Blistex Soft & Lush Lip Balm Review

 

 

I was browsing Walmart as I am wont to do and I spotted this cute little tube. It called to me immediately. Maybe it was the soft cherry blossoms on the packaging, or the pearly pink tube or the fact that I promised me a "creamy smooth texture for supple, kissable lips", maybe it was all of the above.

Claims from the packaging: Blistex Soft & Lush brings lips to a deeper level of softness for the ultimate in soft, kissable lips. A smooth, rich, blend of moisturizers and conditioners for unparalleled softness. The super lush, ceramide-enhanced formula helps lips retain moisture leaving them supple and deeply hydrated. Plus SPF sun protection. This lip balm retails for about $3.67.

If you've been following my blog for some time you'll know that I abhor greasy, thin lip balms and love thick creamy lip balms. This lip balm doesn't disappoint. While it isn't as creamy as a Nivea lip butter, it's wonderfully creamy and feels so comforting on my lips.

The hydration on this lip balm is fantastic. I feel like this lip balm is sinking into my lips and hydrating them, not just sitting on the upper layer.

Soft & Lush is clear with no hints of whiteness which certainly is impressive considering the fact that this lip balm has an SPF of 15. I remember I bought Nivea's Sun Protection lip balm and that thing was like applying white lipstick to my lips, no word of a lie! So Soft & Lush certainly impressed me.

The smell of this lip balm was a surprise as well. I was expecting it to be scentless or softly floral but this balm had a totally different smell. It smells so good! Literally like a French Vanilla from Tim Hortons. Or like a coffee cake drizzled with vanilla icing. It's really a delicious smell. It's sweet and delectable without being cloying.

It tastes pretty inoffensive too if you happen to taste a little of it. It's mostly tasteless with a slight sweetness from the saccharin.

In short I really like this lip balm and I actually reach for this more then my Holy Grail Nivea Essential lip balm.

Likes:
1. Creamy, rich texture
2. Hydration
3. SPF without whiteness
4. Delicious smell
5. Affordable price

Dislikes:

None, I'd be nitpicking.

A

The Face Shop Real Nature Sheet Masks (Lemon, Avacado, Rice, Honey) Review

 

 

 

 

So I've recently fallen in love with sheet masks after trying a really nice one from Shopper's Drug Mart. So I went to The Face shop and picked up three different kinds of their face masks and for $2CDN each, getting a whole slew wasn't too bad.

Claims for the Lemon Mask: This mask illuminates your skin and gives you a flawless complexion! Enriched with lemon extract with brightening properties, it will even out your complexion in an instant!

 



Claims for the Honey Mask: Get radiant and illuminated skin in an instant with this Honey Face Mask. The honey extract, with its nourishing properties, reveals younger looking, invigorated skin.

 

 

Claims for the Avacado Mask: Improve your skin's suppleness and elasticity with this Avocado Face Mask. Rich in nutrients, the hydrating serum contained in this mask is perfect for dry or very dry skin.

 

Claims for the Rice Mask: The Rice Real Nature Face Mask offers you a dazzling, even complexion. Known for its brightening properties, rice extract helps reduce the appearance of age spots and illuminates the skin.

 

So all of these masks have virtually the same list of ingredients save for the addition of their respective extracts (ex. Lemon extract in the lemon mask, rice extract in the rice mask). I leave these masks on for the longest period of time I can and then remove them, patting the excess into my skin. The effect of these masks are all the same to me; my skin ends up looking moist, fresh and very even. 

 

One thing I really don't like about these masks is the high alcohol denatured alcohol content. Alcohol denat is extremely drying and damaging to skin but is often used in skincare to give a product a lightweight feel. When I figured out that these masks had alcohol denat in it I stopped using them.

 

So in short; they do leave my skin hydrated, and even looking - even if that result doesn't last very long - it's doing more harm then good. I can't recommend these for that.

 

Likes:

 

1. Hydrating

2. Makes my skin look even

3. Residue feels light on skin

 

Dislikes:

 

1. Large alcohol denat content

 

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Farleyco.ca September 2015 Gifts with Purchase Review

   In August I made a purchase from Farleyco.ca and these were the two gifts I received for free with my purchase. No minimum. If you order from Farleyco.ca you will received these as well, no minimum purchase needed until October 31st 2015.

    X3 Coconut Burst Lip Balm claims: X3 Coconut Burst 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil lip balm is formulated to help moisturize, heal and protect dry, chapped lips. Nourished with Pure Argan Oil and Cocoa Butter, Coconut Burst softens and conditions to help protect even the driest lips.
 
    This lip balm retails for $2.99CDN. I didn't take a picture of the back of the package to show you the ingredients but this lip balm had a high concentration of coconut oil. Not only does coconut oil break me out but it feels so greasy on my lips so I knew I wasn't going to be too pleased with this lip balm. It smells incredible - exactly like pina coladas - but it was greasier then Maybelline's Baby Lips lip balm. My lips felt slathered in oil that was just slipping around on the surface and not penetrating to moisturize. Needless to say I didn't like this lip balm and I'm glad I got it for free. I definitely wouldn't repurchase it.

   Inecto Naturals Coconut Hand & Nail Cream claims: This intensive little hand and nail cream is a must-have. It conditions your nails, softens your cuticles and protects your hands leaving your skin looking bright and radiant all day. A little saviour for dry hands, this lightweight non-greasy cream will provide much needed relief. Infused with Pure Organic Coconut Oil your hands will be beautifully moisturised and silky smooth.

     This hand cream retails for $3.99CDN. This hand cream is really lovely. It's got a runnier texture then most of the hand creams that I've tried but it absorbs into my hands and cuticles so easily! My skin feels so hydrated after I use this cream. There's no fragrance in this cream but it still manages to smell so lovely. It doesn't smell at all like coconuts but smells more like vanilla cupcakes.
   
   There's coconut oil in it but there's something about the formula that manages to keep it from being greasy and slippery. I am in love with this hand cream and I find myself reaching for it all the time.
 
    My one criticism of this hand cream is the screw lid because after you've got this hand cream on your hands, it's difficult to close. It's not deeply moisturizing (if you have really dry hands you'll need something thicker) but my hands are in a good state right now so I don't mind. Aside from that I adore this hand cream.

   Out of these two I could only recommend the Inecto Naturals Coconut hand and nail cream because of how outstanding it is. I'm a definite fan!

Beauty Empties Edition #2

It's been a while since I've done an empties post but the time was right. The bag I use to hold all of these empty packages was so full it looked like it was ready to burst!

1. L'Oreal Ideal Moisture Day Lotion for Dry Skin: I used this throughout the winter when my skin was incredibly dry. I usually have combination skin but last winter my skin got so dry it was flaking. I loved how moisturizing it was on my skin! It was a very heavy moisturizer but it was great. And the SPF25 didn't leave my skin with an ashy cast. I'd repurchase for use in the winter or when my skin is going through a dry spell.

2. Essence All About Matt Finishing Powder: The powder itself was really great quality, truly translucent with this wonderful pore blurring effect. It mattified my skin right away but the packaging was incredibly fragile and it didn't stay matt all day. Wouldn't repurchase.

3. Dove Pistachio & Magnolia Body Wash: My favourite body wash of all time. I love the delicious warm, sweet, nutty scent and how soft and hydrated it leaves my skin. I adore this body wash!

4. Dial 7 Day Moisturizing Lotion for Dry Skin with Shea Butter: Not my favourite lotion. Had a generic lotion scent. Had a generic lotion feel. I didn't feel like it hydrated my skin that deeply. Wouldn't repurchase.

5. Rimmel Scandaleyes Xtreme Mascara: The brush on this mascara is absolutely fantastic (its in the same vein as the Maybelline Lash Sensational brush and the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly brush) and helped to get my lashes looking long, think and defined really quickly. I didn't feel the need to build a lot of coats. Sadly this mascara dried out and got clumpy within a month.

6. Freeman Golden Grain Brightening Face Mask: This is an okay product. The gel was hydrating while it was on but didn't boost the brightness of my skin at all. It didn't help with the formation of dark spots either and that's mainly what I purchased for. Wouldn't buy it again as I've found nicer hydrating masks.

7. Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Mask: This is a fantastic scrub that really worked well to keep my skin soft and keep my blackheads under control. As a mask it didn't really stay on my face, but as I scrub I loved it and can't wait to repurchase this mask and get it back into my life! Once I stopped using it my blackheads returned in full force.

8. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: This is so soothing on my skin. My skin is eczema prone so this really helped when I was going through a really horrible spell of eczema. It also works really well as a facial night cream that hydrates deeply without clogging. Love this stuff.

9. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter: This body butter was really nice. It was very hydrating on my skin and had a divine melted butter consistency and it smelt like chocolate but still wasn't overpowering. I'd definitely repurchase this.

10. The Body Shop Blueberry Body Scrub: This caught my attention immediately because I thought it was so neat that it looked like blueberry jam. After a while the smell became cloying and I couldn't wait to finish this body butter. Wouldn't buy this again.

11. L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Cleansing Water: My first micellar water and still remains one of my favourites. Click here to read my review. I still love this stuff!

12. Life Brand Clear Action Dual Action Moisturizer: This is Shopper's Drug Mart's dupe of the Clean and Clear dual action moisturizer. I much prefer the Clean and Clear one even though both seriously skimp on moisture and don't include SPF. I don't know if my tube was old or something but it smelt sour. Definitely not repurchasing despite the fact that it did help the acne spots I have, I've found spot treatments that work better.

13. Dove Clear Tone Deodorant: I found this on clearance at Wal-Mart and I know now why it's been on clearance; it doesn't work. It did a good job of keeping my armpits dry and smelling fresh but it didn't even the tone of my underarms at all. I didn't expect it to work so I wasn't surprised. I won't buy these again because they don't work.

14. Maybelline Baby Lips Christmas 2015 LE Ruby Star: The cool red colour of this lip balm was the only thing I liked about it. It was too greasy for my liking. Click here to see my original review of both Ruby Star and Winter Flush.

15. Maybelline Baby Lips Christmas 2015 LE Winter Flush: Didn't like the colour or the greasy feel. I reviewed this at the same time as Ruby Star.

16. Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addis Ababa: I liked the mousse like feel this lip cream starts off with but then it quickly dries down. I actually liked how sheer this product was because then the colour wasn't too garish. Wouldn't repurchase as I didn't wear this lippie a lot.

17. Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Untainted Spice: Probably my favourite permanent nude lipstick ever. The colour is the perfect nude for my NW45 skin (It's nude but it's got enough colour to look almost MLBB). It doesn't make me look dead at all, and it looks surprisingly natural. Sadly the formula makes my lips feel numb so I stopped using the lipstick.

18. Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Sweet As Candy: I love this nail polish. It's a nice sheer pink that's great for a natural look or for using as a base for a French manicure.

19. Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Space Queen: My favourite glitter top coat. It also looks incredible over Sweet As Candy. It thickened up after a year which is definitely a first for any nail polishes I own. I really like this polish and would most likely repurchase.

20. Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Strike A Rose: Smells exactly like those sour rocket candies I hated getting in my pillow sack as a child during Halloween. The colour was really pink, cool and pigmented which made me really not like it at all as I didn't like the way it looked on me. Wouldn't repurchase.

21. Revlon Nail Enamel in Cherries in the Snow: I bought this colour mainly because I knew it was a vintage Revlon colour. I actually only like it on myself in the winter because during the winter my skin is paler and the polish doesn't look as bright and as shocking. I didn't wear it a lot and for that I wouldn't repurchase it.

Essie Gel Setter Top Coat Review

 

I've never been big on top coats but Essie's latest entry into the top coat arena piqued my interest. 

 



Claims from the Essie Canada website[sic]: everything you love about gels, but in a perfect top coat you can wear anywhere and everywhere. gel.setter tops any of your favorite essie colours with all the cushy rock-hard shine of a gel in a foolproof formula for your manis and pedis

 

  This topcoat retailed for $10 at Well.ca at the time I purchased it. The package advised me to use it with an Essie polish and I decided to give Essie the benefit of the doubt and used it with my all time favourite Essie polish Bikini So Teeny. But I fully intend to wear this topcoat with all of my nail polishes which are from a wide and varied variety of brands.

 

So I applied two coats of Bikini So Teeny and then one coat of Gel Setter. I even capped the free edge of my nails and usually I don't do that and I think that might have effected the wear of this polish. 

Here's a picture of my nails after a dried coat of gel setter. The shine difference is virtually the same but I find my nails are always incredibly shiny on day one and lose that luster the next day. The top coat wasn't thicker then a regular nail polish which kind of disappointed me because I did want that thick gel look but I'm also glad because the top coat dried quickly. 



 

Here's my nails after five days of wear, including work (After five days I was tired of the colour). I was seriously shocked. The chipping is there but minimal. Usually my nail polish chips after two days and it's extreme so this after five days was incredible. Considering the shine factor my nails stayed shiny right until the day I removed the polish. My nails looked freshly polished days after I polished them! I was really impressed.

 

In short; I really like this top coat. I love how shiny it keeps my nails and how it reduces the amount of chips I get. It might be pricey but it's definitely worth it.

 

Likes:

 

1. Keeps my nails super shiny

2. Extends the life of my polish

 

Dislikes:

 

1. Slightly pricey

 

A

Thayer's Unscented Alcohol-Free Unscented Witch Hazel Toner

 

 

 

I have a weird experience with toners. One of the first toners I used was the Proactiv toner which I burned through in about three weeks. I was new to this mystical world of toners and my combination skin loved the moisture and the way it would reduce the oil on my face.

 

 My last experience was with a Clean and Clear toner for sensitive skin that burned my face so amazingly I stopped using toners all together.

 

Then I stumbled upon the Thayer's Rose Petal toner online and ordered it, but then I happened upon the Unscented variety at a local health food store and picked it up. I was looking for a gentle toner that would give my combination skin some hydration without stinging. The alcohol free Thayer's sounded like it would fit that bill.

 

Claims from the Thayer's website: You Won't Smell It, But You'll Surely Feel It.

THAYERS® Alcohol-Free Unscented Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera Formula Toner has all the replenishing, revitalizing magic of our scented varieties, but is undetectable by the nose.

 

I found this toner online for $14.79 at Well.ca but currently at the time of writing this post all of the toners and astringents are on sale for about two dollars less. I found this Unscented Toner at a local health food store for $11.39.

 

I love how much product comes in this bottle which makes it so cost effective. The label is nice and gives the bottle this lovely old fashioned apothecary feel. The nozzle that dispenses this product isn't very good and a lot of toner ends up splashing out. I fitted this bottle with a spray nozzle so I'm not too heart broken.

 

The product does have a smell (just the natural smell of the product because there's no added fragrance) but it's not incredibly offensive or very lasting. It smells exactly like Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB cream. Literally the exact same. So if you've got a bottle of that BB cream and you don't like that smell and find it intolerable, then you probably won't be able to deal with this. If I were to attempt to describe it I would say it's a sharp sort of warm, slightly tart scent.

 

The feel of the toner itself is very nice. It doesn't feel hydrating at first, it feels a lot like water but once it dries I noticed my skin didn't feel tight but comfortable. My skin had this beautiful, dewy glow to it and felt hydrated to the touch. My skin felt incredibly soft and slightly sticky. My pores were also less emphasized.

 

If I get the toner on the lines of my lips, my lips feel sort of tingly and numb so I try my hardest to avoid getting the product on my lips. That's along with the smell is one of the only downsides to this toner.

 

I use it as a spray and it's a very refreshing and hydrating mist. When left to dry on the skin, my skin is left with this soft hydration. With too much spritzing my skin looks rather shiny but that's after multiple sessions of all over my face.

 

Likes:

 

1. Hydrating, glowing effect it gives the skin

2. Doesn't sting

3. Large bottle

4. Affordable price

5. All natural, simple, small ingredient list

 

Neither like nor dislike:

 

1. Smell

 

Dislikes:

 

1. The tingly feeling it gives my lips

 

A-

Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer Combination/Oily

 

 

    I've wanted to incorporate sunscreen into my routine for years but I felt like I could never find sunscreen that fit my needs. I'm an NW45 woman of colour, I can't be walking around with physical sunscreens because they make my skin look white and ashen. Also I've never seen a day lotion with SPF catered to combo/oily skin so I was very excited for that.

    After using L'Oreal's Ideal Moisture Dry Skin day lotion with SPF 25 (major game changer, not only did it reshydrate my skin but it opened my eyes to the world of moisturizers with SPF), I've come to realize there are a wide variety of sunscreens that look invisible on my skin. This Olay sunscreen was one of them.

   Claims from the packaging: Helps prevents sunburn with Broad Spectrum 15 UVA/UVB sunscreen. Conditions skin surface with vitamins E & B3 to maintain healthy looking skin. Provides 48 hours of moisture for long lasting hydration. Result healthy-looking, beautiful skin.

    This cost me $8.97 at Wal-Mart because it was on sale. Regularly it retails for $9.97.

    So there's the bottle. It's looks so small and cute but it's got a fair sized amount of product in the bottle 120ml of product. It's got a squeeze bottle design which I like - compared to a pump bottle - because I can customize how much lotion I want to squeeze out at a time.

    
     The lotion is incredibly light feeling. It feels like a burst of hydration on my skin. It feels considerably less heavy then the L'Oreal Dry Skin day lotion which is a relief because that lotion was almost too thick for my skin in the winter, much less the summer.

     The lotion smells a lot like Proactiv's products. Every time I smooth the lotion onto my face I'm taken back to the days when I attempted to use Proactiv! It's definitely weird but I can't complain because the scent itself isn't unpleasant.

     The lotion feels very light on my skin and absorbs very easily, it doesn't take a lot of massaging to get all of the product to sink in. And it doesn't make my skin look greasy, it just looks hydrated.

    This product doesn't leave a white cast on my skin at all which just makes me so happy.

    There is a little bit of stinging when the lotion comes into contact with the sensitive skin around my nose but it goes away after about thirty seconds.

     This lotion doesn't make my combination skin any oilier then it is usually. This lotion doesn't claim to control oil, but at least it doesn't exacerbate it.

   Overall I'm very happy with this lotion and I love everything about it aside from the slight burning. This lotion is a great fit for my skin's needs and makes a great summer time moisturizer. I know I'm going to be repurchasing this lotion again and again because it's everything I've wanted in a daily moisturizer.

Likes:

1. The weightless feel on skin
2. The moderate hydration
3. Doesn't make my combo skin oily
4. Afforable price
5. Doesn't leave a white cast
6. Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection

Dislikes:

1. Slight stinging

A-