Product Reviews

Tea Tree Oil Skincare System from The Body Shop


I'll be the first to admit that I break out regularly, sadly. Finding a product to banish my breakouts has always been difficult for me, since many products don't seem to do what they claim. I discovered The Body Shop back in May and have been eyeing their products longingly. I began buying their products during the summer and really liked them. First, let me just tell you a little bit about The Body Shop. The store has awesome products made from natural ingredients - perfect essential daily products to keep in your skincare routine. I also love that they often do promotions where you can buy 3 items and get 2 free or buy 2 items and get 1 free. #Savings #iLoveGreatDeals! Anyway, the first thing I bought was the Tea Tree Oil facial cleanser, which performed well but I still felt like there was something missing...

On t.v. acne treatment systems are always advertised. It made me wonder what was so great about 3-step systems that include a wash, toner and lotion. But maybe that method works? That's what I figured when I decided to buy the Tea Tree Oil system from The Body Shop. Maybe this is it. Maybe this method will effectively banish my breakouts. I went to the store and sat with one of the consultants who showed me exactly how to use their system and walked me through each and every one of the products. I happily purchased all four products.

The routine I followed goes like this: I washed my face with the Tea Tree Oil exfoliator twice a day. Afterward, I use a cotton pad to apply the TTO toner. I then apply the Drops of Youth serum and finish with the Skin Clearing Lotion. I've been following this routine for nearly two months now and I feel that if there might be any progress, I'd start seeing it now. I realize that all products take time to work (trust me, you don't need to tell me that twice). Here's what I have to say about each product:

1. Tea Tree Oil Exfoliator: 
#1 in the system is the Tea Tree Oil Exfoliator, which I paid $15 for. I like exfoliators because they help lift away dead skin cells. This scrub did not irritate my skin at all and always left my face feeling refreshed. Maybe the scent also has a hand in this, but regardless, I always feel energized after using this scrub. A dime-sized amount is really all you need because, as you can probably see from the picture, I am nearly out of exfoliator!

2. Tea Tree Oil Skin Clearing Toner: 
Toners seek to balance your skin. They also further clean off whatever leftover dirt might have been stuck in your pores. What makes this toner special is that it contains a special powder formula that leaves your skin matte after application! I was super excited about this because I have naturally oily skin and when I wear foundation, I don't like to see that greasy shine on my face! In order to activate this formula you must shake the bottle well before every application. The scent is as delectable as that of any toner. I definitely felt like this toner had a hand in drying up some breakouts, which is fantastic! I also love that the bottle is rather large. Two months in and I still have about 1/3 of the bottle remaining! I paid $18 for this toner because I got the 13.5oz bottle. There is a cheaper option (8.4oz) which sells for $13.

3. Drops of Youth Serum: 
I usually don't try to buy anything that claims to "defy age" or basically anything with the word "youth" in its name but here's what got me to put up the money for this product: The consultant told me that this brightening serum works to fade acne marks. She had me at acne marks. They basically dominate my face and any system that includes a product to fight them sounds pretty good to me. The serum is light and extremely non-greasy. In two months I definitely noticed a positive difference in the appearance of some marks on my cheeks so I'm really happy about that! The only problem I saw with this product lies in the packaging: It's supposed to be a dropper-type complex but you don't squeeze a rubber thing at the top to draw the product. Instead, you press down on a raised section on the cover. This is extremely annoying and ineffective. I feel that a normal pump would have sufficed. I paid $10 for this product because I chose the smaller-sized bottle but this product comes in a larger bottle for about $18, I believe.

4. Skin Clearing Lotion: 
I was just a tad bit iffy about putting up $14.50 for this product because I usually don't like applying lotions or creams to my face because I have oily skin and can only see them making my face even oilier. Like the toner, however, this lotion works to mattify your skin after application. It didn't disappoint! A little goes a long way, so beware - if you apply too much you will inevitably see a greasy T-zone by the end of the day. I don't think that the lotion itself does anything to physically clear my breakouts, HOWEVER, I feel that it is an essential addition to the system because the Toner tends to slightly dry out certain areas of your skin. For me, the area around my mouth were beginning to become very dry so applying this lotion saved my skin there!

Overall, I'd say that I like the outcome where my skin is concerned. If you get small breakouts from stress or certain foods or anything along those lines, this system will have your skin revitalized and de-pimpled in as few as three days. However, I breakout hormonally as well and found that this system was NOT effective in treating my big hormonal breakouts. It still, however, managed to make sure that my skin was kept clean at all times, though the hormonal breakouts took a while to subside. I'd like to continue using this system, nevertheless since the overall appearance and texture of my skin has improved.

What's your favorite skincare system? 


bareMinerals BLEMISH THERAPY REVIEW 



So I was in the market for yet another product that could banish my breakouts in a few days because let's face it - breakouts suck so much and you just want them to disappear as quickly as they appeared! Unfortunately, not everyone has that good fortune and I am clearly not one of those people.

I like an acne product that leaves my skin feeling good and can diminish my acne in, at most, three days. I know, I know, these things take time, there is no such thing as a miracle product, you cannot have overnight results no matter how hard you try, blah, blah, blah. This kind of product is still ideal, however, though unattainable.

In any case, I was shopping around and went to Sephora with a specific product in mind. The Sephora I went to didn't have the product in stock and what they did have didn't seem like it'd be okay with me. So I went to Macy's and browsed around the makeup and skincare section. I laid eyes on the bareMinerals Blemish Therapy. It was packaged in a nice box and I read what was written on the outside. The product contains about 6% sulfur, which I didn't mind since the product I was going to purchase from Sephora also contained sulfur. The directions I read said to swirl the brush in the product and apply to the affected area. Brush? I was skeptical so I took a peek inside the box and, needless to say, there was the small handy brush pictured above and a small pot of product.

Cool, I thought. I had never used a product like this. It was only $18 which was great since I  have spent $80 in the past on a single product for my skin and I was prepared to spend $30 on the product I had originally had in mind. Obviously, $18 was a steal for me!

I got home and opened the package. The cute little applicator brush came out and so did the pot of product. I opened the pack and realized that it was a powder based product - just like blush or something! I was slightly disappointed because I thought it was a cream formula with a fancy applicator brush. I was still determined to give this product a shot.

That night after removing my makeup and going through my skin cleansing routine I applied the powder to my face. I applied the powder as a spot treatment to my enormous breakouts and went to sleep. I awoke to a less red face where my breakouts had slightly diminished. I've been using this product for one week now and have noticed decent results.

When I apply this product I make sure to remove all makeup on my face first with the help of ELF makeup wipes then I cleanse my face with the Acne Free Facial Cleanser. On day that I exfoliate, I use the Tea Tree Oil Exfoliator from The Body Shop. I like washing my face with water as warm a I can handle at first and when I wash the cleanser off I like using really cold water to close my pores again. I pat dry my face.

I use this product twice a day and I do use it under my makeup. I apply my pore minimizer from Benefit to a fresh face and then apply the Blemish Therapy to my spots. I like to let it sit for about three minutes before I proceed to apply my full face foundation.

Now onto the pros and cons...

PROS: 


  • Good price. Like I said, $18 was a good deal for this kind of product. I'm really sick of drugstore products that take three weeks to start working so I'm gravitating towards higher end products which are obviously more expensive, however, this product is pretty cost effective. 
  • Results in a few nights. This is way better than having to wait weeks for results! If you haven't already noticed, I'm super impatient. 
  • Easy to apply. There is nothing complicated about this product, though the fact that it was a powder formula threw me for a second. This is super easy to apply to your face - just get some product on the brush and pat it onto your breakout. 
  • Dries up the breakout. I love the fact that this dries out the breakout without drying out my surrounding skin. I generally have oily skin, however, in recent months it has been neither oily nor dry. 
  • Small breakouts are gone overnight. If you have tiny breakouts then you will definitely see them gone by the next morning! I love that about this product! At the same time I did have bigger breakouts which took longer to diminish. 
CONS: 



  • Needs a bigger pot. I can definitely see myself needing to repurchase in three weeks or less since I apply a generous amount of this product twice a day everyday. If I can get my product to last me a good month and a half to two months before repurchasing then this is a good plus for me. 
  • Stronger formula needed. This is probably me being impatient but anyone who has suffered with their skin problems totally has the undeniable right to be impatient here!! Though the current formula gets the job done in about a week or less I feel that a stronger formula would deliver even quicker results and thus even happier customers!! =) 
I don't have many cons on this product, which is a really good thing because I can be very critical of products! The product does smell of sulfur, however, it is of a very tolerable strength so I'm not listing it as a con.


I hope you all found this review helpful and will try this interesting acne product. The golden question: Will I repurchase? Yes, very likely!




SWATCH: SALLY HANSEN'S "BLUE ME AWAY!" 

Hey everyone! So one nail polish color that I am kind of obsessed with at the moment is Sally Hansen's Blue Me Away! because it's such a shiny, smooth, sky blue that no one should ever have to live without! I paid about $3.49 for a bottle of this nail polish from Walgreens. This particular line from Sally Hansen (Hard as Nails) isn't at all expensive yet it has great quality and great color pay off! 

I applied two coats of the polish to my nails. One thick coat is definitely enough because this is kind of a really opaque color, however, obviously, if you slather it on your nails the dry time will be way longer than if you were to take your time and apply two thin, even coats. 

On my ring finger I used black and white nail polish to create clouds in the sky - the blue nail polish was the perfect canvas for this! I actually use this design in a future post - I won't completely give it away, but let's just say that it had me buzzing happily with the results! 

This shade of blue is definitely a perfect sky blue. It isn't super light but also not super dark, which is great because sometimes a lot of the nail polishes I own are either really light and sheer or pretty dark and heavy - this is a great balance! 

This color is definitely amazing enough for you to wear plain on your nails but you can definitely spice it up a little with an accent nail like I did. This color is one of the very few colors I decided to take back to college with me. I dorm on campus and I didn't want to have a ton of stuff lying around my room like I did last year so I was extremely selective with many things, including nail polish, and I'm glad that this color made it past my "screening" process! 

Wear this color to add some coolness to any daytime outfit. People will probably feel calm just by looking at your nails! =)


SINFUL COLORS GOLD MEDAL

So I went to my local Walgreens yesterday for a few things and, of course, I gravitated towards the nail polish and care aisle. This time, however, there weren't too many colors that impressed me because I already had similar shades from a different brand or I just couldn't see myself using the color. Then, I spotted this gorgeous gold from Sinful Colors and snatched it up! Of course, I used it as quickly as I could, applying two coats, and here's what I had to say about it:

PROS:

  • True to color: With some cheap nail polishes you tend to have a problem with the color pay off - it's often not true to the color you see in the bottle, however, this gold nail polish is perfection
  • Gorgeous metallic: This has a gorgeous metallic sheen to it that is not overdone at all! I don't really like completely matte nail polishes but I don't tend to choose shimmery type ones either but I have never seen a more gorgeous metallic finish! 
  • Great for the price: Sinful Colors nail polishes are $1.99 which definitely in no way breaks the bank! I was super happy I snagged the last gold nail polish! 
CONS:

  • Took longer to dry: For some strange reason, the second coat took longer to dry than the first one did. Maybe I subconsciously applied a thicker coat the second time? This seems likely but overall, the polish still took longer to dry than most of Sinful Colors' other colors. 
When I finish this bottle I will definitely high tail it back to the store for more! I've definitely found my nail polish staple! I'm a huge fan of black nail polish but I'd say this beats it! Just in time, too because I'm going away for college again and didn't want to bring a ton of nail polish with me like I did last year so this will without a doubt be included in my tiny college nail polish collection!

The name of the color is called Gold Medal and is perfect for when you just need nice looking nails but nothing too fancy for class or a casual day. At the same time, I feel this is showy enough to wear at an event such as prom or a party! Seriously, this color is, like, Goddess status!


TRESEMME COLOR REVITALIZE SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER 
Image obtained from www.tresemme,sa
You may not know this about me but I dye my hair...A LOT. Since high school I've experimented a little with my hair color but when I started college I actually decided to buy a shampoo and conditioner combo that was meant for color treated hair. Shampoos specified for color treated hair do not contain harsh sulfates that can fade the color. For college I died my hair this pretty shade of auburn with a blond streak on the right sight. My hair color was super pretty and I wanted to make sure it stayed bright and lively! 

I bought Tresemme because I've used their products before and they are extremely affordable, usually work well, and smell BEAUTIFUL! If you are in search of a shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair then read on to find out my thoughts on this product: 

PROS:
  • Smells heavenly: It's no secret that Tresemme products have an angelic smell! The smell remains in my hair for hours after my hair dries and even after I straighten it! You gotta love a nice smelling product! 
  • Affordable: I believe I paid somewhere around $6.99-$7.99 for a bottle of the shampoo and conditioner which lasted me around five months each. I have thick hair that falls to my mid-back and since I have naturally extremely curly hair I wash my hair once a week. 
  • Conditioner leaves hair feeling soft and looking shiny: Absolute plus!!!! The conditioner (white bottle) left my locks soft and shiny looking! This is a great attribute because you want your hair to have a healthy texture, not a dry, crunchy texture! This is very important for color treated hair because due to the chemicals we use in our hair ending up with weak, brittle hair is not uncommon. 
  • Hair color looked brighter with almost every wash: The shampoo promises to protect color for up to 8 weeks and I feel like it definitely delivered on that promise! It seemed to make my hair color a little brighter than before when I'd use it. My friends would ask me if I had re-dyed my hair!! I'm so serious! I really love that about this duo! 
CONS:
  • Shampoo makes hair feel dry and stringy: For some reason my only problem was with the shampoo because it usually left my hair feeling kind of dry and stringy. To counter that I started lathering the roots and using less on my ends but once I applied conditioner and rinsed out my hair was right back to a soft and silky texture! 
I hope you guys found this review useful enough to consider the Tresemme Color Revitalize line as your next shampoo if you have color treated hair =) However, I will most likely be on the market for a new shampoo and conditioner dynamic duo because I want to dye part of my hair silvery/platinum for the new semester and I may need to find a pair specifically for toned hair. If this is the case I'll find something, use it, and review it for you guys =) If anyone has any recommendations for treating silver hair please let me know =)



VEET GEL CREAM
Image obtained from Amazon.com
Hey again! I'm back with another product review! This time I'm reviewing the Veet Gel Cream. It's one of those creams that promise easy and painless hair removal within five minutes! Golden, right? I, like billions of other girls and women, have accidentally nipped myself with the razor MORE THAN A FEW TIMES trying to shave my legs. Plus, sometimes I'm just feeling so lazy and I don't want to bust out a razor. I had wanted to start using these hair removal creams since I was in high school but my mom always cautioned me against them saying that she tried one a while back and it gave her a rash (she has very sensitive skin) though I was convinced that my skin wasn't as sensitive as hers. 

A couple of months ago I bought this same gel cream and was super excited to try it out in college. I was thinking goodbye razors! This product claims to be fast-acting; you leave it on for a minimum of just 5 minutes! It also claims to leave a smoothness that lasts up to 2 times as long as shaving. The formula that I purchased was the sensitive formula with Aloe Vera. No, I wasn't looking specifically for a sensitive formula, this just happened to be the first formula I saw and grabbed. By the way, that thing in the picture on the left side of the bottle that looks like a handle is actually a spatula that comes with the product that you're supposed to use to remove the cream after 5 minutes. 

So basically you apply a good amount to your legs (or any where you want to remove hair from) wash your hands, wait 5 minutes but up to 10 minutes then use the spatula to scrape off the cream, thus removing the hair. You also have to make sure you immediately wash the area thoroughly with cold water!!!! So onto my thoughts: 

PROS: 
  • Legs feel smooth: This product definitely left my legs feeling smooth and hair-free! I definitely noticed that my legs remained hair-free longer than they would have if I had shaved with a razor. I somehow have super leg hairs that grow stubble like two days after shaving but after using this product I was stubble free for at least a week and a half!!!! That's seriously crazy, but it definitely felt good to not have to think about shaving before throwing on a skirt for a good two weeks! 
  • No rash: This product did NOT leave any rash on my skin after washing off (God bless!)  
  • A lot of product: The bottle is kind of big and even though I didn't use it all up I can definitely see it lasting a good six months maybe. 
CONS:
  • Annoying smell: This product definitely has a kind of strong and annoying smell to it. It doesn't smell like coconuts and passion fruit but rather...chemicals. The scent isn't nauseating - it's tolerable but would've been cooler if it smelled a little better. 
  • BURNS: Okay let me say this: you know that any hair removing product that claims to get the job done in like five minutes is HELLA STRONG cuz it has some HELLA STRONG chemicals in there and I bought this product FULLY AWARE OF IT. This product burns a little when you apply it and while you wait for it to work its magic. At first you just feel a kind of tingle but it turns into a burn as the hair raises from its roots. It wasn't an intense burning feeling but it was enough to make me antsy and NOT want to wait out the full five minutes before removing! 
  • The spatula process is slow: It's actually more tedious than you might think it is to remove the cream using the spatula. If you're using the cream on like your armpits then this isn't so bad but on a larger surface area like your legs it's work yo! I'd much rather quickly wipe it off with a rag or tissue or something but the instructions say to scrape it off with the spatula...fun...
  • Kinda itches: Thankfully, this didn't leave a rash on my skin BUT after I washed it off with cold water some areas of my legs felt kind of itchy. Even though I scratched there were still no rashes or anything but I definitely feel like these are very powerful chemicals if the SENSITIVE formula leaves an itching. The itching is, however, temporary and subsides within twenty minutes or so. 
This gel cream leaves my skin with a silky smooth feel and look that really lasts! It's just a shame because I will NOT be repurchasing this product =( Honestly, the entire thing is time consuming. I wanted a quick way to de-hair my legs and thought this would be faster than a razor. You need to take time to slather it onto your legs, wait the five minutes MINIMUM, take more than five minutes scraping the cream off with a spatula, then you have to make sure you can jump in the shower to wash it all off THOROUGHLY. I honestly feel like a razor is a little faster than applying cream hair removers. The burning feeling and the itching just tops off my problem with this product. If the process wasn't tedious then despite the burning maybe I'd feel like powering through this.

POND'S EVENING SOOTHE CLEANSING TOWELETTES
Image obtained from Pinterest.com 


As you'll see down below the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes are probably my favorite makeup remover wipes ever!!! However, recently (like a few days ago) I ran out of my favorite wipes and couldn't find them in the store!!!! I just needed a quick find since I didn't have my usual wipes. I found these Pond's cleansing towelettes and, desperate for wipes, I just bought them. They were really cheap ($4.99 for 30 towelettes) and good for temporary use.

PROS: 

  • Really cheap: These only cost $4.99 for 30 pre-moistened towelettes. Definitely a bargain buy! 
  • Pleasant smell: These have a kind of chamomile and white tea scent and you've gotta love sweet herbal-smelling products! 
CONS:

  • Doesn't perform too well to remove makeup: The claim on this product is that it "Lifts away all traces of makeup." I don't completely agree with this. I found it difficult to remove all of makeup. These wipes barely put a dent in my eyeliner, too! Maybe it would perform better removing more sheer foundation and pencil eyeliner but this didn't completely remove my foundation and gel eyeliner. 
  • Over-saturated wipes: When I opened the package I saw these soap bubbles all over the towelettes. I'm not sure what kind of formula they use to moisten the wipes but I feel like they are over-saturated. Personally I don't really like that with my wipes. 
Overall, I would not re-buy these wipes. They were an okay temporary replacement but I wouldn't buy these to take back to college with me. My Neutrogena wipes are still superior to these because they get the job done with one towelette.

NEUTROGENA MAKEUP REMOVER CLEANSING TOWELETTES
Image obtained from Amazon.com


When I started college I felt I really needed a good package of makeup remover wipes to wipe off foundation, eyeliner, and mascara. Grabbing a makeup wipe was quicker for me than going to the bathroom and washing it all off with face wash - remember, my foundation is like heavy duty and built to not budge so mustering up the energy and the patience to wash my face in a college dorm bathroom was...tedious. As a solution I started buying makeup remover wipes to remove the makeup then I'd just wash my bare face with my face wash which was way easier than trying to remove all the makeup without a wipe first.

The first brand of makeup remover wipes that I tried was Burt's Bees Grapefruit and I liked it a lot because it smelled very pleasant, contained 30 pre-moistened towelettes, and removed most of my makeup. What I did not like about it was that I was paying $9.99 for wet mini towels to wipe my face at night. I was pretty much looking for a cheaper product when I tried out the Neutrogena wipes mentioned above. I bought a small package that contained 7 wipes first to see how I'd like it and I loved it!!!! Here's why:

PROS: 

  • Removes your makeup with one towelette: This is major for me because once you read my review of the Revlon Colorstay foundation you'll learn that I use very heavy duty foundation that doesn't come off for anything but THIS TAKES IT OFF VERY WELL!! Same with removing my eyeliner!! It comes of with just a few rubs! Performs better than Burt's Bees!! 
  • Nice smell: There is no obnoxious smell on this product. There is somewhat of a fragrance which may be a problem for some people with very sensitive skin, however, this did not irritate my skin at all. 
  • Good for the price: I pay about $7.99 for a pack of 25 pre-moistened towelettes and even though I get 5 fewer units than if I got the Burt's Bees wipes, Neutrogena performs better than Burt's Bees. I don't know what kind of formula Neutrogena uses but it works really well! 
CONS: 

  • Can dry out: This goes for pretty much all pe-moistened towelette packages - they dry out! It's just their thing! 
  • Haven't found a fragrance-free package: This can be bad for people with very sensitive skin. Like I said, this did not personally affect me but I'm listing it as a CON as just a warning to those of you whom it could affect. 
  • Doesn't really remove my mascara: As you'll see down below I use the Maybelline MegaPlush Mascara but I don't use the waterproof formula ever yet this towelette doesn't completely remove my mascara...It can power through my foundation and eyeliner (which are 24Hr) but I find it odd that it doesn't get out all of my mascara. What it can do is it'll take out some of the pigment but not all. Is there a makeup remover wipe that can completely take off your mascara? Let me know in the comments or email me! 
I will definitely repurchase these wipes because they are very convenient for me to have around, a little cheaper than some brands, and really gets the job done!

MAYBELLINE LASTING DRAMA GEL EYELINER 
Image obtained from Pinterest.com


I absolutely love gel eyeliner so much! When I first started wearing eyeliner I tried the regular eyeliner pencil in black, like most people do, and it didn't work out well at all for me! I found that my eyelids tend to be oily because the rest of my skin is oily so it was almost as though the eyeliner "melted" off my eyelids and got around my eyes. It just smudged way too easily and didn't look good at all! The first gel eyeliner I ever used was a drugstore brand, Wet n Wild, and it was fantastic!! I bought it for about $3.49 which is extremely cheap and there was alot of product in the pot in my opinion because I found that even though I wore it to school every single day for the entire school year (10 months) I still had some leftover product even after the school year ended! The fomrula was extremely pigmented (I got the darkest shade of black they had) and super creamy and actually stayed on my eyelid! I'd also line my waterline with it for a really dark look and it never irritated my eye (unless, of course, I actually got the product into my eyeball!!) This was pretty much my go-to eyeliner!

Then one day I ran out and went to my local Walgreens to buy more and THERE WAS NONE IN STOCK!!! I ended up reverting back to eyeliner pencil until I could get Wet n Wild back. Unfortuantely for me I never found it again =( so I had to look for a new brand of gel eyeliner and found reviews of the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner and since they were mostly really good reviews I decided to give it a go and I quickly and easily realized that I had found a replacement for my beloved Wet n Wild eyeliner.

PROS: 

  • Very pigmented: I too much love a good pigmented eyeliner. I always purchase the darkest shade available!
  • Lasts all day: It's great to be using an eyeliner that doesn't melt off my eyelids after an hour and a half! The packaging says that it is a 24Hr eyeliner and I can definitely say that it lives up to your expectations. I have actually fallen asleep with this eyeliner still on and woken up with it still intact on my eyelids! I kid you not! 
  • The price is very good for the quality and quantity of product: Like the Wet n Wild eyeliner, this Maybelline eyeliner lasts me over 10 months for a small pot of product. The price is around $6.99 and the pacage comes with an eyeliner brush to apply the product. 
CONS: 

  • The brush provided isn't the best: The eyeliner brush provided is like a small nub of soft bristles. It isn't my favorite kind of brushi to use because I feel like I have more control using a stiffer angled eyeliner brush, however, the Maybelline brush is good for getting into the inner corners of your eyes if you need to because it's so small. It depends on your personal preference, though. 
  • Can dry up if you leave it unopened or don't close it properly: This is one small setback that really doesn't happen often as long as you remember to twist the cover back on top of the pot when you're done. Do this and dry eyeliner will never be a problem for you! 
I definitely recommend and will continue using the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner! I'm so fixed on this product that I won't use any other brand of gel eyeliner! This is definitely and probably will forever be my #1 eyeliner. Also, the shade I buy this eyeliner in is called Blackest Black. If you're looking for a new eyeliner I definitely recommend you pick this up and give it a try!

MAYBELLINE MEGAPLUSH MASCARA
Image obtained from beautezine.com

So I've used quite a few mascaras during the time that I was on the hunt for the mascara that best suits me and a lot of them fell short of my expectations. The thing is that my eyelashes are naturally very long and curled which actually made it difficult for me to be satisfied with most mascaras because sometimes my eyelashes would end up touching my skin because the mascara promised length (I learned that length wasn't what I should go for!) My biggest mascara problem, however, was that it made my eyelashes look like "spider legs" because they were so long and the mascara would clump them together *shudders* Def not the look I was going for. 

I decided to give Maybelline brand mascaras a shot and ended up choosing MegaPlush (the non waterproof formula). I really don't like wearing waterproof mascaras because I find that they make your eyelashes extremely hard and crunchy and it just isn't a pleasant feel. We probably all like to think that there's a mascara out there that makes our eyelashes soft and fluttery and feel like a butterfly's wings <3 In my opinion this mascara comes close! 

PROS: 
  • Provided extra length without providing drastic length: Like I said, I already have naturally long eyelashes so length wasn't necessary for me but this mascara did put on just enough to make my eyes pop more!
  • Very pigmented: This was the main thing I was looking for in a mascara - I wanted something that was very pigmented because I like the look of really dark eyelashes. This mascara definitely delivers that! 
  • As close as you can get to eyelashes that feel like a butterfly's wings: Maybe it's the gel-mousse formula of this mascara? It does make my eyelashes feel softer compared to other mascaras which is a plus. I guess they don't call it MegaPlush for nothing! 
  • Super cute packaging: I think aesthetics plays a decent sized role in the consumption of a product. I really like going after products that have cute, brightly-colored, crazy, fun designs and packaging and the colors on this tube really catches my eye! I know, I know, people don't buy mascara for the pretty colors but it is kinda nice. 
  • No flaking: This mascara is always there for you! In the two and a half years that I've used this mascara I have NEVER experienced flaking of any kind which is a really good thing because it can be pretty annoying to have black specs fall on your cheeks, then you unknowingly swipe at your face, then you have a smudge of black makeup across your cheek, then you walk around campus the entire day looking like that and no one tells you anything and you finally realize it it when you go for a bathroom break and look in the mirror...that sound like you? 
  • Good for the price: I think I paid around $7.99 for this product but depending on where you buy it you can probably score it for $6.99 but rarely have I seen this being sold for more than $7.99. It is a very affordable mascara - maybelline in general is a very affordable brand.
CONS:
  • Takes a while to remove from eyelashes: I'm not really sure why seeing as I don't purchase the waterproof formula but I often find that I get tired of attempting to remove all the product form my eyelashes. After a few days of not wearing mascara it comes off eventually...
Well, I don't have many cons at all because this is a great mascara! I haven't even dared to try the high end mascaras like MAC or Urban Decay because I am in love with this one so much!!!! <3 A few other things I'd like to mention about this mascara are that 1. the wand kind of flexes a little bit to probably coat you eyelashes from any angle but I haven't really tried testing this because I just didn't need to. Kind of seems like an unnecessary feature. 2. I usually apply just one coat of mascara but I'd say anyone could cap it at two coats because this mascara does a great job! So it can give some added length, can give you pigment, doesn't give you flakes!

REVLON COLORSTAY FOUNDATION
Image obtaind from DealsDirect.au

This is my first ever review of a product!! I'm reviewing the Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily skin in the color 360 Golden Caramel. First, let me tell you a little bit about my foundation history: I have used many, many, many brands of foundation because I have some facial imperfections that I try to mask and because of this I'm very picky with my foundation...I was on the hunt for a foundation that had medium coverage, was affordable, and actually fit my skintone because the funny thing about my skintone is that I have light skin but yellow undertones so a lot of times in the past when I bought a foundation that I thought would fit me perfectly it actually looked ashen on my skin because it was meant for skin with pink undertones. It took me a WHILE to learn that too! Imagine how much money I must've wasted buying foundation I thought worked for me. 
I have used foundation from brands like Maybelline, Covergirl, Wet n Wild, L.A. Girl, New York Color, AVON, Mary Kay, and some other collections from Revlon, just to name a few so my experimentation with foundation is expansive. I came across Revlon's Colorstay collection and FINALLY found makeup that matched my skintone really really well!! *yeeees* So my foundation history aside, let's get into a product review...

PROS: 
  • Matched my skintone VERY well: I think I said enough about this and the next one. 
  • Medium coverage (also buildable)
  • Fair price for the quality ($14.99 at most stores): Because I buy foundation maybe every month and a half I don't want to buy foundation that costs like $30. This has quality of high end products for more of a drugstore price which makes it a great steal! 
  • Simple packaging: Nothing complicated about twisting a bottle cap! 
  • Options for Combination/Oily skin and Normal/Dry skin: Sometimes makeup can make your face oilier if you already have oily skin (like me!) and then you're basically walking around school with a grease pan for a face *boo* On the other hand if you have dry skin your foundation could end up drying your face out even more! It's great that this brand has a line for Normal/Dry skin and Combination/Oily skin within the same collection so you can make sure that you always use the right kind of foundation on your face! 
  • Doesn't make my face shiny/oily: like I said, I use the line meant for Combination/Oily skin and it definitely keeps its promise! Even when I sweat from working out you can't see it in my face! 
  • It hardly transfers: This foundation, as part of the packaging, is a 24Hr foundation so that the formula won't "rub-off." This is pretty true since I sometimes touch my face a lot subconsciously - I'll lean with my hands against my face and stuff like that - and the makeup doesn't come off. Even when trying to rub it off with a paper towel YOU DO NOT COME CLOSE TO GETTING ALL OF IT OFF YOUR FACE. I'll even admit to accidentally falling asleep with the makeup still on in my college dorm and when I woke up the foundation was more or less still in tact. 
CONS: 
  • It hardly transfers: This point is bittersweet because although the intact formula is good if you need makeup that stays "fresh" for several hours straight it can take a really long time to completely remove all traces of it from your face which can be annoying...
  • Can be streaky: If you're not careful this foundation can leave streaks on your face but that's pretty much every foundation...
All points considered this is definitely my go-to foundation that I still use to this day! In my opinion nothing beats it! 

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