satojoko
Member Since: April 14, 2010Reviews
Advil Liqui-Gels
These pain killers work well, but the price is outrageous. Considering that Advil is simply ibuprofen in a fancy package and capsule, I'd rather spend less money and get an absolutely massive bottle of generic ibuprofen at Costco which will last... +
These pain killers work well, but the price is outrageous. Considering that Advil is simply ibuprofen in a fancy package and capsule, I'd rather spend less money and get an absolutely massive bottle of generic ibuprofen at Costco which will last me for 2 years. These little bottles of Advil, even the so-called 'large' ones, last a very short time. When we were buying them, we were constantly having to replenish our supply.
Do they work? Yes. And they work well. Menstrual cramps, headaches, migraines (if you catch them when they first SPROUT their ugly horns), joint pain, toothaches, sore back, strained muscles, etc. But I don't notice them being any more effective than my Kirkland brand ibuprofen that I bought at Costco. I also question using pharmaceuticals all the time rather than natural means of killing and easing pain, such as aromatherapy oils, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc. In the end, all products like this - generic or brand name - just mask the pain. They don't fix the problem causing the pain. Personally, I prefer to get to the root of the problem and kill it then and there so it never returns.
Would I buy these again? No. Far too expensive, and as I said, my generic ibuprofen work just as well. I also see my homeopath and acupuncturist when I have pain that is recurring and of the same type. Medicines like this are a killer on the liver, my friends.
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Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
I was really loving these things until I found out there is (supposedly) formaldehyde in them. THAT is a deal breaker for me. Do they clean well? Yes. I don't waste them on cleaning the tub or sink simply because they ain't that cheap, kids... +
I was really loving these things until I found out there is (supposedly) formaldehyde in them. THAT is a deal breaker for me.
Do they clean well? Yes. I don't waste them on cleaning the tub or sink simply because they ain't that cheap, kids :-) When it comes down to it, they work out to be far more expensive than regular cleaners I already use which are effective. As soon as you wet them and start rubbing, the white side begins slowly disintegrating, bit by bit. Considering they don't last that long if using them on a regular basis, you're then left with a sponge with no active product remaining which, I think, most people will throw out. NOT environmentally friendly, to say the least. Unless the company comes up with some kind of biodegradeable sponge for the blue side, it will always be a product that is contributing yet more waste to the planet. Our planet.
All that aside, they are effective. They work really well for removing black scuff marks off walls, spills that have splashed on walls and left stains, scuff marks on white shoes, black soled shoes which leave black scuff marks on white floors, etc. And they don't leave behind that dreaded 'grey' spot on your drywall that other cleaners do after removing a mark or stain. I haven't found much else to use them for as I don't want to waste them on cleaning the bath tub.
I bought them once and seriously question whether or not I'll buy them again. Even if you use gloves, formaldehyde is still toxic to our water, which runs down the pipes and eventually ends up polluting more of the environment. And formaldehyde can also be inhaled. So gloves won't do it. I don't feel like suiting up with a mask and gloves just to clean the walls. Thanks, but no.
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LUSH Angels On Bare Skin Facial Cleanser
This product is great because it works, doubles as a scrub and a mask, and makes your skin very soft with shrunken pores. The price, however, leaves a lot to be desired. I got a tiny bit of this as a sample when I ordered another Lush product from... +
This product is great because it works, doubles as a scrub and a mask, and makes your skin very soft with shrunken pores. The price, however, leaves a lot to be desired.
I got a tiny bit of this as a sample when I ordered another Lush product from their website. Again, I will whinge about their outrageous shipping rates. I sent a package by overnight courier within the same area last week that cost just as much as waiting a week for this to be shipped from Vancouver to Surrey. Suck up the shipping costs Lush, seriously. You charge more than what is fair for your products already. That, or send out your orders by courier for the same cost. Scheisters.
Anyways.............this product, unlike Coalface, is spectacular. Had I known that, I would have ordered THIS instead. Yes, the packaging sucks. A lot. But the product is not meant to be taken out in chunks and left in your shower. No scrub or mask is. It WILL disappear. ll you have to do to keep it moist is throw it all in a zip lock It will keep forever, especially if you throw it in the fridge in the zip lock bag. Just break off a piece as needed. You need a small amount of this product, which is like a big blob of wet clay, mixed in the palm of your hand with just a bit of water. I initially scrubbed my face and neck with it and then left it on my skin for about 30 minutes as a detoxifying mask. Wonderful stuff. Have not found one better.
I'm working on a dupe of this that I can make at home because I can't justify paying the ridiculous price plus shipping. I've been in a wheelchair since August and have really been learning a great deal in regards to online shopping since then. Good companies will send out your products from the other side of the country for no shipping or just a nominal charge like 1 or 2 dollars Greedy companies, like Lush charge $7 and more to ship one piece of soap across town.
Won't be ordering from them again. Ever.
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LUSH Coalface Cleanser
I ordered this product through the Lush website. Once I got over choking about the price, I bit the bullet and bought some. I wanted to see if it was effective in helping a recent problem I developed with the skin on my back/chest. Just overly oily... +
I ordered this product through the Lush website. Once I got over choking about the price, I bit the bullet and bought some. I wanted to see if it was effective in helping a recent problem I developed with the skin on my back/chest. Just overly oily for some reason. Very strange.
Let it be known, that to ship one stinking piece of soap to my residence, it cost approximately $7. That's from Vancouver, BC to Surrey, BC. From there to me, it's take about 30 minutes to drive. I order packages from Florida and New York which cost approximately $4 to ship to Canada. WTH? I DID complain. Alot. But being that I've been in a wheelchair since last August, online shopping has become a lifesaver for me. Not just a convenience. It's a necessity. Sending my husband out to get my female bits and pieces is hopeless, as sweet as he is. So I had little choice but to suck it up.
First, I have to say CAUTION. DO NOT RUB this sucker directly on your face! I made the mistake of doing this, thinking I was going to check out how well it exfoliates. Well, it exfoliated the skin right off my face. I looked like a cat had gone schizoid on it! There are some very sharp pieces in that there bar of soap. I also did the same thing to my back and chest. Likewise. I was seriously torn up. They really need to warn customers about this. What if somebody decided to rub it against a child in the tub?? I'd be seriously p1ssed if it were MY child and I'd be at the store giving them a piece of my mind. Strangely, it doesn't feel that rough and scratchy on the skin, just slightly grainy. But wow. Really bad.
It does lather up ok, although not with huge sudsy lather. If that's what you look for in a soap, this isn't the one. The smell, quite honestly, I didn't even notice it. No big thing. I was also disappointed in the size of the product. They definitely advertise it sneakily on the website and make it look far bigger than it is. I bought a chunk of black African soap which is 12 times the size of the Lush product - I was STUNNED when I got it and with a shipping price of $4 from Florida - and paid half as much for it. I'll stick with the African stuff, which is 100% natural and hand made in Africa. Nothing but palm oil and baked plantain leaves and peels in it. Mix them together and they saponify naturally due to the acids in the charred plantain material. Anyhoooo.....
Did it help my skin problem? Not even a little bit. Considering the hefty price tag and the craptastic shipping price, I would expect SOMETHING to happen. It shoulda been dancing on the rim of my toilet bowl. Nuthin. Totally useless. I mean, come on, it's soap. I used to manufacture aromatherapy products, and I KNOW, that even for me making stuff on a small scale from high grade organic ingredients, this stuff doesn't cost anywhere NEAR that much to produce, package and market. Not even close. And MY soap did help skin conditions. It was beyond great. Coalface was ok on my face, although nothing special. It didn't dry it out excessively or anything. But man, do you have to rinse. And rinse and rinse and rinse. It takes some work to get the residue off. And then I had to use my rose hydrosol with a woven cotton pad and wipe that all over my mug to get the remainder off. This is getting a 'doesn't work' rating for effectiveness because it simply doesn't do anything out of the ordinary that regular soap does. It cleans. That's it. Big deal. So does Lysol and a toilet brush.
Overall, not at all impressed. My husband tried it as well, as I usually ask him to try the products I buy as well. He didn't think it was anything great either. I have combination skin, medium in color, which is prone to get reddish around my nose area. he has much darker skin which is quite oily and does get the occasional zit. I don't have much problem in the blemish department. I do break out sometimes, but nothing spectacular.
So that's 2 people who tried it and think it just ain't worth the price.
But Lush sent me a sample of Angels on Bare skin. Now THAT is spectacular. I'm working on mixing up a dupe of it, because quite frankly, the price is a rip off. Great product, but I am not digging that deep into my pocket, especially since I have quite a bit of experience mixing up masks and scrubs myself. Thinking about putting out a book with a bunch of skin care recipes in it.
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Emergen-C 1000mg Vitamin C Super Orange
These are great little packets that really do help me maintain my health. I went to their company website some months ago and tried to get a coupon which was advertised. I had problems with it, so emailed the company. They apologized, told me a lot... +
These are great little packets that really do help me maintain my health. I went to their company website some months ago and tried to get a coupon which was advertised. I had problems with it, so emailed the company. They apologized, told me a lot of Canadians were having problems redeeming their coupons even when they did get them, and offered to send me 5 samples of my favorite flavors. Really? Hell yes!
I got them a couple of weeks later, stuffed in an envelope. My favorite flavor is pink lemonade. Yum yum yummy. Drinking these with my multivitamins gives me an extra boost of energy whenever I need it. This is also the only way I can get my husband to take vitamin C. His country sells Redoxan tablets, which are basically the same thing in a solid form form, but somewhat lower in quality. So this is something that is familiar to him.
The other thing I really love about these products, and there is an entire line of them, is the different flavors - which are AFAIK natural - and the fact that I can take them with me in my bag without the fear of them opening up and making a mess. I usually carry a couple with me where ever I go. If I feel the need, I just buy a bottle of water or take my stainless steel bottle from home already filled, and dump one of these puppies in. DON'T SHAKE! It could explode in your face when you open it up. Has happened to me! hahaha Better than buying one of those ridiculous 'vitamin waters' or some other crappy energy drink. Of which many are loaded with sugar, sucralose, caffeine, etc. They also come in different varieties, such as Joint Health, Immune Boost (?) and several others.
They're a bit pricey when you look at them on the shelf. BUT if you figure the cost per packet out, it really isn't. Less than a coke would cost you at McDonald's. And good for you. A box lasts a while, they're no more expensive than vitamin C tablets of decent quality, they have many other minerals mixed in with the vitamin C (something plain old vitamin C tablets DON'T have), the vitamin c being in a liquid form means your body absorbs it more easily and very quickly, and there are no tablets or capsules involved. You can also safely give it to kids, although you might want to split a package up into a couple of portions, because of the fact that there's 1000mg in each package.
Definitely worth it.
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FUZE Beverages
I drank a few of these during my long hospital stay. I can't say much that's good as to the quality or the flavor. I mostly drank them because I was in hospital for well over a month and was sick and tired of drinking those pathetic little... +
I drank a few of these during my long hospital stay. I can't say much that's good as to the quality or the flavor. I mostly drank them because I was in hospital for well over a month and was sick and tired of drinking those pathetic little cups of what they call 'apple juice' every day.
First of all, they are far too sweet. These beverages are loaded with sucralose, which is better for you than white suger - according to my homeopath/naturopath - but nonetheless IS chlorinated sugar, they are over sweetened and are not of high quality. I noticed absolutely no type of energy boost, which I should have in my condition, and they sometimes made me break out in massive fits of stomach cramps. Once I figured that out, I stopped drinking them.
This is definitely NOT something I would give to a child. Never in a million years. Much as I would never give a child a soft drink. They would have no reference as to what REAL fruit tastes like and I can very easily imagine them becoming addicted to this overly sweet taste. Kids develop their preferences for healthy foods and drinks at an early age. This would not be a good product to get them started on.
If you need an energy boost, buy yourself a juicer - they can be had for under $100 now - and make up your own blends of FRESH juice from your favorite fruits and vegetables. It's fast, easy, wickedly healthy, sugar and sucralose free, and DOES give you a massive boost of energy. Especially if you drink it in place of your regular cup of coffee or tea first thing in the morning. You'll be amazed at what it does for your skin, hair, nails and digestive system. Not to mention your immune system. Juicing at home after I got out of the hospital literally saved my life at the time.
I give this one a big fat MISS.
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Signature Minerals Mineral Foundation
I have to agree with the first reviewer of this product. I bought this as part of their sample pack, in which you get bunch of their products: foundation, a finishing powder, blush and concealer. Come to think of it, I ordered a shadow with it and... +
I have to agree with the first reviewer of this product.
I bought this as part of their sample pack, in which you get bunch of their products: foundation, a finishing powder, blush and concealer. Come to think of it, I ordered a shadow with it and didn't receive it. I got 2 blush instead. Grrr.....
The foundation color I chose was 5.3 (can't remember the name of the color, but the number on the lid is 5.3). I had the same problems with it. No coverage whatsoever, so it's pointless to even use it. If all you're looking for is some oil blotting, use some silica. It will work better. The color is quite nice, but it disappears as soon as you apply it. Even if you applied several layers of this, you'd get jack out of it. I tried. I wanted to like it. Sadly, this is another dud.
The container for the samples is even smaller than the $12 foundation, but people should be putting their mineral foundation into a little bowl to use with their kabuki anyways, so that wasn't an issue for me. It comes with a sifter, unlike some other companies' sample packaging, which was nice, and with a piece of sticky stuff over the holes so it wasn't an explosion of powder the first time I opened it.
The concealer I ordered with this, in Bisque, I find not too bad. It's not a heavy duty concealer, but I can use it for some spot treatment and over areas of my face with a bit too much pink or red in them.
I found the texture once on the skin ok. Not a problem. And it's scent free, thankfully. But yes, the coverage, or lack thereof, is a definite problem. Won't work for you unless you've got perfect skin without a mark on it. Which is very few of the female population. Even if it was $5, it still isn't worth the cash.
The blush which came with the sample pack is ok. I ordered Buff Apricot, if I remember correctly. It's ok. Nothing special. Very sheer, and peachy. Ok for those day when I just want a tiny, tiny bit of color and no shimmer. This one's flat out matt.
I'm very thankful I got only the sample pack. I would have been very upset, and turned off mineral foundation completely, had I ordered the full size. I initially purchased this when I finally decided to give mineral foundation a try and see if it's all it's hyped up to be. Some are and some are definitely not. It's always better to order samples, and lots of them, before deciding on a full sized product. I've been disappointed by so many products from my online shopping addiction. I mean, 176 eye shadows that I won't use WTH? My justification? It was cheap, and on sale, to boot. Regardless, it's still a waste of money to not try out samples first.
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The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes
This is, hands down, the WORST eye shadow I have ever purchased.And I use the term 'eye shadow' loosely. It's more like eye frosting. $22?? Head on over to MAC if you want to spend that much money. At least it won't be going in the... +
This is, hands down, the WORST eye shadow I have ever purchased.And I use the term 'eye shadow' loosely. It's more like eye frosting. $22?? Head on over to MAC if you want to spend that much money. At least it won't be going in the toilet. I recently bought 2 eye shadow duos from MAC, which were $23 each, and are spectacular. I don't always go for the MAC, as there are some other decent products out there and MAC is a lot of the time overpriced, but dear god, given the equal price tag, get the MAC!
I bought the 16 palette of this line, the one shown in the photo above. I tried to use it once. 2 times. Three times! Rubbish. It is composed mainly of talc and corn starch. Meaning it does not stay where applied. Put it on your lid, it winds up under your eye. Try to use it as a liner, it's now on your cheek. The color payoff is absolutely pathetic, foiling it made me look like The Happy Hooker - nothing against hookers, as most I've seen have far too much sense to be using products like these because their business depends on looking good - and the overall quality is just unbelievably bad.
Sure, there's a lot of it. Which means nothing. You've paid for a lot of something you'll never use. Oh, sorry, last night I found one use for it when doing my face before going out for dinner. It can highlight your lips really well if you dab it on the center of your upper and lower lip, over your lipstick or gloss. For that, it stays in place. Made my MAC Lipglass look spectacular, more than usual. Other than that, it's trash. $22 for a lip highlighter? Of which I can only use 3 of the colors for my lips. It'll last til my corpse has turned to dust. The 'black' cube applied nowhere near black. It goes on as a dark, shiny grey. Apply the pink one on your eyes and it looks like you've been boozing and cruising for a week straight. And the white one goes on silvery white. Big deal. I've got a million shadows like that and they're a dime a dozen.The one I found as the best highlighter for lips is the beige/brown colored one. Which does not go on as brown. It goes on as a highly frosted off white. Again, big deal. Horrible horrible horrible. Except as a lip highlighter.
I have never been impressed by makeup from the Body Shop, other than a Tinted Glow Enhancer that I bought online (incidentally, their online shopping is worth checking out). THAT product is nice and doesn't make you look like you stuck a neon light in your jack'o lantern head. These Shimmer Cubes are nothing but junk. The packaging is ok. You get a lot of product, and each color is packed in its own separate cube, which are then placed into the heavy duty plastic box. So I can take just one with me for a crazy night of lip highlighting WOO HOO! But seriously, the product belongs in a dollar store. I wouldn't even buy it for that price, though. Even as a highlighter for the brow, it screams 'I just got my first makeup and I'm trying real hard to look purty'. At least you could use the plastic box to protect your condoms, I guess.
I like my makeup to look classy. Not trashy. This one's a dud and it's going BACK. Receipt or not. I'll trade it in for some of their Nutraganics products, of which I'm enjoying using, because the ingredients are high quality and effective. The Shimmer Cubes are anything but!
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Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
This is one product I cannot live without. I was first introduced to oil absorbing sheets in Indonesia around 1999. All the women use them there due to the heat. It really gets your skin producing oil. ESPECIALLY when you slap some makeup on. Yuck!... +
This is one product I cannot live without.
I was first introduced to oil absorbing sheets in Indonesia around 1999. All the women use them there due to the heat. It really gets your skin producing oil. ESPECIALLY when you slap some makeup on. Yuck! They used to make these only out of tissue there, which does work (very thin tissue paper). They started selling ones like this by 3M about 4 years ago. I saw my assistant using them one day and jumped on her. Where did she get them??
I started buying these in Indonesia (under a different name brand but exactly the same product). I used them every day. When I returned to Canada many years later, I was happy to find them here too. But for OVER $6???? Not so bloody happy!! The only place I've seen a generic type is in Shoppers Drug Mart, and they were still stinking expensive.
Besides the price being a complete and total rip off, these DO work. Spectacularly. I have to have them in my bag at all times. It's panic mode when I run out. This has taken the place of me applying powder to my face throughout the day. That just winds up looking cakey and feeling heavy. I apply a mix of silica and other things - my own concoction - only once, right after I finish applying my makeup, which helps the oilies, but I don't use powder again during the day at all. Just these little suckers. They soak up the grease like a sponge and leave your skin looking completely matt. Not to mention the fact that they in no way disturb your makeup. Even if you blot them over your blush, eye shadow (for people who get oily lids - although I have tested them with this), it doesn't come off on the sheet. I use every single corner of one - due to the price - til it's saturated, and then throw them out. Because they're super thin, you can also fit them into the areas around your nose and sop up all of the oil from there as well. And the tiny package fits in a pocket, a tiny hand bag, anywhere. LOVE LOVE LOVE EM!!
I keep mine in my little cosmetics bag which holds my lip gloss, perfume, etc, or in one of the side zip pockets of my purse, so the sticky tab on it never gets dirty. It shouldn't anyways, as it's always stuck to the next one in the package.
Seriously, these are absolutely unbelievably great. Don't wipe them over your face unless you're not wearing makeup. If you're wearing makeup, just lay it down flat on your oily areas and watch it soak that gunk up.
I have GOT to find a cheaper generic alternative for these, because the price is killing me. I don't mind paying for good products, but seriously, the cost of these are outrageous, considering the material they're made of.
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Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
I received these as a free sample about a month ago, along with a $2 coupon. Which is always appreciated. There is nothing that ticks me off more than a company that sends out samples without a coupon. Hello?? Incentive to buy?? The application... +
I received these as a free sample about a month ago, along with a $2 coupon. Which is always appreciated. There is nothing that ticks me off more than a company that sends out samples without a coupon. Hello?? Incentive to buy??
The application method for these is the same as previous Pore Strips, although I've never followed the directions. I normally put the strip under slowly running water for just a second and then slap it on. The less wet they are, the worse the results are. They could have improved the way it fits around the nose. Maybe make a few extra side slits so it doesn't just sit on top of that crease beside a person's nose. Everybody's got gunk in there they want to get cleaned out.
Do they work? Yes. But no better than previous 'models' :-) The results definitely do not justify the jacked up price. Because of this, I won't be buying them unless they are on sale, and definitely NOT without a coupon. There is simply no way that Biore/Kao Brands can come up with a good enough explanation as to why they are seriously ripping people off for these little suckers. If they removed every single blackhead a person might have, sure. But they don't. Which is also the reason why I won't be buying the new ones which are meant for the cheeks and forehead. They're even MORE expensive!
Far too much hype over these. That being said, I do use them from time to time, but I certainly don't and will not be using them every week.
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