I recieved a free sachet sample of the Love Beauty and Planet Shampoo and Conditioner in "Blooming Colour: Murumuru Butter & Rose" from Topbox (In partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart). As per usual, I have not let this bias or influence my review.
The packaging of these products was gorgeous, the floral print was very elegant and eye catching. I found it a tad bit ironic that the entire brand revolves around being good for you and the planet, but the sachets were foil, which is not recyclable. On the other hand, the full sized products are made from recycled plastic and are also recyclable!
The fragrance of the shampoo was overpoweringly floral, with a very distinct rose scent. Although it was a very realistic rose fragrance, as opposed to those artificial rose perfumes. The conditioner smelled more like coconut than rose, which was lovely. The scent filled the entire bathroom and does last on the hair, for a very long time. The scent also lingered on my hands for an hour or so - so if you don't like the fragrance, you won't want to purchase this product line.
The shampoo lathered into a thick foam, making it easy to coat every inch of my hair. It rinsed out quickly and didn't leave any residue. I also found it didn't strip my hair or make it feel dry before putting on the conditioner. The conditioner was very thin, which wasn't ideal for my long hair. It did moisturize my hair slightly but it wasn't up to my usual standard. I did notice less color runoff in the water as I rinsed my hair, so I think the color sealing properties work well.
While I liked the shampoo and would consider purchasing it, I didn't enjoy the conditioner enough to buy the set. The price is mid-range ($8 - $13 per bottle, depending where you purchase), which is fine for the shampoo but the conditioner would quickly become expensive since it takes a lot of product to get the desired results.
I like the brand, and their whole message of sustainability and environmental impact really resonates with me... However, while they claim to not directly test on animals, or use animal testing in their products, Love Beauty and Planet is owned by Unilever, which does test on animals.
Friday, May 17, 2019
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Canadian Shopping Experience: ShopMissA.com
ShopMissA
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| (It's definitely Shop Miss A and not Shop Missa, based on their package logo) |
The site UI is very easy to follow, albeit a little overwhelming at times due to the sheer amount of product selection available. The only critique I have is that their swatch photos of their house brand are incredibly confusing. They have the swatches shown on both a light skin and dark skin model, and have the names of the products matching one set of swatches, but on the other model the swatches are upside down, meaning the titles are now in reverse order. This just requires a little more focus to make sure you order the right shade (a mistake I made a couple times).
Most items on ShopMissA are $1 (or ~$1.33 CAD), including brushes and makeup items. Which I’ll admit made me very skeptical. It’s easy to get sucked into adding a ton of items to your basket with the mentality of “well it’s only $1!” but that number adds up quickly… My order totaled $102, but I got an absurd amount of items for that price. I paid using Paypal, which offered me additional coverage in case the items weren’t what they said they’d be (a la WISH).
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| Overview of my package, fresh upon opening |
Shipping was pretty fast, I paid about $13 for regular shipping, which estimated 7-27 days for delivery. I placed my order on April 26th, it had already been packed and shipped within 24 hours and I received my package on May third. A total of 8 days to get from Texas to Ontario. Unfortunately my order was hit with duties, and an additional $10 DHL handling fee leaving me with $21 in additional fees upon delivery.
My order was pretty large, and everything arrived in pristine condition, which I appreciate… But holy moly when I say there was a ridiculous amount of packaging I mean it. Almost every single item came shrink-wrapped, individually packaged in foam pockets, then wrapped into a larger foam sleeve. Then placed into a package with even more padding. While I assume this is to ensure the items reach their final destination without breaking, I’m sure there has to be a better way to do it - and use materials that can be recycled. Since foam and shrink wrap isn’t recyclable or reusable.
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| So much packaging!! |
Overall I really liked the shopping experience I had with ShopMissA, and I would consider placing another order in the future depending on how the products turn out. Even though I was skeptical at first, I can recommend them without a doubt. I bought a wide range of items (Lipstick, eye shadow, makeup brushes, etc.) and will be testing them out and posting my reviews on them in the future.
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| Layer upon layer of foam packaging... |
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| SO MUCH PACKAGING |
Side note; The items are made in PRC (People’s Republic of China), but distributed from their warehouse in Dallas, TX).
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Influenster VoxBox: My Zest Skin
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| The top of the Influenster VoxBox with Clean & Clear |
I was lucky enough to get accepted for the "My Zest Skin" VoxBox from Influenster. This specific VoxBox was a partnership between Influenster and Clean & Clear to promote Clean and Clear's new skincare lineup, the "Lemon" line. While I received these products for free through Influenster, I have not let this lend any bias to my reviews.
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| The side of the Influenster VoxBox |
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| The Contents of the Influenster VoxBox |
The Box Overview:
My box included three full-size products; the Gel Cleanser, the Cleansing Wipes and the Exfoliating Slices.
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| The VoxBox came with an information card |
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| The Informational Card |
The informational card featured the entire "Lemon" line from Clean & Clear. The line features a toner, exfoliating slices, a scrub, a gel cleanser and cleansing wipes.
Individual Product Reviews:
Product Review: Clean & Clear Lemon Cleansing Wipes
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| The Front of the Lemon Cleansing Wipes |
The bright yellow packaging is very eye catching, and the text gives a simple explanation that is easy to follow along. The claims on the back are questionable, though. The wipes are on the drier side, but highly fragranced.
The scent is very similar to limoncello, and the wipes are incredibly fragranced to the point where my skin still smelled like lemons several minutes after use. The wipes will still smell like lemons for several hours afterwards... They could almost be used as a room fragrance! Luckily I didn't find the fragrance to irritate my skin.
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| The back of the Lemon Cleansing Wipes |
The packaging claims the wipes are gentle enough for use around the eye area, which I don't agree with. The wipes removed the majority of my makeup but I was unable to remove my mascara or eyeliner without excessive rubbing - which actually hurt my skin. I felt like the wipes were slightly abrasive. I tested both sides of the wipe and encountered the same abrasive feeling.
Overall, I think the wipes are fine but I wouldn't repurchase them, nor would I encourage anyone else to buy them. In fact, I have completely removed any sort of single-use cloth products from my makeup routine as they are incredibly harmful for the environment.
Additional Information: The packaging it is not recyclable or biodegradable, nor are the wipes within. That means every aspect of this product will end up in a landfill. Also, while Clean and Clear claims to not test on animals, they do include the universal claim "except where required by law", which means ultimately they are NOT cruelty free.
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| Closer Photo of the back of the Lemon Cleansing Wipes |
I received this product for free through Influenster, but I have not let this sway my opinion or lend any bias to my review. #MyZestSkin
Product Review: Clean & Clear Lemon Gel Cleanser
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| The Front of the Lemon Gel Cleanser |
First and foremost, the packaging of this product is so cute! I love the bright yellow container with the very simple black doodle of a lemon. I appreciate how simple and straightforward the text on the front is, it makes it really approachable and easy to understand for those of us who aren't skincare experts.
The texture of this gel cleanser is slightly thicker than I was expecting, and it's yellow! I was concerned the scent would be harsh, like lemon house cleaner but was pleasantly surprised to find it was more like a limoncello fragrance. The fragrance doesn't veer into the baked goods realm, but it is a very strong fragrance - if you are not into heavy fragrance in your skin care this would be a huge pass.
The gel doesn't really foam up very much, but it does spread across the face easily - a pea sized amount was sufficient but I did feel like I needed to use more product in hopes of getting the foaming cleansing action I am accustomed to.
The cleanser washed off really easily, I didn't have to scrub and it left no residue on my skin. Something that was more unique to this cleanser compared to my regular one is that it left my skin feeling very neutral - I didn't get that dreaded tight dryness feeling, but it also didn't feel moisturized.
After using the gel cleanser for three weeks I have noticed I am breaking out more frequently than usual. The product itself isn't causing my skin to breakout, but it isn't helping prevent or reduce the amount of acne I get. This leads me to believe it is not ideal for my skin, so while I will use this cleanser until it is completed I will not be repurchasing it.
Additional information; The package is recyclable, which is great - but the pump isn't. Also, while Clean and Clear claims to not test on animals, they do include the universal claim "except where required by law", which means ultimately they are NOT cruelty free.
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| The Back of the Lemon Gel Cleanser |
*I received these products for free through Influenster, but I have not let this sway my opinion or lend any bias to my review. #MyZestSkin
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Product Review: Joe Fresh Tinted Lip Balm
The metallic packaging matches the colour inside, which is nice for easy identifying - but awful for displaying fingerprints and always looking dirty. The lid doesn't snap on, but rather twists on similar to a bottle cap. At first this feature really bothered me, but over time I've come to enjoy it since I know the lid won't come loose in my purse.
These tinted lip balms are VERY tinted, like a sheer lipstick - to the point where I don't feel comfortable applying them without a mirror for fear of making a mess. The high shine formula means they tend to slip outside of my lipline, but that is more noticeable with the darker shades compared to the lighter. The colour will also accentuate dry patches.
They are very moisturizing, but only on a surface level. I don't feel any moisture leftover after the product wears away. The scent is very reminiscent of a watermelon jolly rancher and tends to linger for a long time, there is also a subtle sweet flavor if you accidentally get some in your mouth.
On my lips the Blackberry colour translates to a medium cool toned berry and the Macaron is a muted lilac purple. Both shades are incredibly glossy upon first application but with minor wear calm down to a satin fish. They will transfer easily and wear off in about 60 minutes or so.
Overall I'd say if you're looking for a moisturizing lip balm, this is not the product for you. But if you're looking for a shiny lip colour and can find one in the range of colours, it might be worth a shot.
These tinted lip balms are VERY tinted, like a sheer lipstick - to the point where I don't feel comfortable applying them without a mirror for fear of making a mess. The high shine formula means they tend to slip outside of my lipline, but that is more noticeable with the darker shades compared to the lighter. The colour will also accentuate dry patches.
They are very moisturizing, but only on a surface level. I don't feel any moisture leftover after the product wears away. The scent is very reminiscent of a watermelon jolly rancher and tends to linger for a long time, there is also a subtle sweet flavor if you accidentally get some in your mouth.
On my lips the Blackberry colour translates to a medium cool toned berry and the Macaron is a muted lilac purple. Both shades are incredibly glossy upon first application but with minor wear calm down to a satin fish. They will transfer easily and wear off in about 60 minutes or so.
Overall I'd say if you're looking for a moisturizing lip balm, this is not the product for you. But if you're looking for a shiny lip colour and can find one in the range of colours, it might be worth a shot.
These tinted lip balms are Made in Canada.
Product Review: Secret Invisible Spray 48HR Antiperspirant/Deodorant
I've always had issues with my armpits. I sweat heavily and tend to smell quite strongly from them. I've been wearing deodorant/antiperspirant since I was 11 years old. While some work better than others, I've never found one that solved all my issues.
I'd seen a bunch of commercials for this new concept of aerosol deodorants and I was pretty intrigued, but the high price tag (avg $8 or so) kept me from trying them. I've also been made aware of how bad aerosol products are for the environment, but I was desperate so I finally decided to bite the bullet during a "Spend your points" event at Shoppers Drug Mart. I "paid" $7.99 for this product.
The first three days it worked fantastic. My armpits were dry all day, I would occasionally smell the cool waterlily scent when I moved my arms, I had no bad odor from my armpits at all! I was thrilled and ready to rave about my new discovery, finally an answer to all my armpit problems.
Until day four came and I sprayed on the deodorant as usual... Or so I thought. I went about my day and started noticing my armpits were damp. I sprayed some deodorant into my hand and realized the bottle was just dispersing air instead of product. I shook the bottle, I cleaned the nozzle, I tried everything I possibly could to make it work and no luck. I can feel the bottle is still half full, but the sprayer is no longer dispensing product. Thinking this was just a fluke I purchased another bottle... Within a week I was suffering the same issue.
Despite this product being everything I've ever wanted in a deodorant, it appears to be full of issues which make it a total waste of money.
The first issue is the product is "invisible", meaning you cannot easily tell if it has been dispensed or not. The second issue is clearly the nozzle system, since both bottles have had the same issue within days of purchase. There is no way to open the container so you cannot check if the dispenser is blocked. The third issue is how quickly the product is used up! Less than a week of use shouldn't use up half a container, especially since it costs more than regular stick deodorant. Then finally, the container is under pressure (since it is an aerosol can) and cannot be recycled or reused - it is just landfill.
I'm really disappointed in this product. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody.
I'd seen a bunch of commercials for this new concept of aerosol deodorants and I was pretty intrigued, but the high price tag (avg $8 or so) kept me from trying them. I've also been made aware of how bad aerosol products are for the environment, but I was desperate so I finally decided to bite the bullet during a "Spend your points" event at Shoppers Drug Mart. I "paid" $7.99 for this product.
The first three days it worked fantastic. My armpits were dry all day, I would occasionally smell the cool waterlily scent when I moved my arms, I had no bad odor from my armpits at all! I was thrilled and ready to rave about my new discovery, finally an answer to all my armpit problems.
Until day four came and I sprayed on the deodorant as usual... Or so I thought. I went about my day and started noticing my armpits were damp. I sprayed some deodorant into my hand and realized the bottle was just dispersing air instead of product. I shook the bottle, I cleaned the nozzle, I tried everything I possibly could to make it work and no luck. I can feel the bottle is still half full, but the sprayer is no longer dispensing product. Thinking this was just a fluke I purchased another bottle... Within a week I was suffering the same issue.
Despite this product being everything I've ever wanted in a deodorant, it appears to be full of issues which make it a total waste of money.
The first issue is the product is "invisible", meaning you cannot easily tell if it has been dispensed or not. The second issue is clearly the nozzle system, since both bottles have had the same issue within days of purchase. There is no way to open the container so you cannot check if the dispenser is blocked. The third issue is how quickly the product is used up! Less than a week of use shouldn't use up half a container, especially since it costs more than regular stick deodorant. Then finally, the container is under pressure (since it is an aerosol can) and cannot be recycled or reused - it is just landfill.
I'm really disappointed in this product. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody.
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