February 2013: Products I Tested / Flash Reviews



I know most bloggers do monthly empties, but I have this nasty habit of throwing away empty stuff as soon as I finish it. I don’t like big having stuff hanging around and I am pretty scared I am close into turning into a cosmetics hoarder. However, I always feel like I am a bad blogger. I never get a chance to review everything I try and want to review. Truth be told, most products I try aren’t worth a whole blog post. I mean it’s hard to describe a shampoo in  three paragraphs. If it works and I like it, sometimes that’s all I have to say about it. Short and simple. So, I’m going to have these posts, with products I try and flash reviews. Short and sweet and to the point.
This month this is what I tried:



L'oreal Professionnel Vector Force Shampoo
I got this at the L’oreal Warehouse Sale and I am so glad I stocked up. I love this shampoo because it’s gentle yet it manages to clean without drying the hell out of my hair. I have been shampooing often lately since I started working out and I need something that’s gonna clean my hair gently. This shampoo gives me the volume my fine, fragile needs yet it leaves it nourished and soft. Score!


Beauty Blender Dupes
If you live in Quebec you must go to the nearest Jean Coutu and get yourself one of their new Beauty Blender Sponges. One of them is from a company called Belvada, the other is a generic dupe and the other one I’ve used for years is the Sonia Kashuk brand. They work very well; the drill is you soak the sponge with water, squeeze excess out and use it to apply foundation. Actually, my favourite use is to use the damp sponge over foundation after having applied it with a regular brush; just pat the sponge all over the face in order to remove excess product and get that amazing flawless finish. It works really well smoothing out powders. I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with powders: without them I turn into a shiny mess and my make-up breaks apart in a matter of hours but when I apply them they tend to look chalky and cakey and take my glow away. And God knows I love that glow! First world beauty problems! 


I have always wanted to try the original Beauty Blender and maybe one day I’ll be okay with forking over the 20 something dollars, but for now I’ll settle for the much cheaper alternatives that seem to do the job just fine. Next on my list are the cute sponges from Sephora, they have so many shapes and colors that really intrigue me.
SEPHORA COLLECTION - The Sculptor Makeup SpongeSEPHORA COLLECTION - Colorful Cosmetic Sponge KitSEPHORA COLLECTION - The Perfectionist Makeup Sponge


CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara
I know this mascara is a cult favourite and honestly that is what compelled me to go give it another try. It wasn’t love at first try for me, when I tried it years ago and unfortunately it didn’t impress me the second time around either. It’s a meh mascara. I generally don’t like fat brushes, but this one doesn’t bother me. The bristles are separated and the stopper makes sure it never gets overloaded with product making it easier to grab and coat every lash. The formula is what I don’t like in this product. I would consider this mascara on the dry side, which makes it difficult to build volume or manipulate lashes the way I like to.  I might be the only one in out Solar System, but I am not a fan.



Weleda Pomegrenade Firming Serum
This is a product I have used till the very last drop, and that says a lot given the fact that I don't remember the last skin care item I finished. It's a great lightweight and hydrating serum that penetrates into the skin very fast. It feels so delicious and fresh. They use real pomegranates pulp to make this serum and it has no silicone. It can feel a bit tacky upon application but skin slurps it up. I would follow with a moisturizer and then go about applying my foundation the usual way. 
I use this serum year-round, by itself in the summer or paired up with a moisturizer during winter. It's an all natural serum that performs and feels great. 

Hair Treats Knots Out
A friend was raving about this brush and how amazing it is at brushing out both dry and wet hair and getting tangles out... you know...without the roots. If I had to describe my hair in one word, I would have to go with weird. All sorts of weird. Wavy/curly, fine, spare, fragile, dry, static... I have so much trouble styling it and keeping it on my head in general and I am always looking for the next best thing that will make managing it easier. I like this brush. This is a dupe for the famous Tangle Teeze and I do prefer it to regular or boar bristles ones to brush my hair and it does manage to detangle everything without tagging and pulling. I get no static and it handles my tresses so much better than it's conventional counterparts. Wet or dry, my hair responds well to it. It's easy to clean and quite fun to use leaving tresses shiny and healthy looking.




Revlon Nail Art Polishes
 I have actually been playing around with these polishes  for the past couple of months and despite all the press and love they have been getting I am not a fan. The nail art part is weird to say the least. Despite my best efforts to make it work the "thin" brush is actually too long and thick to work at creating precise and clean lines. The Moon Candy ones involve one side of chunky messy glitter/shiny shapes suspended in polish that are scattered and hard to pick up from the bottle. Funny story, the polish actually thickened up pretty quick and I tried diluting it the traditional way with some polish remover. Next day the funky shiny shapes dissolved completely. So yeah... not my favorite polishes. 






 Revlon CrazyShine Nail Buffer
Best thing ever. This thing is the easiest way to buff out and smooth nails. It works faster and much better than traditional 4 sided nail buffers. I love how shiny and smooth my nails look, how polish applies so much nicer and how my nails feel stronger than ever. Little tip: buff the rough part over nail polish to get a matte finish or use the shining part to revive dulled up nail polish and add extra shine to a mani. 



St Ives Green Tea Cleanser
 This is a decent cleanser. It manages to foam up nicely and it's got salicylic acid which is what I was going after in an attempt to get clear skin. It didn't do much in fighting or keeping blemishes away but it's a decent cleanser. I think I said that already. 

 Revlon Lash Curler
I have both the old version and the new one, which has a different mechanism. I don't always curl my lashes but when I do I reach out for this guy and yeah, it does lift and curls lashes and opens up my eye. It's a tool that every girl needs in her kit

Revlon Nail File
This pretty thing is part of the new Revlon accessory collection launched this year, but it's not the most practical tool in my kit.The sparkly part doesn't do a good job at filing, which, for a file is a deal breaker. The other side is a good, decent nail file but the downside is that it wears out so fast. A couple of manicures and I'm done with it.
  

Essence Volumizing Lash Powder 
I expected a lot from this product. It sounded too good to be true and sadly that was the case with this product. The little pot contains little fibers that can be dusted on freshly applied mascara, sealed with another coat and boom: va-voom lashes. NOT! This product is a mess to use, the fibers don't stick to the lashes and it not only it didn't add any volume or length, it dried up my mascara and gave me clumps. It sounds good in theory but doesn't work well in practice. I will try it with a really wet mascara when I have a fresh one on my hands; part of me really wants to make this product work. Oh, another thing, the fibers can get into your eyes, so if you wear contacts and/or have sensitive eyes, you might want to skip this product altogether. 

  

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