Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gel Oil Review

I am a big fan of body oil, because I find that regular body lotions evaporate over the course of the day, and my skin is dry and flaky again by the evening.  I've been using Neutrogena's Sesame formula body oil, and I love it...it's one of my favorite products in the world. 

But I was in Walgreens the other day and spotted Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gel Oil.  I thought that a gel formula might be a convenient alternative to the regular oil. 

This product is fantastic!  It's thick, almost the consistency of honey, but it spreads very well, especially on damp-from-the-shower skin.  It takes a few minutes to soak in, but when it does, your skin turns to velvet!  It smells like cocoa butter , so those of you who do not like a coconut-chocolate type scent, won't like this product. I happen to love it, because it smells like vacation.

Another great thing about this product is that it imparts a gorgeous sheen on the skin, like all the celebrities in magazines have.  Regular body oil only gives that sheen for a little while, but this lasts all day.  In the summer when my skin is tanned, I think it's going to look amazing! 

Of course, I'll still use the Neutrogena if it's really humid outside, because I have a feeling that the Palmer's won't soak into the skin well in very humid weather. 

Overall, this is a great find, especially for those of you who have really dry skin, or that want a dewy glow that lasts all day. 

Garnier Ultra Lift Pro Gravity Defying Cream Review

I have been dying to review Garnier’s new Ultra Lift Pro Gravity Defying Cream, but I wanted to wait the four weeks that Garnier said it would take to see results, before I blogged about it.  This is my first go-around with a drugstore skin cream in about five years, and I am anxious to see if a more inexpensive product will work as well as the higher-end products I’ve used during the past several years working at Sephora.  One thing I have noticed is that drugstore anti-aging creams seem to be using the same technologies as many of the more expensive brands, which is definitely a good thing!

The main active ingredient in Garnier’s Ultra Lift Pro is Pro-Xylane, which is a sugar-based molecule from the Beech Tree that stimulates the production of glycoaminoglycans   (From now on, I’ll just refer to them as GAGs).  GAG's nourish and protect collagen and elastin, which are the very things that provide structure and firmness to the skin, acting sort of like a netting underneath the surface.  When a piece of that "netting" breaks down, the skin caves in at that spot, and viola! you have a wrinkle.  As you age, your body makes less and less collagen and elastin, so protecting what you have is essential to keeping your skin youthful.

Pro-Xylane was actually developed by Lancome, and is the main ingredient in their Absolue Premium Bx which sells for...are you ready for this?  $125 a jar.  So the fact that Garnier has put this high end ingredient into a skin cream that sells for $16.99 was too intriguing for me to pass up!

The packaging is very eye catching in a bright red and black box.  The product itself comes in a jar, which is my only real complaint about it.  I would rather see skincare in a pump, because it lasts a lot longer and is much more sanitary, but at the end of the day, it’s not a deal breaker.  One great thing about this cream is, you really don’t need to use a lot- a little goes a long way.  It has a fairly thick, moisturizing consistency which my dry skin loves, and it leaves the skin perfectly prepped for makeup, thanks to its primer-like finish.  It also smells delicious...not perfumey like some skin creams.  It actually smells like sugar - very light and sweet.  

But what you all are dying to find out is, does it work?  In a word, yes!  I've used it every day for the past four weeks, morning and night.  My 32 year old skin was just beginning to get those little forehead wrinkles, and I had previously attempted to hide them by cutting bangs.  Now, if I scrunch my forehead, the wrinkles disappear much faster, like they used to when I was in my 20's. My skin also looks plumper and younger overall.  Garnier says that I will notice more results in 8 weeks, so I can't wait until then. Ahh, technology... I think I'll start growing my bangs out now! 

Enter to win a free jar on our Contests page!

Revlon PhotoReady Powder Review

I've never been a fan of powder, because I have dry skin, but I noticed that in photos, I tend to get a little shiny around my nose.  So when I saw the ads for the new Revlon PhotoReady powder, I couldn't resist trying it out to see if I could get a more flawless look.
I purchased it in the Light/Medium shade and was pleasantly surprised by the brush that comes inside the case- it was a nice, soft flat brush rather than the puff that comes inside most powders.  This powder goes on very lightly and smoothly and disappears into the skin.  It doesn't cake at all, even on my dry skin. I didn't notice any shimmer, but it did seem to diffuse imperfections.  It's not a heavy coverage powder, so it won't hide anything more than a little redness, but I used it to set my foundation and it was perfect for that!  I'd love to try the PhotoReady foundation next, and as soon as I do, I'll let you know my thoughts.

Garnier Triple Nutrition Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment Review

As you all know, my hair is very dry, due to bleaching, blowdrying and iron use.  I like to use a deep conditioning treatment once or twice a week to keep my hair soft and manageable, and at $22.50 for Frederic Fekkai's Shea Butter Hair Mask, my current treatment, I decided that I need to find something a little cheaper.  I noticed that Garnier had come out with a treatment in their Triple Nutrition line, and upon reading the back of the bottle, I found that, just like Fekkai's treatment, it contains Shea Butter, plus it also has Olive and Avocado Oils.  It even looked the same in the tube- same color and consistency.  The best part?  It cost just $6. 

So I tried it this morning in the shower.  It's a pale yellow color, with a thick, buttery consistency that spreads very easily through the hair, just like the Fekkai treatment.  It smells great, and contains tiny beads, which, according to the packaging are apricot seeds.  I'm not sure if they do anything, but it's a nice touch.

I left it on while I washed and scrubbed- about 3-5 minutes.  My hair felt very silky as I rinsed.  

Overall, it conditioned my hair very well- it didn't look like shampoo commercial hair, but it looked considerably less fried on the ends, and even had a little shine.  It does everything the Fekkai does for less money.

The one thing to be careful of with this treatment, is that it is very heavy, and may make fine hair look greasy.  It seemed to weigh my hair down a bit, so I think next time, I will only apply it from the middle of my hair to the ends to avoid getting greasy roots by midday. Overall, this is a great alternative to the Fekkai Shea Butter Treatment for a fraction of the price.

Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeshadow Review

I've been reading good things about the new Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeshadows, so I was really excited to try them out!  I chose to try Platinum Glimmer (pictured), which is a gunmetal gray.  It's one of the "satin" formulas, as opposed to the "perle" which had a little too much shimmer for a Tuesday morning. 
I was really impressed with the pigmentation and softness of the powder, which reminded me of Stila's eyeshadows.  At $5 each, they really pack the same pigment power as much more expensive shadows, which is a great thing.  The other nice thing is the range of colors- although limited, all of the colors were very appealing.
But....even though my shadow was gorgeous when I left the house this morning, by 1pm, it had all but disappeared from my eyelid, and a definite line of shadow had settled into the crease.  Maybe it's too soft and powdery?  I don't know, but I was really, really disappointed, because I want to like this shadow!  I find that Revlon's Color Stay 12 Hour Shadow palettes have much better staying power than these. I'm going to try it with an eyeshadow primer tomorrow and see if that will help the color grip better.  I'll keep you updated on what happens!
****UPDATE****
So yesterday, I said I would try this shadow with an eyeshadow primer.  I actually used the Loreal Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer on my lids, and sure enough, the shadow stayed put! It's 9pm, and it's still going strong.

Loreal Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer Review

Loreal has just launched a new line of Professional Makeup Products in the US.  They've been in the UK at Boots stores for a while now, because they had an exclusive on it.  The line includes 3 different primers that correct redness, dullness and shine, a resurfacing primer, and foundation, lip products and eye colors.  I didn't see the makeup in stores yet, but I was in Walgreens the other day and they do have the primers.  I chose to try the resurfacing primer, which was in a jar, while the other primers were in pumps.  It cost $12, and while it is a pretty small jar, other reviewers have said it lasts a long time.

This is what the packaging says "L'Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer is inspired by professional make-up artists, this primer masks wrinkles and uneven textures in the skin, making the complexion feel smooth and soft, with a remarkable velvety touch." 

The product is a baby pink color and has a fluffy marshmallowy texture, unlike other primers that have a silicone-like feel.

It goes on sooo smoothly and gives your skin a baby soft, matte finish.  It fills in pores and wrinkles and even hides some of the redness around my nose and dark circles under my eyes.  (and I haven't even used my foundation yet!)

When I did use foundation, I used about 1/3 of the amount I usually use, in part due to the smooth surface and also because I didn't need it in some areas. 

This is one product that I feel truly lives up to it's claims- I am obsessed with it and will use it every day!

Here's a photo of the rest of the line- I cannot wait to try it all, and of course I will be reviewing the products, so stay tuned. 

 

Here's a great You Tube Review on the Resurfacing Primer! 

Garnier Triple Nutrition Nutrient Spray Review

I haven't had the opportunity to try Garnier's Triple Nutrition Shampoo or Conditioner yet, but I did notice a new Triple Nutrition product when I was in CVS the other day, and decided that I had to try it!  It's called Triple Nutrition Nutrient Spray, comes in a spray bottle, and cost $6.  The thing that attracted me to it was that it has multi layers that you have to shake together to activate the product.  According to the description on the package, it's a mix of three "weightless oils"- 

Olive Oil- To nourish the inner core of the hair.

Avocado Oil- To nourish and soften the middle layer of the hair.

Shea Oil- To nourish and smooth the surface of the hair.

The bottle also says, "Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Nutrient Spray formula combines liquid shine with weightless nutritive oils for the ultimate dose of nutrition. With each spray, hair is instantly nourished, softer, shinier, and easier to manage."  It said that it can be used on either wet or dry hair.

The Dry Hair Test

So the first day I purchased it, I couldn't wait to try it, so I misted a little over my dry hair to see what happened. (FYI, the nozzle lets out just a very fine mist, which I really like, because it keeps you from going overboard with it.)  

First of all, it smells delicious, fresh and fruity. 

It also added quite a bit of shine right away. ( I had no other products in my hair at the time).  

The one thing I didn't like about it, was that an hour or so later, my hair looked kinda greasy.  In the product's defense, I do have somewhat fine hair, so maybe those of you with thicker hair won't have the same problem. 

 The Wet Hair Test.

The next morning, I decided to try it on wet hair.  I used shampoo, then conditioner, and towel dried my hair.  

I misted the product over my hair, using about 3-4 pumps total, then combed it through.  As I was blow-drying I noticed that the round brush I was using wasn't getting tangled like usual, and my hair felt super soft and manageable!  By the time I was finished blow-drying, any nervousness I had about my hair being greasy melted away.  It looked fantastic- it had body and a little shine (my hair is almost never shiny!)  It wasn't shampoo commercial glossy, but it was smooth and frizz free, and it felt amazingly soft!

So, for those of you with fine hair, I recommend using this product on wet hair only.  

Those of you with medium/thick hair, I'd love to hear your comments as to how this works on dry hair and if it makes it greasy or not!

Rimmel The Max Volume Flash Mascara Review

 I confess, I have never tried any of Rimmel's mascaras, but this one stuck out, because of it's uber-sexy hot pink tube. I mean, how eye catching is this packaging!! 

The package claims an increase of 14x the volume.  I typically like mascaras that lengthen, volumize and curl, like Diorshow, or Mark's Make It Big (see review below).  But, being a makeup junkie, I wanted to see what this one would do.  The package also says that this is their biggest brush ever.  Well, it's not big like the above mentioned mascaras, it's maybe slightly bigger than the average brush.  The one flaw with the brush is that the bristles are not very stiff, so it doesn't comb through the lashes well.  I use a lash comb after applying it, which separates and gives me the definition I want. 

I've read other reviews that say that The Max is a one-trick pony, that it doesn't lengthen at all.  I don't find this to be the case, because it definitely lengthened mine quite a bit. Granted, I don't have short lashes to begin with, but they are a medium length.  But anyway, true to it's packaging, this stuff adds loads of volume!  My fringe looked thick and lush, giving the illusion of falsies.  I added several coats and used a lash comb to get rid of any clumps and spidery-ness.  
The formula is shiny black and this stuff does not make your lashes crunchy, which is a major plus.

Another great thing about this is that it doesn't smudge, and it's not even waterproof!  I find that funny, because so many mascaras say "no smudging" right on the package, but by the end of the day, I have racoon eyes.  This one doesn't claim to be waterproof, or non-smudging, yet it stays on all day- go figure!

Overall, I really like it!  It gives a full, lush look, and while it doesn't "do it all" like other ones, the fact that it doesn't smudge makes it a great one to wear to work all day.  I'll save the others for nights out. 
It retails around $7 at drugstores. 

Upcoming Reviews for the New Year!

Hi All!  I wanted to tell you about the new and exciting products I'm going to be testing and reviewing in the next couple of weeks.  

The first, is Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Nutrient Spray.  This has just hit drugstores and contains fruit micro oils that are supposed to add shine and repair dry damaged hair.  It can be used both before and after blow-drying, and I will test it both ways.

The next product is one that I am already testing, but I want to give it a few weeks to start working before I give my opinion.  It's Garnier's Ultra Lift Pro Gravity Defying Cream.  This stuff is supposed to sculpt the face and erase fine lines.  Like all face creams, you need about 4 weeks for the skin to turn over new cells before you see any results, so stay tuned!  

The next one will be out in stores any day now, and you can be sure I'll be the first one to get it when it hits the shelves!  It's the new Loreal Studio Secrets Perfecting Primer.   (It was previously launched in Europe, and Boots stores had the exclusive for a while).  It sounds absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it! 

The last product I'll be reviewing, which is already in stores is The Max Volume Flash Mascara by Rimmel London.  I was instantly drawn to it's hot pink tube and hope that it is as good as it looks!