Guide through Bourjois foundations :)

Hello! I have tested a lot of Bourjois products and I have noticed I have also tested all their foundations, or at least six different ones from them. Instead of writing a separate post for each of them I thought it best to write a comparison post, which will probably help you a lot better when deciding which one to buy. 

FOR FULL to MEDIUM COVERAGE, OILY & MIXED SKIN TYPE:

I will start with 123 Perfect foundation in shade 51 Vanille clair/Light vanilla. This was one of my favourites and I really loved using it(still do but it's almost at an end). I recommend this one to those of you who have oily to mixed skin type, who have large pores, acne and such and need/want a good coverage. This will provide you with a very good coverage, I would say it goes from medium to full coverage as it depends in what state my skin is. But mostly this gives a pretty good coverage, feels light on the skin, is easy to apply and blend. It is a medium-thick liquid that dries as a powder and gives lovely matte finish. The finish doesn't look cakey or unnatural on the skin. It can be layered, but you probably won't need more than one or two layers, and even that just on the areas of your face you feel need more coverage. It is quickly absorbed into the skin and gives second skin illusion, feels really light and comforatble to wear. I would not recommend it to those with drier skin type as it tends to go dry on the skin and matte, so not dewy and not moisturizing. What I did not like is that when I would have a pimple and I would (of course) scratch it and it would leave a dry area, this foundation would make the flaking more obvious. Which is really too bad, but well.. 

Next one that I would give in this category is Flower Perfection and I have it in shade 52 Vanille/Vanilla. At first I didn't like this one much, it was good, but 123 Perfect was simply better. But later my skin changed and I don't know what happened but this foundation grew on me as it did just what I needed and 123 Perfection seemed too dry for me. I used to have really greasy skin but lately it is still greasy and messy and flawed but a lot more dry and needs more and more moisture and also foundations that don't suck all the oils out of your face. If you want you can apply this with fingers, brush or the sponge that is integrated in the cap, but I never used it so I don't know how well it would work. I use my fingers or my brush (RT Stippling brush). Packaging of these foundations is very similar, they all have the pump applicator, glass bottle and contain 30 ml of product. The coverage is not as good as with 123 Perfect foundation, at least not on me, but more medium, but buildable. Texture of this one is a lot more thick than 123 Perfection and I expected it to be heavy on the skin. But this powder is not heavy at all, feels very light and airy, you don't feel it at all. It gives you a satin feel and matte finish. It's easy to spread this one with your fingers, even though it's more thick.

FOR MEDIUM to LIGHT COVERAGE, MIXED and NORMAL/DRY SKIN TYPES:

Next one is Healthy Mix foundation Radiance reveal that promises healthy glow and flawless complexion. I have tested this one in shade 51 Light Vanilla/Vanille clair and I am halfway thorught the bottle. On me this has a more natural finish than 123 Foundation or Flower Perfection, it's more dewy but still a bit matte. Honestly, I have no idea how to say this but I will call it "semi-dewy". It still gives glow to the skin, but does not look shiny at all (shiny as in oily, glittery and such). It is buildable but will never achieve the coverage you can get with 123 Foundation, so if you don't have the need for a medium to full coverage this is it. Lasting power - it does last well on me, at least half a day with no problems, but sometimes it also depends what primer or cream or anything I use under it. It doesn like a combination of rich cream/oily serums/oily to mixed skin type. So if you have the smae skin type as me you need to be careful what you layer under your foundation. Currently I am using Etude House primer and it works well, but I can not layer another cream under or anything like that. For those of you with normal/dry skin type I think this would work really well and even give you a bit of a matte finish. I need to give a good blot with setting mattifying powder or else...As for the packaging I really like the pump system, it's easy to use and the bottle is not too heavy.  Lately I really liked using this one more than the Flower Perfection or 123 Foundation as it was a bit easier to apply and therefore faster to finish up my morning makeup routine. Plus the finish  is not too matte and not too dry looking and it's not too covering, so it's less noticable on my face.

Next one that I would give in this section is Healthy Mix Serum. At first I didn't  like this one much as I was used to 123 Foundation and this was more like a BB cream on me. I wanted at the time more coverage and more matte finish, but this is anything but. It gives nice dewy finish, but really naturally looking, not shiny at all. It also gives light to medium coverage, but on me I would say more light coverage than anything else. When my skin was a bit mixed and I had some dry patches (which is rare, but it happens) I did notice it tends to highlight imperfections. But if your skin is in a good condition and you more or less just need a bit of coverage and something to make your skin look fresh and polished this will seem like a miracle worker. It also evens out the redness well, as it has enough pigment, but it's a lot less thick than any other foundation by Bourjois and really feels more like a liquid bb cream. It feels light on the skin, like there is nothing there at all, if you need a bit more coverage for certain parts of your face you can slightly build it up but will achieve more with a good concealer. I would not recommend this one to those with very oily skin type as you will look greasy in a matter of half an hour, even with good mattifying powder. On me sometimes my skin just doesn't want to get greasy and I don't know why as my skin type is more greasy than not, but on a really good skin day this will look just fine for about four hours and than I will get shiny. I would say this would suit best those with normal to dry skin type with little imperfections or none at all and of course those who wish to look glowing and not matte. As for shade I have this one in 51 Light Vanilla/ Vanille clair and it's lighter than the HM foundation one. Best to check in stores for shades as these vanilla shades vary even thou the numbers or names are the same. On me this serum foundation has more yellow undertone than HM foundation, that one seems more neutral, at least on me.

 BB and CC CREAMS

I have two other foundations by Bourjois, I have tested BB cream in shade 21 Vanilla/Vanille, the lightest shade that was available in Slovenia and this product is not available anymore as it has been replaced with Silk Edition compact powder. I have not tested that one yet and I am not sure I even will, but I have noticed that our drugstores do not have the 8in1 BB cream anymore. I have also tested their 123 Perfect CC cream in shade 32 Beige Clair. I have already posted both reviews for these two and you can read about BB cream here and about CC cream here.

In comparison with other Bourjois foundations this BB cream is most similar to HM Serum foundation in terms of finish, coverage and lasting powder. It gives a light to medium coverage, again depends if my skin is having good days or not. It can be buildable but it takes more time as I use my brush with it and the HM Serum can be applied faster with my fingers. They last well on the skin, but will not last the whole day, more or less about 4 to five hours with the setting powder and all. If you are choosing between this two I would say go for HM Serum if you want something easy to use and practical as it has a pump, and if you don't need much coverage. If you want it to give you a bit more coverage, but just a tiny bit more go for the BB cream, the plus is also the portable size and the mirror. The minus is that you get a lot less product inside than with HM Serum. It's good, but a bit more yellow toned than HM Serum.

 As for CC cream, if you are deciding between BB or CC, I would say go for BB. It offers more coverage than this one, it feels better on the skin. I don't know how to explain this one but simply the BB cream feels more light, even thou the CC cream is also very light on the skin. The CC cream is very liquidy, a lot more than HM Serum and gives a bit less coverage than the two, also gives a bit more dewy finish. From these this is the most yellow toned foundation, the other ones are a tiny bit more neutral, the difference is most noticable at your neck area. It tends to cling to any dry patches you might have, as well as HM Serum, so  if you need something that won't do that rather choose BB cream. If you have oily skin type with a lot of imperfections this will not work for you as well as 123 Perfection foundation or Flower Perfection, as it  doesn't have enough coverage and it gives dewy finish that can quickly turn into oily finish no matter the setting powder you are using. It's best to use a good primer under, the HM Serum and BB cream don't need it so much as this one. In my first review I wrote this gives me medium coverage and it does, but only on my good skin days. For the last 4 month my skin has been acting up and this never gets a turn as I really don't find it a good foundation for colder months. 

I hope this long guide/review was useful to you and helped you decide which foundation would be best for you. I hope you can find a shade that will match your skin tone and if not maybe try mixing two shades together. I have read a lot of reviews saying that they like to mix the two lightest shades and that gives them the desired shade. I personally fit their lightest shades, except with the CC cream I have noticed that it's a bit too yellow even for me and I think that's because I chose the second lightest shade insted of the lightest shade available in 31 Ivoire. Let me know if you have tested any of these and how did they work for you? Do you have any recommendations which ones I should try out and I haven't yet?

 Hope this was helpful to you and thanks for reading!

Love, UniqaPoly

This week on my nails... #3 & #4

Hello! Finally  a new post is up! I have been a bit more busy these last two weeks with my studies so I didn't post much at all. Plus I didn't really feel like posting at all, so I thought why not keep the theme This week on my nails and just combine two weeks together? I didn't change my nails much due to lack of time but I wanted to use some of my nailpolishes I haven't been using for some time now. Plus I have a new one by Essence, from their limited edition Hidden Stories that so many liked/bought. It's a really pretty one, but needs two or more coats to get the full colour. I used here two thin coats and I still loved the result :)

A list of nail polishes I have been using these last two weeks :)
- O.P.I. Nail Lacquer in Vesper
- Essence Hidden Stories LE 03 Mauve-llous Fairy
- Manhattan Quick Dry 60 seconds in shade 96D
- Catrice Ultimate Nudes in 05 Bonjour Cherie!
- Coral prosilk nail enamel in shade 16
- Essence Nail art sparkle sand top coat in 24 I feel gritty!
- Bourjois 1 Seconde in sahde 03
- Essence Effect nail polish in 22 I love magic!

And photos! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Love, UniqaPoly!

Review: Bourjois - Color Boost Lip Crayons

Hello everyone! Time to write about three lippies I really love/loved and still haven't posted about. These were really hyped up last year, and well the year before, and I also had to buy them, well, more than one. I got these Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipsticks in shades 05 Red island, 06 Plum Russian and 03 Orange Punch. I think these were the first ones I have tried from this type of lip products, before I usually used regular lipsticks/lipsglosses. 

Packaging fot these is very simply looking, they come in a tube in a similar colour as the product inside. To get the product out you simply need to twist at the silver end. Also, I believe you get a fair amount of product, it may not sound much, just 2,75grams, but if you get it with discount these are pretty much worth the money. I think in Slovenia these cost about 11 euros each, I am not sure. Once opened they should last you at least 18 months, unless you use them up first. And most importantly for those of you who like to take your lip products with you during the day - I find these lids very secure and they have never come loose before, which is great!

As for shades, let's start with the lightest one, Orange Punch. It's basically an orange tint that kinda transforms as a coral on your lips when applied. On me it mostly looks more reddish, but it depends if I just rubbed my lips well or not. If you are not into orange shades, don't be alarmed, this one is very gentle and everday like and suitable for those of you who would like to wear such shades but don't want to over do it or be too bold. Red Island is a beautiful bright red and I find it perfect for any occasion. As it's not a creamy heavy lipstick but a light lip crayon it doesn't look so heavy and well, you could be wearing this one for any special occasion, for Christmas, for a party, for work day... It's a really universal red. Plum Russian is probably one of the most popular shades, at leats according to my friends as they all seem to have bought this shade and even their moms/friends/cousins who don't really use much makeup love this product and the shade. It's a beautiful deep berry shade that can be worn in autumn/winter as well as in spring time. It's a very versatile shade to have as it suits so many skin tones and makeup looks. It can be used as a daytime colour or for an evening out. This one is also just like the other two shades, very light and not so much "in your face" but still pigmented enough to complete your look or just give you a pop of colour. 

These lip crayons are in between a lipstick/lipgloss and tinted lip balm. They have very soft formula, very smooth one, which gives a a lovely amount of colour and shine to your lips. They are not sticky at all, actually they really do feel like wearing a tinted lip balm. They do have a slight scent, which is really light and fruity and doesn't bother me at all. A bonus is also that they have SPF 15, which is always good to know and use. Bourjois also promises that these are waterproof and that they will last on your lips for 10 hours. On me this doesn't really work, but they are really good and the staying power is a lot better than of some tinted lip balm. They do stay on my lips for about 3 hours, max 4 hours, but never ten.  I also like to eat and drink and such, you know... :P

In general the colour payoff of these is good, with a glossy finish. They are moisturizing and easy to apply and use. You can carry them around with you and apply or do touchups even without a mirror and on the go, it helps a lot they are shaped like crayons as you can really just fill in the lips without any smears. As for the moisturizing part, I have read some comments saying these are good for winter time as they are so moisturizing... Well they are, but I wouldn't say perfect for winter, maybe any other time of the year but at least on me in winter time I need a better protection and these don't really help. They normally don't get into dry patches on your lips, but the Plum Russian really doesn't work with me if my lips aren't very well prepared, some time ago I had some serious issues getting my lips in a better shape and nothing helped, and well, these lip crayons looked awful on me.

To sum up - I like the shades, especially the Red Island one and Plum Russian. The Orange Punch is more suiable for spring/summer time, at leats on me.I like the finish, the glossy effect, I like how they feel on my lips, very gentle, I also like they don't have any specific strong scent. They glide on well and easily and they have enough pigmentation, but they will dissapoint you if you expect a classic lipstick in tube, because they are not! I wish they lasted longer on me, but I am good with average three hours. I would definitely purchase more shades, in fact I believe there is one coming out this spring! I would love to try shades 08 Sweet machiatto and 07 Proudly Naked. 

Red Island, Plum Russian, Orange Peach

Have you tried any of these ? Do you recommend me anything similar, maybe another shade?

Thanks for reading!

Love, UniqaPoly

Review: AVON - Hollywood Collection - Hollywood Siren lipstick

Hello! Today's quick review will be about a gorgeous lipstick I bought from AVON, it's from their limited edition Hollywood Collection and I must say I don't remember how long it was available because I only saw it once in the catalog. I am really glad I did decide to give this one a try as it's one of the best classics in my lip kit. I got mine in shade Hollywood Siren, a deep seductive red shade hat really impressed me.

If you have ever tested any AVON lipsticks than you already know they have great pigmentation, they are hydrating and very creamy. The same goes for this lipstick and thanks to these three factors the application of this product is easy and smooth. The formulation is not too sticky and glossy or too matte and dry. I also like the packaging of this one, as it's abit more glam and with a golden writting on top with words Hollywood collection. 

As for the shade goes I believe this is a very good classic shade that is a must have of any women, especially for fall/winter time. It goes well with pale skin as well with some more yellow toned and warm skin. The finish of this lipstick is not matte, but also not too shiny, which makes it polished looking but not cheap and also not too goth, I could say the finish is soft matte. It doesn't have any specific scent, not sweet not like creams and such...

I really love the fact that this is so well pigmented and and creamy, it feels really light on the lips, but you do need to be a bit carefull when applying as it's a strong colour and I would suggest wearing it with a matching lip liner. It doesn't bleed out or something like that, but if you smear it on your skin you will have some troubles getting it off and covering it up, as it's really well pigmented. It doesn't feel dragging on your lips and it doesn't tend to clung to your dry patches. One swipe over your lips is almost enough, I tend to to dab some more on at the center of my lips.

On me it lasted for about 3 to 4 hours, which I find pretty good, especially for a deep dark shade that really needs to look perfect all the time.. 

Before purchasing I did my usual research online and I saw this same lipstick on blondes with fair skin, on brunettes and also on blackhaired gals and they all looked stunning wearing this one. It may look better on those with more porcelain skin or more neutral skin undertone, but I think you could pull this off even if you have warm, yellow toned skin tone ( as I have and I think it looks amazing even on me). :)

The price for this one was 4,70 euros I think, which is a very reasonable price for a lipstick of this quality. This one really does feel like 1940's Hollywood glamour. 

Have you tried any AVON lipsticks? Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks for reading!

Love, UniqaPoly

Preview: Essence - Spring Sets

Spring time! essence is welcoming the spring season with a special set consisting of a fragrance and make-up. As of March 2015, two of the most popular fragrances, “like a first day in spring” and “like a day in a candy shop”, will each be combined with a limited “all about…” eyeshadow palette, which will only be available in this exclusive set. The “all about spring” eyeshadow palette is based on the color scheme of the spring fragrance and creates a bright and cheerful eye make-up style – as fresh and floral as the eau de toilette itself. “all about sweets” convinces with soft nuances – a perfect match for “like a day in a candy shop” – sweet, sensual and wonderful! Both spring sets trigger feelings of happiness and are lots of fun! The cool set are ideal for all fragrance fans and beauties – to collect or give away. The eau de toilettes were developed in collaboration with internationally renowned perfumers and are presented in a fresh, cool design in stylish flacons made of the finest materials with bright and cheerful little ribbons. The limited trendy gift boxes each contain the respective 50ml eau de toilette and an “all about…” eyeshadow palette – at the usual low price expected of essence.

Availability - Essence “spring sets” will be available in stores in March 2015. The Essence “spring sets” will be available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, South Africa, Ireland, Russia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordanian, Taiwan, Brunei, Nepal, and Bolivia.  

Like a Day in a Candy Shop - Sweets-fun! It’s easy to enjoy the sweet side of life with this wonderful fragrance. Peach and orchid give the top note a light and fruity freshness while lilac, heliotrope and jasmine blossoms provide a flowery nuance in the middle note. Vanilla, tonka bean and musk in the base note give the fragrance the sweet, oriental touch that makes it so special. On top, the set contains the limited “all about sweets” eyeshadow palette with soft nuances, including peach, rosé and mauve as well as a highlighter shade for a cool spring style. The essence “like a day in a candy shop” spring set.

 Like a First Day in Spring - Spring has sprung! The sound of birds chirping and the first warm rays of the sun – welcome to the spring season! The matching fragrance to convey this wonderful feeling is sparkling and fruity in the top note with a mix of pineapple, orange juice and tangerine. The middle note with praline, blackberry and white rose creates a slightly flowery component while sandalwood, musk and vanilla gives the eau de toilette depth and an elegant base note. To ensure a perfect spring look, the set contains the limited “all about spring” eyeshadow palette with six trendy colors – including a soft rosé, purple and brownish nude. The essence “like a first day in spring” spring set.

Thanks for reading!

Love, UniqaPoly

Preview: Essence - Cinderella LE

Just in time for the release of Walt Disney Pictures’ movie ‘Cinderella’ on the 12th of March 2015, Essence have once again teamed up with Disney to present the new trend edition, ‘Cinderella’. With an enchanting mix of colours, this collection features mother-of-pearl, gold, rose, purple, red and blue in cosmetics for your eyes, lips, face and nails. The highlighter in a three-dimensional rose design is an absolute must for creating a soft, rosy glow while the iridescent lip glosses give perfect sparkle and shine! You can even decorate your nails using eye-catching Cinderella nail stickers!

International Launch Date – March 2015 exclusively to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Omar, and Qatar

Cinderella Blush – With this highly pigmented powder blush, your complexion gets a fresh new look. A gentle sweep on your cheeks is enough for a soft rouge touch. Available in 01 So this is love.

Cinderella Eyeshadow Palette – Five perfectly aligned eyeshadows with a silky-soft texture in one palette. Mother-of-pearl, rose, purple, light and dark blue as well as gold will help you create eye make-up styles for any occasion. Available in 01 It’s more than I ever hoped for.

Cinderella Highlighter – Create soft, rose shimmer accents on your face and neckline with the highlighter powder – the ultimate item for a radiant complexion. Available in 01 The glass slipper.

Cinderella Lip Gloss – Two new lipglosses in a romantic pastel rose and daring bright red which combine iridescent glitter particles to make lips sparkle. Available in 01 Sing, sweet nightingale, 02 So this is love.

Cinderella Nail Polish – Introducing four exciting nail colours with two different effects! Rose and purple provide nails with a smooth porcelain finish while blue and gold offer a cool metallic effect. Available in 01 Sing, sweet nightingale, 02 Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, 03 Prince charming, 04 Watch out lady tremaine!

Cinderella Glitter Topper – A sparkling top coat with silver flakes and iridescent glitter in purple and blue creates awesome effects on your nails. Simply apply on top of your favorite polish or on your natural nail for added sparkle! Available in 01 The glass slipper.

Cinderella Nail Stickers – These cute nail stickers are inspired by popular Disney cartoon classics and are available in two styles – before and after the fairy godmother’s big transformation! Available in 01 The stroke of midnight, 02 It’s more than i ever hoped for.

Thanks for reading!

Love, UniqaPoly