luckbealindsay
Member Since: January 24, 2011Reviews
Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Eye Makeup Remover
According to Benefit, this product is “Specially formulated to remove our bestselling They’re Real! mascara and They’re Real! push-up liner” as it “…completely lifts away waterproof eye makeup without tugging the delicate eye... +
According to Benefit, this product is “Specially formulated to remove our bestselling They’re Real! mascara and They’re Real! push-up liner” as it “…completely lifts away waterproof eye makeup without tugging the delicate eye area.”
There’s no question that They’re Real mascara and its new liner have impressive staying power and can’t be removed with a normal facial cleanser. But, with a just dime-sized amount of this eye makeup remover, they come completely off. I also found this product to be wonderful at washing off shimmery or glittery makeup.
Benefit recommends first applying the remover to a cotton pad that you then wipe across your eyes before rinsing it off but I found that I could easily skip the cotton pad part. Instead, I applied the remover directly to my eyelids and rinsed it off, along with all of my eye makeup.
But while this is a powerful eye makeup remover, it’s also quite gentle. Benefit claims that it is “Suitable for sensitive eyes & contact lens wearers” and as a sensitive-eyed contact lens wearer, I completely agree. This product didn’t irritate me at all; it didn’t even sting when a bit of it got into my eyes.
This is hardly the first effective eye makeup remover that I’ve come across but it is the first cream-based one I’ve ever used and I quite like it. I took it on my recent trip to Chicago and it travelled very nicely; much better than a liquid one would.
Benefit clearly realizes how travel-friendly this product is as it offered it in a 15 ml size that retails for only $8 US (sadly this offer is only available directly from its site and not from Sephora). There is also a larger, 50 ml size that goes for $22 at Sephora in Canada. Since a little goes a long way, and since you really only need this product when you’re wearing waterproof or heavy eye makeup, one tube will last for quite a while.
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AVON Plump Pout Lip Gloss
I want to start by saying that this product is $8 (and if you wait for a sale, you can get it for $4). I’m highlighting this right off the bat because while this isn’t an amazing plumping lip gloss, for $8, it’s pretty damn good. It does... +
I want to start by saying that this product is $8 (and if you wait for a sale, you can get it for $4). I’m highlighting this right off the bat because while this isn’t an amazing plumping lip gloss, for $8, it’s pretty damn good.
It does actually plump up your lips a bit. It’s nothing dramatic, at least not on me, but my lips did look fuller with this product on then with it off. Like most plumping products, this one did make my lips tingle but unlike some other similar products, it didn’t make them feel like they were on fire, causing me to rush to the bathroom and wash the stuff off (true story).
The actual gloss is a bit of a goopy product though the sponge-tipped applicator allows you to put it on fairly easily. Once on, you feel a bit of stickiness but, like I pointed out before, this stuff cost $8.
What I like about this gloss, besides the fact that it does plump, is that it’s glossy without being too glossy. The colour I use, pink nectar, is also a nice balance between being natural and colourful. In other words, this is a really good day product, since it perks up your lips without making them look too flashy.
I wouldn’t really call this a long-wear lip gloss since it does come off on glass (again, it cost $8) but on the flip side, it doesn’t dry out your lips like some of the long-wear lip products do.
The only other downside is that Plump Pout Lip Gloss comes in a small range of colours that likely won’t work for everyone. Too bad, because for $8 this is a good, little lip gloss.
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Mark by Avon Mega Volume Next Day Spray
I really, really wanted this product, from Avon’s Mark line, to work. Its claim is that it, “Refreshes hair between shampooing, helps remove buildup and reduce oily appearance to revitalize your style.” Sadly, it does none at that. At most... +
I really, really wanted this product, from Avon’s Mark line, to work. Its claim is that it, “Refreshes hair between shampooing, helps remove buildup and reduce oily appearance to revitalize your style.”
Sadly, it does none at that. At most, this lightly-scented spray might make your hair smell a little fresher but it won’t make it look or feel any less greasy.
I’ve tried applying this stuff in different quantities, thinking maybe that was the problem but nope, no difference. And yes, I did follow the instructions that tell you to spray from six inches away.
So while other people have had luck with this stuff, I have't. Thankfully, there are tons of other versions of this product out there and I will definitely be looking into them because while I know that baby powder does the same trick, it can be kind of messy.
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The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream
I love this product even though I really shouldn’t. For one thing, its main selling point is complete bull. The back of the jar says this, “Community Trade seaweed and oil-balancing technology condition and mattify where and when skin needs it... +
I love this product even though I really shouldn’t. For one thing, its main selling point is complete bull.
The back of the jar says this, “Community Trade seaweed and oil-balancing technology condition and mattify where and when skin needs it, to control shine throughout the day.” I don’t know what exactly “oil-balancing technology” is but you certainly aren’t finding it in a $16 cream.
This vitamin E-containing product will give you a clean, matte look when you first put it on but that look will only last if you stay in an air-conditioned room or it’s winter.If you slap this stuff on and go outside on a 30 day, you will still end up shiny.
Then there’s the fact that this is being marketed as a day cream even though it doesn’t have a key day cream ingredient: A broad-spectrum SPF.
Because of that last point, this isn’t my daily moisturizer even though I wish it could be. It’s somehow this perfect mix of richness and lightness and it just feels so amazing on your skin, like you’re using a product that costs far, far more than $16.
While it’s not rich enough for use on dry skin, it is a great cream for those of us with normal-oily skin, providing moisturize without any heaviness or shine. It’s ideal for use on rainy days or any night under your primer and yes, it does absorb quickly.
It does have a faint oceany smell that I personally love but if you’re sensitive to scents you’ll want to skip and the rest of The Body Shop’s seaweed line.
Speaking of that line, I also have its face mask and I’ll have to get a review about that up (sneak preview: I don’t love it as much as I love the day cream).
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The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask
While I don’t love this member of The Body Shop’s Seaweed line as much as I love its day cream, I have to give it full points for having accurate packaging claims. And those claims are this, “Revitalises, deep cleanses and reduces excess... +
While I don’t love this member of The Body Shop’s Seaweed line as much as I love its day cream, I have to give it full points for having accurate packaging claims.
And those claims are this, “Revitalises, deep cleanses and reduces excess oil.”
With kaolin as the first ingredient and a type of clay as the third, this stuff does indeed reduce oil. And while it’s no Bioré strip, it does a good job of deep cleaning. After you wash off an application of this mask, your skin will look brighter, matter and you’ll be down a few blackheads.
I also find that this product is a great way to “prep” your skin for a real, deep manual cleaning.
The “revitalises” bit of the packaging claim is a little trickier to agree with but I do have to say that this mask does make your skin look revitalised. How it makes it feel is another story.
The big reason why I love the day cream version of this product so much is that it just feels amazing on my skin. I cannot say the same of the clay.
It goes on like a cold, thick paste and then tightens as it dries. At a certain point, the tightening sensation turns to a mild burning one. There are no actual instructions for this product, no “leave on for 10 minutes” line. Instead, you know to when to wash it off because your skin basically says, “Get this crap off of me.”
But while it might feel like it’s burning, I’ve never actually had any kind of visible reaction to it. In fact, my skin’s always looked great after I’ve used.
Because of all of the above, I do have mixed feelings about this product, which costs $22 a jar. I will certainly keep using what I have but once it’s gone, I think I’ll give another clay mask a try.
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MAC Cosmetics Select Tint SPF 15
Recently, I did a clean-out/inventory of my bathroom cabinets and came across a wide assortment of products, many of which will be reviewed here over the coming weeks. To start, I’m going to look at an item I already use on a semi-regular basis:... +
Recently, I did a clean-out/inventory of my bathroom cabinets and came across a wide assortment of products, many of which will be reviewed here over the coming weeks.
To start, I’m going to look at an item I already use on a semi-regular basis: MAC’s Select Tint SPF 15.
I actually didn’t buy this item; I was given it by my sister who bought it in the wrong shade, NC 20. Thankfully this pale colour matches my own pasty skin fairly well so I do wear it, but only on days when I’m looking for light coverage.
This is one of those products that’s main-selling point is also its biggest flaw: It’s very lightweight. This means that it’s ideal if you have fairly good skin and just need something to even everything out. And mixed with a bit of green concealer, you could probably use it to cover mild redness. But don’t expect it to do much more than that, it’s just not pigmented enough to cover any real issues.
On the plus side, once it’s on, it feels like you’re wearing nothing and while it will sweat off, it will also certainly last the work day, assuming you work in an air-conditioned office.
While this product has a matte finish, it starts off as a liquid and a liquidy one at that (does that make sense?). This makes it nice for dry skin (though do moisturize first since this isn’t actually a moisturize) but I would avoid it on oily skin since it would probably slide right off.
At about $30 a bottle, this stuff isn't cheap and there are comparable products out there for a better price. While it is certainly a decent product for lightweight coverage, this definitely isn't a must-have item.
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