Products I Regret Purchasing

The products are: Sexy Hair Straight Sexy Hair Aerated Anti-Frizz and Shine Spray, MAC Blush Ombre Azalea Blossom, NYC Chroma Face Glow Moonstone, MAC Beauty Powder Tahitian Sand, Maybelline Baby Lips Fruit Punch, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser, Physician's Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara, Wet'n'Wild Lipstick 528A, NYX Concealer in A Jar, Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick Miracle Mauve, Essie To Buy or Not To Buy, and China Glaze Smoke and Ashes.

Straight Sexy Hair: I find this product helps with frizz, but it does so by making my hair feel weighed down and look greasy. It also has an awful and very strong scent. 1 out of 5. No recommendation here.

MAC blush: The ombre effect is nice to look at, but this one is odd. It's got a warm, yellow-y pink that fades into a cool, lilac. Once applied the color is actually very pretty with or without the ombre, but the texture is very hard and not as blendable as I'd prefer. 1 out of 5. No recs.

NYC Moonstone: I actually swapped for this product, but I have the same issues with it as I do with the MAC blush. It's very hard, difficult to pick up product, and it barely shows up on my skin. 1 out of 5. No recs.

MAC Beauty Powder: Also hard and difficult to work with. Provides absolutely no color, which makes it pretty much useless as it doesn't even add a soft-lit glow to the face or anything.

Maybelline Baby Lips: While this is moisturizing, I find the flavor nauseating, and the color doesn't work on my skin. It is a pretty color, though, and I know that other people could enjoy it. It's just not for me. 3 out of 5. Would recommend for cooler skintones and people who desire bright pinks that are moisturizing.

Maybelline Concealer: This product helps with dark circles, but the packaging is awful. When I first bought it, I really liked the sponge, and I still do, but at some point the top just exploded off of it which resulted in a lot of wasted product as when I popped it back in, a ton of product squirted out. I like the texture, but I dislike the color range. I know a lot of people would be able to find satisfaction in this product, packaging issues aside, so I give it a 3 out of 5.

Physician's Formula Mascara: This is a very dry mascara. I heard a lot of great reviews about this, so I decided to try it, and I absolutely hate it. It does make my lashes look nice, but it's extremely dry and clumps easily. Despite the dry formula, it also smudges all over my face without me even touching my eyes. The packaging is disgusting and obnoxious, too. 2 out of 5, because it does make my lashes look great, and I know a lot of people really like this.

Wet 'n' Wild Lipstick: This is just a terrible color for me, and it's extremely frosty. I'm not into frosty. 3 out of 5.

NYX Concealer: Hard to find a good color match, very drying, doesn't last well on the skin no matter what primer I use, doesn't cover well. 2 out of 5.

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Lipstick: This never sets on the lips. It always feel wet and sticky, and it's supposed to be a long-wearing product, but it's not. It stays sticky all day which is uncomfortable, and it will rub off onto everything. 1 out of 5.

Essie To Buy or Not To Buy: I regret this one because it's very similar to Revlon's Lilac Pastelle, and it has these beautiful shimmer particles that do not show up on the nail at all. I love Lilac Pastelle, and I was hoping that this would be a bit different with the glitter, but it looks exactly the same. Formula is fine, though, and I'll still use it. I would not repurchase. 3 out of 5.

China Glaze: Smoke and Ashes: This polish looks amazing in the bottle with all the multi-colored, multi-dimensional glitter, but the glitter hardly shows up on the nail. It just looks like a black polish. I am keeping this one as a memento of The Hunger Games, or perhaps better described as a collector's item. I would not repurchase this product. 3 out of 5.

Maybelline FitMe Blush - Champagne Blossom

I bought this at Walgreens for about 6 USD. Like all of the FitMe blushes I have tried, this one is not particularly soft or super blendable, but I find the color payoff is decent enough to justify the price. This one is more of a highlighting product than a blush, though. It's a peach with golden shimmers, and when I say shimmers, I mean small but still obvious glitter particles. I find I get a lot of fallout with the glitter particles, so I am not absolutely in love with this product. I have found, though, that if I take a large, powder brush and swipe it over where I've applied this on my face, the shimmers fall away, and I am left with a beautiful, golden sheen to my skin. I just don't think I should have to make applying my highlighter a two-step process, no matter the price of the item. So I give this a 2 out of 5 because I love the color and the sheen it gives, but the texture and glitter particles are not appealing to me.

Comparative Review: Lip Balms for Dry/Chapped Lips

The products pictured are:
Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly
Blistex Revive & Restore
Carmex Original Formula
Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Eucerin Aquaphor Lip Treatment
Maybelline Baby Lips - Quenched
Neosporin Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy

I recently had an issue with my lips being so dry they cracked at the corners, and I tried so many things to fix it. These are my experiences/results.

Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly:
As the name states, this product can be used for a lot of different things from moisturizing to removing makeup. I like to use it to moisturize my hands and feet at night. This product is the most comfortable to apply on the lips when they're so dry that they hurt, and it's also the most likely to protect and moisturize at the same time because instead of being petroleum or petrolatum, it's beeswax and oils (no mineral oil). I find it most useful at night because while this product is effective, it lacks SPF, and I find that when my lips are chapped, being in the sun doesn't help. Being a jelly, it can be annoying to have slathered on the lips, so I found it easiest and most comfortable to apply a tiny bit of this to the corners where I was experiencing the most dryness/pain. Of all the things I tried, this is probably the most effective. It can be a little pricey (7 or 8 USD for 100 g), but even using it on my feet I hardly use any of it, so one tube will last a long time. No scent or flavor.

Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment:
This used to be my go-to product for severely dry skin and lips. I've also used this on my feet, too. Aquaphor is a petrolatum jelly with mineral oil and such added to it. It can be effective in protecting chapped lips and preventing further drying, but it's extremely thick, and it doesn't really moisturize at all. It is definitely the least comfortable to apply to the lips, and it also lacks SPF. It's best for night treatment, and I use it the same as I use the Alba jelly. This lasts at least through the night. No scent or flavor.

Eucerin Aquaphor Lip Repair:
This is NOT the same as the Aquaphor ointment. It has more ingredients, and it's less heavy feeling. This one also lacks SPF, so I personally wouldn't choose to wear it outside during the day, but it is a pretty good lip treatment. It's in a handy tube, so it's not obnoxious to carry with you, and because it's still similar to Aquaphor in texture, it lasts on the lips a long time. It moisturizes somewhat well, but I prefer its protective properties. No scent or flavor.

Blistex Revive & Restore:
This is a lip balm duo that includes Revive which is supposed to smooth and protect the lips (with SPF 15) and Restore which is supposed to soften the lips. Revive has a light minty scent, and it has a smoother, softer texture. Restore has the scent/flavor that a lot of Blistex lip balms have, and I hate that scent. Revive is more waxy than Restore, but they both moisturize the lips equally well. The packaging of these is interesting because they are made to be stacked together, so you can revive and restore your lips at the same time; I guess. If the scent/flavor of Restore isn't bothersome, this is a good duo. For me I got one lip balm I like and one I won't use, so the 6 USD could have been better spent elsewhere.

Carmex Original Formula:
Also a waxy texture with an odd scent of which I am not particularly fond, Carmex works pretty well. It's designed to protect and heal cold sores, so in theory it should work well to protect and heal dryness and chapped lips. I found that it didn't really help with the dryness, but it certainly didn't make anything worse. My lips felt better using this, but the really dry, cracked parts of my mouth felt the same. No SPF.

Maybelline Baby Lips - Quenched:
I have already reviewed these balms, but for the purposes of this review I thought it should be included. I chose Quenched because it's flavor-less and scentless. This one does moisturize very well, and it makes my lips feel protected (SPF 20), but I didn't get enough moisturization to help with the cracking.

Neosporin Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy SPF 20:
This has a nice texture, and it initially makes my lips feel moisturized, but after half an hour or so my lips feel dry again. I like that this has SPF, but the SPF means nothing to me if my lips feel dry anyway. The texture does make my lips feel protected though. I wouldn't recommend this product.

Products I would recommend for severely chapped/dry lips:
Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly
Aquaphor Lip Repair
Blistex Revive from Revive & Restore Duo

Maybelline Baby Lips Repairing Lip Balm SPF 20 Photos + Review

I received five tubes of the new Maybelline Baby Lips Repairing Lip Balm, but while I was waiting to receive the products, I bought one in "Peach Kiss" as well. I received Pink Punch, Peppermint, Cherry Me, Quenched, and Peach Kiss. I gave Cherry Me and Peach Kiss to friends, and they both love them!I have provided a photo of "Peppermint" on my lips above.

First things first! What's in it?
Shea Butter - repairs and leaves lips feeling soft
Vitamin Complex - Aids in the prevention of oxidation of lip molecules and the restoration of damaged cells
Centella - this small, herbaceous Asian plant delivers plumpness and hydration while replenishing elasticity and stimulating natural production for a line-free look

What Maybelline Claims:
- renews lips to their natural condition in four weeks
- combines eight hours of hydration with an optional color tint
- available in two clear varieties and four tinted varieties
- clinically proven to provide comfort and relief to stressed, dry skin
- protects against UVA/UVB damage
- available at mass retailers for 3.99 USD

My experience:
I used Peach Kiss first because I bought it before I even got my BzzKit*, and I like the color and moisturization, but I dislike the scent/taste. The balm itself looks really good on my skin, and it seems to just add a little bit of shimmer to my lips more than color, and I found my lips felt really smooth and moisturized throughout the day. It smells peachy, but once it is on the lips it smells different and has an odd taste. Soft peach/nude type color with subtle shimmer

Peppermint: Perfect peppermint scent. It doesn't burn like other minty balms I've tried, and to be honest I normally hate peppermint anything, but this one is subtle and nice. It is one of the clear ones, so it only adds a glossy shine to the lips. I find this one to be the most moisturizing out of all the ones I have tried, and I would definitely call it a favorite. It applies more smoothly than the others, and it feels lighter while still moisturizing exceptionally well.

Quenched: This one feels heavy and has a weird taste. It's not supposed to have any tint or scent to it, and tint it lacks, but on the lips it has an odd taste. It moisturizes well, but I suppose I just don't like the lack of scent/flavor to the balm. It feels like it's missing something.

Pink Punch: SUPER pigmented. It's supposed to be a tinted balm, but I find it applies more like a gloss in color. It's a very bright, cool-toned pink, and while it does go onto the lips very sheer, I can see it being a disastrous color for some people. I like bright lip colors, and I don't find this one a problem on myself, so I like it. It simply should be known, however, that this one seems a little more than tinted. The scent is nice. It's very true to its name: fruity and punch-like. This one moisturizes very well.

Overall:
I found little difference in moisturization levels for each balm that I tried, but I definitely favor the Peppermint both for scent and moisturization. I do not understand what Maybelline means by claiming the balm "renews lips to their natural condition", and that's the only comment I have on that aspect of these balms. My lips haven't been sun burned since I've been using them, but I have never had an issue with my lips being sun burned or anything, and that's not something I'm going to test, so I'll trust that the SPF is there. As for eight hours of hydration, no. I would say Peppermint keeps my lips moisturized for the longest period of time, and that's about four and a half to five hours but certainly no more than that. Also, it must be noted that when I say it keeps my lips moisturized, I don't mean they feel glossy and like I just applied a balm. They feel hydrated, like I don't need to apply a balm. That's something I have difficulty finding in all lip balms regardless of price, but considering that these are really inexpensive, that's a huge, huge plus. My lips look and feel better with this balm, so I would recommend these to others.

*I did receive these products as part of a BzzCampaign from BzzAgent.

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Photos + Review

The above photo of the mascara on my lashes was taken after I had taken a nap which accounts for the mascara flakes underneath my eye.

What You Should Know:
- America's most iconic mascara brand introduces a new innovative applicator brush -- The Great Little Grabber
- Easily reaches the inner and outer corners of the eye
- Builds your lash look with no clumps
- Available in three washable shades
- Available at mass retailers for 6.40 USD

What Maybelline Claims:
Lots of Lashes features the new Great Little Grabber brush, a heart-shaped applicator that lets you easily reach all of your lashes -- even those pesky ones in the corners -- for a multiplied lash look with no clumps.
No need to let mascara dry between coats
Mascara removes easily with soap and water or makeup remover

My Findings:
Lots of Lashes does provide really nice separation while also giving lots of volume to my lashes, which I find unusual in a mascara. The brush shape really helps to get every lash coated with mascara. The mascara is nicely buildable, and while I do see some clumping, it's not the kind that looks like all of my lashes have stuck together to create what I shall call a uni-lash. The result is long and voluminous looking lashes, and as I have this in the color Very Black, it makes my lashes look very black, true to its name. It removes fairly easily, but I have found that it flakes off during removal, and I end up with little mascara flakes all over my face. I tried removing it with a simple cleanser with water, and that caused the most flaky removal. The best way for me to remove this mascara and minimize my risk of panda eyes or mascara flakes galore is to use a makeup removing wipe and then wash my face. The problem with this method, however, is that I find with a makeup removing wipe I still have to work a bit to remove all of the mascara and all of the flakes of mascara that gather on my lower lash line which causes me to experience irritation in my undereye area. I plan to try using plain olive oil to remove in the future because that is a fail-safe method for removing any eye makeup without irritation. Overall, though, I love this mascara, and I would certainly purchase it of my own accord. I must be honest, however. I would not have tried this mascara if it had not been sent to me free of charge to try. * I recommend it to those who use good eye makeup removers who want good length, separation, and volume in one mascara coupled with a very black color.



*I received this product as a BzzAgent.

Because I Am A BzzAgent…

I will be trying the new Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara and the new Baby Lips balms. I am very excited about these products! I will post a review here once I receive them and have a chance to really try them!

I just catalogued all my mascara with photographs.

Shopping, shopping.

I went shopping at six in the morning yesterday to buy some makeup. I was awake, couldn't get back to sleep, wanted something to do. I went to Wal-Mart to get some of the new Hard Candy stuff. I got one blush, one mascara, and one concealer palette. Then I looked at the ingredients and noticed PALMITATE. It's in the concealer palette. Will not repurchase that item.

Aside from that, the stuff is OK. The blush is smooth (it has mineral oil--ick); the concealers are smooth; and the mascara is blue. I haven't really been able to try it since I already had mascara on. I also bought the Maybelline Pulse Perfection mascara because I just had to. I decided to skip L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion for now.

I bought new face creams. They are the same as the one I currently use, just different formulas. I currently use a vitamin C cream. I bought a super rich moisturizing one and a multivitamin one. Of course, I did not buy those at Wal-Mart (as if, ugh).

I forgot to buy a pill cutter. My pharmacist informed me that their store is closing, and I will never see her again. That makes me incredibly sad. She insisted on handling my order, presumably to say good bye. I will miss her.

I need tea bags. That way I can make more than one cup of tea per cup of tea? um anyway.

I bought a shirt. It is dark blue. I love it. The end.

Rubbish!

I cannot find the L'oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara anywhere, but there are so many new mascaras coming out that I'm super overwhelmed. I am such a ridiculous mascara junkie. That and foundation. I really want to try the regular Telescopic since I've never used it, but so many people seem to like it. I have low hopes of ever finding anything as wonderful as my Too Faced Lash Injection. It is quite a lot up to which to live, and no mascara I've tried has done it just yet. I still don't have a good brown or burgundy. Life will go on. 

I have been using my Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude a lot lately. I really like the slightly subdued pinky tone it gives my lips. I do not find it to be drying at all. It may pass my MAC Fresh Brew (from Hello Kitty) as my favorite lipstick, though the Fresh Brew is really moisturizing. All of my other lip colors have been lonely since I've only been using the Revlon lately. Poor NYX lip glosses, Jane Lipkick, Maybelline something or other, etc. Oh, and my poor Rimmels. I love Rimmel lipsticks. They have such a nice texture, and color payoff is fantastic. The only problem is that the red I have is really messy. It's very difficult to get it on without making a huge mess! Maybe that's just me though. 

I am also really in love with my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder. I use it for touch ups during the day as I use a silica powder to set my makeup and MAC MSF natural/shimmer all over for a nice, dewy glow. It is more convenient to stick in my bag than the MSF. 

I think I should probably put some of my unloved perfumes and such on MUA. They are harder to ship since they are liquids, but since I do not like them and do not use them, it makes sense to send them off to someone who might like them. 

I am still sad that I am lacking purple in my life, and I am having a very difficult time finding a color shampoo that doesn't have a migraine inducing scent. Since I discovered that my Pureology was giving me migraines (oh woe!), I set out to find a new shampoo. They all seem to have similar scents that make my eyes explode and head pound, so I've been using my Organix Shea Butter shampoo. It's sulfate free, so I know it's not stripping color or anything out of my hair. So that's fine. I don't know that I have anything new to report on hair products. 

I haven't got any new nail polishes, but I NEED TO. I really need more purples. It's killing me. It's making me depressed. 

Lots of little, stupid things have been making me depressed lately, and I'm so tired of it. It's so stupid. I keep getting really angry at the boyfriend and angry about life and frustrated and hopeless and depressed and unhappy and just ... :o(. I have no appreciation for such mood fluctuations. My quality of life should be massively improved since I'm not in school at the moment (lots of rest), and I have all of my lovely medications. I fucking HATE people acting like my medicine makes me happy. It obviously does not. Seriously---fuck people who say shit like that. I think they need to be punched in the face by someone less pacifistic than I am. It is fucking infuriating. I believe I have lost all hope in humanity. I do not forgive people for treating their environment and fellow humans and animals the way they do. I do not know what else to feel toward them. 

I still feel really sad for the octopodes at the aquarium. They looked so sad. I do not think I have ever seen an animal looking so unhappy. I feel like one of those little octopodes, trapped and unhappy, unable to properly hide and unable to swim somewhere else.