This is the first Essie polish I ever purchased! The colour is a beautiful sea foam green/turquoise which Essie describes as “a flirty and pretty tropical aqua.” But don’t be fooled by its beauty – this polish applies like a beast. It’s patchy, and takes around three coats to get full opacity (and still might be patchy).
I was selected by Influenster to be part of the review process for L’Oreal’s new Damage Eraser hair care line.
Influenster sent participants three small bottles of product labelled as L’Oreal shampoo, conditioner, and split end serum, and we were supposed to try and guess the L’Oreal brand before we received the full-size products a week later.
About a week after I received the mystery Voxbox, I received a package of full-sized products. This is how Influenster describes the line on the product page: “With Phyto-Keratin® Complex and Cupauçu Butter, the unique formula reconstructs hair strength 90% from root-to-tip and prevents future damage. Hair is strong, shiny and revitalized – totally repaired. Style your hair without fear of damage!”
My hair is already in pretty good shape, but I have been getting highlights for about a year, which can lead to some damage. After using the shampoo and conditioner, my hair is very soft, shiny, and doesn’t feel weighed down. I enjoy using them, and would repurchase if I saw them on sale at the drugstore. Garnier says these products are formulated for distressed, damaged hair, and they reconstruct and preserve hair’s strength by 90% from root to tip. The formula contains Phyto-Keratin® Complex with plant based protiens and fruit concentrate & Cupuaçu Butter, with natural lipids.
I am a firm believer that you need to regularly get your hair trimmed to take care of split ends. Products may temporarily improve their appearance, but they won’t solve the problem. Garnier doesn’t say this fixes split ends, but says this product is formulated with Phyto-Keratin® complex and cupuaçu butter, and is supposed to prevent split ends and reconstruct and preserve hair’s strength.I don’t think this product makes a difference to my hair. I get my hair trimmed every few months to take care of my split ends, so I guess the only way for me to accurately test it would be to forgo a haircut (which isn’t going to happen). I will keep using this product until it runs out, but I probably will not repurchase.
I like how soft my hair feels after using this treatment, and it also doesn’t weight my hair down. According to Garnier, this hair butter is formulated for distressed, damaged hair, and is designed to intensely reconstruct hair’s strength for strong, rejuvenated and shiny-looking hair. The formula contains Phyto-Keratin® Complex with plant based protiens and fruit concentrate & Cupuaçu Butter, with natural lipids. You are supposed to use it once a week after shampooing.
My Address is Hollywood is a bright, rosy pink. This isn’t anything revolutionary, but it has a nice shimmer. I find the polish drags when I apply this colour, so I have to be a little more careful to get even coats.
What is a mint candy apple? I’m not sure, but it sure looks nice. This shade is on-trend right now and is perfect for summer. I think it looks great with my pale skin, but would also look flattering with a tan. This is a pastel green that Essie’s website describes as a “crème de menthe mint.”
It’s a little runny, and the first coat is very patchy, but a thicker, second coat does the trick. I receive many compliments on my nails from coworkers when I wear this shade. It’s bright, but if you can get away with it, why not be a little daring?
This month I opted for the KMS California Topbox, because I received the quick blow dry spray in a previous box and fell in love with it. This month’s box is also very funky! For those of you not familiar with Topbox, it is a monthly beauty box subscription, where for $12 a month you receive 4 deluxe beauty samples. It’s a great way to try out different brands and items without spending a lot of money. (more…)
As you may know from a previous post, I was selected to be part of Virgin Mobile Canada’s Blackberry Z10 tester team (if you want to read about that, click here). I’ve been tweeting tips and tricks with the #vmtester hashtag, and have spent enough time with the phone to share some thoughts.
I was very excited for this phone, but a little skeptical because I hated the Blackberry Curve I had before my iPhone. I’m happy to say the Z10 has changed my feelings toward Blackberry. (more…)
If you’re anything like me, winter leads to dry skin everywhere – face, feet, hands, and cuticles. Burt’s Bees lemon butter cuticle cream is a little gem that will soothe your dry cuticles, fingertips, and brittle nails.
Although I am terrible at remembering to moisturize, I have been using this product for a few years when I can remember, and much more frequently in the winter. It’s a creamy balm that smells great and works fast. A little goes a long way, and it absorbs fairly quickly. This helps prevent hangnails, and I immediately notice and feel how moisturized my cuticles are.
I’m happy to say this cream keeps my hands from looking like a hot mess and is a good step to include in your at-home manicure regimen. What’s your favourite cuticle cream or oil?
I got a manicure a few weeks ago with OPI’s Dulce du Leche, and I have been seeking a dupe that’s a few dollars cheaper and easier to find. I’ve come pretty close with Essie’s Eternal Optimist.
Essie describes this polish as “a spiced tea rose with a dash of cream,” which is a very accurate description. It’s a nice, work appropriate pink that makes your hands look polished. As far as application, the polish has a nice consistency (not too thin or too thick) and applies and dries easily. I will be reaching for this regularly!
I want to share a product that has made me wonder how I ever lived without it – Got 2b Rockin’ It Encore Fresh dry shampoo. When I first heard about dry shampoo, I tried a few different kinds, and none of them worked. They just seemed to weigh my hair down and make it worse. However, after trying this one I don’t think I will try another kind unless it is discontinued.
I get the whole rock star vibe from the packaging – I’m a rock star who parties so hard and I don’t have time to wash my hair when I’m hungover in the morning kind of thing. But it works just as fine for us normal people who just want to save some time and skip a hair wash.
My hair is very long, thick, and gets oily at the roots after one day. I used to wash it every day, and spend about 20 to 25 minutes styling it. I’m happy to say that Encore Fresh allows me to go two (sometimes even three) days between washes! It’s great not to have to slave over my hair every day.
The spray comes out as a white powder. I have medium brown hair and don’t see any grey cast, but I did see a little when I had dark brown hair. To use, section your hair into parts and use short bursts to spray the roots. Let it sit for a few minutes, gently rub it into your roots and then lightly brush it out.
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I highly recommend this product (and Got 2b products in general), so check it out if you see it on sale if you’re looking for a dry shampoo.
I hope you are having a great holiday and have taken some time to relax. I’m staying at my parents’ house for a week to visit, which has been great. My sister (Melissa) and I received some Essie nail polish for Christmas, so I thought I would share some photos and quick reviews.
I received Lilacism, which Essie describes as, “elegant and enchanting, this satiny smooth lilac whispers springtime.” It is a springtime colour, but it’ s a nice change from traditional holiday manicures of red, gold, and glitter. I used three coats, and had some trouble with application. The polish was quite streaky, so my second and third coats were thicker to even them out. The consistency was nice, and it didn’t run into my cuticules. I think this would look great with Mac’s Lavender Whip lipstick if you want to match your lips and nails (I may do this in the spring).
Essie’s Lilacism
Melissa received No Place Like Chrome from the Mirror Metallics collection. Essie describes the colour as a, “memorable silver metallic.” She loves the colour and effect, but had difficulty with application. She used two coats, but the metallic formula isn’t forgiving of mistakes. She says, “It was really streaky, but if you get a good topcoat it will even out lines and stuff.” She has three other colours from this collection, and says, “They’re mostly streaky, they all pretty much apply the same.”
Essie’s No Place Like Chrome
Melissa and I both love Essie polishes because they have great colours and application, are affordable, and accessible (you can get them at Wal Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart, etc.). What is your favourite nail polish brand?
Stephanie Rochefort 