Skincare - Body -LUSH - Toothy Tabs Dirty
Jexka 11/4/2012 3:53:00 AM
I picked these up when they first came out because they seemed like a great idea and I love the Dirty line. I thought these would be similar to the other Dirty products -- super minty and refreshing. Boy, was I wrong. These are straight up disgusting. You chew these up and then brush your teeth with the foam that these create. These are actually pretty hard to crush with your teeth -- it's kind of like chewing up an Altoid and not swallowing. I can never seem to fully grind these up enough, and I'm always left with big chunks that stick to my gums and in between my teeth. I've actually cut my gums while brushing with these because I missed a big, sharp chunk. Also, don't be surprised if an hour or so after brushing you can still feel some of the chalky residue on your gums. That brings me to my next point -- these taste like chalk. They are not at all minty or refreshing like a toothpaste should be. My teeth feel decently cleaned after brushing with these, but my mouth feels and tastes gross and chalky. Aside from saving on packaging, I did not notice that these had any added benefits on my teeth than any other toothpaste has. Obviously, I would definitely not repurchase these. I love LUSH and a lot of their innovative products, but these were a fail for me. I got a sample of two of the other flavors of these, but I'm hesitant to try them out. I doubt they will be any better than these.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Aveeno - Nourish + Strengthen Conditioner
Jexka 11/4/2012 3:44:00 AM
After having good results from the Aveeno Living Color shampoo and conditioner, I decided to try out this product. I have long, fine, flat, oily hair that I bleach about every two months. I'm prone to split ends and drier ends in general, but my roots get very greasy. I also have weak hair that breaks pretty easily while brushing. I'm super picky about hair products -- I need my conditioner to detangle my long hair and hydrate my ends while not weighing down my hair and making it look oily. This conditioner did everything I wanted it to! It feels light, but it really soaks into my hair and hydrates it without weighing it down. The smell was OK -- just a light, clean scent, nothing special. This made my hair easy to comb out after the shower and kept my hair soft until the next wash. I don't know how much it really strengthened my hair...I still have some breakage and I'm prone to shedding since my hair is so fine, but this conditioner definitely did not make these issues any worse. I'm currently using another conditioner that I don't like as much, and I feel like I'll be repurchasing this again very soon!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Hard Candy - Matte-ly in Love Blotting Papers
Jexka 11/4/2012 3:35:00 AM
I picked these up at Wal-Mart one day since I had run out of my Clean & Clear blotting sheets. The packaging was super cute and sucked me in. Also, the price on these is great -- you're getting 150 sheets for $5, when a pack of the Clean & Clear ones run for $6-7 for 50. I'm definitely glad I picked these up. These come with three different colors of sheets (green, pink, and purple), which I thought was really cute. I initially thought that maybe each color was supposed to do something different or contained different ingredients than the others, but they are actually all the same. The cardboard packaging is cute as well, and I found it to be a lot sturdier than the packaging on other oil blotting sheets, which usually get ripped and really banged up in my purse. These sheets are very thin, similar to the ELF sheets, so I generally use two to cover my whole face. They soak up excess oil nicely without smudging your makeup or leaving a powdery residue behind like some blotting papers do. Overall, I think these were a great purchase and I will be picking these up again soon (since I accidentally stuck these in the washer when I forgot to take them out of my sweatshirt pocket!) Aside from the $1 ELF sheets, these are the best value that I have found and the cute colors and packaging are a really fun touch.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Ponds - Morning Refresh Cleansing Towelettes
Jexka 10/25/2012 1:36:00 AM
I picked these up on a whim because they were on sale, I love using wipes to remove my makeup, I've had good luck with Ponds in the past, and I always like trying new products. I have to say, these wipes exceeded my expectations. First of all, they smell great. They have a nice refreshing citrusy scent that I really enjoyed. I think the best part about these wipes is that one side is textured with little bumps that really help to gently rub away all your makeup. I appreciated that only one side was bumpy and the other side was just your normal soft cloth. The bumpy side really helped remove all of my heavy foundation and face products, and the soft side was perfect for removing eye makeup. These never irritated my skin or my eyes, which is amazing considering nearly every makeup wipe I've tried has made my eyes sting or water at some point or another. These just left my face feeling smooth, clean, and refreshed. Another big plus was that these didn't dry out too quickly -- my last wipe was just as moist as the first, even though after a while the sticky close tab didn't like to stay shut. Definitely impressed with these and I will be repurchasing.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Pretty Nails Non Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Jexka 10/21/2012 1:39:00 AM
Hate to be the only person writing a negative review on this, but I really didn't like this nail polish remover. I thought the concept was great and it seemed like this would be a much easier way to get off my polishes, but honestly I much prefer a bottle of remover and some cotton pads. I found the opening of the jar to be a little too small, and it was difficult to really get some of my fingers, especially my pinkies, all the way into the jar. No matter how much I rubbed, it was always difficult to get the last little flecks of polish off of the edges and corners of my nails. I'd end up going back with a cotton pad which made this "one-step system" a little pointless. I also noticed that after just a few uses, the sponge would start breaking off in little pieces. My last gripe about this product is that I felt that it dried out my nails terribly. I've used many different nail polish removers in the past, and my nails are generally very strong and healthy and I've never had a bad reaction to any polish remover. But every time I used this, my nails looked and felt really rough and dried out. Like I said, I think this is a nice concept, but it just didn't work for me. I did also purchase the Sally Hansen Kwik Off, so we'll see if that works any better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Candles -Unlisted Brand - Glade Soy candles
Jexka 10/21/2012 12:59:00 AM
I bought a few of these from the Spring collection at a discounted price after the season had ended. I wasn't expecting a ton from grocery store candles, but these were pretty underwhelming. The scent didn't throw very far and both of these candles tunneled pretty badly, to the point where it was almost useless to finish burning the candle because so much wax was stuck to the sides and would not melt. These weren't the worst candles I ever tried, and if they go on sale again (I got mine for $2.50), I might try some other scents. But at least now I know not to hope for too much from these.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Jurlique - Purely Age-Defying Firm and Lift Cream
Jexka 10/15/2012 2:08:00 PM
I got a decent sized sample of this at Sephora a while ago and I just got around to using it up. At my age (21), this isn't the kind of moisturizer I would typically go for, but I did think it was pretty nice. The consistency was pretty thin, so it sunk into my skin quickly and didn't leave me looking greasy or feeling sticky. It has a nice lemony-rose scent which is very light; you really cannot smell it after it is applied. I can't say if it really firmed my skin, but I liked that it helped moisturizer the few dry patches I have on my face and that it didn't break me out at all. Overall, this was nice, but at $70 for a full-size jar, I will not be purchasing this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Hard Candy - Lashaholic
Jexka 10/3/2012 11:29:00 PM
I ran out of mascara, and since I was at Wal-Mart anyway I decided to try this out since I generally have good luck with Hard Candy products. Some of their mascaras seemed pretty gimmicky...One was double-sided with a liquid liner, one claimed to stain your lashes for days...This one seemed like the safest, most "normal" mascara, so I picked it up. (I also grabbed Flat to Fab, but I haven't tried it out yet.) I've been using this daily for the past 2 months, and while I don't think it's as awful as many reviewers do, it's definitely not the best. First of all, the packaging is gorgeous...bright pink with a nice swirling design that doesn't rub off in your bag. I also love the wand. It's a rubber bristled wand with a slight curve that makes it so easy to coat your lashes. The formula is pretty wet, which I sometimes like, but it was a little problematic with this. I very, very rarely have problems with mascaras smudging on me, but nearly every time I wear this I end up with black smudges under my eyes within about 4 hours. Not cute. But this did give my lashes what I was looking for -- a little volume, great length and separation, and a little curl. This was never clumpy, although the product can clump on the brush and on the rim of the tube, but I would always just wipe it off. The only other downside to this is that I found it dried out really quickly. Like I said, I've been using this for about 2 months, and it's already done. I'm not a crazy wand-pumper, and I only applied one coat to each eye most days. I don't think any other mascara has ever dried up this quickly on me. Overall, I did like most aspects of this, but the smearing and the fact that this gets used up so quickly make it a no-go for me next time. Hopefully I'll have better luck with Flat to Fab.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Yes To Carrots - Yes To Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes
Jexka 10/3/2012 11:20:00 PM
I bought these when I was out of town and forgot to bring any makeup remover. I've never used any of the Yes To ___ products, but I had heard good things about them and decided to try these out. I'm kind of a makeup wipe junkie, because I find wipes are the easiest and quickest way to remove makeup at the end of the day. I've tried many brands, and honestly I didn't find these to be that great. These smell amazing, fresh and fruity -- I get some lemon and blueberry when I smell these. They're thick enough that they won't rip when rubbing your face like some do, but that's about where the pros end. I wear thicker, full-coverage foundation, and these never completely got it all off. And these were horrible with removing eye makeup, especially liner and mascara. It would seem like I got it all off, but then when I wash my face later I always had leftover black smears running under my eyes. These also stung the eye area a little bit. Also, I found that these dried out pretty quickly -- much quicker than most other wipes I've tried. Overall, not impressed. I will still try out some other Yes To products, but I won't be buying these again. I think most store brand cleansing wipes work better, and are much cheaper.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Biore - Makeup Removing Towelettes
Jexka 9/13/2012 12:33:00 AM
I almost always remove my makeup with wipes because I find it's the quickest and easiest way to take off my makeup at the end of the day. I randomly picked these up a while ago and while I don't hate them, they certainly aren't the best I've tried either. I find that these are pretty dry, so I have to rub quite hard to get all my makeup off. I like that these make your skin tingle a little, however, that feeling is NOT pleasant when you're removing your eye makeup! These really sting my eyes. They also aren't so great at removing eyeliner and mascara. Wouldn't repurchase -- there are cheaper, more effective, and more gentle wipes out there.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Murad - Skin Perfecting Lotion
Jexka 9/13/2012 12:29:00 AM
I got a sample of this, and I have to say I really, really love it.I have combination skin and I'm prone to occasional breakouts. This smooths out any dry patches I have on my face without making my oily areas shinier. The texture is pretty thin and a little gel-like, so it absorbs quickly into the skin, making it great for use under foundation. My face feels super smooth and hydrated when I use this, but not at all greasy. It's also nice that this has no smell whatsoever. I don't think this has "perfected" my skin at all, but I don't use the whole entire Murad system. Overall, this is one of the best moisturizers I've tried. I will likely buy the full size, even though $33 to me is a little pricey for a moisturizer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Clinique - Foaming Mousse Cleanser
Jexka 8/22/2012 1:55:00 AM
I'm really not liking this product. I've had good luck with several Clinique cleansers in the past, but this one just leaves my combination skin feeling dry and tight. I like the consistency and the foaming aspect -- it feels really good on the skin and lathers up very well. But as soon as I rinse, my face feels very stripped and I have to follow up with a heavy-duty moisturizer to get my skin feeling normal again. This is supposed to be fragrance-free, but mine smells pretty strong and chemically, almost like nail polish remover. Not pleasant. Another issue I have is the pump -- mine somehow clogged on the inside, so it's hard to get the product out, and it also for some reason has become jammed on the outside too, so it takes a lot of effort just to press the pump down. Overall, there is pretty much nothing I like about this stuff. I'll be tossing the rest of my bottle.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Revlon - Valentine
Jexka 8/18/2012 2:49:00 AM
I always passed by Revlon polishes in the drugstore, thinking they couldn't hold a candle to most of my beloved higher-end polishes. But recently my local store was having a sale, so I decided to check a few out for the heck of it. I am so glad I did, because this nail polish is amazing! Valentine is a deep, vampy, blood red polish with the consistency of a jelly but the finish of a cream polish. The formula was great -- this was totally opaque in two coats, and I experienced no streaking or bubbling at all. I was most impressed with the wear of this -- it lasted almost a solid week on my nails with just the slightest tip wear. This shade looked great on my tanned skin, but I think it will also look fabulous when I'm more pale in the winter. This is a new year-round staple shade for me, and I will definitely be picking up more Revlon polishes soon!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Tom's of Maine - tartar control & whitening toothpaste
Jexka 8/17/2012 3:41:00 AM
I picked this up because tartar control and whitening are the two major things I look for in a toothpaste. My teeth just aren't naturally white, and no matter how much I brush and floss, I get quite a bit of plaque built up in my teeth. I had high hopes for this, and while it wasn't awful, I didn't love it. The consistency was fine -- it foamed up well and left my mouth feeling clean. I felt that the minty taste was a little lackluster and it left a strange aftertaste in my mouth (I have that problem with every "natural" toothpaste I've tried). My main gripe is that this didn't really do anything for my teeth. After using a whole tube, I noticed no whitening benefits and I had the same amount of plaque buildup that I would have had using any other toothpaste. This wasn't the worst toothpaste I've ever used, but I won't be repurchasing this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Burt's Bees - Natural Flouride Whitening Toothpaste in Peppermint
Jexka 8/17/2012 3:35:00 AM
This toothpaste is awful. I'm a big fan of whitening toothpastes, so I decided to give this one a shot. I wish I hadn't, because this is seriously the worst toothpaste I ever used. First of all, this stuff is thick, almost paste-like, and it's very difficult to squeeze out of the bottle. It doesn't foam up much, so I don't feel like my teeth are actually being cleaned. This doesn't freshen up my mouth at all -- the mint flavor is barely noticeable, and this actually leaves a gross aftertaste in my mouth. To me, the aftertaste is like green tea, which I hate, and it leaves my breath just smelling weird. On top of all that, this did absolutely nothing to whiten my teeth. I know it's just toothpaste, but I was definitely disappointed with this stuff. There are plenty of other natural toothpastes out there that perform much better.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No