Nuts about Nuts & Cocoa

When it comes to body and skin care, I get easily bored with scents. Floral fragrances aren't my top choice in the first place but I love all kinds of fruity scents. What turns me off when using fruity bodycare, is that I get tired of particular scent and I can't seem to finish entire tub of lotion or butter. Usually fruity bodycare gets bad or I throw it into my mom's bin. What I've discovered recently, is that I can tolerate nutty & warm scents a lot easier on a long run. They are bearable in all seasons, yet I have a soft spot for nutty & cocoa scents in Winter. Let me present you current top picks for neutral-nutty scents and a tiny stash of sensual, warm cocoa bodycare.

Let us start with cocoa bodycare, which is usually popular among women. I've talked loads about Badgers Mocha Cocoa Lip Balm (3,7€ on iHerb/Ecco Verde) in my previous posts (lipbalm collection here). It's a true cocoa-coffee scent, similar to hot chocolate with coffee flavour. Lipbalm is highly nourishing and soft. It's a natural & cruelty free lipbalm, filled with good ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, rosemary, rosehip and aloe extract. I still highly recommend to check out Badger if you fancy gourmet scents. Yves Rocher Cocoa & Raspberry Body Lotion (8,90€ on Yves Rocher) smells like chocolate Frutabela - I'm sure Slovenian readers know what I mean. Forest fruits mixed with chocolate ganache. It's a yummy scented body lotion that sinks into the skin quickly. It's not the most nourishing thing but keeps you soft for a day or two. Yves Rocher Cocoa & Pistachio Hand Cream (3,50€ on Yves Rocher) is a lightweight hand cream that smells a bit like marzipan. It's not totally pistachio-like but still heavenly enough for your sweet tooth. Not deep repairing but great on the go. Yves Rocher Cocoa Collection is limited to last holiday season and super affordable, but you can still spot a discount on this and Fruit Noirs collection in January. 

Now onto my favourite part of neutral, nutty scents. Balea Bodybutter Nuss (2,99€ in DM) has a lovely, mild hazelnut scent that is spot-on like Monte hazelnut dessert. I was so thrilled to find this beauty gem, that I had to test it out immediately. Not only it smells heavenly (but still subtle enough), it leaves a lovely soft skin due to hazelnut oil. I woke up with amazingly soft skin yet the texture is super buttery and thick. Butter sinks into the skin in terms of seconds. It's easily comparable to The Body Shop, no sticky residue and a captivating smell. I did notice a bit more alcohol-like smell once it's on the skin - probably due to high levels of alcohol in the product. I usually stay away from Balea body butters because of lotion texture but this particular butter truly deserves to be called a butter. Highly recommend if you don't mind higher levels of alcohol. The Body Shop Cocoa Body Butter (18€ on The Body Shop) has a subtle creamy nutty scent that's not too harsh or chocolate-y. Texture is semi-thick and easy to spread out. It nourishes really well and leaves your skin looking glowy. Worth checking out if you're craving a warm scent yet you'd love to use it in the Spring as well. Speaking of The Body Shop, Brazil Nut Body Mist ( 12,50€ on The Body Shop) is the most captivating body spray I ever had. It smells like a warm vanilla with added roasted brazil nuts. Doesn't linger as long as I've hoped but it's still worth trying. I usually combine it with my rich vanilla scents. L'occitane Almond Shower Oil (18-22,40€ on L'occitane/FeelUnique) is a cult classic, not to be missed out. It's incredibly nourishing as a shower oil yet it smells like warm vanilla and almond. Since it has an oily texture it's also great for dry skin and shaving. This 250ml tube will last you a long time and it's worth every extra penny. You probably already own Labello Macadamia & Vanilla Lip Butter (2,70€ in drugstore/iHerb), another staple in blogger-sphere. It has an addictive, edible scent with creamy texture and cute packaging. A winning release this year.

Did you find any interesting scents this year? What's your biggest scent obsession? Leave me your recommendations and suggestions!

Beauty Haul - The Body Shop, MAC, Too Faced, YSL, Bourjois, SteamCream

Obviously I need to take a break from buying beauty items but I can always find 100 and 1 reason to shop. I was really sticking to my project pan products and I've finished up over 15 makeup items over last two months. Having a blast with my summer project pan/s I wasn't really buying any stuff through the summer (well, let's pretend London Haul didn't happen). This time around I had 2 reasons to splurge: a) finished up a bunch of makeup and gave a bag of items to my friends and family and b) I was abroad a lot so I got products we can't get here. Oh...makes me feel a bit better to find justifying reasons.

The Body Shop was never one of my favorite stores. I found everything pricey yet I wasn't too keen on whole body skincare and their packaging. After I've finally finished up my Raspberry Lip balm (it took me whole 3 years) I realised you get your money's worth with their products. And trying to be all environmental made me rethink the brand - although not too sure if they're totally cruelty-free and if they sell in China - but it's a start. Nevertheless I had my eye on their Cocoa Body Butter, Brazil Nut Bodyspray, Chocomania Lip butter and Honey Bronzer. Needless to say I got extra bits with my splurge (Beautifying Oil and Chocomania Body Scrub) and a small stroke after seeing total price. Feeling Fall I suppose!

Austria trip always starts with Mac Cosmetics. I was planning to get Velvet Teddy lipstick since I'm craving a bolder, darker brown nude with taupe hues but they were out of stock. Assistant suggested me Viva Glam 2 which is a medium brown nude with mauve undertones. I was afraid it would look too nude on me but it turns out it's a perfect darker brown/taupe lipstick for my pale skintone. And it's a Satin which makes me even happier (hello longevity). I also couldn't resist Up the Amp which is a blue-toned medium purple with hints of mauve and grey. Looks terrifying but it's really wearable as a grape toned-down color.

As always I went into Yves Rocher (Austria) to get my mom's favorite perfume Evidence. My eyes instantly spotted a new collection with supposedly their Holiday Collection. I'm not sure how is this possible but I got a preview for the upcoming holidays. I couldn't find any images nor posts about it so I guess I'm lucky? Only french Yves Rocher has this scent already on their website. It's a mini size of Caramel Pear Eau de Toilette which smells really fruity and sweet. Pear is really strong at the beginning but after a while caramel notes start to shine. If you're expecting a strong caramel scent, you'll be disappointed. I think I also saw candles, body lotion and shower gel.

Okay, I've got a good reason for Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. I sold over 10 high-end items that I didn't use anymore and treated myself to this beauty. It's currently my favorite palette of all time, beats all my Naked/s and other brands. It's gorgeous inside and outside, smells like chocolate/vanilla and pigmentation is astonishing. No fall-out which is remarkable for me because I '' grew up'' my eyeshadow collection based mostly on Urban Decay. Eyeshadows are extremely wearable and you get 6 matte shadows which is impressive. With each application I can smell chocolate which makes me happy, sadly enough. It's pretty addictive, I must say. So happy to have you, Chocolate Bar! I highly, highly recommend this palette from the bottom of my heart.

Not gonna lie, I love all sorts of lipbalms. They are easy to use up and variety of scents just makes it easier to become a balm hoarder. I'm super happy with my Labello Macadamia&Vanilla and Caramel Cream so why the heck not...I got myself a Blueberry Blush and Coconut. Both smell wonderful and not artificial at all. In Croatia I also spotted Rosal with new coloured lipbalms, similar to Babylips. They are fully pigmented and I could categorise them as half-lipsticks. Coral Candy is definitely worth a try.

My trip to Croatia also got me a new unintentional YSL Glossy Stain #16 Pourpre Preview. Price was reduced over half because of ruined outside packaging. So far I'm not too impressed but it's similar to Dior Fluid Stick with less ''grip''. It's a beautiful vibrant grape purple that's comfortable to wear. Packaging is quite lame for YSL.

Bourjois came out with new Rouge Edition 12 hours lipsticks that are matte in texture but stay on the lips for good 5-6 hours. I definitely wouldn't claim they're extra longlasting, especially not for 12 hours. I got shade 31# Beige Shooting which is my perfect rose nude color. I actually took this color to Mac to find a similar color but with more brown tones for my perfect 90's lipstick. Bourjois Color Edition 24h eyeshadow in 03 Petale de glace was unfortunately not released in Slovenia but it's a beautiful rose-shell cream shadow for every day. 

Etude House Snow White BB Cream is just a repackaged Precious Mineral BB Cream from their permanent line. Since this BB cream is pretty popular I thought I would give it a go in Princess Happy Ending limited edition packaging. It comes in two shades and the lightest N02 matches my skin perfectly. It's not grey but still light enough. Gives medium coverage and has a satin finish. Like!

Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs was a gift for my birthday. Scent is similar to normal Daisy (my sister's favorite) but has a bit more freshness/clean scent to it. It lacks that almost bitter/sour ending but you can still notice citrus notes. It's definitely more clean and fruity scent at first. You need to bond with Marc Jacobs perfumes - at least in my experience. I'm always on the fence with Marc Jacobs scents but after a month I always fell in love and experience more in depth notes. Is that weird? Marc Jacobs Dot was almost a love-hate relationship at first but now I can't imagine Spring without it. It's my staple. Same with this one, nothing extraordinary after first few sniffs but grows on you after time.

I'm a true believer of SteamCream. Both, me and my sister bought their jar of happiness a while ago and we're not looking back. It's another staple in my stash for my night routine. I use it sparingly on my face and neck. It's so rich and natural you can almost detect every single ingredient. Not to mention it's a sister company of Lush. Truly one and only cream I'm not worried about nasty ingredients and it's also effective. I would highly recommend it for dry, sensitive and mature skin. I've shared my experience with SteamCream team and they kindly offered me a new jar of goodness in a Fall themed can. Review will be up soon.

Uniq One Hair Treatment and The O spiral hair elastics were a gift from a good friend. She knows I like to color my hair a lot but I'm not too worried about the damage. So what better way to treat my hair than with all in one product? I had Uniq One cream before and it's okay for taming frizz, hair ends and add additional treatment. However I do use it sparingly since it can make your hair greasy.

Let me know if you're interested in any of these items! I will do a more indepth review.

BEST NATURAL LIPSTICK: Yves Rocher Sheer and Shine - Gelee Cerise (3)

Anybody want a plant-based, natural ingredient lipstick with a gorgeous shine and color?

Well, look no further, I have a perfect pick for you. And it also never hurts to be a bit more careful what you're putting on your lips and near your mouth (not that I'm a person to preach about that).

What you already know is that I love lipsticks but what you don't know yet is that I generally hate lipsticks with natural ingredients. They just don't work properly, go bad quickly or have a hard/unpleasant texture. 

Ever since I saw Viola from Killer Colours (if you're not reading her blog by now, you're seriously living under a rock) with this lipstick I instantly knew it's a perfect cherry red for my skintone.

A lovely bonus is also plant-based ingredients, organic label and no testing on animals.

The entire lipstick line (Couleurs Nature) Sheer and Shine is about natural lipsticks that give you a healthy shine on the lips.

Gelee Cerise (cherry in french) is a lovely sheer cherry/pinkish-red with cool shimmers that don't show up on the lips. I was thrilled to pick it up after drooling over the shade for a few months- that made it even more exciting. Shade is absolutely gorgeous in person and lipstick melts like butter on the lips.

Texture is balm-like and actually makes your lips looking plump and moisturised. It's not too thick, not too slippery or annoying in any way. You can easily build up intensity. This is what I call a tinted lip butter.

Longevity is standard, about 3-5 hours, you can't really expect miracles but it does slightly stain your lips.

Now the only two downsides are packaging and scent. Packaging is just outdated, clumsy and not appealing in any way. Scent is horrendous, smells like something herbal with disgusting notes. Not appealing either but I can close one eye just because of gorgeous shade. Lip swatch just doesn't do it justice.

Not sure but I think they've come out with new packaging and maybe even formula.
The new line is called Sheer Botanical lipsticks.

New packaging looks much more appealing - check it out here.

This older version has pure organic argan oil for moisturising yet the new formula has 100% cherry oil. 

Which makes me think new formula must smell amazing...I guess.

I suggest you to take a look at Couleurs Nature Sheer lipsticks when you're in one of Yves Rocher stores. 

I paid about 8€ for this particular lipstick and I don't regret a thing.

For better swatches I suggest you to research Viola's blog.

My Favourite Shower Creams at the Moment

Yves Rocher is my new favourite bodycare brand. 

It's dirt cheap, has natural/plant ingredients (as much as they can be in cosmetics) and their products work!

Ever since I got to know them back in December I've made several sneaky purchases. Along with my mom we have been religiously buying their perfumes, body care and shower gels.

I've been already raving about their Monoi Dry Body Oil here.

Personally I'm not a big fan of their packaging but it's the inside that REALLY counts.

I've been absolutely in love with Velvety Shower creams Jardins du Monde and still not having a clue what they mean. These shower creams supposedly have best ingredients from all over the world.

I'm not buying the concept but they smell extra delicious!

My top 3 current scents are definitely Brazilian Coffee Beans, Macadamia Nuts from Guatemala and Purple Rice from Laos.

Coffee Beans smells like rum/vanilla/coffee pudding or cappuccino ice cream. 

It has a really strong scent that lingers for a few hours.

Macadamia Nuts smells like Monte - did you ever have those tiny little hazelnut puddings? Well it smells exactly like it. A mixture of sweet vanilla, hazelnut and other nut scents. Yum!

Purple Rice has a really creamy, milk scent with some vanilla sweetness to it. 

Texture is pretty much velvety and creamy as the name suggests. They make me think about L'occitane Almond Shower Oil when it's already ''lathered up'' into a foam. They leave your skin feeling soft but there's no major hydration. You do need to apply body lotion afterwards, however I love the way they feel and smell in the shower. I can't really express how nice they feel in the shower, it's almost like using a really nice face cream. As I've said the only scent that lingers to your skin is the Coffee Bean. I absolutely love warm, sweet scents any time of the year but these might be more appropriate for winter if you're not into whole baking-food scents.

Ingredient list

Yves Rocher usually sells these shower creams for 2,4€ but I usually stock up when they're 1,2€. 

For a 1€ you can't really go wrong and it's a total bargain. 

I warmly suggest you to try out at least one of them if you'll find a store.

Yves Rocher is pretty much hard to find but I'm okay with online shop since they give free shipping over certain amount.

You can find YR in Slovenia here and worldwide here.

My Top Picks of 2013

The closure of 2013.
You can check my previous picks of 2012 here.
Now let's go down to the business!

HAIR

Still didn't have much luck in hair department but I found a really nice affordable purple shampoo for silver hair. Still trying to find my perfect conditioner and mask.

Shampoo: Swiss O'Par Silver shampoo

Conditioner: /

Hair oil: Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Oil Elixir

Protection spray: /

Honourable mention: Directions Hair dye (review)

SKINCARE & BODY

I had some luck finding new skincare products, I'm especially happy with my new favorite face cream and budget-friendly micellar water. This year I mostly returned back to the basics and start using plain oils and ointments for my face. I tried a bunch of natural brands and was super happy with Lavera and Alverde.

Makeup remover: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Eye makeup remover: plain old almond oil

Toner: /

Eye cream: all kind of ointments

Face cream: Steamcream 

Face oil: still Nuxe Multiusage Dry Oil (review)

Sunscreen: Avene Cream SPF 50+ for dry sensitive skin

Body oil: Yves Rocher Monoi Dry Oil (review)

Deodorant: still Rexona Maximum protection

Body cream: /

Honourable mention: Balea Antipigment creme

NAILS

I had loads of different finishes and colors on my table, but China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy beat them all. I'm still loving my crystal nail files and  L'occitane hand cream is the only one that doesn't left my hands greasy or dry.

Nail polish: Essie Fiji (review), p2 Get Gorgeous! (review), China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy
Nail file: still crystal nail file (review)
Nail base & topcoat: Essence Gel Nails at Home
Hand cream: L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter
Honourable mention: Essie Apricot Cuticle oil

FOUNDATION & CONCEALER

I can't really point out my favorite foundation since I always go back and forth between Bourjois and Revlon Colorstay. I also ventured into trying Meow Cosmetics full-cover mineral foundation. It's a great option for hot summer days. 

Face primer: Bourjois Flower Perfection Smoothing primer (review)
Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum (review)
Pale foundation: Stargazer White Foundation
BB Cream: Holika Holika Petit BB Watery
Powder:  Bourjois Rice Java Powder

Under-eye concealer: still SkinFood Salmon Darkcircle cream
Blemish concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection
Honourable mention: Guerlain Meteorites Powder, Meow Cosmetics Mineral foundation

BRONZER & HIGHLIGHT

Still haven't found the perfect bronzing product for my fair skintone. It's either too warm, too pigmented or too cool. Benefit Hoola is one of my staples over a year now. I generally don't like cream bronzing products but Illamasqua's Hollow is worth checking out.

All-over bronzer: /
Contour: still Benefit Hoola
Highlighter: Topshop Crescent Moon
Honorable mention: Illamasqua pigment Hollow, Dainty Doll Money talks blusher

BLUSH:
Neutral: still Tarte Exposed (review)
Shimmery: Benefit Coralista (review)
Pink-coral: /
Cream/Liquid: Becca Beach Tint Dragonfruit
Honourable mention: /

EYES & BROWS

Essence mascaras are still my favorite despite it's short shelf life. I've been obsessed with Naked Basics and Naked 3 since it came out so I couldn't leave them out. Becca Eye Tints and Rimmel Scandaleyes have one of the best budge-proof formula's I came across.

Eye primer: Urban Decay Eden
Mascara: Essence I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume mascara
Eyeliner: Essence Waterproof Liquid eyeliner
Eye pencil: /
Brows: /
Palette: Urban Decay Naked Basics
Single eyeshadow: Becca Eye tint Gilt
Honourable mention: Urban Decay Naked 3 palette (review), Catrice Brow Designer, Rimmel Scandaleyes Paint (review)

LIPS

You know I love my lipsticks. It was really hard to narrow it down but I still managed to include some of my favorite finishes, colors and brands. Essence Stay matt lip creams are really long-wearing but will be unfortunately discontinued in spring. You can still find them on the shelves.

Lipbalm: Korres Lip Butter (review)
Most longlasting lipstick: Essence Stay Matte Lip cream
Color range: Catrice (review)
Most worn lipstick: Lioele L'cret Miracle Magic Lipstick 02 (review)
Lipgloss: Clarins Instant Lip Perfector (review)
Honourable mention: TonyMoly tint, Rimmel Apocalips, Bourjois Color Boost lipsticks, Badger lipbalms

MAKEUP BRUSHES

Sigma brushes are worth every penny in my opinion. Of course you can get cheaper alternative but nothing can beat a good set of matching brushes and excitement with amazing Sigma packages.

Eyes: Ebay dupes (goat hair) for Mac 217
Face: Sigma Extravaganza Face Kit (review)

PERFUME & OTHER

I've been pretty amazed by Yves Rocher with their high-quality perfumes. They last entire day on my skin and their range of scents is quite impressive. Etude House mist changed my beauty routine since it hides powder and adds a youthful glow.

Perfume: Yves Rocher Monoi de Tahiti (review) & Vanille CollectionOR perfume
Fixing spray: Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer Baby Glow mist

What is your favorite product of the year, if you had to choose only one?

I think I'll say....Etude Nymph Aura Volumer Mist because the concept and idea was totally out of my imagination box. I never knew a spray can change the look of the foundation in a such huge way. 

Yves Rocher Monoi de Tahiti Dry Body Oil

I can definitely see why is this dry body oil so popular. 

I got one from Yves Rocher Event to try out - and fell in love.

My mom also got obsessed and NO, those are not all backups for us - but pretty sure we will have similar bunch in the next few months. 

If you haven't heard about traditional Monoi oil yet - well let me enlighten your day. 

Original Monoi oil is actually made out of coconut oil with infused gardenia/tiare flowers for it's signature scent. It's made especially in Tahiti. Women from Tahiti use it for decades now and apply it on body after sunbathing for supple/glowing skin.

Yves Rocher Monoi de Tahiti Dry Oil is an actual dry oil mist with sweet, tropical scent.

The best part is that oil sinks into the skin really quickly since it's in a mist form. 

 It comes with a pump which isn't the best but it applies oil almost like a fine mist. 

Oil is easily absorbed and scent lasts for hours. 

You can easily apply it on your hair ends so you can sniff it for the entire day.

Smells exactly the same as Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen - coconuty, breezy, vanillary. 

It's a perfect mix of vanilla, coconut, gardenia but the scent is provided only from Tahitian gardenia flower, coconut oil and some added fragrance in this particular product.

Me and my mom love the scent so much we even got the Monoi Eau de Toilette.

I knew this would happen. 

The intensity is almost the same between oil and perfume so you technically don't need both - well I do.

I would highly, highly recommend Monoi Collection from Yves Rocher. 

The only downfall - you will use up everything in few months, promise.

Monoi de Tahiti Dry Body Oil (or so-called oil mist) retails for 6€ and Monoi Eau de Toilette costs 15€. 

You can order YR online in most countries here and for Slovenian readers here or find a near store.

You can also order Monoi oil that's produced in Tahiti on iHerb for only 8,28$.

 I guess they smell similarly however the texture and absorption is way different since they aren't in mist form.

Mid - December Favorites 2013

My life has been really busy these past few months so I've been loving longlasting products.

I've been adoring my mini sample of Tony Moly Cherry Tint since it gives a lovely cherry red color. 

It's water based so it's lightweight, non-sticky and lasts for hours. I wore it recently in my Dolly look post. 

I NEED a full size in a shape of a cat (you can get it here).

L'oreal Caresse Stain in Milady is a recent new addition. It's way more sticky and glossy but gives a nice longlasting stain. My only complaint is application and uneven stain (depending on your lip condition).

Highlighter is a must for my dull skin. Catrice Prime & Fine Highlighting Powder impressed me with it's fine rose-gold effect. It's really subtle and really different from typical highlighting shades.

 In the pan it looks pink but blends into multi-colored shimmer with gold base. Not to mention it's dirt cheap. 

I've been also sporting bold brows with Maybelline Define-a-brow which is a wax based pencil. It's a dark grey color suited for cooler hair colors and mixing it up with my Catrice Eye-Brow pencil in Ash.

Catrice Hugo Moss was my favorite nail polish. Gives a really nice Christmasy feel combining it with reds or golds. It's a lovely dark, mossy green. Surprising enough I really like it since I usually stay away from greens. 

Yves Rocher Vanille OR perfume smells exactly like Kinder surprise, literally. It's a nice rich, almost buttery vanilla with a hint of cocoa. I'm really impressed with Yves Rocher perfumes- they last all day and I can even smell them a few days later on my clothes. Win! 

Since I had a 50% off coupon for Got2B I wanted to try out Beach girl salt spray. 

Yes, not the best time to try it out but OMG, where to start? 

This is one of the best texturizing products I tried. I use it after washing my hair or spritz it on my dry hair and dry it off with a blow-dryer. Gives instant volume and texture. If you love silky smooth hair this might not be for you since it makes your hair a bit more heavy an rough but easy to manage. If I go to bed with damp hair and this salt spray I wake up with actual curls. 

Aussie Miracle Moist shampoo smells like bubblegum so I can't stop using it. I had it over 2 months and using it religiously but still 1/5 left. I think I'll have to stock up on it when I'm abroad. 

And of course a Christmas themed Yankee candle. Snowflake Cookie is a new scent for 2013 and it smells really similar to Christmas Cookie. However it's a bit less buttery and more lemony-icing inspired. I love it, it's sweet and smells like real cookies. 

My favorite discovery of the first mid-December is Yves Rocher.

I was invited to their event and I gladly participated since I didn't knew much about them. They never actually grab my attention with their store and packaging.

 I'm definitely super happy with their perfumes and Monoi dry oil.

My favorite songs of the month are by far How Come You Don't Want Me and I Was A Fool by Tegan & Sara. 

I've been pretty much obsessed with them in the past few months. After seeing them in Zagreb I fell in love with them even more. I even had a post-concert depression, lol. You should definitely check out their music, it's kind of indie-rock-60's but they always surprise with different styles of albums. Not to mention they are my style crush as well.

What's your favorite item of the December?