L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Blackbuster

You know I'm on the hunt for perfect pen eyeliner so it is no surprise that I tried this one as well. It came in my Deauty box and I was very happy to see it and have a chance to test it (Deauty box: subscription service where you receive 5 deluxe or full size products for 15€, usually new brands or products, products’ value is usually well above 30€).

 

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Blackbuster

Price: it costs 12-17€, depends where you buy it but it sold in any drugstore. I think it is very expensive for the drugstore brand, in my opinion it should be less than 7€. L’Oreal has been increasing prices past few years, and it came to the point where I actually started switching to Sephora brand or other brands at the same price point but in higher quality (something to think about, L’Oreal!).

Colour: very rich black colour

Application: I'm used to using eyeliners especially in pen format but I still had little bit of difficulties at first since the tip is quite thick. I had to really pay attention at inner part of the eye where I wanted to have it thin. The rest of the line went well at first try as I usually wear thick eyeliner on most of the eyes ('60s style). All in all, after few tries I managed to make a line I liked and wasn't intimidated by its thick applicator.

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Blackbuster

Longevity: here comes the trouble. First I applied it before the final step – a fixing spray and it was a huge mistake. Even though the eyeliner dries after the application, it becomes quickly wet again after the fixing liquid hits it and it transfers significantly to the upper part of the lid (I have slightly hooded eyes). I decided to apply the eyeliner after fixing my makeup to avoid this transfer. It didn’t transferred immediately, it worked quite well almost all day, it kept its rich black colour, but I noticed in the late afternoon that there was a light grey line on the upper lid. So if you have oily lids, your lids sweat during the summer or you use very light eyeshadows on upper lid I would avoid using this eyeliner. 

Final verdict: the fact that it transfers on my upper lid makes it unusable for me right now. I can’t decide whether to keep it till September/October when it gets colder outside to try it again or just give it up and throw it away. It is a liquid product so from hygienic point of view I shouldn’t keep it for another 2 months and rather throw it away…yeah, it’s going to garbage.

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann

I mentioned in my cleansing gadgets review that I was using Olay Pro X brush to clean my face till I discovered something else. Voila, this is it, the best cleansing tool ever! I've been using Konjac sponge for few weeks and I love it.

Price: I bought mine in DI drugstore in Belgium for 6,25 €. You can buy similar sponge in US Sephora for 18$ (Boscia brand). I haven’t seen it in French Sephora or in DM drugstore in Germany yet but I hope it will be more available soon.

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (dry)

What it promises:

• cleans pores by removing black heads, impurities and sebum 
• fight acne 
• hydrate your skin natural way 
• has exfoliating effect, skin becomes brighter and smoother 
• balances your skin’s PH 
• ideal for hypersensitive skins 

Application (according to the packaging): soak sponge in water for 3-5 minutes until soft, squeeze to remove extra water and massage your face and body. It can be used with or without cleanser. After the application, cleanse the sponge and let it dry in fresh place. 

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (wet)

Texture: it has very interesting texture. It says it is 100% vegetal fibre, made from Konjac roots. I don't know how the Konjac feels like but to the touch it doesn't feel natural (like a plant). It feels like very soft plastic (however it was comfortable to use). It has sponge consistency, soaks water well and foams a cleanser up without problem. According to different information on internet, one sponge should last for 1-5 months depends on frequency of use.

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (dry) compared to deluxe TARTE blush sample

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (wet) compared to deluxe TARTE blush sample

My experience: I used it as advised on the packaging. It took about 3 minutes to soak the water and grow few centimetres. As you can see on the picture, I compared it to deluxe size of a TARTE blush (about 6 cm long) dry and then wet (after I squeezed some water out of it). I used it with my cleanser and I massaged it over my face. After the application I cleaned the sponge and to my surprise, it actually took quite a long time to dry.

My skin looked very clean: no black heads, clean pores, smooth skin and at the same time it didn't scratch or dry my face at all. Magic!

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (wet)

Final verdict: I use it almost every day and I really like it. It almost completely replaced my Olay Pro X brush which I use occasionally, few times a month now. Although it is not the cheapest gadget if you need to replace it every 1-2 months I'll definitely continue to use it.

Garnier SummerBody moisturising lotion sun-kissed look

I started last week with the review of Dove Summer glow cream and I have another similar product review today. Since I see these light self-tanners quite often in our drugstore I think it’s a good idea to share my thoughts about them so that you can decide whether to buy it or not.

Price: you can find it in any drugstore, it costs about 5-7€ for 250 ml.

Smell: it has apricot smell, so fresh fruity scent. During the self-tanner developing phase it has that typical self-tanner aroma.

Application: I applied it like a lotion with my hands (wash hands thoroughly after the application). It doesn’t have the colour indicator but it wasn’t streaky even after first application (just make sure to blend it well on your body). It was moisturising enough to be used instead of a regular body lotion if you don’t mind the scent of self-tanner when developing. It felt sticky for quite some time (even up to 4 hours) so I would apply it only in the evening when not going anywhere. Also, I noticed that it stained my sheets first night after application so make sure it’s really dry before going to bed and try not to sweat too much.

Garnier SummerBody moisturising lotion sun-kissed look

Colour: after 2 applications, it went up by 3 colours (in MAC shades) but you won’t get a lot more out of it (which is surprising since I chose “Deep sun-kissed look version). This self-tanner is more suitable for winter when you don’t need to look dark but want to add some colour not to look like a ghost.

Longevity and fading: it lasted 3 days before it started to fade. It faded little bit patchy here and there but since the colour is not very different from the skin it is not a tragedy. One bottle will last you about a month (if you use it 3 times a week).

Final verdict: Since it was very sticky and stained my sheets I don’t think I will repurchase it. I think there are better light colour self-tanners that can do the job without these 2 flaws.