Review: Yes to Carrots, C Me Shine Lip Gloss: Rose Bliss

Yes! to: No parabens, 95% organic.

Personally, this color, which looks very neutral in the tube, makes me look a bit ghastly, so I can't wear it alone. It's also very minty. I opened this hoping for a gloss that I can use in the morning, before breakfast - and I don't like other flavors mingling with my morning tea. It leaves you with a minty tingly feeling on your lips.

This is not sticky. It is of moderate moisturizing ability. It's doesn't leave my lips super soft, but it does a decent job. The staying power is moderate.

The minty flavor/scent stays around for a bit, it's distracting to me.  Personally I don't like this.  But, it may not bother everyone.  But - very affordable.  And, pigmentation is decent.  So - 3/5 stars from me, but that's due to my quirks.  I think if I were going to be more fair about it, 4/5 stars, if the color were different and I were neutral about minty smells and sensations.

Review: Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Well, I got a sample size awhile back, and finally got around to trying this baby out.  I ran out of Lancome Bi-facil, and was thinking that this would perform similarly.  After all, they are both high end brands, with high price points, right? ... Wrong.

I use Urban Decay primer potion before I do my eyes.  But Bi-Facil makes quick and easy work of removal.  This stuff... not so much.  With bi-facil I would just barely wet the cotton ball and it would take care of one eye, no problem.  With this, I need to use significantly more. Not only that though, I have to clean each eye twice. So, I'm probably using eight times more product than the Bi-Facil.  I have to use two generous applications for each eye, meaning I use not only more product, but more cotton balls.  (I seem to run out of cotton all of the time, though I only use it for eye make up removal, generally speaking.)

Good points?  It does not leave behind any kind of oily residue. It's very clean.  It does not give you blurry vision at all.  The bottle is really pretty.  There is no scent, and you do not have to shake it before use.

Would I purchase?  No.  I will finish this bottle up, because I don't like to waste things.  Would I recommend it?  I like Bi-Facil better.  It does, however, leave a very slight residue behind.  Very slight. So, if you can't stand that, and don't mind using much, much more remover, then ok.  I do not know how well this works on mascara, and I don't regularly use mascara so I haven't been able to test it on that.  I would guess that it would take even more product to do so.

Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion

I'm really not sure what possessed me to grab this bottle of moisturizer.  But after seeing that there are no parabens in it, I decided to go ahead and give it a try.  Years ago I had tried Cetaphil original moisturizer, and it did not moisturize enough for me.  I liked that it was fragrance free, but I had to put on 3 layers.

This did not disappoint.  One layer is generally all that I need, and I don't need to slather it on, either.  I used to use Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion by Clinique, and I had to put on 4-5 layers, and still felt dry.  So, this is great!  The price point is good, you get a large bottle with a pump top (love those!) and you can get it while you are on a Target run instead of making a special trip to the department store.  I have sensitive skin, but this didn't seem to make it break out (I have oily T), but very dry cheeks.  This works out well for me.  I put it on all over and it works out fine.

Simple Refreshing Facial wash Gel

Love this!!!

I love this line for being perfume and dye free.  It's also amazingly gentle.  My skin is sensitive and it also is dried out by something as simple as a splash of water.  But, surprisingly, it is not dried out by this cleanser!  It is super gentle.  The only thing is, it doesn't really foam much.  But knowing that foaming agents are harsh on the skin, it makes sense.  I love, love, love this cleanser and I'm so glad that this line has come to the US. I highly recommend it for sensitive skin types and also those with drier skin.  

Mineralogie Waterproof Mascara

Oh why did I deviate from my gold standard?  It took me so much experimenting to find Lancome Definicils.

I encountered this on Little Black Bag, a wonderfully fun shopping site.  I figured, why not try this product?  Let me tell you why... On my oily skin, most mascara ends up under my lids.  That includes most waterproof mascaras.

That includes this brand of waterproof mascara.  Unfortunately, this is not for me.  It does a very decent job of defining.  But I hate "raccoon eyes", even with primer under my eyes.

Pros and Cons of shaving with conditioner vs. gel or cream

So I have a confession to make. ... I typically do not wash my hair every day. I just can't be bothered, I have a baby to take care of, and drying my hair adds an extra 20 minutes to my shower, which I've found that I can avoid by only washing every other day, and using spray in dry shampoo on my days off from washing. And I love it. It saves me so much time. So, sometimes I will shampoo and repeat. Not usually if it's only been a day since my last wash. But if it's been two, then I'll shampoo twice. This makes for a conditioner surplus, as I usually like for my shampoo and conditioner to match up, and I do switch around a bit. So I decided to try conditioner as a shave gel, as you've probably read somewhere. Here are my thoughts... Pros: You don't wast product. Super smooth glide. You can see the hairs through the product, unlike when using shave gel or cream. This means you won't miss spots by accident. LOVE THIS. One less product you need to keep track of and buy. (As a mom, this can be a big deal. I now hate needing to run to the store for just one item.) Cons: No lather (I like the novelty.) More drying of the skin (I needed two layers of lotion after my shower, whereas usually with shave gel, I don't feel skin tightening even before I put my usual one layer of lotion on.) VERDICT: I'll use my any extra conditioner that I have laying around that does not have parabens. I am not sold on the idea permanently yet, but I've only tried it for two weeks and so there's still room for changing my mind. In any case, I have enough extra conditioner to do this for at least a few months.

Binder Clip: Secret Beauty Weapon

A few months ago, I was reading some blog links and ended up on a page that extolled the virtues of binder clips. Apparently they have all sorts of great uses that I've never thought of. But that page inspired me. See, my eye primer in a tube was on it's last legs. I was waiting and waiting for it to run out so that I could start on my new tube of primer. You know how it gets - it takes so much effort to extract the last pits of produce from a squeeze tube. I thought I had had enough of it. (This was my Mary Kay eye primer, btw...) Then I read the binder clip post and realized I could use a binder clip. I folded the bottom of the squeeze tube of eye primer two times and clipped it with my binder clip. This made dispensing the last bit of product so much easier! It was like a miracle. Not only was it super easy, I managed to get a good SIX WEEKS of additional product out of that little squeeze tube. It was amazing. So now, my Juicy Tubes mini lip gloss is running pathetically low, and it's getting hard to get product out, but I can see that there is still plenty. So, same deal! I have folded the end under one time, and attached a mini binder clip to the end. And now, I will see how many weeks of additional use I will get out of it - I use a layer of Juicy Tubes on my lips each night as a night treatment, and this will serve that purpose very nicely. And then... one day... I can FINISH my Juicy Tubes!!! I will feel so accomplished! There are a plethora of other uses for this trick: toothpaste, liquid eye shadow, anti bacterial wound gel... really anything that comes in a squeeze tube can benefit from this trick. The best thing is that it makes dispensing the last bit of product as easy and the first bit! LOVE it. UPDATE: After trying to use the binder clip for 2 weeks, I gave up and threw it out. The plastic they use for Juicy Tubes packaging is not as pliable as the plastic for Mary Kay eye primer. Also the angled applicator was very hard to use with such a short handle. My verdict: if you want the last of your Juicy Tubes, you should cut it open and use a Q tip to get to it. Which is also very annoying. Just get a new one! Since I have so many around, I can't imagine the next time I will get to the bottom of another tube anyhow!!!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Polish in Purple Bolt Review

I love this nail color. Well, the color is awesome, a dark metallic purple. I can leave it on for weeks (oops) and it does not stain my nail bed. Awesome. I get great coverage with even just one coat - although that usually chips much faster (a few days) than two coats on my toes, which will hold up for maybe 2 good weeks. This polish actually does dry pretty quickly. It comes with a larger than usual brush, making pedis go faster. It's fast enough for a mom with a baby to sneak in a coat while the baby naps, along with a shower! That's pretty good. My only gripe is that, and this is the second bottle of this type with this problem - the brush doesn't seem to be cut correctly on my bottle. I assume that it's not meant to be this way - there is a bunch of bristles that are shorter than the rest. And they are not graduated, they seem stepped. It makes application fussy, depending up on the angle of polish application. My only downside. But, considering this is the only polish that I'm able to actually get on and not smudge, even though I have a 10 month old baby in the home to care for, that's pretty good. This is my go to polish and color. My other Insta-dry is the only other color I've been able to apply since the baby's been born. Love this formulation.

Mary Kay Lipstick in Dusty Rose Review

There was a time, not so long ago, that Mary Kay lipstick in Dusty Rose was my go-to lipstick. I kept one at work. It's a very versatile shade for me. It's just a little big brighter and just a little bit More than my natural lip color. It's an unassuming shade of pink. It's not glittery or sparkly or very shiny. My first tube was great. My replacement, second tube? Smelled funny. I contacted my rep and she sent me a replacement. It was fine. Now, I'm on my technically fourth tube. Again... this one smells funny. Such a drag. I don't know how old this product was before I got it, but I didn't leave it alone too long before I tried it. And it's a funky one. This one was a gift, so I can't exchange it for another... but really who has the time for something like that? Certainly not a mom with a baby! It's really too bad. The color is good. I like that I can wear it with anything. I like the container as well. It's a pretty silver with gold trim in the middle, and it says Mary Kay on the inside barrel, after you open it. Aesthetically, I like it a lot. However, bad taste/smell is a deal breaker, and I scrunch my nose whenever I open this lipstick and get a whiff or put it close enough to my face to try to apply. Too bad. ... Oh well, I'm not extremely attached to this color, and there are definitely other lipsticks out there! And, quirky as I am, I tend to go either drugstore or all out department store. I like the gifts with purchase, otherwise, I will pay a few bucks. But a $13 price point, with this particular quirk, is not worth my time any more. Too bad, I like my Mary Kay lady, but not enough to overpay for a product that performs so inconsistently. I'll take my chances at the drugstore, or... pay up at the make up counter! (Or, more often than not, receive a lipstick as a gift with purchase anyway. And since it takes me a good 5 or 6 months of everyday wear to use one up, I don't think I'll need to purchase one for a very long time, if ever again, considering my addiction to GWP's!!!)

Crabtree & Evelyn Shampoo Review

This shampoo has a very distinctive scent. While I have tried and enjoyed many 'herb' scented shampoos and conditioners, I have to say that I do not particularly enjoy this one. I am not sure why. Of course, this is simply an opinion and you may find that you quite like this scent. I wish I could explain why it is so different, but the reason escapes me. I also wish I could say that I find this shampoo makes a huge difference to me. However, it does not. It does seem to leave my hair squeaky clean. (I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not.) But I do not notice a difference in shine or softness or anything else. but my hair is not too finicky. It does not often have visible changes happen because of shampoo. So, I will stick with my drugstore shampoo, as this does not seem to provide any additional benefit for the additional cost, nor do I particularly love the fragrance. And yes, I may choose to may quite a bit more for a shampoo if I really enjoy the fragrance. But again, this one does not do it for me!

Lancome Lipstick Review: Visionary, Sheen Finish, Colour Design Lipcolor

I am so disappointed, Lancome! This used to be my favorite department store brand, when I was younger, if only for the oh so very shallow fact that I love their rose logo. I still do. However, this particular lipstick is incredibly disappointing. The color is ok, it looks fine on me. It's got pretty good coverage, and it doesn't migrate visibly when I'm at work, where I do a lot of talking. However, the texture leaves me wanting. It's not creamy! I don't generally expect lipstick color to last very long. I consider it a part of the deal. You get color that migrates off, however, you also get a little bit of moisture along with that shorter wear time. This lipstick, while not drying, is certainly not hydrating. It is a bit hard for a lipstick - it does not feel smooth and creamy going on. The sensation is not a pleasant one, like it is when I apply just about any other lipstick that I own. I can't wear it on days when I have even the tiniest bit of dry flaking on my lips. I can get away with a little bit of flaking when I'm wearing an Estee Lauder or a Clinique lipstick, so I expected the same from Lancome. Unfortunately, no. I would not repurchase. I got this color as a part of the Lancome Holiday Blockbuster in 2010. The set was a great value, and this color is very wearable. However, I am very disappointed in this lipstick formulation. There are drugstore lipsticks out there that perform better than this, for a fraction of it's retail price. I am considering whether to get the Holiday Blockbuster from Lancome for 2011. I certainly do not need any more make up right now. I only just tried out the eye shadow palette from the 2010 blockbuster this morning! (Thank goodness I decided to swap out my colors, I was going to buy more eye shadow, when I realized I still had that brand new palette to consider.) I need to check the line of lipsticks included, if they are Colour Design, that will definitely be a negative consideration.

Aveda Petal Essence Eye Definer Black Orchid Review

This pencil is a convenient size. It's not too long and fits into make up bags easily from the beginning. The wood handle is classy and feels great in the hand. The color is soft on the eye and applies easily. The black orchid is very dark and you get true black from just one swipe. It smudges easily if you like to smudge your liner.

However, the smudging stays with the pencil. I put this on top Urban Decay Primer Potion and it had smudged onto my lower lash after only and hour and a half of wear. I did not apply shadow on top of the liner, like I usually do. However, compared to my other pencils, this one seems to migrate too easily. To have mascara or eyeliner under my eyes when I did not put any there is one of my pet peeves, and so this liner is not worth keeping to me. However, I have oily skin and therefore it's a problem that's common for me. Those with less greasy skin will probably not have this problem.

Now I only need to decide whether I'm going to keep this for travel (assuming it's better than nothing), or just give up and toss it. Maybe I can give it to a friend with less oily skin.

NYX For Your Eyes Only Smokey Eyes Palette in 01 Jazz Night Review

I was really looking forward to using this palette. After all of the rave reviews I had seen online, I thought, how could I go wrong?

Most of the colors in this neutral palette looked very useful for every day. This palette features neutrals, with a bit of interest. There are two shades with glitter - the silver gray, and the navy. The dark gray has a bit of glitter, too, but the finish if rather sparkly so it's harder to discern. Unfortunately, I neglected to check the finish on these shadows. Eight of the ten have a very frosty finish. This makes them easy to blend and very smooth. However, it also makes them rather unsophisticated when worn. This palette would be good for a younger woman that is newer to make up or would rather go for an easy to apply finish. I am at the point where I forgo the frosty finish, even if it is the easiest to work with. I feel it cheapens my look at my age - I'm in my thirties! For a woman in the office in her twenties, I think that this would work rather nicely. Pigmentation is good, and staying power with a primer is good as well.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Gloss in Star Pink Review

This gloss is sticky! Too sticky. I usually do not mind some amount of stickiness, but this is over the top. I don't like it when I can feel my lips pull apart. Staying power is not so great considering how sticky it is. I would say 2.5 hours per application.

I can't say much about pigmentation as this color is a very pale pink. I can see it on me, but it's not a very strong color, so I don't think you can expect to see it much. It has glitter, but it's not obnoxious and obvious. I think that's because it's a transparent glitter. It has a pleasant slightly sweet scent that fades quickly after application, and no flavor that concerns me.

Also, I do not like glosses that come with a doe foot applicator. I just prefer the cleanliness of a squeeze tube. It's also very wasteful, as right now, I think that the tube i have still contains about half of the product that it came with, but I can't get any more out. The packaging is very pretty. The gold lip and lettering is very classy. But I would not buy it again.

Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover Review

I have read lots of raves about this product, and of course, since I'd never tried it, I didn't understand the cult following it has.

And now I understand. This is super effective. You need only a small amount, enough to wet enough of the surface of your cotton ball. That's all. Because you do not need to rub at all. Just gently wipe and all of your eye makeup will come off. Amazing. Now, full disclosure - I do not wear mascara. So, I do not know how this fares against mascara. However, I do wear eyeliner and shadow with eye primer. And with my usual eye makeup remover - chamomile eye makeup remover from the Body Shop, I need to swipe a few times and press a little bit. No pressing required with Bi-Facil. Just enough pressure to get the cotton ball against your eye.

Some removers leave a greasy feeling behind. As I recall, that's why I stopped using Covergirl's way back when. Bi-facil leaves a slightly greasy after feeling, which fades away rather quickly. I don't mind it. It's worth it for the amazing removing power it has.

I got this as a part of Lancome's 2011 Beauty Box. Would I purchase at full price? (Currently $26 for 4.2 oz.) I am not sure. With an adequate gift with purchase, I think I just might. We'll see how long a bottle lasts. A 8 oz bottle of Body Shop's lasts me for about 4 or 5 months. And retails for less. As I get older and find fine lines, I think that I may make this my go to remover, as it will help to prevent the need for rubbing around the eye area.

Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 review

I know that stickier gloss usually makes for longer wear, but this is much too sticky for me. The pink gloss that I got shows up at just clear and glossy. when I shake my head, many many strands of hair stick to my lips. I am so glad that I just had a small sample to use up, and that it's almost gone. Usually I feel guilty when I throw out something that is still usable, but I think I will get rid of this one, as it's close enough. The wear is ok, several hours, but the icky sticky factor is too high, I would never re-purchase this. My heart still belongs to Juicy Tubes. Even though I dislike re-application, I would rather have a thinner, less stick gloss to re-apply than deal with this. Zero stars, sorry Clinique. It's just not my cup of tea.

Urban Decay Primer Potion deluxe review

Since Urban Decay decided to put their deluxe size primer potion in a squeeze tube... I went for it. I NEEDED a primer in a squeeze tube, and with Sephora friends and family, it was a serious steal.

I know people have said they had trouble with the tube breaking but I have been using it for several months now and I have not had a problem.

The primer works well, as many other bloggers have stated. It works just as well as Mary Kay's and better than Victoria's Secret's. The texture is similar to Mary Kay's.

This is a great product and will buy again, although I'm not sure when that will happen, as this XL size is definitely going to last awhile.

Update: My Primer Potion has dried out before I could finish it. It lasted until early October 2011. Considering that, I will not be buying the Professional size again, it makes more sense to only buy the regular size if it's going to go bad at the same time that I'd be done with a regular size anyhow. I'm sad! I thought for sure this would be a deal for me. Alas, even though I use primer just about every day, I did not use this up in time.

Petaluma Cosmetics Company Outlet Store

Must more of a note to myself than anything - there were some great deals to be had at the Petaluma CCO! They had an assortment of last year's Lancome Holiday palettes for only $15. I had to snatch one up. They also had the Lancome limited edition holiday shimmer powder, the one with the embossed cupid, for something like $20. And last year's holiday blockbuster for about $32. And last year's Juicy Tubes gift set.

At these prices, I may just have to give up Revlon Colorstay and wait it out for the CCO. I just need to test drive those Lancome shadows!

Lancome Juicy Tubes: Pink Precious & Lavender Zen Reviews

This is one of their Naturals line. The naturals line wears very differently than original. The original formulation is "goopier". It is longer lasting and it sits on top of the skin more. The naturals have more honey in them. They do not last as long, but they absorb and condition the lips more. Classic juicy tubes, on my lips, will protect and wear for hours and moisturize a little bit. They are quite sticky and tacky but this is probably why they outlast just about any other lipgloss as far as wear time is concerned. And I prefer not to reaply too often. My dry lips require constant application of most lip products. But not original formulation Juicy Tubes! These last for hours per application. This is with a lot of talking that I do at work.

However, Juicy Tubes Naturals, of which I have 2 different ones now, are more moisturizing. They will recondition and re-moisturize lips that are already too dry. However, since they are absorbed by the skin, their wear time is shorter. They do not dry out my lips and require that another layer be put on, like many other lip products will do, but they do fade away. They are less tacky and thinner than original formula.

I prefer actually to use both at different points in the day. I like to use the naturals formulation in the morning. This means that by the time that I am done putting my make up on and making breakfast, there have been at least a few minutes for it to absorb a bit before I eat breakfast. If I use original formula in the morning, the taste and scent of it will linger through eating my breakfast food. It's also sticker so some food bits sometimes stick to my lips. This is distracting, and leaves a lot of lipgloss on my morning tea mug that needs to be scrubbed off. However, with the naturals formula, I use Rose Bliss in the morning and the scent and flavor have significantly faded and do not distract me from my food.

Pink Precious is lightly honey scented and lightly honey flavored. It's great for the mornings before breakfast. I know that it absorbs and serves to soften my lips.

Lavender Zen is also honey based, thinner in consistency than original formulation. However, it's Lavender scented. This is ok with me during the day, so its my daytime lipgloss for now. Although, I think for convenience of less application, I will switch it out for an original formulation some time soon. But for now it's new, and I'm enjoying the scent.

I didn't think that the formulation would differ so much, but it really does. I still love both the original and naturals formulations.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Bare Honey & Pink Horizon Reviews

I was so very looking forward to receiving my tube of Bare Honey. I love the taste and scent of honey, and I thought this would smell & taste like honey, but have the original Juicy Tubes formulation. My version of a holy grail lipgloss. Unfortunately, this actually smells like Cherry Icee, not honey. I don't like synthetic cherry scents or flavors. So, I'm on the fence about this one. It's glittery, but Juicy Tubes do not overdo glitter so I am not uncomfortable wearing their glittery shades to work.

Pink Horizon is a pink with a gold metallic chrome gleam to it. It supplies a very subtle sheer gold flash to the lips. It's scented: pink bubblegum. So, it's kind of fun, and the color is very versatile and wearable at work. I keep my pink horizon at work right now. Sometimes I get a little tired of the bubblegum scent, but I can always switch it out with some other less obvious candy scented Juicy Tubes. It's not a huge deal.