Goodbye Dear Friend

Haven't had a finished product post in a while, but this morning I finally had to admit it, this Serum is out. I have been ignoring it for about a week now, blaming it on the pump or gravity or whatever, but I finally opened this elegant bottle and peered in. Yes, it's all gone. 

I felt a little cheated, The bottle is made of such heavy glass, I didn't feel any difference in the weight from full to empty, but checking my blog, I realized I opened this product about 3 and a half months ago, at a twice a day use, this lasted pretty well.

I'm rather new to Serums, but this was the best one I've tried yet. After Neutrogena Rapid Repair which was very nice and Ole Henriksen Truth Serum which was wonderful but very expensive, I anted to try something new and preferably something with Retinol in it. 

I have a great fondness to Roc, there's something about the combination of medical looking and luxury looking products that gets me every time. Also, this might be a justified fondness, because everything I tried from Roc was excellent.

The texture and smell, as all Roc products, is a little strange, and somewhat medical, this serum is slippery and the color of pus (sorry, can't find a better way of putting this), it spreads very well, and a little goes a long way. Even though it contains Retinol, I found it extremely hydrating. I'm not sure if it's this product or something else in my routine, but I feel like I'm seeing actual improvement in the texture of my skin in the past few months.

Will I buy this again? I just ordered a Reviva Lab Serum, because I was curious, and because I'm currently using a retinol night cream. However, if it doesn't work for me, I'm going to go back.

For me, spending $25 on one skin care product is a lot, however, this was well worth it. I'm also currently using a beautiful day cream (that smells like ash for some reason) and a neat little eye cream from Roc, both are very nice.

Bad, Better, Best

I'm not a big fan of the term "Holly Grail" when it comes to makeup, there is always something better out there, the skin and face and taste changes all the time, and so, what was great last month can just stop working after a while. I guess that so far, the biggest compliment I can give a product is buying something twice after emptying the first batch. I can only think of 2-3 products who won this honor.

Now, my hands and nails are really not my best feature. I work with paints and with my hands, and I spend lots of time with the dogs in a very muddy park. If I can get them to look sort of OK I'm happy, but my nails will never be long and perfect, no matter what I do.
What I have discovered is that the thing that makes them look passable esthetic is cuticle care. If the skin around my nails is hydrated, my hands look cleaner, tidier and my nails grow stronger.

I have mentioned 2 cuticle products before, and now, discovered a new one.

Bad
Not really bad, I actually liked it in the beginning. Julep's cuticle stick smells really good, give gentel hydration and feels nice. Why is it bad then? first of all, because it was the least efective of the 3 products I used, it might be great for someone who doesn't work with their hands or have naturally hydrated hands, but for me, it just didn't cut it. Second, the stick is really uncomfortable to use, it seem like a great idea, bu I found it messy and awkward. The third is that I finished the whole stick in one month, what might be OK, but since it's costs a whooping 22$ that's really not enough product to justify the price.

Better
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is one of those only products that I have bought more then once. It's great, inexpensive ($6-$8 or so), easy to use and works! I was pretty sure that this is as good as it gets. What don't I like about it? the smell is mildly chemical, and especially when it's cold, the cream hardens  and hard to use.

Best!
Enters new favorite (dare I say holly grail?!) Badger Cuticle Care which is just like Burt's Bees but better! it's cheaper ($6 for a larger tin, .75g vs. .6g) The first 2 ingredients on the list are shea butter and olive oil, while Burt's Bees goes for Almond oil and beeswax. What's the difference?! it's a lot softer and easier to apply.
And it smells better then either Julep's stick or Brut's butter. A citrusy fresh smell of geranium, lemon grass and olives.

Plus - the badger on the tin is adorable.

Probably the best $6 I've ever spend on my hands.

BCBG Bon Chic

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything...
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OK, I'm done being nice and all that. There's also the approach that if you are about to say something nasty, soften in up with a little bit of niceness in the beginning.
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Can't really thing of anything, well, aside of the fact that this mini bottle came in with Allur Beauty Box, so at least I didn't pay specifically to get this. And the bottle is kinda of cute.

Also, it's the first time I really got the whole 3 notes in any fragrance thing, which means that this perfume has absolutely no subtleties.

The top note is kind of harmless, artificial and slightly alcoholic which means it smells just like a Bacardi Breezer, probably blueberry flavor.

The heart note is sickeningly sweet and also artificial. It smells like old fashion bubble gum.

And then, the horror of all horror, the base note smells like old ladies. Yes, yes, that horrible stench of over perfumed grandmas. It sticks to the skin and linger more then any perfumes I've ever smelled, honestly, I could still smell it after 2 days from trying this fragrance.

I got rid of this cute little bottle right away. Will not buy again or even try again. Bla!

April's favorite lipstick

And it's not even a lipstick!

The saturation of YSL, the non smeariness of OCC Lip Tars, and the perfect matte with a tad shine of NYX and the best thing it's cheaper then all of them.

I really really adore the new WNW mega last liquid lip color. As a person who a) always get lipstick of my teeth, coffee cups, jeans (don't ask) and just about anything else, I live it that when it's dry, it's dry, no budging, smearing or anything. As a person who lick her lips about 40 times in a minute, I love it's magical staying power. And as a person who love bright red lips, I really like the saturation and high pigment.

It does dry the lips a bit and is a bitch to remove from a lip brush if you were lazy and didn't wash it right away, like someone I know, I won't mention names...

WnW I'm begging you! more colors please! I desperately need a bright orange, a light coralish-red, a true coral and something dark like Mac Rebel. Thank's in advance.

This is me about 20 minutes after I put it on, with any other lipstick, it would be half faded by now, due to lip licking and I'd probably have some on the colar of my shirt.

6 hours later, and after, a bottle of water, 2 cups of coffee, soup, a veggie burger and 2 little chocolates, As you can see, it faded quite a bit, but in a nice even way, and it still looks like I'm wearing lipstick. Ha!