Gucci Flora Eau Fraiche Eau de Toilette

A nice floral for younger ladies.

I have a sample of this from Sephora. I usually love floral scents, but am underwhelmed by this one. On me, the scent smells fresh, green, and just a bit flowery and sweet. Also smells a bit soapy. Just a smidge powdery. It's a very nice fragrance, but just not my style. It's geared more toward young girls who are too old for body mist, but too young for heavy perfumes. The packaging is gorgeous though.

July 16, 2011

Lolita Lempicka Forbidden Flower Eau de Parfum Spray

Smells like soap

Green, powdery, flowery, with a bit of sweetness, and very SOAP like. Seriously, it smells like floral soap. I really don't care for it. The packaging is kind of cute, but also looks like something a middle school girl would like.

July 16, 2011

Kenzo FlowerbyKenzo

Baby powder.

The scent is somewhat floral, but the floral aspect is overwhelmed by a very powdery overtone, like baby powder. It has decent lasting power, but to be honest, if I wanted to smell like baby powder, I'd just rub on some baby powder! The bottle is kind of pretty, but a little boring.

July 16, 2011

Ulta Eye Shadow

Really good shadow, in TONS of colors.

Ulta eyeshadow is one of the best kept secrets of drugstore makeup. At this point, I probably own about two dozen of these eye shadows in almost every color of the rainbow. Some of my favorites are Toast, Golden Olive, Safari, Galaxy and Truffle. Ulta is one of the few brands that has such a wide array of colors (besides Urban Decay and MAC), AND that are inexpensive (besides NYX). I will admit that some of the colors are of better quality than others—but that's true of many makeup lines, even MAC. Honestly, I think that some of the Ulta colors are comparable to Stila or Urban Decay in terms of quality, especially the shimmer shades. The texture is nice and smooth, and they're fairly pigmented on average. Sometimes you have to layer on the color to really get it to look as vibrant as it looks in the pan, or you can just apply it wet. The matte shades tend to be a little lower in pigmentation, and just a touch chalky compared to higher end shadows, but pretty average compared to drugstore lines. The lasting power on these is pretty typical—I can't wear any shadow for more than a few hours without creasing, unless I throw on some eye primer. As long as you use eye primer with these, even oily-lidded gals can get a full day's worth of wear. I love the packaging. It's super sturdy, and the clear plastic cover means you can easily find whichever color you're looking for. At regular price, these are a great bargain because the amount of product in the pan is HUGE. What's even more exciting is that these frequently go on sale for just TWO DOLLARS. That's unbelievable. If you ever just need some wacky colors for Halloween or some other costume occasion, these are also perfect for that! I will definitely continue to repurchase these.

July 16, 2011

Tom's of Maine Natural Long-Lasting Deodorant Stick

Didn't work at ALL.

This deodorant didn't work for me. Gross fact: for awhile I had terribly dark, itchy armpits. It felt so incredibly uncomfortable, like I just HAD to scratch it. The doctor said it was probably eczema, and likely caused by my deodorant, since that's the only product goes on your armpit. I had been using the standard Secret antiperspirant combined with deodorant product, and decided to switch to something without aluminum or alum, since I'd read online that some people have an allergic reaction to it and have itchy armpits (my grandpa actually has that problem). Even though I'd been using the same type of product for years (Secret), I figured it wouldn't hurt to try something more natural, and the reviews for Tom's of Maine Deodorant were really good. Another TMI fact for you—I sweat. A LOT. So I wasn't thrilled about not having an antiperspirant, but I was pretty desperate to get my armpits to stop itching, and all of the reviews promised that you wouldn't smell bad (although you'd be sweaty). I picked out the apricot scent. It did in fact smell very nice in the package. I liked that it was the standard twist up deodorant packaging. However, the product itself did nothing for me. I was sweaty AND smelly. It was almost worse than not using deodorant, because my armpits smelled like body odor AND apricot! Even on days when I wasn't physically active (sitting in a chair at work mostly), this didn't deodorize at all! My eczema did seem to get a little bit better, and I do appreciate that Tom's of Maine sells only natural, sustainable and responsible products. However, this particular one didn't work for me at all. Fortunately, I bought a new stick of deodorant WITH anti-perspirant (maybe also Secret?) and my eczema continued to go away.

July 15, 2011

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes - Hydrating

The only thing I would change is the packaging.

These wipes are wonderful. They're GENTLE enough to use all over your face, even on your waterline, or to remove eye liner from tightlining on your upper rims! I have used these wipes directly on my waterline, and it gets off all of that eyeliner, without stinging my eyes one bit. That's amazing for a product that gets off all of my makeup. It's a powerful enough makeup remover that I don't have to rub hard (which usually results in me losing a couple of my eyelashes), even with the numerous coats of waterproof mascara that I like to pile on! I just gently press the towelette to my lashes (to penetrate the layers of mascara and soften them), and wipe gently a few times (instead of rubbing, I wipe from the base of my lashes to the tips--since the mascara is mostly on the underside of the lashes), and the mascara comes right off, but my lashes stay on my eyes :) I have contacts and these don't bother my eyes at all. The Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes do a great job of getting off all facial makeup too, even long-lasting foundation, and sunscreen. That's really important to me because foundations and sunscreens that are designed to be long wearing can be difficult to remove—If I don't get every last bit off my face before I go to bed, I get awful breakouts! I can use just one towelette to get off a full face of makeup, and then follow that by cleaning my entire face with bar soap. You could use JUST the wipes because they don't leave your face oily, but I've found that double cleansing is key for keeping the acne to a minimum. When I use these wipes (as opposed to other brands, or other makeup removing products), my skin looks really pretty good. While the $7/25 wipes seems a little spendy, it is comparable in price to other drugstore makeup removing wipes. However, you can stock up on them on sale now and then! The only thing that I don't looove about this product is the sticker that closes the product. It doesn't seal very well, so sometimes your wipes get dried out. But I will definitely be repurchasing these.

July 15, 2011

Profound Beauty Hush Time-Out Treatment

Overpriced for a mediocre product.

I have long, somewhat frizzy oily hair with lots of split ends at the moment. It's been color treated many times, although not recently. I was excited to try this Profound Beauty Time-Out Treatment, because my hair seems like it could use a good leave in treatment. Especially one that sounds like it does so much stuff! (Here's the product description—it sounds really technical and scientific! “Our exclusive Hydrophobic Complex™ mimics your hair's natural F-Layer, a barrier that lies on top of the cuticle, maintaining the hair's moisture balance in order to prevent frizz. Color processing permanently removes the F-Layer, compromising the hair's hydrophobicity and resulting in hair that is more porous and frizz inclined. Hush Time-Out Treatment mimics the F-Layer and restores the hydrophobicity of the hair - smoothing the fiber and allowing it to naturally repel environmental moisture that would normally result in frizz. Instantly detangles, absorbs into the hair and will not weigh hair down.”) And it even claims to be “time released!” However, this product is just kind of mediocre. It's first ingredient is water, and it's second two ingredients are alcohols—which are DRYING. The product feels a little greasy on your hands at first, then isn't. It seems like it helps frizz a LITTLE bit, but nothing magical. This product does not detangle my hair at ALL. $30 for 2 oz is also ridiculous. Even though the directions say “apply a precious amount to the shaft and ends,” 2 oz of product is basically travel sized! The packaging is fairly boring, and feels kind of cheap—like an inexpensive lotion squeeze tube. It doesn't really seem to have any scent to it. You can find comparable products in the Hair Care aisle at the grocery store, so I'm not repurchasing this. Made in the USA, not tested on animals.

July 15, 2011

Profound Beauty Hush Frizz Zero Mousse

Just okay.

This product is supposed to help control frizzy hair. The product itself is kind of a slimy, sticky foam—not as fluffy as most mousse products. I have long, somewhat frizzy wavy hair that could definitely use some styling. But this product didn't seem to do much for me. It just seemed to make sections of hair clump together? It wasn't awful, but it wasn't desirable either. The smell is definitely noticeable at first, although it fades after awhile. It's kind of a minty, menthol-ish, herbal sort of smell. The top of this broke off before I was even halfway through the bottle! Also, the nozzle got clogged. I tried to fix it and clean it out, but I had to just throw it away. The packaging design is simple, but a little boring. The price is fairly average, although given the fact that I had to throw half the product away because the packaging is poor quality, I wouldn't pay that much for it again.

July 15, 2011

Juara Invigorating Coffee Scrub

Harsh on your skin.

About this product and what it claims to do: “This invigorating, aromatic coffee scrub made with fresh Indonesian coffee beans awakens the senses as it exfoliates and cleanses. Because it contains gentle, sulfate-free cleansing agents so no other soap or shower gel is necessary. Used in Indonesian treatments to stimulate circulation in the skin, coffee has been clinically proven to provide powerful antioxidant and tightening benefits when applied to the skin. Sulfate-free. Paraben-free.” In my opinion, it doesn't really meet any of its claims. PROS: It's sulfate-free and paraben-free. The scent is really strong. It smells pretty good... like coffee and dark chocolate. After awhile I realized that it smells a little bit like those calcium chews, which grossed me out and now I can't stop associating the two. Leaves your hands with a faint coffee scent, even after you wash and dry them. CONS: The texture is REALLY thick. It's pretty much solid. You have to add some water to get it to move around. This made me a little worried that it will clog my drain. It's also somewhat scratchy. I like things that thoroughly exfoliate my skin, and definitely like a good scrub, but this feels like the particles are sharp and jagged—a little bit like rubbing sandpaper onto your skin. I would NOT suggest using this on your face. I used it on my hands, and found the texture to be quite rough (although it did smooth my hands out very well). It dried out my hands a LOT, which I don't like. I'd consider it a very harsh cleanser because of that. They claim it “tightens” the skin, and I guess technically it does, but my hands feel so dry that it's uncomfortable, so I wouldn't consider that a benefit. Also, the price is ridiculous--$37 for 8 oz?! Even if it were a good, moisturizing and gently exfoliating scrub, I wouldn't repurchase this.

July 15, 2011

Juara Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner

Didn't do anything at all?

I have acne prone oily skin, and I'm 25 years old. However, because of the cleansing products I use, sometimes my face can get a little dry in spots, so I thought maybe Juara's Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner could help, without causing more breakouts. The product's website also claims that all skin types can benefit from using it. My favorite thing about this product is the packaging. The translucent brown bottle with the Indonensian-inspired font and pattern are just really pretty, like something you'd see in a spa. However, that's just about the only thing about this toner that really does anything for me. Here's what the product claims to do: “Tamarind works to increase the skin’s hydration level and enhance skin smoothness and suppleness. Moisture-binding hyaluronic acid makes skin feel instantly soft and supple. A calming infusion of white, green, and black teas comforts and delivers healthful antioxidants to the skin. Vitamin-rich rice bran extract provides calming benefits, minimizing redness and other signs of stress.” These claims sound really great, but I personally found that this product only slightly increased my skin's hydration level. It didn't cause breakouts, which was a plus. However, it didn't smooth my skin, or make it look more supple. It didn't really seem any softer, and it definitely didn't seem less red or “less stressed.” I do have to admit that it is nice that you don't have to use a cotton ball with this product. It's watery but you can put some directly onto your hands and smooth it onto your face without wasting any product. Lastly, this product is dermatologist tested, paraben-free, alcohol-free, unfragranced, and oil-free. I really don't think it did anything for my skin (although it didn't make it worse), so I wouldn't repurchase it. A good friend of mine with dry, older skin really loves this product though.

July 15, 2011