Product Review: Bio Oil

Hi ladies,

Today we're talking Bio-Oil.

There was a lot of hype around this product when it first came out, which really made me want to try it: my face and body are scar-mania. When it first came out it was crazy expensive, but I got a bottle of it at Shoppers for like $11 so I thought I'd give it a try.

This is really just a teaser post because the jury's still out on this one: it's recommended that you use it for 3 months in order to see results and I've only been using it for two weeks, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on this so far.

This is a fairly thick oil that smells really pleasant - pretty much exactly the same as Skin-So-Soft if you ask me. The idea is that you massage this into skin twice a day and rub in until absorbed. I've been using it on my cheeks (I have a lot of acne scars) and my dark knees. During the week I only use it once a day on my face; I apply it for bed but there's no way I could put this on my face before my makeup. So far I see not a lick of difference; in fact I think it may be making the clogged pores on my face even worse! But I'm reserving judgement since it has only been a few weeks...

The wiwfm verdict on this one is we'll see. Have any of you tried it? I'd love to hear your feedback. Drop me a comment!

Product Review: Redken Smooth Down

I have a confession to make: I've been unfaithful.
Back in April when I wrote my first post, I told you about my Long Term Relationship with Herbal Essences. And it was good, don't get me wrong. LTR was good to me and for me. But it's hard to be monogamous when there is so much out there and I admit that I was led astray.

First there was a dalliance with Herbal Essences Pin Straight. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it didn't really work out. At first I was dazzled by how much it loosened my curl, but over time I realized that I just needed more moisture. I thought longingly of LTR and vowed to go back and beg forgiveness for cheating, but then my head was turned once more. I think this one is for keeps.

My new love's name is Redken Smooth Down and it is the truth, let me tell you.

After that one night stand I had with Redken Extreme, I was more than willing to try it again. But I knew this time I needed something that would give me the moisture of LTR and the straightening of Pin Straight. Mom, I think I've found the one.

Redken's website promises that the Smooth Down family of products is "specially formulated to enrich and tame extremely dry, coarse, unruly hair". Fortified with macadamia oil (which is supposed to be great for hair) and a whole bunch of other stuff, it provides great conditioning and makes your hair visibly straighter, even before you blowdry.

I couldn't afford the whole line, so I went for the Shampoo, Conditioner, and Heat Glide. Let me break them down one by one for you...

The Smooth Down Shampoo was great: it had good lather and rinsed clean, but left my hair feeling a little stripped afterward. Nothing new; pretty much all shampoo does that. One thing that puzzled me though was the smell. Not that it's bad, it just smells clean. But with the colour of the packaging and the fact that it's got macadamia oil in it had me expecting a warm cocoa buttery-type smell so I was a little thrown off when I sniffed it and just smelled...shampoo. No biggie though.

The Smooth Down Conditioner was nice too. Not as thick as I like, but it did the job. I had a hell of a time rinsing it out though, as usual. But that may have been as much because of my method of rinising my hair in cold water whilst trying not to let said cold water touch my skin as because of the conditioner itself. I know I didn't get it all out, but what was left was just on the ends and they need moisture anyway so...

Now the Smooth Down Heat Glide is serious business. It's a thick serum that just glides through your hair. And it really works! I was already ecstatic with the results after putting it in wet hair before blowdrying, but last night I decided to try an experiment: I put it on my dry hair at night just before wrapping (on just one side of my head so I could compare the results) and when I took it out in the morning the difference was remarkable. This.stuff.really.works.

I'm going back next paycheque for the Smooth Down Butter Treat which I'll use as a pre-poo and maybe even the Sleek Obedience anti-frizz solid serum after I run out of my other serums. I'll skip the detangling conditioner as I don't really have a problem with tangles.

Obviously, the wiwfm verdict on this one is hell's yes!

Product Review: OPI Moon over Mumbai

Hi there,

Today we're talking nails and I'm going to try to skip all the preamble and just get right into it. I know I tend to ramble on and on before I get to the point. Sorry about that.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I got my nails done at Novo Spa in Yorkville with some girls from work. (Sidebar: Novo is a great spa, if you're in the Toronto area you should check it out). It took me all of two seconds to choose Moon Over Mumbai as my nail colour; I've been wanting to try this shade ever since I bought Elephantastic Pink way back in April.




O.P.I. describes this colour as “[a] romantic shade of soft, moonlit grey”. That's certainly true of the colour in the bottle, but on my nails it's not necessarily the case. Even after three coats, the colour just doesn't look grey. My roommate described the colour as "oyster", which I thought was pretty fit. Either way I'm not complaining. It's a beautiful sheer shade that's neither pink nor beige, making it a great escape from the classic nude colours we're so used to seeing.

The thing about it is though that it's a bitch to apply. Holy crap. Now I'm not a novice at polishing my nails by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm really struggling to get this stuff on streak-free. I can do it in three coats, but I want to try to do it in two. The only thing that I've found that helps is to let each coat dry fully before you apply the next one. Which basically means it takes about three hours to polish my nails. Who has time for that?

I think I've found my fall HG colour. I've been wearing it non-stop for three weeks now and haven't stopped staring at it. The only thing is though that the tips of the nails on my left hand are starting to turn yellow because of smoking; but none of my faithful readers are idiotic enough to actually smoke, are you pretties?

'Til the next time!

Oh yeah right, the wiwfm verdict on this is yes!

Product Review: Sebastian Laminates Concentrate Gel

Hi Everyone!
So once again I've been MIA for a while - sorry about that. It's been a tough couple of weeks at work plus a gorgeous long weekend...not a good combination to motivate me to blog. But I'm back now and I've got a slew of things to talk to you about.

So let's get to it. I haven't blogged about it, but I've been having major hair drama pretty much all summer long. Partly because of the weird and incessantly rainy weather, and partly because of the nature of my hair. See I have really curly type 4A hair that just does not want to be straight. But I'm not really the big curly hair type so I try to force it. And for a long while there I was winning the battle, but lately my curls have been kicking my ass and my hair has been a big puffy, frizzy, mass that I constantly have to wear up in a ponytail or a twist, but even that doesn't help because my hair has so many layers that something somewhere is always falling out.

Anyway. So my hair routine in a nutshell goes pretty much something like this: I wash my hair only once a week, usually on a Friday or Saturday. I pre-poo first with coconut oil, olive oil, beaten eggs, deep conditioner, or some combination of those. Then I wash, blowdry (which is my own personal version of hell), and flatiron it. Somewhere throughout that process I put some serum in (usually before blowdrying and after flatironing) and that should be all the product I put in my hair for the whole week.

Problem is, my hair is still a frizzy mess all the time, especially my ends. So I keep putting more and more serum in and it keeps not helping and my hair just gets more and more limp as each day goes by. So finally I said, enough is enough. I'm going to shell out the extra money and buy a professional brand of serum and hopefully that will help with the frizz.

Enter Sebastian Laminates Concentrate Gel.

I marched into Trade Secrets a few weeks ago and spoke to one of the sales associates.
I told her that I had very curly, very thirsty hair that I don't chemically straighten (did I forget to mention that I stopped relaxing my hair about three years ago?) and basically gave her the rundown of my routine. I told her I needed a good serum that I could put in my hair once a week that would actually make my hair shiny and not frizzy. She marched so purposefully over to this product that I thought she knew something I didn't. I was a little skeptical because it looks like a gel and has the word "gel" written clearly on the package, but when I questioned her about it, she assured me that it was indeed a serum. Okay then.

After I finished choking to death over the $24.95CAD price tag, I went to the cash to pay for it. The girl working the register was black (she's the one who gave me the sample of Redken Extreme the last time I was there. I asked her if she'd ever used this stuff or agreed with the recommendation and she was like "oh this gel?" I cut her off. "Is it a gel or a serum?" I demanded. "Let me see it please?". At this point her manager stepped in. This guy literally would not let me hold the tube of gel/serum that I was about to shell out $24.95 for. He was like, "what is it you want to know?" and I told him that I just wanted to read the ingredients. After a whole long rigamarole (during which I never did get to actually hold the tube), he explained to me that it was a serum "in gel form" and that while it did contain alcohol in it, it was basically a serum that just had a little hold. Okay fine. I paid for it and left.

I washed my hair the next day and went through the whole process. I couldn't wait to see the finished product. Sadly, my hair was no less frizzy and no more straight than it ever was. And it was sticky to boot. Not excessively, crazily sticky, but should your hair ever be sticky? I would prefer not, thanks. Luckily my sister showed up the next day bearing a gift: Avon Advance Techniques Dry Ends Serum. Now this shit is a serum! Way better than the Sebastians stuff and about 1/5 of the price. It smells great and actually moisturizes my hair and gives it some shine.

Sebastians Gel has been relegated to pomade status. And even for that purpose it's not the greatest. But I have to find some use for it after all that money I spent on it.

Anyway, needless to say, the wiwfm verdict on this one is no.

Product Review: Maybelline Colossal Volum'Express Mascara in Glam Black

Hi girls!
Thanks to the lovely ladies over at Chick Advisor's Product Review Club, I received this bad boy in the mail yesterday. I was anxiously awaiting this and couldn't wait to review it. Although I doubt anything can compare to the wonderfulness that is Lancôme Hypnôse, I wanted a mascara that was a little more low-key for my Monday to Friday look. This one definitely fits the bill.


Here's the rundown, Clumps of Mascara-style:

Price: 5 out of 5 (because it was free. I think it retails for around $7 which is very reasonable)

Packaging/Brush Wand: 4 out of 5




the package it came in - isn't it cute?










the wand






Overall: 3.5 out of 5 (It would have been 4 out of 5 but I took half a point off for not delivering on the 9x volume claim)

What it claims: "Creates 9X the volume, instantly."

The truth: It’s a good overall mascara - delivers solid lengthening and adds an acceptable amount of volume, but isn't outstanding in either.

What I loved about it: The definition and length are definitely there. It is rich and black and even after several coasts it doesn't weigh down the lashes. Volume-wise it was acceptable - but I don't think it lives up to the 9x claim. Although the brush was huge, it was surprisingly un-messy and did a good job on the little tiny lashes at the inside corners of my eyes.

What I didn't like: The wand is pretty dry coming out of the tube. I felt like I couldn't get enough product. I really wanted to pump it but we all know that's a big no-no.

Overall: I’m impressed but I’m not overwhelmed. It's a good mascara but there isn't anything so spectacular about it. the best thing about it is the price I think. It gives big results for the price point.

Would I recommend it: Definitley. One of the better drugstore mascaras I've tried. The wiwfm verdict is yes on this.

Here's some pics of the transition....please don't mind how disastrous I look in some of them lol

my naked, un-primed lashes curled with my crap-tastic lash curler.

with one coat of primer









One coat of mascara









two coats






The finished look:




don't mind my grandma hair. I was trying something that clearly did not work.

Product Review: Free Stuffs from pHisoderm

Hi Ladies!

We're not even going to get into how long it has been since I've posted. Suffice it to say I'm a blogging punk. My only defense is that the weather has been so nice lately I'm coming up with every possible reason to stay outside. Let's hope my blogging habits improve once it gets cold.

So anyway, on to today's products. The lovely ladies over at ChickAdvisor hooked me up with some products as part of their Product Review Club and all I had to do in return is write about them. But I can't drop science on beauty products without sharing it with my loyal readers now can I?

So first up is pHisoderm Daily Facial Cleanser for Dry-Normal Skin
Overall I'd give it a rating of just alright.

It's definitely gentle on my skin and it comes in a nice big bottle, which is a plus, but it has a weird smell that I didn't care for at all. The best way for me to descirbe it is as what West Indian people call "fresh". It's not a good thing, but I don't know what the Canadian equivalent would be...maybe gamey? Let's just say that in the Caribbean raw chicken smells "fresh" until you squeeze some lemon juice on it. Know what I mean? Although the smell was unpleasant it didn't linger and wouldn't stop me from using the cleanser again.

Anyway, apart from the smell the experience of using the cleanser was pretty good. It doesn't lather too much, which is good and when I used it first thing in the morning my face felt clean but not tight or dry. However when I used it to wash off my makeup, my face didn't feel clean and I had to re-wash it twice before it got off all my makeup. Not a good thing but I don't know too many cleansers that can remove all your makeup and get your face deep down clean in one shot so I won't hold that against it.

After using it all weekend, I did notice a couple of tiny pimples coming out on my face but it is my time of the month so I can't say for sure this cleanser caused it.

pHisoderm has never really been on my radar so I was glad to have a chance to test out some of their products. I think of it as being more natural and gentle and targeted to people with sensitive skin and when I'm choosing skincare products I tend to look more for heavy artillery. My skin is very oily and riddled with clogged pores and blackheads and is not sensitive at all so I wouldn't say this is ideal for me, but if you're looking for something gentle and non-drying that just gets your face clean this is the cleanser for you. The wiwfm verdict on this is....yes, but...as in yes it cleans your face but I doubt it will do much to improve the overall condition of your skin if it's as crappy as mine.

On to the next product: pHisoderm Body Wash in Aloe, Vitamin E, and Chamomile

This stuff couldn't have arrived at a better time. When I got home Friday evening after playing 18 holes of golf in the blazing sun I was a sweaty, dirty, sticky mess! I was so happy to see this in my mailbox that I jumped into the shower immediately.

I normally use Dove Cream Oil body wash and although I dearly love it, I don't really like using it when I'm hot and sweaty and dirty. It deposits a lot of moisture on my skin - which is normally a good thing, especially in the winter - but when it's hot and I feel filthy, I just want to be squeaky clean when I get out of the shower. I had high hopes for this (it even LOOKS clean in the bottle lol) and it did not disappoint. The smell is pleasant, fresh (in a good way - see my face wash review), fruity and vaguely floral. It lathers up nicely but not excessively, and rinses away clean with no sticky residue on the skin. I felt so good after washing it with it once that I did it again just for the heck of it. I've been using it all weekend and I'm still pleased with the results. I will say that it's a bit runny so be careful or this will spill and you'll end up wasting it.

Another great thing about this cleanser is that it's unisex - I've even gotten my male roommate using it. Normally he and I each buy our own body wash which gets a little crowded on our tiny shower shelf, but this is something we can both use.

While nothing can take the place of my favourite body wash, this will make a great backup cleanser for the days when I just want to get clean without all the extra fragrance, creams, and oil. I would probably buy this again. So the wiwfm verdict on this is yes!

Product Review: I have Fuscia Fever!

So ladies,
I'm a sucker for a pink polish, if you know anything about me you must know this. If I have 80 bottles of nail polish (and that is sooo not out of the realm of possibility), probably a good 60 of them are pink. Pink polish and pink shoes, those are my weaknesses. Interestingly enough, I own no pink clothes. Weird huh?

Anyway, I was in Shopper's Money-Sucking Drug Mart the other day and was once again eyeing this new Revlon nail polish in "Craving Coral". It's a really pretty coral colour (obviously) that's great for summer. But then my eyes caught a glimmer of pink in the periphery and it was all over for Miss Coral. Because I had discovered the beauty that is Fuscia Fever and it was a wrap. Then I brought it home and started to worry that I had just purchased a drugstore dupe of OPI Elephantastic Pink.


Sidebar: Every time I buy a new pink I start to worry on the way home that it's the same as a pink I already have. But it never is.


Fuscia Fever is a really pretty (blue-based) bright but not neon pink that is great against dark skin tones. Application was a bit tricky though. Like Elephantastic, you have to apply it like a sheer shade otherwise it streaks big time. I've just about mastered the technique (it only took about 20 years!) so it went on perfectly. and for once in my life I actually remembered to take pictures - peep them here:


Some of them are a bit blurry, I don't know why.

Random Goodness - CoverGirl WetSlicks AmazeMint Product Review

Hi ladies!

Hope my Canadian gals had a good long weekend and that all of you are enjoying the nice weather.

I'm still reeling from four glorious days off, major flirtations with crushboy, and my plan to ask him out for drinks this weekend. But I digress.

Late last night I checked my mail and found something other than the usual bills - a mysterious padded envelope addressed to me. Inside I found a little card from CoverGirl letting me know I've "been specially selected to be the first to try the new WetSlicks AmazeMint brightening lipgloss featuring Crest Peppermint Oil for a boost of breath freshness!".

I have no idea how or where they found me but hey - a free lipgloss is a free lipgloss right?

Surprisingly I had never heard of this product, but truth be told I don't love CoverGirl so I don't pay very close attention to their movements. Today's Google searches didn't really reveal much - but I did find a review on Silver Lips Beauty of the product.

It seems CoverGirl has been using some interesting tactics to spread the word about this gloss. Apparently they partnered with P.F. Chang's China Bistro to offer female diners a chance to try the gloss after dinner last week. Interesting.

Anyway. The color I received was Plum Crazy, which is looks a bit pinky-mauve in the tube but when you pull out the applicator it's actually not pink at all, more of a purpley-mauve, if that makes sense. I'm guessing it's the last tube on the right in this picture, but it's a bit hard to tell.

I wasn't wild at all about the colour. For one thing it's blue-based (of course, to help make your teeth look whiter) and I tend to veer away from cooler colours even though they're supposed to look better on dark skin tones. But after putting it on, it's prettier than I thought.

The gloss has a pretty minty-vanilla scent and the doe-foot applicator puts the gloss on smoothly. It has good shine and doesn't feel sticky or tacky. It tingles as soon as you apply and as I'm writing this, the tingling has intensified some and then starts to fade after a couple of minutes. It's very noticeable but not unpleasant, although I'm not a fan of tingly glosses.

Okay - I just licked my lips and got a kickass peppermint taste. It's not bad, just very pronounced. I guess that's the breath-freshening part, as it's supposed to basically be a lipgloss and breath mint in one. Funnily enough I just had a chocolate cookie and had a smoke so I have a nasty taste in my mouth that is in no way diminshed by the gloss, but then again short of eating it how could it eliminate that?

Sidebar: I'm going to really try to remember to take pictures when I get home and add to this post so you can see how it looks. Please remind me when I forget.

Overall this is a cute little gloss and with a price tag of $0 I really can't go wrong. I'm giving this a verdict of yes!

Product Review: Lancôme Hypnôse & Juicy Tubes Smoothie

Hello darlings!
Last week I was invited to attend the Milles Femmes event at BCE Place. Part of the Luminato Festival, Milles Femmes is a tribute to 1,000 artistic, creative and inspiring women from Toronto and their protégés, who embody the passion and heritage of the city. A few of my friends (and fellow blogger Henna of Canadian Beauty) were included in the event so I went to the launch.

Why am I writing about this you ask? A couple of reasons. First because I've been itching to mix up the beauty posts with some more personal stuff (because I belive – perhaps mistakenly – that you guys want to know what’s going on with me) and also because the gift bags included some great full size (!) Lancôme products. I haven’t had the chance to try everything, but I leapt at the Hypnôse Mascara and the Juicy Tubes Smoothie.

For some reason, I haven’t really dabbled too much in Lancôme. I have a couple of their Color Design eyeshadows (I ♥ The New Black) but that’s it. All the more reason why I couldn’t wait to try these. But I promised to cut down on the long-ass intros so I'm just going to move on to the reviews already.

Let’s go with the Hypnôse Mascara first.

According to Lancôme’s website, “With each stroke, the patented POWERFULL™ brush intensifies lashes from root to tip. Exclusive, fluid SoftSculpt ™ formula, enriched with Vitamin B5, wraps lashes one luxurious layer at a time without smearing, smudging or clumping.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. They ain’t never lied. I loves this mascara. The formula is nice and thick in a Voluminous kinda way but not clumpy. I do scrape off a fair amount of product before I apply but once I’ve done that it glides on smoothly and gives me great length and volume – even on the little skimpy lashes at the inner corners of my eyes. I always curl my lashes before applying mascara and this does seem to pull the curl out, but so does every other mascara I’ve ever used so I just curl again once it dries and I'm good to go for hours.

Sidebar: Does anyone know why mascara takes the curl out of lashes? Maybe it’s just me though because I’ve never heard anyone else mention it. It’s so annoying.

The wiwfm verdict on this is a hell’s yes!

On to the Juicy Tubes Smoothie.
I got this in Honey Violet, which is kind of a deep plummy red with gold shimmer. It’s a lot less purple than in the picture. I was a little wary when I looked at the tube, but once I put it on I really liked it.

It’s very well pigmented but still provides a sheer wash of colour, if that makes sense. What I mean is that the colour doesn’t go on as intense as it looks in the tube, but it’s not so sheer that you can’t see the colour on you. It also smells like watermelon Jolly Ranchers, which is never a bad thing.

I lent this to my sister Marsha indefinitely, only because it’s much more a Marsha colour than a Max colour. But I liked it so much I couldn’t bring myself to give it up permanently. I might “borrow:” it back from her the next time I see her.

The wiwfm verdict on this is yes as well.

Now I'm on a mission to try more Lancôme. Any recs for must-try products?

Have a great day ladies!

Product Review: Redken Extreme Shampoo & Conditioner

Hah guise!
I was shopping at Trade Secrets the other day and the cashier asked me if my hair was relaxed. I explained to her that I was trying to grow out my relaxer and she offered me samples of Redken Extreme. She said “these are really good products for hair like ours”. Not sure exactly what she meant by that but I never turn down samples. I took them home, stuck them in my sample box, and promptly forgot them. That is until Monday when my hair was so overloaded with hairspray from the MMVA’s that I couldn’t drag my fingers through it. I reached for my Long Term Relationship and remembered that I ran out and haven’t bought more because I'm looking for the specially-marked bottles so I can get a free mani-pedi. Thanks be to G-d I remembered I had this stuff and decided it was as good a time as any to try it out and then blog about it.

Sidebar: Now that I have a blog I can’t stop thinking in blog-speak. Instead of zoning out or daydreaming about crushboy while I do things, I'm now constantly trying to commit every experience to memory in vivid detail to share with you all. My daydreaming time has been seriously reduced as a result of this.

Anyway on to Redken Extreme. I’ve never used any Redken products so I'm a complete novice. I did go on their site the other day to have my hair “profiled” but the guy talking to me on the site was so strange and the results so vague it immediately vanished from my mind.

The site describes the Extreme line (which includes Shampoo, Conditioner, Reconstructing Treatment, Anti-Snap treatment, Rescue Force deep conditioner, and something called a Deep Fuel treatment) as “repair for distressed hair. For hair that is up to 4 times stronger. Extreme strengthens and resurfaces chemically and mechanically distressed hair. Redken's exclusive Interbond Conditioning System delivers a unique 3D Repair Complex to fortify hair so it looks and feels healthier with increased manageability and shine”.

Because I'm reviewing just a sample I obviously can’t comment on the long term effect of the claims, but I’ll fill you in on my experience and you can decide whether to give it a try.

The Extreme Shampoo was a treat. The first thing I noticed was how rich and creamy it was and how great it smelled. Kind of like a vanilla milkshake. It lathered up really well, which I love, and there was enough in the packet to wash my hair twice and still have some left over. It rinsed out easily and my hair felt nice afterward. Clean, but not dry or strawlike. I was instantly impressed.





The Extreme Conditioner was a bit of a different story.


I was nervous as soon as I opened the packed because the formula was quite lightweight, as opposed to the richness of the shampoo. It also had the nice vanilla milk-shakey smell, but there was a chemical undertone to it as well. Although it was thin, it distributed easily throughout my hair. On the site it promises to smooth and detangle your hair and that is definitely true. I noticed right away how easily my fingers slipped through my hair and I don’t even have a problem with tangles. As usual I let it sit in my hair under a shower cap while I did my business and then rinsed it out. It rinses out very easily.

When I came out of the shower my hair just more glossy and shiny than normal, but for me the test is always how my hair looks after I’ve blown it dry and flat ironed it. I won’t bore you with the intricacies of my routine because it’s too tedius to even get in to, but suffice it to say I did notice some key differences in my hair. It was straighter and a lot less frizzy than it usually is, which is good. But it had a little less body, which is not so good. It feels stronger but less soft. See a pattern here? There’s good news and bad news with this. Ultimately I think this shampoo is great if you have damaged hair, but I don’t really so for me the benefits of using it don’t outweigh the loss of body and softness. Still I give it a verdict of yes because it does what it promises.

Product Review: NARS Deep Throat

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Product Review: Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant

Hi girlz!

Check me out - third post this week!

Today we're talking lip exfoliants - the dumbest thing I've ever heard of if you ask me - there are way too many ways to do this at home without buying a whole product just for this - but whatevs. I got this as part of one of those Smashbox sets that seems like a really good value but actually is not because Smashbox is over-expensive. But anyway.

The one we're focusing on is Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant and according to Sephora it's "the first sugar-based, peppermint, lip exfoliator that is perfectly edible and smells delicious". It contains shea butter, jojoba, and antioxidants.

Basically you rub this stuff on your lips, and massage it in. I think you're supposed to massage it for 30 seconds or so and then gently wipe it away.

Here's the thing: this contains little exfoliating beads but there are so few of them in the tube that you're lucky to get two of them each time you use this. And it's really the beads that do the exfoliating so if you don't get enough of them it doesn't really work. All you're doing is rubbing a sweet, minty, wax all over your lips.

Sidebar: This actually smells just like homemade play-doh...do you guys remember that stuff? My friend Kim Mumford's mom used to make it when I was a kid (she also used to make us pumpkin chocolate chip muffins after Hallowe'en that were delish) and there used to be something she put into it that made it not taste good so kids wouldn't eat it that made it smell like mint. That's exactly what this stuff reminds me of.

I can't comment on the taste because - although it's edible - I'm extremely squeamish and make every possible effort to avoid getting this stuff in my mouth. I actually didn't know it was edible until I was researching it for this post. My lips do usually taste a bit sweet after I've used it so I'm sure it's not gross, if anyone is concerned about that.

Ultimately this item is a skip if you ask me. It does make your lips smoother (even though it's the wax that smoothes more than any other ingredient I'd guess) but there are so many other things you could do that are cheaper and faster than this that I wouldn't waste the money, especially because it retails for $18.

So the wiwfm verdict is....yes.

Product Review: Aveeno Cream Cleanser

Good morning ladies!
I'm making a concerted effort to make my posts shorter (internet writing 101) so I'm going to keep the preamble to a minimum and get right to the point:

Today's post is about Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser.

According to Aveeno's website, "this creamy cleanser gently exfoliates and helps clear and prevent blemishes while visibly improving skin tone and texture." It's also oil-free, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic, gentle enough for sensitive skin. All of which is good stuff to me. This cleanser also contains salicylic acid, which clogged pore ladies should be allll about.

In a word, I loves this stuff. The first time I used it I couldn't believe how good my skin felt afterward. It felt smooth and deeply clean without any kind of tightness or stripped feeling at all. The exfoliating beads (while too sparse to really have an effect IMO) are small enough to be gentle but not so small that they dissolve on contact with water, as has been my experience with many other scrub type cleansers. To be honest, with this cleanser the exfoliating beads seem to be so besides the point that I think they just threw them in as an afterthought.

I'm addicted to this stuff. I can't stop washing my face and I even told my roommate that he should start using it too. I doubt he will, but I think it would be a great cleanser for men. It has just enough of the good stuff to keep them looking well-groomed without seeming overly metro, and the packaging and the smell are gender neutral (it just smells ever-so-faintly like mayonnaise). My only complaint is that you're supposed to massage this into your skin for like 30 seconds. That's a long time. So I only do that in the evenings. In the morning I just do it for however long it takes for me to feel like my face is clean.

The only thing is, I've only been using this for a few days so I'm a bit hesitant to give a verdict just yet. Does it clean my face? Yes it does. But will it make my complexion any more clear is a different story. I'm actually on a summer salicylic kick (I bought this, a day cream, a night cream, and some Oxy pads that all contain it) to see whether using a lot of this will help clear my skin. So far my skin feels better but I'm getting little pimples here and there which may just be because all these products are drawing the yuck out of my pores.

So the wiwfm verdict on this one is....we'll see.
(that's a new category I just created cuz it's my blog and I can)
I'll update you in about 4 weeks when I should be able to tell the difference. I've been taking pictures of my skin to track my progress. And no I will not be posting those on here!
If I forget to update you, please remind me.
Thanks ladies!
max
xoxo

Product Review: NADS Original Gel

Hello pretties!

Yes it's been a long time but I'm back for real this time. I'm hitting a lull at work so I should have all the time (and mental energy) in the world to give my blog the attention it deserves. If I still have readers out there, thanks for sticking with me and please answer the poll on the right.

Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway. On to today's post which is about NADS. Specifically, Nads Original Gel

Now Nads (or any hair removal product for that matter) doesn't necessarily fall under the category of products designed for white girls that can be adapted for DDD's, but since our hair textures are different than our PPP sisters, this kinda qualifies.

I've been hearing bits here and there about Nads over the years but whenever I went to look for it in stores it was waaaay more expensive than other waxes so I didn't bother. But this past Saturday I needed to wax my legs. I've made a personal promise to myself not to shave my legs, stomach (don't ask), and bikini line for a whole summer and to wax it instead. But that mess is kinda labour intensive stillll so I was thinking about some of those warm-up-in-your-hands wax strip jobbies, even though I don't believe in cold wax.

So my first stop as always was to do research on MUA because the ladies over there know what's up. The verdict wasn't looking too good on the cold wax stuffs but I noticed that Nads had a pretty good rating and that even though it was in a pot as opposed to strips, you don't have to heat it up. Heating up the wax is a pain in the tuches to me because I have to keep schlepping back from the bathroom to the kitchen and dripping wax all over the place and....grrr.

Armed with that information and a wackload of Optimum Points, I headed over to Shopper's. After a brief distracting foray into the nail polish aisle, I arrived in the hair removal section and found Nads with a big ole sale sticker that read $25.94. Yowza! That's the sale price?!? Really? I immediately turned my attention to the Sally Hansen All Natural wax kit sitting directly beside the Nads (with the eerily similar green and white packaging as if they were trying to make it seem like a Nads dupe) I picked it up to compare ingredients to Nads and noticed another, smaller Nads package with a significantly smaller price tag. The difference is that the $25 jobbie had the gel wax, as well as all kinds of other stuff like ingrown solution, soothing balm, and I don't know what all else. The cheaper one had just wax/gel, cleansing wipes, and strips. Sounds good to me! I don't need all that other mess.

Wow this post is getting long and I haven't gotten to the point yet. Let me hurry along.

So the instructions on the package are very straightforward. You don't need to heat the wax, smooth a very thin layer of wax in the direction of hair growth, apply the strip and smooth in the direction of hair growth, and pull off in the opposite direction keeping the strip close to the body. Also make sure the area is clean & dry before starting.

This is Waxing 101 by the way, and I actually went to beauty school so I know.

Here's the thing. You do have to heat the wax. Sorry, but it's true. It's just not spreadable if you don't. And you have to heat it longer than 15 seconds the first time you use it so please don't believe the hype. The good thing about Nads versus other waxing kits is that the wax stays warm, thin, and spreadable a LOT longer than other products. I don't know how they do it, but it does. I did my both legs (knees down) and my stomach and only had to re-heat once. That's pretty amazing. The cleansing wipes work just like wet naps but they foam ever so slightly when you rub them on. They were pretty good too, but they ripped as I was unfolding them. No big deal. In fact IMO they're really not necessary - just rub some powder over the area before you wax and you're good.

But wait I haven't told you the best part yet. Once you use the strip once, you can use it again on the next section of hair without reapplying the wax and it will work! That is amazing! I've never seen a wax product do that. You can only do it a couple of times before it starts to get messy but it definitely helps save time (and product).

One thing I have to say in all honesty is that a huge part of waxing is about technique. If you don't do it right it's not going to work and it's going to sting like a mofo. Obviously having learned how to do it professionally I probably get better results than someone doing it for the first time ever. But do not be discouraged because waxing is easy and anyone can do it. I'm sure there are instructions on YouTube, WikiHow, or Yahoo Answers. Or feel free to write me if you need tips.

So the wiwfm verdict on Nabs is a great big ole yes!

Product Review: BeneFit Ooh La Lift

From my travels around the beauty cyber-world, I know a lot of people are concerned about dark circles and puffiness in the eye area. I personally don't have this problem, so I don't pay much attention but I do know that there are about a jillion products out there to fix it.

What I do have is a slight loss of firmness under my eyes; the area there isn't puffy or dark but it is a little loose I guess. I have no idea what causes this and I believe I've always add it so I don't think it's an aging thing. I used to just pile concealer in this area to cover it up but then I discovered Ooh La Lift by Benefit.

I got this in the Realness of Concealness kit from Benefit (I haven't reviewed this but in a word the wiwfm verdict is no for my DDD's. More on that later) and I really didn't pay much attention to it for the first few months. I tried it a couple of times and didn't really feel like there was a difference. But a few months later I decided to give it a try again...

According to Benefit's website, Ooh La Lift "helps firm under the eye area so you look years younger. With a special blend of botanicals and light reflecting pigments, this is for all of us gals who want eyes that look young and fresh. The cooling sensations feel so good you'll want to use it all day long... we say go for it... the perk-me-up results are instant, and the feel good sensation is right now!"

Sounds good to me. And like I said, it's one of the few products I've ever encountered that specifically addresses loose skin rather than dark circles or puffiness so I gave it a go. What I do is apply my foundation, then dot a thin layer of this under my eyes. Then I use a brush to dot concealer right over it. I pat it in with my fingers which blends the mixture together and into my skin. It adds just the amount of brightness - I don't subscribe to the theory of using a lighter concealer under the eyes - and covers up the loose skin perfectly. No cooling sensation to speak of, but I don't miss it.

This works, but Benefit's prices are beyond ridiculous in my opinion, so I'm not sure if I'll repurchase it when it runs out. A little goes a long way though, I have just a tiny tube and it's lasted me about a year and I still have some left.

So the wiwfm verdict is...yes!

Product Review: MAC Matte

Hello pretties!
I'm sorry I've been away from you so long, it was a bit of a hectic week at work and my B12 shot is starting to wear off so I'm a bit more tired than usual.

Sidebar: B12 shots are the greatest invention ever for those ladies that are a little less than energetic. Get your bloodwork done if you find yourself dragging ass a little too often.

So today we're talking skincare and no beauty blog would be complete without a MAC post so...

Without further ado, today's topic is: MAC Matte

MAC's website describes Matte as "A matte-ifying cream that acts like a powder Matte adds a sheer, no-shine matte texture in one smooth layer" Well as some people say, they ain't never lied. I have extremely oily skin and this is a great product for helping to control shine. Let me just reiterate it: it helps to control shine. It does not completely eliminate it.

I apply a thin layer of matte over my moisturizer (This week I used LaRoche-Posay's Effaclar) and under my foundation (MAC StudioFix Liquid). I've heard talk on MUA that some people noticed their pores were a lot less visible after applying Matte. That didn't happen for me, but then again I don't pay a whole lot of attention to whether I can see my pores on a daily basis.

Update: Yeah clearly I don't pay attention when I do things, because the other day I actually looked at my face while I was applying this, and my suitcase-sized pores were disappearing before my eyes. So yes it does make pores less visible.

Anyway, after applying it my skin felt silky and was noticeably less shiny. It also makes my foundation go one more easily and I find I even use less now. (One pump and a foundation brush is more than enough for my whole face). I set it with Blot Powder applied with a brush and my skin looks great until lunchtime. That's about 5 hours.

I can't lie: I do need to apply powder to my nose a couple of times throughout my workday, but overall this product really helps to keep me look fresh through the end of my day. Prior to this, I would get home and look at myself and all my foundation and concealer would be worn off and my face would just be a big ole shiny greaseball mess. Now. I may be glowing a little bit when I get home but I still look like a presentable human being.

Another thing I love about this product is that it just feels natural on my face. I've used other oil control products that have helped to control shine, but by the end of the day my skin literally felt like it was choking on all the oil it was not allowed to produce. It was a very creepy feeling that I just did not enjoy at all.

So the wiwfm verdict is yes...depending on your objectives. If you want something to stop your face from producing oil whatsoever, this is not going to work for you. Is there even a product out there that does that? I don't know. Anyway, if your objective is to find something to help you fight the battle against shine, this will do it.

Sidebar #2 - the website also says "apply M·A·C Matte to eyelids before applying Eye Shadow or Paints to help increase the longevity of the makeup and reduce creasing". I can't comment on this claim because even though this does get on my eyelids when I apply it to my whole face, I use Urban Decay Primer Potion as my main primer. But give it a try ladies and let me know how it works for you.

Product Review: OPI Elephantastic Pink

Hey everybody! I'm back with a post that is actually relevant to the blog - after watching that Cater 2 U video about 10 times this morning. I just love it. Anyway. We're talking nail polish and I think today's product is a great pick.

OPI's Elephantastic Pink is one of those colours that I as a DDD see on the shelves and think "oh what a pretty colour for a white girl". Before trying it on I was very skeptical but I'm happy to report it was love at second site for me and this colour.

What had happened was I got my nails done at work for free the other day (I have the best job ever) and when the manicurist suggested this colour I didn't think it would work for me, but she urged me to give it a try. When she was done I was like "meh" (except I NEVER say "meh" I hate that word).

Then I went outside for one of my many smoke breaks and was struck dumb by how great it looked in natural light.
Yeah baby!

This is such a pretty flirty pink and I feel so spring-like. As soon as I finished work I went and bought it and wore it for the next two weeks straight.
But on to the business now. OPI's website describes the colour as "[a] carnation pink [that] may start a stampede!". Carnation pink is a good description. It's bright without being hot pink and it's slightly warm, which I think looks better on dark skin tones than blue-based pinks.

Two small caveats here. First, don't assume that because OPI is more expensive than drugstore brands that it's superior quality. It doesn't last any longer or dry any more quickly than cheaper polishes. (Actually if you're looking for a drugstore dupe of this try L'Oreal Pro Manicure in Trust Fund Baby - not exactly the same but it will give you that flirty pink feeling).

The other caveat is that this polish is kind of difficult to apply so if you're a novice, seek help.

This might not make sense, but it goes on like a sheer polish; you have to be extremely careful otherwise it will streak and show brush lines and make you look like the amateur you are.
My advice to you is to let each coat dry completely before applying the next (I use 2 or 3 coats depending on how bright I want it to be -it seems to get brighter the more you put it on).
It also has that big-ass OPI brush that just annoys me to no end. I don't know why all these companies felt compelled to change their brushes. I never had a problem with the old-school brushes.
Maybe I'm some kind of nail polish prodigy, I don't know.

Anyway, the WWIFM verdict is....yes!

Product Review: The only long term relationship I’m interested in right now

Hi there!
Welcome to "[But] Will it Work For Me?"
That is what I meant the blog to be called but I somehow forgot to add the "but". So "will it work for me" it is then.
I should give you a bit of intro about myself shouldn't I? Otherwise why would you listen to what I have to say about anything? But it's after 10 o'clock which means I should be in bed. So let me quickly give you the 411 on my new life partner...

Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship

According to Herbal Essence's website, this shampoo/conditioner/leave-in trio is supposed to "…lavish every inch of your hair, protecting against damage and leaving it oh-so luscious. for even more protection, slip into my silky conditioner and split-end protector, too. grow your hair as long as you want!"

Sidebar: I really don’t like the way all of Herbal Essence’s packaging pretends as though the shampoo/conditioner is speaking to me. It’s annoying. And maybe I’m slow but I find it confusing…oh, wait you’re luscious? Oh no I’m luscious! Okay I get it now.

Anyway. Let’s talk about the fragrance first. It has extracts of red raspberry and satin. To me it smells like a combination of Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Revealed perfume with a hint of hubba bubba. When I open the bottle, I get a blast of RDR first (maybe this is the satin) and then it fades and there’s just the gentlest whiff of bubble gum (which would be the raspberry I guess). It’s not bad, but I suspect it’s one of those scents that you either love, don’t mind, or hate with a deep and abiding passion, if you know what I mean.

Okay I’m going to quickly go through the trio one by one.

First the shampoo. It has a great lather, which I enjoy because I don't feel like my hair is getting clean if I don’t get good foam. I’m sure the one has nothing to do with the other, but oh well. It lathers well and rinses off easily enough, but it leaves my hair feeling very dry, matted, and a little straw-like to tell you the truth. This would be a huge problem (for reference, I’m half Black, half East-Indian with fine, super-curly, type 4A hair that NEEDS its moisture) if it weren’t for…

The conditioner. Same smell. A little goes a long way with this, it distributes easily through my hair and quickly takes away the straw-like feeling the shampoo gave. I usually put in on my hair, concentrating on the ends mainly, and put a shower cap over it and continue with my business in the shower so it has time to sit. This can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how much hot water there is. One thing about this conditioner is that it takes a long-ass time to rinse out. Holy jumping! The worst part is that I rinse with cold water and it’s honestly like torture for me to stand there freezing my tuches off waiting for this stuff to get out of my hair. Honestly I’m sure at least 50% of the time it’s not all gone but I just can’t take it anymore.

The leave in conditioner is optional in my opinion. It has of course the same scent, and again a little goes a long way with this product. I can’t stress that enough. I use the tiniest, smaller than a pea-sized amount on my ends only and that is all I need. (I’m one of those lucky ladies whose hair gets really greasy at the roots and dry at the ends after a few days if I overdo it with product). It does make my ends noticeably softer.

I’ve been using these products for about two months now and my hair has definitely grown which is what I wanted. But I actually think this stuff was meant to keep existing long hair healthy and strong rather than to promote growth. (Those marketing people are too smart to make an ambitious claim like that I’m sure). Either way, I’m pleased with the results I’m getting and at $2.99 a pop you can’t go wrong can you?

The best part about this for me is that my hair still smells good a couple of days after I wash. I’m a stinky smoker so my shampoo fragrance NEVER lingers. Except with this.
So the WIWFM Verdict is…yes!