After the big disappointment that was the Nivea BB cream in 'light' and Elmiplant CC Cream in 'light' (you call that mud light??), I'm still looking for something light to medium coverage to cover my redness, that has a yellow undertone and is light (shade and texture wise).
So I picked up this Garnier one after reading on the web that it's slightly yellow.

Garnier BB Cream Original / Classic
An all-in-one moisturiser combining skincare with mineral pigments to even skin tone, illuminate, cover imperfections, with 24Hr hydration and SPF protection. A natural look in just one step, just you at your best.

THE SHADE

Of course, it's too dark for me... Like all the other BB Creams on the market. Hello? Pale people exist? There is also an extra-light version you're never going to see in shops. It's as rare as an unicorn.

MATCHING

If you're in the same pale-situation as me, don't throw away the BB Cream! Try to make it work!

Here, we have the BB Cream next to a very light foundation, Gabrini Art Scenic in 01 (basically pinkish-white). Combining them created the perfect shade, BUT with a more neutral tone (because I mixed yellow and pink). It's barely noticeable though.
You might say my skin looks pink here, but trust me, my neck and chest are pretty yellow.

BRAND: Garnier

LOCATION: any drugstore, really

PRICE: 22 RON

QUANTITY: 50ml

PROS

• SPF 15 protection
• subtle lime scent
• looks pretty on the skin
• decent coverage

CONS

• wrong shade :(

Would I buy this product again? Yes, even if the shade is too dark. It's hard to find cheap foundation/BB/CC creams with yellow tint.

There was a time when these were all over Youtube and all over beauty blogs. I know the hype has died but I recently bought these liquid lipsticks off Aliexpress out of curiosity. The name might fool you because these are definitely NOT glossy, but extremely matte! The shades I got are: 18, 22, 26, 32, 33 (swatches below).

ON THE TOPIC OF ALIEXPRESS...
Now you might think that ordering from a cheap Chinese site might be shady; but from my short experience, everything is OK as long as you read the customer feedback received by the seller. Expiration date is 2020 (I ordered in 2016), nothing came broken or damaged. The only problem I noticed is that the tubes aren't full (they're about half way filled).
The (free) shipping was OK: about 1 week to the capital - Bucharest and 4 f-ing weeks to my city - Iași! This says a lot about Romanian public postal services! If you don't want to wait forever for your package, ditch the free shipping and pay for faster and more professional transport.
You do not pay anything extra when picking up your packet (unless you're late to pick it up and they tax you for storage).

Menow Generation II Long Lasting Lip Gloss - link might not be available forever, as stores come and go
Effect: Color-changing Type: Lipstick Advantage: Waterproof / Water-Resistant The characteristics of this lipstick is Non-stick cup, no rub off, velvet matte surface, use Olive oil or discharge makeup oil to discharge.

Great Google Translate English over there, eh? :)

There is no "color-changing" involved as far as I have seen, but the other characteristics are pretty true.

THE SHADES all matte

• 18: mauve nude
• 22: pink-plum?
• 26: coral-pink nude
• 32: warm red
• 33: dark red

BRAND: Menow

LOCATION: Aliexpress

PRICE: 0.7 USD

QUANTITY: 4.4g

PROS

• dries really matte
• pretty colors and many to choose from
• super cheap price
• long lasting (without eating/drinking)
• does not stain the lips

CONS

• crumbles in a very ugly way after eating
• reapplication is messy ('cause CRUMBS everywhere!)
• patchy application
• accentuates dry lips

Would I buy this product again? Mmm, no. I did not like them very much. It was my very first experience with matte lip products... It's much easier to re-apply a creamy lipstick than these matte horrors.

This palette is ... lovely! *wink*. Really now, Lovely has done a great job with this palette. It's good for both natural looks and smokey eyes/party looks. As always, when you buy cheap eye shadow, the mattes or the light colors generally lack pigment. I will describe below every shade so you know which are good and which suck (swatches included).

Lovely Nude Make Up Kit
Rich palette of eye shadow in natural colors for making nude makeup. Shadows that are the perfect set for any woman who values natural and delicate makeup. Your new looks will set you apart, and eye makeup will be durable and attractive for many hours.
THE SHADES from light to dark

• 1: matte / very light nude
• 2: metallic / light neutral brown, good for the inner corners
• 3: matte / very light pink, almost white
• 4: metallic / rosy brown
• 5: matte / light grey-pink
• 6: metallic / warm toned dark brown
• 7: metallic / light grey-mauve
• 8: metallic / medium grey
• 9: metallic / light grey, good for inner corners
• 10: metallic / warm toned light brown
• 11: metallic / rosy brown but darker
• 12: matte / black with big white sparkles

BRAND: Lovely

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 11.99 RON

QUANTITY: 13g

PROS

• pretty color selection
• very cheap
• easy to blend

CONS

• a few shades are useless
• leaves glitter fallout on cheeks

Packaging says it's made in PRC (China)... but I can't be bothered since the colors are very nice.

Would I buy this product again? Yes, for the way it performed; definitely give it a try if you stumble upon it.

I used this cream all summer last year and I can't believe I was as lazy as to keep using it when I was obviously not liking it. But this year, I started my hunt for SPF day creams early in the spring (started off with Balea Face Cream with Almond Oil and SPF 15). But back to last year! Elmiplant is a Romanian skin care brand that has good products and bad products. This was one of their bad ones in my opinion...

Crema-gel matifianta pentru ten gras SPF 15 Elmiplant SKINNERGY break free!
Mattifying cream-gel. 24h moisture, with guava extract, 100% natural. For oily skin, with SPF 15.

BRAND: Elmiplant

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: ~20 RON

QUANTITY: 50ml

PROS

• moisturizes the skin
• UV protection - SPF 15
• fast absorbing
• light and fluid

CONS

• "mattifying" my ass! very shiny - needs powder on top
• chemical-ish smell
• I don't see how this is suitable for oily skin - no improvement
• stings the eyes!

Would I buy this product again? No. After using it for 3 months I have come to hate it. The smell puts me off and the packaging tells lies. If you really want a mattifying cream (no FPS sadly) try the Balea Mattifying Face Cream.

Spring is finally here! It's time to fill your house with flowers and sunshine and your skin care drawer with SPF day creams! Last year I used Elmiplant SKINNERGY Break free but I got bored of it and I didn't really like the smell. That being said, I can't wait to try other products with SPF in them! So I started with this Balea one.

Tagespflege reichhaltige Tagescreme
Keeps your dry and sensitive skin delicate and supple. With almond oil, provitamin B5 & UV protection (SPF 15).

I didn't really want to buy the dry, sensitive skin one but the one for combination skin didn't have the big LSF/SPF label on it. Turns out that the combination one also had UV protection but it was only written on the back of the box...

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 9.99 RON / 1.95 EUR

QUANTITY: 50ml

PROS

• nice delicate smell that follows you around all day
• super moisturizing
• UV protection - SPF 15
• OK price, like all Balea products

CONS

• sooo very shiny - needs a load of powder to make it a bit more matte
• not fast absorbing - sinks in slower than Balea Mattifying Face Cream

Would I buy this product again? Yes for the quality but no for the skin type. I highly recommend it for dry skin!

Having had a pleasant experience with the Balea Professional Oil Repair Conditioner and seeing that this spray had a discount, I bought it and hoped for the best. I should have payed more attention to what I was buying because I was expecting something similar to Schwarzkopf leave-in conditioners. But no, this is not a watery spray, it's more like a deodorant... and I sprayed too close to my hair in my hand and I got aerosol burn woops!

Professional Oil Repair Haaröl Spray
With Argan oil for more suppleness. For dry, brittle and fragile hair. Result: powerful and shiny, supple and well-groomed hair, which can be combed easily.

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 7.99 RON (#discount) / 2.95 EUR

QUANTITY: 200ml

PROS

• leaves hair fragranced
• hair looks very shiny for about an hour
• it does have some oil in it, so it makes hair easy to comb

CONS

• contains ALCOHOL DENAT as the first ingredient - dries hair
• contains ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL at the end of the ingredient list
• might do more harm to your hair than good
• pretty expensive for the actual results

Would I buy this product again? Hell no! I really recommend you try the liquid conditioner thought from the same collection (reviewed here). I'd rather invest in the ACTUAL hair oil next time.

My favorite conditioner for this winter is offered by dm's own brand, Balea. Sure, I could have bought another standard Balea conditioner but my curiosity led me to the Balea 'Professional' line. And I have to say, yes, this conditioner is better than the standard one and better than the one from Kallos too. I have nothing but words of praise for this product.

Balea Professional Oil Repair Spülung
Cleans and maintains extremely damaged and dry hair. With phytokeratin and argan oil. Silicone free.

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 7.70 RON / 1.35 EUR

QUANTITY: 200ml

PROS

• yummy fragrance
• makes hair easy to comb, shiny and silky ♡
• damn cheap

CONS

• none

Would I buy this product again? Yes! From the same 'Oil Repair' collection, I have also tried the spray which I reviewed over here.

Every year, there's a new beauty trend... There was a time when 'macadamia oil' was on every single beauty product in the shops. Now everything has 'argan oil' written on it. I can think of more examples, likes BB & CC creams that got super popular all of a sudden. Micellar water also got very popular 'overnight' and almost everyone switched to it from harsh alcohol based cleansers or cleansing cream/milk.

I also got on the micellar water bandwagon and tried one from Gerovital which I liked a lot. After I finished it, completely impressed with its efficient cleansing proprieties, I bought the Balea one, thinking it's gonna be just as good...

Mizellenwasser Mischhaut und sensible Haut
For all skin types. Gently removes makeup and excess sebum. Cleans, nourishes and protects the skin from drying. No rinsing necessary. With panthenol, glycerin and hamamelis water. Perfume free.

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 16 RON / 2.95 EUR

QUANTITY: 400ml

What to use it for: removing makeup (face, eyes, lips)
What NOT to use it for: cleansing the face (dirt remains)

PROS

• easily cleans makeup
• no fragrance = no allergic reactions
• does not sting the eyes
• feels refreshing
• super cheap for this quantity

CONS

• skin feels a bit dry after using it
• even though there's no perfume, it still smells like some chemicals... (I didn't like the smell, might be just me)
• does not deep clean the skin
• I just don't like the foam it makes sometimes

Would I buy this product again? Nope. I am using it alongside an alcohol based cleanser because this water simply does not clean properly. As soon as I finish it, I will buy the Gerovital Micellar Water which gently cleaned my skin of all the dirt and sebum, while also hydrating it.

Having recently purchased the Lovely Nude Makeup Kit and liking it, I thought I'd give this concealer a try. My other concealer was running out (the Miss Sporty concealer stick) so I picked the lightest shade there was (01) and hoped for the best. Lovely is a polish cosmetics brand, available in dm. Reviews for the aforementioned products will be coming soon.

Lovely Magic Pen
Masking face corrector with an extremely effective formula. Perfectly hides any skin imperfections and perfectly retouches shadows under the eyes. Very easy to spread on the skin, hence does not create lumps and is invisible under a primer.

BRAND: Lovely

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 12 RON

QUANTITY: 2ml

PROS

• neutral tone
• no fragrance
• does not make eyes sting or water

CONS

• dries / sinks into skin too quickly
• extremely hard to blend if you don't hurry
• medium coverage, pimples are still visible and red
• creases, accentuates lines

Would I buy this product again? Nope, this one was a disappointment.

I wish I had discovered this product earlier! I've been using it for a few years now and I have tried most of their fragrances. The Original one, I didn't like too much: it was just as effective as the others but the smell reminded me of sterile hospital supplies. The Sweetie one has an obnoxious raspberry smell. But hey, they are meant to cover the smell of sebum with a harsh fragrance while also absorbing said sebum from your roots. I have also tried Cherry, Blush (generic flowery smell) and Tropical (my favorite, coconut & candies).

Most people say dry shampoo is a great alternative to washing every day; but if you use it incorrectly, you might just look like you added some dandruff to your hair. On the packaging it says: shake well, spray from 30cm/12in into your roots, massage into roots, brush away the excess. Simple right? Wrong! The process is messy and residue will fall off your hair all day long (nightmare for black clothes).

What I recommend is to:

• never spray it while you're wearing good clothes
• try to avoid wearing dark clothes
• spray the night before, let the powder properly absorb grease over night so you can easily remove it in the morning
• get a very dense hair comb just for this process, to properly remove excess powder (you'll need to clean it very often)
• blow dry excess powder (on cold setting)
• do not overuse this product (it does not let your scalp breathe, thus creating more grease); use only when necessary, between washes (on days 2 to 3)

Batiste Instant Hair refresh Dry Shampoo
UK's No. 1 Dry Shampoo. The perfect quick fix for great looking hair between washes.

BRAND: Batiste

LOCATION: elefant.ro / sensiblu

PRICE: 16.99 / 23 RON

QUANTITY: 200ml

PROS

• gets rid of unaesthetic slimy hair
• adds fragrance (masks sebum smell)
• makes hair more rigid - good for styling (I personally don't like this)
• a bottle lasts me about a month, ok for the price

CONS

• powder, powder everywhere! clothes, carpets, hair brush, forehead, ears
• if used incorrectly (not removing excess, brushing your scalp too hard) looks like dandruff

Would I buy this product again? Yes! I feel like I can't go outside with slimy hair anymore! Compared to the Balea one, this one has a very sharp smell and overall absorbs more grease.

For my fellow Romanians, you can find it in Sensiblu Pharmacies, frequently with a discount, or even cheaper, on elefant.ro.

This reminds me a lot of Nivea Cream Care. Small size, subtle scent, multi purpose, travel size cream. Unlike Nivea, this one has a fruity fresh scent (frangipani and a not so noticeable coconut). With very similar packaging, there is the For You/Für Dich version, with peach and papaya.

Balea Pflegecreme mit Liebe
With love. With frangipani and coconut scent.

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: 4.99 RON

QUANTITY: 30ml

PROS

• wonderful fruity scent
• long lasting scent ♡
• practical, easy to fit in a small purse
• hydrating

CONS

• the tin is a bit unhygienic to use

Would I buy this product again? Yes!

This hand cream was a bit of a let down, but not because of its quality (I find it to be better than the Balea one). I was simply looking for a Christmas scent but I didn't find it here, oh well. Can't say I love it, can't say I hate it. Some other options for these hand creams (and shower gels) are: Irish coffee, black cherry, watermelon, strawberry, pear, grapes and mango!

Dermacol Aroma Ritual Hand Cream Belgian Chocolate

BRAND: Dermacol

LOCATION: [order] elefant.ro

PRICE: 12.99 RON

QUANTITY: 100ml

PROS

• nice subtle smell
• hydrating

CONS

• i don't smell any chocolate in it
• leaves behind a thin layer of grease

Would I buy this product again? Yes, but not the hand cream. Maybe the shower gel from the same line will have a more intense fragrance.

A delicious and sophisticated scent from Benetton Italy, Cheering Rose is a refreshing body mist of good quality and it's not as pricey as Victoria's Secret body care line (which I have never tried, but I'm planning to). Having 12 different options to choose from, you're sure to find a scent you fancy! Here are their names: Smoothing Orchid, Relaxing Violet, Magnetizing Jasmine, Stimulating Aqua, Charming Frangipani, Refreshing Apple, Appealing Lily, Warming Mango, Arousing Watermelon, Sparkling Guarana, Energizing Pitanga, each of these trying to represent a certain country.

Benetton Spray de corp Cheering Rose
Refreshing body mist. Natural spray - Use all over your body.

BRAND: United Colors of Benetton

LOCATION: [order] elefant.ro

PRICE: 19.99 RON

QUANTITY: 250ml

PROS

• refreshing rosy scent with a sour kick
• very cheap for this quantity
• wide range atomizer (1-2 spritzes are enough)

CONS

• poor lasting time, only a few hours
  (compared to Zara Body Mist)

Would I buy this product again? Yes! I can't wait to try them all! I find them to be a perfect fit for summer, when you don't want to overwhelm and suffocate people with strong nauseating scents.

Wanna save some money while still wearing your favorite scent? Curious of how some high-end perfumes smell like? Then why not try some cheaper smell-a-likes?
Refan is a Bulgarian company that sells perfumes and skin care products. Sadly, these can be hard to find (there are no such shops in my city, but I ordered from the capital).

As of last year, it is forbidden to advertise the name of the perfume Refan is copying, so they only use a code number to identify each perfume. But the sellers can still tell you the notes or the name if you ask them hehe. That being said, I currently have the numbers: 145 (Kenzo - Jungle L'Elephant) and 100 (Chloe - Chloe).

I can't tell you that they match the originals 100%, but I can say the Kenzo one smells very very close to the original (I smelled it on one of my teachers once). They come in 5ml, 30ml, 50ml and in different bottle types and scent strength/concentration.

BRAND: Refan

LOCATION: [ordered]

PRICE: 40 RON

QUANTITY: 50ml

All in all, I am very satisfied with their products, not only the perfumes, but also their: soaps, shower gels, face masks and creams. If you find one of their shops in Europe, be sure to give their products a try!

Would I buy this product again? Yes!

Ain't the prospect of hair removal a pain in the ass? Sometimes you just don't wanna waste time with it or you find it boring or painful, depending on what method you use. Well, this shaving foam from Balea will surely entertain you with its smooth fluffy texture and wonderful fragrance! Shaving has never been this fun.

Balea Rasiergel Winter LE Oriental Flower
Shaving gel. Oriental flower. With the oriental scent of amaryllis. Sensitive skin

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: ? RON / 1.15 EUR

QUANTITY: 150ml

PROS

• no cuts on my skin (soaked in warm water beforehand)
• lovely smell
• fragrance persists
• easy to keep track of where your razor's been

CONS

• nothing as of yet

Would I buy this product again? Yes! Can't wait to try all the versions!

...and why I do NOT recommend.

A new company emerges. You see its wonderfully designed product packaging, you see the very affordable prices.
Some many products to choose from... you can't NOT find something that you fancy so you order/buy right away.
What's next?
Disappointment! (At least in my case)

IDC Institute, part of Aquarius Cosmetic, is a spanish company that sells its products in Europe. I've seen them in French, Italian and Romanian web stores.
Like other people, being pleased by the nice designs, I bought 2 things: a body spray and a bath foam, both disappointing.
Moreover, after reading the label, I can say that these products are 'made in PRC' (China) and 'developed in EU' - which explains why I was not at all impressed with the quality.

IDC INSTITUTE Body Spray Warm Lavender, 150 ml

• the picture on the bottle is that of lilac, not lavender...
• the smell has nothing to do with lavender
• doesn't last long
• the atomizer was broken

IDC INSTITUTE Bath Foam Lilac and Lavender, 1000 ml

• the picture on the bottle is that of lilac only haha
• did not make much foam
• felt very drying

I ended up using the bath foam as a shower gel (combined with others, since it didn't make much foam) and the body mist as a room freshener (after transferring it in a bottle with a working atomizer).

Would I buy these products again? Definitely no.

Oh, the struggle! Finding a good face cream that doesn't make you look like you bathed in oil. Worry no more, my dears, I have found my perfect match so maybe it also suits you.
I used to have oily skin and dry skin flakes on my T-zone. Now I only have oily skin haha. But what I want to say is that cleaning my skin regularly (getting rid of those dead cells) and moisturising made a huge difference. So invest in a good cleanser and face cream! Which brings me to this product by Balea.

Tagespflege 24H Pflege mit Fruchtsäure mattierend
For every day. With fruit acid.
(24H version is the new packaging, same product)

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: about 11.99 RON / 1.95 EUR

QUANTITY: 50ml

PROS

• smells great, like fresh green apples
• not too fluid, not too thick, 'just right' texture
• feels light
• very easy to spread
• fast absorbing
• really does mattify
• good price
• doesn't break me out (good for acne prone skin)
• good make-up base

CONS

• starts to slightly shine after a few hours
• might not be the best option for winter if you need extra hydration
• not the best option for summer either (no SPF)

Would I buy this product again? Yes!

Winter is still here, sadly, and my hands need all the help they can get. I bought this hand cream back in November, hoping it would be great, since Balea has gotten a lot of praise for their products. I wasn't impressed though... I checked the fragrance of all of the available options and nothing made me say 'wow!'. So I got this (random) lemon one thinking that maybe the hydration would be good.

Handcreme Buttermilk & Lemon
With the fresh scent of buttermilk and lemon. For dry hands.

BRAND: Balea

LOCATION: dm / drogerie markt

PRICE: about 5 RON / 0.85 EUR

QUANTITY: 100ml

PROS

• smells nice, like lemon pie
• it’s cheap

CONS

• doesn’t hydrate that much
• feels greasy
• not suitable for winter

Would I buy this product again? No.