Shopping from July to August

Ok... so my budget is not holding up at all... What is wrong with me? More stress shopping? Considering, I have been buying all sorts of things, not just beauty related. Most of it is great stuff but not something I was planning to get, at least not right now. E.g. expensive pillow, expensive pillow cases, bed sheets... also christmas gifts for my family when I saw good discounts!

So this is my shopping from July to August so two months and I spent about 429 €. Are you screaming yet? Because I am.

(Will update the rest of the pictures later.)

Clinique Moisture Surge Pop Triple Lip Balm Black Honey

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush – Nude Mauve 

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil Mini

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Replenishing Cleansing Oil 

Wella Professionals Eimi Pearl Styler

Sebastian Professional Texturizer

Order from Cocopanda. About 70 €. Everything started with trying to find a new hair style product for curly hair... and suddenly I had my cart full. I shouldn't be allowed to browse online stores late in the evening. Anyway, everything except the hair stylers are things I have looked at before many times/wishlisted.

This time I felt like my products had just been thrown in the sturdy shipping box between loose paper stuffing and they were moving around but luckily nothing was broken. I didn't get samples like I did last time I ordered from Cocopanda. It took 5 days from ordering to receive my package so it was quick. No customs, EU warehouse.

After I have tried these new cleansing oils, Elizabeth Arden and Clinique, I think I will make a decision if I want to keep trying new cleansing oils too easily. I just get disappointed time after time, when I can't find a "perfect" one. If I do not like these two, I think I'll just repurchase Hylamide's High Efficiency Face Cleaner... But these ones have been on my wish list for a while so I just must try them first. 

Also, I think Clinique's Black Honey Lip Balm and Max Factor's Nude Mauve are going to be good everyday products and I don't think they will go unused.

Nude Mauve is actually peachy-pink on me, I thought it would have been more mauve. I'm a bit disappointed. Still, very pretty though! Some people call it a possible dupe for Mood Exposure from Hourglass. If so, I'm worried that one will be peachy-pink too.
Black Honey Lip Balm is actually clear with some shimmer so I don't think it matters which shade you choose from Clinique's lip balms.

Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Hyaluronic Moisture Kick

Rexona Maximum Protection Sport Strength Antiperspirant x 2

Sacheu Beauty Gua Sha

Paco Rabanne Olympéa Eau de Parfum Mini

Michael Kors Sparkling Blush Eau de Parfum Mini

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau de Parfum Sample

Juicy Couture Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum Sample

Beauty Discovery Box Notino Best of Hugo Boss 

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place in 1W1 Bone (Light with warm undertones)

Clinique Cheek Pop in 17 Black Honey Pop

Ok so, another impulse order. GREAT. (Not.) About 150 €. Notino looks like scam site at a first glance. I remember being confused when I first time was browsing around. It is translated into my own language and my language is too difficult for a machine to understand properly so there are slight (or bigger) errors everywhere. Anyway, it took 5 days from ordering to receive my package, very fast. Everything was packaged very well as usual, in bubblewrap, almost individually. Small items were in additional small plastic bags. Nothing was moving around. The cardboard box itself looked a bit beat up. No customs because they ship from EU warehouse.

It is so nice to try new perfumes! I took a bit random lot of samples and minis. I had more in my cart but was able to delete the rest. To my surprise, I actually really do like Olympea and don't think it is too much - it is warm sweet and vanilla ridden but with a watery undertone, not heavy. I thought Juicy Coutures were all heavily candy sweet (or the ones I have tried in store) but the signature Juicy Couture is just weird scent on me. It starts soapy, then it transforms through different stages, but it still reminds me just of bathroom! Like a fancy room spray. Idk. I do admit I don't have a good sense of smell so I sense fragrancies in a limited way sometimes.

I do not believe that gua shas or facial rollers actually do anything. At least not what they promise, to get rid of wrinkles etc... But the reason I bought Sacheu Beauty gua sha is massaging my face and head when I am getting headache or migraine. It seems like it has a great shape and heaviness for that. And massaging really helps as my migraine starts from forehead, temples and eyes. Even my partner first mocked me for buying such an overpriced piece of stainless steel, but in the end said it is the coolest thing out of my purchases! It is really smooth and well made and just a pleasure to touch.

Clinique's Black Honey Pop Blush gives very natural look for me! It definitely looks better on my face than swatched on arm. Cheek Pops are so easy to blend and layer. Very pretty on eyes too as a super light wash (I usually can't do red near my eyes). Now if only I could find Fig Pop somewhere.

Rexona antiperspirants are my staples currently. Much cheaper to purchase from Notino. Should have bought a couple more since I am on my last bottle from previous lot. But I guess I can always do a new order.

Moisture Kick hair spray is also for my permanented hair to give it some easy moisture daily, on top of the oils and styling products that I have now learned to use. I have read good reviews about this one.

Everyone keeps talking about Estee Lauder's Double Wear so finally I gave in. I bought it in 1W1 Bone, which is described as "light with warm undertones". Originally I was looking at 1N2 Ecru which is described "light with neutral rosy undertones". But I saw some swatches where it looked very dark and reconsidered. Bone looked very light in swatches so I was worried that it would be too light. But actually it is not too light at all so truly fair people beware and maybe buy a lighter one.  And quite saturated in color, also orange leaning, especially when it dries down. But I can fix it with L.A. Girl's blue mixer when it turns more true yellow losing the orange edge. Then it is a very good match! I don't honestly know if I should have gotten another shade or if this is the best Estee Lauder can do for me.

I am not sure how I feel about the foundation otherwise yet! It does feel heavy after the more tint like ones I've been using lately. It also does feel slightly drying in "normal" +15-20 C weather but not badly, I have enough natural oils so that it doesn't look dry or cakey after a while. It also requires more effort to put on, I try to haphazardly blend it with fingers first, then I go in with a damp sponge, but I feel I have to work very quickly. It dries down nicely though... very soon after blending it in if I stroke my cheek nothing comes out and it doesn't feel tacky. I do feel I still have to powder to set it.

Now my probably different first impression opinion from others: no, Double Wear is definitely not as bullet proof as described and how everyone touts it to be. I don't know what I expected as oily people also sing the praises. It does melt down a bit in normal temperature and gets stuck on eyeglasses or anything else touching the face after a few hours. It doesn't stop oiliness (but also doesn't make it worse) and I do feel like I have to powder it down every 3-4 hours if I want to keep it neat all day. Because of its higher coverage, I do not get away with it wearing away/separating like I do with tints when it is not so obvious. I wonder what it would look like after a full day in proper heat and sweat. But! All things considered, it lasts ok and covers redness well and on a normal day doesn't melt off and seems to work well with most of my skincare and other makeup. I haven't tried it with primers or setting sprays yet, so maybe those will help too. Overall, I get quite a satiny finish, even dewy if I don't powder again, but I'll have to check more often e.g. my nose if the foundation has slided off like usual. I will keep experimenting!

Plus: Double Wear doesn't seem to break me out and is very easy to remove with a cleansing oil.

(Did a just write a novel about a foundation? Yes, yes I did...)

All the bottles ended up being pump bottles! 

BBIA Last Blush in 09 Macadamia Blossom

Peripera Ink V-Shading in 3 Hazel Gray

ETUDE HOUSE Soon Jung 10 Free Moist Emulsion

MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream in 21 Light Beige

Innisfree Anti-aging Serum Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

It's been a while since I've properly ordered Korean products! Not because I have lost interest in them, but because of availability and shipping issues during the last year and half... But, Jolse had a free shipping campaign (if you order 50 usd or over) so I thought, maybe I should. So my order cost about 54 usd, 48 eur. Plus customs and other handling fees, about 14 eur. I actually would have ordered even more stuff, but I still feel unsure about shipping times and other problems so didn't want to risk a big order.

It took quite a long time for Jolse to ship, 5 days. Package took 5 days to arrive including the weekend. They used express DHL. I got lots of notifications from DHL throughout the process, about the delivery time, destination (home or locker etc) and instructions on customs process that I always do myself as DHL charges about 30 € if they do it for you. I am not a huge fan of DHL but it is fast and secure, I'll give them that.

Everything was well packaged like usually with Jolse. 

Etude House's Soon Jung Emulsion has been on my to-buy list forever after using the sample. So has been a bigger tube of Missha's BB Cream that I use by mixing 21&23 usually.

For new things, Innisfree's new sunscreen looked promising so it was an impulse purchase... I do like trying out new sunscreens as they are never perfect. Macadamia Blossom and Hazel Gray I will try for contouring and bronzing, I think they will not be too orange at least!

Dermatica Prescription Treatment Tretinoin 0.025 % + Niacinamide 4 %

About 27 €, my usual Dermatica subscription, and as usual, it got stuck at customs, et cetera... good formula though so I am just putting up with this inconvenience. Dermatica has some new pre made products, like azelaic acid cream, a cleanser and moisturizer. They are tempting me for sure.

Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Face UV Face Fluid SPF50+ 

Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo 1L

NYX Professional Makeup Sweet Cheeks Creamy Powder Blush Glowy in So Taupe

NYX Professional Makeup Sweet Cheeks Creamy Powder Blush Glowy in Fig

Invisibobble SPRUNCHIE SLIM True Golden

Comb

About 35€, I am including the basic hair comb and clip as well... and Invisibobble's sprunchies. What a cute name! I bought them because I got a permanent and for the first time in my life have curly hair and I will try to protect the curls (/damaged hair, the process did make my hair noticeably more dry). I absolutely love them. So much better than my straight natural hair.

I love NYX blushes! Such a great formula, easy to work with, great colors... I wonder why I don't see people mentioning them more often. Maybe because they are not a new release anymore. I wanted Fig and So Taupe in matte originally but glowy versions were on a good sale so I settled for them. Fig is absolutely great and beautiful and unique, while So Taupe is very neutral, somewhere between a contour, bronzer and blush, and also a pretty eyeshadow. It has some very random gold flecks though that I do like on my eyes and gold suits me but still... I think they should be smaller or more refined.

IT Cosmetics Celebrate Your Brush Essentials Set

Anastasia Beverly HillsSAMPLE - Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara

Drunk ElephantSAMPLE - Protini Powerpeptide Resurf Serum

About 65 €, I was drooling after IT Cosmetics brushes for a long time and finally snapped when I saw this set on Cult Beauty. I wouldn't call them affordable or anything close, but the set is at least better value than buying them individually. Also, ordering from Cult Beauty is too easy, no need to handle the customs process in EU and shipping is fast (a week). I do like browsing their website as well, they give lots of information about the products and I don't have to google ingredient lists separately for example. 

As for the brushes, they are soft... softest that I own, I think. The eye brushes certainly feel nice on my eyes. But the face brushes, I actually don't notice much difference when actually used on face. Ha! Only my eyes are sensitive enough to require softest brushes. 

L.A. Girl Pro Color Foundation Mixing Pigment in Blue

Finally bought this pigment many neutral and olive and muted people rave about! And it works. But it is a bit difficult to get the right amount, despite the pump being actually quite good. But when I get it right, the blue absolutely cancels the orange hue/vibrancy and suddenly almost all my foundations just disappear better into my skin without endless blending. And the pigment is only around 10 € for 30 ml!

CCS Foot Deodorant

Impulse purchase because it was so hot and my feet felt disgusting after workdays. I don't know what I expected, but this antiperspirant actually does work and my feet felt at least 50 % better. It doesn't stop sweatiness of course when your feet are in closed tight shoes for 8 hours and the aircon is crappy and you are standing all day - but, it made the situation much better so I started to apply everyday after a shower in the evening and in the morning. So it is worth the 8-10 € I paid.