theBalm DownBoy Shadow/Blush - Review and Swatch

Sorry everyone! I feel like I have been missing in action a lot lately! A few weeks ago I ordered three blushes by theBalm off of the Hautelook website. They were about $10 each! What a steal! Needless to say, I couldn't resist a bargain like that. I love most of theBalm's products so I pounced on this opportunity to add some more of their products to my collection at rock bottom prices. Although I have tried all three blushes now, I am going to start with my review of DownBoy.

This blush is a peachy pink red. That doesn't sound like it makes much sense does it? Basically it is a true pink blush which is on the warm side. I was expecting it to be more cooler toned. Nevertheless, it is a very pretty colour. I must confess that I haven't been wearing it much lately because it seems a bit more of a winter blush choice for me. I have a little tan at the moment so although I can still wear it now, I just find that I am not gravitating towards grabbing it in the mornings.

I am going to show you the product in a couple of different lights today - with and without the flash.

There is a nice large mirror in the compact and it is in a cardboard type of box which suits me fine. The ingredient list is very small which is the way it should be! You get 9.9g or 0.35 oz. of product which is an awesome deal for $21 regular price. The packaging is adorable as most of theBalm's stuff is. It's very compact and travel friendly. Here are a couple of swatches in different lights and with both my arm and my fingertip to show you the colour. Wow, the first shot is not very flattering of my arm! Oh and I am not giving you the finger or making a rude gesture, I swear!

 

 

 

The formula is creamy. It blends well and goes on easily. It is the most chalky of the three I bought but only slightly so. It lasts throughout most, if not all, of the day. It is not as long lasting as the Tarte blushes but no one else makes blushes that good!

I hope this has been helpful for all of you. The other two blushes I bought will be reviewed over the next couple of days.

I have a bunch of palettes to review for you again, so stay tuned!

Packaging: 10/10 (adorable, compact and environmentally friendly)  

Pigmentation: 8.5/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 8.5/10
Texture: 8/10
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 10/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10 (for overnight travel and daily purse travel)
Attractiveness of Product: 9/10
Would I buy this again? Yes (but it is so big I likely will never have to)
Overall Rating: 9/10 

derma e Evenly Radiant Overnight Peel - Review

I picked this up several weeks ago from well.ca, which is an awesome online store by the way, for $17.29 Canadian. This derma e product is "natural" skin care and is eco-friendly etc. All of that good stuff. It's fragrance-free too. My skin has always responded well to glycolic acids. Lately, I was just feeling like my skin wasn't clean and I had a lot of dead skin cells. This product has certainly helped my skin feel lighter and look clearer. I am even starting to notice a tiny glow some days. It's super gentle, which I need right now given my lip issues (which are almost gone yippie!).

It could be a bit stronger for my liking (or a tad more harsh) but it does appear to be working. My makeup is gliding on much better these days. It's basically an overnight moisturizer which you use once to twice a week. I have been using it twice a week. I need to! There is some minor tingling over blemishes but nothing severe when you apply it. It goes on easily and isn't messy or complicated. The bottle with a pump is 2 fl. oz. or 60ml. I think it may last me a little while. In the morning, you really feel like you need to wash you face as it feels a bit greasy, but I think that this just the product working, cleaning out your pores. You have to and are supposed to wash your face after using this product the next morning of course.

I am interested in testing out derma e's cleansers now. Hmmmm. Has anyone tried them?

Packaging: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 10/10

Scent: 10/10 (there isn't one)

Texture: 8/10

Blemish Blasting: 7/10

Softening: 9/10

Gets Rid of Dead Skin Cells: 7.5/10

Price: 8/10

Ingredients: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes Probably     

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

New Favourite Nail Polish Colour for Summer 2013! China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Pink Voltage - Review and Swatch

I looooove this colour! I got a pedicure last weekend and I picked out this colour, China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Pink Voltage. The numbers are 1006 and 70291 on the bottle. I must have taken over 50 pictures before I was able to get a decent shot of the bottle and my pedicure. It is so difficult to capture this colour properly on a camera. It is a neon but it is not an outrageous neon. It has a pink pearl in it so it downplays the neon of it. It's really bright and it pops! Whenever I look at this colour, I just think pool parties and summer. I am mostly a French pedicure gal, but this summer I think I may be rocking this colour quite a bit.

I bought my own bottle today to do touch-ups and also to do my toes again in this colour later in the summer! I think I might even do my fingernails to match one of these days. I have had so many compliments on this colour. I went shopping (mostly window shopping) with this colour on in some high end stores and I got a few genuine compliments from some sales staff. They were interested in knowing what brand and colour it was. If you like pink even a little and you only buy one nail polish colour this summer, make it Pink Voltage!

Wild, no? I love it. Sorry, I know it is a foot shot. Also, I am starting to get freckles on my feet which is a phenomenon which only started a couple of years ago in the summer. Luckily, they fade in the winter. I did get my first chip yesterday after a week of wearing it. I paid just under $6 Canadian for a bottle at Sally Beauty Supply (I have a member card so I got a discount). Worth every penny. So what do you think??? Are you going to pick some up?

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 9/10 (you need minimum 2 coats)  

Easy to Work With: 8/10

Longevity: 8/10

Texture: 8/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 8.5/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Hell Yes

Overall Rating: 9/10 and it's super cool!

L'Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner - Review and Swatch

I am going to cut to the chase today. This is likely the best liquid eyeliner at the drug store. It's super black, very long lasting and fairly easy to use. A tube lasts a good while and it doesn't dry out quickly unlike the MAC equivalent. L'Oreal makes a couple of similar liquid eyeliner products, some of which don't work as well as this one. So make sure you get the right one. You can get this at most drug stores for around $8-$12 I believe. Nice and inexpensive.

I only have one complaint about this product. The ingredient list is not good. There are parabens in here and a host of other chemicals I can neither pronounce nor do I care to pronounce. I prefer not to think about it. My only comfort is that I apply this to such a small area of my body and I also don't use it very often. I personally prefer the look, finish and application of gel liner better. This stuff is great if you are in a pinch and need to look put together fast. It's fairly small and compact. Great to throw in your purse and great for travel. The applicator tip gives you a nice, clean, thin line and you can build it from there if you want it thicker. Here is the swatch.

Packaging: 10/10 (reminds me of the old Maybelline liquid liners) 

Pigmentation: 9.5/10

Easy to Work With: 8.5/10

Longevity: 10/10

Texture: 8/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 2/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Probably (sigh)    

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 (poor ingredients drag the score down)

TRESemme Unscented Tres Two Extra Hold Hair Spray - Review

I couldn't get a good shot of this can tonight to save my life (and I am a bit tired) so here it is folks! Today, I am reviewing the TRESemme Tres Two Hairspray which boasts superior hold with touchable feel. It is supposed to have humidity resistance. It's extra hold level 4. I can't remember what I paid for this but it was only a few dollars at the supermarket. I heard this stuff was good and I hated the two hairsprays I had kicking around so I picked this one up.

Overall, I have to say that I am happy with this hairspray. I think it is the best hairspray that you can buy at the drug store for under $10. I do agree that after using this you still have "touchable hair" and it doesn't feel too stiff or gross. I put some big curls in my hair two days ago and sprayed them with this. They are still holding! Yes, after I have slept two nights in them and been in the shower (okay I had a shower cap on but still) it is still holding. Crazy! I am impressed. In case any of you are wondering, I have dry hair and I can't wash it daily so if I have good hair for two days before I wash it again, bonus!

This is a big can. It's 311g. Seems mammoth to me. I am not sure how long this will last...years....My only complaint is the claim to humidity resistance. While my curls are intact two days later, all of my frizzy baby hair near my face is frankly frizzy despite spraying it with this product. I find it doesn't do so much for the humidity resistance factor. If that's not your problem, you may very well think that this is the best hair spray that you have ever tried. I think this stuff will work very well for me in the winter. I still plan on using this for a good chunk of the summer.

Packaging: 7/10  (the can and is big and chunky - takes up a lot of space)

Easy to Work With: 8/10 (comes out in a big rush so spray quick and a good distance from your face)
Touchable Hair: 8.5/10
Humidity Resistance: 3/10
Hold: 9/10
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 7/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Would I buy this again? Yes Likely 
Overall Rating: 8/10 (wish it controlled frizz)

bareMinerals Deep Cleansing Foam - Review

Here is another item which has been on my list of ho hum products that I have been using for the past month or so. Someone in the online beauty community recommended this product a while back and I was eager to try it. It gets great reviews on Sephora. So I bought this as part of a Sephora haul that I did a couple of months back. I have been using it fairly regularly for the pat 6 or 7 weeks. Where to start?

Well, first of all, it has a little of what I call a "hippie" scent. It's a bit herbal for my taste but after using this a few times you get used to it. You seriously only need a pea sized amount. Any more and this will not lather or do anything. I find it "soaps" but I wouldn't say it foams or lathers a great deal which is disappointing since this is called a foam. My skin feels refreshed and soft after I use it - never dry. However, I don't think it deep cleans worth a damn. After I use it, if I run makeup remover or toner over my face with a cotton ball, I am shocked by what still comes off of my face. Also, I find it does nothing for redness on my face and it sure doesn't clean my pores or diminish my blemishes in any way, shape or form.

It is very gentle though. I need that at the moment as I am still dealing with the allergic reaction that I had on my lips awhile back. It's almost gone, but the skin around my mouth is very sensitive and this product doesn't seem to irritate me at all.

So there you have it. It's $25 Canadian and $20 U.S. I don't think I will repurchase this but I also think that the tube will last me a long time. It's 119g or 4.2 oz. and like I said, you only need a tiny amount each time you use it.

Packaging: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 6/10 (it's tricky to get the right amount to use)

Scent: 3/10

Texture: 6/10

Removal of Dirt, Makeup: 2/10

Blemish Blasting: 2/10

Softening: 8.5/10

Refreshing: 8/10

Price: 8/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Would I buy this again? Unlikely    

Overall Rating: 5/10

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream Bare Escentuals in Creamsicle - Review and Swatch

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am currently in the midst of reviewing a lot of ho hum products. I neither love them nor hate them. This is one of them. This was my first Buxom purchase. Normally, I am super picky about lip gloss and I hate 95% of the lip gloss out there, so when you read one of my reviews on lip gloss, please take it with a grain of salt if you are not as picky as I am.

I bought this lip gloss for one reason only - the colour. I came across a similar colour last year when I had someone do my makeup when I left a spa. I loved that colour but hated the product. It made my lips burn as many "plumpers" do. The fact that this product is also a "plumper" did not amuse me. I have pouty lips to begin with so I don't need a plumper in my lip gloss.

The sales girl at Sephora assured me that Buxom lip products don't have the "burn" that I complain of. She said she has the same issue and this one is fine for her. I have used this gloss several times now. It is super minty and tingly. It doesn't burn but it tingles on my lips way too much for my liking. It's like having a bunch of cinnamon hearts explode on your lips at the same time. It's really too much for me and it takes 30 minutes or more to tame itself down. All I can think about is how weird my lips feel when I am wearing a full coat of it. It's really distracting! All I can suggest is to dab the smallest amount in the centre of your lips over lipstick to keep this tingling to a minimum but still get a nice effect.

I love the colour when it is swatched. I can't find anything else like it on the market. However, once you smooth it out onto your lips, the colour washes out. The pigmentation is really poor. It ends up looking like a nice, fresh, nude, summer gloss. It looks really nice over orange or coral lipstick though. You can wear it over pink too and it really makes the lipstick colour pop. Here is the swatch. I wish you could see how vibrant and coral the colour is but alas my camera could not do it justice. Pity the colour fades instantly once on your lips.

Buxom describes the colour as "peach sorbet" and I concur that seems accurate. The product is moisturizing. I love the packaging. Looks very cool to me. This lip gloss, or cream ahem is $19 U.S. or $23 Canadian. It has a vanilla smell which dissipates as soon as you apply. As you can see, there are some pros and cons to this product. I will use mine and use it up this summer but I will only use a tiny bit each time.

Packaging: 8/10 (big and bulky in size but looks really cool)

Pigmentation: 3/10

How Does it Feel On: 3/10 (moisturizing but tingles overboard)

Longevity: 3/10

Texture: 8/10

Price: 8.5/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Travel Worthy: 6/10

Attractiveness of Product: 8/10 (10/10 if the pigmentation wasn't so poor)

Would I buy this again? Not Sure    

Overall Rating: 6/10 (the poor pigmentation and hyper tingly effect really drag the score down)