November Favourites and Updates – Mateja’s Beauty Blog

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January 9, 2026

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BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Glow Tint Essence

01 Fair

A tinted moisturiser that’s one of the best “no-makeup makeup” formulas I’ve tried. The pearls suspended in the gel formula have just the right amount of tint so it looks like your skin, but better and it’s properly hydrating. It takes a while to blend it with fingers, but it can be done faster with a sponge if you don’t mind using more product. Similarly to the foundation in this line it doesn’t really set, so it needs some powder to keep it place. Shade 01 Fair fits my pale neutral skin tone well.

CATRICE Sheer Beauties Nail Polish

20 Roses are Rosy

This looks so elegant on the nails. I’ve never been a fan of sheer shades, but this one has more pigmentation with one coat than all such nail polishes I tried. With two coats it looks perfect for my taste with nail tips visible, but not too much. Staying power is excellent.

LABELLO Lip Balm

Cherry Apple Snow White

A great product for the my-lips-but-better effect or at least for a subtle hint of colour that improves the look without looking like makeup. The formula isn’t as good at nourishing the lips as for example Essence’s Juicy Bomb sticks, but it’s decent enough.

IUNIK Propolis Vitamin Sleeping Mask

I’ve been using this almost every day for the last few months and I just recently repurchased it. It’s a gel-lotion overnight mask with propolis and plenty of nice ingredients. I don’t think it makes my skin glow (its original promise), but it’s deeply hydrating and calming, since it has a lot of centella asiatica. It’s scent-free.

NIVEA Styling Mousse Volume & Hold

I usually use the white version of Nivea’s mouse called Soft Touch, but I haven’t been able to find it recently, so I tried this one instead and it’s the same. I can’t feel it on the hair, yet it adds a decent amount of hold. I use these mousses so the blow-out and no-heat curls last longer.

BALEA PROFESSIONAL Keratin Repair Haarkur

This deserves a place here, as it’s a surprisingly nice formula for an affordable price. It reminds me of Pantene Repair mask and conditioner, as it leaves that slippery feeling on the hair that I like, plus it’s nourishing enough. It’s silicone free.

UPDATES

THE ORDINARY Retinal 0.2% Emulsion

I promised an update when I start using it. I recently used up a whole bottle of Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 and now this got its turn. It’s stronger, with a higher percentage of retinal and it’s noticeable, as I feel a slight burning when I use it, but I haven’t noticed my skin becoming more sensitive. As far as results go – I never see any results as retinols or retinals. The texture is the same as Geek & Gorgeous one, a bright yellow lotion that sits on the skin for a while. The bottle is so small and I doubt this will last long.

THE ORDINARY GF 15% Solution

I just used up a whole bottle of this and I repurchased it. I won’t rave about it because honestly I see no visible difference, but I’m hoping at least it’s slowing down the development of lines. It’s a growth factor serum that promises a lot of things concerning visible aging, plus that is hydrates and strengthens skin’s barrier. Texture is watery and it’s easy to layer, so I use it daily as one of the first steps in the morning.

NINE LESS B-Boost 1% Kojic Acid Serum

Another thing I used up and recently repurchased. It’s a brightening serum with niacinamide, tranexamic acid, kojic acid, vitamin C, glutathione, arganine and peptides. It’s light, absorbs quickly and it’s rich enough to be used on its own if desired. It keeps my skin in good condition.