Showing posts with label Collection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collection. Show all posts

Friday, January 29, 2016

Favourite Concealers


Concealers are some of the first beauty products I started buying and exploring. In all this time I've come to a realization that the concealers market is very undernourished here in Slovenia and it almost feels like they are deliberately trying to keep the good stuff away from us. That's why four out of five concealers featured in this post are only available abroad or online, as I won't talk about concealers that I don't believe in, just for the sake of easier availability. Ones I liked that I bought here were Artdeco's Perfect Teint Illuminator, YSL Anti-Cernes Multi-Action Concealer (stick concealer with a lovely creamy formula, but very expensive) and Essence Stay all Day (decent for the price, but there are so much better ones abroad). I've heard good things about L'Oreal's True Match Touche Magique Concealer, but I haven't tried it yet.


Level of coverage: Medium 
I've been in love with this concealer since I first tried it and my adoration for it persist. If you want full coverage this is not for you, but if you're like me searching for the most natural looking base and concealer products, don't hesitate to try this. The combination of a very light formula and the sponge application makes this a concealer that is super-fast to apply with very little blending and one with such a natural "of course I'm not wearing makeup" effect. The coverage is enough for my reddish under eye area, especially if I'm already wearing a base underneath and it never looks cakey. My only wish is that this came in more shades, lighter ones of course, but I'm making due with a pink toned shade called Fair. If this exact formula came in a foundation, I'll be all over it, but though a foundation in this line exists, I hear it's not that good. 
Girls from Slovenia can get this concealer on Feel Unique (only shade Nude), Boots International, on eBay and abroad closest in Austria (possibly also in Italy and Hungary, but I'm not sure).


Level of coverage: Medium 
I'm a huge fan of the CC cream from this line and this concealer's formula is very, very similar, except the shade is way better for me than the lightest in the CC creams. Just like the Eraser this is not a concealer that will cover everything on your skin, but it's another one that looks incredibly natural. It's again a concealer I use mostly under my eyes and on my nose, since it's a bit darker that the rest on my face due to a strange mix of uneven freckles and covers enough without looking cakey and obvious. The formula is super light and the lightest shade is neutral, which I really appreciate. The only huge minus is the quantity in the pen. You get a meagre 1.5 ml, so I don't buy this at full price, since even at a discount, I feel majority ripped-off. 


Level of coverage: Full 
Where are the days when everyone swore on this concealer? Well, I'm still one of them, even if everyone got too used to it. This really packs a punch and it's one of the most full coverage concealers I've tried to date. It covers almost everything, except very red blemishes might need another layer or two and it gives the skin almost a doll like effect because it erases so much. It can look cakey on dry skin, so I tend to use it quite sparingly, especially under the eyes where I reduce the amount to a little dot of product and blend it in well. The lightest shade called Fair is a nice match for my summer skin, though I can use it in the winter if I'm not too bothered and I use very little of it. It's other super power is durability on the skin and it can last you almost all day. The applicator is a classic doe foot. 
I buy it on Boots International, but some sell in on eBay.


Level of coverage: Full 
Another concealer with a very impressive level of coverage and I've said in my review that this doesn't differ much from the Collection's version. The level of coverage is about the same, as is its staying power and the formula is also very similar. The Nars' version is a bit creamier, which comes handy particularly under the eyes, but I genuinely don't notice much of a difference. The reason why I love it though is the shade. I've never found a concealer that would be so light and one that would really match my winter skin. Together with Sheer Glow in Siberia these are a power combination for perfect skin and in a colour that actually matches me. Due to lightness, I even get a bit of an illuminating effect under my eyes, which considering how pale I at, is unheard off. 
Mine is from HqHair.

A concealer with a similar formula and level of coverage is Clarins' Instant Concealer, which is available in Slovenia and I have trialled it for about a month, but it breaks me out. Price is about the same as NARS.


Level of coverage: Light 
This technically isn't a proper concealer, as it's actually an illuminating highlighting concealer that is mostly used over another more covering product. I didn't get this product at all when I first got it, the formula and coverage is so light that it barely covers anything, but when I was taking pictures of it for my review where I compared using concealer alone and with an addition of this on top, there was a difference. On the pictures with this my skin looked fresher, lifted and the circles were more diminished. I didn't see the difference without seeing the pictures because it's so subtle, but it is there. The quantity is again super stingy since mine is already on its lasts legs and I only used this on special occasions. I swear these pen shaped products are such a rip-off when it comes to quantity.
Slovene girls can get it on Salma, Feel Unique and Boots International. 

An alternative available in Slovenia is Artdeco's Perfect Teint Illuminator, but that one has a higher level of coverage. Also most obvious alternative is YSL's Touche Eclat, but I never tried it.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner


I always like to try new felt tip eyeliners and last time I was ordering from Boots I noticed how highly rated this liner is as well it's inexpensive, so I added it to my shopping cart. To be fair, I do not get what all the raves are about. It's not by any means a bad liner, but it's certainly not amazing. It's kind of average, but in a good way and nice for the price.


The nib is quite big or maybe I should say thick, especially compared to most other eyeliners I've tried. The material used is that classic felt that is used in sharpies and it's the same kind than at Essence. It's a hard nib and doesn't bend, which would allow a more comfortable and precise application, but you can still get a nice line with it. You'll see that the line with this liner is thicker that at others I've swatched, that's the consequence of the larger nib. The formula isn't as black as most I tried, not even as Essence's. It's not as intense, though on the lids it's hard to tell. It's easy to create a flick, but it's not as precise when it comes to making an even line mostly because it doesn't bend, so it takes a lot more patience.


Staying power is better than I expected based on the fact it's not as pigmented as the others, but it can get through the day on my normal lids. The wings rub off, but the main line remains.

I'm not in love with it and I actually think that even Essence's is better, so I don't get rave reviews, but it's a decent liner for the price, mostly due to nice staying power. In the strangest twist of events ever, after posting a rather harsh review of ArtDeco's liner (to be fair it was fully justified if I judge its performance from only the first few months), I've been reaching after it far more that the Collection's one. The nib is softer and more precise, so it's easier to use. Collection's one is nice if you're on a budget, but it's not the best one out there.

It costs £2.99 on Boots International.

Have a great day!