polar bear! This is the Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask, variant Moisturizing!

Alright, I actually did not plan to buy either this mask or the Reindeer one, but they came packaged as a mask trio along with the most adorable Pengu mask! And with how I love pengus I simply had to order it, even if it’s a set with two other sheet masks. No problem, I love trying out various sheet masks, especially if they are this adorable! This mask is obviously very winter-themed... polar bears always are, aren’t they? Cocoa and vanilla sounds quite nice, although vanilla scent can sometimes get on my nerves a little bit. You know, this combination of scents reminds me of Christmas vanilla crescents... ah, that’s lovely! Now, let’s see how good this sheet mask is!

Packaging: a plastic sachet, like most sheet masks. This one has an adorable polar bear that looks so confused or startled... aww, poor little thing! It’s so cute! But it for sure is not cold because look at that fancy scarf around its neck! Fashionable little bear! Fashionable and cosy, actually! I love the bright light blue colour of the sachet, it’s really wintery, like the cold waters of the Arctic. All the information is in the back, along with helpful pictograms of how to use the mask. Gotta say, Sinsay never disappoints with their designs, they’re always soo adorable!

Ingredients: glycerine, betaine, cocoa (Theobroma cacao) extract, vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) extract, hyaluronic acid for nourishment. No parabens. So it doesn’t just smell like cocoa and vanilla, it actually has both of them inside! Nice. The scent... hmm, I don’t know how to feel about it. Like, yeah, I guess it smells like cocoa, but there’s also something sickeningly sweet and synthetic besides the cocoa. This would be the vanilla, yep. It smells like vanilla Christmas cookies, which is to say, way too sweet and synthetic. It kind of smells like some kind of plastic? Not a very nice combo at all. It’s actually making me a bit sick. Wintery? Sure, I guess. But also, unpleasant? Definitely. And it’s just way too intense, anyways. Literally, I could smell it the entire 10 minutes that it takes for the serum to absorb. And it bothered me the entire time. Yeah, no, I don’t like this scent. Artificial and the cocoa doesn’t mix well. This is honestly surprising, you’d think cocoa and vanilla would be a great match... The expiration date is listed on the bottom of the sachet. This sheet mask should be left on for just 10 minutes – wow, it sure works fast!

The sheet seemed like it wouldn’t be too large when I first pulled it out of the sachet. But, it is, because the material it is made of is extremely stretchy. Still, it’s not way too large, just slightly – I’ll accept this, it’s wondrous that it isn’t larger given my smallish face! But because it still is slightly too large, it creases in places, mostly near the chin. I will say that the material of this mask is so much better than the one the Reindeer mask has; it is super soft and thin and extremely stretchy and feels like the softest cotton! It’s such a breathable material that feels really comfy on the skin!

It also adheres much better, particularly on the chin, where the Reindeer mask kept coming off. This sheet has a cute animal face design on it, but it isn’t as visible as on the Reindeer mask. The mouth and nose of the polar bear are both on my nose, so, like half my face doesn’t have any design on it. It’s just translucent sheet there. The rest fits relatively alright; the eyes are where they should be and the ears are placed okay. It is cute, but it’s not that obvious that this is a polar bear, sadly.

The serum is very greasy and slippery. And also soapy. It’s tacky after it dries, but not as much as the Reindeer mask from this mask trio. In fact, it feels kinda velvety after it dries. It still feels refreshing and lightweight after it dries, not at all occlusive. Now, if only it wasn’t this greasy; my skin is plenty oily naturally so I don’t really need all this additional oil.

Hmm, I must say that I like the way this serum feels while it is drying! It is very cool – literally – as it has a very noticeable chilly sensation. But it’s also incredibly hydrating, it literally feels like my skin is drenched in ice cool water! Oh, yeah, this absolutely feels moisturizing! There’s no prickly feeling, like what the Reindeer mask had, it’s just a soothing, cool, and hydrating feeling that is especially wonderful in winter!

Oh my, the results are actually very good! My skin feels deeply refreshed and hydrated, as I can still feel that polar ice feel deep inside. It’s like I planted my face in fresh snow! My skin looks visibly hydrated and maybe just a tiny bit more plump; in any case, it is definitely healthier-looking than before. It’s also so much brighter than before, like, it’s literally radiant! Besides that, though, not a whole lot of changes. The pores look the same, not smaller at all.

Blemishes also look the same, just as inflamed and angy as before... truth be told, there wasn’t much in this mask that could have soothed my acne. But the serum feels like a cast now that it’s dried, which isn’t very comfortable. Still, look how bright and radiant my skin is! I love that!

Do note that this hydrating effect on the skin is quickly replaced by the skin feeling dry! So, next morning, my skin looked normal, but not at all hydrated like the night before. It’s still in good condition, but eh, I’m not very impressed anymore.

Overall, okay, not the worst mask, but I have had better ones. I love how soft and stretchy the sheet is – compared to the Reindeer mask, this is so much more comfortable! It’s also breathable, unlike the Reindeer mask’s sheet! The serum is thinner, but still very soapy and greasy. And tacky after it dries. But it feels so refreshingly cool and hydrating while it is absorbing! It’s like a real splash of polar water! The results, at first, do look very promising, but they quickly go back to being average. Immediately after removing the sheet my skin feels super hydrated and looks hydrated and much brighter. But that is soon replaced by a more tacky, dry feeling once my skin absorbs all the moisture it can. Still, it got a good dose of hydration so I am happy! Of course, this being a moisturising mask, don’t expect it to do anything for blemishes – because it doesn’t do anything. They are just as inflamed and red. But this isn’t its purpose anyways, so I cannot be angry for that. But the bear face print on the sheet could definitely be better executed; like, it’s not really so clear that it even is a polar bear! But whatever, I guess that’s a minor thing to complain about. Anyways, I am pretty satisfied with this mask. I would recommend it to people with dry/very dry skin, it will be such a good dose of hydration – trust me!

Rating: 7.5/10

Would buy again? Probably NO (wrong skin type)

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Cute

Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask [Regenerating] Review

February 24, 2024

A trio of winter sheet masks! The first one I will be checking out is the one with the sleepy reindeer! This is the Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask, variant Regenerating.

As soon as I saw the pengu on one of the sheet masks I knew I simply had to buy it! But it came in a pack of three sheet masks, all winter themed... no problem! Then I’ll have three masks instead of just one! This one is just as Christmas themed as the others, with a peaceful reindeer in the front and a very festive combination of ingredients: oranges, sea water and cocoa! Hmm, so like hot cocoa with a spritzing of orange juice? Sounds nice, even though I am not too big on oranges. Now, let’s see how good this sheet mask is, and whether I’ll be as peaceful and calm as that reindeer!

Packaging: a plastic sachet, like any other sheet mask. This sachet though, is adorable! It’s got a peaceful, placid reindeer in the front that seems to be holding a gingerbread cookie. I’m sure it’s this calm because of that thick scarf it’s got – that must be so toasty warm! It looks like it’s about to fall asleep how peaceful it is! I love this adorable critter! The text is white (at least here, in the front), which is a great colour with the light brown colour of the sachet itself. The specific kind of brown they used really looks like reindeer hair! All the information about the mask is in the back, and there is a ton of it – just look how cramped it is back there and how tiny the font is!

Ingredients: glycerine, sea water/maris aqua, hyaluronic acid, cocoa (Theobroma cacao) extract, bitter orange (Citrus aurantium dulcis) fruit extract for nourishment. No parabens. Hmm, not sure how I feel about that orange there... I hope it’ll be fine. The scent is very interesting, but not one I particularly enjoy, as it is far too citrusy for me. When you first open the sachet, it smells a lot like oranges, with a subtle sweet, almost like fresh cotton scent. It’s barely noticeable that it’s actually got cocoa. However, once stretched across the face, the orange scent is mostly replaced by a cocoa scent. It smells sweet, but it’s definitely cocoa. Honestly, it literally smells like chocolate that has orange in it, or Jaffa cakes. Again, I am not one for citrusy scents, so I don’t like this much, but it does smell festive! The expiration date is listed in the back of the sachet. This mask should be left on for only 10 minutes! Oh, so it works fast? Great!

The sheet is... alright, not the greatest, not the worst. It’s surprisingly not that extremely too large for my small face, but it is slightly too big. This causes it to crease in places, especially on the chin and jawline. It also doesn’t adhere too well, but that’s mostly on the chin and jawline, where it keeps coming off every few seconds, no matter how much I try to press it against my skin to make it stick. The material is thick, but it is very stretchy so it’s easy to stretch it across your face so that it fits correctly (unless you have a small face, that is). It does feel very occlusive though, due to the thickness of the material.

At least it is soft. Of course, the best thing about this sheet is its adorable design! It’s got a reindeer design that is positively adorable! It’s a happy reindeer – you can tell by the smile it has! And, because the sheet isn’t ginormous the face of the reindeer stays visible while the sheet is on! It’s more often than not that I cannot see the face of the animal properly once I stretch the mask across my face because of how small it is, but this time it actually fits relatively properly! The eyelashes are where they should be, the nose is where it should be... it all looks so cute!

The serum is very thick and very greasy and soapy. It literally feels slippery from how soapy and greasy it is. Also, once it dries it becomes tacky. But despite all that, it still manages to feel very light on the skin. It doesn’t feel occlusive or like a cast, in fact, it feels refreshingly light! Still, I don’t like how greasy it is, I feel like my skin is too oily on its own so it doesn’t need all this added grease.

So it definitely feels energising and reinvigorating while it’s absorbing, probably due to the orange. It also feels hydrating, but it’s mostly a citrusy, energising feeling. I don’t really like it as it feels like it’s going to cause irritations, but what I do like about it is how cooling it seems to be! It literally feels like it is getting cooler with each minute! I also felt a slight prickly feeling, kinda like when you apply lemon juice to skin and find out you have a micro injury. It’s definitely due to orange; fortunately, that feeling soon disappeared.

So, the results after 10 minutes have passed are not too bad, actually. My skin feels like it’s got a ton of oranges inside it because I can still feel that citrusy feeling. I don’t particularly like that. In terms of appearance, my skin looks like it tolerated this mask quite well, all things considered. It looks quite a bit more awake and brighter, especially under the eyes, and the tone of the skin looks like it’s more even. Pores are narrower, as was expected with something so citrusy, but it doesn’t look nor feel like it’s deeply hydrated. In fact, it looks a tiny bit dry, doesn’t it?

The bad things is that it seems like my pimples are more red than before; they don’t seem to have appreciated the serum inside this mask. It doesn’t look like a true irritation, but they are definitely not at all soothed. This is a problem as I am clearly fighting with some stubborn, nasty acne as you can see on the photos. Honestly, deep down I knew orange wouldn’t be kind to my acne... also, it doesn’t look like it actually regenerates the skin as my expression lines ate just as visible. Eh, I am glad that it, at least, didn’t cause any real damage. We’ll see in the morning how my skin liked this mask.

The results the following morning are less than incredible. For some reason my skin looks somewhat dry? Yeah, it definitely doesn’t look hydrated. I also noticed some very minor bumps on my forehead, not sure if they’ve been there before or if this mask caused them. I really don’t like the way my skin looks, even after applying my normal serum and moisturiser it is still kinda dry and rough-looking. It’s not like this mask caused irritations, it just doesn’t seem that my skin liked it all too much, unfortunately. Definitely not regenerating, nor hydrating, despite having both sea water and hyaluronic acid.

In conclusion, ehh, not really a very good mask, at least for my skin. Maybe it’s better suited for dry skin? Ah, who am I kidding – if it makes my oily skin look kinda dry then imagine what it’ll do to dry skin... I don’t know, I just don’t like it too much. But it is not all bad! The sheet feels relatively comfortable on skin and was full of serum, and the serum itself is rich. Greasy and very soapy, yes, but quite rich as well. Also, the sheet kept coming off my chin every few seconds, but it stayed in place elsewhere on the face. The scent is odd, but not horrible. Although I am not huge on citrusy scents so I don’t like it that much. At first it smells like vaguely sweet oranges, but after you place the sheet on your face it suddenly changes into a much more cocoa-like scent. It literally smells like orange chocolate! Or even Jaffa cakes, but definitely more like chocolate with orange filling. It’s kinda yummy, to be completely honest! Definitely festive! But the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t do much to help the skin; it claims to be a regenerating face mask, but I do not see any changes that would suggest my skin is regenerating. While it does feel pleasantly hydrating and energising, it doesn’t actually hydrate the skin too much; in fact, my skin looks like it is more dehydrated? I don’t know, it just looks off. I just hope I can get it back in good condition soon... it’s already in bad condition as is. The reindeer on the sheet may look happy and content, but I am not, at least not with this sheet mask. No recommendations, not with how weird it makes my skin.

Rating: 5/10

Would buy again? NO

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Reviews from the past

Reviews From the Past - Part 42

February 24, 2024

Hiya!

I come today (feeling drained and exhausted and very much sick) bearing wintery products... because I miss having snow and 'real' winter!

Sinsay always has cute creams and face masks! But, this time, they were especially cute because they had adorable lil Pengis! Aww!

However, the only way to get the Penguin mask was to order this set of three masks. It's an adorable set, featuring a penguin, a reindeer, and a polar bear who all look so warm and happy. They're definitely ready for winter, that's for sure! I didn't really mind having to order two more sheet mask, if that's what's necessary to get the penguin mask so be it. Only later, after I had already bought this set, did I notice that the penguin mask was available to buy individually in physical stores... welp.

The rest is stuff that I fancied that would be useful, but won't be getting dedicated reviews because I don't have that much to say. The bandages are super cute with the little bee print, but they also stick very well to skin. I thought they'd have a weak adhesive, but it's actually very strong! So now, when I get a scrape or a cut, I will have these cute little bees to protect my injury! Excellent lil bandages.

The shower gel was something I waited for months to arrive because you know me, I'm a chocoholic so I must have everything chocolate-inspired! Tbf, this shower gel really does smell like cookies! It's sweet, but also smell a bit like coffee and dough; it's way more delicious once you start washing yourself with it! The only thing that I dislike is that it's way too thin and watery... I definitely wouldn't classify this as a gel. But, because it smells so divine, I can forgive the thin formula.

Also, check out that cuuuute necklace! I normally prefer to wear gold chain necklaces, but this one was just too cute to ignore. I love the little mushrooms, they remind me of Super Mario Bros. mushrooms, especially the red one - that one must be Toad haha! I mean, I gotta have a few silly necklaces mixed with all the plain gold chains, it would be boring otherwise! And it's a great length, too.

So, the reviews for today:

See you soon!

Maja

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Essie Spring 2022 Collection Nail Polish [833 - Flight of Fantasy] Review

Reviews From the Past - Part 43

Sinsay Winter Hand Cream [Gingerbread] Review

Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask [Nourishing] Review

Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask [Moisturizing] Review

Sinsay Winter Sheet Mask [Regenerating] Review

Reviews From the Past - Part 42

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