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: 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.

cheap but good

hi ladies,

ya'll know i suck right?

it's been a million years since i posted in here and i apologize. my excuses are the same as always - it's really busy at work and the weather has been too nice to be inside typing. i was also getting a little um...action for a while there, which had me a bit distracted. but that's done now and i'm channeling my energy into my one true love - beauty.

sidebar: i'm trying out an all lower-case post today. let me know if you find it irritating and i promise to never do it again.

so those of you who know me personally know i am pretty much always broke-ass. i used to have a soul-sucking job that paid well, but i gave it up for a job i love that pays...not shit, but not enough money to support the bigger bucks that i had when i was working at my other job. my rent and my car suck up about 80% of my paycheque, but i can't get rid of them for reasons too complicated to get into here.

the point is, this year i've really had to scale back on my beauty expenditures. it saddens me to say i no longer hang out in the beauty boutique at my local shopper's drug mart. i've had to find ways to look fabulous on a budget and today i bring you "cheap but good", the best of my finds so far.

first on the agenda is st.ives peel-off hydroxy masque.

it contains a hydroxy complex designed to remove dead skin clear out all the "yuck" (i.e. impurities) beneath the surface of your skin. this stuff is the business, i'm telling you. you spread it across your face (tip: use a thick-ish layer or you'll have real trouble peeling it off), wait for it to dry completely, and then peel off. i don't know about you guys, but peeling off masques is really fun to me.
when i use this i notice a difference in my skin's texture right away, it's refined, feels deeply clean, and looks glowy. i can't remember how much i paid for this, but it was definitely less than five bucks so how can you go wrong?

the only caveat i would offer is that this stuff STINKS. and it makes your eyes sting a bit. nothing earth-shattering, but mildly annoying. but a small price to pay if you ask me.

the wiwfm verdict on this is yes!

next up is clean & clear oil absorbing sheets.


this is an oldie but goodie - i'm sure you're all very familiar with this product. i actually have a slightly different version than the one pictured - mine is in a green package and i think it has like a "fresh scent" of some kind. no matter. the point is that these little sheets suck up oil like i don't know what. i go everywhere with them and actually prefer using them to powder as i feel like it gives me a more natural look - i don't like my skin to be too matte.

only problem is, i feel like i can't do this in front of people. it's one thing to discreetly powder your nose in public, but pulling out a blotting sheet (or 2 - i need more than one to mop up my oil slick of a face) in front of friends just seems far too intimate.

anyway, i've used many different brands of oil absorbing sheets but i keep coming back to these ones because they're cheap and they work. i'd rather spend my money on something more exciting. verdict of oh yes on this one!

one last for today, but cheap but good is definitely going to become a wiwfm series.

tresemme thermal creations heat tamer spray. i ♥ tresemme.
every product i've used of theirs was dirt cheap, smelled amazing, and worked like a charm. this stuff is no exception. since i stopped relaxing my hair two or three years ago, it's a lot healthier but also a lot more fragile. i rely on my flat iron to get the pin-straight look i like, but i have to protect it from the heat. and that's where this jewel of a product comes in. i just spritz it over my hair in sections and comb through my fingers before i flatiron. it smells lovely - reminds me of apple juice.

the funny thing about protective sprays is that for a long time i was like "how do i know it's working?" until it dawned on me - because you're hair's not damaged you dummy! i swear, sometimes i'm so slow lol.

anyway, this stuff is less than three bucks at shoppers! and my canadian ladies knows that sdm stays overpriced so if it's dirt cheap there it must be free at wal-mart! i'll never go back to using any other spray to protect my hair. the wiwfm verdict on this is yes yes yes!

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: 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.

The Sunless Tanner Series Pt.I: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze

Hi Ladies!
I've been marinating - or should I say baking - on this post for a while now and since I'm about to drop asleep at my desk I figure now is as good a time as any to write it. Summer has finally hit the dot, MMVA's and AWWA are coming up and I needs my bronze with a quickness.

Heckle if you must, but I honestly believe that everyone looks better with a tan. Except my mum. For some reason when she tans her skin just looks dirty. So, okay then. Everyone but my mum looks better with a tan.

I personally am still a fan of good old fashioned sunbathing to give me the lovely reddish-bronze glow I crave, but that's not cute for most people out there. (Hey remember when I promised not to do long-ass intros anymore? Oops) In the absence of the sun, here are a few products that have stolen my money helped me out along the way.

I originally wanted to do this all in one post but it's going to be waaay too long. So it's going to have to be a series. First item on the agenda is the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze suite of products. There are a tonne! And I've tried most of them.

First up on the agenda is the Sublime Bronze Lotion.

This is a great one if you're skilled enough to handle a non-tinted lotion without streaks (or if you don't care about streaking). The deep version delivers good colour in a couple of days and dries relatively quickly. It stinks far less than other tanners I've used. It's also a nice thick lotion that contains Vitamin E, AHAs, and SPF 15 so you can just apply it and go about your merry non-ashy business.

I use this one when I know in advance I want to be tanned for a particular day.

Verdict is yes on this one.

Next up is the Self-Tanning Gelee in Deep.

Although L'Oreal's website claims this one is a lightweight formula that dries quickly, I actually find it takes longer to dry than the lotion. And ooh Lordy this stinks to high heaven! I'm not a fan of this in general.
I like the fact that it's tinted and shimmery, but the tint is too light and the shimmer too pervasive to get top ratings in my book. And the colour payoff is negligible at best.
I actually don't even think it works to be honest. I basically use this one when I'm getting ready to go out as a tinted shimmer lotion and try to forget the fact that it's supposed to be a sunless tanner.

I give this a verdict of yes as a tinted lotion, but no as a sunless tanner.

The disappointment of the gelee pales in comparison to the fiasco that is the next product.

The Dual Action Bronzer + Self-Tanning Lotion for Face.

Although this is supposed to provide "...an immediate bronze glow while a long-lasting, natural tan develops over time", it did absolutely jack-sh*t for me but make my face stink.

The tinted part is too pale and runny and the lotion part is too greasy.

This gets a big fat hell's no from me.

And that's all there is to say about that.

I have to make a brief mention here of the Sublime Bronze Mit. I don't even think they make this anymore because I couldn't find it on their site. I've never used this personally but once my good friend Heidi came to visit me for the weekend and we did one of our traditional Shopper's runs and she picked this up. She used it and oh boy was it a hot mess! She was streaked to high heaven and the worse part is that she forgot to wash her hands afterward. I felt so bad for her. My Heidi is a PPP from way back so it was mad noticeable that her legs were streaked and her palms and cuticles were orange. From what I observed the colour wasn't too natural looking but since I didn't use it myself I'm not going to render a verdict. I will say though that it should probably be reserved for self-tanning experts lol.

Moving on now to the Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer and Natural Skin Tone Enhancer

According to L'Oreal this is "scientifically designed to work with your body's unique chemistry" and will "gradually deepen your skin's natural complexion for the perfect does of healthy summer every time you moisturize."

Yeah, not so much. There was no deepening of complexion for me at all. It was a nice moisturizer though and it smells like honey, which is a plus.

My main issue with this is kinda dumb though. Even though it didn't work for me at all, I still used it as a lotion. Problem was that I was paranoid that it would tan my palms so I had to frantically wash my hands every time I used it or touched the tube (I'm a bit nuts sometimes) and then I would have to re-moisturize them with a safe lotion. Kind of a pain, right? I was never so glad to see a tube of lotion run out in my life. This one is a verdict no as well.

One last one:

The Sunless Scrub also deserves a mention, but just a brief one. It's a great little exfoliator, but nothing earth-shattering. It does have a pleasant beachy smell that fits right in with the bronzing motif. I don't even know if they make this anymore but if you see it in a discount bin somewhere it's worth a little 99 cents still.

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!

Oil and Oily Part II: The OCM

Hello pretties!

First of all I have to give a shout out to Dominican Enigma over at BeautyLogic for being the first person that is not related to me to comment on my blog! Thank you for reading. I'm adding you to my link love.

Anyway, on to Part II of the Oil and Oily series with what I consider to be one of the greatest inventions of all time - The Oil Cleansing Method. I don't know who came up with this but this cleansing method is an oily, clogged-pore, blackhead-plagued girl's best friend.

When I first heard about it I was skeptical; how can slathering my grease-mania face with oil help me when oil is what I'm trying to avoid? But apparently oil attracts oil or something and this method is the best way to get deep down clean. I don't remember all the science behind it, but if you're curious you can read up on it here.

As I may have mentioned a time or two million, I have extremely oily skin. I also have tonnes of blackheads and clogged pores; which is not helped by the fact that the air here in Toronto is absolutely disgusting and I'm a stinky smoker. So I have about a million bumps and blackheads on my nose and cheeks. Prior to discovering this, the only thing I found that even remotely helped with this was a pore cleanser like this one:

Mine isn't as fancy as this one but you get the idea. Anyone know anything about these? I feel like they must be really bad for my skin somehow but I love them. I use mine now in conjunction with the OCM.

Now on to my experiences with the miracle that is oil cleansing. I discovered this somehow on makeupalley.com (click the link to read the reviews) and then did a lot of additional reading before I tried it. To make a long story short, it's all about using castor oil as your main oil and then adding another lighter oil. The mixture then basically sweeps all the yuck out of your pores.

So what I do is mix 75% castor oil with 25% sweet almond oil which I bought at the spice store in Kensington Market for like $2. I rub it together in my hands and then massage it all over my face. I spend a lot of time on the massaging part, partly because it's soothing and also because facial massage is good for you. I use the method I learned in beauty school many moons ago but any kind of gentle upward/circular strokes will probably do. I do that for about a minute or two, and while I'm doing that I put a clean facecloth in the sink and run hot water over it. I make the water as hot as I can possibly stand it. Then when you're done massaging, you squeeze the excess water out of the facecloth (this hurts because the water is so hot) and then you drape the cloth over your face. This is basically just a cheater way of steaming your skin. Hold the cloth over your face until it begins to cool. I do this about four times and when the cloth has cooled the fourth time I wipe the oil off my face. That's it! As soon as I've finished my skin looks brighter and clearer and extractions are waaay easier at this point. So of course I thought, this is the perfect time to use my pore cleanser!

Sidebar: Is everyone familiar with these pore cleansers? It's basically a little vacuum cleaner for your face. You wet your skin and then run the cleanser over it and it sucks allllll the yuck out of your pores. You think a Biore strip is fascinating? You should see this shit!

Anyway, using the pore cleanser right after the OCM really allows you to get all the yuck out. Those little bumps completely flatten and almost all my blackheads get sucked out. Even the small amount of milia I have on my chin is vastly improved by this. When I'm done with that,I usually tone with witch hazel and then sit around and let my skin breathe for a little while before I apply moisturizer/night cream. Some people don't even use moisturizer after doing this, but I like moisturizer so I do.

The best part about the OCM? You can do it with your makeup on and it will remove every last speck. No need to pre-wash. I'm telling you, this is the best thing since...well I don't know what. But it's great.

So the wiwfm verdict is....yes! yes! yes!

Because Even Brown Girls Need the Bronze

So there have been many times in my life when I have been accused of being "too white". I used to get really offended and try to defend myself against it but now that I'm older it just doesn't bother me too much; possibly because it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard and partly because it's partly true. I mean I grew up in London, Ontario listening to Kiss and The Cure and Depeche Mode, it's bred into me and I can't escape it.

One way in which I am definitely a white girl is that I loooove tanning. Loves it! I think everyone looks better with a tan and though I would never advise anyone to sit out in the sun to get one, I do occasionally (read: every weekend in the summer) sit outside and bake myself to a reddish-bronze crisp.

But in the winter I rely on products to bring me that glow. I'm going to review two different products today that are clearly designed for white girls and give you the scoop.

Bronze is a difficult thing for the DDD's because there are a lot of products out there that just aren't dark enough to make a difference. And if you're a cheapo like me you'll try every damn one in the drugstore until you give up and accept the fact that you're going to have to pay a premium if you want a good one. (hey is that racism?).

Which brings us to product #1, Lorac's Hot Flash. It's actually a blush/bronzer duo and according to their site, whether you wear it as a duo or individually "this is the one product that will give you that fresh, healthy, beachy look…instantly". It comes in two colour combinations, “Hot Flash” (pink shimmer/ bronze shimmer) and “Hot & Spicy” (peach shimmer/ bronze shimmer). We're talking about "Hot Flash" today.


I lusted after this thing for years before I finally broke down and bought it. At $28.50 it's a bit pricey for my blood. (I am such a cheapass!). It's turned out to be pretty good.I really like the bronzer side; although it's very very pigmented and a bit too dusty for my taste, it gives a nice natural glow that truly makes me look sunkissed.

The problem, however, is the blush. In the pan it looks awesome, a perfect bright pink with silvery shimmer that seems like it will mix well with the very warm bronzer. But on my face, yeah not so much. It comes out looking more silvery (and therefore chalky) than pinky on me. In fairness, I've only used this with crapass Quo brushes so it may have been just that; but I've stopped even attempting to use the blush side because it totally ruins the effect of the bronzer. Now I just layer another blush over it instead. But that makes it kind of a waste of money as this product is not cheap. I'm going to try it tomorrow now that I own a decent blush brush (Sonia Kashuk) and see if that helps, but to be honest I don't hold out much hope.

Also in fairness I also have to say that I was advised by the SA at Sephora to mix the two together in the pan and then apply them, but I don't like the idea of that. It's so...untidy. And I prefer to layer. But maybe doing that would have made a difference. I don't know and I can't promise to try it and update you because I don't want to mix them.

Anyway, rambling on way too long about this and we still have another product to cover so the wiwfm verdict on this is...yes, but... (as in, yes as a bronzer but no as a blush). Still worth the money in my opinion because good glowy bronzers are hard to find.

Ok on to product #2. Benefit's Jiffy Tan:
According to Benefit's site, Jiffy Tan is not a sunless tanner, it's "Your instant tanner in a tube. Create a slenderizing illusion... a tanner you is a sleeker you! This lightweight, tinted body lotion goes on evenly, won't streak, and stays put for instant tanification. The red currant scent and subtle shimmer will make you want to jiffy tan daily! Washes off easily with soap and water."

Get it? It's a tinted lotion so the colour appears instantly and only lasts until you wash it off.

I personally love this product, though a lot of people hate it. I use it all over when I'm going out and want to look extra bronzed. It has little shimmer particles in it (gold shimmer I might add, that's a big plus when you're a DDD because silver shimmer can look chalky) so it gives you a nice glow. I also like to use it to emphasize my ab muscles if I'm wearing a shorter shirt; You just draw a line with it in the creases between your muscles and it makes them look even more defined. Even if you don't have muscles you can just draw a line where they should be and you'll look more toned. That must be what they mean when they call this slenderizing because it damn sure doesn't tone or tighten you in any other way.

The good thing about this product is that it's a nice deep brown so it will show up on any fair to medium toned ladies.
The wiwfm verdict on this one is 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!