Carmen Bota

I never considered investing in expensive hair care until I learned what disaster means. When my hair got dry and coarse as a result of excessive dyeing, I knew changes had to be made. I don't agree with using only products from a specific range, instead I think that mixing different products can have its benefits. Again, I don't invest in expensive shampoos, conditioners or masks, but having a great product that acts like a leave in conditioner is a must.

As you may have noticed, I spoke a little about this product in a few different posts, but never did a full proper review. In fact, I don't think I speak about it as much as I should, considering how much it has done for my hair. This is actually a heat protectant and although I stopped using any source of heat on my hair for months now, I still use this after very wash as a leave in conditioner.


Right after I opened the tube for the first time, I noticed the classic and fresh smell of it. I love the way this smells but then it was exactly what I expected from a Kerastase product. The application is a dream, since the texture is not watery as I expected, instead it's creamy and thick but lightweight at the same time. It feels like nothing's been applied on the hair.  As far as results go, I didn't notice instant results though. My hair got shinier and silkier as the time passed by, that suggests this indeed has beneficial ingredients. It keeps my ends in good condition also and this is the reason why I didn't have any split ends for months now.

I apply it rigorously from near the roots to the ends after every wash. Not only my hair is shinier, but my natural curls were also revived and my hair is easier to manage. I can honestly say this product is a good investment and this is a bold statement for me. Due to the fact that this provides a great amount of moisture for dry hair, it's only understandable why my hair looks better and better. I am truly smitten by its effects and I can see myself in the foreseeable future using it.

Bourjois Contour Edition Lip Pencil in #06 Tout Rouge

I am not very adventurous when it comes to lip liners, in fact I have used one two or three times in all my life. It may be the fact that I never considered lip liners as staple products in my makeup routine or the fact that the ones I have tried in the past had horrible, dry formulas. I was randomly looking at makeup products in Carrefour one day, then I saw this Bourjois lip liner in a gorgeous red shade and I couldn't help it. What surprised me instantly was the bright red shade and the creamy formula that makes the application a dream.

The color is a very intense red, really similar (almost could be confused) to Melkior Le Rouge in 12204 and MAC Red A73, my all time favorite shades of red, but then anything close to these two is among my favorites. This lip liner could pass easily as a lipstick, as it is fully opaque once applied and that red is just perfect for my pale skin because it brightens up my complexion. 

Now that I have clearly stated how much I like the color, it's time to talk about other things. This is a versatile product because it can be used in two ways, both with great result. Used under one of those two lipsticks mentioned above, makes the final result even more bright and luminous. Used alone, with a touch of lip balm, gives that perfectly dewy almost matte lip color perfect for summer. It's all about the finish you want, I, for instance, like to apply it after I moisturize my lips and use on it's own. This is not a product that emphasizes imperfections, however I do recommend exfoliating your lips before applying it (and any other lipstick/ lip liner in this case). It feels creamy on the lips and comfortable, not something I expected from a lip liner. It does, however, dry the lips after a few hours of wear but I can remedy that by applying lip balm on top.

This could easily stay on for hours by itself, without a lipstick on top, BUT it goes off patchy, nothing I wasn't expecting anyway. For a lip liner, it performs nicely in terms of formula and staying power, so this had to have a flaw and that it the way it goes off. Anyway, that isn't a deal breaker if you are looking for a cooperative and forgiving formulation that can be worked out in the end with little effort. 

The packaging is the classic lip liner and all in all I like this, but I do wish it was a tad more hydrating like the Essence lip liners.

Wish you a great day.

Essence Long lasting Lipstick in #13 Love Me

This is my first experience with an Essence Lipstick. I know, shame on me, but bare with me this time. I am not the kind that wears pink lipsticks, in fact I don't have many of them, but I might become a fan since this shade is so nice. What attracted me to this particular lipstick was the word "Long lasting". I presume Essence misunderstood the term because this is everything but not that. I chose the shade based on the swatches over the internet but I solemnly swear it's the prettiest shade I own right now and I don't regret buying it.

The color is a warm pink with a slightly peachy under tone, really hard to catch in the pictures. Depending on the light, this may look as a soft pale pink lipstick also, as it is the case with my swatch below. I did my best to edit the pictures so you can see the real color of this, but it's a tricky one. What can I say, the shade is a beauty and fits my pale skin perfectly. In fact, when I wear this, I look more alive and cheerful because it compliments my skin tone. This color looks so luminous and more on the baby pink side because my natural lip color is a very light one but nevertheless it doesn't stand out very much and it's appropriate for everyday use. I actually find it similar to Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink because of the luminous and vivid color.

The finish is luminous and rich, it looks beautifully once applied the right way. Although this doesn't have a silicone texture, I like a lot the final result and the color. The term 'Long lasting' makes me think about matte lipsticks, like the Sephora Cream Lip Stain or their Color Collection range, but this is quite the opposite. Looks and feels creamy, but lightweight at the same time.

The staying power is not that great, considering the creamy formula, and I feel the need to reapply it every 2-3 hours or after I eat/drink. I don't mind it, it's just the fact that the 'Long lasting' name is not really appropriate for this and for someone who's looking for a lipstick that stays on for a few hours can be pretty disappointing. 

The packaging is nice and simple, not made of cheap plastic. What surprised me the first time I opened the lipstick was the fact that the package's color is exactly (or at least very similar) to the actual lipstick color. The mechanism inside works well also. 

You can find this lipstick here for $2.93.

Have a nice day! :)

I've been trying new products recently and I am in danger of becoming a faithful customer of  some of them. I'm in a moment in my life when I'm changing my skin care and my hair care routine, not really because I am adventurous but because my needs have obviously changed. I've also recently bought lots of makeup products, but they are all budget friendly, mostly from Essence who's winning my heart little by little.

1. Balea Creme Bad Shower Cream

This comes in a large bottle of 1000 ml that will last me for approximately two months, not more because I adore the smell and I tend to use quite a lot of product because of that. This  reminds me of my mother's cookies and, without joking, has one of the most delicious smells in the world. I can identify vanilla, lemon and some sort of flower. This is a shower cream that doesn't make lots of foam which may be disturbing for some, but I quite like and definitely enjoy using it. The formula is really soft and creamy and I am planning to try more from this range, especially since Balea offers so many choices in terms of flavors  and the products are affordable.

2. Yves Rocher Low ShamPoo

3. Essence Long lasting Lipstick in #13 Love Me

4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

5. Kallos Placenta Hair Mask

7. Paula's Choice BHA 2% Liquid

8. Elmiplant Skin Moisture Cream

9. Gerovital Happiness CC Cream

10. Balea Rose and Lychee Hand lotion

11. Essence Silky Touch Blush in "Autumn Peach"


12. Essence XXXL Long Lasting Lipgloss Matt in #07 Silky Red

A few months ago, I was contacted by a representative of Smile Brilliant, a dental lab in St. Louis. I was offered the opportunity to try their whitening system and review it on my blog. Now, having white teeth is not something I would ever walk away from so I figured I don't have anything to lose. I have used the Crest White strips for more than a year, but I was never fully satisfied with their performance because they always left my teeth very sensitive.

To start with, the representative of Smile Brilliant introduced me to their whitening product and gave me information like: how to use it, how often, information about the company and also answered all my questions. I appreciated our long exchange of e-mails and I was pleasantly surprised when I got a call to chat about my previous whitening experiences and how this whitening kit actually works. In all my blogging years I have never got so much attention from a company representative, which I must confess, I really liked.

The Smile Brilliant whitening kit comes into a box named 'Tray Creation Kit' which includes the following:

• 3 catalyst pastes
• 3 base pastes
• 2 impression trays
• 3 syringes of desensitizing gel
• 3 syringes of whitening gel
• Instruction guides (tray creation, desensitizing gel usage, whitening gel usage)
• Return card and postage-paid envelope

I was actually sent two whitening kits, one for me and one for a friend (my boyfriend, in this case). We started by creating our personal whitening trays. To do this, we followed the instruction guides exactly: we mixed the catalyst and base pastes and after that we placed them into the impression trays. By the end of the process we had molds of our upper and lower teeth that we left to dry for the rest of the day. What's nice is that we were sent an extra set of catalyst and base pastes to use in case one doesn't work out as desired, which obviously happened because - left hands.

I started the whitening process a week ago and I have used it two times up until now. Before I started the whitening process, I brushed my teeth with water only and I flossed. The whitening process continued by applying the whitening gel into the trays and I used the whitening gel for 30 minutes both times, just to make sure I avoid any sensitivity. At first, I felt a little tweak in my gums, but it disappeared within 1-2 minutes by itself. After those 30 minutes, I took out the trays, washed them with water, let them dry and used the desensitizing gel the same way I used the whitening one.


I had no sensitivity whatsoever. The Smile Brilliant representative advised me to use the desensitizing gel every time I use the kit and I did follow her advice exactly. My boyfriend though didn't use it the first time and he experienced some sensitivity in his gums, but at the second use the sensitivity increased and he literally felt pain while using the whitening gel. He only applied it for 30 minutes, and then applied the desensitizing gel, but his gums were really affected.
The whitening gel can be left on for up to 3 hours, but we wouldn't do that because our teeth are sensitive and we're afraid to risk it. I personally saw an improvement in my teeth color after the first use, but my boyfriend's results were not really that noticeable even after the second use. You can see below the results on our teeth after 2 uses (I left the trays on with the whitening gel 30 minutes every time, my boyfriend left them on for 40 minutes the first time and 30 the second). I can assure you these pictures are not adjusted in any way and the results are real.


This kit is meant to remove any stains from the teeth, therefore the results are as natural as possible, and not as artificial as I experienced with the Crest White strips (that really impeccable white). The color of my teeth after the whitening process is very close to my real teeth color. Speaking for myself, I found the whitening process really simple and comfortable, not something I would ever say about the Crest White strips. Unlike the latter, I didn't feel any sensitivity with the Smile Brilliant whitening kit and I must say, I am impressed by how well and fast it performed. I can see myself in the foreseeable future using this kit whenever I need a splash of whitening. Since a professional teeth whitening costs a fortune nowadays, I like that this has a decent price.

If you want to use the kit yourself, you're more than welcome to enter my giveaway that can be found here. The prize consists on $139.90 store credit which is equal to the Teeth Whitening Trays + 3 whitening gel syringes and 3 desensitizing gel syringes. Just enter your name and your e-mail address and within 30 days the winner will be contacted by a representative of Smile Brilliant. Good luck!

Essence Silky Touch Blush in #70 Kissable

It's a shame I didn't try Essence blushes until now, since they are really cheap and I wear blush on a daily basis anyway. With makeup it's about getting what you pay for but, nonetheless, Essence have products that are worth paying even more than the actual price. That's the case with this blush I have been loving for the past few weeks, though I didn't expect to like it this much. I remember buying their BB Cream last year that broke me out really bad and so I stopped using their products, but after reading so many positive reviews about them I decided that a single bad experience shouldn't reflect on the other products. It's nice when all that panic goes away and I discover such nice products at such a low price. 

The blush is a muted pink with an under-plum tone. It reminds me a little of the Sleek Rose Gold blush, because the Essence one has also golden reflections that are so discrete and lovely this could pass as an expensive product if it weren't for the packaging and the Essence name on it. The color is gorgeous, wearable especially in the colder months because of the slightly plum tone. I however wear it now, in the summer because I love the shade. It was hard to capture the shade exactly, I hope you can get the idea. Some would say this is not appropriate for pale skin toned people, I would say I love it for my pale face. It is a little tricky to use because of the plum toned color, but it's worth it.

This has indeed a silky formula and has managed to make me leave my Sleek Rose Gold Blush aside for a few weeks. It's not powdery or dusty at all, which surprised me. In fact this is really compact and smooth. I like a blush that it's easy to blend it without much effort, and this makes no exception. I wouldn't say it's incredible easy to work with, but it's okay. It does tend to blend heavily on some areas if I take out too much product at once, but I blend it until I like how it looks. It doesn't require a lot of effort to blend it though, so no need to worry about this. The finish it provides is a soft glowiness I adore, because it's neither too much nor too discrete for my everyday makeup. I would say that Essence nailed it with this blush because I am eager to try more of their shades.

The staying power is nothing really impressive, like most blushes it tends to wear off towards the end of the day, but I did notice that it clings on longer when I am wearing my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation.

I would have liked the packaging to be more resistant and not made of cheap plastic but, what can I say, you get what you pay for and in this case, you get even more, considering the quality of the blush itself. The packaging is quite simple and on the back you can see the ingredients and all the other details about the product. The blush pattern is a really nice detail which adds more to the product itself.

You can get this is any stores that sell Essence products (Douglas in Cluj-Napoca) for about  €2.80. For my romanian readers, you can find it here.

Catrice Ultimate Shine Lipstick in Shy Flamingo

Colour: The colour is a gorgeous bright peachy/coral with pink undertone  shade, perfect for summer days. It comes packed with lots of shiny glitter meant to reflect the light. I find the color buildable if you want a high intensity lipstick, but one coat is usually enough for my taste. I do find, however, the color a little more on the orange side for my likely and for my skin tone. It would definitely suit tanned skin better, but on my pale skin it looks orange toned which I dislike.  My lips color is also really light, so the lipstick comes in full colour strength and looks really bright.

Have you tried it?

Have  nice day!

L'Oreal Paris Le Teint Accord Parfait Foudation in R2 Vanille Rose

Shade: I instantly got the wrong shade called 'Vanille Rose'. My mistake was that I measured the shade only by trying it on my hand and I was convinced that it would fit my face skin colour. I compared this one with the R1 Ivoire Rose, which was too light for me. 
The R2 Vanille Rose shade has a neutral sub tone and would fit my skin perfectly if it wasn't a little darker than my complexion is nowadays. This is the second lightest shade in the range and it made me realize just how pale I am. However, I dislike just how different can too shades be, especially when they come one after the other. The selection of shades is something they could work on.

Texture and finish: This has a watery texture which I like. It blends in pretty easy, a beauty sponge or a foundation brush. Personally, I prefer to apply my foundations with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to ensure a smooth application, but that really depends on what foundation I'm using.
I couldn't use my RT brush with this foundation. The problem is that it has a tendency to sit on my skin once dried. I can literally see how it sits on my pores, although the are no unblended foundation spots on my face. I just can't seem to make it look nice and flawless and that happens especially around my nose and on my T-Zone. Although my face is always well moisturized, I can't get along with it this time and I find the application very tricky overall. I can't say it's something really visible, in fact most people wouldn't even notice this, but it bothers me that I can't make it look good. The only thing that makes the application easier is a damp beauty sponge, but that will minimize the coverage power.
However, if I insist on applying it with my RT brush, I can notice that the skin doesn't look healthy at all. I felt that it made my skin looking and feeling dry, especially on my chin and around my mouth. Same goes for applying it with my fingers, it looks cakey and disturbing.
The finish is also tricky. Applying it with my RT brush, it is more matte. If I apply it with a damp beauty sponge, it will be a little dewy, so getting the perfect balance between matte and dewy is hard.

Coverage and staying power: There is lots of room for improvements. Accord Parfait is a light to medium coverage foundation in my opinion. The coverage may be buildable but I cannot get a second layer on areas where I need it without looking cakey. Needless to say that the shade wouldn't allow me to do so.
In terms of staying power, this foundation is average. At the end of the day I can see how my T-Zone is messing around and this just seem to disappear from my face during the day.

Packaging: At least the packaging is nice and elegant, because the other things I don't like that much. It comes in a glass bottle and the pump mechanism works really well. I can see exactly how much product I have left and I like the design of the bottle itself. No complaints here.

Price and availability: You can get it at any drugstore or in the online for about 10$. 

Thoughts: I don't think I will repurchase this in the future, since there are so many other products I can try. I'm sorry to see this didn't work for me now, as it did in the past, this being the proof that my skin has changed a lot in the past few years, along with the products I use. The foundation hasn't however break me out and did not irritate my skin in any way.

Sephora Collection Color Lip Last in Brown is Back

I was looking for a brown shade of lipstick for months, until I saw this beauty on one of my friends on Instagram. I knew immediately I would love it and lucky for me, my boyfriend was very receptive and went looking for it. I'm not a very big fan of brown lipsticks, in fact I never had one so I don't know exactly what hit me because brown lipsticks don't suit everyone so I was a little reluctant that I would like it.

Colour: In terms of colour, this is a pinky-light brown shade that, surprisingly, suits my pale skin perfectly. There are days when I feel like this is too much, but that is because I am not yet comfortable wearing this shade of lipstick since I never had one like it. I think the colour is really wearable, but it's definitely a very picky one since you do have to take into consideration the clothes you wear or the colour of your hair (I didn't like wearing it when I was a redhead). The pigmentation is also excellent.

Texture and finish: It's a fully opaque lipstick with a soft texture, until it dries and becomes semi matte. The lips look kinda dry, but I do like that effect because they seem fuller and are more interesting. The finish is semi matte, it doesn't have any kind of shimmer in it and is easy to apply but beware, once dried, you can't do anything about it.

Let me know what you think about this shade.

Have a great day!