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Beauty

Outgoing! November 2016

Welcome! to the first ever Outgoing! post on Armour and Warpaint. It’s just an empties post, nothing revolutionary, but from now on I’ll try to keep up and do these at the end of each month. I go through so many products, it’s ridiculous. There’s really no need for me to keep a mountain of empty bottles and tubes in the living room. Especially these days.

avon-planet-spa-chest-and-neck-serums

Two AVON Planet Spa Neck and Chest Serums

AVON Planet Spa Dramatically (?) Firming Neck and Chest Serum with Colombian Coffee Extract and AVON Planet Spa Heavenly Hydration Uplifting Neck and Chest Serum with Mediterranean Olive Oil

These two are virtually the same from where I stand – there is a difference in the scent and in packaging, but here the distinguishing characteristics end for me.

Both serums are a transparent liquid. The consistency is runny, so the pump in the packaging is very handy. I needed at least two pumps to cover my neck, decolletage, and chest. Both AVON Planet Spa Neck and Chest serums spread well and absorb really quickly, leaving no sticky residue in their wake. Although I can say that they provided additional hydration and made skin very smooth to the touch, I noticed no firming and definitely no ‘uplifting’ properties whatsoever. So if you want an additional boost of hydration for your decolletage, this might be the product for you. Everything else – look elsewhere.

I believe these particular AVON Planet Spa products have been discontinued, but I’ve seen the Colombian Coffee Extract Neck and Chest serum crop up recently, so maybe there’s still some stock left.

bourjois-so-laque-11-rouge-diva

Bourjois So Laque! in Rouge Diva 11

This is a terrible horrible abominable nail polish, and you must never ever buy it. It is a complete waste of money, especially considering all the other amazing cheaper alternatives on the market. Even though it’s not a jelly, it kinda behaves like one. To get it fully opaque you’d need three coats. Three amazingly long-drying coats. Not to ruin this one until it dries fully is almost impossible – it seriously takes ages to dry. And once it’s dry, it will chip in about, I don’t know – twelve hours? I don’t know if this is the entire range or this shade in particular, but I don’t want to pay another fortune to find out.

(Though admittedly this Chanel dupe looks very attractive.)

bourjois-so-laque-rouge-diva

I have to say that I have what looks like an old range of So Laque!, so maybe with the release of the new one they updated the formula. There are many complimentary reviews out there, but for me Bourjois So Laque! behaved badly from the start.

bourjois-so-laque-rouge-diva

I painted my nails in the morning. Here it is in the afternoon.

It is worth noting that on my toes it behaved exactly the same. I found two huge chips the next day. On feet, people. Where polish goes to survive the nuclear war.

oriflame-love-nature-aloe-face-scrub

Oriflame Love Nature Hydrating Face Scrub with Aloe Vera

While it didn’t do damage to my skin, it did feel rather harsh, no matter how gently I’d press when massaging my face. In terms of exfoliation I also can’t praise it. Not the worst, but overall quite mediocre.

delia-soothing-face-toner

Delia Cosmetics Dermo System Soothing Face Toner for All Skin Types

My first skincare product from Delia. This is an okay toner. I can’t vouch for ‘soothing’, but certainly not irritating. A tiny bit on the drying side. I would be inclined to buy it again, but unfortunately its scent is too harsh for me.

gojo-shower-gel

Gojo Showerfresh Refresh! Hair and Body Gel

My father picked this up from Lord knows where. The skin on my body is very thin and sensitive, so I decided to use this as a hand soap instead. In that quality it performs well. A pleasant scent, not overly drying.

dr-sante-cucumber-series-face-cream

Dr Sante Cucumber Balance Control Face Cream

I will be writing a detailed post on Dr Sante Cucumber series eventually, so just a short note here: While this is not a bad cream by any means and I might purchase it again, it simply did not provide enough hydration for me. I am the proud owner of oily but sensitive and constantly dehydrated skin. If you’re just oily and just sensitive, then you will like this product a lot. If you need additional hydration, then this alone will not be enough.

Another thing: When in the jar, it has a pretty recognisable ‘cucumber’ scent. However, when you apply it on your face, it smells like if you’d push your face in a bag of freshly dug out beets. I have no idea why it does that. The sensation doesn’t stick, though. It’s only during the application.

viorica-cosmeplant-shampoo-for-oily-hair

Viorica Cosmeplant Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Viorica product reviews in English will have a very small audience, but I don’t give two shits and this shampoo is getting its own post later on, because it saved my life. Rather a dramatic statement, but I’ve been going through this phase of terrible scalp irritation. It would react to everything, so in a fit of despair I just started buying every shampoo available on the local market. This one was the second or the third one I bought, and after first use the irritation was gone. Since it’s very cheap, and the list of ingredients* is very generic, I thought it was a fluke, and after a use or two decided to try another shampoo. BAM – itchy scalp again. So for a while there I could only use this to wash my hair. Gradually I was able to switch to other products, and currently use one that is less harsh on the hair shaft, but I try to keep this one in my bathroom at all times and use it a) if I feel my scalp acting up again; b) as a clarifying shampoo. I will buy it again and again, and I hope they never change the formulation. Wouldn’t mind it being a touch less aggressive, but don’t want them to fix what’s not broke. I love it so much, I’d add it to soup.

* Worth noting that it contains no colorants, parabens, silicons, and paraffin.

oriflame-nature-secrets-shower-gel

Oriflame Nature Secrets Exfoliating Shower Gel with Energising Mint and Raspberry

First things first, this stuff smells amazing. It also has some exfoliating particles, so it’s a bit of a gel-scrub. Nothing too serious, though; do not expect mega-scrubbing action. I enjoyed using it, but as I mentioned before, the skin on my body is very thin and very sensitive, and this shower gel dried it out a lot. It is a common problem for me, however, so I wouldn’t blame it on the product.

I believe Oriflame has slowly been discontinuing their Nature Secrets line, but if you love fresh scents and don’t have problem skin on your body, then go for this one. It’s very refreshing.

sto-retseptov-krasoty-hair-balm

Sto Retseptov Krasoty Hair Balm with Sea Buckthorn for Dry and Damaged Hair

‘Smoothing and regeneration’ are two of this hair conditioner’s promises. Overall a pretty generic hair conditioner, that does not however fail at its job. You just need to keep it on your hair longer – washed off immediately it doesn’t do much.

I bought it because I needed a hair conditioner and had very little money – and Sto Retseptov Krasoty is a very budget-friendly skin and hair care line. I also really liked its scent. I have this really odd relationship with sea buckthorn-scented products. I love them, but sometimes there’s the undercurrent of something sickeningly sweet.

I’m a master of recs, aren’t I?

I’d probably purchase this one again if I had little money and needed a hair balm.

oriflame-activelle-cotton-dry-antiperspirant

Oriflame Activelle Cotton-Dry Antiperspirant

I’ve written a full review of this line in a separate post, which you can read here. This is yet another finished product from the line. As mentioned in the original post, I would be buying this again when on offer.

oriflame-optimals-body-firming-lotion

Oriflame Optimals Body Firming Lotion

I will be reviewing the Oriflame Optimals Body line in a separate post, but for now I can say this: When I used this lotion on my less problematic areas (arms and legs, for example) – I felt the firming effect quite extensively. Used on the rest of my body, the effect is minimal. So if you don’t need extensive action in skin firming department, then this product will do you good. Any other case – skip.

oriflame-and-avon-mascaras

Three Mascaras – Two Oriflame, One AVON

giordani-gold-mascara-brush

Giordani Gold Luscious Volume Mascara

My favourite of the three, I am very sad that this mascara was discontinued. It gave black, long, voluminous lashes, all in one coat. When I applied two coats, it was all drama, all the time. Very sad to see it go.

oriflame-the-one-lash-resistance-brush

The One Lash Resistance Mascara

Another discontinued product I believe, but here I can certainly see why. The brush is weird, it gave little volume, it wasn’t fully black, and it would run in about… two hours? And what didn’t run, would crumble in another three. Despite these two points, The One Lash Resistance mascara was very hard to remove. Resistance indeed. However, there were two positive things about this Oriflame mascara – it separated the lashes beautifully, and it also gave great length. I’ve been complimented on the length of my lashes nearly every time I’ve used this product.

avon-big-and-false-lash-brush

AVON Big & False Lash Volume Mascara in Blackest Black

My least favourite of the three. I used it for about a week, and then let it go. If anything, it made my lashes look worse. They kept sticking out in all weird directions. Brushing through was difficult, because the formula would freeze your lashes and make them very hard to brush through. As you can deduce from that, applying more than one coat was nigh impossible. Though it’s not grey, it is certainly not ‘blackest black’. Also, it gave no volume what so ever.

I always like to give some benefit of the doubt – so perhaps my tube was faulty? Have you ever used this product? How did you like it?

shea-moisture-african-black-soap-shave-butter-creme

Shea Moisture SHAVE African Black Soap Shave Butter Creme

Unfortunately I cannot comment on the product’s scent, because the jar I had was very old and smelt a bit on the rancid side. However, it did not diminish the qualities of this product. Very similar in consistency to a body butter, it spread well and made shaving very smooth and quick. Plenty of hydrating properties here – if you are so inclined, you can easily use this as an in-shower body moisturiser. Shea Moisture is only available on the grey market here, so I don’t know if I ever encounter this product again. If I do, however, I will repurchase. Highly recommended*.

* It bears noting that I have only used this to shave various parts of my body. I have never tried using it on my face, as I have no need for that.

starlooks-lip-sugar

Starlooks Lip Sugar

Received in one of the Lip Monthly bags back when I was still subscribed. Felt pretty much like brown sugar suspended in oil, but the list of ingredients is a little more complicated than that. Overall a good non-drying lip scrub that I have at times found a bit too soft. You can definitely use this generously.

oriflame-le-hand-creams

Three Oriflame Handcreams

I’m writing a huge overview post of all the Oriflame hand creams I’ve used so far, so keep your eyes open for that. 😉 The three above are either limited edition or discontinued. P.S. I Love You was a Valentine’s Day special release, and remains my absolute favourite, especially in terms of scent. Eco Beauty came a close second – and I’d say it was more nourishing.

oriflame-nail-file

Oriflame Nail File

Perhaps an odd thing to include in an empties post, but Oriflame nail file is one of my favourites. It doesn’t damage the nail no matter what direction you file. Very gentle on the nails. However, it does a good job on gel nails as well. Keep in mind that it wouldn’t last as long – perhaps three-four uses only.

Categories
Beauty

#100empties: Some Skincare.

avon nutraeffects

AVON Nutraeffects Active Seed Complex Balance Daily Cream SPF 15

A decent face cream with SPF. No mattifying properties, reasonably hydrating. Didn’t cause break-outs. My two gripes with it are packaging (it’s glass, but the base is wider than the mouth of the jar, so it’s hard to use up every last drop – I’m a scrooge, yeah) and scent. The scent was very strong and would stay with me through half the day. This is the only reason I would not be repeating the purchase.

bioten cleansing gel oriflame optimals purifying toner

Elmiplant Bioten Honey and Arnica cleansing gel for normal to combination skin

My skin is oily, but this one was a match. It had a pleasant scent and I enjoyed using it. Lasted a long time, too. No break-outs, no redness. During winter it made my skin feel a bit tighter than necessary, but it remained plump and fresh.

I have to say that all the Elmiplant products I’ve tried so far (face cream, hand cream, this cleanser), I’ve really been pleased with. Need to get something else from their range.

Oriflame Optimals Purifying Toner for Oily Skin

A relatively gentle toner with a pleasant scent. Nothing to write home about, but I would probably buy it again, because it’s no frills and gets the job done.

make-up removers

Oriflame The One Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover

This is a two-phase product that I have unfortunately not been able to use properly, because my flatmate at that time would forget to shake the bottle, so eventually one phase ran out completely. (Hi, flatmate.) Despite this, I was satisfied with how this removed mascara and eye liners (including the Oriflame eye liners which are notoriously hard to remove), so I will more than likely get it again at one point and write a full review.

Сто рецептов красоты (Sto Retseptov Krasoti) Cucumber Eye Make-up Remover Lotion

This worked like a dream. Honestly. I know that Sto Retseptov Krasoti change their formulas all the time and don’t shy away from parabens etc. in the slightest, but this sucker here worked. There is better skincare out there, but for this price? Come to mama. I’ll repurchase this one as well to write a full review – unless it’s been discontinued already.

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Beauty

Shu Uemura Depsea Hydrability Kit.

shu uemura depsea hydrability

Depsea Hydrability Moisture Program was a birthday gift from my cousin, all the way from Japan. We don’t get Shu Uemura where I live, and although there are a few outlets where I could buy Shu Uemura online, I’ve always been reluctant.

Depsea Hydrability Kit is a set of four travel-sized products aimed at hydrating your skin. I’ve got oily skin that somehow always manages to suffer from dehydration and flakiness, even though I’m way past using harsh cleansers and toners.

My favourite part of the kit was the serum-like product – Intense Moisturising Concentrate. It was amazing. Lightweight, absorbed really well, and provided hydration even when used with other creams (cream in the kit, Depsea Hydrability Moisturising Emulsion, was the first one to run out). The second favourite is the cream, and then goes the toner. The toner was good, but as a person with acne I constantly felt the need to add something with salicylic acid into the mix.

Now, the cleansing oil. It cleansed well, but having oily skin always leaves me wary of oil cleansers, even though I know that you should fight excess oil with – dun dun dunnn –  oil. The oil was the last one to go, but not because I’ve been avoiding using it — I’ve actually been saving it, as it was the only thing that broke down my CoverGirl Outlast Smoothwear lipsticks with little to no pain.

Overall, I was very pleased with Shu Uemura’s Depsea Hydrability Moisture Program, and would happily take all the four full-sized products for a spin, the serum being my first choice. Amazing stuff, that Depsea Hydrability Intense Moisturising Concentrate, seriously you guys. I highly recommend you try it.

Thank you, cousin, for such an amazing gift!

shu uemura depsea hydrability moisture program

Categories
Beauty

Oriflame Optimals Oxygen Boost Day/ Night Cream for Oily Skin

oriflame optimals cream

Full title: Oriflame Optimals Oxygen Boost Day/ Night Cream for Oily Skin

Brand: Oriflame

Claim to fame: Deep hydration and rejuvenation with a mattifying effect.

Cruelty-free? Used to be, but lately the cruelty-free claim seems to be absent from the back of local catalogues. Sadface.

Select Ingredients: Lingonberry, the Swedish super-antioxidant fruit. (Well, berry.) Specially formulated in this case, with 50% berry extract and 50% leaf extract, which is said to give triple the antioxidant effect.

Scent:

The scent of this is pleasant. At first I thought it a bit harsh, but it grew on me. To my nose there’s a slight difference between day and night scents. I feel like it has a citrusy undertone, but one thing I’ll never be is a sommelier and a perfumer – my nose is shit at discerning anything that’s not gasoline, propane, or cat piss.

Packaging:

The entire Oriflame Optimals facial creams series comes in glass jars. They’re sturdy, with a wider bottom, and plastic caps. The glass feels almost luxurious in your hands, and at first I really liked them. But then the combination of their heaviness, the cream-covered hands, and my glass bathroom shelf started to worry me. Seriously, this thing feels heavy. I think if I dropped it, it’d leave a crack in the sink.

But either way, I shall remain the proponent of this packaging, because glass doesn’t come into a reaction with the jar’s contents — something I’m never too sure about when it comes to plastic packaging.

Another thing about the way these creams are packaged: I loved the leaf design on the boxes. I even saved it for photographs, as you can see below, and considered just keeping them as part of my general pile of paper ephemera. I dunno man, it just speaks to me.

oriflame optimals for oily skin

Also, the writing comes on stickers, but they are thin and surprisingly good quality. Usually I rip the stickers off because I get this tic where I absolutely have to pick at it. These were so even, though, they remained untouched.

Action:

So far I’ve used up two jars of day cream (light green) and one jar of night cream (darker green). It’s odd, because night cream was more to my liking. Day cream claims to be mattifying (haven’t noticed), and as a result of that it has just the slightest amount of residue that you can feel on your skin quite a while after the application. The night cream is also more hydrating (d’oh) and left my skin feeling more even.

oriflame optimals oxygen boosting

Aside from a little bit of residue that I felt after applying day cream, these two absorb quickly, and leave the skin smooth and plump. When I worked from home, day cream provided enough hydration. However, when I started working in the office, it proved to be less effective in battling the effects of air conditioners and electrified dust.

Both creams leave skin a bit tingly after application, especially if you use a harsher toner, but I actually kinda came to like the tingles. No rash, redness, or any adverse reaction – just a slight tingly feeling, that made me go a bit like, yeah the thing’s working.

These particular two creams are formulated for oily skin of all ages. As far as moisturisers go, this one is okay. Expect no magic from it, though it’s better than many others in its price range.

oriflame optimals

tl;dr/ Would I repurchase? On the fence. Currently trying other options, but I might go back to it, because I know that it will not fail me for basic daily use. No breakouts, no reactions, happy with its scent, nicely packaged, overall satisfactory.

Categories
Beauty

#100empties: Garnier and Oriflame Face Creams.

If I attempt to be precise, then I have probably used up about 40 products by now. However I could no longer look at a pile of garbage on my windowsill (and what are empties if not trash?) and threw everything out without taking photos and posting. For the sake of documenting, we’ll count these ones as numbers one and two.

garnier face cream

Garnier Essentials Hydrating Day Care for combination skin

I can say nothing good or bad about this product. It’s a decent cream, but I’m in no rush to repurchase it. Didn’t provide enough hydration for me, and although it felt like it evened out the texture, I think it was more of how the cream felt when applied, rather than its evening out properties, if any. The scent was gentle. Absorbed quickly, left a bit of a matte finish that didn’t last long.

oriflame tea tree cream

Oriflame Love Nature Face Lotion for Oily Skin with Tea Tree Oil

Love Nature is one of the simple skin care series available from Oriflame. This cream is nothing special, but I’d probably buy it again because of its scent. It’s slightly medicinal and probably wouldn’t excite most people, but for me it’s just so fresh and calming. I’m currently using another one in the series, Aloe Vera for combo/ normal skin. The cream’s properties are about the same (slightly hydrating, absorbs a bit slower than the one above), but I’d still rank the Tea Tree one higher. I don’t like using it for day wear, even though I can’t say that it leaves much of a sheen or anything. I just prefer it for night. It’s light-weight, absorbs easily, leaves a nice feeling to the skin, and is just overall so fresh. I wish it had better skincare properties, because if it did, I wouldn’t stray to any other product. However it’s a generic cream that doesn’t solve any problems in my case — but it doesn’t create any either.

2 down; 98 to go.