tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40693109010737437672024-03-13T08:19:49.535-06:00Bekk's Beauty BlurbsJust add a little Ginger.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-23604128207590028512015-03-03T11:02:00.004-07:002015-03-03T11:02:51.139-07:00Mingy March/Project 10 PanHey everyone!<br />
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So, I've recently come to the realization that I have a compulsive shopping addiction. Actually - it's not a recent realization. I've always known - I've just chosen to overlook it because it's kind of an ugly quality/trait to have if you think about it. I literally <i>cannot</i> stop spending money on myself... clothes, makeup, nail polish... basically, beauty items. It's a problem. More than that, it's a problem for our family. If we want to have another baby, I can't keep going the way I'm going. Heck! Just maintaining our current lifestyle requires a cease-and-desist of my frivolous spending habits. I don't even want to think about the amount of money we could've been saving up in the time that I've been blowing away our precious dollars on myself. <br />
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I have no desire to know how much I've wasted away the past several months in personal expenditures, but I'm positive it's repulsive. I avoid checking our bank account online because I don't want to put a number to the damage I've done. I feel ashamed and guilty - what do I have to show for all the dollars I've dropped at Sephora, Shoppers, Winners, Walmart, etc? A larger wardrobe and a bursting makeup drawer, but the compulsion to spend is still as strong, if not stronger, than it was before I whipped out my debit card to purchase that delightful sweater. As a result, I felt a pulling at my heart to participate in a "no-buy" month. If I'd done it last month, I could've titled this blog post "Frugal February" or something catchier than "Mingy March." Sigh, this will have to do. Depending on how well this goes, I might continue on to "Abstemious April" if need be :) If you're wondering how I came up with "Mingy March," I simply looked up synonyms for "frugal" on <a href="http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/frugal?s=t" target="_blank">thesaurus.com</a> and LO! "Mingy" was one of the alternatives. According to <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mingy?s=t" target="_blank">dictionary.com</a>, it's defined as "mean and stingy." I'm going to forget the former part of that definition and stick with "stingy," haha.<br />
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Basically, I'm going to stop buying clothes, makeup, nail polish, and all beauty related items for myself for the month of March. I've relinquished my debit card to my husband, and I'm hoping that this will take away the compulsive urge I have to spend our money willy-nilly. To help me focus my energy elsewhere, I've created a list of items I have (makeup, beauty, candles, teas, soaps, etc.) that I need to finish/use up. Oye. That was quite the eye-opening list.<br />
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Sure it's great to have extra soap downstairs for when a bathroom runs out, but I'm pretty sure I don't need 10+ bottles. I love my home to smell nice, but I'm positive I do not require 30+ wallflower bulbs. Yes, I will always be on the hunt for "the one" hand cream to end my battle with dry skin, but I should probably finish the five products I've already got on-the-go.<br />
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In addition to "Mingy March," I've also decided to tackle Project 10 Pan. Some of you may be unfamiliar with this project, but it's basically a personal initiative to use up 10 (or however many you choose) almost-empty beauty products before spending another dollar on new items. These items could be makeup, skincare, haircare, personal hygiene... You could probably do Project 10 with anything in your life however; working on too many open bags/boxes of tea? Do you have several bottles of almost used up nail polish wasting away on your shelves? Do you have a shrine of Bath and Body Works candles needing some TLC? The list should be predetermined, so you're forced to actually finish those 10 items before breaking your no-buy. <br />
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The items in my Project 10 Pan are:<br />
- L'Oreal Infallible eyeliner<br />- Murad Skin Perfecting lotion<br />- Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner<br />
- UniqOne Hair Treatment<br />
- Urban Decay Primer Potion<br />
- Body Shop Wild Argan Body Butter (I have two almost empty tubs that I'm counting as one item)<br />- Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening cream<br />
- Boscia Clear Complexion cleanser<br />
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Anyways, I thought I'd write up this post to keep me accountable, and to invite any of you to join me on this journey of NO SPENDING! Technically this project started yesterday (March 2) for me - I did buy a mascara for myself on March 1, but that was it! So for the rest of March - no personal beauty purchases allowed!<br />
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Who's with me!? Oh geez. I feel like Gaston raising his torch to rally the villagers against the Beast and his castle in Disney's <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>. No, I'm not rallying an angry mob against Belle's beau, but I am hoping to rally some of you up against indecent spending habits, and perhaps you'll be able to save up a hefty chunk of money to put into your savings account... If I had to guess, I'd say that if I completely stop spending money at my personal leisure, I'd probably save us enough money to buy a TV or a washing machine or a new FitBit Charge. Blah. Those aren't things I wanna think about, and yet it's a reality.<br />
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I hope this inspired you guys to rethink your own purchases, and maybe you'll join me in this adventure. Only 29 days to go in Mingy March! I'll update you guys at the beginning of April to let you know how my month of penny-pinching went :)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-22777466693709918562014-12-15T20:03:00.000-07:002014-12-15T20:03:15.539-07:00The Body Shop: Wild Argan Oil Body ButterA 200 ml (6.75 oz/192 g) tub retails for $20 CDN. The Body Shop body butters are also sold in 50 ml travel size tubs for $6 CDN.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Click for enlarged view" class="product" data-sku="wild-argan-oil-body-butter" height="200" src="http://www.thebodyshop.ca/en/images/packshot/products/large/wild-argan-oil-body-butter_l.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Click for enlarged view" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.thebodyshop.ca/en/body-moisturisers/body-butter/regular-body-butter/wild-argan-oil-body-butter.aspx" target="_blank">www.thebodyshop.ca</a></td></tr>
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Now, I'm not a Body Shop girl. Never have been. Any time someone would gift me a lip balm or lotion set, I just couldn't get into it. That being said, the lotions never did anything for my skin. I might as well have been bathing myself in air. So maybe that's why I always had such an aversion to their products. Alternatively, those little tubs of body butter from Walmart that are the knock-off versions of The Body Shop scents... those probably also left a sour taste in my mouth for anything from the Shop.<br />
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Recently, my sister and I were out and about, shopping for Christmas presents, as we do. I needed to stop in The Body Shop to peruse their stock for some gifts, and I stumbled upon a colorful display with 'NEW' splayed across it. It took me a second to process that this collection was made with argan oil; which immediately peaked my interest. Let's just say, I opened the tester, took one whiff, and I was sold.<br />
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I bought a gift set for $29, which contained a 200 ml tub of the body butter, a 200 ml tub of the body scrub, and a full size massage soap. I deemed it appropriate to gift the body scrub and soap bar, but felt it completely necessary to keep the body butter for myself to give it a test run.<br />
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The packaging is... well, The Body Shop. This particular tub is a satin bronze color, with a vibrant cerulean blue label that catches your attention immediately. It has a twist off lid, and the product inside is a very thick 'butter' consistency. I am not typically a fan of this packaging; however, I don't really see a better alternative seeing as though the thick texture of this product would not allow it to be dispensed via a pump or squeeze-tube, so I think I'll get over it.<br />
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The website claims that this product provides "<a href="http://www.thebodyshop.ca/en/body-moisturisers/body-butter/regular-body-butter/wild-argan-oil-body-butter.aspx" target="_blank">24 hour hydration</a>," as well as being enriched with Community Fair Trade argan oil from Morocco. <br />
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The scent is the most divine aroma - clean and fresh, yet subtly sweet and intensely nutty with a hint of vanilla. I told my sister that I want this Wild Argan Oil scent to be my 'signature scent,' just as The Body Shop's Vanilla fragrance has been my mom's signature scent for as long as I can remember. Anytime I smell The Body Shop's Vanilla perfume, I think of my mom. Well, step aside ballers, because Argan Oil is now <i>MY </i>scent, haha.<br />
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As someone who's never really indulged in products from The Body Shop, I never really knew what I was missing out on as far as body butters were concerned. As most of you may know, I have severe chronically dry skin - like not just, a flake here, or only-dry-in-the-winter-months, but full on scaly-mama-beast-mode 365 days of the year. Nasty. So I'm always on the hunt for the next best moisturizer for my cray-cray epidermis.<br />
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This butter is SO luxurious on my skin - it's thick, but begins to melt with the heat from your body. It spreads into a thin, spreadable balm. It sinks into your skin quickly, but leaves an oily residue behind on your skin. I know that most people are probably like, "An oily residue!?!? HELL NO, girlfriend..." but this isn't the kind of residue that keeps you from opening doors or having objects squirt out of your grasp... it's a thin residue that keeps your skin feeling supple and looking healthy and radiant.<br />
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I love this body butter for my hands and arms, as well as my legs post-shaving. Not only do I smell like a freaking Mediterranean goddess, but my skin looks vibrant and radiant. I will definitely be purchasing a mini tub to throw in my purse on the go.<br />
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Unfortunately, my skin seems to get acclimated to new lotions and creams fairly quickly (about as long as it takes me to work my way through an entire container of product) and then they'll stop working for me. I hope that this isn't the case with this product, as it is simply too fantastic to not repurchase in the long run. I figure, even if I can't keep using it on my hands forever, I will still pick it up and use it on my legs and body after showering. <br />
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I give this product a heaping 5 out of 5 stars. The body butter alone has me itching to try the Miracle Solid Oil for Body & Hair, as well as the Solid Lip Oil and the Radiant Oil for Body and Hair. Eeeek! If they had a fragrance mist, I'd snatch that bad boy up in less than a heartbeat. I'm pleasantly surprised and ecstatic with my purchase, and highly recommend you guys to go check it out if you happen to be passing by The Body Shop. Maybe you're not a Body Shop regular, but I encourage you to stop in and at least smell the tester...<br />
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Let me know, what are your favorite products/scents from The Body Shop? Any other product recommendations for me?Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-30869434440811548782013-01-26T19:29:00.002-07:002013-01-26T19:29:56.923-07:00CoverGirl LashBlast Clump Crusher Mascara<div style="color: purple;">
Heck yes, it's another mascara review!! I swear, I go through mascaras faster than I go through eyelashes...</div>
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Let me start off by saying this - I thought this mascara was going to be a dud. Sure, bend the wand a little bit and throw it in a green tube with a different name, and you've got... the exact same thing as the original CoverGirl LashBlast! I mean, the original version wasn't clumpy to begin with - so how different could this version be?!</div>
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I must admit, I got sucked in by the pretty green tube and the curvy wand. I'm so shallow. I mean, I loved the original LashBlast way back in the day, but now it doesn't seem to meet my wants/needs as far as mascara goes. I don't know why I thought Clump Crusher would be any different...</div>
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I paid about $8 CDN for a tube of this mascara (non-waterproof version), but I'm sure I've seen it average anywhere between $7-$10 CDN. Like I mentioned previously, it comes in a delicious green tube with one of those flexible silicone wands. The wand on the Clump Crusher is a lot slimmer and bendy than the wand on the Original LashBlast. The bristles are curved as well, which makes this noticeably different from the original version.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.allure.com/images/beauty-products/makeup/2012/covergirl-lashblast-clump-crusher-mascara.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 29px;" width="150" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">Photo credit: </span><a href="http://www.allure.com/" style="color: purple;">www.allure.com</a></td></tr>
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CoverGirl claims that this mascara will give you "200% more volume" without clumps, not to mention the "beautifully separated lashes" that you will have after you sweep this across them. The brush is described as having a "lash-loading" and "clump-combing" zones. </div>
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This mascara is... in one word... amazing. </div>
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It's also exceptionally buildable. In fact, I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of working with a mascara that I can build quite like I can build the CoverGirl Clump Crusher. I can apply one coat, which gives me a very natural but voluminous finish, or I can apply four coats which gives me intense volume, curl, and separation. I have no fear about putting on several coats, as I don't feel like this mascara gives me the "spider lashes" look, regardless of how many layers of mascara I've piled on. In fact, I'd love to try 5, even 6 coats, sometime, just to see what the end result would be.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DnI_CWEDJbE/UPt2xIZ5izI/AAAAAAAAB6I/Nn53YMR0N8A/s1600/covergirlclumpcrusher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DnI_CWEDJbE/UPt2xIZ5izI/AAAAAAAAB6I/Nn53YMR0N8A/s320/covergirlclumpcrusher.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top left: (left eye) 2 coats, (right eye) 1 coat<br />
Top right: (left eye) 3 coats, (right eye) 1 coat<br />
Bottom left: (left eye) 4 coats, (right eye) 1 coat<br />
Bottom right: (both eyes) 4 coats</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTPBkrJCsLY/UPt2wlkvA3I/AAAAAAAAB6A/qiRGXYW7rM4/s1600/covergirl3fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTPBkrJCsLY/UPt2wlkvA3I/AAAAAAAAB6A/qiRGXYW7rM4/s320/covergirl3fix.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both (top) sets of lashes with 4 coats of the Clump Crusher mascara</td></tr>
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As for lengthening, it's not anything mind-blowing. My lashes do seem longer, but they aren't sky high like they were when I tried L'Oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes mascara. I feel like it's a respectable and noticeable length, but there's certainly room for improvement.</div>
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This mascara isn't heavy or crusty or flakey on my lashes, it's soft and flexible. I have ZERO problems with flaking or smudging or transferring (unless I go crazy and start pawing at my lashes intermittently throughout the day...). I have the non-waterproof version, and if you get water or tears on your lashes, you're going to see some bleeding. I'm wondering what the waterproof version is like...? Probably super h-core. I'm guessing it would be an excellent alternative for days when you need exceptional wear from your mascara (i.e., weddings, funerals, graduation, prom, girls' night out, breaking up with your boyfriend, watching a romantic tragedy, etc.)</div>
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For my every day purpose, this mascara is wonderful. The longevity is stellar - my eyelashes look almost exactly the same as they did in the morning when I first applied my mascara. </div>
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I do feel like this mascara holds a curl reasonably well - I even used it with and without a lash curler to see, and I feel like it's respectable in the curl-holding-department. Nothing mind-blowing, mind you, but I think it's suitable for day-to-day wear. I may notice that the curl has fallen just the slightest bit, but it's nothing to complain about.</div>
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The formula is on the drier side of a wet mascara. It's not too liquidy, but it's not like piling paste onto your lashes either. I think the drier formula is what gives you that buildable quality and enhances the volume of your lashes as well.</div>
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And who in the heck wouldn't love this brilliant green tube, I ask you!? I love to leave this out on my vanity, just to catch my attention and make me smile in the mornings - no joke. I mean, you can have your elegant, sleek, expensive-looking tubes, leave me with the simple lime green tube, and I'll be a happy camper for life.</div>
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Can I just spend a moment singing the glories of the wand, as well!? I love how Clump Crusher has a flexible wand that fits the curve of my eye, and bends to accommodate every angle of my lashes. I love how the one side of the brush features some longer bristles that catch less product, so that I can comb through my lashes and dispell any clump-age before it dries. The little 'resevoir' or 'valley' in the brush picks up more product and deposits it at the base of my lashes, where I can easily pull it through to the ends in one smooth sweep. This brush is far more easy to work with than the Original LashBlast, as the wand is more forgiving and accommodating.</div>
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I feel like this mascara would be great for layering. If you found a lightweight, but stellar lengthening mascara, you could build up some crazy intense lashes using Clump Crusher as your volumizing and defining layer(s).</div>
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All in all, I am thoroughly impressed. While this is no L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara, it's still a fantastic volumizing, separating, and surprisingly buildable mascara. I can see myself using this every day indefinitely. I encourage everyone to give it a chance - especially those who tried Original LashBlast, and didn't find the volume or length they were looking for. It's an affordable mascara to try, even if you're just curious, and you're not going to be out your life savings if you hate it.</div>
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I'd definitely recommend this mascara to anyone looking for a buildable, volumizing mascara that gives great separation and definition, while still remaining flexible and weightless on your lashes.</div>
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4.5 out of 5 stars - what WHAT!?</div>
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Let me know: have you tried the CoverGirl LashBlast Clump Crusher mascara recently!? What did you think of it?!</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-64481323762753104652013-01-18T20:01:00.001-07:002013-01-18T20:01:25.471-07:00Revlon Nearly Naked Liquid Foundation Makeup<div style="color: purple;">
Hola my beauty lovin' babes!</div>
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I have ANOTHER Revlon foundation review for you today!! Revlon seems to be pumping out some really fantastic products lately, and I was super pleased to see another foundation in their line of hits. I did a little bit of research before picking up this foundation, but not as much as I usually do, as I was super intrigued by the whole "naked" concept and my shopping compulsion just overcame me.</div>
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As most of you probably know by now, my combination skin (lately) has been more on the oily side, as opposed to being truly "combination" in nature. I figured that the Nearly Naked foundation would be a bit of a gamble, since 'skin-mimicking' foundations tend to lean on the more dewy, or glowy, side anyways.</div>
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I picked my foundation up from Shoppers Drug Mart for about $15 CDN. I haven't really seen this foundation anywhere else yet (I've been avoiding shopping lately as we're trying to save money), but I would imagine that it ranges anywhere between $10-$17 CDN, depending on where you buy it. The bottle contains 1 fl oz (30 mL).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup" height="200" src="http://images.revlon.ca/%7E/media/Images/Revlon/Products/Face/P_Face_Foundation_NearlyNakedMakeup.ashx" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="103" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">Photo credit: </span><a href="http://www.revlon.com/" style="color: purple;">www.revlon.com</a></td></tr>
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My shade is <i>Vanilla</i>, which is the lightest warm shade available from the line. There are 16 shades available, all split up into the "warm" and "cool" toned foundations - so virtually anyone can find a match. Revlon offers an<a href="http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/interactive-tools-menu/recommender.aspx" target="_blank"> interactive online tool</a> to help you choose your appropriate shade, in addition to providing a little card on the display that will also help you determine which color to pick.</div>
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I don't particularly love the generic packaging. The sleek rectangular bottle and white cap make it different from every other foundation I own, but it's not really outstanding. Additionally, I hate the fact that there isn't a pump included with this foundation - it would be a nicer alternative to the open mouth that you have to dump foundation out of. Sigh de la sigh. This can get incredibly messy, very quickly. </div>
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As far as foundations go, I feel that <i>Vanilla </i>is as perfect a match as I'd ever find at the drugstore. I actually have more neutral undertones in my skin, but to counteract the pinky-redness in my face, I purchased the warmer foundation to cancel out and better conceal this.</div>
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The foundation has an SPF of 20, which does create a bit of a white cast across my skin in flash photography, but it's nothing too overwhelming. I think that powdering the skin definitely helps downplay the white cast as well. </div>
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The foundation itself is incredibly liquidy - in fact, its even more runny than Revlon ColorStay. I'd have to say it's as runny as my NARS Sheer Glow foundation was - and that's saying something. Revlon boasts that the coverage is buildable, and I would definitely agree. If you're applying a light first layer, the coverage is definitely sheer to light. If you use more product and a heavy hand, you can definitely achieve a light-to-medium coverage. Applying a second (or even third) layer will give you a very respectable coverage of the medium-to-full variety, depending on what all you need covered up. For my own purposes, I tend to go with a light layer around my face to even everything out, and then I go in with a little bit extra product on my brush to build additional coverage in my problem areas (cheeks, around the nose, chin, etc.).</div>
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Upon application, I find that this application is fairly tacky. It's not that it takes a while to set, it just feels sticky on my skin. Usually this is remedied by applying a powder to the shiny and/or tacky areas. I do find that towards the end of my 8 hour day, my foundation does tend to feel a little tacky, especially in my oily areas, but it's nothing a little powder won't fix.</div>
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I've tried several different ways to apply this foundation to my bare skin including my Real Techniques Buffing brush (wet and dry), my beauty blender sponge (damp), my Real Techniques Stippling brush, and my ELF Studio Powder brush. By far, my favorite way to apply this foundation is using my Real Techniques Buffing brush (dry). I feel like it gives me the coverage I want on the first go, and allows me to easily and efficiently buff the foundation into my skin. It doesn't seem to leave too many brush streaks behind in my foundation, which is a huge plus. Additionally, it makes building up the coverage incredibly easy. If I'm building up several layers of foundation, I'll usually roll a damp sponge over my face to ensure there aren't any weird streaks or marks left in the foundation from the bristles of my brush.</div>
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The longevity of this foundation is incredible. I'm not 100% sure how it manages to outwear the Revlon ColorStay on my skin, but it does! I can apply this around 8:30 am, and when I get home in the evening around 6:30 pm, it still looks <i>EXACTLY </i>the same as it did when I left the house in the early morning. It wears off beautifully in any event, not leaving any harsh lines or obvious 'bald' patches on my face. It wears off gradually, just fading slightly throughout the day. In fact, the most wear and tear I see is around my nostrils, but that's about it. The only other thing I notice is that my T-zone is <i>slightly</i> more 'dewy' than it was when I left the house in the morning. It's nothing that can't be remedied by a little powder, but it's not obnoxious or glaringly obvious... it just doesn't look quite as fresh as it could. For this reason, if I'm planning on being out later in the evening, I'll pack a powder along just to touch up after work.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-loDvMn121jc/UPoJo-7hYUI/AAAAAAAAB4s/TtOwHeAS4Yc/s1600/revlon1fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-loDvMn121jc/UPoJo-7hYUI/AAAAAAAAB4s/TtOwHeAS4Yc/s320/revlon1fix.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 9 o'clock am in the morning, in natural sunlight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-db1alKTrt84/UPoJpuCypcI/AAAAAAAAB40/4nXaP3QXmic/s1600/revlon6fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-db1alKTrt84/UPoJpuCypcI/AAAAAAAAB40/4nXaP3QXmic/s320/revlon6fix.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 9 o'clock in the morning, in direct sunlight.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dn-cFIrMTAo/UPoKE2AAqrI/AAAAAAAAB5E/t7B-iP3lC8w/s1600/revlon2fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dn-cFIrMTAo/UPoKE2AAqrI/AAAAAAAAB5E/t7B-iP3lC8w/s320/revlon2fix.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An up-close picture of my foundation at 9 o'clock in the morning.<br />Direct sunlight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKZwVRMBhBg/UPoKEtme9LI/AAAAAAAAB48/GaHjA6jF6Sc/s1600/collagerevlon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKZwVRMBhBg/UPoKEtme9LI/AAAAAAAAB48/GaHjA6jF6Sc/s320/collagerevlon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 5 o'clock pm in artificial light.<br />On the left: no flash, On the right: with flash.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S1siAfv0p0Y/UPoKJtBc8VI/AAAAAAAAB5M/chlq7yLcnBI/s1600/revlon5fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S1siAfv0p0Y/UPoKJtBc8VI/AAAAAAAAB5M/chlq7yLcnBI/s320/revlon5fix.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left half of my face is clean, and the right half has foundation on it.<br />See how natural it looks!?</td></tr>
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Another huge plus to this foundation is the fact that it increases the wear time of my blush and bronzer/contour astronomically. I look in the mirror at the end of the day, and I'm actually surprised because I can still see blush on my face... in fact, it looks <i>almost</i> as good as it did at the beginning of the day. </div>
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One of my favorite aspects of the Nearly Naked foundation is the way it sits weightlessly on my skin. I literally cannot feel this foundation at all. I get the coverage I want, without feeling cakey or weighed down by my foundation. Even when the end of the day rolls around and my face feels less than fresh, I still don't feel the nagging weight of my foundation. It's a comfortable, flexible wear - it is the picture of 'minimalistic.' </div>
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Nearly Naked doesn't break me out at all. In fact, I've noticed that since using this, my skin has been happier and less 'upset' in general. Maybe it's my diet or something, but I've had fewer zits, and my complexion in general has been more even and smooth. </div>
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What can I say? I'm in love.</div>
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I'd highly recommend this to everyone, except maybe those whose faces mimic the McDonald's deep fryers. Your skin might not fair so well with this foundation, but I'd say that anyone with dry to combination/oily skin could utilize this foundation and love it. </div>
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I cannot sing the praises of this foundation enough. I am so pleasantly surprised with this foundation. I am actually excited to get up in the morning and plop this on my skin. I love looking in the mirror and seeing my flawless skin look back at me. </div>
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Definitely 5 out of 5 stars.</div>
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Let me know: have you tried the new Revlon Nearly Naked foundation!? What do you think of it...?</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-39487466452238061752013-01-10T21:08:00.004-07:002013-01-10T21:08:54.577-07:00The 90-Day Body By Visalus Challenge<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hola my beauty loving babes!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia;">So this is a little bit of a different review, as you guys can probably already tell, I'm not your typical blogger. I'd say that beauty and in general, feeling good about yourself, goes a lot deeper than just eyeshadow and blush.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a lengthy battle with my weight, I've decided, once again - to start getting healthy. And by 'getting healthy,' I mean several things. First, I want to start eating more veggies and fruits. I've always been the picky eater in my family, and I want that to change. I want to crave fruits and fresh vegetables instead of cookies and chips. Second, I want to keep up with my in-laws on our Christmas trip to the States. Josh's family is all of your mountain-climbing, ninja-athlete types - and I am not. With the walking and 'hiking' we've been talking about doing, I don't want to be the one that is slowing the pack down. Third, I want my digestive system and skin to be happier. I've noticed that a lot of the foods I eat (namely the processed, durum semolina, caffeinated foods) irritate my stomach within minutes-to-hours of eating. This is reflecting in my overall health and well-being, essentially. And finally, to be a better steward of the body that God has given me - by losing some of the weight that is hurting my health, and feeling more confident in the beautiful person God has made me to be. Fourthly, </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I got interested in the 90-day Body by Visalus Challenge after having several friends and family members boast extreme success in the kits. I thought that I might as well hop on this bandwagon and see what all the commotion was about. I attended a Challenge party and bought my first installment of the mix, heck, we even purchased a blender from good old WalMart.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://visalus.com/sites/default/files/styles/seven-columns/public/products/images/shape_kit_usnew.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" typeof="foaf:Image" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Photo credit: </span><a href="http://www.visalus.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.visalus.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The whole campaign focuses around a few miraculous products, but most primarily, their shake mix. The shake mix is an uber nutritious powder that one can mix into virtually anything to add missing nutrition to their day. In the case of weight loss, it's meant to be consumed as a meal replacement option as opposed to a daily supplement.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I went on the challenge for about 90 days - though never religiously following the challenge as it is intended. I couldn't force myself to replace two meals of my day with a mere shake - no matter what was in it. I'm one of those people that needs to chew food at a meal... not drink it away.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The most radical and fantastic difference I experienced was in my sleep patterns. I noticed within the first week that I was having more restful sleeps at night. Additioanally, I would wake up earlier without feeling exhausted and sluggish. Most days I could get away with 7 hours of sleep, as opposed to the 8 or 9 I had been accustomed to getting prior to starting the Challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn't notice feeling exceptionally 'fuller' throughout the day - in fact, I was often more ravenous than before because I needed the sensation of chewing to feel comfortable after a meal. My appetite wasn't curbed or suppressed. It remained the same, mostly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I found the shake mix flavorful and easy to use. It easily mixed into oatmeal (for breakfast) or shakes, should I have made the more frequently. Quite often, I just mixed the shake powder with water and gulped that down in lieu of breakfast (likely a large mistake in potential progress) as I didn't have time to whip out the blender and mix up a smoothie before I waltzed out the door in the morning. And who has time to mix one of these up at work, I ask you!?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In any event, the whole Challenge business got more overwhelming and frustrating than helpful. I started using the shakes less and less, because I felt that I didn't need them and they weren't exactly tipping the scales in my favor.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, don't think that I'm dissing the product because I'm not. As I said earlier, I know of several close family members and friends who have had stellar results on the Challenge. If you have the tenacity, patience, and determination to commit to the Challenge and follow it through, I think you'll see the results you're expecting and then some. I think that for those in a fast-paced lifestyle, this is an excellent alternative to making a meal (or in some cases, skipping out on a meal).</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That being said, this is not a miracle product. You won't use the shakes and have 20-some years of obesity just melt away; it's merely a tool as a means to an end. In all honesty, I firmly believe that if I cut back my calories, replace highly processed and refined foods with more fresh and natural things like fruits and veggies, increase my water intake, and commit to spending <i>at least</i> 30 minutes a day (5 days a week) doing cardio exercises, my chances of achieving the same results as participating in the Challenge are very high. And they'll last longer (provided I maintain these changes), because they'll become part of a habitual healthy lifestyle that I will be accustomed to. It might take longer, but the results will be more concrete, in my opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Personally, this product didn't work for me. It's not something that I could seamlessly incorporate into my everyday life, and I found it more cumbersome and intrusive than I did helpful and beneficial. Maybe further down the line when I've managed to make some new healthy habits in my life, it would be worth trying again, but for now, it was a flop and not something I'll likely be repurchasing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell me, have you tried the 90-Day Challenge? What did you think of it?</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd love to know!</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-30389140518236800322013-01-06T21:51:00.000-07:002013-01-06T21:55:34.288-07:00Top 12 Beauty Shout Outs and Flops of 2012Whew - 2012 was here and gone! And to commemorate, I thought I'd share my top beauty products of the year - these include items that were released in 2012, as well as products I found/rediscovered that stand out above all of my other beauty products - both good and bad. In no particular order...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Beauty Shout Outs of 2012</b></span><br />
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#1. Real Techniques brushes</div>
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I cannot rave enough about how much I love and adore my Real Techniques brushes. On my Christmas vacation to the States with my in-laws, I picked up a few more additions to my collection. They're affordable, the design is ingenius, and they are - by far - the best brushes I own. I feel like a princess every time I get to use them.</div>
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#2. Uniq One All in One Hair Treatment</div>
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I don't know if I can ever turn back now - I've tried this fantastic product and I feel like nothing else will ever suffice. The way it makes my hair smell and feel, not to mention the numerous ways it benefits my hair and increases the ease of styling... One of my most treasured beauty products.</div>
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#3. Wet N Wild ColorIcon Eyeshadow Trio in <i>Walking on Eggshells</i></div>
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One of my makeup staples. I love everything about this palette - including how easily the shadows blend, the rich pigmentation, the combination of colors, the affordability...</div>
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#4. China Glaze Nail Polish in <i>Flip Flop Fantasy</i></div>
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Who doesn't love a little neon pink happiness splashed across their fingertips?! I know I sure do, and I cannot get enough of this color. I'm so happy I finally went out and picked up a bottle to add to my collection!</div>
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#5. Urban Decay's Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion</div>
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I haven't branched out yet to try any other eyeshadow primers that are available on the market. I'm just so in love with Urban Decay's version - I keep going back for more. I think I'm on my fourth or fifth tube since I first bought it, back in 2008.</div>
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#6. L'Oreal Infallible La Rouge Lipstick in <i>Unending Kiss</i></div>
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I recently picked this up from Shopper's Drug Mart when they were having a sale. This is one of those "my-lip-color-but-better" shades. It's long-lasting without being too drying, the packaging is tres chic, and I feel like it's a lip product I'll actually keep reaching for.</div>
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#7. Sally Hansen Gem Crush Nail Polishes</div>
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Totally blown away by the amazing quality of these polishes. It's like a unicorn pooped glitter all over my nails - absolutely stellar. A pain in the patooty to take off, but when your nails look that good, who cares!? My favorites are <i>Big Money </i>and <i>Be-Jewelled</i>.</div>
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#8. Essence Powder Blush in <i>Renesmee Red</i></div>
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From the limited edition Breaking Dawn collection. I didn't think I'd be able to pull off a 'true red' colored blush, what with my being so fair skinned and all, but I absolutely adore this powder. It's pigmented and smooth, blends like a dream, and gives me this healthy flush of color that I don't seem to get from pinks and peaches. On another note, it was dirt cheap. Heck yes.</div>
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#9. Cetaphil Barrier Cream</div>
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Best hand cream ever. Hands down. The only downside - the price. Why can't great products just be free!?</div>
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#10. NYX Single Eyeshadow in <i>Black</i></div>
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I got so much use out of this shadow after I started doing smoky, sultry, smudgy black eyeshadow looks. This is one of the best matte black eyeshadows I've ever had the pleasure of using - it only takes a little bit of powder to achieve the look that you want, so this little compact will last you forever and a day.</div>
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#11. Torrid Skinny Sophia Jegging</div>
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Probably the comfiest pair of jeans that have ever hugged the curves of my lower half. Yes, I paid a little more money for them, but I think it's definitely worth the investment when you feel like a goddess in your jeans. One of my most beloved purchases of the year.</div>
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#12. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains<br />
I'm actually pleasantly surprised with these. I found myself reaching for them more often than I expected, and quite often I found myself wandering back to buy more shades. I love how I can pull off a red lip without breaking out a lipstick - I get color payoff without being WHOA BABY matte-opaque-lipstick-face. There are colors for every day wear, and then some brighter fun colors for the bold and daring.</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Beauty Flops of 2012</span></b></div>
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#1. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters</div>
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These were a huge let down for me, and I'm not sure why. I don't know what exactly I was expecting from this product, but I picked one up and hated it. Not a product I'd ever see myself using or repurchasing.</div>
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#2. Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm</div>
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An overpriced, underachieving product, in my opinion. Another one of those things I really regret purchasing, because I never reach for it and I feel like it was a waste of money.</div>
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#3. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment</div>
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Whew, another lippie flop! I got these as a free birthday gift from Sephora for being a Beauty Insider. I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Not worth the price tag, at all. They're definitely taking up space in one of my makeup drawers, begging to be thrown in the garbage. The only redeeming quality of these balms, in my opinion, is the cute and unique packaging.</div>
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#4. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes (Carbon Black) Mascara</div>
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This is actually a fantastic product, but my eyeballs are ginormously allergic to something in the mascara itself. I'm so sad that I can't wear this mascara - it was so wonderful.</div>
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#5. Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips</div>
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So I guess I'm one of the few people who doesn't like these at all. I felt like they peeled right off, the wear time was total crap. I'm also of the mentality that getting one, maybe two, uses out of a stick on polish isn't really great bang for your buck - especially when you change your nail polish as often as me. Disappointment.</div>
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#6. L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray</div>
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I heard so many great things about this hairspray. I first tried a sample bottle (the scented version) and just about puked my brains out after spraying it once. Then I tried a large bottle of the unscented version, and I just didn't get what all the hype was about. Sure it's brushable, but it doesn't do crap for holding my hair anyways... a waste of my money, fo shizzle.</div>
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#7. L'anza Healing Smooth Thermal Defense Treatment</div>
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This product created a build-up in my hair, not to mention how drying it was as I used heat on my hair. I've never experienced such dry, dull, unmanageable hair, especially from a styling product. Sad face, especially since my hair stylist recommended it to me.</div>
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#8. Essie Good to Go Top Coat</div>
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And I heard such great things about this product - it's not very glossy or shiny, I found that it bubbled my nail polish a lot, and it's expensive - especially when it does virtually nothing that a $2 clear polish couldn't do. I also found that it didn't extend the life of my nail polish at all. Now it's just taking up space in my collection.</div>
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#9. Tender Tootsies Now! Alexis Boots</div>
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Picked these up from Army & Navy, and they literally lasted me two weeks before the heel of the left boot had given out. It pretty much disintegrated, so every time I step, the heel collapses in on itself. I am heartbroken and crushed, as they were the first affordable boots I found that actually fit around my large ham of a calf. There's a very sore spot in my heart right now.</div>
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#10. Milani's 3D Glitzy Glamour Glosses</div>
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I picked up two colors in <i>Designer Label</i> and <i>Stylish</i>. I'm not a huge lip product person, but I found these glosses uncomfortable on my lips - too sticky and thick. Wayyyy too glittery, and I didn't particularly care for the scent either.</div>
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#11. Revlon Scented Nail Polish in <i>Lemon Meringue</i></div>
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Such a beautiful buttery yellow color in the bottle, but man, is this polish a pain to apply. It's sheer, and the application is streaky and uneven - even gloopy at times. It takes forever to dry, and you need (literally) five coats to achieve a flawless finish - but then it smudges as soon as you think it's actually dry (3 hours later). And while you might think that scented polish is the bomb-diggity, I don't know that I particularly love the lemony after-scent on my nails - it sort of reminds me of household cleaner. I only used this polish once, because I was so disappointed in it.</div>
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#12. ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo</div>
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This is supposed to be an affordable dupe for the NARS Orgasm and Laguna face powders, but I feel that the quality is somewhat lacking. They're beautiful colors, and super affordable, but the amount of glitter in these powders is unreal. I feel like a disco ball immediately after application. Not to mention the horrendous wearing time - I don't think I even get a few hours out of this powder before it's completely disappeared from my face - minus the glitter stuck in my pores. How I wish for a matte alternative of this product...<br />
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So those are my shout outs and flops of the year. There were some products I tried that I was neither here nor there about, but they weren't worth mentioning as the 'absolute best' or 'horrifically worst' products of the year. Here's hoping 2013 is full of new fun and exciting products that don't leave a sour taste in my mouth (figuratively or literally), haha.<br />
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Let me know: what were your stand-out beauty items from 2012!? They could be products in the makeup, hair, jewellery, personal hygiene, or clothing categories... I'd love to hear about what products got your motor running last year!<br />
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Happy New Year, you guys! Can't wait to see what this year holds!</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-38119132513728642262012-12-17T22:13:00.001-07:002012-12-17T22:13:26.487-07:00Bioderma Sensibio H2O Solution<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alrighty. So I've heard some pretty stellar things about Bioderma on YouTube and in the blogging world, but I was always turned off by the price. It's not cheap, people. I finally had an opportunity to pick up a small travel-sized bottle, without committing to the full-size. Unfortunately, I'm now loving this so much that I get <i>excited </i>about taking off my makeup... like I want to take it off mid-day, just so I can put it on again, only to take it back off...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shoppers Drug Mart had a bin of these baby-sized 100 mL bottles of the Sensibio H2O solution for $6.95 CDN. Now, I know this probably isn't any sort of 'steal-of-a-deal,' but in the heat of the moment, there was nothing more logical to me than picking up a bottle to try. And while I'm not unhappy with my cleansing routine, I'm not exactly in love with it either.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bioderma's website claims that this cleanser gently cleanses face and eyes, even removing the most stubborn makeup of all, waterproof mascara. It claims to emulsify impurities on the skin while maintaining the skin's pH balance, to prevent skin from drying out or generally freaking out. Plus, it's fragrance free! Whoooooooot!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A bonus to this cleanser is the fact that you don't have to rinse it off after using it. The website does stress that it is important that you do dry off your skin with a clean towel after use, however. Plus, the solution can be used multiple times a day. Whoot whoot!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The packaging is incredibly well thought out as well. The bottle is fairly heavy duty considering the cheap-o plastic that some facial products come wrapped in. It's a sturdy bottle with a durable cap. When first purchased, there is a safety tab over the cap that prevents someone from sampling or siphoning the product in the store. When opened at home, the cap is very thick and well-made. It clicks shut in a way that makes me feel comfortable with throwing this little bottle in my purse. It's a minimalistic design, but someone put considerable thought into the design overall. The quality of this bottle is heavy and durable, but not</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first impression was one of absolute shock and pleasure. This solution literally broke down all the makeup on my face and removed it with little force or effort. Usually I'm breaking out the elbow grease to get off regular mascara and black eyeshadow, but the Bioderma Sensibio seems to dissolve whatever's sitting on top of my skin within seconds. I don't have to apply pressure to my skin... the makeup literally melts off onto the cotton pad. I find that my generic WalMart brand makeup remover wipes tend to be too dry and a little abrasive to be removing makeup... plus they're freaking ginormous, there's no way to cut them in half and use less of a wipe.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I apply this product to a clean and dry cotton pad. I hold it over my eye makeup for a few seconds before beginning to work it in gentle circles to buff the makeup off of my skin and eyelashes. Sometimes I'll use one cotton pad on each eye, and then one to take off my face makeup. Other times, when I'm wearing less makeup, I'll use one or two pads to clean my whole face.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7_rIssw1Yk/UMQ56-vE9mI/AAAAAAAAB1c/gzLP3o9hXAY/s1600/IMG_0194fixy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7_rIssw1Yk/UMQ56-vE9mI/AAAAAAAAB1c/gzLP3o9hXAY/s320/IMG_0194fixy.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Applying the damp cotton pad to my eye, and holding for about 20 seconds.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All of this came off without rubbing...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYQmgkBcwrs/UMQ5-k2FihI/AAAAAAAAB1s/BNENKhMsy_I/s1600/IMG_0196fixy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYQmgkBcwrs/UMQ5-k2FihI/AAAAAAAAB1s/BNENKhMsy_I/s320/IMG_0196fixy.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With a little bit of work, this is one eye completely makeup free...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's even great for tiny touchups while applying your makeup. I use it on a Q-tip under my eyes when there's fall out from black shadow, or if my mascara transfers to my lower lid (I apply concealer and foundation last, so this doesn't tend to be much of a problem). Again, no effort required. One quick sweep of the Q-tip and my makeup is clean, sharp, and ready to rock-and-roll.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I find that this product is incredibly gentle, yet thorough. I always dread taking my makeup off at the end of the day... nothing seems to do enough of the trick. I am always removing the other half of my makeup (that my cleanser/remover left behind) with my toner... But Bioderma Sensibio makes me EXCITED to take off my makeup. Makeup removal is so easy... I don't have to scrub, scratch, tug, pull, or peel to get my mascara, foundation, bronzer, blush, etc. off. It's so fantastic, I seriously cannot get enough of it... I keep monitoring how much is left in my wee bottle, wanting to spare it only for special occasions, but I can't. I HAVE to use it, that's how good it is.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can you see the difference...?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This makes all the other makeup removers and cleansers I've used in the past look like regular H2O. It knocks everything else out of the ball park.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.5 out of 5 stars. Heck-to-the-yes.<br />I just wish it was cheaper... On another note, I'll definitely be picking up one of these babies for my Christmas vac-ay to the USofA...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let me know: what makeup remover/cleanser do you use? Does it get you excited about taking off your makeup?</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-71563668998504924012012-12-12T21:14:00.000-07:002012-12-12T21:22:12.031-07:00L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes in Carbon Black<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked this mascara up from Shoppers Drug Mart for about $7 CDN on sale, whoot whoot!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Voluminous® Million Lashes™ Carbon Black" src="http://www.lorealparis.ca/img/l10n/products/305x262/Cos39w_5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.lorealparis.ca/cosmetics/eyes/voluminous-million-lashes/carbon-black.aspx" target="_blank">Lorealparis.ca</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I did some research on this mascara before I picked it up - knowing full well that about half of the women out there hated it with all their guts, and the other half were madly in love with it. I hoped that I was one of the latter.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This mascara features a flexible silicone wand with spacious bristles. L'Oreal describes the design as a "Clean Sweep System [which] wipes the brush free of clumps" for a clean, defined, voluminous look. It is supposed to be ophthalmologist-tested and allergy-tested. It claims to be clump-free and fragrance-free, as well as safe for contact-lens wearers and those with sensitive eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh my, oh my, oh my. How I adored this mascara.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The packaging is tres chic. Who wouldn't want to pull this golden tube of deliciousness out of their makeup bags, I ask you!? This definitely looks more expensive and high-end than any other mascara I've tried. Kudos on the packaging, L'Oreal. I especially love the way the inside of the tube is designed, with the little 'cleaner' feature that pulls excess product off of the brush before you get it out of the tube.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The brush was perfect for getting right in to the base of my lashes, and because of the way the brush was designed, it got just the right amount of product on my lashes - enough to thicken them, but the brush wasn't so gobbed up with product that it couldn't clear away the excess at the same time. This brush is a little bit larger in size - sort of reminiscent of CoverGirl's infamous LashBlast mascara, but with a gentle curve that fits the curve of your natural lashline perfectly. This brush wasn't as torturous as the L'Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic that I loathed with it's razor sharp bristles; still not friendly if you happen to get it too close to your lashline, but not nearly as painful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The wand also features short bristles mixed in with longer bristles, to lengthen and clear out any clumpage. Ingenious design, I tell you. Brilliant!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The mascara itself has an interesting smell. It's not overwhelming or overpowering, but it's not nice either. Sort of a "peppery-plastic" smell, and yes, you can quote me. I don't know if I notice the scent too much after it's applied, but when you first whip your brush out of the tube, it's sort of a startling discovery - especially when you're not used to smelling anything from your mascara tube.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The formula was thin, but not as thin as other L'Oreal mascaras I've tried. Usually I have to leave my L'Oreal mascaras uncapped for several days before they dry out enough to be usable. Not so with this mascara.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was pure black. Like the blackest of black mascaras - it made my green eyes pop like you wouldn't imagine.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KdSQZCIigWo/UMlVREP2YmI/AAAAAAAAB24/XaQPwPfy1tI/s1600/compare2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KdSQZCIigWo/UMlVREP2YmI/AAAAAAAAB24/XaQPwPfy1tI/s320/compare2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the left, 2 coats of the L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara.<br />On the right, my naked lashes.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It volumized my lashes fantastically. But it wasn't clumpy and it didn't make my lashes spidery. I got separation and definition, yet the base of my lashes was dark and thick. Somehow this mascara did exactly what I wanted every mascara in the history of ever to do for my eyeballs.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsXUu5VBekk/UMlVQI2_UVI/AAAAAAAAB2w/GCrj-YlZbl8/s1600/compare1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsXUu5VBekk/UMlVQI2_UVI/AAAAAAAAB2w/GCrj-YlZbl8/s320/compare1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A comparison of my naked lashes to my lashes with<br />2 coats of the mascara.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMgTnTBzABg/UMlVTpmaf9I/AAAAAAAAB3A/9qqxAFe8klM/s1600/compare3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMgTnTBzABg/UMlVTpmaf9I/AAAAAAAAB3A/9qqxAFe8klM/s320/compare3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the top - Left: 2 coats of the mascara, Right: naked lashes<br />On the bottom: Left: 3 coats of the mascara, Right: 1 coat of the mascara</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I never tried curling my lashes with this mascara, but I have no doubt that it would've rocked it up in that category also. I've heard a lot of complaints about this mascara flaking and such, but I never experienced a problem with flaking or transferring. This mascara stayed put on my eyeballses.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.... there's always a but... haha, I said "butt"...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This mascara was no comprendo with my eyeballs. Every night after taking my mascara off, my eyes would itch and water and burn so bad. Sometimes they even itched during the day if so much as a little flake got into my eye... It was maddening, I tell you. I considered that maybe it was just environmental allergies, but as soon as I stopped using this mascara the problem went away. So unfortunate.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the price is sort of a con as well. If you're buying this mascara full price, expect to pay at least $9 CDN. Depending on where you purchase it, you might be looking as much as $11 or $12 CDN dollars. Ouch. My wallet is crying...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Needless to say, I'm really disappointed. I wanted this to be my holy grail mascara - now it's just taking up space in my drawer, and I'm not really sure what to do with it. Maybe my sister would like to take it for a test drive...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 out of 5 stars.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A huge part of me wants to give this 5 or 6 stars, just because it is that amazing. But I knocked it down to a 3 because the price I pay in pain and agony just isn't worth any delicious lashes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sigh de la sigh. What mascara duds have you tried? I want to know.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-13850493521477392922012-12-08T23:52:00.000-07:002012-12-08T23:52:00.017-07:00LOTD: Smoky and sultry<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lately, I've been loving simplistic but sexy looks. And by "looks," I am really just referring to the one look I've been wearing non-stop recently.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've never been a "black" makeup girl - I never really wore black mascara or black shadow. I felt like it looked too unnatural on my eyeballs. And then I discovered this combo...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I even cracked this baby out for my work Christmas party - and I have to say, I am in love with this combo.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Eyes:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I primed my lids with Urban Decay's Primer Potion. I break out my NYX single eyeshadow in <i>White </i>and use an all-over fluffy brush to apply a light dusting of the powder under my brow bone. Then I used NYX's single eyeshadow in <i>Black</i> with my Quo smudger brush to apply the black shadow along my lashline, and then I fade it out in an exaggerated wing. I really buff the lines out to create a gradual fade to the wing, it allows me to have a more exaggerated wing without looking gothic and overdramatic. A new edition to my makeup routine includes curling my lashes, after which I proceed to pile on the mascara - my newest obsession is the Prestige <i>My Blackest Lashes</i> mascara. I finish off with a shimmery white/gold shadow in the inner corner to brighten up and draw attention to my eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Face:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For my work Christmas party, I primed my face with Urban Decay Primer Potion (yes, I know it's a eyeshadow primer, but I needed something to hold my foundation in place and I was out of options...) and used my Revlon Whipped Creme Foundation with the foundation brush from Real Techniques all over my face and blended it out. I used </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maybelline's Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in </span><i style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Radiant</i><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (310) under my eyes to cover up my dark circles, and I set everything with Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed Powder. For bronzer and contour, I utilized what remains of my MAC Matte Bronze Bronzing Powder, and for blush I applied a light wash of MAC's powder blush in <i>Mocha</i>, then a little bit of Benefit's <i>Coralista</i>, and finally a few dabs of Essence's <i>Renesmee Red</i> powder blush.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I kept the lips quick and simple with <i>Strawberry Parfait </i>gloss from Bonne Bell's lipLITES line.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel that this look draws a lot of attention to the eyes. The intense black mascara especially draws attention to my green eyes. The smudgy black shadow creates the illusion of thicker lashes, and the winged shape creates the appearance that my eyes are more almond-shaped and lifted up towards my eyebrows. By keeping the blush and the lipgloss simple and muted, it allows all the focus to be on my beauteous green eyeballs.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't you wish your eyeballs were as hot as mine? Tee hee.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-37967573312174154602012-12-03T19:18:00.002-07:002012-12-03T19:18:50.695-07:00Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola beateous babes! I'm here with another review on the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme foundation. Now you guys know that I raved about the original Revlon ColorStay Liquid Foundation, so I definitely had to give this version a try, especially after reading/seeing the stellar reviews.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is it just me, or is Revlon putting out a lot of stellar products recently...!?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Each jar contains 23.7 mL (0.8 fl oz) of foundation goodness. It costs anywhere between $15-$20 CDN, though I paid approximately $16 CDN at my local WalMart. Depending on where you want to purchase this product from, you may end up paying almost twenty bucks for one jar - if you're penny-pinching, you might want to check this out at WalMart before you pick it up from somewhere like Shoppers Drug Mart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked this up in 150 <i>Buff</i>, which is the same shade that I use in the original liquid formulation. This foundation is available in 12 shades, ranging from <i>Ivory</i> (being the lightest shade) to <i>Caramel</i> (being the darkest shade). Overall, the variety of shades isn't stellar, but it's definitely respectable considering it's a drugstore line. I find that Revlon has some of the most 'realistic' shades for foundation out of all the drugstore brands. While other brands sell very pink or very yellow shades of makeup, but Revlon seems to have a good collection of yellow-based, pink-based, and neutral-based foundation.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blended.<br />Left: With flash. Right: Without flash.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Swatched.<br />Left: With flash. Right: Without flash.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I find that the ColorStay Whipped foundation color actually matches my skin tone better than the original ColorStay Liquid foundation. The liquid version tended to be too white on my skin, making me look rather albino - though it's still an awesome shade for me in the dead of winter!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The texture and consistency of this foundation is cray-cray! I've never experienced anything like this before. It's fluffy and light, very mousse-esque, just as Revlon's website describes it. I love and appreciate the light-weightedness of this foundation, as it sits just as lightly on the skin - giving you the illusion that you're not wearing any face makeup at all.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This light and fluffy consistency also allows one to build up the coverage of the foundation with each layer that one applies. You can build this up to full coverage by applying thin layers of foundation - I find that, personally, I can build this up to 'full' coverage within 2 to 3 even applications. One layer of foundation leaves me with a very natural, but flawless finish - one that evens out skin tone and texture in one pass.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The packaging is pretty retardando, not gonna lie. Unfortunately, I can't really think of a better alternative considering the texture and consistency of the foundation itself. The foundation comes packaged in a solid glass jar, very reminiscent of Chanel and L'Oreal foundations. One beauty guru on YouTube commented that you could bludgeon someone to death with the heavy duty glass jar, which I definitely agree with. While the packaging is impractical, it is sleek and very minimalistic. The shade name is featured in a little sticker on the lid of the jar, which makes it incredibly easy to pick out which shade you want to use when (if you're someone who has to own several different shades at one time). I tend to scoop a bit of foundation out of the door with my index finger, and place it on the back of my hand to apply with either a damp sponge or a stippling brush.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Onto application techniques, tally-ho! I've only used two techniques to apply the foundation, considering the strange consistency and awkward packaging: a stippling brush and a damp beauty blender sponge. I initially heard that the best way to apply this foundation was with a stippling brush. So I <i>whipped </i>(haha!!!)<i> </i>out my Real Techniques Stippling Brush, plopped some of the foundation on the back of my hand, and went from the back of my hand and started stippling and buffing this into my skin. I find that using this technique, the finish of the foundation leans more on the full coverage side of things. With a damp sponge, I also stipple this all over my face, but find that this allows a more natural and less opaque finish. I think I prefer the latter technique on a daily basis, when I need less coverage and can get away with a less flawless finish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The finish of this foundation is matte, but what I'd call a 'natural matte.' It's not shimmery, dewy, or glittery, but it isn't flat either. It looks real and flexible on the skin, "like my skin but better" and not at all mask-like. I do feel that in some areas of my face (under my eyes, on my forehead and cheeks) I need to powder the foundation to keep it from looking too glossy as the day wears on, but I don't find that this foundation exacerbates my oiliness throughout the day the way some foundations can.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't find this foundation particularly cakey or heavy on the skin. It can cling to dry and oily patches in an awkward and obvious fashion, which is why I wouldn't recommend this foundation to those with excessively dry or oily skin types. In my case, having combination skin and all, there are some days when I cannot bring myself to put this foundation on - because I know it'll cling to my dry patches too much, or it'll just slide off of my oily areas in a matter of minutes. But most days I find it gives me the perfect amount of coverage, with minimal effort and ease.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The claims that this foundation lasts 24 hours are iffy for me. This definitely has a significant wear time - I can usually wear it anywhere between 6 and 10 hours looking fresh. I still have foundation on my face around 15 hours, but it's definitely looking like it's seen better days. One thing I find incredible is <b>the way</b> in which this foundation wears. Upon first application, I find that this foundation looks a little heavy and somewhat unnatural, but as it wears, it takes on a more natural and even appearance which I love! This includes the way it wears at the end of the day - instead of wearing off in patches, it wears off evenly, slowly revealing more and more of your real skin underneath, but not in an obvious or gross way... BONUS!! Some days, when my skin is more moisturized/oily, I notice the tendency for this foundation to 'slip around' on my skin a little bit more than actually settling. For myself, it's imperative to have as dry and matte of a face as possible before applying the foundation. I think a primer would work wonders for the longevity and application of the Whipped Creme Foundation, but I haven't had any success with primers yet to give you any sort of recommendation on this end :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All in all, I am really loving my Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme foundation. There are some aspects of it that I'm not in love with (such as the packaging, the cost, and the way it wears on my oily/dry patches), but overall the pros <i>definitely </i>outweigh the cons.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell me: what's your favorite drugstore foundation, and why!?</span></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-34669248780796979362012-11-24T22:26:00.001-07:002012-11-26T19:18:57.883-07:00Stayfree Ultra Thin Overnight Pads<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh my... I know it's uncommon, and probably uncouth to discuss the infamous "sanitary napkins" on the world wide web, but I figure hygiene is a huge part of beauty - especially if you're 'blessed' enough to be a woman.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pads aren't really something I've ever given a thought to. I don't really know how we, as women, ever walk into a store and go "this is the pad for me!!" I don't remember my first pads, but I imagine they were influenced significantly by what my mom used and kept in stock herself. I feel that this must be at least somewhat true for most all women...</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Either way, I've tried a lot of pads since <i>Auntie Flo</i> first happened my way. Everything from Kotex to Always to Stayfree... you name it, I've likely tried it. And over the years, my body has changed, and my feminine products with it.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recently, my sister and I were stopped by some nice ladies in the middle of the mall, inquiring as to whether or not we wanted to watch a free demo, and then receive free goodies. Of course, we said yes. The lady demonstrated one of those infamous 'blue liquid' tests on three different pads, and of course, we were asked to watch and see which pad absorbed the best. By the end of the demonstration, both Stephanie and I were astounded at the results. Whether or not this pad was actually as good as they made it seem, both of us wanted to run into our nearest Shoppers Drug Mart and grab a package. Can you say suckers-for-shameless-Stayfree-self-promotion ten times fast?</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A day or so after the sneaky demo, Auntie Flo came knocking on my door. Oh, hello there. I'm out of everything I would need for you to visit - off to the store I go. And I decided to try the new Stayfree Ultra Thin Overnight Pads as I was still residually astounded by the demo.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Needless to say, a few cycles later, I'm still LOVING these pads. Hence the reason I'm writing this post...</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k7Z4FM2g6eI/ULGrAYog-1I/AAAAAAAAByc/AlCyJyWrEBk/s1600/pads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k7Z4FM2g6eI/ULGrAYog-1I/AAAAAAAAByc/AlCyJyWrEBk/s1600/pads.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Photo credit: <a href="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBhQQERMUExIWFRUWFRUWFxgYFBUYFhwXFBcWFRcYGBcZGyYgGBklGhgWHy8gIycpLCwsGB8xNTAqNSYrLCoBCQoKDgwOGA8PGjAlHSQsLDAuKSwpLCksLC8pKSwpLCwsLCopLCwsNSwpKSwsKSwpKSwsLCwsLCwpLCkpLCwsLP/AABEIAOEA4QMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAEAAgMBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcBBAUDAgj/xABKEAABAwMCAgcDCQMJBgcAAAABAAIRAwQhEjEFQQYHEyIyUWFCcYEUIyRSkaGxwdFi4fAWMzQ1RHJzosIXJUNTgrJUY4OTlMTx/8QAGQEBAAMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQF/8QAKhEBAAICAQMDAgYDAAAAAAAAAAECAxESEyExBCJBUcEUYZGhsfAyUoH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/ALxREQEREBERAREQUp0v6Y16nFbm3ZePtqdENZT0v0Nc/Sxz9RFNx1EuMTjueq5j+J37TAvbypjdtxax/mc38FyOs23+nXDo3rVQY94ifTDlHKd3UAAFRwGk4DuXmTy/j4SnSeDjXEv/ABV7/wC7w8/616U+PcUERdXZ9NXDj+L1Xbq7+7L3nB2e+T78r5Fw4hsvfGdnv1fihpZTek/FR/aLn7OF/mVs2/S/ioGa1Rxn2xw2f8tQBVY2u+B3nxJ2e7V+K+6d9UaMVHxq+u4n3ZKGlsDpzxQe0Dn/AJdq7/srr0p9PeKkmOyH960d+IuIKrLhVxcV61OjTdLqlRrG6g0wXECTjYbn3FXLwrg1G2AaxrXuG9aoxrqjjzIkQxp+q0D1k5WOXNXHHdS1or5cv+XXFfK3PutnH/7K1q/T/irTDhp/u8NuHfY4PcFI+IdH6Fw12qmGOP8AxKTWsqAxAJgaXx5OBC8+FcBp2zACBWfA1VKjcE+bKRJawfafVU/E4+O0c4R1nTribzDX1B77B7R9r2Afeux1edZFa6vXWly5jyWOdTqNpmmddMw9jm6nB2JIIjwnecbvE7OlcNLa1JrgRBLQKdQD9moyCPdseagvQzo78h49b0p1Br36HEAaqT7Wu9jgPODBjm13JWxZ65fCa2iV+IiLZYREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQERYKD869ZQ+kXRmIuXfHxY+9Q5lWAB4e75A8wef4K5+P8NbqvWnPa1y4ktwWwZZvmMnl4vMKmby0NGo6mXSW4LiIBwDgct9uRwrzWaxEr6mI28i7Y5bvn8Me5fLeXLfKMO2Ywd9vglPlmN99lRUA2O2fEg887+JGnbMZ35IPf7W/soOr0U4k22vbau/wU67S907NdLHE+4OLvgrxdTLNQxImM4PlnyOPtX55n1zIzy96t3q1vH3Fg5tZwqNpVuxpYghjGMqBpI8TQXgN8g2J2C5PVY4tEWn4ZZI3G3bvOGtrkl7SJDWktrtxocXeEtIJBPMbE7SZ+adiGPLwyXGSQawLWklxOlpb3QecR4R5FdIWg5Ac9y7nuN4j0Xk61zkDlOXcgAMTvGFTrRx1y7f383NNY8sMcXAS2D9WQ4+6RzUesrttXpDbaMik51EkZBdStLkPIjyqOc33tW/0pvn21jcVKB0VG9kA/xOAq1WUXFs7P78h2dj71G+rGnPErY76e1P2U67Y+wqfS4473j5dGOO217IiLtaiIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgoXrC45Va+7ptIAbWdDhIeA+o/VDgfU+ud9orjUTz1GDOr78nc+qnXWK2a97iYrT7vnHKC7xzxsOXvUzKWGctjg4OwRhmMzvg7I3MbHBwPzRuw5745qAYdhM52OyNPL9rbkg2Awc7c/ig2j9rbmgTuJ57cl3+inTCpw574aKlN5GuiSWgkYDmvAOh4kiYMjBG0cDzGN9uaHnyyMc/gomImNSLNvuuNgYRRtHCpGDWqNLAeR0sEv9xLfyXhwvrdIaG3luXvAzVpVGtc88i6m5ukEjcggT7OcVycath6fohEatm42/RZ9GmtaV4wl/SXp2++LKLaYoUQ8PLdZqPe5s6e0dAECZDQIBzJxEj6qh/vCj/h1D9od+qrS0xUbgBWb1Uf0+hiPmHn/KFrWsVjUJ19F3IiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIg/PHWF/SL7/EP/fUUFjaRy5fmpx1iOi4vOU1nD3w9/wCqhVtbOe9rGNcXvhrQ0FznOJAAA9SiXwBtI5Hbf4rDRtI89t1JKHQKu5/ZNq2puGh027bumbmWgks0Rp1iDLQ7EHyUb06dwWwSDgzIkQWxIIOIQGjAxieW6AY2xq39pWLwrqsNzw63qNHY3b6pOp1VtSlUoOlzXt7NzgwNYR6ktcD4mlQbitpSo1XMpVxXY1wHbNY5jSfa0tJMgH2tjuEGnGDjE/FI8WOY33WJGT6+JST+RzWtHym9o21Z7O0p0qjKhdpglvbVB3LcuAwHZyJAJhBHCPFjy33SN4HL2t0mZME4G+CPf/HJDmfaxv5IPW28bYHl4vyVm9VH9YUf8Gp9whVhSPfHtbekZCs/qq/rCjz+brf60QvBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREH5z6wHfPXZmPpFUZ9Kh2Uf6J8YFle21yWlzaT9ThzLXNdTdp8yGuLgOZAC7nTd01Lrn9Kr7+lUrVsuC2lzZUjTu6FC8Y6oKzbqqabHsJ7hpkgtGkaRjeXTkBEtrpxwI2ddl/bV9VrcVXVqNdhyx7y6qWx9Yd4t2nTBggzsdKeA2duy2tqYunXtSk2uDooE1Kt0dNOnWcXkthzSA1k5eTqJJcvIcQo2fD3WD7ildmvdUar20HmpRo0ab2PfpqFoDqj9EaR9Yk+vYr8bs28ap8QdfU61M1WllKnTqOdTp/JXUdVWQNBa/TDQHE5MDMB58L4PN1S4Y++vBV06XC00UrSjpa+q6mT4qpkuL3iNTnCZIXAp9H7e6tr2vb1qxq21R1R4qmmWVLd1R8VWFrAQ+O+6ccoyCO10eurO0u7pzuIU6la5ZdNo1qbXuoUe2Lnh9RxAmo46e6AQ0NMu7wWl0Js6FG5ummv21qLCtTu6lNrxSZ2sd2mXAF/hY1hiXkugQEHvwHodaPuuFNfUuHPuaDLp9PRSLA5vzsOOC2i4MqDOpxgZGV9u4Va8Yur+4Zc3LAxlS4qVKrKIpNghtENDHEup6GP3hxDGxklanCeljBW4leve2lVNubezoTOkVIYwNA2bTZTZJGO84rmWvEqVvwmvQa9vyi6uaYcxuSy3t4c3WfZ1PBgTkPJ80G7X6N2Pyb5b8oumWwPZkPZR7erWBPcox3A3SA4uOrTkZIOnav+rpoqNIrPo0RZsurk12tdUtw+YpuDAwPe7S4NbAPdM8gdmy6Rtfw+zo0L62sa9saoqdtTGRUeXdpRqGk+HRu1sGXbiBPzwXpBQbQv7Zt40VatWjWp3N5S1sqljGB2sVGvLIe0uZrDiAQckFByeJ9HrZtlSvKTrpoqVnUqbK3YFz2tbqFYdmBFOQWnxZLYMRMn6rHfT6GfYq/hVKhXSio57hUN4byq1g7aoJFEFxHZUqOoAluHSQ0NkiAMzNurKm1vEaAZUFRul8P7N1OSadVxGh2RBkZ3ieakmF3oiKECIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIg/NvTTLrk7/S7n4RWI+5afBeK2dKiztLftKwp1Gn5mi4atdSqyoXOdLzPYUwC0aWtqCSHZ3OmgzdY/tlzt61Zz9qh/ljkdt/iiUvu+LcMqGrps3CWVuyDJptD3F4py0Vj2Ya0USSJkuqkjDQfmy49YuphlxaNd3bds0rahSfNNje2eXMLCS6oXnvSCym0QC4qJgbSOR23Kw0eHHntugkt7xy1FWlVt7WmSHP7SlWpB9OprayZa6o4NIeKpBYGQHsEd3OpxrpXVumNpaKNCg18i3oU20qWr6zgJLnepPKQBmeK0YGMTy3QDG2J35oHn79uaz9YbZGOaxG+MT8Vkjf3jfdAdjUNvT9EOJ9nHP8AJZLCQ4hpIkCSDvExO2qATG8BZpsBdBOlp0hziC7S0kAu0jLoGYGTEBBuvbbttmv1VBc6zqYWg0xRAd3mu31E6ZGd9t4sPq0sn0eI27KjNDw2oS3U13ip1HDLSRkEHfmoH21s2i+k2k6pX7eWXBLmtNBstHzTiSC7xRDYlsmWd6bdVNMC+tgBA+fxH7NZRAvVERSgREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREH5u6aiHXfKby4+MvaocMRu3B+KmPTN3eu4P9tud/77cBQ5p8jy5/kiRuI9nfKMxHLfP7kYdoMYO+3wRh2zG++yA3kds+JB5+vi/cjeXnP/AEoD651fBAjc538X7l9MpF5hoc8k4gEnz2G6+Z3znV/0r2tLx9Gp2lN7mVGk6XNMRqBaYI2wSPig7LellZ9iLBrGvb2gLHR84XPe4hkukAEva0RBGnchxA7nSjo9YcMa2jWZWurt1MPc5tbsWUwZaC3uuG4cQC15Md7BAUYqWVGnbU69O7HyntP5hrRNMUzNN5Mnm2cjm349Hptx2jfvbctLmVzTZTq0oJYSyYfTqAQWwYLXaSIxKxtFpvXXjvv7fdPZH2wand1OEiJgOA1Y1RgkDeN1ZXVYfp9vmcV/wqhV6K7Xmg0Uw0sBD3te4moS8OBc04ZpGIG6snqoAN5RnTqHbQZzBFTYcx5+8LeO6NLsREUIEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBEWCg/PHS7hNZ1S5Y2mXuN3cPA7vgc9pDpnSB6k743woOWkHScluoEH2SDBHvBCuvjNcD5VmB8oeDkYgnJxhuRv6+SpWpWNVxe4Al2p5A5Fxkj4TC0vWIiF5jT4Zy54ODyWWZgTO+DsjcxzwcDf4o3lz3wN1mqwzkN8nCN8v2tuSN2GxztzQDHpq25oHmMeLbkt7XQY6kdNR47pr03FrA4h2W0nsyGlsZIkGdxBWjGD7xjmn1hgCRjn8EHQuqdv2OttV7a7qrg6homm2l3iw9qQJdGnad9hy0H4J5Y2HNCfFy9Dv8Fg41csbFBucNt3PrNa0Z3geQVmdWFgW3lBzu64GuNBbmND8mdjsdlWHD6pZVaW904GfIkT/HorV6E8RaeI2ga8vDzXaCQQRppVXAZAzgrWsV4zM+V4iupmfK5ERFkzEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBERB+bel1GPlkiPp12cetQEEqIRtIjHLc+9Tnpm0A3o2+l1z79Tj+igxcARnTIPx9ylMMNG2Iwcjco0YGPPI3RuI9nBz+iNxHLfKgG7DGJ3G6DbbE780byO2d0Hn6+JAjBxid+aEeLHMZO6eZ9d0PM75Gf3IB9qBPqdwkb4nHPdHZ1Hf1Rwmfaxvsg9bUfONgTlu/vCn/Vx/WNhv/P3e/8AgXKr+3zUb7WW/DvBWH1en/eFjzivc/CaNcfnCmBfaIihAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgLBWVgoKG6W8PdUr37Wlua7oDiRuag5NK5djahtB1CoyJYZaMnUQSHN8zMQQux0irRfXsuDW/KBJOwBNWT9w9FweJXvYVA4kunkHAmBmckY5fFduLhx26sfHW0c4fwqrVqCk1pFQNc5wfLQ1rcEnEgT3eeSAtd1MsdpOHNLgQdgQYKsThPSqjUoio97WOaX030y+X9mTqDg2NTpOnDZyyJ5KDcXrsqV3upnUxzpAOrcgFx72QNUwD92w5rViI3EsJrHxLSp8oOZ5+FZDD8Z+HvW1Y8LqVGhzAHAOy2cxzPqB5fcVscZtG0nMa1wcHMa7SQJEuMyd4xj84UcJ1uTjOty5mkw45wRJAOgepPIe9Ty06IWzzbPBeQQztg6dLnls6S0+H5yBgxE7nvCMcAvRSe/W4NBBiWkjVgQT5ETyzEYXUPTTsqYZTp6nCDqcSAHjbux3wMGJA9cmNK1pFdzK8RWI3LR6ZW7adeGt0AsB7rQ1hOpw5CJjTPw5riPOTJ5ctvit7jPGH3Ly5+lsCA1oMZydyTP6Ba1CiXP0+GcY8v1Wc+63ZSe89nT6O9Hqt5UdocwCkGOeS4gd4nS0aWkknQ7yEDfkrJ6v+BFl0x9QCadV2iDiajHSfgMZ+sVC+E1X8PqCrSbrp1QKVSmZGfEx0gGCO9kg8x7Uixuj1yPllIsmDULSSNwWSOeBIBGAfwWnT1E78wvw1vfws0LKwFlYMRERAREQEREBERAREQEREBERAWCsrBQU30q4dTdcXepgOqoZy7OXHkfUrk8M6A064+bt9cDZkwPLU8vDW+emZjl5bPTOu4Xd7DiIeOZ9VYXQC4d8jtx2XzfydjxV1tdrqOANUOb4mu1F3mMHIwD2W1WkTr+6dNo41idIIOrSm7W1lDtH04DmtrUy5hc0OAeO0EYIPqFx+I9EaNKWupwQYLT2rKg5zBO37QMFXrSa1rnENaC8gujeQA0E+eABj0Vc9azqjxbgUzTebgUqb+0b8417XzIb4Wh4pmTtq5ZVMduVtTEKY7cp1MKvbUbZ1KjCHPa5oLNJGoTO4wDsRPp6451/xI1xTBaAGSAAe8dUTmMDujHvUn/kfXqvyaLnBs95z9cDSdOl1PW1zRVpktcBpFVsxJjJ6A1wfDROAZDpmXFuBo1HadsgiJMga2x9uMXjTWadtco0iTQIPLIAnMzn3/jsvKpz2jEjnvyUrvuidS3Y59QURp0yA4l0ktEQGYI1tnURvzxPPpcMD4xTE6suLWgaIJJJ94UfhtxuJj9z8PMxuJcNo8QAA2wf34/gLqcFsw+sxpcGAhxwQXEtEwNxkT581vO4E4bilzJ+do8ml31pyBj3hfNbhZZLvmiGwQW1aR3IALQDq8swpr6bU+YWrg18urUrnV2YjTIMkZ7pxt+ilPBKrhf2tOIArtcc+KaVSPhg/EfbXFa9fTDqjTLg32sggehU66M1XO4lbEmSbhkzy+Yr7DyxyT1Nte1XPOvau4LKIuFyCIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAsFZWCgo3pr/Tb0ftT/H2rtdTnG3uFS0LXOY0Gox4B0sLiA+m52w1F2sDfxrh9OT9Mvf7w/BWX1c2fZcMtQRBc3tD/AOo8vB+whd+WYjFET+X8OzJMdL9P4dij4h9v5qnOsriVStxEMqMLKdEtp0xUadDmlzTUqnbUxxgGD4WDIkxctH2f49kqA9czTFiGiXGs4CIkkhgDRjcmFlgnWSHN6WdW7oIblh0AssgDnNFulujUA10VD9d0iY9TErxva9Ps3A0rUucwwWURqb7G5fIee0a4HMCnthe1xYXLGlz6NUBnaPJIpQBb1G06jjDc6HxPnvmJXMfeBzYdqImfYG22zd13ViJ8PRiInw0RTA5AfBb9E6W0nSR33wRAIcOzg5BB/wD3dalSJ7sx6xP3Bez2zTZA9qp5ZxT/AIz5rae7We7pN4q8CO2+00jgAiBNPaeUfAr4q8UeWuaapc0t0luqnMYx4JO3murwPoe6szWQAydLnu7w1AgFjGMeJM4LiYBEQTIGeN9DOxp03BzXdp4XNa9g1RhtRrnuADjgPDomBGRPJ18PPhvuw6mPlx+UdsOH07isyi/WGP1B0FuqA1zsGIE6Ry81OeD8P0cTtgJcBWpvBiSGmjctl0DaZE45ecKEcFdFxSMHBdiDPgeNt+atrgLtFS3Bw5z2Fw55ZUhvrH3ZVfVVidSy9TWJmFghFgLK85xCIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAsFZWHIKG6cv8Apd5/iEfYSFLuqG9uKlvWD3l1CmWU6IO7XZ1tDvqAOZAzEwIAhRjppwp7q1xUx3qtSG8zpe8D0BMY+C73QDrAsKXDqdN1Ts3tDtbXMfLi5xcXAgEOmZxkTC7slo6UV+ezqy3jpRCw9YblxgCZnl3SqK6UdL63Eq7SXRTbUig1jSCAXQ1/1jUI0n0wAAd+l0361xdU3ULdrxSd3XvIhzwd2BpMtaYgzBO0RMwh9Qhgeab9DsAwCM+ecT67pg4Ru1p7qelitY5WSvivAa9FrO0u6hbUfVpGe1JyKlRwLO0OrW6n3hsSWulwyORdcJ0x2b+18z2ZZHlhzjM528iuNQrhxDWU3Oc4wGtYC8+cNGXe4KUVuhrw8MD2EmYkOaMAknInYH9JXTTJX/bf/HZW9df5fs4vyd31Svuo6GME5DqhjmJ0fZt9y9+McINs1znPDwNI7oM95wZgH1IXPYHmkaopPLGmCe7ODBOmZIBxOytOWm+8r9Sv1WP0JuxXtjTYXa6IqOewPqy/tHPqAt0vaTqJfI88EQWlenS+9p0bWoztS2vU0hrQDkMqB2sEBxb3Q4AkjJxtqVW/LQIOkyMAY1ScQOcmRgeY810KthXFZtKpRqNqPwNWkzAyNQcR3QJInugZgLgnFj6nLn23vWvu5Jpj58uXZq1WucDpJ1GYMwZPrO/qrF6K8Xq1a/DzVIDzVY1+ACXCldap5DLAcR9mFCm2D6dbQ5pPd1amhzm7kEE6e6ffupx0Wax1ayIILmXIBAOf5utpkb/8R32Lb1ERf3VWz6v7oXEEWAsrz3EIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICwVlYIQVV0gDq5qlrctq1mk4gFr3aTBOcFpiRKqm46NVaUtIaA0loh4MxiSOWADC/Rt/0No1XPdqqM1kudocI1HBcNTTpPq2Ngd1wG9SlgPauf/kOWl7xbS823pRY4Y/TBacA+E/meXopVw6jrp6ajS1j2wZ7uCNweUbg+5WO3qQsAZDriR/55P3EELo3fVfa1Z1OrZ8ntH+lXxZK13yXpeI8qo4JRbbsw2IEudzJ5kkfwOS6/C+LsqirVBdrHdhwDe6QCXRORMtnlpPmFOrjqltHs0F1aJBB1t1AjyOj4fFaP+wyx/wCZc7z/ADw/DTCtbNG/b4TbJG/b4Vtdabtzmvy0Olpa4iCBEgzmJOTIPuK9rO1cxrqTIfDC0F2AZbA1QPM5gKyLTqYs6T9YqXJOcOqtIzI20Z3wtn/ZPah2oVK4P9+nH3sV65qeZ8rRlr8+VEPsbilVxTOqk9paTBAdTdIO+RI+weqtCm59R9Cr2ZaazWuLA4GO0YTGqMxq3Ec/Vdo9SFiXFzql04uJJPbxJOSe60Ldd1S2hp9n2l1oB1BouXAAzOI2E5jac7rCuTjtlF9K94myqyoWik4seJlumWubOT3u8HAwIGNHOZH10BuIv6TXNcwvqjSHgtJ7MOMtnxCHHaVNq/UrZvJca95J3Pykkn3kiT8V1Oj/AFZWllWbWZ2tSowENdVqufpkFpIbsDBImOat17amPqnqzqYSsLKIsGQiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAsBZRBhZREGFlEQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREH/2Q==" target="_blank">Walmart.com</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These pads are fantastic for so many different reasons.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First, they are made of cotton. As in, your skin is touching cotton the whole time. My previous go-to-feminine products were Always brand, and the plastic layer on top was neither comfortable nor discrete. Gotta love that little *krinchle-krinchle* as you go from sitting to standing... And you cast that judgmental glance from side to side, so that no one would suspect that it was you. Don't kid me, we've all done it.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Stayfree Ultra Thins are thin (imagine that...) and flexible. They move with your body without bunching up or moving around. Needless to say, I feel protected the entire time. This was/is a HUGE pro for me. My previous Always brand pads were always bunching up. I felt like I was constantly headed back to the bathroom to replace the pad, just to get rid of that awful bunching feeling down below.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These pads are also incredibly absorbent. For being so compact, it doesn't seem like they'd hold a lot, but in my personal experience, they definitely keep you feeling drier for longer. I know some people who love using 'pillow' pads because they feel more protected with three inches of cotton fluff tucked into their underwear - trust me, I used to be one of those women too. But these pads leave me feeling as clean and dry, without the bulk.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the most desirable features, in my opinion, of this pad, is the 'unique' <i>Night-Guard Zone</i>. I have to say, I've never seen a feature quite like this in any other pad on the market (yet...). There is a billowing quilted area around the end of the pad, which is "designed to block leaks from side to side, and front to back." What lady couldn't use that little bit of extra protection??</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And have I mentioned how much I love how long these babies are...?! They really do provide extraordinary protection and coverage. Personally, I'm all about the length. I'm always trying to refrain from rushing the first sales associate I see in the Personal Hygiene aisle and shrieking maniacally, "SHOW ME TO THE LONGEST PAD YOU OWN!!! Aha!! I'll take about ten dozen."</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My one large-ish gripe with this product is the packaging. Not the overall bag they come in, but rather the individualized packages. Oh sure, it's cute. The pretty purple plastic isn't an eye sore when I whip it out of my purse or bathroom cabinet, but it's not exceptionally durable and definitely not subtle. The one thing I appreciated about Kotex (way back in the day...) was the fact that they were using 'cloth-esque' wrappers, to cut down on all that awkward crinkling that plastic wrappers can have. Now I realize that while this isn't particularly 'eco-friendly,' neither are the traditional plastic wrappers either. And I know someone out there is bound to think/say, "Who cares!? When you're in the bathroom changing your feminine products, it's not like it's news to the lady in the stall next to you..." And you'd be right - but I still like having the option to be discrete - whether I be at a friend or family's house, to being in a public restroom. In addition, these purple wrappers are far from durable. When I pop a couple of these pads in my purse, they are pretty much mutilated from my door to the car. The wrapper gets torn open and lost in the abyss that is my purse, and the pad becomes an unsanitary mess as it mingles with the cash, makeup, and goodness knows what else floating around in cyber space. I've definitely been on the lookout for a little zippered pouch that I can throw my pads in, close up, and huck in my purse so they don't end up getting dismembered in commute. Another feature that I miss but appreciated (in hindsight) was the little sticky tab on my Always Ultra Thin Overnights' package - they made for easy and quick disposal. Finally, I have to admit that for every one of these Stayfree pads, I end up putting A LOT of stuff in the garbage. As there are four wings, plus a sticky strip right down the base of the pad, I end up pulling off 5 paper tabs and throwing them out in addition to the fancy purple wrapper. It's frustrating and annoying when you're pulling off that many tabs, let me tell you. It seems wasteful and it's not convenient, I mean, I seriously don't want to be pulling that much paper off my pads. My goal is to get in and out of the bathroom as quickly as possible, and these certainly do not contribute to that ultimate goal.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, a pack of 40 will set me back about $6-$9 CDN, depending on where I buy them and whether or not they're on sale. I wouldn't say that they're cheap, but they definitely aren't expensive in my opinion either. And they're sort of a necessity.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been using them for several months now, and I have to say that I'm really enjoying them. Despite my frustrations with the packaging, I am a huge fan and I can't really see myself switching or trying a new brand any time soon.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let me know what you think - about this review, about those unsavory hygienic items we keep stashed around our home so that no one will figure out that we are just like every other woman out there, about your preferences, etc. I'd love to hear your views on this touchy topic!!</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-66900063725406052622012-11-22T22:29:00.001-07:002012-11-22T22:29:31.235-07:00Uniq One All in One Hair Treatment<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked this up from a local salon after the stylist tried it out on my hair. I wasn't expecting anything miraculous, I had just asked him what he'd recommend in the way of good heat protectants, and this is what he suggested.</span><div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Uniq One is supposed to treat your hair in 10 different ways:</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- repair for dry and damaged hair</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- shine and frizz control</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- heat protection</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- silkiness and smoothness</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- hair color protection/with uva and uvb filters</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- easier brushing and ironing</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- incredible detangling</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- long-lasting hairstyle</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- split ends prevention</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- adds body</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Needless to say, I didn't expect a whole lot from this little bottle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked this 150 mL (5.1 fl oz) bottle up from my local salon, as I mentioned earlier, for about $20-$22 CDN. It comes packaged in a sleek, opaque red bottle with gold and white detailing. The bottle features a spray pump, which I find an incredibly intriguing feature considering the product itself is a white, thin-ish lotion-esque consistency. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You're supposed to spray this product over your damp hair and style accordingly. You are <i>not</i> supposed to rinse it out. I'll admit, the whole concept is somewhat strange... but go along with me here...</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like I mentioned earlier, the consistency of this product is thin, so it sprays over your hair rather easily. I don't find that the nozzle of the spray applicator gets clogged at all, mind you, I am using this product religiously every other day. The product doesn't seem to dry in gooey clumps, as many other products tend to do when exposed to the air for too long. I find that this is a problem with several of my other hair products, including some oils and leave in conditioners. Over time, their nozzles or applicators because clogged with the gooey remains of product and then I struggle to pry these remains out of the packaging, or end up applying a large wad of goo to my hair absent-mindedly. Either way, the outcome is neither pleasant nor attractive. Huge brownie points for uniq one!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The scent of this product is heavenly... that is, if you aren't scent-retardant. If you hate/loathe/stay-away-from strong(er) scents, this product will definitely not be for you. It's a scent that you'll want to take a whiff of in the salon before picking it up and taking it home. The only way I can really describe the scent itself is by defining it as a "salon" scent. The scent is incredibly strong, and will last throughout in your hair throughout the day - though it will noticeably fade after several hours of wear-and-tear. I personally adore the scent - I love smelling like I rolled out of a salon every morning, regardless of whether or not my hair actually looks like it just came from the salon, haha.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, onto the good stuff. Does this product do everything it claims to...?? The million-dollar question.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it <b>repair damaged and dry hair</b>? In a word, no. Nothing will 'repair' damaged and dry hair. The only thing that will eliminate frazzled hair from your life is a good old-fashioned pair of scissors *snip snip*. However, this product does a fantastic job of masking my dry and damaged strands - my hair definitely looks healthy, shiny, and silky without being weighed-down by product. I would also say that this product, while not repairing my dry and damaged hair, does protect it from becoming further damaged via styling and heat, but we'll save that for later.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it provide <b>shine and frizz control</b>? Definitely. My hair is significantly less frizzy and insanely more glossy, without the grease. My hair looks copiously healthy, without being oily/greasy-looking and weighed-down. Huge brownie points here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it provide adequate <b>heat protection</b>? HECK YES. I've been searching for this stellar of a heat protectant for a while now. I've tried a lot of different products spanning drugstore and salon categories, and nothing has wow-ed me... until this. I feel like my hair is superbly protected from heated styling tools, and I don't feel like I have to reapply between blow-drying and straightening/curling/crimping. One application over damp hair leaves me feeling protected from start to finish. And for this feature alone, I'd repurchase uniq one in a heartbeat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it provide <b>silkiness and smoothness </b>to the hair? Absolutely. My hair is extremely more touchable and smooth, every since incorporating this product into my hair care regimen. It is considerably more sleek as well, but it is no miracle worker. My damaged ends still tend to poke up here and there, but nothing like before... I am thoroughly impressed to say the least. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it provide <b>hair color protection via UVA and UVB filters</b>? I can't speak to this as my hair is not color treated in the least. Additionally, I am using this product in the winter months, where the effects of the UVA and UVB filters will be less noticeable, as my hair is not exposed to sunlight as frequently as it would be in the summer months.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it allow for <b>easier brushing and ironing</b>? You know, I didn't think it would. But heck-to-the-yes, it totally does. I didn't think it could get any easier with the whole brushing and ironing aspect of styling my hair, but it does!!! This product allows my brush to glide through my hair without hardly any tangles - it's actually painful to me now if there is a slight tangle in my hair, as I'm so used to the ease with which I can comb my pretty locks now. Additionally, this makes straightening/flat-ironing a breeze. My flat iron glides over my hair without tugging or catching, and I find that I am exponentially more efficient as I have to do less passes to achieve my desired hair style. Definitely one of the best features of this product, in my opinion.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it <b>detangle incredibly</b>? YEAH, boy. See above.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does your <b>hairstyle last longer</b>? I thought this was incredibly hokey, quite honestly. Aside from hairspray, I don't think there's much you can do to make your hairstyle last longer - especially not with a mere 'leave-in conditioner.' HOLY MOLEY, was I wrong. I was surprised to notice that a few days in my hair style was lasting all through the day, through my chaotic sleep patterns and into the next day. I kept thinking to myself, "what did I do differently this time!? Was it the way I used my straightener??" and I couldn't figure it out... then all of a sudden it hit me. Uniq One! I'm not joking you - my hairstyle does last significantly longer because of this product. Boo-to-the-yes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it <b>prevent split-ends</b>? Ummm, I'm not 100% sure on this one yet. I can't really say 'yay' or 'nay.' I'd like to say that it does, but quite honestly I'm undecided. It wasn't a huge selling point for me anyways...</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Does it <b>add body</b> to your hair style? YESSSSSSSSSS. I've noticed that my hair is incredibly more voluminous and bodacious (haha, that word makes me laugh...) since incorporating this product into my daily preparations. My hair tends to style with more volume as well - despite the fact that nothing in my hair routine has changed, besides the use of this product.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since incorporating this product into my routine, I've stopped using pretty much every other hair product I own, including hairspray - what!?! I find that I can go an entire day with my hair looking pretty much the same at 8 am as it is at 10 pm, and all without using a drop of hairspray - in fact, I find that hairspray tends to weigh my hair down too much! The only products I use on the side are Head & Shoulders shampoo and my Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Restorative Conditioner. Very rarely will I spray a little Tresemme hairspray through my bangs to hold them in place, and sometimes I'll pull a pea-sized amount of serum or oil through my hair to help with my damaged ends, but that's about it. So you can know that my review isn't intentionally biased by any other products that I use - it's 100% Uniq One, baby!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As you can see, my hair here is incredibly shiny and glossy, but in a healthy-looking fashion.<br />Additionally, you can see that it's really voluminous... no hairspray whatsoever.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I also want to mention that my hair hates hats. The second a hat touches my scalp, my hairstyle is toast. I've got a dent in my hair that rivals craters on the moon. Since using Uniq One, I've found that my hair is more resistant to hats, headbands, etc, and it doesn't crease or dent nearly as easily. For example, I recently graduated from University, and while I dreaded taking my cap off after the ceremony, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my hairstyle was still 100% intact and looking stellar!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, I am incredibly impressed and surprised. I didn't expect to love this product as much as I do. I also didn't expect to reap as many of the benefits as I am. I will be the first to admit that I thought the whole thing was hokey - you can't claim that your product does all of this and have it actually work.... I mean, that's just not the way our market works nowadays. But heck yes, Uniq One does deliver. I will one-hundred-million-percent be repurchasing this product after I empty my precious bottle. It's one of my most talked-about, and raved-about products to date. I seriously haven't been this impressed with a hair product in a while</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you have the opportunity to pick this up and try it for yourself, you definitely should. Perhaps you could get your stylist to try it out on your hair when you go in for your next cut/trim and see how you like it afterwards before purchasing. Either way, it's a definite staple in my medicine cabinet from now on!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let me know, what do you think about these 'all-in-one' products? Are there any other all-in-one products out there that do everything they claim to!?</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 5 out of 5 shiny gold stars</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* * * * *</span></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-50985754054248982452012-09-15T23:17:00.000-06:002012-09-15T23:17:55.046-06:00Joico K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstuctor and Intense Hydrator<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whew. Say that ten times fast.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anywhooo... I picked my Joico products up from my local Chatters salon. The K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor contains 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) of product, and the K-Pak Intense Hydrator contains 313 ml (10.6 fl oz) of product. Each cost me about $20 CDN, but sometimes you can find them on sale for a little more or a little less... it just depends, really.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd never tried Joico products before, and I'd never really had anyone recommend them to me either. But since my hair has decided to become permanently straight, I have to use heat on it every other day to maintain a somewhat delectable appearance. I wash my hair every other day(ish), and after washing I blow dry it, and touch up the ends with my flat iron. And after a few months of this, my hair was really hurting. I had some serious problems with frizz, breakage and split ends, as well as MAJOR hair loss. At the rate I was losing hair, it was a miracle I didn't have bald patches. Our bathroom floor and the sink and toilet (our bathroom is tres small) were coated in red hair clumps, and it was becoming a little disconcerting. So I did some Google-age, and discovered that many people recommended the Joico K-Pak line of treatment products for severely dry and/or damaged hair.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joico K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I initially bought the Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor, which is a protein treatment strictly for dry and damaged hair. It claims to rebuild and improve the structure of hair using "an exclusive blend of low molecular weight and size proteins... to adhere quickly and effectively to ensure maximum protection and reconstruction from the cuticle to the cortex." This product also claims to be safe for color-treated hair.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let me just say that I ADORE this product. I have noticed a significant improvement in the health of my hair since beginning my treatments several months ago. I feel that my hair is incredibly stronger and less prone to breakage and splitting. It is more manageable and is soft and elastic.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This treatment is meant to be used sparingly, perhaps once or twice a week, depending on the level of damage that your hair is suffering from. When I first started, I used this product twice a week, but now I've moved my treatments down to once a week, or once every two weeks. The product is applied to damp hair, and is left on for 5 minutes - no longer and no less. I typically apply the reconstructor in the shower after I shampoo my hair clean. I feel that the steam from the shower helps it absorb into my sad strands more effectively and efficiently too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The smell of this treatment is to die for. It smells of coconut and bananas, and every time I apply it, I'm in heaven. I wish they made this scent in perfume form.... <3 font="font"></3></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The consistency of the reconstructor is incredibly strange. It reminds me of overcooked rice that has been semi-mashed in a vat of water. It comes out in uneven globs, because of the texture, but is easily spread and worked through the hair. It rinses out easily and without fuss.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The most important thing to remember when using this product is that after application, you <u>MUST</u> follow up with an intensely hydrating and moisturizing conditioner. The protein treatment will dry your hair out severely and will make it unmanageable and unruly, unless you replace the lost moisture with a conditioning treatment. Additionally, using this product more frequently will not speed up the rejuvenation of your hair - keep your treatments to once or twice a week. If you happen to notice that you aren't benefiting from the treatments any longer, cease using the Reconstructor until such a time as you need to use it again.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked up Joico's K-Pak Intense Hydrator after a few uses of the Reconstructor. I found that my own deep conditioning masks just were not cutting it, and that my hair was struggling after each treatment instead of showing obvious improvement. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Intense Hydrator does not smell nearly as heavenly as its Reconstructor counterpart, but still smells clean and lush. While not being an particularly dense conditioner, it does have a more thick consistency, which spreads quickly and easily throughout hair - evenly coating every strand.<br /></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The bottle recommends that you leave the conditioner in for 3 to 5 minutes. When I am conditioning with this product after using the Joico K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor, I leave the Intense Hydrator on for at least 5 minutes, if not more. I find that this conditioner replenishes my hair more than adequately and leaves it touchably smooth and soft after drying.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the aspects I love most about this conditioner is the fact that I can use it from roots to ends without suffering from a greasy scalp after getting out of the shower. I can use this conditioner every time I wash my hair, and I don't experience build-up or unpleasant effects from using this product on a regular basis. It rinses clean with ease. I love how my hair feels hydrated and happy after a shower, without feeling weighed down and 'product-y.' It has quickly become my favorite conditioner to date.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since starting this regimen, I've noticed significant and dramatic improvements in the condition and health of my hair. I have noticed that I lose little hair now, if any, during combing and/or styling. The elasticity of my strands has also seen dramatic improvement. Before, if my comb caught and tugged on a strand of my hair at all, it would break off mid-shaft or pull out of my scalp; now my hair is incredibly elastic - springing through the brush instead of snapping off. My hair is incredibly smooth and noticeably less frizzy. It doesn't tangle at all anymore, and maintains style longer (though it's nothing radical...).</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These products (used separately or together) do leave a slight reminiscent scent in your hair when styling. It's not overpowering or overwhelming, but it's a beautiful clean smell that lingers slightly throughout the day. If you're not one to enjoy lingering scents in your hair, you may want to stay away from these products. The scent is more noticeable after using heat on your hair, especially during styling, but fades as the day wears on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing I have noticed is that Joico is down-sizing the tubes/bottles of both of these products. My 'large' bottles don't seem to be readily available anymore - the tubes for sale at my local salons seem noticeably smaller with less product. So if you come across larger bottles, grab them! :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Used together, these products are unbeatable. I will definitely be repurchasing both (and already have) as I have religiously used them from first purchase and am now running dangerously low on both. If you're looking for touchably smooth, silky, untangled, strong hair - look no further. My only complaint is the steep price, but it's definitely worth it, especially if your hair is suffering as much as mine was.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you tried out the Joico K-Pak line!? What do you think of it??</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A whopping five out of five stars</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* * * * *</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-21700283154790511232012-07-10T21:46:00.000-06:002012-07-10T21:47:37.657-06:00Lise Watier's Summer 2012 Summer Sunset Bronzing Powder<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This limited edition bronzer retails for $35 CDN - a little bit hefty, if you ask me. It is part of Lise Watier's Summer 2012 limited edition collection. It can be purchased wherever Lise Watier products are sold; I picked mine up at Shoppers Drug Mart. Each bronzer contains 11 g of bronzing goodness. These products can also be found at <a href="http://www.lisewatier.com/">www.lisewatier.com</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lise Watier describes this as follows:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Five summer shades that blend perfectly with a brush to illuminate the face and neckline with a soft, golden hue, recreating the perfect summer tan!</i> They also describe the bronzer as one that "radiates health."</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I <i>had</i> to pick up this bronzer after reading beautiful Miss Tracy's <a href="http://www.beauty-reflections.com/2012/05/lise-watier-summer-2012-summer-sunset_16.html" target="_blank">review</a> on it at Beauty Reflections. The way it warmed up her complexion sent me reeling to the nearest Shoppers Drug Mart to wrap my greedy little paws around this summer delight.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bronzers are products that I usually splurge on. It's difficult to find 'just the right shade' for my pale, neutral-undertoned flesh, so paying the extra money for a bronzer that will be worth my while is essential. I find that the bronzers I 'invest' in are usually the ones that I tend to use on a daily basis and 'hit pan' on first. When I saw Tracy's post, I knew this bronzer would be perfect for me. And man, I wasn't wrong... </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have mixed feelings about the packaging. While it is really cute and quite unique, it's a little bit bulky and somewhat impractical as far as packaging goes. It is essentially a puffy little clutch number, with a push-open clasp. The inside features a full size mirror with the bronzer, and a little travel-sized brush. After you use up the product you can pop out the plastic inserts on both sides and use the compact as a mini clutch of sorts. I used it as a money 'satchel' this year at Stampede and it worked really well. The pattern on the packaging is bright, fun and definitely summer-y.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The brush is quite soft, and I have used it for on-the-go application. It blends product, but takes more effort because of the small size. It's functional, though not my first choice when it comes to applying the bronzer in the best way for my face shape and skin type. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The bronzer itself (obviously the best part) is made up of 5 various shades. The bars are of assorted sizes and finishes. When swirled together, the bronzer gives off the most beautiful peachy golden bronzed shade. Lise Watier's website suggests focusing your brush on the brown shades and applying them to the high points of the face, while then focusing your brush on the pink shades and concentrating them on the apples of the cheeks. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This bronzer is not matte, but it's not glittery or even 'shimmery.' I would put this one in the category of 'glowy' bronzers - ones that make you appear to be glowing from the inside-out. I don't find that the shimmer in this bronzer settles into my pores, exaggerating their shape at all, which is a definite bonus.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love this bronzer in that when I swirl my brush in all of the included shades it doesn't come out overly brown or orange in tone, but rather has a peachy golden hue that perfectly mimics a natural tan on my pale skin tone. I find that this bronzer has a similar finish and tone as the <b>Tarte </b>Mineral Bronzer in <i>Park Avenue Princess</i>, that I talked about <a href="http://beautyblurbsbybekk.blogspot.ca/2012/03/tarte-mineral-bronzer-in-park-avenue.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This bronzer is so smooth, and moderately pigmented. It's not 'too' pigmented, but definitely not sheer. The pigmentation is buildable, which is fantastic. The powder blends like a dream, so if I apply too much or put it in the wrong place, it's easy for me to correct.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a product I'm using almost every day. I find that it warms up my face just enough and helps me too look more even (my body has a tendency to look WAAAAAYYYY darker than my face) and less albino. I love this product so much I even bought a backup for the sad day when my first one runs dry...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pre-bronzer.<br />I'm only wearing my Marcelle BB Cream in Light/Medium</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bronzer added.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cClZkpogNAU/T_z1p3LWk4I/AAAAAAAABuQ/QqxOjhU77eg/s1600/S6302598w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cClZkpogNAU/T_z1p3LWk4I/AAAAAAAABuQ/QqxOjhU77eg/s320/S6302598w.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can you see the glow on my cheek??</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The only downside, I've found, to this bronzing powder is the fact that the various bars of color seem to wear-down at different rates. I don't want to run out of a certain shade of color before I'm done the whole powder itself, so that's the only real peeve I have about the product (aside from the steep cost). I'm not 100% I captured it in this photo, but here's what I'm talking about:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNEtBzTOqIs/T_z2jtgq2SI/AAAAAAAABug/sfoFmohY6Ww/s1600/S6302607w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNEtBzTOqIs/T_z2jtgq2SI/AAAAAAAABug/sfoFmohY6Ww/s320/S6302607w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can you see how the middle brown shade is significantly deeper than the pink<br />shade adjacent to it?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All-in-all, I think this is a fantastic product and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a peachy, golden bronzer. I think this particular bronzing powder would work best for light to medium skin tones, though I could see it being a beautiful highlighting powder for those drop-dead gorgeous dark-skinned ladies as well. This was my first Lise Watier buy, and I'm so impressed I'm considering trying out a few of their other products if the opportunity ever arises... It is a little pricey, but if you're looking for quality and something you'll use every day without fail, I'd say...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GO GET YOU SOME... seriously.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Run, don't walk. It's limited edition and won't be around forever... *tear*</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5 out of 5 fabulous stars.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's your favorite bronzer?!</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-89402768411362503012012-07-03T21:22:00.002-06:002012-07-03T21:22:58.126-06:00June 2012 Favorites<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty lovin' babes!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another month has come and gone, and it's that time again!! I really do love month end, because some of my favorite blogs and videos to indulge in are 'monthly favorites.' I love getting inspiration from others' most used products; especially when it comes to seasonal products. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#1. <b>Annabelle </b>Le Big Show mascara.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love this mascara. I get the luscious voluptuous lashes I desire every time. One of the happiest parts of my day is putting on my mascara.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#2. <b>Lise Watier</b> Summer 2012 Sunset Bronzing powder.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ever since I got my hands on this, I've used it practically every day. I absolutely adore this bronzer. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be buying a back up of it, just to have on hand for the sad day when my current one runs dry. What deliciousness it is... definitely worth the money.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#3. <b>Revlon </b>Colorstay Longwear Base Coat.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I picked this up in the anticipation that it would prolong the life of my manicures, and while I don't necessarily think that it extends the life of my nail polish significantly, I do find this to be a fantastic base for my polishes. It evens out my nail surface, and makes polish application a dream.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#4. <b>NYX </b>Jumbo Eye Pencil in <i>Milk</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I finally found this at my local Rexall when on a shopping date with my sister. I snatched it up immediately, because it's the first I've ever seen in stores in Canada. I have not regretted this purchase once - it's creamy, smooth, and intensely pigmented. I love using it as a colored base, or under my brow bone as a highlight. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#5. <b>Essie </b><i>Bikini So Teeny</i> nail polish.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love this powder-y periwinkle blue polish. It looks fantastic on my nails, not so grotesque as other blues have the tendency of looking on my pale skin. The only downside is that the shimmer doesn't show up on my nails like it does in the bottle...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#6. <b>Conair </b>You Wave Ultra Tourmaline Ceramic Styler.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Though I haven't had this for the entire month, I have been using it a lot lately. I'm crimping my hair rather frequently lately, and this has definitely made it a lot easier for me to get my hair evenly crimped from start to finish. Fantastic results.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My 'bonus' favorites of this month are the Bailey Flanigan series by Karen Kingsbury. I'm currently on the second book, <i>Leaving</i>, and I'm totally hooked. I've read the Redemption series, the Firstborn series, and the Sunrise series, and I'm quickly tunneling through the Bailey Flanigan series in anticipation for the newest book release by Karen, <i>Coming Home</i>, which I'm absolutely dying to read!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you'd like to check out any of Karen's books, please feel free to visit <a href="http://www.karenkingsbury.com/">www.karenkingsbury.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What were your top 3 favorites of June!? I'd love to hear all about them!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-81556975948187409442012-06-18T16:23:00.001-06:002012-06-18T16:23:15.653-06:00Feelin' a little fried...<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty lovin' babes!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wanted to chat with you guys about the importance of taking care of your hair... Not because I think I'm an expert, but rather because I majorly fail at maintaining the 'happiness' level of my ravishing red tresses.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Before November 2011, my hair was shoulder-length, if not a bit longer.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After November 2011, my hair was cut in an A-line bob. In order to maintain the desired style of said bob, I need(ed) to daily use heat on my hair. Blow-drying, straightening, curling... you name it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With time, I've noticed that my hair is getting incredibly dry and very unmanageable. It's frizzy and coarse, the shafts jump and skid through my flat iron plates instead of gliding smoothly. It's rough and tangly, and I lose a lot of hair by gently running a comb or a brush through my locks.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I really got a wake-up call last night when my grandma mentioned that my hair looked "really dry." Ummm.... if your grandma notices it, it's gotta be bad. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So when we went grocery shopping last night, I spent a half an hour in the hair care section, perusing my options. I've had a lot of success with the <b>Live Clean </b>Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Restorative Conditioning Mask, so I purchased another tube.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In addition, I knew that I needed to be conditioning my hair with every wash, so I decided to try something new - <b>Infusium-23</b> Repair & Renew Conditioner. I've had positive experiences with Infusium-23's Leave-In Conditioners, so I figured that trying the conditioner couldn't be that bad of a decision.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, I picked up the <b>Joico</b> K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor. It was a more pricey expenditure, but at this point, I'm pretty sure my hair needs it. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this particular product, and I figured it would be a pretty safe bet as far as restoring my hair to a happier state of being.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I do use a heat protectant every time I apply heat to my hair (once before blow-drying, once before straightening), but I feel that my Got2B Guardian Angel lotion isn't doing the trick anymore... So I might need to look into another alternative. I didn't find that anything about the Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray amazing enough to write home about, so if you guys have any other suggestions with regards to sprays/lotions for protecting your hair from heat - please, send them my way!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now I want to know from you: how do you keep your hair looking/feeling/being its healthiest?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Monday!!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-87003764752664334342012-06-09T12:36:00.002-06:002012-06-09T12:39:46.248-06:00FOTD: Bronze and lovin' it<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty lovin' babes!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here it is, the weekend, and I'm chillin by my lonesome. Fortunately my in-laws and immediate family are going to hang out with me to make the loneliness a little bit more tolerable, haha. In any case, getting myself all dolled up usually takes the edge off of a bad day... </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's sort of overcast today, so I'm living vicariously through my makeup :)</span><br />
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Face:</b><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I used Cetaphil's new DermaControl Oil Control Moisturizer with SPF 30 as my base.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For my dark circles, I applied Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment in <i>Light</i> (120).</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For my bronzed goddess-que glow, I used my new favorite bronzer - Lise Watier's Summer 2012 Summer Sunset Bronzing Powder on the highest points of my face.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A little bit of Essence's Silky Touch Blush in <i>Adorable</i> on the apples of my cheeks.</span><br />
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Eyes</b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion in <i>Original</i> all over my lids, and evened out my lids with a thin layer of Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment as a base.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ran some of Lise Watier's Summer 2012 Summer Sunset Bronzing Powder through my crease, and a little bit of Urban Decay's <i>Foxy</i> shadow under my brow bone.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I smudged out Annabelle's Smoothliner in <i>Brownie</i> along my upper lashline, and applied two generous coats of Annabelle's Le Big Show mascara in <i>Black </i>to my lashes.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I smudged some of Maybelline's Unstoppable Highlighter in <i>Fluffy Cloud</i> under my lower lashline, and popped a bit of Annabelle's Mono Eyeshadow in <i>Vanilla Chilla</i> in the inner corners.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, I took a fine brush and applied a little bit of NYX's single eyeshadow in <i>White</i> under the arches of my brows.</span><br />
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Lips</b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I kept these babies simple and applied a generous coat of Essence's Stay with Me long-lasting lipgloss in <i>me & my icecream</i> (02) to my lippies.</span><br />
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Hair</b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My hair is day-old and still going strong. Yesterday, after I washed it, I put a little bit of Josie Maran's 100% Argan Oil through it, and then applied some of Paul Mitchell's Extra-Body Sculpting Gel near the roots, and followed by scrunching some of Pantene Pro-V's Curl Shaping Hair Gel throughout. Before adding heat, I sprayed some of Got2B's Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm over my hair and proceeded to blow-dry my hair on medium heat with the diffuser attachment. I sprayed more of the Got2B heat protectant on my hair before 'crimping' my hair with my flat iron. I sprayed some of L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray (unfragranced) over the finished style.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I woke up this morning, I did the easy twist through my bangs that HeyKayli showed on her YouTube channel a few weeks ago. See video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xdf0xIpae0" target="_blank">here</a>. I finished with a little more of L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Accessories</b>:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As can be seen in the pictures, I am rocking my new Guess Double Charm Strawberry Heart earrings. I am so addicted to these babies.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Not seen here: my engagement/wedding bands, my new Amor heart bracelet.</span><br />
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Shirt</b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Quite literally, a $7 halter-top from the G:21 line at WalMart that I fashioned into a tank-top with my ninja sewing skills.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I hope you guys enjoyed my face of the day post, and I'd like you to let me know what you're wearing today!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">happy weekending.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-44685023344830857002012-06-06T22:14:00.003-06:002012-06-06T22:19:21.085-06:00My Styling Secrets - Accessories<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty lovin' babes! </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've recently added a few accessory goodies to my collection and I thought I'd share them with you guys! I don't consider myself a fashionista by any means, but I do love it when I get compliments on my jewellery, because I feel that it suggests that I'm keeping up with the trends - at least somewhat!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since I'm working as an administrative assistant now, it's difficult to show your creativity and uniqueness in your wardrobe and makeup choices. So I find it wonderful to express myself with color and accessory choices.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">*Sorry for the blurry photos! I took these pictures with my camera phone and it's a little craptacular...*</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I stumbled across this beauty in Sears, and it was 50% off!! As soon as it caught my gaze, I knew this baby was coming home with me. I picked it up for a mere $6, which is quite the bargain. The band is stretchy which is fantastic for my large fingers. I can comfortably wear this on the middle finger of my right hand (which tends to be slightly larger than my left hand). It hails from the brand Fabulous Fakes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This Design Studio necklace was also 50% off at Sears, for around $12. Considering the weight and quality, I'd say that's quite a steal too. I've been looking for a cute bow style necklace for the past while, and this one really caught my eye. I love the brassy color, and the dark gemstones. I adore how the chain is attached at each side of the bow, so you don't have to worry about the chain twisting around your neck and having the 'boob' (aka clasp) show throughout the day. The weight keeps it sitting nicely on your chesticle region.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My next, and most exciting purchase, was a bit of a splurge, especially for me. I'm not one to buy expensive jewellery... ever. But these caught my eye in Sears the other day, and stayed in the back of my mind all day. Over night, I realized that they had to come home with me and be a part of my collection. They are so '<i>me</i>' that I knew that despite the price, they would be staple items that I'd wear very frequently. They're Guess Double Charm Strawberry Heart earrings. The front of the studs are adorned with a dangling purple jewelled heart charm. The earring back has a long chain hanging from it, with a rhinestone studded strawberry. The strawberries hang quite low - touching my collarbone on occasion, but I still love them. They are a little weighty, but nothing too uncomfortable. If I knew that I could find a similar accessory for cheaper, I would've picked it up, but I've never seen anything like this in stores... ever. And even my husband adores them and approves of them - he couldn't stop looking at them and telling me how awesome they were. Score.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like, who wears awesome earrings like this!?<br />Definitely a conversation piece...</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbkXDgYVkXc/T9ApSGkPqEI/AAAAAAAABrM/yUGzMK6hlkk/s1600/Photo0197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbkXDgYVkXc/T9ApSGkPqEI/AAAAAAAABrM/yUGzMK6hlkk/s320/Photo0197.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The last purchase was from The Bay, from a brand called Amor. I used my birthday money to pick up this sterling silver 925 bracelet. It's plated with rhodium, and consists of interlinking hearts. For my wrist, its not quite a 'tight fit' but it's cutting it close. It still twists easily around my wrist, but I cannot just slip it on. I love it. So delicate, yet a statement piece on its own.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And so those are my newest additions to my collection! What do you guys think!? Are there more pieces I should check out? What accessories are you rocking?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-13513762457018566532012-05-28T17:22:00.002-06:002012-05-29T19:22:11.374-06:00I be haulin' - 05.28.2012 Summer goodies!!<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty lovin' babes!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sorry for the long-ish absence. I've been so busy with work and cleaning the house, reading the 3rd book of the Hunger Games trilogy, and studying for my spring courses, I've had little time to write up blog posts. But I've recently found some inspiration as I got a few goodies over the past few days, and feel compelled to share in this little haul...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#1. Marcelle BB Cream in <i>Light/Medium.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I picked this up recently after looking high and low for a decent drugstore tinted moisturizer-esque alternative to liquid foundation. Don't get me wrong - I still love the Revlon ColorStay foundation, I'm just looking for a lighter alternative that's easier to slap-on-and-go in the mornings before work.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#2. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF 15 in </span><i style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rose</i><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><i style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Original</i><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These were my birthday gifts for being a Beauty Insider member with Sephora. SUPER excited to try these out and see how I like them. So far, I love the texture, scent, packaging, and tint.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#3. St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I received this as my 200-point perk with Sephora as I was checking out. Another item that I'm squealing with excitement over. I hear nothing but amazing things about the St. Tropez collection of bronzing products. I'm really wanting to try the bronzing mousse though - Kandee Johnson raves about it...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#4. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sephora always gets me with those little bins of mini/travel/discounted products near the checkouts. This time I came across a small bottle of argan oil and I knew I had to try it. I've heard so many amazing things about how this works wonders on your skin and hair, and I was compelled to pick it up and try it out. I've used it a couple of times on my face and once on my hair so far, and I've got mixed feelings about the results. Stay tuned for a review...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#5. Origins Modern Friction Microdermabrasion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I received a sample of this upon checking out at Sephora. I tried it in the shower today. Personally I didn't find anything miraculous about it, and it was too small of a sample to really know what it did.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#6. Hanae Mori <i>Paris</i> Eau de Toilette.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another sample from Sephora (I was rolling in the freebies by the time we left the mall...). I LOVE the scent of this, and yet, (apparently...) it's a men's cologne. I don't really care though - it smells of like, sunscreen, vanilla, and happiness rolled all up into one. I adore it - seriously, you should check it out if you get a chance. Notes of lemon, lavender, green notes, blackcurrant buds, iris, jasmine, lily of the valley, cedarwood, sandalwood, oakmoss, amber, tonka bean, vanilla, and chocolate <-- seriously!? How did they decide that this was a more appropriate scent for men!?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#7. Lise Watier Summer Sunset Bronzer (<i>limited edition</i>)</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I picked this up, sort of on a whim. After eyeballing it at Shopper's Drug Mart when picking up the BB cream a few days back, I looked up several reviews on the powder, and knew I had to add it to my small collection of bronzers. Being as pale as I am, it's very difficult to find 'the right' bronzer for my skin tone. Fortunately, this appears to be a very convincing bronzer for me. The powder is silky smooth, and creates a gorgeous glow on my face. Can't wait to use this more and let you guys know what my final opinions are...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So that's my haul. I hope you guys enjoyed this long-overdue post. Here's hoping I have a few more posts coming within the next few days - have a fantastic week!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is your favorite summer beauty item!?</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-22405014173521499972012-05-16T17:37:00.002-06:002012-05-16T17:37:59.201-06:00Nicole by OPI Kim-Konfidential nail polish<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty lovin' babes!! I am bringing you a review on a fantastic polish that I've been wearing regularly for the past few weeks...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I picked this polish up at Shoppers Drug Mart for $10.99 CDN (OUCH!!). Nicole by OPI is a lot cheaper when you find it on sale, or if you pick it up at WalMart, so I don't really recommend buying it from Shoppers unless it's your only option. In my case, I was just desperate to have it. My wallet hates me now. One bottle holds 15 mL (0.5 fl oz) of polish. <i>Kim Konfidential </i>is one of six polishes released in the Wel-Kim to my World collection for Spring 2012.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had seen a lot of swatches of this collection online, and one day I finally decided that I had to try this beautiful peachy nude. I'd read several reviews that had noted that the color was very difficult to pull off, especially on medium skintones because it came off as muddy and 'dead' looking. I'm so happy I took a chance on this polish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's a peachy, caramel-esque nude shade. It's a creme finish, and there are no sparkles or glitter in it. It takes about 3 even coats to achieve the most flawless and opaque application.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1T1VSccNl9c/T7GbK9EhIcI/AAAAAAAABqI/ZgYrGaI63yo/s1600/S6302421w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1T1VSccNl9c/T7GbK9EhIcI/AAAAAAAABqI/ZgYrGaI63yo/s320/S6302421w.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>With flash</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XA2vNgkXZvw/T7GbMJyux6I/AAAAAAAABqQ/EKXGgh9lfHs/s1600/S6302423w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XA2vNgkXZvw/T7GbMJyux6I/AAAAAAAABqQ/EKXGgh9lfHs/s320/S6302423w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>With flash (under a window)</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uIBi4jXruV4/T7GbNEBri2I/AAAAAAAABqY/DmXd0S4a54Q/s1600/S6302426w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uIBi4jXruV4/T7GbNEBri2I/AAAAAAAABqY/DmXd0S4a54Q/s320/S6302426w.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In different lights this polish gives off a different look. In some lights, it looks more yellowy, while in other lights it almost mimics my skintone (scary, eh!?). It's very nude, and very work appropriate. But I think this would look really great (on my skintone, and other fair girls...) with a tan. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The nail polish itself dries relatively quickly. About 2-3 minutes is required between coats, but obviously, the longer you let it set and dry, the more resistant it will be to accidental smudges.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I find that this polish wears fantastically. I don't really have problems with chipping or excessive wear - unless I'm doing some h-core stuff with my hands. But overall, I can leave this polish on for several days (including a top coat) before I have to worry about noticeable chipping and wear marks.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ah! I seriously love this polish, and I'm definitely considering buying a back up, because it's just that fantastic! Definitely one worth checking out if you are interested in purchasing a new nude polish for your collection. Very unique - I haven't seen many shades like this available in drugstore brands.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Definitely 5 out of 5 stars!!!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">* * * * *</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's on your nails at the moment!?!</span><br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-72745341409581982252012-05-14T17:29:00.003-06:002012-05-14T17:29:49.724-06:00Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I picked up this mascara for $11.49 CDN (before GST) from Shoppers Drug Mart, though it is available wherever Annabelle cosmetics are sold. Next time I'd probably pick this up from WalMart to take advantage of the reduced prices, but in this case I was desperate for a new tube of mascara. The tube itself contains 0.38 oz (10 ml) of product. As far as I'm aware, it is only available in one shade: <i>Black</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The package claims that the mascara will give you "mega volume from the first stroke [of the brush]," while "[separating] lashes easily without clumping" and finally, "[adding] tons of length for show-stopping lashes." It is ophthalmologist tested, so it's safe for contact-lens wearers and those with sensitive eyeballses. According to <a href="http://annabellecosmetics.ca/Produits/Eyes/Mascara/Le-BIG-Show-Mascara/Le-BIG-Show-Mascara---Black.aspx" target="_blank">AnnabelleCosmetics.com</a>, this mascara is supposed to be smudge-proof, resistant to running, and flake-free.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As far as the packaging goes, it's fairly simple. No fancy handles or crazy eye-catching exterior. The tube is black with pink splatter marks all around, with the name of the mascara and the brand name on it. It's one of the more heavy mascaras (as far as packaging goes) that I have ever owned, which I appreciate. The shade name is not located on the immediate product packaging, probably because only one shade is available for retail. The brush is the old-school fiber-type wand. I'm not the hugest fan of this kind of nylon-bristled brush - I tend to gravitate towards the silicone, bendable brushes. No bells, whistles, or grandiose marketing gimmicks here.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Left to Right: Maybelline Volum'Express One by One mascara,<br />Annabelle Le Big Show mascara</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After first opening the tube (straight from the packaging), the formula of the mascara itself is fairly wet. Not as wet as L'Oreal mascaras tend to be, but wetter than I was expecting. If I'm not careful the mascara will transfer from my lashes to my eyelid after application. For this reason I think I'm going to start applying my eyeshadow after applying my mascara... or trying the infamous 'card' trick.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The only shade available is <i>Black</i>, but this is one of the best blacks I've had the pleasure of trying. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My first experience with this mascara was right after I bought it - I had my first night class of the spring semester at University, and my lashes needed a pick-me-up, so I opened this baby up and applied it over top of my Maybelline Volum'Express One by One mascara applied earlier that morning. My lashes did not clump up or get that 'spider' look, in fact they felt incredibly flexible (as compared to other mascaras I've used).</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This mascara doesn't flake or smudge off, giving me 'raccoon' or 'panda' eyes throughout the day. It removes easily with my Cetaphil Gentle Daily Skin cleanser, water, and a wash cloth at night. When I've broken into bouts of tears, I haven't noticed that this particular mascara runs as easily as some of my non-waterproof mascaras (Maybelline Volum'Express One by One, for example). The wear-time is really respectable. If I'm rubbing at my eyes a lot or if I were to (regrettably) fall asleep with this mascara on, it lasts well. I can sometimes notice a bit of wear at the very ends of my lashes as the day goes on, but it's not enough to be detectably noticeable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I feel that as far as this mascara goes, I'm really happy to be purchasing something from a Canadian brand. It's no surprise to those who follow my blog that I <i>adore</i> Annabelle Cosmetics, so I'm not really surprised that this mascara turned out to be another one of their 'show-stopping' products in addition to their Smoothliners, and mono eyeshadows.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love how this gives my lashes volume and length, how the mascara doesn't irritate my eyes, how it removes easily yet lasts throughout the day. It really is quite fantastic. I wish that they did sell it in a brown or brownish-black version though. I'd love to have it for a more subtle, natural everyday looks... but as far as the mascara itself goes, the lack of color selection isn't enough to deter me from re-purchasing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks to Tracy @<a href="http://www.beauty-reflections.com/" target="_blank">BeautyReflections</a> for recommending it to me. It definitely has been a hit thus far, and is my new favorite mascara to date :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">* * * *</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's your favorite drugstore mascara of the moment?!</span><br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-23617388675532421532012-05-10T16:39:00.004-06:002012-05-10T16:39:45.395-06:00Essence Stay with Me Lipgloss<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These lipglosses retail for $2.99 CDN a piece at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. There are 6 shades available: <i>me & my icecream</i> (01), <i>my favorite milkshake </i>(02), <i>candy bar</i> (03), <i>kiss kiss kiss</i> (07), <i>deep rose</i> (08), and <i>hottest pink</i> (09). Each tube contains 4 ml of product.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, if you've been reading my blog for the last little while, you'll have noticed that I'm not a huge fan of lipgloss. In fact, lipgloss rarely makes it (if ever) into my monthly favorites, and I seldom have reviews on them. I'm just not a lipgloss junkie. After Josh and I got more serious in our relationship (pre and post-marriage), I started leaving lipgloss out of my daily routine. There is nothing Josh hates more than when he goes to give me a kiss and he gets lipgloss all over his face... so all of my lipglosses have been sitting dormant on my vanity.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whilst reading a <a href="http://www.beauty-reflections.com/2012/03/new-at-drugstore-essence-cosmetics-look.html" target="_blank">post</a> of Tracy's at Beauty Reflections, I came to the conclusion that I had to give lipgloss another try. Especially for $2.99. After getting my job, I realized that I could wear lipgloss during my work hours instead of wearing it on my time with Josh. So I resolved to pick up 2 colors. Sam Schuerman's Easter-inspired makeup <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6Szls2u6ITc" target="_blank">tutorial</a> encouraged me to grab <i>me & my icecream</i> (01), and <i>my favorite milkshake</i> (02) was a last minute, spur-of-the-moment, impulse purchase.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-780EZHF5DYM/T6xCEp1CC5I/AAAAAAAABnM/1sZr28jSXZA/s1600/S6302479w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-780EZHF5DYM/T6xCEp1CC5I/AAAAAAAABnM/1sZr28jSXZA/s320/S6302479w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>With flash</i>.<br />Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ez6xduMT8E/T6xCFjL_m-I/AAAAAAAABnU/1zgUyJ63W4o/s1600/S6302482w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ez6xduMT8E/T6xCFjL_m-I/AAAAAAAABnU/1zgUyJ63W4o/s320/S6302482w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.<br />Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The packaging of these glosses is interesting. The gloss itself comes in a very small, stout, transparent plastic tube, with a black twist-off wand. The applicator is semi-spongey, and semi-silicone, which makes it flexible but great for applying the perfect amount of product to the lips. The applicator is not your standard doe-foot, but is hourglass shaped. Some people might dislike the shape of the applicator, but I find it to be my FAVORITE kind of applicator. The very tip makes it easy to place product precisely where you want it, and the contours of the hourglass configuration make it SO easy to spread and apply larger amounts of product, especially to the upper lips and around the cupid's bow. A HUGE selling point for me. In fact, I find that this kind of applicator makes it incredibly easy for me to apply the gloss without looking in a mirror. Usually I refrain from applying lipgloss without a mirror or reflective surface present, but not with these puppies.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>me & my icecream</i> (01) is a light cool-toned baby pink shade. There is no shimmer in this gloss.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>my favorite milkshake</i> (02) is a warm peach pink shade. Also, shimmer-less.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ifRA8ENeBVU/T6xC6pPvkII/AAAAAAAABn8/xwNHsAC2zlg/s1600/S6302490w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ifRA8ENeBVU/T6xC6pPvkII/AAAAAAAABn8/xwNHsAC2zlg/s320/S6302490w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>With flash.</i><br />Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b5iD6HUEtFU/T6xC7ikLAMI/AAAAAAAABoE/ZsKqk4jZne4/s1600/S6302491w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b5iD6HUEtFU/T6xC7ikLAMI/AAAAAAAABoE/ZsKqk4jZne4/s320/S6302491w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.<br />Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let me just say that I FREAKING ADORE THESE LIPGLOSSES. Seriously. They are right on par (in my opinion), if not better than, the Bonne Bell lipLITES glosses.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The product itself does have a very noticeable scent, but it does not deter me from repurchasing, as I love the marshmallow-y scent. The scent does linger for quite some time, but the strength of the scent becomes less noticeable as time goes on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These lip glosses are SO smooth. They fill in any lines on your lips, and create a creamy, seamless, glossy finish. These glosses will not give you that 'mirror' or 'glassy' shine that some other glosses do, but that's okay with me. The shine is subtle, but does create the illusion of fuller lips. <i>my favorite milkshake</i> (02) tends to be slightly stickier and tackier than <i>my & my icecream</i> (01) - I don't know if it's just my gloss in particular, but it's something to be aware of in any case.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.<br />Naked lipses.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nu4HYbnw_tM/T6xDTEU9e5I/AAAAAAAABoU/ai00ddZU1v8/s1600/S6302498w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nu4HYbnw_tM/T6xDTEU9e5I/AAAAAAAABoU/ai00ddZU1v8/s320/S6302498w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.<br />my favorite milkshake (01)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t81vDROJ2Ec/T6xDUJQI9-I/AAAAAAAABoc/1mbQnTVuumg/s1600/S6302501w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t81vDROJ2Ec/T6xDUJQI9-I/AAAAAAAABoc/1mbQnTVuumg/s320/S6302501w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.<br />me & my icecream (02)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On my lips, these glosses are not tacky at all. In fact, I barely notice that they're even on. They are so lightweight. However, sometimes it's easy to get too heavy handed in your application of the gloss, in which case it can kind of gob-up on your lips and look really goopy, almost-stringy, and unattractive. I'd start out with a thin layer on both lips to start, and then build up the color (in thin layers) until you get your desired finish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The color is not obnoxious or in-your-face. The glosses themselves definitely are not opaque in terms of pigmentation, but the color is noticeable, even obvious - but is a great alternative for those looking for a little bit of color, without the obnoxious, in-your-face finish that some glosses can give.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These are by no means the longest wearing lipglosses you can purchase. Because they aren't sticky, the lasting power is lacking. I'd say I get about 2 hours of wear (max) out of these babies before having to reapply (without eating or drinking). I really don't mind reapplying, especially because they're so cheap and I love them so much.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They wear off gradually, both in finish and color - so your lips don't look patchy or uneven as the day goes on. As they wear, they leave a bit of a residue on your lips that is neither noticeable or unwanted. They just feel coated with a chapstick-esque layer, which I appreciate. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The gloss itself feels super moisturizing on my lips. It doesn't aggravate dry patches, and I don't need to apply a chapstick or lipbalm before using this gloss. It feels like chapstick-in-a-tube, much like my beloved Bonne Bell lipLITES, except <i>more</i> moisturizing than those.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At $3 a pop, these are SO worth it. I cannot stress this enough. I find myself constantly reaching for these glosses, and I even feel a little sad in the evenings when Josh comes home and I have to refrain from reapplying them. But the mornings always bring that little bit of joy, knowing that I get to break out my new favorite lip products. I'm considering purchasing the other four glosses, as it's such a bargain, and I can definitely see myself reaching for all of the shades in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you're looking for an intensely pigmented, long-lasting, sticky, glitter-bomb of a lipgloss. These will not be for you. Remember, you're paying $3 for this gloss - don't expect the universe of it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">AHHH. I cannot recommend these enough. Seriously, run out and buy yourself one, two, three... maybe even all six of these fantastic glosses. And let me know what you think!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Without hesitation, 5 out of 5 stars.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">* * * * *</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's your favorite brand of lipgloss??!</span><br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-2265611087501747392012-05-08T17:05:00.003-06:002012-05-08T17:05:57.885-06:00Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Gel Shadow (Part 1)<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These spiffy little cream/gel shadows retail for approximately $5-$9 CDN a pop. They are sold wherever Maybelline cosmetics are available for purchase. The Color Tattoo eyeshadows are available in 10 funtabulous shades: <i>Tenacious Teal</i>, <i>Fierce and Tangy, Too Cool, Audacious Asphalt, Painted Purple, Bad to the Bronze, Pomegranate Punk, Tough as Taupe, Bold Gold, </i>and <i>Edgy Emerald</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of the 10, I have 2 in <i>Tough as Taupe</i> and <i>Bad to the Bronze</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">*Note: Since moving, I haven't been able to photograph pictures of <i>Bad to the Bronze</i>, as we've run out of AA batteries. I will post a second part to this review detailing my experience with <i>Bad to the Bronze</i> as soon as I can find me some batteries for my camera...*</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As far as color selection goes, there's not a whole lot to chose from - in fact, only one of the shades is matte. I'd love to see Maybelline expand this line and bring out some more matte shades - like a nude, a white, and a black.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">According to <a href="http://www.maybelline.ca/products/122/eyes/eye-shadow/eye-studio-color-tattoo-24hr-cream-gel-shadow/fierce-and-tangy/10?shadeId=634">Maybelline.com</a>, these shadows have 24-hour intensity with a tattoo-esque tenacity. Their 'ink technology' yields an intense, long-lasting cream eyeshadow. Maybelline claims that the cream formula will glide on without creasing, as well as prolonging the vividness of the color. They are ophthalmologist tested and safe for both contact-lens wearers and those with sensitive eyes. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These come packaged in glass pots with twist-on black caps. The base is made of a transparent, heavy glass through which you can see the color of the product. The name of the product is located on the lid, which can prove to be problematic if you're using more than one of these babies at a time - you could potentially get the lids with the names and their colors mixed up. I don't think it would be a super huge deal, but that's just me...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is a considerable amount of product in these little pots, so I'm sure that one will last you forever.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For the record, I've never tried the MAC Paint Pots, which the Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows have been compared to.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of the 10, <i>Tough as Taupe</i> is the only matte shade. It's a purple-y, gray-ish taupe shade. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-os6Uox2BnMc/T5mWVnn1deI/AAAAAAAABmo/ly0zc0Z5M58/s1600/S6302392w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-os6Uox2BnMc/T5mWVnn1deI/AAAAAAAABmo/ly0zc0Z5M58/s320/S6302392w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>With flash</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I usually apply these shadows with my fingers, though I've used synthetic brushes too. I feel that if you were packing on the color in a very specific area - the brush method would be more appropriate for application; however, for general purposes and application - your finger works just fine. Additionally, the warmth from your fingers will help create a smoother application, and will improve the blendability of the product.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For work, I tend to sweep the color across my eyelid with my ring finger, and then I use my pinky or middle fingers to blend out the color in my crease. I pop on a little eyeliner and mascara and run out the door for work. It's a fun, easy, and gorgeous look to obtain in a short amount of time.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sEMmGqytNA/T5mWii9_SlI/AAAAAAAABnA/5Vto4iAjoHs/s1600/S6302396w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sEMmGqytNA/T5mWii9_SlI/AAAAAAAABnA/5Vto4iAjoHs/s320/S6302396w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>With flash</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I find these cream shadows incredibly easy to work with. They're smooth and pigmented, so one swipe gives you great color payoff which easily blends into a wash of color, or an on-the-go smokey-esque eye.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These cream shadows don't dry too quickly, which gives you a generous window of opportunity for blending and evening out the application. I find that they dry in just the 'right' amount of time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As for longevity, I find that these babies last 'all day' on me. I have tried these with and without an eyeshadow primer underneath. Personally, I found that these last an entire workday (about 8 hours) without creasing, though fading is somewhat noticeable without using a powder shadow to set the cream. I let my best friend try these when she was visiting, and she really enjoyed them too, though she felt that with her extremely oily eyelids, they did not stand the test of time quite like they do on my skin. She noticed slight creasing and fading as the day wore on, but nothing too terrible looking. After trying them for a couple of days, she determined that she'd have to use an eyeshadow primer BEFORE using the Color Tattoo shadows, just to help with creasing and fading.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As far as color selection goes, there aren't a lot of options for 'work appropriate' use. I feel that <i>Bad to the Bronze</i> and <i>Tough as Taupe</i> are about as good as you're going to get on that front. A lot of the colors are shimmery, which is sort of a bummer. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall, I'd say these are a fantastic product and well worth your money. Perhaps if you're the owner of some seriously oily eyelids, you'll want to invest in an eyeshadow primer to prep your eyes before applying these cream shadows, but on the whole I'd say they have a very respectable longevity - especially for work wear. If for nothing else, you could use these as colored bases for your eye looks. On the whole, I'm thinking that if you buy one and decide you hate it - you're not out that much money in the first place. In my opinion, they've definitely lived up to all the hype they've been getting.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 out of 5 stars.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's your favorite cream/gel shadow!?</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-39797818829170938472012-05-04T17:04:00.003-06:002012-05-04T17:04:13.977-06:00April 2012 Favorites<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hola my beauty-lovin' babes! My apologies for the extended absence - we managed to find a new apartment last Saturday and moved in on Monday, plus I started my new job on Monday - and we've been internet-less until now. Hopefully the internet stays functional for the next little while :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyways - it is the beginning of May, which means the end of April is past, and we need to talk mis favoritas!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#1. Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24H Cream Gel Shadow in <i>Tough as Taupe</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This was definitely a huge favorite of mine this month. It made quick-and-easy, out-the-door looks possible in very short amounts of time. I loved it so much I went out and bought <i>Bad to the Bronze</i> yesterday. A review on these babies will be coming soon...</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#2. Schick Hydro Silk Razor.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was fortunate enough to receive this razor for free when I stumbled into Shopper's Drug Mart one day. They were just handing them out to people, with coupons for ridiculously good discounts on the refill razors, should you choose to repurchase afterwards. I ADORE this razor. My husband always makes jokes about how many blades razors have - this particular one has 5. He jokes that the fifth blade "mulches," he's so silly. But no seriously, this razor is AMAZING. Review coming asap...</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#3. L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush in <i>Immortal Flush</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I got this under the recommendation of Sam Schuerman on the YouTube. I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous orangey/peachyness that is this delicious little blush. Definitely a must-try, I'm so going to look into getting a few more of the shades from this collection. LOVE!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#4. Nicole by OPI Nail Polish in <i>Kim Konfidential</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a gorgeous, flesh-toned nude. I have worn it SO much this month, and I'm really loving it. Such an office-appropriate shade of polish for your nailses.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#5. Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've been using this cream again on my cuticles and nails to strengthen them and get them in a summer-ready condition. I've only been using it once to twice a day, but it's already made a HUGE difference. My nails are getting stronger, growing faster, my cuticles are smooth and not peeling nearly as much. Yahoo!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#6. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in <i>Blackest Black</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This has been my new favorite eyeliner, and I've definitely been using it every day. I need to get back into the habit of creating perfect winged looks, but this liner makes it incredibly easy to create opaque lines. Love it!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#7. George's <i>Light</i> Special Moisturizing Lotion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I picked this up when my old tube of the original George's formula ran out. This one has saved my hands a lot lately. The <i>Light</i> formula has made it SO much more easy to use in comparison to the thick, original formula. LOOOOOOOOOVE this stuff. I need more tubes/bottles of it in my life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My music favorite. I'm going to add this dimension to my Favorite posts now, because I freaking adore music... and usually when I find a new song that I love, I play it to death until I hate it...</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">#1. Payphone (Clean/Radio edit) by Maroon 5 (I prefer the version without Wiz Khalifa).</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I stumbled across this beauty by accident the other night (yes, very close to the end of April, but I know it's my new favorite song...). I was singing it in my sleep last night. Ya. I adore Maroon 5, and this song is just balm to my soul... <3</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyways ladies, I hope you had a fantastic month. Here's to another amazing one! May is my birth month too, so I'm super stoked for that!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let me know what your monthly favorites are in the comments section, or send me a link with a like to your monthly favorites on your personal blog!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069310901073743767.post-35845669361328911362012-04-26T12:20:00.004-06:002012-04-26T12:20:57.097-06:00Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These gel eyeliners are available for purchase wherever Maybelline products are sold, for about $6-$10 CDN, depending on where you buy them from. There are four available shades: <i>Blackest Black</i> (950), <i>Brown </i>(952), <i>Charcoal</i> (954), and <i>Eggplant</i> (956). I have this eyeliner in <i>Blackest Black </i>and <i>Brown</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.maybelline.ca/products/9/eyes/eye-liner/eye-studio-lasting-drama-gel-eyeliner/blackest-black/950?shadeId=54" target="_blank">Maybelline.com</a> describes this liner as follows:<br />"[This] oil-free formula holds highly concentrated pigments in a clear gel base. Smudge-proof and waterproof for 24 hours. [It is] safe for sensitive eyes and [is] ophthalmologist-tested and contact lens safe."</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The packaging is really quite adorable. The eyeliner comes packaged in an itty-bitty little glass pot, with a twist-on black cap. Each eyeliner also comes packaged with a small eyeliner brush, very comparable to the Quo Ultra Fine Eyeliner brush, but smaller in general.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />I find the brush to be incredibly useful, and have kept both of them. They wash out just like regular brushes. I actually find these brushes better for applying the gel eyeliner than any brushes I own. With the included brush, I can achieve a fine/thick line, and get the liner as close to my lashline as possible. I have incredible control with this tiny brush, which makes it a definite keeper.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was a little wary at first, because the pots are so freaking small. I mean, it's not a big deal to drop $7 bucks here or there, but I didn't want to waste my money on a one-use kind of thing. I was wrong though. A little bit of these liners goes a very long way, so these little pots will last you quite a while - don't let that deter you!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I originally purchased the brown version first, and have found somewhat of a discrepancy between the formulas of both. My <i>Brown</i> liner is more dry and thick than the <i>Blackest Black</i>, which is creamy, thinner, and smooth. But overall, they are so easy to work with... there's no skipping or tugging, these liners just glide over my skin with incredible ease to create beautiful lines. My only gripe is that sometimes, if you're being really futzy with your line, the application can become a little splotchy or patchy, and you'll need to go over the line again to get a perfect, opaque line. It's not a huge problem, it's just an annoyance.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDP31ZaK6Hw/T5mQ8jjdseI/AAAAAAAABlc/dMUkn76E4L0/s1600/IMG-20120211-01174w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDP31ZaK6Hw/T5mQ8jjdseI/AAAAAAAABlc/dMUkn76E4L0/s320/IMG-20120211-01174w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gT3TJ-sWW6o/T5mQ_JeybxI/AAAAAAAABlk/74NyCllXu9w/s1600/IMG-20120211-01175w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gT3TJ-sWW6o/T5mQ_JeybxI/AAAAAAAABlk/74NyCllXu9w/s320/IMG-20120211-01175w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w_ktrdQQWPI/T5mRAKnfclI/AAAAAAAABls/w_a5mslRHho/s1600/S6302399w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w_ktrdQQWPI/T5mRAKnfclI/AAAAAAAABls/w_a5mslRHho/s320/S6302399w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMBdg7_SZQ0/T5mRBTh9b4I/AAAAAAAABl0/yABW9aqVsiE/s1600/S6302401w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMBdg7_SZQ0/T5mRBTh9b4I/AAAAAAAABl0/yABW9aqVsiE/s320/S6302401w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The pigmentation on these liners is INSANE. One swipe gives me full-fledged never-stop color. <i>Blackest Black</i> is a very rich, deep black, while <i>Brown</i> is a warm, medium-chocolate brown.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M9RQs0cFRxk/T5mQatiJH6I/AAAAAAAABk8/DfwLNNkqZGU/s1600/IMG-20120211-01181w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M9RQs0cFRxk/T5mQatiJH6I/AAAAAAAABk8/DfwLNNkqZGU/s320/IMG-20120211-01181w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown<br /><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Svs1nMnSaqc/T5mQc4--TTI/AAAAAAAABlE/5xaMQ2QXsLU/s1600/IMG-20120211-01182w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Svs1nMnSaqc/T5mQc4--TTI/AAAAAAAABlE/5xaMQ2QXsLU/s320/IMG-20120211-01182w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown<br /><i>With flash.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8-IfPdBe9pE/T5mQeMbd2XI/AAAAAAAABlM/6KCCJ0l0FEs/s1600/S6302403w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8-IfPdBe9pE/T5mQeMbd2XI/AAAAAAAABlM/6KCCJ0l0FEs/s320/S6302403w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Black<br /><i>No flash - natural sunlight</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TJvxNB_unrc/T5mQfQWY8OI/AAAAAAAABlU/UhuOyPRyevA/s1600/S6302404w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TJvxNB_unrc/T5mQfQWY8OI/AAAAAAAABlU/UhuOyPRyevA/s320/S6302404w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Black<br /><i>With flash</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These liners are absolutely fantastic. They wear all day, without smudging or flaking/chipping off, yet remove easily with a little bit of my Cetaphil Gentle Daily Skin Cleanser, water, and a wash cloth. Although occasionally I have to use a little extra elbow-grease to get these babies off my eyelids... but I suppose that's a good thing, right!? As far as the claim that these last 24 hours... erm, I don't know who would want to be wearing eyeliner for 24 hours - if you did, you might as well get it tattooed on - just sayin'. But they could very well last for 24 hours - they'd just be faded, nearly non-existent...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My sister uses the black liner to fill in her brows, too. It gives an amazingly natural finish - you literally would NEVER know that she had filled her eyebrows in with gel eyeliner. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall, I LOVE these. They're a great alternative to my long deceased, but much loved, L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in <i>Black</i>. They're affordable, pigmented, smooth, and will last you forever. The fact that they come with a little brush is also a huge plus for me - this way you don't have to go out and pick up your own brush to use with the product. Just use the one that came with your liner!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would definitely recommend this to anyone who was looking for an affordable gel eyeliner, who was having difficulty with creams, or just wanted to try something new!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5 out of 5 stars.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is your favorite kind of eyeliner!?!</span><br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12358003768648016330noreply@blogger.com13