In case you’re not familiar with this series, it’s about products that I’ve used up and weren’t that exciting enough to write a separate blog post about and some samples I’ve been using. This time around, I don’t have many products but I broke into my small samples bag and decided it was time for me to try them because they’ve been collecting dust in a drawer.

Nivea Magic Pearl deodorant spray

This is supposedly a limited edition product but I’ve seen it in stores even now, although I think it was something released during spring or summer. This is a spray deodorant with a floral scent that doesn’t contain alcohol. So far so good except it doesn’t do its main job – preventing me from sweating. Considering that it’s winter even though it’s not like freezing, I shouldn’t be sweating much, but I did and this deodorant simply didn’t cut it. I must add that I never particularly found Nivea deodorants efficient and this is no different.

e.l.f. Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow

I’m not completely done with this cream eyeshadow but I hit pan on it and it’s older than 3 years so it doesn’t apply and last as good as it used to. It belongs in the trash. I don’t even know if they make these anymore because I couldn’t find my shade, which was Gala, a brown with some golden shimmers in it on their website and in Romania it’s not sold anymore at all. I used to like this eyeshadow very much because it looked great on the lid, but now I think there are so many better formulas out there and that are truly long-lasting that I don’t feel like using this anymore. Plus, I don’t reach for singles when I do my makeup and it’s no point in me keeping this any longer.

Orkide Natty nail polish

I decided to throw out old nail polishes in my already small collection but this is a new one. Orkide is a very cheap nail polish brand that you can usually find in small shops where they sell all kinds of stuff. I bought this because I thought it was a pinky-nude color, but it looks like white paint with a hint of pink on my nails. Plus, it chips like crazy, For about 0,50 euros a piece, I shouldn’t expect a decent quality product anyway.

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate

I can’t say much about a product I’ve used only once, but all I can say is it felt very nice on the skin and it absorbs quickly. You clearly need to follow up with a face cream afterward, because the serum on its own is not hydrating enough. I can’t afford the price tag of Lancome products, so I don’t think I would invest in such expensive skin care.

Biotherm Blue Therapy Multi-defender SPF 25 face cream

This also a product I used only once and the only things I’ve noticed is that the cream has a citrusy scent and that it’s quite thick so you have to work it into the skin. It’s an anti-aging face cream for normal and combination skin and I love products with citrus in them because they contain vitamin C which is great for the skin, but again it’s the price tag that prevents me from buying it. If I were to ever buy high-end skin care products they would have to perform real miracles on my skin.

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation

I’ve heard so many good things about this foundation but for me, it wasn’t a new discovered holy grail product. The wear time was good, it didn’t oxidize on my skin and it didn’t transfer but it also had some disadvantages. For one, I felt it a little bit heavy on my skin, like I felt I was wearing foundation. And I have to say I noticed in the evening a few whiteheads on my forehead and around my mouth, so basically in my T zone which is usually a little oilier than the rest of my face. I don’t know if it was the foundation because it clogged up my pores or if it was because I wore foundation each day for a week now, which I usually don’t do, but I wasn’t as impressed with the way my skin looked to make me buy this foundation.

Elmiplant Supreme Hyaluronic body lotion

As much as I understand the presence of hyaluronic acid in the Elmiplant face cream that I actually like, I don’t get why we need something like this for a body lotion. It doesn’t contain parabens, colorants, and paraffin, and it has a very affordable price. So these are enough selling points to pick up the lotion at any drugstore so I find the part with the hyaluronic acid a little gimmicky.

That’s it for now with the products I’ve used up and tested, we’ll probably have another update next month.