Showing posts with label Wen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wen. Show all posts

Sunday, March 4, 2012

February Empties!

It's so crazy keeping all the bottles and boxes and actually seeing the product I go through!  Sickening really.  Talk about needing to seriously do some simplifying.

Again, as like last month, most of these had been started before the start of the year, some way back in the summer.   One almost 5 years ago.  I will explain that one.  :)  Waste not want not!

I'm trying to decide is I should keep all empties for the entire year for a huge photo op in December.  That might be a little crazy and it might take up my entire makeup/quilting/craft spare bedroom.  And I don't want the hubby to think I am anymore crazier than I already am to him.  Some I will definitely keep to remind me to repurchase.  Because like I said on December 31st, 2011, I will not buy anything until that said item needs to be repurchased.

1.  I will live off my stash for the next 12 months, the entire year of 2012 or until it is used up.


I have failed already, but for the most part, I've been really good!  :)

So here they are in no particular order.  Oh and since I never did individual reviews on last January empties, I will do mini reviews here.


 1.  John Frieda Precision Foam Color in 10N:  I really liked this.  My hair of course did turn a bit brassy but I used a couple applications oRoux Fanci-Full Temporary Haircolor Rinse Ultra White Minx and it looked fine.  Fine meaning, it didn't look like a professional job from a hair color expert but I rarely see a true "expert."  I stumbled upon maybe 2...ever...in my entire career of hair dyeing. I will repurchase.


 2.  Lumene Radiant Touch Refreshing Tonor:  Tonor is one of those things that I know that I need, yet I don't think I ever truly see results/benefit of using it.  But I do...  I have another one of these that I am currently using.  After this I will either make my own rose water one or I want to try the Lush Tea Tree one.


 3.  Target Brand hand sanitizing wipes:  These were on clearance and they were crap.  I need a quick wipe of the hands during my morning beautification process (lol) but these barely cleaned my hands and the first wipe would always be dried out.  I will not repurchase.


 4.  Olay wet cleansing cloths:  These were...good...  Not as good as my Noxema.  I bought the Noxema ones on clearance, I hope that they are still in stores.  I'm working through my last box now.  :(


 5.  Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub.  I love, love, love this...  This is so expensive for me.  I did get this in my first Julep box but I think realistically, I will only use this again unless it is given in another box but since I gift them out, my chances are slim!  


 6.  Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit:  Another pricey one but I can justify the purchase of this one.  I saw results straight away.  It was cooling and comfortable and I was left with super soft skin around my eyes as well as slightly minimal reduction of my fine lines.  So worth it!


 7.  Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Conditioner:  It's nice, but not something I want to use on my hair anymore.  I prefer serums and oils for conditioning now.  I actually used this as shaving cream.  Works like a charm!


 8.  Philosophy Happy Birthday Beautiful  vanilla birthday cake shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath.  I received this as a gift from Sephora for my birthday last April.  I haven't taken very many baths since our move...  I so miss our deep garden tub...  So I started using it as a shower gel and a couple times as a shampoo.  It has a lovely scent, exactly the way it is described, but since I enjoy lathering myself in rose or lavender scents, this won't be repurchased.


 9.  LUSH Lavender shampoo bar:  Love this.  Didn't love it in the metal tin I bought to go along with it.  After a few uses, the bar stuck to the tin, I could no longer take it out and frustration ensued as I would have to pick out pieces to lather up.  When I do repurchase this, I will not put it in the tin!

10.   RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Eye Cream:  I bought this on clearance at CVS over the summer.  I loved it until it started rubbing off my face.  Then I just used it at night.  It definitely works.  It is something I would repurchase.

11.  Jouer lip enhancer conditioning lip treatment:  Smoothed on my lips in the morning and at night.  It's lovely but not something I will repurchase.

12.  Lumene Sensitive Touch Eye Makeup Remover:  I've gone through at least 5 bottles of this remover.  It's very nice and works great however if your eyes are dry, it will burn them if you are careless and get it in the eye!  lol  If I get a coupon at CVS, I will repurchase for sure.

13.  AVON Haiku Perfumed Skin Softener:  I really want to start using more natural products.  I could just feel the parabens seeping into my skin with this one.   This is probably a bit harsh, but it was too chemically for me andiIt was actually drying.  Lovely scent, a bit strong though.

14.  Gilette Sensor 3 pack of 4 disposable razors:  These are definitely 10 steps up from the Daisies I used growing up.  Minimal razor burn with these which is huge.  I've been through 2 packs of these and I will repurchase with a coupon for sure.

15.  Lumene Sensitive Touch 5 Minute SOS Cream:  This cream had a variety of uses for me...  Face, hands, feet, my son's eczema flareup, my other son's red chapped cheeks...  I won this from a CVS twitter giveaway.  This will be repurchased.

16.  CVS Premium Cotton Ovals 80 ct.  I have a few of these that I am working through.  I will repurchase. They are a necessity!

17.  Bare Minerals well-cared for brush conditioning shampoo.  Yes this is the product that I have had for 5 or 6 years.  Crazy I know.  I would save this for really washing my brushes and switch on and off with baby shampoo.  Baby shampoo does not keep the brushes as soft as this one.  I'm currently trying out the e.l.f. brush cleaner.  If that one works out, I will skip the Bare Minerals.  If not, I will go back to the tried and true!

18.  boscia Revitalizing Hydra-lift:  I got this as a free gift from a drugstore.com order.  I love this.  I used it as my morning moisturizer.  I have no idea how much this costs, I'm assuming it is quite pricey for my budget.  But I would love to have another one of these.

19.  Vasoline Intensive Lotion:  Great stuff, mostly used on the kids and my hands.  If I have a coupon, I will repurchase.

20.  wen by Chaz Dean MyGlam Sample.  Hmm...  I don't know if I like this.  I've tried Hair One from Sally Beauty.  I think I liked it better.  And the price of this...  I am using L'OREAL Ever Sleek right now and I really like that one which is 1/5 of the price.  it had a nice scent.  L'OREAL's scent lasts all day though.

21.  LaROCCA Pumpkin Fleur de Sel Body Polish:  This was a Beauty Army Sample.  It smelled just like pumpkin pie, like I wanted to scoop it out and eat it.  But I didn't.  :)  There really wasn't enough to properly test so I'm not sure if I will repurchase.

22.  Apothederm stretch mark cream:  Bluum sample  I did notice a difference in the appearance of my stretch marks.  I probably should repurchase but I probably won't.  Only a tummy tuck will take care of these stretches.  3 kids over 8 pounds will do that to you!

23.  Burt's Bee Shampoo & Wash:  This is the only wash that touches my babies skin and I use it on myself from time to time.  Already repurchased and always will be!

24. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara:  Love this mascara and I will repurchase.  I have a lot to work through right now though.  I've had this forever.

25.  Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara:  Good stuff when combined with other mascaras.  I didn't like it on it's own.

26.  Aveeno Positively Radiant Triple Boosting Serum:  I picked this up at a Ocean City Job Lots in MA.  I think it broke my face out.  Very clogging.  I used it on my hands mostly.  Got to keep them radiant as well!

27.  Julep Pomegranate body scrub.  Super aromatic and hydrating.  I liked that I was able just to use this as a moisturizer as it left the skin with a "film."  Which is not the correct word, but for reason it is escaping me.  You can feel it like an oil but it's not greasy.  I wish I could afford to repurchase  This was in a Julep box.

28.  Mary Kay extra emollient night cream.  I love this stuff.  It works on everything.  Hands, feet, eczema breakouts, cuticles...  It lasted 3 years and now I need to find a rep and get some more!

29.  M.A.D. Skincare Youth Transformation Age Corrective Serum.  This was a Beauty Army sample and I absolutely loved it.  I'm not sure if I saw results but I liked the smell, the way it made my skin feel and I was able to use it as a moisturizer since I have oily skin.   I've stopped with all the layering I used to do thinking it was contributing to extra oil.  I found that it wasn't but there really isn't a reason to put on serums, moisturizers and primers then foundation and powder and yada yada yada.  Way too much stuff on the skin!   It retails at $54 so I will need to wait for a sale!  So worth it though.  I was pretty close to ordering but I will have to wait a few months.  :)

30. Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser  Lovely cleanser and made with wonderful ingredients.  It left the skin soft and cleansed and not overly dry.

31.  eos everyday hand lotion cucumber scent.   This was a freebie in the mail sometime last year.  It is a watery consistency but after you work it in, it really leaves the hands moisturized and soft.  Good stuff.

32.  StriVectin Get Even Brightening Serum.  I used this on my décolletage which does get red and blotchy at times.  I think that this worked well.  But retailing at $89 will definitely prevent me from purchasing unfortunately.

33.  NIVEA Touch of Happiness Moisturizing Body Wash Orange Blossom & Bamboo Essence.  I just love the scent of this.  Body Wash is definitely something I can skip though.  This doesn't really seem to soften my skin.  I like using this on wet hair.  Thankfully I have a backup!

34.  Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate  This was a small sample.  I had a larger sample that I used up last month.  This stuff is a dream.  I love it.  I'm torn between this, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair ($52-$80) and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum ($44-$68).  The Lancome retails at $60-$130.  I haven't tried the Kiehl's but there doesn't seem to be anything that my skin doesn't love from Kiehl's.  But I've seen great results with Estee Lauder and Lancome.  But I have my Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules to work through right now so I can hold off.

34.  Nexxus Sleek Finish Silkening Lotion

Sunday, January 29, 2012

MyGlam!

And my goodness am I behind on posts!  Stop taking pictures and starting blogging lady...

MyGlam finally graced me with it's appearance a couple of weeks late after an unfortunate misshap with their shipping company.  Some people received 2 and others had to be issued refunds...  Oopsie.  Just a tad bit worried here...

But alas it arrived at my door, no sweat, in it's shiny, glammie parcel!




The "theme" for this month of January was Back to Nature.


I now have 3 Freeman Peel-Off Cucumber masks in my possession.  Good stuff though!  I use it a couple times a week already.


Here is the contents of the cosmetic bag, which you can never have enough of in my opinion.  Some oil always spills or a matte black eyeshadow never fails to explode in mine.  Oh yeah and zippers always break!

It had a weird toxic chemical smell as soon as I opened the pink mailer.  Since it has been out exposed to fresh air, the smell has dissipated some what but it was a crazy strong scent!  It is lined in a plastic waterproof layer which is probably where the smell originates.


Ahh...  Sheer Cover.  Some 6 years ago I ordered this off an infomercial.  Not sure why.  I was always happy with the Bare Minerals that I had ordered from an infomercial a year previous.  Sheer Cover was awful for me.  Didn't like the concealer, didn't like the mineral foundation that I applied with the super scratchy foundation brush.  I returned it immediately.

To be fair, I wasn't savvy in makeup application all those years ago and I probably slathered the stuff on, saw a streaky unblended mess and the color match was horrible.  The great thing about Bare Minerals, it's fool proof.  In fact, I was looking through a photo album recently and I looked really nice when I wore Bare Minerals.  Hmm...

this did come at a good time as I have been wanting a creamy concealer ever since the Urban Decay makeup artist did my face at Ulta.  She used the concealer sticks CIA and FBI on the redness around my nose and cheeks and it really smoothed everything out.  Actually she never applied foundation.  I just realized that.  I probably should get those!  lol


theBalm is well what it says it is... the balm.  This is Shady Lady in Luscious Lani.  It's a shimmery champagne pinky peach if that is descriptive enough for you.


Here's me wearing it with L'OREAL Infallable in Continuous Cocoa on my upper and lower lash line.  Just a quick day look before heading out.  I just love those Infallables!


I'm thinking it might be a nice cheek highlight?  But theBalm shadows have that velvety buttery smooth formula like Urban Decay which I just love.  I have theBalm and the Beautiful palette which I keep meaning to do a post on.  :)  I picked it up at Marshall's for $19.99.  Awesome price.  I'm glad to have another theBalm shadow in my collection.



Ahh...  The much anticipated wen!  wen is one of those products that I have wanted to try for years now.  Yep, watched the infomercial a thousand times.  I'm a bit of an insomniac apparently.  I guess I shouldn't wonder why I am tired all day long!  I have tried and used Hair One that you can find at Sally Beauty for around $10.50 I believe.  On QVC you can grab 16 oz duo bottles for $39.90 with $6.72 S&H.
But it's available on Easy Pay!

I used wen this morning and I can honestly say that they are about the same.  They both make the hair smooth and soft. I did wash my roots and scalp with my LUSH shampoo bar.  I have an oily scalp and I know from experience that I would be greasy by the afternoon.  Hair One does lather up a bit meaning not suds, but there is a workable like lather.  Wen didn't at all.  However,  I really didn't know how much to use.  I think I remember Hair One needing 10 to 15 pumps?  I may not have used enough of the wen sample as I would like to "stretch" it as long as possible but I surmise there is enough for 3 washings.

I think I am leaning towards liking wen as I did like the scent of a lot better.  But it is so flipping expensive for my life right now!  I did pick up thL'OREAL EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner for $2.50 (on-sale $6, and I had $3.50 in ECB) so I will review all 3 and give you my thoughts.  I like the idea of being sulfate free.


So what do I think about MyGlam.  I'm not really sure.  


In terms of value?  I received a $4 sample of wen (calculated based on the price per ounce based off the QVC price of $29.90 for 16 oz bottle).  The Freeman Cucumber Peel Off Mask retails for about $4.50.  They do go BOGO a couple times a year at the drugstores.  A full size Shady Lady eye shadow is $16.  The Sheer Cover Concealer duo is available on HSN for $19.99.  Shipping is free and you get a cosmetic bag.  So based on an approximate value of $50, I paid $10.  That's a pretty good deal.


As a company?  A bit sketchy as I was charged early to mid December and didn't receive it until last week.  I have found with the other monthly subscription boxes I receive, they charge when it ships.  They did send an email in apology for the late shipping and the mistake that was made.  It is their second month in business and it was an unfortunate error.  Doo doo happens.  


There you have it.  Did you get a MyGlam bag this month?  What did you think?