emma2080
Member Since: February 17, 2014Reviews
Batiste Waterless Cleansing Foam with Coconut Milk
I received this product free to try from Chick Advisor. As a fan of the original Batiste dry shampoo I was really excited to try this and see if it worked as well. I have to say I was extremely impressed by this, and I think I may like it even... +
I received this product free to try from Chick Advisor. As a fan of the original Batiste dry shampoo I was really excited to try this and see if it worked as well. I have to say I was extremely impressed by this, and I think I may like it even more than the original dry shampoo! First off, it has a very light, refreshing scent to it. I really enjoyed the smell but it was barely noticeable once it was in my hair, which I liked because it made it clear they weren't trying to make you feel like your hair was "clean" just because they made it smell really strongly. I also found it super easy to use: you apply it just like you would any hair styling mousse. It was really light weight, it went into my hair easily, and as promised, within about a minute my hair was no longer wet. It does say that it doesn't leave a residue, and I did find this to be the case. My hair did not feel sticky, or stiff, nor did it make it greasy. Now for effectiveness. Is this going to make greasy hair look like you just shampooed it? No, definitely not. However, it certainly does refresh your hair. My hair did look less greasy, lighter, and cleaner than before using it. It is definitely not a substitute for washing your hair (but it doesn't claim to be either) - but it IS great for giving you one extra day between washes. Overall I think I will be buying this again in the future! I can't really speak to value, as I haven't yet seen this show up in stores, but if it is a similar price to their dry shampoo ($8-$10), then I definitely think it's worth the money. -
Dove 0% Aluminum Deodorant Cucumber & Green Tea Scent
So I got to try this deodorant free from ChickAdvisor and was interested to see if it was any good. I gave it an average rating for value because I had to give it something, but I actually don't know how much it costs because I couldn't find it for... +
So I got to try this deodorant free from ChickAdvisor and was interested to see if it was any good. I gave it an average rating for value because I had to give it something, but I actually don't know how much it costs because I couldn't find it for sale on any websites and didn't have time to look in stores before having to post my review.
First thoughts upon taking it out of the box were this: It's a large deodorant stick - taller than my usual brand, and the packaging is very minimal and visually pleasing (white, seemingly uncluttered, etc.). I say this in pretty much every review, but I am a HUGE scent person - if I don't like how a product smells, that pretty much kills it for me right off the bat. This deodorant has a very light and refreshing scent to it when you smell it (cucumber and green tea). I liked how in order to get the deodorant to come up for you to use you twist the entire base. My usual brand just has a little wheel build into the bottom that you turn, and I like the ease of turning the whole base, it was a nice feature. When I first applied it, I noticed it has a slightly wet feeling, but not sticky. When I wiped my finger across it I could feel that even for a stick deodorant it is much wetter than my typical brand. Now this isn't a negative per se, but it did take some getting used to the feeling (the wet feeling did go away about 5 minutes after applying). I did notice that throughout the day I would occasionally get a whiff of the scent - this could simply be because it was a new smell and I had become so used to my usual that I don't notice it anymore. I didn't notice that it got any white streaks on my shirts, although this has never really been something I have had issues with in the past, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the actual deodorant, or if it's just how I put my shirts on? For the most part it did keep me fairly dry, although there was some sweaty-ness after some mild physical activity. One thing I didn't love was that after sweating a bit, the once refreshing scent turned not so pleasant. It almost became a musty sort of smell that I really didn't enjoy. Again, this is not something I have ever noticed with my normal brand.
I suppose the biggest thing I was curious about was this whole 0% aluminum business. Honestly, this is not something I have ever taken any notice of and I actually had to google it to see why there is aluminum in deodorant and why you may not want it there (I also checked my usual brand and yup, it contains aluminum). Now fair warning, I did a very VERY basic research job and the gist of what I could find out is that aluminum is put in deodorant in part to block your sweat glands to keep you dry. This may make sense as to why I found this deodorant didn't keep me quite as dry as I'm used to. Then I researched WHY you may not want aluminum in your deodorant, and apparently (as with seemingly EVERTHING ELSE on this planet) there is debate about whether the aluminum gets absorbed into your underarms and can increase your risk of breast cancer. Now from the very brief research I did, it seems that there is no conclusive evidence that this actually happens and there is no warning from medical professionals about the use of aluminum in deodorant. If this is something that concerns you, or you are someone who is really, really careful with what you put in and on your body, then I encourage you to do far more research than I did to see whether or not this is something you want to be concerned with. Personally, the links were so far off and so iffy that I can't be bothered to spend any of my time or mental energy worrying about aluminum in my deodorant. So after coming to this conclusion, I took that out of the equation and decided that based on everything else I noted about the product, I didn't love it enough to switch from my usual brand. Don't get me wrong, it was fine. It did a decent job of what it was supposed to do, and I may have liked it more with a different smell, but it didn't wow me and I still like my usual brand better, so that is what I intend to keep on buying. But like I said, if you are someone who may be concerned with aluminum in your deodorant I encourage you to do some more research and to give this product a try. It is good enough, just not really for me.
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Vichy Pureté Thermale Perfecting Toner
I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor. I have used toners in the past, but usually when I was having issues with my skin. This is the first time I have used a toner as part of my general daily routine. The first thing I noticed was... +
I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor. I have used toners in the past, but usually when I was having issues with my skin. This is the first time I have used a toner as part of my general daily routine. The first thing I noticed was the smell - I honestly have no idea if it is scented and supposed to smell like it does (and if I'm supposed to be able to IDENTIFY the smell), or if this is simply the way the ingredients smell when put together, but I really like it! It smells, clean and a little sweet - honestly it's really hard to describe, but smell is a huge thing for me - it can kill a product for me before even trying it - and I do like this one! It's definitely easy to use - I just squirt a bit onto a cotton pad and wipe it around my face. I find it leaves a clean, cooling feeling as I use it, and this is enjoyable. It is recommended to use this product after cleansing to remove any residue still remaining in your pores, and I do find that the cotton pad seems a bit dingy after use - suggesting to me that it is cleaning away some residue left behind from my cleanser. It doesn't seem to dry out my skin too much (it says it doesn't contain alcohol), but I do moisturize my skin right after, so this may help too. I also find it doesn't irritate my skin at all - but I don't have super sensitive skin either. Overall I generally like this product. Here are the few negatives: First, the back of the bottle has like 5 different languages on it, and English is last - so it took a bit of searching before I was able to locate the instructions for use - it would be nice if the English was put in an easier to see location (like first?). Also, when I looked it up, it appears this product is $19.95 at Shoppers Drug Mart. This is more than double the cost of the toners I have used in the past, and I can't say that it works any better. Overall I enjoyed using this product, but I'm not sure I would pay that price for it. -
Vichy Mineral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster
So I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor and I was really curious to try it. It's called a "fortifying and hydrating daily skin booster", and to be honest, other than hydrating my skin, I'm not totally sure what that means. My first... +
So I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor and I was really curious to try it. It's called a "fortifying and hydrating daily skin booster", and to be honest, other than hydrating my skin, I'm not totally sure what that means. My first impression was that I really liked the packaging - it comes in a really nice glass bottle that just seems really fancy - it's nice to look at in my medicine cabinet. You only need a really small amount of product to cover your whole face - 1-2 pumps is plenty, and after a month of use, the bottle still looks almost full. The serum is supposed to go on right after cleansing your face - it feels silky between your fingers and has no smell to it (which is good since the product claims to be fragrance free!). When I put it on my face it goes on smoothly, but it then feels a bit sticky to the touch. Once the product is fully absorbed, this stickiness completely goes away, and this takes only about a minute. I like how quickly it is absorbed into your skin because as the first step in my routine, I want to be able to move on to the next thing without waiting forever for this to settle into my skin. Here's where I wonder a bit about the product: the package claims "plumped and toned skin - healthy glow". After over a month of use, I honestly can't say I see a noticeable difference in my skin. Overall, I like the product - it's fast and easy to use - and I definitely don't find any negative effects to using it. It's an easy enough product to fit into my routine. HOWEVER, I looked this up and it costs $39.95 at Shoppers Drug Mart. I am someone who is willing to shell out for a product that really makes a difference, and I'm not sure this product does that. I will definitely keep using this until it's gone, and I may consider buying it again if it went on sale, but I don't think I noticed enough of a difference to make it worth $40 to me. While it has a lot of great things about it, I am unsure of the effectiveness at this point. I'm willing to keep using it and will report if longer use shows more prominent results. -
Tetley Super Herbal Tea IMMUNE - Lemon & Echinacea with Zinc
I really, really enjoyed this tea that I got to try for free from Chick Advisor. It had a light lemon flavour that was very refreshing. It did leave a little bit of sediment in the bottom of the cup, but it blended in more with a bit of a stir... +
I really, really enjoyed this tea that I got to try for free from Chick Advisor. It had a light lemon flavour that was very refreshing. It did leave a little bit of sediment in the bottom of the cup, but it blended in more with a bit of a stir. One thing that I really love about this tea is that not only was it very tasty hot, but this will be a tea that can be enjoyed iced during the summer months, as the flavour is as delightful no matter what the temperature! I will definitely be purchasing this tea in the future! -
Tetley Super Green BOOST Berry Burst with Vitamin B6
I was a little nervous to try this tea because I don't usually like berry flavours, but I was pleasantly surprised! The berry flavour was smooth, with just a hint of actual berry - it wasn't overpowering or over-fruity. This one left a little more... +
I was a little nervous to try this tea because I don't usually like berry flavours, but I was pleasantly surprised! The berry flavour was smooth, with just a hint of actual berry - it wasn't overpowering or over-fruity. This one left a little more sediment in the bottom of the cup compared to the lemon tea that I tried, but it wasn't a big deal. The berry burst flavour had a pleasant aftertaste - fresh almost. I did find though that this tea tastes best piping hot - it is not as enjoyable as it cools down. -
Tetley Super Green ANTIOX Tropical with Vitamin C
This was a very aromatic tea - the most fragrant of the 3 I was able to try for free from Chick Advisor. It had a mild flavour that was still pleasant to enjoy. This tea was enjoyable to drink, even as it cooled. Sometimes green teas can have a... +
This was a very aromatic tea - the most fragrant of the 3 I was able to try for free from Chick Advisor. It had a mild flavour that was still pleasant to enjoy. This tea was enjoyable to drink, even as it cooled. Sometimes green teas can have a bitterness to them, but this one didn't, which was surprising in a good way! I liked this tea and would probably buy it again. -
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream
I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor. Honestly when I pulled it out of the box I wasn't sure what to think. We got a very small trial size tube (7mL) and all the package said was 'Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream' - it didn't explain... +
I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor. Honestly when I pulled it out of the box I wasn't sure what to think. We got a very small trial size tube (7mL) and all the package said was 'Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream' - it didn't explain what the product was at all - so I kind of had to assume it was a moisturizer. I was doubtful that I would even have anything to say about this product because the sample size was so small, but it honestly lasted me way longer than I expected!
Depending on how much you use - this 7mL sample can last 2-3 weeks of once a day use.
Here is what I noticed while using it:
It doesn't really have any scent/fragrance/odor to it - and for me, this was actually a positive. Smell was the main reason why I did NOT like the other 2 products that came with this one. It goes on nicely - it isn't greasy, sinks in fast, and doesn't leave my skin shiny. Once it was on, I basically couldn't even feel it. It was not heavy (very light), didn't feel gritty and left my face feeling nice and smooth.
Honestly, I'm still not 100% sure what thus product is supposed to do, as I didn't notice that it did much after a few weeks of use. It moisturized, but not any better than other products I have used.
The cost for this product is $19.97/47mL, and the moisturizing gel cream that I have been using is $15.97/50mL - so the Neutrogena product is a little pricier than my normal brand, but not much in comparison to some of the other products (which were 5X more expensive at least).
I did like this product, and don't really have anything negative to say, other than that it's a bit pricy. Honestly though I think I prefer the brand I was already using. However, if you are looking for a new Gel cream moisturizer I do recommend trying this one - it has a lot of positives and very few negatives, and might just be perfect for you.
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Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50
So I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor and honestly I was torn on how to rate this product. Here are the things I loved about this product: It does feel really good on. It's cool when you put it on, which would be nice in the hot... +
So I got this product free to try from Chick Advisor and honestly I was torn on how to rate this product. Here are the things I loved about this product: It does feel really good on. It's cool when you put it on, which would be nice in the hot weather. It soaks in quickly and feels really light once on. It isn't sticky or heavy like some higher SPF sunscreens - you almost forget that you are wearing it because you can't even feel it once it's on. I also love that it's an SPF 50 - often the higher the SPF, the less I like the feeling of wearing it, but this gives great protection and feels nice on.
When you squeeze it on to your hands it looks more like a light blue cream than a gel - but this is really a non-issue. It goes on nicely and you don't end up with white streaks.
Here is what I don't like about it: I found it to have a really strong smell - and it wasn't a smell that I liked. Since we have had a really cold April here, I really only used it on my face as I wasn't wearing t-shirts or capris outside yet, and honestly I found I had to wash it off because the smell of it on my face was driving me crazy. I'm also not sold on the value - at Walmart you pay $15.99/88mL. For my normal brand (which I love), I pay about $9.99/240mL. This makes the Neutrogena sunscreen almost 5X more expensive per mL than my normal brand, and honestly I don't think the positives are worth this cost.
So as I mentioned at the beginning of my review, I wasn't quite sure how to rate this product. It works well and has some great features, but is it worth the cost? Not to me. I will definitely use up the rest of what I have - although I will use my normal sunscreen on my face and this on the rest of my body where hopefully the smell won't be an issue.
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Neutrogena All-in-One Make-Up Removing Cleansing Wipes
So I got a 7pk of wipes to try free from Chick Advisor and overall I thought they did a good job. Some of the things that I really liked about these wipes are: First, they are a great size. They are larger than the wipes I usually use and didn't... +
So I got a 7pk of wipes to try free from Chick Advisor and overall I thought they did a good job. Some of the things that I really liked about these wipes are: First, they are a great size. They are larger than the wipes I usually use and didn't realize that this might be a feature that makes a difference. The larger size made it easier to hold on to while wiping my face, and it gives it lots of surface area for cleaning. This can be especially good for people who wear a lot of heavy makeup, as you can clean your face using only 1 wipe, instead of multiple. I must admit I don't wear very much makeup on a regular basis, so for the sake of giving an honest review, I put on some very dark smoky eye shadow to test these wipes against my normal ones. I have to say, aside from the nicer size, they did a slightly better job than my usual brand, but only marginally. It did make it a little easier to remove and worked a little better than my normal ones. I remember seeing commercials for these wipes though, and they certainly do NOT remove all traces of makeup with one swipe. Having said that, they did do a great job and I'm sure I'd never have to use more than one wipe, even on a heavy makeup day,
Now for the things I wasn't thrilled about. First off, the smell. I find that they smell a bit chemical-y and/or perfume-y and I did not love that. I prefer my usual brand by far in terms of the smell - if I'm cleaning my face, I want it to feel fresh and clean and NOT smell weird. The other thing I'm not a fan of is the price. I can get a 2X60pk of my usual wipes at Walmart for $7.38 (or $0.06/wipe) - these wipes cost $9.97 for 25 wipes (or $0.40/wipe). Although I do like the larger size, and they did do a good job, those features alone aren't worth the 6X increase in price - especially when you take in the fact that I don't like the smell of them.
Overall, if you are willing to pay the price, you might really like these wipes - the smell may just be an issue for me. Honestly though, I can't see paying that price.
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