Covergirl The Supersizer Mascara | Review

Last month, Bzzagent sent me this Covergirl mascara to try out for free. It claims to make lashes 400% more volumized, corner to corner. The package also instructs you to twirl the wand in order to apply the product. This mascara is supposed to be bold, daring & dramatic. My opinion? Read on.

When I first opened this mascara, I was shocked by the wand situation. It is skinny, with very small, plastic, spike-like bristles. The wand definitely does not fall under my « typical » beauty tool favourites. I tend to lean towards soft, full-bristled mascara. So basically the opposite. 

I tried the « twirl » technique, seeing as I don't typically use this type of wand I thought maybe the creators of such a strange product would know best. NOPE! Talk about weird, clumpy, spiky lashes!  Not exactly a great everyday look.

The next time I opened the tube (which I'll admit was not the next day...I got scared), I decided to just use it like I normally would apply a mascara & it went much better. My lashes weren't AS clumpy, and they definitely were voluminous.  The second issue I ran into was the length of time this mascara takes to dry! It takes a literal eternity. I needed to wait a good 10 minutes before fully blinking otherwise I faced beautiful black lines all over the place.  After having used it for around a month, it does take less time to dry, mostly because the product is starting to dry out. 

So, now that I've played with this wonderfully weird product for a few weeks, I've decided that I do like it. The effect that this mascara gives my eyelashes is intense. If you're not into mega lashes for everyday, this isn't for you. It takes me a couple coats to get all my lashes and comb through any weird spots that may have formed. As long as I'm careful, I don't have to worry about any of my initial problems of clumps or very wet lashes. That being said, I've put on this mascara, sneezed within 5 minutes and had to haul out the makeup remover.  Personal problem.

As far as removing this mascara, it's not the easiest to take off, even though it isn't touted as waterproof. I use a makeup remover and a cleanser & I usually have to go back in with the remover again before bed. This is cool with me because I'd rather this than mascara down my cheeks midday (my eyes water A LOT).

Would I repurchase? Surprisingly, yes. If you had asked me a month ago I would have laughed in your face, but now I'm into it.

Would you try this mascara?

Cheers,
Kait 

Sephora Haul | August 2015

My hubby decided that since he didn't know what to get me for my birthday this year, that I could have a little shoppy-shop on Sephora. What a darling. 

 So I picked out some new goodies, a couple of things I already know I like & got a couple of freebies too!

 This little kit is quite exciting because it gives me the chance to try minis of five products. I've never tried any of these before, but who knows, I might find a product or two worth repurchasing!

I've had samples of both of these before & I absolutely love them both. This is literally the first perfume purchase I've ever made. Obviously these are still quite small, but I like to use different fragrances so I didn't want to commit to too much & have it not be properly loved.

The NARS minis are my Birthday present from Sephora. This is actually the first time I've received the gift, but I have to say, it's a pretty sweet one this year.  The Bite lipstick is one of the Canadian exclusive Maple Collection. How cool? It's my first full-sized Bite lipstick & I chose the sugared maple colour because I've got nothing like it. It's going to be so pretty come fall!

I love the Philosophy Purity Made Simple. This is my second little bottle of it & it's such a nice little face wash. The Caviar Repair heat spray is a sample that I received using the YOURGIFT code. There were a few choices, but I chose something that I would genuinely use. 

Have you purchased anything lately?

Cheers,
Kait 

Vidal Sassoon London Luxe Hair Dye | Review

From time to time, I receive some pretty cool products from BzzAgent for free to test out & review. This month's fun experiment was a little bit wilder than usual! I was sent the Vidal Sassoon London Luxe hair dye in the colour Merlot Vibrant Red & boy does that name say it all!

I've not really discussed my hair dye adventures much on this blog until now, but I generally do dye my hair at home from a box. Usually I use Garnier Nutrisse in 45 Dark Mahogany Brown, which on my naturally light brown hair comes out rich & dark with a hint of red shine. Vidal Sassoon is anything but a hint of red. It is just flat out red.

So the process on the VS dye was more or less exactly the same as the Garnier product. It comes with three products - a tube of permanent colour, a bottle with the developing cream in it & a conditioner for after. There was also a pair of gloves included - very important if you aren't into neon orange hands!  So step 1 is always to mix the tube of colour with the developing cream to make the concoction for dying.  Of course, right off the bat I had a mishap! The tube of colour actually punctured & the colour started coming out of the sides of the tube! What a mess! But with the help of some scissors, a butter knife & my patient husband, we managed to get enough out & into the developing bottle to actually continue the process.

Did I mention my hubby helps dye my hair? He has for years...he hates doing it, but he's awesome with the whole thing. I do my roots, then he does the back & the all-over spreading to help make sure I don't miss anything where I cannot see.

I look insane in this picture, but my processing head looks pretty darn close to the picture on the box! I'll be honest in saying that the neon orange scalp was really kind of scary to me. Usually my dye is super dark when processing...not neon! 

The time on this dye is pretty typical. You can leave it for up to 30 minutes, so I left mine for 25 (which is what I leave my usual dye on my head for). This stuff didn't smell that bad either! I have used some dye that has smelled like poison, this was pretty alright compared to that! 

I rinse my hair out by leaning over the tub under the tap, then I spread on the conditioner (which was really nice!), leave it on for the recommended 2 minutes - or longer - & hop in the shower. I find this the easiest way to make sure my head gets rinsed extra well.  Because it's at-home dye, you aren't supposed to wash it out, just rinse, so even though I'm in the shower, I just make sure to get all the leftover colour rinsed really good when rinsing the conditioner. 

Now, I'm not sure that this picture does my hair justice & I think a picture outside on a sunny day would much better reflect the true intensity that is this colour. The box claims that it will last up to 8 weeks, so we will see. I usually take good care of my colour, making sure to use appropriate shampoos & not washing my hair everyday or anything, so if it really lasts 8 weeks, I will know about it. What I do know right now is that my hair feels incredibly soft & not at all like it has been dyed. I can't stop touching it!

If it lasts reasonably well, I would definitely consider repurchasing this dye when looking to do something a little bit more fun than my average hair colour! Aside from the initial mishap, this product is very easy to use & gives great results!

Do you dye your hair? What do you use?

Cheers,
Kait

Empties | March 2015

This month I did some serious cleaning out of samples. We plan on buying a house sometime in the next 6ish months & I really want to try and declutter before that happens. I don't really have any desire to pack up 4371814 samples. I would rather use them all up!

This month, I divided everything into smaller categories. I've also indicated samples with asterisks (*).

Face

Simple Face Wipes - I don't love these, but I certainly don't hate 'em! I would repurchase.

Pacifica Face Wipes - I thought I loved these face wipes. They smell like coconut & they were nice & wet with product but they BURN around my eyes. Not in my eyes, on the skin. I would NOT repurchase these. I have a post on both these & the simple face wipes here.

Purity Made Simple*  - This was a bitty sample, that I used for about 5 days straight. I love this & have already purchased a larger bottle! It smells lovely & it leaves my skin so soft & clean!

Neostrata moisturizer* - This was weird, gelly & ultimately not that impressive. I used it for about 3 nights. I would NOT purchase.

Swisspers Organic Cotton Rounds - These are pretty standard cotton rounds. I like that they are organic, but I dislike that there are only 80 per pack. Overall, these are the ones I usually purchase, so I would most likely repurchase them.


Hair

Fruit Kicks Down Under Hair Spray - This stuff was pretty awesome. It smells like pomegranate & it worked for most things, from taming fly-away hair all the way up to keeping curls & fancy 'dos in check.  For the low cost & how long it lasted (like 2 years), I will definitely repurchase.

Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo & Conditioner* - I've had the full-sized bottles of both of those & while I like them plenty, they aren't what I look for in hair care. They are quite nice & light though (not to mention they smell yummy like grapefruit).

Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo* - This was BAD for my hair. That's all I have to say about that.

Garnier Nutrisse Conditioner* - I get one of these in every box of at-home hair dye I purchase. I really enjoy using this & I use it around 1-2 times per week. While I can't exactly repurchase the conditioner, I will continue to use it whenever I buy the dye!


Makeup

Lancome Definicils Mascara* - I miss this mascara! I will absolutely not be spending that much money on a mascara in the near future, but based on if it's purchasable - I would in theory buy it. I have a post with a more in-depth review of this product here.

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara - I used to think I loved this mascara, but I have now realized that I don't. It's very dry & the brush leaves my lashes very clumpy.  I will not be repurchasing this.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana White Perfume* - This smells very floral & light. It's actually not a scent I've ever worn before, but I'm definitely going to pick up a roller ball of this once my other samples are gone.

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer - I've repurchased this concealer countless times. It actually has a small amount of acne medication within the concealer, which aides to heal, while hiding. I am definitely on my way to repurchasing as soon as my other concealer is used up.

Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer - I like this, but I don't love it. It brightens under the eyes quite nicely, but I find that it settles into my creases pretty quickly. I'm on the fence about this. I may just repurchase on a whim, but I don't have any plans for it right away.


Body

Freeman Cucumber, Melon & Ginseng Body Wash* - This smelled fantastic, but it did nothing for my skin.  In a period of the year where my skin is already kind of dry, this actually dried it out more.  This was a Beauty Box 5 sample, but I will not be purchasing a full bottle of this.

Nivea Lotion* - Although this was a tiny sample, I actually almost exclusively use Nivea lotions for my body. I find them to be incredibly soothing & they have super long-lasting moisture. I will purchase/re-purchase.


Phew! What a ton of samples! I'm so happy to be tossing (& recycling) these items! That's 16 more things that I won't be packing once I find a house to call my own (although let's be honest, samples pour into my life at an alarmingly quick rate)!!

What have you been using up?

Cheers,
Kait

Beauty Box 5 | January 2015

So in light of the new year, I've decided to test out something new & subscribe to a box! I chose beauty box 5 because it's affordable ($12/month) & it usually has an interesting selection of products.

1. Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara ($20.00 for full-sized)
Claims dramatic, thicker lashes & at $20.00 I would consider this to be in the realm of high-end mascaras.

2. Hard Candy Take Me Out Liner in Sushi ($5.00 for full-sized)
Claims a creamy liner with powerful pigment. While this is an unusual, bluey-purple shade, it could be fun to play around with during the summer months.

3. Sally Hansen Salon Effects in French Mani ($9.99 for full-sized)
Claims a perfect manicure for up to 10 days. I'm looking forward to trying these because they seem like an interesting concept. I also lucked into a very wearable gold-tipped french manicure pack, so the style is very wearable.

4. Softsoap Nutri Serums Body Wash ($8.00 for full-sized)
Claims to contain vitamin E to hydrate & omegas 3 and 6 to retain moisture. Smells pretty good & is in the perfect size to travel with for a few days. Will be packed in my next overnight bag!

5. Hard Candy Baked Eye Shadow in 261 Make Believe ($6.00 for full-sized) 
Claims to be highly pigmented wet-dry eye colour. While I received colours that I don't wear on a regular basis, they do seem very creamy & easy to blend. My next smokey eye will certainly be attempted with these shadows.

My box included 3 full-sized products (Liner, Shadow & Nail strips) & two samples. All in all, my box is worth around $30.00 CAD, which is quite wonderful considering they are $12.00 boxes & $3.00 shipping. Of the products I received, I am most definitely going to be using the mascara, the nail strips & the body wash. I will also play around with the eye liner & shadow on occasion.

Verdict? Month One was a success!
Do you subscribe to any boxes? I'd love to hear about different ones!

Cheers,
Kait

Secret Outlast Clear Gel | Review

Have you ever wandered down the deodorant aisle at the drugstore only to have no idea what to pick up? Do you spend 20 minutes sniffing everything that sounds remotely appealing or do you grab something blindly and make a mad dash for the counter? Does any of this sound like you at all?

If so, I'm here to tell you something awesome. Next time you have to make the undesirable trip, think of Secret Outlast Clear Gel. It is a stress-proof way to handle even the toughest things life throws at you. Mine was sent to me for free through BzzAgent and it came in Ooh-la-la-lavender. Gimicky scent? Maybe, but I enjoy a little lavender in my life, so I gave it a whirl. 

Now let me tell you, this December has been high-stress for this little lady. I've battled Parent-Teacher Interviews, School Christmas Concerts, First impression holiday parties & still yet to arrive are the actual holidays themselves! I gave this deodorant a chance, because frankly, the deodorant I was using when this puppy arrived at my door was NOT cutting it. & I am in LOVE. 

The gel formula dries super-quickly - great for running out the door within seconds of applying because holy cow I forgot to make those 85 photocopies & I'm going to be super late for my class.  There is no white residue left anywhere - great for hauling sweaters on & off depending on how much you happen to be sweating at any given moment.  What's that smell? Definitely not your armpits! Unless you're talking about the fresh lavender scent that all this sweating & running has produced. 

If you mass-produce sweat like you're selling it in a high-demand market, you may still have some dampness. This product didn't quite stamp that out completely. But in my life, nothing ever really does, so I will take some invisibility & lack of smell over nothing at all. I also haven't given it the full 48-hour test, because frankly I'm too busy to tempt fate right now. 

So, did I convince you? Cause I certainly convinced myself!

Cheers,

Kait