L'OREAL Perfect CLEAN foaming gentle scrub

Yesterday, I met for coffee a dear friend of mine. We haven't seen each other during summer so after a long talk she asked me: "What is up with your blog? There are no new posts?!". No, this is not "get to know me better" post but since several people told me that I should be more frequent with my posts, I decided to roll up my sleeves and start writing. My friend would say: "It was about time..." I know you are smiling right now, but that is OK, you look nice with that smile.

I have so many products that I want to share with you and so many used up things which are waiting for their reviews that I really should write more often. I love when I get a response from you, when you recommend something or tell me how a product worked for you. That is what this blog is all about.
This product is not in my empties pile but I really want to write about it.

I wrote many times about skin care and how much I enjoy it. Every beauty junkie knows how crutial it is to take care of your skin and cleaning it is certainly a way to go. That includes exfoliators. After olay microdermabrasion set that I had, I wasn't sure which way to go?! That set is hard to get in Croatia because it is not sold in stores and I didn't want to order it online for a ridiculous price. I had a DM coupon for this daily scrub and decided to try it.
This scrub is a part of L'OREAL's Perfect CLEAN line. You can find three products, two gel cleansers (pink one for dry and blue one for oily skin) and gentle foaming scrub (this orange one for all skin types). The thing that makes these products different is a rubbery brush that you get. It cleans your skin better than just washing face with your hands. I must admit, it is effective.

I had the blue cleansing gel before and liked it. I like the concept with the brush because, in my opinion, it removes makeup well (I wash my face twice: first time to remove my makeup and second time to actually clean my skin).

when used, you should apply scrub directly to the brush

You can see even in the bootle that this scrub has tiny particles in it (those are apricot seeds) so I figured that they in combination with the brush will do a good job.
It is recommended to use this product once a day, preferably at night. If your skin is nicely cleaned, any cream or serum will be more effective.

The brush (scrublet as they call it) may seem unwieldy but it not tough to deal with. It is made out of rubber so cleaning it is not a problem. I suggest to clean it after every usage. The packaging is made to fit it perfectly. It doesn't fall out.
When used, you should apply some gel directly to the scrublet, massage your wet face with it and wash it off. This should help your pores to stay clean.

This is not a bad product. It does clean your skin but if you go over it with a cotton pad and toner you might find some impurities. That depends on your day, skin type and the time of year. Now, when I have some tan I notice some residue left but I have oily skin, during other months when I am not as oily and pale (not kidding, I think that you can find me through Google Earth) that is not the case.
Is this a holy grail product? NO. If you are looking for a gel cleanser and like the concept of this one, you can try it, but, if you are looking for a good face scrub with a bit more power to it, I would say pass. This is too mild. Then again, it is ment to be daily, mild facial exfoliator.
I think it is gentle enough for any skin type, even sensitive. If it too harsh, don't use it as often.
The smell of it is OK, not overpowering, kind of watery with a little bit of apricot. Most people won't dislike it.

ingredients

You get 150 ml of product and it will last you at least 3 months. You can find it in drugstores (mine is from DM) and it costs 36 kunas (about 3.60 GBP, 5 Euros, $7).

Have you got a good face scrub to recommend?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007

Smart girls get more/limited edition nail polish, shade 48 (collection for spring/summer 2012)

 It is time for a new smart girls get more polish review. Very simple. This is a collection for spring and summer so I have to hurry with my reviews.

I bought my polishes at DM. They cost 11,90 kunas which is about $2/1,19 GBP/1.50 Euros, and you get 5.5 ml of polish. This shade was my second choice (if you want to know how I feel about yellow shade from the same line, click here) when I first came across this polishes and I would have never bought it, if I hadn't seen it on a woman while standing in a long line at the post office. She had it on her toes and it looked beautiful!
Since this is a pumpkin colour nail polish, this would be nice for fall, too. It goes great with beige and brown clothes. Not very neutral shade but still very wearable.

the colour looks brighter on the photo

I had a base coat and painted the first layer. It looked awful! Streaky and uneven. My nails were a mess! I was so dissapointed but didn't stop there.

without flash it doesn't look bad

the flash shows all the flaws

The second layer was a different story. Surprise! This is actually a nice polish.

two layers without flash (very shiny finish)

two layers with flash

Two layers were nice but I went for a third one. I wanted a completely opaque look and got it with ome more layer. As I wrote before, this polish has a very shiny finish. You don't need a top coat to add shine.

3 layers without flash

3 layers with flash

This polish is very creamy and shiny. It dries quickly, just like the yellow one. Since it was so shiny, I decided to leave out the top coat (seche vite). That was also a good chance to test out the quality of the polish. And.... It wasn't as durable as the yellow one (which lasted 3 days with seche vite). This one started to chip after 24 hours. I wasn't thrilled with that.
I bought other smart girls get more polishes and this one wasn't the worst, but except for the yellow one, none of them was long lasting. At  least not without a base and a top coat. If you apply them, you'll be OK, but without them....don't bother.

The brush is small but easy to manage.

Ingredients: ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, nitrocellulose, acetyl tributyl citrate, adipic acid/neopentyl glycol/trimelltic anhydride copolymer, isopropyl alcohol, stearalkonium hectorite, citric acid (+/-) mica, polyethylene terephtalate.

Final thoughts:
this is a nice polish but with a exception of yellow one, all the other colours that I have bought weren't long lasting. I feel I have to say that because I don't want you to go out and buy a bunch of shades and than discover that your polish gets all messy too soon.
The colour selection is beautiful but I am not sure about the formula.

What about you? Have you tried some of this polishes? Did you like them? Do you agree/disagree with me?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007


Autumn edition 28.9.2012.:
As I thought, this is a perfect fall colour. I had it on my hands a couple of days ago and it was lovely. This time I was prepared for the fact that on its own, this polish doesn't have the greatest staying power. I started with a base coat and finished with seche vite on top. The manicure looked perfect for about 3 or 4 days (lets say 3 and a half). Just wanted you to know.

Eveline Pure Control SOS deeply cleansing tonic

By now you probably know that I like Eveline products. Most of them are really good. And when I came across this wonderful blue tonic, I was sold. You know...some girls will be attracted to glitter but I, if I see a nice blue colour...you know that I am going to get it ;).

the photo was taken after a few uses

 And since my bottle looks like this, now....

I decided that it is time to write a few words about it.

This tonic was created for problematic skin, against spots and blemishes. It is supposed to help you with unblocking pores, while refreshing and mattifiying your skin, it helps to fight with troublesome acne and restores natural skin pH. Yes, it promises A LOT!!!

It combines salicylic acid and soothing d-panthenol. Regulates the secretion of sebum and perfectly fights with spots and inflamed blemishes. 

For best results you should use it twice a day, in the mornings and in the evenings after washing your face, preferably with a Pure Control SOS product (their words, not mine).

I am not in war with spots but I have oily skin with large pores so I am always on a hunt for some new and incredible product which will help me to  unblock them. No luck so far...
So, if you can't tell, I am not blown away by this product.

Yes, it is OK, but certainly not breathtaking. It is ment for troublesome skin but somehow I don't think that it is that great for oily skin. I prefer tonics like those for teenagers. I know they can be too harsh but I like to feel like my skin is clean and sanitized. I don't get that feeling with this one. It is not bad and it didn't cause any irritation but I just don't think it is good enough.
Sure, my pores didn't get more blocked than usual, but they haven't magically cleared (even though I was using this product), I didn't get any huge spots or irritations (but I almost never get them), and that two little pimples that appear around my chin once a month (you know what I mean) were there as always. So, it was my daily companion but didn't really help me solve my problem. It didn't deep clean my pores.

I don't think that this is a must have product. If I would grade it from 1-5 (1 worse, 5 best) I would give it a 3!

It has a nice scent. Somewhere between soap and the smell of clean...you can smell a little bit of alcohol in it but it is not overpowering. I don't think the smell will bother anyone, besides it doesn't stay on the skin.

INGREDIENTS:
aqua/water, isopropyl alcohol, triethanolamine. salicylic acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated castor oil, PEG-75 lanolin, sodium benzotriazolyl butylphenol sulfonate/ buteth 3/ propane tricarboxylic acid, panthenol, methylchloroisothiasolinone/methylisothiasolinon, fragrance, disodium EDTA, CI 42051.

You get 200 ml of product in the bottle and it will cost you around $4/2 GBP/ 2.50 Euros. I bought mine at DM and it lasted me for two months.

I love that this product wasn't tested on animals!!! BRAVO for that!!!

That is it from me.

What about you? Have you tried anything from the Pure Control SOS line? Got any recommendations for me?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

Smart girls get more/limited edition nail polish, shade 47 (collection for spring/summer 2012)

These polishes were released at the beginning of spring (this year) but I noticed them a couple of days ago while browsing through DM. Sure, I have heard for smart girls get more nail polishes but never purchased them before. These shades are so me for this season that I really can't belive that I've noticed them only now. Weird?!
I bought some but didn't go crazy (due to the lack of knowledge about this brand and quality) so when I came home, I looked for swatches on the internet and couldn't find many and decided to post swatches of my choices.

I chose only two shades.

number 47 (yellow) and 48 (orange)

 This post will be about yellow shade, number 47.

without flash it looks more like in person

with flash it looks like a neon shade, but it's not

I don't know why, but I really wanted a yellow shade in my collection. I don't own any other. I guess that the summer and the sun helped me to decide. I was so driven to this colour. It was my first choice.
Also, these polishes are quite affordable. A 5.5 ml bottle will cost you around $2/1 GBP/1.5 Euros. That is not bad but you have to keep in mind that this is not a full size bottle which usually contain around 15 ml of product. So, if that was the case, a full size bottle would be triple the price, making it not as affordable. It still wouldn't be expensive but you know what I mean.
On the other hand, smart girls get more polishes (hence the name) should offer us unusual colours that are in trend. That way we can get colours that we want at the moment and wear them until we get bored, or if we don't like the colour, we will not be sad about wasting our money. Of course, no one wants to do that, but if you pay less, it hurts less.

one coat

You can click on the picture for a better view, but you can see that this wasn't very promising. It is streaky and uneven. I decided to give it another chance and added a second coat.

This was much better. The colour became more intense and similar to the bottle. Not bad, especially because I haven't applied a white polish underneath. I only applied a neutral base coat, as I always do.

three coats

Three coats really got me interested. They were nice and opaque. The polish had such a shiny finish that it really didn't need a top coat for shine. I applied seche vite on top but only because I wanted to see if it will make a difference (and it didn't do a big difference as far as shine is concerned, it made a difference for longevity of the polish).

three coats plus seche vite

The formula is OK. Not thick or watery. Normal.
It looks streaky at first but with every new layer it looks prettier. On the plus side, it dries quickly so adding layers won't be that bad. You will still reach for this polish.
The brush is smaller, just like the bottle but that doesn't affect its performance. It is nice to work with.

With seche vite on top, it lasted for three days.

Ingredients: ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, nitrocellulose, acetyl tributyl citrate, adipic acid/neopentyl glycol/trimelltic anhydride copolymer, isopropyl alcohol, stearalkonium hectorite, citric acid (+/-) mica, polyethylene terephtalate.

My first impression for these polishes is: not bad. I will buy one more (the green shade). Rest of them I'll probably skip since I have versions of those colours in my collection already.

What about you? Seen them? Have any? Would you wear this colour?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007

L'OREAL ELSEVE TOTAL REPAIR 5 hair treatment for damaged hair

I admit. I bought this product because it is so aggressively advertised in Croatia that I really got curious. Maybe, I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't have a 50% off coupon, but since I had it, I took a risk.

Its original price in Croatia is 39,90 kunas (about 4 GBP, $8, 5.50 Euros) and you can find it everywhere (drugstores, regular stores, everywhere). I bought it in DM.

It comes in a 200 ml tube, which is convenient for the shower or the edge of your bathtub. I bought pink version (surprise, surprise) for damaged hair.

It is advertised as a hair treatment for damaged hair but since they advice you to use it after every wash, I think that it is a stronger conditioner.  I don't use it every time I was my hair, just once a week although I do wash my hair a couple of times a week because I have greasy hair. Could I use this one as my only conditioner? ABSOLUTELY YES!

I don't know if you can tell, yet, but...I am pleasantly surprised with this product, and to be honest- I LOVE IT!!! This product is everything that semi di lino diamante mask should have been, but for quarter of a price, even if you buy it for its regular price. If you find it on sale or use a coupon like I did, it is not comparable at all. So much better deal for your money.

This is what company claims:
It is so efficient because of an innovative formula with PRO-KERATINE (a combination of 2 amino acids found in keratine, which repairs the hair fibre and reinforces hair structure so that it regains its strength like new) and CERAMIDE (a patented compound from L'Oreal Laboratories replicates hair's intercellular cement, transforming the hair's surface to an even and smooth condition). 
It is called Total Repair 5 because you solve 5 problems (damage, thinning, split-ends, brittleness and dullness) with only one solution. Your hair will feel stronger, look fuller, look revitalized, have a healthy-looking shine and feel silkier.
Honestly, I agree.

The smell of this product is wonderful! I've gotten so many compliments that it really made me feel special. Not that I am not special all the time, but you know what I mean.
I was walking along the seashore in my summer dress, had freshly washed hair, and people were turning their heads because of this wonderful scent and actually asked me what it was... I swear. It was like a commercial ;). Yesterday, the same thing happened. I don't know. Maybe I am femme fatale this year? Who knows?

My opinion is that this is extremely nice product for the money. It nourishes the hair without leaving it heavy or greasy. And that comes from a person with very greasy hair. My hair can detect any "heavy" products because it will look like it died long time ago but haven't gone to heaven...Naughty hair...

You can't really put too much product on. It is very forgiving. If you do that, just rinse it thoroughly and you will be fine.
It even passed the ultimate test for me: combing out blond, colour treated hair. The comb was going through hair amazingly. No pulling, no damaging. Ughh... I loved it.

You can apply this products from your roots to the ends (I do that) and it won't leave your roots greasy. It is even adviced to do so.

Ingredients: aqua/water, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, quaternium-87, stearyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride, amodimethicone, cetyl esters, CI 19140/YELLOW 5, CI 17200/RED 33, hidroxypropyltrimonium hydrlyzrd wheat protein, hydroxycitronellal sodium hydroxide, arginine, trideceth-6, chlorhexidine digluconate, limonene, candelilla wax, linalool, benzyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, propylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, 2-oleamido-1,3-octadecanediol, caprylyl glycol, serine, cetrimonium chloride, glutamic acid, hexyl cinnamal, glyceryl linoleate, glyceryl oleate, glyceryl linolenate, parfum/fragrance.

My verdict is that this one is for the Try list! 

Which product would you recommend? Will you try this?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

I Need A Refresh-Mint, Wet n Wild megalast nail polish

It seems that to me summer equals turquoise?! My nail polish, the dresses that I wear, my body scrub... Everything. I admit. Blue with all its shades (turquoise included) is one of my favorite colours.

Anyway...this polish, just like E.T. found its way home.

Since we don't have Wet n Wild products in Croatia, I ordered this and some other polishes from nonpareilboutique . I definitely recommend this site. It came quickly but it got broken in the mail. I e-mailed the company, sent them pictures of the broken polish, and they contacted me almost immediately apologizing for any inconvenience that I had, saying that they will send me another polish without any shipping charges for me. The new polish came in about two weeks so I really recommend them.

I paid $1.99 for this polish (it is its usual price in drugstores across America) plus shipping, which was reasonable. I am not sure how much it would be for just one polish because I made a bigger order but I think it is OK.
It always hurts when you know how much things cost in the States but we in Europe are kind of used to it.

Enough talking. Pictures are worth a thousand words...

 I was pleasantly surprised with this polish! $1.99 for a full size 13.5 ml/0.45 fl.oz bottle. You can't beat that.

 The thing I am not too crazy about is the brush. It is just too big or too wide. Yes, it is flexible but when it is bigger than the surface of the nail, well, that is just not good.


It is OK for finger nails but it might be hard to apply polish on your little toe. If a brush pass a little toe test, then it is approved by me. This one didn't do very well. I applied it but had to concentrate too much.

 The consistency of the polish is creamy and covers really well. At the picture above there is just one coat of polish. Yes, I know. AMAZING!!! I didn't even do the second coat. It would look perfect then but I didn't have the time. Partly, because it does dry a little bit longer.

This is also a shiny polish. I didn't apply any top coat and it looks great!
It held up amazingly as well. It lasted for 4-5 days on my hands (and I do a lot of cleaning, washing...), and on my feet it was even better.

The ridges that you can see on my nails are not from the polish. I was getting rid of my gel nails. And honestly, this polish handled that with grace.

So, it is a nice, affordable nail polish. Not as inexpensive if you order it online but nice. The brush I am not crazy about.

What do you think? Like it or not? Have you tried any other megalast polishes?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

ORTIS FERO VITAL Liquid Iron

Hey everyone!

I know. I know. I am not too regular with my posts but hey, it's summer. Yes, not a very good excuse but my brain is taking some time off.

It is a new month, new week and a new day.

I finally decided to write a review for one of the products from my DM haul. 
Perhaps not very attractive topic but I wanted to write my opinion on it. This is going to be a shorter post, not very science based but you'll see how I feel about it.
You probably noticed that I am not writing a lot of makeup related posts. The reason is very simple. I am not wearing a lot of makeup. It is just too HOT! There are some days when I make myself to put on some makeup, because I am a makeup addict, but then...when I get out in the sun and everything starts melting of....then I remind myself that true beauty comes within ;)...

It is liquid iron time!!!

It could be wise to start with all the facts about this product.

It is useful if you tend to be anemic. It is sold in drugstores (I bought it at DM) and you don't need a prescription to buy it. BUT, it is only a supplement. You have to eat well while taking it.
It is a syrup and comes in 250 ml glass bottle. It has a cap with measures on it but I just use my soup spoon to take it. That is recommended dose for adults and children older than 8. You take it before your main meal and there is enough syrup for 25 days.

The colour of the syrup is dark brown and it contains B vitamins (B2 and B6) and folic acid.

Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, contributes to the beauty of your skin, hair and nails. It is also essential for nerves and eyes health. It is present in eggs, cheese, brocula, yogurt...
Vitamin B6 is important for immune system and metabolism. It is present in fish, poultry, bananas, brown rice... If you don't have enough vitamin B6 in your body, that can result with acne and skin inflammations.
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is also important for the beauty of your skin, hair and nails, as well for the health of your blood and nerves. It is present in eggs, fish, leafy green vegetables, green beans...

nutrition values

Ingredients: fructose, apple and plum juice concentrate, blueberry juice, ferrous gluconate, dried large nettle leaf extract (Urtica dioica 16.6 mg/10 ml, riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine-hydrochloride (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12), folic acid, maltodextrin.

And now, me:
It is not that it is a bad product, or it will harm you. No, that is not the case. It will actually help you if you are anemic. In any case, I am not a doctor and would advise you to ask your doctor prior trying this one. On the other hand, it is sold without any prescription so I don't think that it can be harmfull. To be sure- PLEASE, consult your doctor before you start taking it.

I hate the smell and the taste of this one!!! I T  I S  H O R R I B L E!!! It tastes exactly like it is called- liquid iron... It is like you are chewing your keys or some other piece of metal which was priorly soaked in some artificial sugar...and it stays in your mouth for so long. I spilled a little bit into my kitchen sink and it was disgusting. The smell was so strong. You can take it with some juice or water but I don't. I found peace with this one. I take my dose, stop breathing for a while and then drink some herbal tea or coffee to hide both the taste and the smell. I will use it up, but I will also never buy it again. If I'll have to take some iron, I will ask for pills. I am done with this one.

You can find it in DM and it costs about $18/13 Euros/10 GBP.

What do you say? Interested? Not interested?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007