Reviewing: H&M Micellar Water

Hello lovely people! Today I'm reviewing the H&M Micellar water. But let me tell you this - I don't think that H&M should do beauty products, I think they should have stayed where they belong - in the clothing industry. I don't think clothing brands invest as much time in their clothes as they do in their makeup, researching formulas and finding something that works. And I've read the reviews on H&M makeup, most of the reviews are "meh". I had one H&M lipstick, it was terrible. It was pigmented but it felt like something horrible is on my lips, it didn't feel right at all and it smeared everywhere. I wasn't even wearing it for an hour until I said - okay, I'm done. And the lipstick wasn't very cheap either. But, I've also read reviews that they do have some good makeup accessories. Like brushes and sponges. I might try a brush or two someday. But now, let's get into this review!

H&M Micellar Water

I've used lots of micellar water's and I still haven't found one that I really like and could stick to, so I decided to give this one a go. Too bad I didn't read the reviews beforehand!

But I did use it all. I really don't like wasting products, a thing my mom has taught me over the years and sometimes, when I look back, I think that maybe I should have just let go. 

The thing is - it says on the bottle that it is a mild makeup remover and it cleans and moisturises. I didn't really feel that clean or moisturized afterwards! When I opened the bottle, it smelled really weird to me. Like an ointment or some kind of medication. And it didn't feel like a mild remover, it felt really harsh on my eyes, even though, I always try to be as gentle as I can on my eyes. I always rinsed my eyes with water after removing makeup with this one. I also had to go in multiple times to get rid of my eye makeup, which usually isn't a problem since I just have an eyeshadow and an eyeliner on. I can get my eyemakeup off with makeup wipes much easier.

Now here's to the ingredients - out of the 9 ingredients, 2 of them are of poor quality.

One of them is PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides - it could be toxic to your non-reproductive organs. If you want to know more, here's an active link - https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/721824/PEG-6_CAPRYLIC%3B%3BCAPRIC_GLYCERIDES/

The other one is Chlorhexidine Digluconate - it's an irritant, it can react badly to your skin and it's toxic to aquatic animals. If you would like to know more, here's a link - 

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/chlorhexidine_digluconate#section=Top

Time for the rating system!

I created my own little rating system(0-10 point scale) so I could tell if the product is good or not and should I recommend it. So I have 5 categories for 2 points each and they are :

1. Smell
2. Packaging
3. Does it work for me? 
4. Price 
5. Ingredients

The smell of the product is really bad, so no points there, but I'll give the packaging 2 points since I really like the minimalistic look. I'd say that this product didn't work for me, so again, no points here. The price was 5 euro for a 150ml bottle, I'll give a point (because the price isn't that bad) but I do think it's not worth the price! And because of the ingredients, it also gets 0 points.

So I rate the H&M Micellar Water 3/10!

I do think it's an adequate rating for this product, I really don't recommend buying it.

P.S. I've recieved a note saying that the newest Lookfantastic beauty box has arrived, so the next review will probably be about it, I'm really excited! And I hope you are too.

Thank you for your time and have a great day! :) 

Laura

Explaining my absence and reviewing: Lookfantastic beauty box May 2017

Hello lovely people! I'm back after a 3 week break from the beauty blogging world. It wasn't intentional - I had some "technical" difficulties (I accidentally spilled coffee all over my laptop and ruined it & I accidentally cracked my iPhone screen). Since my boyfriend got himself a new computer, being the sweetheart that he is, he gave me his old one. It's in a better condition than my old one ever was, I hope I won't screw this up! 😀 But chit-chat aside - here's the review you've been waiting for.

 Lookfantastic Beauty Box May 2017

This month's theme is "Get the glow" and the box is themed to make your body, face and hair glow effortlessly. 

As usual, you get the Beauty Box magazine and your complimentary Elle May 2017 issue.

And here are the goodies. I made the picture a bit bigger, so you could actually see what's what. 

1. James Read H20 Gradual Tan Mist (30ml) 

This mist is supposed to make your face gradually more tan. I've been using it for about 3 weeks now, I can't see a difference at all. But then again, I've always been naturally pale, maybe that's why I can't see anything yet. But I'm still pretty interested in using it - maybe at the end of summer, my face will get a bit more tan (hopefully!) but we'll see. If it works, I'll definitely update you!

2. System Professional Solar Sun Oil (30ml/full size) 

This oil is supposed to protect your hair from UV damage and pollution and it should reduce frizz. As I've already told you guys, I use my Matrix Oil with Indian Amla (http://review-bar.blogspot.com/2017/04/reviewing-matrix-oil-wonders-indian-amla.html), but I decided to change my hair routine a little bit - I replaced the Matrix Oil with this one to see better effects on my hair. I really didn't know what to expect but I didn't expect my hair to turn very oily. I usually have to wash my hair every 5-6 days, but the next day after using this oil, I felt like I need to wash my hair again. The second time, when I didn't apply it to wet hair - my hair didn't feel any different but the smell was pretty great. I think I'll give it a bit more time. 

3. GLOV Hydro Demaquillage (one little finger glove)

This little glove is made from hypoallergenic fibres, it is a gentle makeup remover (you can also just cleanse your face with it).  You shouldn't use it more than 3 months in a row. You put the little glove on your finger, add water and then do whatever - clean your face or remove your makeup. I was really really excited to try a product like this and it's great! I really really love it. It does remove all of my eye makeup in one go but you do have to use it sparingly, then, if you need more cleansing - wash it with soap, add water and clean your makeup off again. It would be a hassle to remove lots of makeup, but for removing an every day look - it's great. I also have this soap that is meant for babies - it cleans the little glove perfectly!

4. Mellow Baked Eyeshadow in Peach (full size)

You could have got this baked eyeshadow in either a Cream or a Peach shade. I got the Peach one, pink tones usually don't look very good on my pale skin, but this shadow is really shimmery and bright, it actually gives me a light flush and I really like how it looks on me as a highlighter and also as an eyeshadow. Oh, and it's very pigmented, I was really surprised, since I wasn't the biggest fan of the Mellow lipsticks. 

5. Real Chemistry Luminous 3-minute Peel 

This peel has got a blend of proteins which helps with removing dead skin cells from your face. It really does work - I had to massage the peel into my skin and after  a few seconds, I saw my own skin coming off - it was really weird. But this is why I usually don't like skin care products in beauty boxes - the packaging is too small, I can't even understand if I liked it or not - this peel lasted me one time and after only a one time of using anything - you can't understand if it works for you or not. I need at least 3-5 times to really know if I like a product that much or no.

6. NuFACE Prep-N-Glow Dual-sided Cloth (1 cloth)

This cloth has 2 sides, with one you clean your face and then you use the second side to exfoliate and hydrate your skin. The microdots in the exfoliating part felt a bit rough on my face, it didn't feel as clean, as I'd thought. It actually felt like little tiny rocks were brushing against my face. And again - it only had one cloth, I can't really see the effect but the next day I did feel brighter. 

7. Scrub Love Coconut Cranberry Body Scrub (100ml)

This scrub is meant to brighten up your skin and that's what it does - it brightens, softens and makes you feel like a million bucks! The ingredients are natural, the smell is amazing. I do feel a bit oily afterwards but I don't mind. I looove this scrub. It's a bit more grainy than I expected but it does it's job well!

I won't be having a rating system for the beauty boxes but I can tell you that I liked 5 out of the 7 products in general. And this is one of the rare beauty boxes, where I'll be using all 7 products. This box is really good. I hope June's box will bring me something new to try, like the little finger glove!

You can subscribe to the Lookfantastic Beauty Box here - (https://www.lookfantastic.com/offers/beauty-box.list)

Thank you for your time and have an amazing day! :) 

Laura

Reviewing Artistry's Signature Color Eyeshadow Quads

Hello lovelies! I've had some problems with my computer (or I'm rather clumsy), but I'm back with a new review and today I'm reviewing the Artistry's eyeshadow quads. In the previous post (http://review-bar.blogspot.com/2017/05/reviewing-artistry-concealer-stick.html) I've already told you how I got hold of this product. 

 Artistry Signature Color Eyeshadow Quads 

You can clearly see which one is my favorite shade!

Artistry really doesn't mess around with packaging, it looks really chic and I really like the gold and black combo. This eyeshadow quad also has got this tiny mirror which I don't personally use but it might be useful for someone who does their makeup outside their home.

This is the swatch - the lightest shade is on the top, then goes the rose gold, gold and the brown shimmer.

These shades are called "Spice Bronze". As you can see from the swatch, these are not that pigmented. And for the price of 39.58 euro (you can buy the quad without the mirror as a refill, it will cost 30 euros instead)  I expected a lot more. But they do stay in their place throughout the day, even without eye primer. I use the shimmery brown one a lot - I do my brows with it and it's an essential part of my every day look. The eyeshadows do blend nicely, though. But I've had better eyeshadows for less money. 

In my honest opinion, this is a basic product which does it's job (not perfectly, though) but is priced as a high-end product and the quality doesn't match the price at all. This is what I really dislike in this one, because the packaging makes it look so promising!

And now to the ingredient part : of the 13 ingredients, 1 is rated poor in the Paula's Choice ingredient dictionary, which is  LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA EXTRACT,(http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/lavender-extract-and-oil). The components of lavender oil can be damaging to your skin even on a very low concentration. And interestingly enough, there's a second ingredient, which isn't even mentioned in Paula's choice CID, which could mean that it's not widely used in cosmetics and really shouldn't be used at all and this is TIN OXIDE (http://sciencing.com/tin-oxide-uses-8125683.html). If it's commonly used to create custom glass, should I really be putting this on my face and especially, on my eyelids? I'm probably going to have rethink using this every day. 

But if you still want to buy it - it is available in the Amway Latvia store in all sorts of shades. Since I was a member, I got it for a cheaper price of 39,58 euro but on the website it says that for reselling it costs a bit more - 54.50 eur and the refill eyeshadow quad (only the quad, without the mirror) costs 40,73 eur. If you want to spend 50 euro for an eyeshadow, I'd rather recommend you go to your nearest Urban Decay store! (In Latvia we only have one but hey, at least we have it!)

Time for the rating system!

I created my own little rating system(0-10 point scale) so I could tell if the product is good or not and should I recommend it. So I have 5 categories for 2 points each and they are :

1. Texture
2. Packaging
3. Does it work for me? 
4. Price 
5. Ingredients

The texture gets one point, packaging gets 2 points, it kind of works for me, so I have to give a point here, the price gets 0 and the ingredients get 0 points. I rate Artistry's Signature Color Eyeshadow Quads 4/10!

The lowest score any product has gotten here but I think it's well deserved!

Thank you for your time and have an amazing day! :)

Laura

Reviewing Artistry's Concealer Stick

I was always a big fan of concealers, since I have a lot of things to hide on my face. But I've tried some good ones and some bad ones, this is definitely one of the best concealers I've had in a while.

Artistry Concealer Stick 

I bought this concealer from Amway (https://www.amway-latvia.com/), since my mom signed me up there because she wanted to try some cleaning products and to see if they were any good at all, she needed some additional points for the purchase, so I got this concealer (in the shade light) and a little eyeshadow palette.

The concealer itself already looks glamorous - I love the gold and black theme in the packaging, it just looks very classy. The texture is thick and creamy, it's one of the thickest concealers I've used but it definitely does it's job.

It looks dark on my pale hands but on my face, especially when I've got my foundation on, it blends pretty well and it's not visible, it blends in well with my skin tone. At first, I thought - oh no, it's going to be too dark for me, but it was a very pleasant surprise that it wasn't. It blends in perfectly.

It covers the bags under my eyes really well, I really love using this concealer but again, I'm not a huge fan of the price - 18,96 euro for a concealer this small? (3,1g) Well, I still haven't used it up but I also don't use it every day.

Almost all of the ingredients of this concealer were rated "good" in the Paula's Choice CID (http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/), except one - BHT was rated average (http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/antioxidants/bht). I outlined this because it says that it has health concerns if consumed orally, but it's fine when it's on the skin - it doesn't penetrate the skin far enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream. So, if you have this concealer and have little children at home - please keep it out of reach from them. (I know you probably already do, but it's safe to remind people, right?!) I also have a little child at home, so I'll make sure that this product doesn't even get into her line of vision. 

(Disclaimer: I was almost finished with the review and found out that they don't sell this concealer on the Amway Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia site anymore, I have no clue why. You can still buy it on the American site but they change things a lot on their sites, it's confusing to me.)

Time for the rating system!

I created my own little rating system(0-10 point scale) so I could tell if the product is good or not and should I recommend it. So I have 5 categories for 2 points each and they are :

1. Texture
2. Packaging
3. Does it work for me? 
4. Price 
5. Ingredients

Texture of the concealer gets 2 points, the lovely packaging gets 2 points, too, it works, so it has to have 2 points, the price gets 1 point and the ingredients get 1 point. I rate this concealer - 8/10!

I recommend it, if you can get your hands on it! 

Thank you for your time and have an amazing day!

Laura :)

Reviewing L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

Hi cuties and welcome back to my blog for a little review! :) For a while now, I've been searching for a nice everyday mascara. I've used a lot of Essence and Catrice mascara's but they weren't really doing it for me so I decided to try this one out. And boy, it sure wasn't a letdown.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

I got this mascara at the beginning of April, when I was looking for a new one. I accidentally broke my old one which was from a beauty box (I'm a very clumsy person) so I was very interested in finding a new mascara that fit my simple needs - no black circles around my eyes at the end of the day and it has to look nice on me. At first, I wanted to buy the L'Oreal False Lash Superstar X-fiber one but I realized that I wanted a more natural look, so I picked this one instead. And I'm very pleased that I did. 

I've really been loving this mascara, it doesn't smudge or leave dark circles under your eyes like some other mascaras do (I'm looking at you - Essence and Catrice) and even if I have some little clumps, I can easily fix it with the wonderful wand this macara has. The wand is easy to use and very comfortable.

The mascara lasts the whole day on my eyes but it isn't waterproof. It also feels nice on the eyes, doesn't feel heavy and doesn't look clumpy, too. 

The mascara also has good ingredients, didn't find any ingredient that was rated "poor" on Paula's Choice's CID (http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/).

You can also find the full list of ingredients on their site here, if you're interested : http://www.lorealparisusa.com/products/makeup/eye/mascara/voluminous-million-lashes-mascara.aspx?shade=Black

I bought it for 10 euros, in my local drugstore which is called "Drogas" in Latvia, Riga. I think the price is pretty okay for the quality I get.

Time for the rating system!

If you've been reading my posts for a while, you'll know that I have my own rating systems for products. If you don't, check my other posts with the rating system on it (http://review-bar.blogspot.com/2017/03/saying-hi-reviewing-skinchemists-24.html)

This time the rating system will be a bit different, since mascara's usually don't have a scent or smell to them. 

I created my own little rating system(0-10 point scale) so I could tell if the product is good or not and should I recommend it. So I have 5 categories for 2 points each and they are :

1. Texture
2. Packaging
3. Does it work for me? 
4. Price 
5. Ingredients

This mascara gets 2 points for the texture, 2 points for the packaging, 2 points because it works, 2 points for the price and 2 points for the ingredients. I rate this mascara a 10/10!

It's a really brilliant everyday mascara, I recommend you try it and see for yourself.

Thank you for your time and have an amazing day!

Laura :)

Reviewing: Lookfantastic Beauty Box April 2017

Hello lovelies and welcome back to my blog! The review is going to be a little different this time - I'm reviewing one of the best beauty boxes (in my opinion) out there. I bought my first Lookfantastic beauty box on July 2016, when I finally decided to try out some new things and to get out of my comfort zone. I've been subscribed to the beauty box ever since. :) Sure, it is buying a "cat in the bag" because you don't know if the products will work on your skin type, hair type or if you will ever even use them, but I do think it's worth the price. Especially if you buy them for a year (it's cheaper!)

Lookfantastic Beauty Box April 2017

This month's theme is Natural Beauty, so you can be sure that these products will make your natural beauty shine.

As per usual, with the beauty box, you also get your complimentary Elle April 2017 magazine and your little beauty magazine from Lookfantastic!

1. Merci Handy Hand Cleansing Gel (30ml)

This seems like a really great cleansing gel, it smells wonderful (mine smells like Black Vanilla) and it dries on your hands so fast! At first, there's a strong alcohol scent but after some seconds you don't even smell it anymore. I think it's a pretty great addition to the box. 

2. Vitamasques Pomegranate Sheet Mask (one mask)

It's a Korean mask, which I do love since I've heard nothing but good things about their skincare rituals (and Korean women look great too!) but it is a little annoying to put a sheet mask on your face for 20 minutes. I did put on a tv show in the background but it was a bit hard to focus because it felt like the mask was moving a bit around my face and I had to make sure that the mask doesn't cover my eyes (it didn't but sure felt like it). But after those 20 minutes, I took off the mask and my skin felt oily and like I needed to clean it but the instructions said that I should tap my face with a towel and that's it, so that is what I did. For the rest of the night I did feel moisturized and my skin felt a bit tightened but I do think that to see the full effects, you should put it on more than once. 

3. Madara Smart Day Cream (20ml)

It was very awesome to see that a Latvian (my home country) company made the cut on Lookfantastic's beauty box. Since I've already used some Madara products, I know that they do work. The day cream feels very firming on my skin but it's meant more for dry or very dry skin, I have a combination type but I still feel like this works for me,too. It feels a bit thick for a day cream but maybe I'm just applying too much of it.

4. Omorovicza Cleansing Foam (25ml)

It says that it's a cleansing foam but it doesn't foam up. Believe me, I've tried to make it foam! I used it after I removed my makeup with micellar water and it made my face feel clean and fresh. 

5. Alterna Caviar CC Cream (25ml)

This cream promises to perfect hair in 10 different ways and those are - moisture, shine, smoothness, softness, UV protection, manageability, strength, anti-breakage, heat protection and light hold. I put it on my hair after washing it but I really didn't feel the perfection it promised. My hair had more volume and I looked like a lioness. Maybe I should've styled my hair, maybe that looks good if you style it, but not on air dried hair. I really didn't like the effect, I felt disappointed in this product. It also has a "citrussy" smell that I'm not a fan of.

6. Laura Geller Balance and Brighten Foundation (1.8 g)

This foundation was in the shade "Fair", but it was a bit too dark for my pale skin. But I did try it on myself anyway and it has great coverage. But I wouldn't know how it holds up through the day - I took it right off. This kind of saddens me, because I really looked forward to the foundation but I shouldn't be surprised - most light foundations are still not light enough for me. But I do know a person that I'll be giving this to :) 

7. This Works Pefect Legs Skin Miracle (10ml)

This is a tinted serum for your legs, it looks a bit like a fake tan but it's a lot lighter. At first, I was totally not into it, since I am really pale but if you apply just a small amount, it just makes your legs look shinier. But I don't think I'll be buying the full size, though.

I won't be having a rating system for the beauty boxes but I can tell you that I liked 5 out of the 7 products in general. But I have 4 that I will use up (since the Laura Geller foundation is too dark and I'll be giving it away). I really liked this month's products but I hope that May will bring us some more makeup!

You can subscribe to the Lookfantastic Beauty Box here - (https://www.lookfantastic.com/offers/beauty-box.list)

Thank you for your time and have a great day! :)

Laura

Reviewing: Matrix Oil Wonders Indian Amla

Hello lovelies! I'm back with a yet another post and this time it's about haircare. A little backstory about my hair: I went to a hairdresser last July with my damaged hair and she cut my hair so short, I actually cried. Yes, of course, it was damaged, but the way she cut it... The new cut did not look good on me, I looked like I came straight from the 70's. And my hair doesn't grow fast at all, so you could imagine how upset I was. I even ordered a wig! I don't use it anymore since my hair has grown since then but I did use it for a while. And I do think this oil helped my hair a whole lot.

Matrix Oil Wonders Indian Amla Strenghtening Oil

I got this oil from Lookfantastic, as a Beauty Box winner, on September 2016. I also got other Matrix Oil Wonders products as well. The whole box was delivered to my house on September 26th. 

This is what I recieved as a Loofantastic September 2016 Beauty Box winner :) 

I was so excited to try all the hair-care things I got, I tried this oil the same day. When I first applied the oil to my hair, it smelled so good. It had a mellow, sweet scent and it smells good on the hair throughout the day. 

On the bottle it says: "Pump to prime, apply 1-2 pumps before shampooing, during conditioning or as a finishing treatment." 

I usually shampoo and condition my hair, then I wrap my hair in a towel, let them dry for a few minutes. Then I pump the Matrix oil (I do 3-4 pumps because my hair is really thick) and apply it to my hair  BUT I only put the oil in the middle section of my hair and the ends, I don't apply it to my scalp/roots. Then I let my hair air-dry and when they're dry, I feel like a silky smooth goddess. My hair has grown a lot over these past months and I do think some credit has to go to this oil that helps them stay healthy and shiny.

And you really don't need much of it - I've been using the oil religiously since the end of September and I still have more than a half of the bottle left.

And now for the ingredients... The Matrix oil has 18 ingredients and 6 of them are rated "poor" on Paula's Choice Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary (http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/) and they are : Alcohol Denat, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Alpha-isomethyl Ionane, Limonene, Linalool (you can find all of them in the link provided above). At first, I thought it looked unacceptable and that I would have to dismiss the product since 30% of the ingredients are rated "poor" but I realized that they all were mostly "poor" because they were heavily scented and not meant for very sensitive skin. For a skincare product that would be considered "poor", but since this is a hair-care product - it shouldn't be near your scalp anyway. There is also a product rated "BEST" which is Phyllantus Embica Fruit Extract (http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/phyllanthus-emblica-fruit-extract) -  that is an antioxidant and soothes the skin. 

For  €14.95 (on Lookfantastic) you get 125 ml of the product.

(https://www.lookfantastic.com/matrix-oil-wonders-indian-amla-strengthening-oil-125ml/11027760.html)

Time for the rating system!

I created my own little rating system(0-10 point scale) so I could tell if the product is good or not and should I recommend it. So I have 5 categories for 2 points each and they are :

1. Smell
2. Packaging
3. Does it work for me? 
4. Price 
5. Ingredients

Matrix Oil Wonders Indian Amla gets 2 points for the smell, 2 points for packaging, does it work for me - 2 points, 2 points for the price and 1 point for the ingredients. 

I rate it a 9/10!

I think it's a great price for the amount of product you get and overall I really recommend you try it if your hair is brittle, in a bad shape or you just want to give a little love to your hair. It's one of the best products I've used on my hair. 

Thank you for your time, have an amazing day! :)

Laura