Lip Treatments -LUSH - Whipstick
aprettypetal 5/23/2011 10:46:00 PM
I liked the chocolate orange smell and taste of this. I also liked how it was quite moisturizing. However, the tin packaging of this where you have to dip your finger in each time to grab product is extremely unsanitary (I can't always use clean fingers when I am out in public with no access to a sink and restroom to wash my hands). The price at 6.95 Cdn is also overpriced for lip balm. I can find something similar for half the price or less at a drugstore. I only gave this a try because I am normally a fan of Lush products. Lastly, I found sodium borate (Borax) in this! I don't understand why Lush used this in a lip product. I mean yes it may help to preserve it, but it is also a skin irritant. Additionally, it may cause harmful side effects if ingested (research it for yourself if you don't believe me). I think my Whip Stick is going straight into the garbage... EDIT: I just checked out the ingredients of all other lip balms and tints. Both the lip tints, as well as None Of Your Beeswax lip balm are free of sodium borate. Therefore, I might try NOYB if I can get over the packaging, but not the tints for sure since I am not a fan of them.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bath Treatments -LUSH - Ma Bar Bubble Bar
aprettypetal 5/20/2011 11:56:00 PM
It smelled really good in the bar, just like HIWTKs. However, once I crushed it and ran water over it in the tub to make bubbles, I couldn't smell it anymore. It may be because I only used half the bar, but when I use half the bar of other bubbles bars like Pop In The Bath or Dorothy, I can still smell it in the bath. I might repurchase just to try again and see if I just got an old bar this time, and maybe another bar will still have a scent in the bath. The other thing I didn't like was that the brown part of the ma bar turned the bath water a muddy color, like I was bathing in dirty water. The bubbles were also not as long lasting as other Lush ones. Overall, not my favorite bubble bar - its just meh.
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Coco Lotion
aprettypetal 5/20/2011 12:30:00 AM
I got this as a sample, but I wouldn't buy it when its done. Its pretty moisturizing without being greasy. However, it doesn't smell like anything. I find if I'm spending more money on a product, especially buying things from Lush, then it should at the very least have a scent or smell good in addition to performing well. Its the unique perfume inside Lush products that make them worth buying and different. Since Coco Lotion doesn't smell, I might as well be buying an unscented lotion at the drugstore for half or even a quarter of the price.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Snow Fairy Shower Gel
aprettypetal 4/28/2011 1:09:00 AM
My favorite thing about Snow Fairy is its fragrance. I love its bubblegum, sweet scented goodness with a bit of a twist (kind of like lemon with cola). Like with most things Lush, it does seem to be over priced - luckily this one goes on sale after Christmas! The only thing I don't like about it is it tends to be drying to the skin, so I tried washing my hair with it. My hair is super soft after Snow Fairy, though I always follow with American Cream. So try this out if you find Snow Fairy drying for your skin, a lot Lush things have duo purpose :)
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Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Sultana of Soap
aprettypetal 4/28/2011 12:55:00 AM
EDIT: I bought an over 100g chunk of this for $6 something Cdn., and I cut it in half to use in the shower so it wouldn't melt as easily. It LITERALLY lasted me 5 days! So the entire chunk would last a total of *drum roll 10 days - that is ridiculous if you ask me. So for $5.95/100g Sultana may be one of Lush's cheapest soap, but for the time it lasts it is easily the most expensive soap! My other Lush soaps in the same size usually last me a month or maybe a little under that. I am not pleased and will not be repurchasing, unless I somehow win the lottery and can afford flushing money down the drain ;) Sultana is a bit moisturizing in that it definitely does not dry out my skin like some other Lush soaps have (i.e. So White soap, Angel's delight, and Alkmaar to name a few). However, this was what I had expected and what you can expect from SLS free soap - they are less drying to the skin. I knocked off 1 lippie because I bought Sultana thinking it was supposed to smell like blackcurrant and apricots like it says in its in store description underneath the name sign for it. I couldn't smell it in store (Lush stores are always very fragranced) but when I got home I smelt the woodsy part of it. It reminds me of some kinda of evergreen tree, maybe like pine needles. Sure enough if you read the long description of Sultana in the Lush Times they mention the "woodsy" part of the scent. As I'm into sweeter/floral/fruity scents like HIWTKs, I can't say I like the smell of Sultana, its berry scent is definitely over powered by the woodsy scent. In summary, I like Sultana for its moisturizing properties, but would probably not repurchase again b/c of the scent. (It also tends to melt very easily, a trade off with being moisturizing/creamy).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -New York Color - Maximum Boost Volumizing Mascara
aprettypetal 1/23/2011 11:02:00 AM
I have mixed feelings about this. It doesn't really clump which is a good thing, but it also doesn't really add volume either - which brings me back to my first point, maybe it doesn't clump because not enough product gets onto the wand, and consequently barely anything gets transfered onto my lashes. I don't know if this is because the formula is too dry, I got a defective tube (because some people said the formula was really wet), or maybe it's the packaging where the tube opening scrapes off all the mascara from the wand when I put it out. Anyway, I shan't be repurchasing!
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Powder -New York Color - Smooth & Natural Matte Powder Foundation - Metro Tan
aprettypetal 1/2/2011 12:30:00 AM
I liked the buildable coverage and finely milled texture of this - not cakey looking at all. However, I did get a shade or two too dark for my skin tone (in Metro Tan) and turned orange. I find that with this powder foundation the shades look a lot lighter in the package than on application. I'm gonna try Midtown Medium next and see what happens/give an update.
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Shampoo -Burt's Bees - Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
aprettypetal 1/1/2011 7:14:00 PM
I have to say I was impressed by this product. I used it yesterday, and to my surprise it foams up really well. I also noticed when my hair dried, that it had stripped all hair products and oils (natural & synthetic) that was weighing my hair down and causing it to look flat - thus giving volume back to my hair. However, I wouldn't use this every time I shampoo my hair as it would make my hair really dry. I'm going to use a regular, more gentle shampoo and then when I want to get rid of product that has built up in my hair, I'll use this for an extra clean.
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Lip Gloss -Wet 'n' Wild - MegaSlicks in #576A Rose Gold
aprettypetal 12/26/2010 7:46:00 AM
Cheap lipstick taste. Smells like chemicals. Zero color payoff. Hard to get any product out of the tube. Totally not worth even the 2 something I paid for it. This and the Wet 'n' Wild blush I tried, means 2 strikes. Its gonna be a while till I try one of their products again.
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Lip Gloss -New York Color - Liquid Lip Shine Dusty Rose 549A
aprettypetal 12/23/2010 6:07:00 PM
This is a great lip gloss! The color is so pretty, a purple-pink with gold shimmer. There's no disgusting plastic smell - it just smells like peppermint (I have the new version with the black lid, as the old version apparently smells bad). Its also not sticky or goopy, just a perfect consistency that's not too thin nor too thick. As for the price, its really a great deal for this amount of quality. The only thing keeping me from giving this a perfect rating is the lasting power, it is so-so (just like most lip glosses). I'm still on the look out for one that meets all other requirements AND lasts long. EDIT: I just happened to notice this has petrolatum (which is carcinogenic) listed as one of its main ingredients, so I recommend not to use this frequently. EDIT: Okay I just knocked off another lippie, b/c the packaging does not keep the gloss inside the tube where its supposed to be - the product oozes out and makes a horrid sticky mess!
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Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Silk Finish Blush 831D Pearlescent Pink
aprettypetal 12/23/2010 5:49:00 PM
I bought this because its supposed to be a dupe for NARS Orgasm blush. However, besides the gold shimmer in it, Wet 'n' Wild's Pearlescent Pink blush looks nothing like it. There's way too much red pigment it to show up as peach on my skin (though I guess it could work on darker complections). Anyway, besides the above I also found that the gold specks that made up the "shimmer" were of different sizes, and the powder not finely milled enough - factors that made it very difficult to achieve an even and natural application on cheeks. Its a very crudely made product that doesn't deliver at all, make it not worth even a small amount of money. So my advice is to pick up instead Jane's version of NARS Orgasm, which is maybe 2 or 3 dollars more and works wonderfully :)
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Bourjois - Blush
aprettypetal 12/21/2010 7:53:00 PM
Packaging is really cute with the button closure and handy mirror inside the compact. The product itself lasts REALLY long on the face and in the container. I've used mine more than a few dozen times, and it looks like its brand new (I haven't made a dent in it at all). I have this in Lilas D'or and its a peachy-pink with gold shimmer, I've also tried 2 other colors - but felt that this one suits my skin tone the most - so I can say the shimmer in the blushes doesn't really show up as such but rather like a glow. The shimmer is very fine, making the blushes very natural this way. I think my only complaint is that the powder blush was pressed extremely hard together, such that I have to use a brush with really stiff, hard bristles and scratch at the surface of it in order to get a decent amount out for one application. I find it sort of annoying, but this little flaw is also why the blush lasts forever and I never end up over applying the blush and looking like a clown. Overall, I would recommend this if fragrance is not an issue (all Bourjois products are scented), and for $19 Canadian this is a steal! It will last you years with everyday use, so make sure you pick a color you love.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Burt's Bees - Radiance Exfoilating Body Wash
aprettypetal 12/17/2010 12:38:00 AM
Don't buy this! I tried the sample size of this in my radiance kit and I'm glad I did and didn't buy the full-size. It smells like hair dye, does not foam or lather well at all, AND it leaves your skin dry (okay maybe the last part is good for people with oily skin). Basically, the 3 problems with the product that I mentioned is consistent with what other reviewers have said. None of us got a defective bottle or anything, the product is just not good. A better alternative is the citrus and ginger root body wash which I have tried also (foams well and leaves skin soft), the only thing I would suggest is to check out the smell before buying it in the store as some people might not like it.
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Lips -Burt's Bees - Radiance Lip Shimmer
aprettypetal 12/14/2010 10:31:00 PM
The packaging could be better as I could not twist extra product back into the tube. I think it is partly because of the thin tube, a thicker tube like the regular Burt's lip balm I have (and do not have the same problem with) would be better. As for the formula (I have this in Radiance), it is way too creamy; feels weird on my lips (b/c of the menthol); and melts (probably another reason why I can't twist the product down). I would recommend skipping these lip shimmers and trying the regular pomegranate or mango lip balms for those interested, the mango one is the most moisturizing. If you're looking for a bit of color the pomegranate one adds a nice pink color to lips (of course it will only show up on light skin tones with light/medium pigmentation on lips).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Burt's Bees - Milk & Honey Body Lotion
aprettypetal 12/12/2010 9:30:00 PM
The smell of this is intoxicating, just way too strong. It has this really sweet smell to it, that I think if were toned down a lot would be okay. Right now it just smells like artificial coconut cake and chemicals. And I can smell it really strong after applying it on my arm. This also does a so-so job at moisturizing, and I think it is to do with the thin, runny texture of the lotion. Overall, I'm not pleased with it - it smells rancid/does not moisturize well. I'm glad I only have the mini version I got in the Burt's Essential Body Kit. EDIT: Okay I'm bumping this up to 3/5 instead of 1/5. The smell isn't so bad/fades after a while, and it certainly smells better than the radiance body lotion that I tried recently. However, I don't think I will repurchase, since there's better lotions out there.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No