Love It, Like It, or Lose It v.5

I’m really starting to struggle with the challenge that I issued myself to test out 5 new products every week.  I can only use up products so fast!  I’m either going to have to take a week or two break from my Love It, Like It, or Lose It commitment, or only test products I think might end up in the “Lose It” pile.
This week’s round-up of products –

Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara – Ultra black, clump free mascara with extravagant volume and up close precision.

Thoughts:  I’m not a big fan of the oddly shaped gigantic brush.  I do like the formula though – it really plumped up and lengthened my puny lashes.  There was minimal smudging and flaking at the end of the day.

Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil in “3 Medium” – everyone’s an expert with this super easy filling & shaping eyebrow pencil. It features a custom, non-sharpen “goof-proof” tip, soft color and a glide-on formula for easy & fast brow filling.

Thoughts: This will be a future purchase!  I am not a brow expert by any stretch of the imagination but found this super easy to get very natural looking results.  No “painted on” look with this!

Amore Pacific CC Cushion Compact “102” – Experience the breakthrough air cushion technology that changed the face of beauty. Weightless, buildable coverage. Effortless perfection.

Thoughts:  The lightest shade, “102 Light Pink” is not a perfect match for me (slightly too dark) but still works provided I only need sheer coverage that day.  Love the high SPF and the moisturization.  Will purchase if they come out with a “101”!

Supergoop Lip Screen – Did you know that traditional lipsticks and glosses can actually magnify UV rays? Yikes! This clear top coat allows your favorite lip color to shine through while acting as a powerful UV shield.

Thoughts:  This might have been love if it wasn’t for the tingling.  This stuff feels like a plumping gloss with that slightly cool tingle that I absolutely hate.  Love the glossiness and that it’s not sticky.  I’m kind of on the fence with this one.

Garnier Clearly Brighter Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 – Developed with our Antioxidant Complex of Vitamin C & E, and gentle exfoliating Lipo-Hydroxyl Acid (LHA). This fast absorbing, non-greasy formula helps reduce the look of visible sun-damage, revealing radiant, more even-toned, younger-looking skin.

Thoughts: This one’s a solid “like” for the time being.  Some days I don’t quite find it moisturizing enough and need to layer it with a heavier moisturizer.  It gets great reviews and can’t wait to see the long-term brightening benefits.

August Birchbox

I was pretty excited about this box since it contains both brands and products that I already know and love!

• Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Oil
• Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick “Patina”
• Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow
• Acure Organics Coconut & Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes
• HUM Nutrition Raw Beauty Superfood Powder

In regards to Living Proof, I find their products to be pretty hit or miss for me.  This is one I haven’t tried but I always need “flyaway-fighting oil” that “hydrates and smooths” my freshly washed hair, so I’m excited to try it.

The Beauty Protector has been a major staple of mine since I first tried it over a year ago.  Have you smelled this?!  It’s amazing – smells like dessert and protects against heat damage!

This particular Stila lip product is one I haven’t tried but I’ve accumulated quite a few of their lipsticks and glosses over the years, so I’m fairly confident I’ll like this one as well.  “Patina” looks to be a very wearable neutral rose/mauve.

The Marcelle BB Cream I’m feeling a little iffy on.  I’ve never heard of this brand first of all, and a lot of BB Creams are too dark for my fair skin so I wasn’t surprised when it looked too dark out of the tube.  Some reviewers say it’s great for pale skin though so I’ll give it a whirl.

The cleansing cloths from Acure Organics I’m really excited to try.  I love Acure’s Argan Oil and have repurchased several times, but that’s the only product from them I’ve tried so far.

The Hum Nutrition powder was a bonus sample and also something I’ve never tried.  I intend to mix it with Vanilla Almond milk and will report back!

 

Dog Hair Is the Bane of My Existence

Swiffer Sweeper dry dusting cloths may very well be my sanity's saving grace.  With a German Shepherd and a "your guess is as good as mine" mutt, combatting dog hair is a daily struggle.

 

This is Cleo.  This is what happens when she knows you are looking at her. She is 4 and an absolute spazz. She has very silky, fine fur that flies all over the place even just as she walks by (except her rear - which is floofy and has very thick fur that falls out in clumps).

 

This is a better picture of Cleo.  She is distracted because she just stole Ariel's ball and Ariel is barking at her.

 

She got her ball back. :)

 

 

Happy sweeping and vacuuming to those of you who can commiserate!

Love It, Like It, or Lose It v.4

Last week’s roundup of products is a mix of skincare, body, makeup, and hair care!

 

NARS Eye Makeup Remover – A high-performance, extremely mild makeup oil-free remover that removes all traces of eye and lip makeup, even waterproof and transfer-proof makeup, without having to rub. The result is a refreshing feeling with no oily residue left behind on the skin.

Thoughts:  That last sentence of their description I don’t find to be true – it does indeed leave a greasy residue behind.  It also removes every last bit of eye makeup though so I’m willing to overlook it.  (I also always wash my face immediately after so it’s not much of an issue.)

Coola Makeup Setting Spray – A 70 percent certified organic SPF 30 spray that provides a weightless matte-finish while keeping makeup looking fresh all day.

Thoughts: Dries instantly and doesn’t change the look or feel of my makeup.  I applied and then went to the zoo – no red!  This is a new makeup bag staple.

Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion – This revolutionary paraben-free formula features space-age polymer technology that fills in any imperfections on the skin’s surface, prepping your lids for all-day shadow.

Thoughts:  I adore this shadow primer!  It applies smoothly and invisibly, and keeps my shadow crease free all day long.

Aveeno Skin Relief Gentle Scent Lotion – This lightly scented lotion soothes itchy, dry skin in just one day and is clinically shown to be as gentle to sensitive skin as fragrance free products. Formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS® Triple Oat Complex and a delightful Nourishing Coconut scent, it will leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturized for a full 24 hours.

Thoughts:  This smells really nice!  It’s very summery and coconutty but not in an overpowering perfumy way.  Relieves dry skin itchiness immediately – I don’t know about the full 24 hours but it definitely lasted a full work day.

Number 4 Restore and Repair Oil– This strand-saving elixir gives drab, dull hair a coveted movie star shine (plus a whole host of reparative benefits). Our oil-free days are officially over.

Thoughts:  I’ve only used this sparingly on dry hair so far, but I really like it.  It smells lovely and works well to calm the “poof” and make my hair look smooth and shiny.

So Choix August Samples

My August So Choix samples have arrived!  This month they included a couple of extra sample packets.  That’s never happened before so I’m not sure if this is a one-time thing or something they’ll be doing regularly.  Regardless, I was excited to see them in there!

So… what is So Choix?  Choix (pronounced “shwaa”) means “choice” in French.  Instead of filling out a questionnaire and crossing your fingers that you’ll get samples you’ll like, you get to pick the skincare and makeup samples (right down to specific shades)!  They allow you to shop one sample at a time or sign-up for a subscription and get 5 samples each month.

So here’s what I chose this month –

- Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Makeup Primer
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water
- Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes “Lilac Taupe”
- Giorgio Armani Eye Tint “10 Senso”
- Glamglow Flashmud Brightening Treatment
- And then also pictured are the bonus samples of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Eye Treatment.

If you’d like to learn more about So Choix you can check out their FAQs or if you’d like to sign-up I’d be much obliged if you did so through my referral link!  Happy sampling!