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Member Since: March 4, 2011Reviews
Batiste Dry Shampoo Blush Floral & Flirty
Oh Batiste, I enjoy the original formulation of your dry shampoo and I had high expectations for the floral version but they were not to be. The aroma of this version is massively over scented, and it sticks with you ALL DAY. Don't even attempt to... +
Oh Batiste, I enjoy the original formulation of your dry shampoo and I had high expectations for the floral version but they were not to be. The aroma of this version is massively over scented, and it sticks with you ALL DAY. Don't even attempt to wear perfume or other aromas because all you will smell like is sickly sweet flowery bubblegum. The actual product works fine but the scent ruins it. -
Scotch Essentials Adjustable Hem Tape
Short girl woe #233 - I need to hem every single piece of clothing I own. But I also have gotten very good at buying pants that can be folded up or adjusted for heels vs flats. BUT then I'm constantly adding safety pins in and out of pants and... +
Short girl woe #233 - I need to hem every single piece of clothing I own. But I also have gotten very good at buying pants that can be folded up or adjusted for heels vs flats. BUT then I'm constantly adding safety pins in and out of pants and turning them into giant pincushions.
Until now!
I'm a believer when it comes to the Scotch Essentials Permanent Hem Bonding Strips, but how did I feel about their semi-permanent friend? Well, pretty friendly, overall. I like the idea of an adjustable option that doesn't require safety pins to keep my hems clean, but I found the stick-um removal process, rather sticky. Putting the adhesive on was pretty straight forward.
1. Turn item inside out.
2. Measure hem
3. Rip off strip of tape
4. Apply along seam, press firmly.
5. Remove top of tape, press firmly to seal. Voila!
But the removal was definitely trickier. Not sure if I like this option nearly as much as the permanent bonding. I'd rather just do this once and get it over with.
*I received this product for review from the Chickadvisor Product Review Club
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Scotch Essentials Easy Fix Button
OK, I get it. Buttons can be a bit annoying for people who don't feel comfortable with a needle, but really? It's not that bad. But if you're really stuck in a pinch, the Scotch Essentials Easy Fix Button isn't a bad idea either. To be entirely... +
OK, I get it. Buttons can be a bit annoying for people who don't feel comfortable with a needle, but really? It's not that bad. But if you're really stuck in a pinch, the Scotch Essentials Easy Fix Button isn't a bad idea either.
To be entirely transparent, the easy fix is literally a pin that has an adhesive on the top so you can 'fake' your button. But it''s really and truly a gold pin that you stab into your shirt. I wasn't a big fan of this solution because I hate the feeling of a pin stuck against my chest (since the buttons on the most sensitive parts of my chest are usually the ones that fly off.) But, in an absolute pinch, it's better than nothing. I'll keep the rest of these in my drawer at work JUST IN CASE I'm in this situation again, but I don't think I'd buy it.
*I received this product for review from the Chickadvisor Product Review Club
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Scotch Essentials Permanent Hem Bonding Strips
As a short girl, I know a few things about hems. I also know that hemming a garment is the most ANNOYING part about the clothes-buying process. Every, single, pant I own that is not a capri needs to be hemmed. Even petite pants need to be hemmed. I... +
As a short girl, I know a few things about hems. I also know that hemming a garment is the most ANNOYING part about the clothes-buying process. Every, single, pant I own that is not a capri needs to be hemmed. Even petite pants need to be hemmed. I could keep a tailor in business for life.
And then in comes the Scotch Essentials Permanent Hem Bonding Strips and my life is FOREVER changed. No longer do I need to take a $20 pair of jeans to a tailor for a $10 hemming job. I can do it myself! The adhesive strips were super easy to figure out. All I needed to do was flip my pants inside out, determine the hem (measure, always!), wet my fingers (yeah, didn't learn that with the first strip) and stick it to the pants and rub it in for good measure. I didn't do the adhesive along the seam with my first pair of pants, so the hem job isn't perfect, but I know better for next time. I also tested this on a cheaper pair of pants the first time around too just in case.
Honestly, this is a game-changer to a girl like me with no access to a sewing machine and no patience to hand-stitch a hem. I'd totally recommend this to any other short girl in need of an easy, DIY hem job.
*I received this product for review from the Chickadvisor Product Review Club
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Coppertone Sunscreen Lotion Sensitive Skin Faces SPF 50
(I received this for free as part of the Chickadvisor Product Review Club) I was skeptical when I first received this product because most drugstore-brand facial sunscreens that I've purchased have always left my skin greasy and oily, prone to... +
(I received this for free as part of the Chickadvisor Product Review Club)
I was skeptical when I first received this product because most drugstore-brand facial sunscreens that I've purchased have always left my skin greasy and oily, prone to breakouts. I was surprised that this wasn't the case with Coppertone. It sat nicely atop my moisturizer and worked well to build my makeup over for the day. I didn't feel as if it suffocated my face, nor did it merely act as a barrier. My skin still felt smooth and protected. While I do have one or two I prefer that have slightly better textures, in a pinch I'd totally keep this one handy.
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Vichy Idealia Life Serum
I received this product from Chick Advisor to review as part of the Product Review Club. This serum is intended to be used under a moisturizer in the AM or PM, specifically with the Idealia Skin Sleep gel-balm. Through the use of gold and pink... +
I received this product from Chick Advisor to review as part of the Product Review Club.
This serum is intended to be used under a moisturizer in the AM or PM, specifically with the Idealia Skin Sleep gel-balm. Through the use of gold and pink micro-pearls, the serum definitely leaves the skin shiny and illuminated immediately after use.
I used this product under my gel-balm at night, and under my Purlisse moisturizer during the day. The serum was hypoallergenic and I found it did smoothe my pores... but really nothing else. The illuminating properties of the micro-pearls was nice, but not for the price point. If you already have a serum you like (I've been using my OZ Naturals Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C serum and I like it) stick with it and skip this one.
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Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep
I received this product from Chick Advisor to review as part of the Product Review Club. Vichy Skin Sleep gel-balm moisturizer unites a bunch of active igredients such as hyaluronic acid (a skin smoother and plumper) and glycyrrhizic acid, a... +
I received this product from Chick Advisor to review as part of the Product Review Club.
Vichy Skin Sleep gel-balm moisturizer unites a bunch of active igredients such as hyaluronic acid (a skin smoother and plumper) and glycyrrhizic acid, a compound found in liquorice root which prevents skin from flaking and helps it maintain moisture. Vichy's website recommended using the product 1-3x per week, but for the sake of this review, I decided to use it every day (also, let's be honest) my skin needed it. I received my products a little later than everybody else so I'm only updating now!
The gel-balm was pink, bouncy and very soothing on the skin, and each evening I would apply a medium layer over my entire face and let it sink in as I slept. From even the first morning after using Skin Sleep, I noticed my skin was softer and looked MUCH more relaxed and healthy! I was really impressed with how noticable the results were.
Two weeks later, I'm still finding that my skin is soft and supple in the morning, making me look rested even if I don't feel like I am!
The balm does have a slightly-strong smell of floral, almost a jasmine, but I find it didn't irritate me. People with more sensitive noses may need to smell it before buying.
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Batiste Dry Shampoo Original Clean & Classic
Due to the nature of my hair (thick, unruly, greasy) I always have a dry shampoo on my person, in my desk at work, in my gym bag and in my medicine cabinet. I've truly tried every brand there is, EXCEPT somehow, Batiste. I've heard good things about... +
Due to the nature of my hair (thick, unruly, greasy) I always have a dry shampoo on my person, in my desk at work, in my gym bag and in my medicine cabinet. I've truly tried every brand there is, EXCEPT somehow, Batiste. I've heard good things about this brand, that it's the do-all-end-all for dry shampoo, so I was curious to give it a try. (Disclaimer: i received this as part of the Product Review Club)
When it comes to aerosol dry shampoo, I find that a lot of them leave my hair with a strong, chemical 'hair spray' like-scent, but Batiste was surprisingly light in that department. It still had a 'soapy' smell but it faded in about an hour so I didn't feel like it was following me around all day.
I actually don't like dry shampoos that add 'volume' to your hair because I find it just turns into build-up that is really hard to wash out, but Batiste was good in that department too. I put some in my hair in the morning and by later in the day my hair actually looked better than it did in the morning. It absorbed quite well and when I washed my hair that night I didn't have to fight so hard to get it rinsed out.
I think I still prefer powder-based dry shampoos because I can control the amount of product and the distribution on my head (aerosol tends to BLAST with the nozzle) but in a pinch I might grab this again.
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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar
I've never been one to shy away from a bold lip colour and I'm surprised it took me so long to attach myself to the OCC Lip Tar trend. They offer a wide variety of styles (gloss, matte, metallic) in a vast spectrum of shades and tints, often... +
I've never been one to shy away from a bold lip colour and I'm surprised it took me so long to attach myself to the OCC Lip Tar trend. They offer a wide variety of styles (gloss, matte, metallic) in a vast spectrum of shades and tints, often encouraging ambitious users to blend colours together for an all-together new look. But don't let the name fool you, these aren't 'tars' that stick to your lips. They are hyper-pigmented liquids that act more like hardcore glosses than lipsticks.
I currently own Lovecraft, Pretty Boy, Nylon and Hoochie and I find that the consistency really depends on you. I highly recommend the primer to keep your lips from drying out (or any primer) and using a clear lipliner to really strike the definition and prevent feathering. (I find the metallics are more drying but also transfer less than the 'matte' formula)
This is NOT a lip product for the casual initiate, you need to really be dedicated to benefit from the power of OCC. But if you're cool with that? Then these are fantastic tools to enhance your look.
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Buxom Lash Mascara
Full disclosure: I'm a mascara snob. After years of using sub-par mascara and just thinking it 'wasn't for me', I'm now an evangelist for Benefit's They're Real, Lancome's Grandiose, and now? Buxom's Lash Mascara. I received a deluxe sample of... +
Full disclosure: I'm a mascara snob. After years of using sub-par mascara and just thinking it 'wasn't for me', I'm now an evangelist for Benefit's They're Real, Lancome's Grandiose, and now? Buxom's Lash Mascara.
I received a deluxe sample of this mascara in the summer from Sephora but I put it aside because I still had a few on the go. When my travel-sized work mascara ran out, I took the Buxom one, quite frankly, because it was small and fit in my little bag.
Good thing I did!
While They're Real and Grandiose are all about dark, dramatic lashes that are thick and full, Buxom's special brush helps elongate and emphasize each individual lash, giving me a simple mascara look, or a buildable option for heavier coverage. The wand is unique with 'barbs' on each end, which helps with the definition, but it's also pretty comfortable to wield.
A great mascara for your arsenal.
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