Lalique: Soleil

The perfume was gifted to me for a review by notino.co.uk

Despite being part of the beauty world for a few years now, there are still established brands that I have never heard of before. Lalique is one of these brands. Until recently, I had no idea this brand exists. Now I know. It is a luxury french brand that specializes in production of glass art, vases and other glass related stuff. Today I will be reviewing one of their most popular perfumes called Lalique Soleil which in french means the sun. 

The perfume comes in three sizes - 30ml, 50ml and 100ml. You can clearly tell Lalique is an artsy brand. The bottle is gorgeous. The lines coming from the centre remind me of sun and sunlight so it goes hand in hand with the name of the perfume. Moreover, the perfume comes with a bracelet (just a friendly reminder that Lalique bracelets cost about two hundred pounds so that's a very nice touch) which I may actually like even more than the perfume haha. 

The scent is definitely unique and it smells expensive. Again, I think it ties well with the name. It is warm and kind of sweet (but not too much). I would say it is a mature perfume but not to the extend you would need to wait till you are fifty to buy this perfume. I just find it difficult to imagine an 18-year-old smelling like this but I guess that comes down to what people prefer. 

Top Notes: Bitter Almons, Tangerine, Cardamon

Middle Notes: Jasmine, Latte, Pear Granita

Base Notes: Sandalwood, Praline, Musk

Despite the top notes being quite citrusy, this is just a hint, do not think of anything super lemony. On the other hand, I think the Pear and Jasmine are the main notes here and give the scent the warmth and sweetness that is so profound in this perfume. 

I think it lasts the whole day but it is not as strong as people may think once they smell it for the first time. I find it quite mild, just ideal for day to day rather than just for the evenings. 

Overall, I love this perfume. My first impression was a bit meh, but I fell in love with it eventually. Now I don't wear anything else (and I have a loads of options. Thank you Notino :D). 

Summer 2022: The Age of tinted moisturisers

AD - Some products mentioned were gifted by Notino

I have said it many times - foundations are my favourite product to review. Following the current makeup trends, you probably know we ditched all heavy full coverage foundations and moved on to tinted moisturisers. I personally fell in love with them only after I managed to get some tan. Before then, I just needed some coverage (tell me you are too pale without actually telling me you are too pale). 

The first tinted moisturiser we will look at is a viral tinted Anthelios Mineral One SPF50+ cream from La Roche-Posay which I picked as it was a part of the Summer Black Friday promo. I got the shade Medium to match my slightly tanned skin and it works out well. However, I think the shade is not a big deal when it comes to tinted moisturisers as the pigment is minimal. The cream evens out the skin and makes it look healthy and juicy. It feels light on the skin and it looks natural, yet it looks great as a base for full face makeup. 

The cream is quite thick. At first, it rubs in (I apply using my fingers rather than a sponge and brush) quite easily but then it gets weirdly thick. It is nothing that would put me off this La Roche-Posay moisturiser because overall it is great and it lasts but it surprised me at first. I am also not sure, how well it does on oily skin as it is well moisturising but it suits my dry-ish/normal skin perfectly. 

If you are looking for something cheaper, I can only recommend tinted cream Hydro Hero from Essence which is a super affordable brand that offers so many gems. This tinted cream is one of them. I bought this in one of the local drug stores in Croatia but you can buy it from Notino in the UK. 

The cream comes in a 30ml bottle (the same as the LRP cream). It is very runny compared to the LRP cream and disappears into the skin within seconds. Once it absorbs, it feels like you have nothing on your face apart from the fact your tone is even. It keeps the skin looking fresh for a while but unlike the Anthelios cream, this effect does not last the whole day as this cream dries out eventually. 

It offers only SPF15 but I use SPF cream prior as a part of my morning routine anyway, so that does not bother me. For the price, you cannot get wrong with this one. I loved wearing this tint to the beach when I did not feel like doing my makeup but I also wanted a photo for Instagram lol. 

Holiday Essentials

 AD - some products were gifted for review

Hello from sunny Croatia. I am currently having a great time off in holidays full of sun, sea water and watermelon. Today, I would like to share with you some beauty essentials I am eternally grateful I brought with me (perhaps a small tip for you what you should pack on your summer trip). 

SPF 50

I use SPF50 on my face religiously regardless of the location and the weather but here in 30 degrees celcius Croatia I truly understand the importance of such a powerful sunscreen. I always burn my nose. Always. However, this time, I burnt everything but my face lol. I use the previusly mentioned Daily Go-to Sunscreen from Purito, however, I have couple of SPFs from Garnier with me as a back up too (Garnier is great and affordable).

Waterproof mascara

Although I don’t use any makeup when going to the sea for swim, waterproof mascara is a must have for summer holidays mainly because of the sweat. It’s warm here and standard mascara will smudge. I love the Sky High from Maybelline so I picked its waterproof sister. The waterproof version is moreless the same as the standard version so I am happy enough. 

Moroccanoil Treatment

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed the disaster or my hairdresser appointment. Ever since my hair is not great - the colour is horrible and the quality went significantly lower from the bleach damage. However, the sun and sea water are making some improvements with the only downside being my hair getting overly dry. I am using a Moroccanoil hair oil to reverse this and it seems to work pretty well. 

Juicy Bomb Lip Gloss

Recently, I have been enjoying lip glosses more than lipsticks (I would never think I will ever say that lol). Silly me, I did not bring any with me so I had to stop in a local shop and pick something up. I grabbed the cheapest option out there not thinking much of it but it turns out it is one of the best lip glosses ever. It’s from Essence and it is available at Notino in the UK. It makes the lips pop, it tastes great and it is super affordable!

 

Gucci: Guilty Pour Homme

AD - products mentioned were gifted for a review

After the years of trying out and reviewing different perfumes, I found myself a bit bored and therefore I started looking into a unisex and men section of the scents. Last year I came across this fantastic fragrance called Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Toilette and from that moment I knew one day I will have to go over myself and commit to a scent traditionally dedicated to men. The day is finally here. 

The fragrance comes in 50ml, 90ml and 150ml glass bottle. You already know what I am going to say but the bottle is perfect - simple and classy. And more importantly, practical. It fits well into my handbag because it is reasonably flat. 

Top Note: Lemon, Lavender

Middle Notes: Orange Tree Blossom

Base Notes: Virgina Cedar, Vanilla, Patchouli

As much as it is a men’s fragrance and you can clearly smell the manliness (I really don’t know how else to express this, but you all know what I mean - the specific smell all the “for him” fragrances have), the scent is very light and refreshing and despite being EDT, it lasts for a while. I think this is an advantage of fragrances for men. They just last much longer. I think Gucci especially is so much better at coming up with fragrances for men - women's perfumes from Gucci are unfortunately not my cup of tea. However, everything Gucci came up with in the men's section, I loved so far.  

I personally cannot get enough of this scent and if you are a bit more adventurous girl, I would recommend giving it a go. If not, it will definitely make a nice father’s day gift. 

Purito: Daily Go-To Sunscreen

 AD - Gifted for review

If you are even remotely interested in skincare, there is a chance you have heard about the huge SPF scandal that took a place year or two ago. A lab manufacturing SPFs was not completely honest when it came to the sun protection factor value and loads of popular SPF creams just disappeared from the market until this issue was fixed. Luckily, there is no longer such an issue but there was a brand particularly hit by this irregularity - Purito. Several of their popular SPFs were completely discontinued. However, Purito delivered a replacement product called Daily Go-To sunscreen with SPF50 and since everyone used to rave about Purito’s sunscreens, I decided to try the new one out too.

The SPF comes in 60ml squeeze tube and as already mentioned, it offers SPF50. It is a blend of chemical and mineral filters which results in a formula adjustable for every skin type.

The sunscreen is thick enough but it blends easily without leaving a white cast all over the face. It does not really provide any extra moisture which is something I actually like - I am not a huge fan of SPF creams that try to replace the day to day moisturiser because it rarely suits me. I would rather use my own moisturiser that I know works on me and then sunscreen on top of it. 

I know the damage to the reputation has been done but I can only recommend this sunscreen. It works perfectly fine, does not leave my skin greasy nor causes breakouts and it does not have any strong sunscreen scent. I unfortunately cannot compare this sunscreen to the old ones from Purito as I have never tried the old one but, as I already said, I am happy with the new arrival and will be coming back to it. 

Estee Lauder: Futurist Hydra Rescue

AD - Gifted for a review

I have been calling myself a beauty blogger for a very long time. During that time I had a chance to review many different products and as much as I enjoy testing anything makeup or skincare related, foundations are my favourite product to test. I think I have been most consistent with foundations since the day I started using makeup - I stick to liquid foundations almost exclusively and I have tried different coverages and finishes so I feel like I have good understanding of the kind of product I review.

Today, I am reviewing another foundation from a very close brand to my heart. Double Wear from Estee Lauder was my first high-end foundation and it was my go-to foundation for years for its full coverage and longevity. Nowadays I am looking for a glow finish and lighter coverage so I decided to try the Futurist Hydra Rescue foundation also from Estee Lauder. 

The foundation promises a medium coverage, natural glowy-finish and long-lasting look which is exactly what the foundation provides. It’s pretty runny and it blends well into the skin leaving it smooth and evened out. My face looks fresh even after a whole day of work and a workout. I have normal/dry-ish skin and it adjusts perfectly. 

This foundation is everything I was hoping Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin foundation would be (and unfortunately isn’t). I cannot help but compare these two. CT’s foundation got so much hype while it does not perform too well and it does not last anywhere near as long as the Futurist Hydra Rescue foundation that gives skin that beautiful fresh and radiant look. I tried both of these foundations and can 1000% recommend the one from Estee Lauder.

The Futurist Hydra Rescue foundation with SPF 45 comes in a 35ml tube with a pump and you can pick from 28 shades (and they should match the Double Wear shades - at least my DW match fits well for this foundation as well).

Bobbi Brown: Pink Glow Liquid Higlighter

 AD - Gifted 

No need to mention I am a huge fan of Bobbi Brown. I love her makeup, skincare, and brushes… there is not a product I have tried that I do not like. 

A while ago, Bobbi Brown released a new collection called Glowing Pink. It features an eyeshadow palette, highlighting powder, face liquid highlighter and a lip tint. All products come in lovely purple-pink packaging. For today’s review, I picked the face liquid highlighter. 

The packaging is gorgeous! The purple and gold colours aside, the bottle is made of tint rather than plastic. This gives the product a more expensive feel. This is not surprising, Bobbi Brown’s products tend to come in good quality packaging in general. 

The formula of this highlighter is very light and blendable. It works as a base or as a highlighter on top of the makeup. I have to admit I was expecting more prominent glow considering how shiny the powder higlighters from Bobbi Brown are but this one is the way more subtle. It creates very natural glow, it’s actually perfect on a skin without any foundation or on top of tinted moisturiser. 

It sits well on a skin compared to some other liquid highlighters I own so I have been using this religiously in the past two weeks. However, I am a fan of shine so I top up the shine on my cheeks using the Glowing Pink powder highlighter also from Bobbi Brown.