Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Serum

I bought this 30 ml bottle of Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Serum on cheapsmells for about 2 GBP ($3.50, 2.50 Euros). It was on sale and I heard a lot of good things about Aveeno from American and UK bloggers and youtubers. Naturally, I had to try it.

Aveeno is a Johson&Johnson brand with naturally active ingredients specifically formulated to reveal natural, healthy, beautiful skin.

This serum is supposed to hydrate your skin leaving it looking younger (if your skin is more mature) or postpone its ageing (if you are just starting your battle against wrinkles and fine lines).

 Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Serum, with natural Shitake mushroom- long believed to grant vigor and enhance vitality- works with your skin's unique chemistry to fight the signs of ageing. This concentrate of active ingredients adapts to your skin to enhance natural cell renewal process, replenishing surface cells faster so your skin looks and feels younger. It's proven to visibly increase skin firmness and reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks, leaving your skin immediately softer, smoother and more vibrant. Silky fluid texture. Fast absorbing, Non-comedogenic. Oil Free. Formulated to minimise the risk of allergies, even for sensitive skin. Dermatologist tested.

I agree wth the claims that it is oil free, silky fluid textured and fast absorbing. It will not crumb on you if you apply makeup after it. But I didn't like the smell of it at all. It was overpowering, too floral, mixed with chemicals...it didn't seem natural at all for me, plus- It stays on your skin and hands quite long.

I used this serum for about month and a half (in the morning and in the evening) and didn't see a huge difference on my skin. It has a pump on top and one or one and a half pump is enough for your whole face and neck, because it is so fluid textured. I don't have wrinkles but it didn't affect my pores a bit, and it didn't tighten my skin or made it dramatically smoother or softer. If I had such poor results with so little signs of ageing, I don't think that someone with more mature skin would have dramatically different or breathtaking results.
It did hydrate my skin but it wouldn't be able to cope with winter by itself (and I have oily skin, so for dry skin's it would be almost like they are not applying anything). It must be followed with a cream. I used it up but with day and night creams in the end.
I wouldn't recommend this product or buy it again!

Ingredients:
Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vynil Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, PPG-10 Cetyl Ether, Steareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrolized Wheat Gluten, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Mucor Miehei Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Algae Extract, Myristyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Calcium Chloride, Silica, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Pentaerythrytil Tetra di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Sodium Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Propylparaben, Sodium Ethylparaben, Parfum.

I am not an expert for the ingredients but these don't seem so natural for me?!
In my opinion, ignore this serum because it is not ageless or hydrating enough.

Have you tried this serum or anything else from Aveeno?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007

I've been busy....(my finished products for January 2013).

The month of January was very productive for me as you will see. My bag with used up products is filled with lots of little and big containers. They come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. I don't discriminate them :).

I divided them into groups by brand and their purpose.

and there are many

I'll start with Macadamia.

I recently published my post about Macadamia products that I have and tried - here.
And the products that are in my "finished" bag are Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo for dry or damaged hair. I wasn't impressed with this one and wouldn't recommend it, but let me explain two bottles of it. I ordered this shampoo on cheapsmells and when it came it was slightly opened so most of the product got spilled. I contacted them and told them about it, and immediately they sent me a new one (on their expense), no questions asked. That was a wonderful experience and I appreciate it!
The second product from the line was Macadamia Natural Oil Moisturizing Rinse- daily conditioning for all hair types. This wasn't a favorite of mine, either. It wasn't horrible but I expected more, especially for the price. I wouldn't buy this shampoo or conditioner again.
And the last product was Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque. This was a whole different story. I love this mask and would buy it again. In fact, I already bought a new pot. You can have your opinion on these products because of the fact that they are called Macadamia but Macadamia isn't their only and main ingredient, but the fact is that this is a good product!

just wanted to prove that they are empty

 Next are DM products. I am always amazed how good some of them work for the price.

Balea- Trend it up dry shampoo. I will not go into details because it is going to get its own review. I am all into dry shampoos right now and am making a list of best and worse that I have tried. I will just say that you don't have to run to DM yet ;).
Balea dry shampoo (the blue one) that I reviewed- here- was one of them. I didn't like it and wouldn't buy it again.
Balea toner with lotus extract for normal and combination skin also got its review. I liked it a lot and would buy it again. It cleansed well, wasn't too agressive for my skin, it is easy to find and wallet friendly. I do recommend it.
I also tried Balea anti-age face mask. I was feeling a bit dry, well my skin was, so I decided to go with a more nourishing anti-age face mask. I will review it because I am in a process of testing out several masks from Balea.
And the last DM product is Ebelin nail polish remover with flower scent which is made to remove even dark and glittery polishes. It works surprisingly well, I even use it for removing shellac with a little help of cotton pads and aluminum foil. They repackaged it but they still have it. I would buy it again and recommend it.

And then there is Lush. Both of the papers are from Lush- Christmas eve bubble bars. I love that bubble bath! It is my favorite from all of their bubble baths. I have many of them in stock since I bought them like there was no tomorrow during the 50% off sale. You can't find it in stock, anymore, but it will be available next year. It is a part of their Christmas line every year and to make the wait a little more bearable, you can read my review on it- here.

I've added the Avon- Winter rose bubble bath to this group. It was a limited edition for Christmas but they usually have it in their later catalouges until they sell it all out. This wasn't anything new or breathtaking but, in my opinion, it was the best bubble bath from their Christmas line this year. If you are interested in the ingredients, scent or my overall opinion, you can read it here.

Among products for face and body care are Elizabeth Arden, Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules. I already wrote about them but to summed it up, I LOVE THEM! They are nourishing, don't leave a greasy residue on the eyes even though they have an oily consistency. I will take a break after I use up my third container, only because I love to change up products, but they will definitely find their way back to me.
Cera di Cupra- bianca cream for normal and greasy skin is another product that I used for a long period of time. It has its review so I will not go in depth but it is an interesting product. It does help your skin to stay nourished and healthy but it has a very thick consistency so I am not sure how would girls with greasy skin like it.
Then, after a long time I tried a product that reminded me of my childhood. It comes in a small pot/container which I don't usually like but I've gone through this one so fast that I don't think any germs heard about that small container. I loved it!!! It doesn't contain parabens, it makes skin smooth and soft like a baby's skin, and did I say already that I love it? And if you are still wondering what I am talking about- NIVEA SOFT cream. It is an all in one cream for face, body and hands. I used it on my body and hands only and it did wonders.
And the last product from this group is Positively ageless rejuvenating serum from Aveeno.I wanted to try something from Aveeno because so many girls talk about it. I found a good deal on cheapsmells and went for it. I am going to write a separate post about it.

I almost forgot L'oreal Perfect Clean Foaming Gentle Scrub. I wrote about it a couple of months ago and it is done now. Hm? This isn't a bad product but it is not a must have either...I like the concept with this rubbery brush, it cleans nicely but wasn't blown away by it. I wouldn't buy it again. And just a small advice, every now and then clean the rubbery brush with alcohol. This is a lot od product and it will last you a long time so to avoid unwanted pimples, keep it clean.

And in the last group are makeup products. To be exact, two mascaras and a lip gloss. Maybelline One by One mascara which is one of my favorite mascaras. It seems to me that I bought it hundred times and I will probably buy it a hundred times more. It makes my lashes perfect, it doesn't smudge, it is easy to find and quite affordable.
COLLECTION 2000 VOLUMAX mascara is another product that I was interested in because English beauty bloggers talk a lot about this brand. This mascara is old school. Not too wide or narrow brush, not rubbery, very pigmented but in such a poor packaging. I ordered it online for about 2 GBP but it comes in a rubbery tube that broke the first time I used it just by closing the lid. Naturally, air came inside, mascara went bad so quickly that I haven't had a chance to form an opinion about it, but I wouldn't buy it again.
And in the very end of this post, there is a Chanel lip gloss- glossimer in the colour number 65. It doesn't look like it is used up but it is on its last legs. I would be using it more but during my scraping for the leftovers of this gloss the stick broke so the applicator stayed in the tube. Don't be mad. This gloss is very old, was in my pocket during many winters and summers so it is not strange that that happened. I got many compliments when I wore it.

Those are my finished products. What are yours?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

I am not affiliated with cheapsmells or any brand that I mentioned. I buy all these products by myself, or they were given to me by friends and family.
A lot of products were already reviewed and many of them will get its post. That is because I think that used up products are great to review because you obviously know how they worked for you.
Thank you for reading!

CERA DI CUPRA BIANCA- for normal and greasy skin

I bought this cream on a sale when I was on a hunt for something more natural and less expensive. When I saw this small bee I immediately thought that that was it. I don't know why, but it seemed more serious and healthier because of that bee?! Does that make sense to you? The next moment it was already in my bag on our way home...

source

I usually don't use pictures from the internet but since my tube looks like this....

....I ended up breaking my own practice.

I am aware that this is a sad sight but look at it on a bright side- I used up the whole 75 ml tube. It will make its appearance in my "I've been busy section" for January so I decided to write a short post about it.

This is how it is advertised:
It takes care of your skin and protects it with virgin beeswax.
Smog, wind and sun can cause serious damage on your skin so it is crucial to provide enough protection and moisture for your skin. Cera di Cupra white cream deeply nourishes and protects it.

It is available in two versions: Rosa- for dry skin and Bianca- for normal and greasy skin. You can find face soap, makeup wipes, hand cream, body lotion and lip balm from the same line. 
They also suggest to try other products from their lines for mature and young skin. I am putting pictures below.

list of products for mature skin

list of their products for young skin

 As I already said, this cream comes in a large 75 ml tube. I started using mine in July and it lasted me for 5 months. Quite long, I know. First I was using it evenings and mornings, then in September I started using another product in hope that it will tighten my pores but it wasn't moisturizing enough on its own, so after a shorter period of time, I decided to go back to this cream. I used it in the evening.

To make things clear, this is a nourishing cream. It has thick consistency and is very rich. I didn't expect anything. I haven't heard or read about it prior to buying it, but the thickness and richness were surprising to me since it was ment for oily skin. Since I started using it in the middle of summer, you can imagine my surprise...

 It smells like a baby powder, or some kind of cream for baby's butt (and I mean that in a good way, when it is washed), and the texture is also like that- thick. If you don't like the smell of baby powder or cosmetics made for babies, stay away from this one because the smell is strong and it stays on your skin for a while.
The first time I tried it I was stunned, rolled my eyes and thought that I made a mistake and took the one for dry skin but the tube clearly said normal and oily. I had a BIG QUESTION MARK above my head? But I was on a holiday and didn't want to look for an alternative so I went ahead and used it.
To explain the situation... That day was very hot and sunny. I went to the seaside for a longer weekend and stayed in the sun a bit too long. That resulted with me getting a little sunburned (not a lot, but my skin was a bit red), then after a shower my skin felt dry and uncomfortable. I used my Cera di Cupra and immediately I felt relieved. It surprised me but you really do have a feeling that it is doing its thing.

This cream is thick and heavy but it absorbs into the skin surprisingly well. If you put a little too much on your face, just pick up the extra cream with a paper towel or handkerchief.
But with that said, I think that most girls and women with oily skin won't like the consistency of it.

And now you are probably wondering would I buy it again and my answer is- maybe. I liked that it was mild, calming and nourishing for my skin, but it is so thick that it scares me. When you have oily skin it is frightening to use heavy and thick creams. I can't help it...

If you are interested in this cream you can find it in DM for about 27 kunas (2.70 GBP/$5.50/3.30 Euros).

What do you say? Would you try it?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

LOVE LUSH: Dragon's Egg bath bomb

Another Lush section on my blog. What can I say? Get used to them because I got a little crazy during their sale so there are many more products for me to write a review on. It's funny but this one isn't one of them. This I got as a present. I don't usually buy bath bombs myself.

Lush, Dragon's Egg bath bomb

This is how LUSH in United Kingdom describes it:

Run yourself the perfect temperature bath and get in. Take a moment to let go of the world outside your bathroom before launching your ballistic into the water and watching it fizz away.

Like an everlasting gobstopper, this ballistic keeps on revealing layer upon layer of surprises. It gives up its gifts in an unfolding drama, leaving you in a bath of molten gold. Along the way you will experience a firework display of colour, a fiery crackle of popping candy, a swirling landscape of creamy foam and a drift of paper dragon scales.

And this is how Americans feel about it:

Unleash fire and bathe in a whirlpool of magnificently vibrant, sizzling color and a spectacular explosion of sights, sounds, and scents. Inhale the refreshing sherbet-y citrus scent of lemon and bergamot; you'll feel like you're up and away on the back of your own dragon. This mystical Bath Bomb fizzles, crackles, curls, and ends with a glitter explosion. Citrus oils are known for their invigorating effect on the mind, and Dragon's Egg is no exception! Drop one of these into the bath for a serious wake-up call on groggy mornings, or before an evening out.

Features

• Release the beast: For days when you feel like a dragon and need to let off some steam.
• Sensational: A spectacular bath time experience for all of your senses.
• Cheery citrus: Lemon oil has an uplifting aroma and is toning and refreshing for the skin.

Croatian Lush describes it in a more story telling way... I don't know? I thought  that was interesting.

It really has a lot of colours inside, and gold glitter too.

As you can see, I even sliced one in half for you ;).

Even in the water you will be able to see it, not like a glitter bomb exploded, but you will see it.

The concept is the same as with all the other bath bombs. You just put it in your bathtub when it fills with water. Don't expect rich foam because bath bombs will just colour your water with many colours, be loud for a while...and that is about it.

They won't make your skin dry (at least mine they don't) like some of their soaps can.

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Fizzy Candy, Perfume, Tartaric acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Citrus limonum, Citrus aurantium bergamia, Jasminum grandiflorum, Cocamide DEA, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Gardenia jasminoides, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Polyethylene terephtalate, golden glitter, Rice paper

The smell of it is its best feature if you ask me. It smells amazing and it will fill your whole house (if you don't live in a mansion). It smells clean and fresh.

But...for me, if I am taking a bath I love rich and luxurious foam which I don't get with any bath bombs (Lush or other).

It is also very expensive in Croatia, it costs 44 kunas for 100 grams of product (one bomb), which is about 4.40 GBP (in Britain it costs 3.20 GBP), $8 (in America it is $6.25), 6 Euros (in Germany 5.45 Euros, in Austria 5.95 Euros as in France), so as you can see the price varies. In most of Europe they are expensive for just one bath, which is a minus in my opinion. With bubble bars (which also aren't cheap), at least  you get several baths if you cut them in smaller pieces.

That is it from me for this time.

How do you like bath bombs? Lush in general?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

I am not affiliated with lush in any way. All the products were bought by myself or given to me from my friends and family.

CHANEL- Rouge Allure Pure Shine lip gloss, 56 IMAGINAIRE

Imagine....this little guy has been everywhere with me since I got it. It laughs with me, goes out with my friends, kisses my love, it is literally- everywhere! I love it!

I am ashamed to admit that this wasn't one of my finds. I saw it on a friend of mine and thought, Oh...I wish that he was with me?! Thankfully, it was just a lip gloss so no one got hurt. I was admiring it so much that she wanted to buy it for me as a Christmas present but it wasn't available until 2013 (it was, but it was sold out in Croatia, which leads me to conclusion that somewhere are women like me crazy about this one; fellow groupies hello!!!).

It is expensive but hey, it's Chanel?! Not that that is an excuse... It will cost you 240 kunas in Croatia (about 24 GBP/$42/31 Euros). I of course didn't pay that much for it because it was on sale plus I had a coupon, so in the end the price was more reasonable for someone like me who just can't pay the full price...
The packaging is very simple but chic. Sturdy, black, glass container with a small chanel sign and gold top with their logo. Ugh...I know it's shallow but it is like a weapon when I pull it out of my purse- in a good, feminine way.

It is shorter and wider than their glossimers. The amount of product that you get is also different- 8g/0.28 oz in Rouge Allure version, and 5,5 g/0.16 oz in Glossimers. The price, naturally is also different- 24 GBP/$42/31 Euros for Allure, and 20.40 GBP/$37/26 Euros.

Chanel Rouge Allure lip glosses are marketed almost like shiny lipsticks. They should be pigmented, shiny and long lasting. The colour I chose is not the most vibrant so I can't say that they are crazy pigmented. In fact, one could say that it is dull, but belive me, so many people will notice it, it surprised me, too.
It has a smooth and rich consistency, but it is not goopy or too sticky. Yes, your hair can get stuck on your lips but not as much like with so many other glosses.
Its longevity is good but hey, it's a lip gloss, so don't expect more than 2-3 hours, depending on how much you drink, eat, talk, kiss?! I LOVE IT!!!

This is how it looks on my lips. The photo is blurry, I apologize.

It has a very soft sponge tip applicator.

It is molded on both sides so that your lips can be closed while applied.

For me, there is something so special about this lip gloss?! Its scent- smells like makeup but in a modern way with just a twist of Coco Chanel? Its colour which is nude-pink-coral at the same time, wakening that small girl in me but still letting her to be a young woman?! On my friend it seemed a bit glittery but I didn't notice that on myself.

I almost forgot to post the ingredients.

To conclude:
this is a great and shiny lip gloss; the colour doesn't seem vibrant but it makes a huge difference;It is expensive so I suggest to find a coupon or sale when you are buying it; the scent is mild and I don't think it will bother a lot of women; longlasting?- not bad for a lip gloss but MAX 3 hours; and the last question- would I buy it again- Y E S!!!!!!

What is your verdict?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007