[Review] Lioele Petit BonBon Lip Balm

Hello people,

I am here today with a new review, this time about Lioele's Petit BonBon Lip Balm which I purchased a few weeks ago. I desperately needed a lip balm, and I thought this one would be nice to have.

This lip balm has 3 different flavours,  Cherry Bonbon, Pink Bonbon, and Honey Salve. Personally I own the last one which is also the most moisturizing from what I have read and it doesn't contain any colour, while the other two leave a slight pinkish colour on the lips.

Ingredients (taken from prettyandcute.com): Cherry Bonbon: Moisture type with minimized stickiness- turns your lips into cherry-like lively lips!

The cherry red color helps your lip makeup expression anytime, anywhere, and turns your lips into glossy looking moisturized lips.

Also gives a sweet cherry scent.

Pink Bonbon: Highly moisturized rich type- to make your lips more pink and glossy just like a candy.
The transparent pink tint gives lovely pink expression just like candy-coated, younger-looking lips.

Contains grapefruit scent that adds more candy-like sweetness.

Honey Salve: Highly moisturized ultra rich type- make it through all 4 seasons with this one and only honey salve! Gives healing effect and moisture to dry, unpolished lips with the use of honey extract and Centella Asiatic extract. Great absorption and added moisture helps with the long duration of moisture.

It contains 13g of lip balm and it costs around 9.99$ (~ 7euros) which I find an extreme price for just a lip balm. Personally, I entered an auction on Ebay and I purchased it for only 3.50$ (~2.40euros) which I find a more reasonable price for a product like that.

The balm itself is very nice, it smells something between honey, coconut and vanilla and it is highly moisturizing. It doesn't get sticky after some time like others I have tried and it gives a nice glow to the lips. Actually, after the 3rd time I applied it, I noticed that my lips were a lot softer than usual. Fortunately my lips don't chap easily but still I experienced a very unusual softness which surprised me in a good way.

All in all this is a very nice lip balm, and I think everyone should have it. The only downhills for me are the price and the container. The price for obvious reasons, and the container because...I dunno, I don't particularly like containers with lids, especially for products that contain oils, like lip balms, hand creams, creams in general...I have to stick my finger in it and this is not a problem because I am worried about germs (I dun even care xD) but cause I would prefer not to involve my fingers with any of this. I prefer lip balms in stick form, it is used more easily and you don't have to use your finger to apply the product. Maybe I am just weird or something. 

I hope I have covered everything, if you still have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment ^___^

[Review] Avene Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser + Cleanance Lotion

Hello all,

I am here today with yet another review on two product which are loved not only by me, but by a lot of my friends too. I am talking about Avene's Cleanance Gel and its moisturizing lotion. (I used to use the product a lot in the past, but not anymore so the pictures I will post are from the web.)

The reason why I decided to make a review about this product even though I don't use it anymore, is because I still believe it is an excellent product, although not suitable for my skin and I will explain why. Let me tell you a brief story: When I was in puberty, I suddenly started having huge pimples on my face, and I am talking about huge red spots which were painful sometimes. Also my skin was and still is oily, even though I guess it was worse back then cause I used to eat a lot of unhealthy stuff. I came to the conclusion by myself that I had acne and and I purchaced this gel and its lotion. The two of them worked really well and I had no problems, I felt my skin being so purified and fresh, I never had this feeling before. But for some reason, even though the old pimples started to fade away, I noticed that new ones were always there every day. 

After some months of research, I realized that I was actually harming my skin. Not in a bad sense, but still, I wasn't doing any good at all. Thing is that although Avene says this product is meant for oily/acne prone skin because it controls excess sebum and gives lasting mattifying effect, my phramacologist insisted that this product was particularly made for heavy cases of acne. What I had, was not acne, was just puberty. Later on I noticed that those friends of mine that used the same cleanser had giant pimples all over their faces all the time, I only experienced a couple of huge breakouts once in a month when I was expecting period or when I had eaten something really bad - which I didn't realize I had. My pharmacologist was right, I shouldn't use that product line. After thinking seriously about it I realized that this gel was cleaning my face so deeply that I felt like I was a pot which hadn't been watered for a week. I liked that effect the first 20 times because I hate when my face is oily and shiny, but after a while I noticed I had new pimples because my skin was overly dried and because I was a fool not to use a good moisturizer every time (yeah I thought that adding moisturizer would make my skin oily again, which was something I wanted to avoid, jokes on me).

So, I stopped using it and I experimented with other stuff which were not that "violent". This product though kept working for my friends who had REAL acne and now all of them look a lot better. I do not say that this product is not good, in fact it's excellent, I am just saying that it wasn't suitable for my skin.

Now on the rest of the info, the gel has a clear blue colour and smells "cleaness", I don't know how else to describe it (hehe). It forms a good deal of foam and doesn't contain any soap which is good. It certainly leaves the skin matt and clean. It is not expensive, considering it's a high brand product, it costs 11 euros (~13$) for 200ml - here in Greece at least. The lotion has kinda the same smell, its consistence is watery and light and leaves a really mattifying effect which most of you will love. It contains 40ml and I think it costed me 8euros (~11$) - although I am not sure so don't count on that, but I doubt it costed more. The combined treatment leaves a fresh feeling and a mattifying effect on the skin which lasts.

Concluding this review, I would like to mark something: Please avoid deciding on your own for the type of your skin, for the plain reason that you might harm it. It is better to arrange an appointment with a dermatologist and talk about the problems you face, he knows better than you and he could help you get rid of any problem you might have. Always, ALWAYS, use a moisturizer after cleaning your face and never neglect sudden breakouts, pay attention to your skin's reactions and this will make your life easier.

All in all I would recommend this product ONLY for severe cases of acne and uber-oily skin. Those of you who have "normal"-oily skin is better to try something less "violent", a bit more gentle so that you can use it on an everyday basis without problems.

I hope I have helped with my review. For any further questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment down below   ^___^

[Review] Avon Naturals: Superfruit Souffle (Hair Mask) | (Acai Berry & Shea Oil)

Hello dear beauty junkies,

I am here today with yet another review. This time I am gonna talk about a hair mask by Avon, the Superfruit Souffle.

As you are gonna learn from this blog, I love my hair so much, and I do everything to keep it healthy and shinny. I am totally obsessed with hair products, especially those which help my hair retain a smooth and silky condition.

Now, I bought this mask some months ago, and because I was running out of it, I thought that maybe I should do a review and take photos before there is no product left in the container (haha). The mask comes in a plastic container of 125ml, with a lid and it is compact enough for you to carry it in one of your bags if you'll need a hair mask while travelling or something like that. The product itself has a pleasant berry smell, it has a light purple colour and its texture is something between a smoothie and gel and it is recommended for all hair types (something which I find suspicious every time).

One reason that I avoid buying products recommended for all hair types is exactly that thing. Not everyone has the same needs, so something which is made for everyone isn't gonna be really good for almost anyone. I admit I bought this out of sheer curiosity, and simply because it was on a ridiculous offer (I bought it for only 1euro/ ~2$) so I gave it a try.

Things went as I expected, to be honest, I used this a lot of times and I still do, but the thing is I didn't see any improvement on my hair. Masks are supposed to have all the ingredients in a more concentrated form, to provide the hair with a bomb of nutrients and leave the hair really hydrated and silky. This one wasn't like that though :( After applying it, I left it 5' as it was recommended and I rinsed my hair. When my hair was dry, I noticed it was tangly, the ends were dehydrated and not soft at all. Even a conditioner did a better job than that. The next time I left the mask stay for a good 20' and I noticed the condition of my hair was better than the previous time, but still not as expected. The third time, I tried mixing it with conditioner and left it again for 20'. This time I saw a lot of improvement, but I concluded that this mask doesn't do any job at all. 

At this point I think it's wise to say that my hair doesn't need a lot of care, since I don't damage it with styling tools, I eat healthy and I apply hair masks (even home made too) at least 3 times per week. Still, this mask isn't doing anything.

Now a weird fact: I gave the same mask to my sister to try it out. She has really damaged hair (she is using a straightener every day and she doesn't really give a damn about her hair), the hairs are also fine and dry. After she used it she said that this mask is super awesome (you should've seen my face when I heard that) and that she would use it every day cause it's great. I was rolling my eyes for a week after that, cause really I still believe this mask is a total waste of money (no matter how much it costs). BUT, people with too dry or too damaged hair may find this mask a good solution for everyday hair care. The container says you only have to leave it for 5', so I guess this is a good way to have some daily extra hair care without waiting too much for it. Personally, I wouldn't recommend buying this mask, but since its super cheap, if you have really dry and damaged hair, you can purchase it and use it everyday for a quick rejuvenation.

I hope I have covered everything but if you still got any questions, feel free to leave a comment below  ^_^

[Review] Seventeen Lipstick Special (+Long Stay Lip Shaper)

Hello,

Here I am again with another review, this time with my all time favourite lipstick, by Seventeen. I normally don't wear lipsticks because, even though my lips are not dry, I feel them dry every time I use lipsticks. I prefer lipglosses to be honest so I only own two lipsticks, the one of them being the particular Lipstick Special which I adore.

I got that one as a gift long ago, and I didn't stop to use it because it is such a good product. It is moisturizing so it doesn't dry out my lips even if I use a lip shaper underneath it.  The company claims that it is:

An ultra-moisturizing lipstick that offers lips superior coverage.

• Lipstick Special combines both color and care, leaving attractive, luscious-looking lips
• With lanolin and other moisturizing ingredients, that offer lips a silky-smooth texture, while keeping them superbly moisturized
• Protects lips, while at the same time providing rich, vibrant color
• In a wide range of colors that is constantly renewed, to meet the needs of all women

It is true, this lipstick is very silky and moisturizing. The official web page of seventeen gives the whole range of the available colours, which is a really big list in my opinion, so if you love lipsticks you are gonna have a hard time picking just one. Even I find that hard, even though I don't wear lipsticks :D You can find the sample list here.

I own number 243 Rose Petal. It is a really nice, almost nude colour (for those with light coloured lips). I would say it looks nudy with a hint of rosiness inside, which is great, because I feel that totally nude lipsticks tend to show rosy lips a bit "dead". This is ideal for fair skins and rosy lips. Darker skins with darker lips could avoid it since I don't think it would show good on them, but since the colour is fairly neutral, I believe you could mix it with other colours to tone them down a bit. It is creamy and well blendable as well as buildable ( although this particular colour looks great even with one light layer).

                           It looks a bit dark above, sorry, camera doesn't want to take good pics >.>

This is how it looks on my hand, as you can see it's a very neutral colour with peachy/rosy undertones.

Personally I use my lipstic along with a lip shaper (from the same brand) named Longstay Lip Shaper because I want my colour to stay on longer.

An ultra-smooth lip pencil, available in an extremely wide range of colors, that will surely bring a smile to your lips!

• A soft kajal-type lip pencil, extremely long-wearing, that enables you to perfectly define and shape your lips
• Consistent color that won’t break down and settle into the vertical lines around the lips
• Specially designed formula. Glides on easily, without causing any irritation
• Available in a wide range of colors, to match all colors existing in lipstick and lip gloss

 Nonetheless, I would recommend people with dry lips to avoid wearing this with the lip shaper, because the moisturizing effects of the product can't penetrate the lip shaper so much. I don't have any problems about it because my lips aren't dry at all, but even so I can feel that the moisturizing effect is bigger when I wear this lipstick by itself.

Here you can see the lipstick colour as well as the colour of the two lip shapers I own. The product is called Longstay Lip Shaper, and these are colours #22 Rose Bud (lighter colour nect to lipstick) and #23 Berry (the darker one). You can see the whole colour list here . Now you might think that #23 is a bit dark for naturally rosy lips, I wouldn't say so, because once you apply the lipstick on top the colour blends and becomes lighter with a nice berry undertone. #22 gives the perfect everyday natural look that one is seeking, the two colours blend with each other so well that your lips look really natural and nourished. I easily wear my lipstick with the darker lip shaper in the moring too, because as I said the colour is not overwhelming at all.

I am afraid that I won't be able to give you any price for the products, since they were gifts, and to be honest, I never searched in drugstores to see how much they cost, simply because I do not use them on daily basis and therefore I can totally live without them :D I prefer looking for skin/hair care products ^_^

All in all I would say fro my experience that even though Seventeen cosmetics are a bit expensive (at least for me), these ones are really good products, and I would gladly repurchase them in the future, if not the lip shapers, then definitely the lipstick. They worth their money for sure!

I hope I covered everything but if you still have any questions do not hesitate to leave a comment bellow                     ^__^

[Review] Avon Advance Techniques: Dry Ends Serum

Hello people,

I am very excited to make my first review and it is gonna be on one of my new favourite things, the Dry Ends Serum by Avon. I purchased it only one week ago, but it's the first time I feel super happy about a hair product, so I thought it would be nice to make a review about it.

I have super long hair and the bad thing is that most of the times, long hair tend to get dry ends, mostly because the length doesn't allow the moisture to go all the way down from the roots. The ends become dry and it is very common that they split too. Fortunately I don't have split ends, at least not so many as to be considered a big problem, but still I like my ends to be silky because sometimes the frizz and they annoy me >.<

So, this time I thought it would be a good idea to give this serum a try, since it was on offer anyways. And it was a wise decision indeed  :D

 The package is really nice, looks very professional (not that it matters to me, just saying), and it is really good in terms of quality. The container is made out of thick glass, very durable, and comes with a pump which is easily controlable. It doesn't give out much product too, so the control level is really high. It contains 30ml and I bought it for only 5,95 euros (~ 7$) which I think is a really good price for a serum.

On the box it says that "it instantly smoothes dry ends and nourishes hair. Helps control fizz, leaving hair soft, silky and shiny". Which is actually exactly what it does. I used it 4 times till now, and I was amazed by the results. I wouldn't say that my ends are damaged, but still this serum makes them sooooo soft and I can feel it even after two days without washing my hair, which is great. As far as the fizz is considered, I have layers on my hair which makes ends fizz naturally since for some weird reason my hair get slightly curly at the end. Not bad, I look like I do stuff to my hair when I am actually too lazy to do anything but brush them and go xD. The ends are not fizzing after the serum application, they curl again naturally but the curls are more "fixed" and neat.

Application: Massage a few drops onto wet or dry hair (says the package). Do not rinse. Style as usual. Personally I never tried it on dry hair so far, because for some reason it doesnt feel right. As I said my hair is healthy enough, so I only apply it on wet hair and then blow dry as usual. And this is the way I would recommend  to everyone. Now, if your hair is really damaged and you need extra care, I guess you could use it on dry hair, but I don't know how it works that way, so I can't tell. I feel that hair absorb stuff better after it is washed and clean and wet. Depending on how thick your hair is, you adjust the quantity. I use quite a lot (i.e at least 6 pumps) cause my hair is really thick and long. Its consistency is watery and light, but don't get fooled, it does a really good job. It feels like water with dissolved silicone or gelatin inside, if I could describe it like that. It has a pleasant smell, something like a light perfume, so it makes hair smell great, but it is not overwhelming either.

All in all, I think that this is one of the best hair products I have ever purchased; and I tell you, I am really picky as far as hair products is concerned, especially on the effects they have on my hair. I would recommend that for all hair types (actually that's what the package says aswell) since you only use it on the ends. It is really affordable and it does what it promises, so it worths its money, for sure.

I hope I have covered everything but if you still have questions, don't hesitate to post your comment below ^__^

Getting started!

Hello everyone!

  Recently, I had to search for plenty of reviews due to the fact that I decided to start buying cosmetics through the internet, which is pretty convenient if you ask me, especially if you know what colours look good on you and you are lazy to go out shopping. Plus they are cheaper :D
  Thing is I was kinda disappointed when I couldn't find reviews for some of the products I wanted, or the ones I found where poor and didn't offer much of information. So I decided to create a blog and start reviewing the products I own, so as to help people who might be interested in those. I hope I can keep up with my blog since I am kinda busy, but thankfully summer is coming, so I will probably have more time ^__^.
  My name is Christina, I live in Greece and I love cosmetics, like every girl I suppose. I am not a professional makeup artist, but I could be one I guess, I love creating new styles and eye shadows are my passion. I hope that through my blog I won't only help you make the best decisions upon the products which you would like to buy, but also make you see that you can have the most out of certain products without spending a fortune on them. Cause let's face it, some cosmetics are really expensive. I will also provide alternatives so that you can have the effect you seek for less money.
  The information I am gonna provide about the products will include: name, brand, price, package, texture, skin type compactibility and personal experience.
  I would like to state that I won't be buying anything just for the sake of the review, simply because when I see that happening in other blogs and youtube videos, I immediately think that either these people can't get nough or they have too much money to spend. The products I will be reviewing will not be sponsored, all of them are things I bought with my own money and I have used long enough to see if they are useful or not. The opinion about them will be 100% personal, but I am gonna give tips and information so that you can easily decide if something is suitable for you.
  So, that is for now, I can't wait to start reviewing, and I hope I will be back this week with my first review! Stay tuned :)