Archive for the ‘Product Reviews’ Category
Caress Fine Fragrance Elixirs Body Wash, Scarlet Blossom
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
If you like body wash with a bit more fragrance (i.e. Bath & Body Works) then you’ll enjoy Caress’s new Fine Fragrance Elixirs Body Wash. We tried the body wash in Scarlet Blossom and thought the scent was a great quality – it didn’t smell ‘cheap’. The scent is a unique blend of red lychee and patchouli oil. This body wash also has silkening moisturizers so you don’t have to choose between moisturized skin and smelling great. It’s clean-rinsing and we think it’s appropriate for most skin types except extremely dry. If you are a Caress fan, you should know that we are also giving away Caress Body Wash, Exfoliating Burnt Brown Sugar & Karite Butter; and Caress Body Wash, Moisturizing Daily Silk in our contest of the month, enter to win here!
Tags: body wash, Caress, product review
Posted in Product Reviews | 5 Comments »
Elan Veda Elan Skin Renue and Elan Healthy Hair
Friday, December 2nd, 2011
We just discovered a company called Elan Veda that makes holistic beauty products which are based on Ayurveda. Ayurveda originated in India and aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. We tried two of their products, Elan Skin Renue and Elan Healthy Hair. Elan Skin Renue contains a unique blend of essential oils and is said to improve radiance and minimize wrinkles. It can also be used under makeup. While this product wasn’t greasy at all (a huge feat for an oil-based product) we wouldn’t recommend this for someone who has acne or very oily skin. This really softens your skin and our favorite way to use this was to combine with our favorite moisturizer. If you have a moisturizer that’s not quite doing the job anymore with the cold weather, using this oil could give it a much needed boost. The oils in the Elan Veda product line are bottled in Miron Violet glass which provides a great barrier against detrimental elements – so the oil quality is always preserved. We also tried Elan Healthy Hair, which is a supplement that is said to naturally eliminate factors in the body that inhibit hair growth while promoting vibrant, thicker hair. You take two of these a day and there is a 30 day supply. We tried a 2 week stint on these vitamins and discovered it was great for nails too! Since a difference in hair takes a lot longer to see we are going to continue with the Healthy Hair supplements as we’re encouraged by the results so far. If you would like more information about Elan Veda, check out their website at http://elanveda.com/index.php .
Update 3/5/2012: Elan Veda is now up for a Total Beauty award! You can vote at: http://www.totalbeauty.com/awards2012/face-body#anti-aging-treatment
Tags: anti-aging, elan healthy hair, elan veda, oils, skin renue
Posted in Product Reviews | 3 Comments »
Contest of the Week – Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Reparative Magic Potion
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Keratin products seem to be all the rage lately. Recently, we received Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Reparative Magic Potion from Beautystat.com . In addition, they sent us one to give to 1 lucky Free Beauty Event winner (see our unbiased product review below)! To enter, just comment below with your best frizz fighting tip.
Here’s ours: If your hair is prone to frizz or if you live in a humid climate, try using a blow dryer with a diffuser. The diffuser will let the blow dryer emit heat with less intensity, so you can avoid the dry straw look.
Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Reparative Magic Potion – When we first received this product we thought that it would primarily work by getting our hair straighter. However, Magic Potion’s real strength is its frizz fighting power. We give American Culture kudos for the way they packaged it. Even though it’s basically a light styling cream, it’s in a spray bottle so you can truly distribute it evenly throughout your hair. Since Magic Potion has a great scent it’s easy to overspray! We used it on wet hair following shampooing and conditioning (per the directions) and then did our usual heat styling routine. We found that even with high humidity, we were still able to keep our hair style. We also didn’t need a separate product to detangle. According to American Culture, Magic Potion will protect hair from thermal abuse; lock in hair color and control frizz; add shine and volume, hydrate, smooth, and detangle; and leave hair silky and free of split ends. The product is available in salons and retails for $25. If you would like more information or just want to check out their other products go to http://americanculturehair.com/index.asp.
One winner will be chosen by 11/30/2011 and notified by email 12/7/2011. U.S. residents only. Odds of winning are 1 out of number of comments on this blog post.
Tags: american culture, beauty stat, contest of the week, detangler, free, frizz, giveaway, hair
Posted in Contest of the Week, Product Reviews | 27 Comments »
L’Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator
Monday, November 21st, 2011
We tried L’Oreal’s Double Extend Eye Illuminator just in time for the holidays. This mascara has different shades to complement individual eye color. However, we tried Black Crystal, which is for all eye colors. There are two steps to this mascara. The first one you use to lengthen your eyelashes. This is probably the best mascara we’ve tried so far in terms of lengthening and separating. It really makes every lash stand out. And there are no clumps, so the effect is more ‘I naturally have long lashes’. The second step is used for ‘illuminating’ your eyelashes. It’s not a very obvious effect but if you stand in light you can see the light reflecting pearls in the mascara. This side of the mascara also has a sphere brush which we found to be very useful to do our lower lashes.
Tags: eye color, eyelashes, Illuminator, L'Oreal, Mascara
Posted in Product Reviews | 11 Comments »
L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Gloss
Monday, November 14th, 2011
When we saw the Jennifer Lopez ad for L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Gloss we had to try it! We tried the Blushing Berry shade and loved the feel of the gloss. It gives high shine but doesn’t feel tacky or greasy. It’s also great for your lips and contains hydrating Omega 3, vitamin E, and Argan oil. We wished that it was longer-lasting, but L’Oreal gives a generous amount in the tube so you have plenty to reapply.
Tags: gloss, L'Oreal, lipgloss, paris
Posted in Product Reviews | 3 Comments »
Scunci Effortless Beauty Fashion Headbands
Friday, November 11th, 2011
Have you every worn a headband and then had to take it off after a few hours because it gave you a headache? There’s no shortage of cute headbands but it’s hard to find ones that aren’t too tight but also stay in your hair. We found Scunci Effortless Beauty Fashion Headbands at Walgreens on sale for $2.99 and thought they were amazing! These headbands are the most comfortable ones we’ve tried to date. They come in assorted colors with a snake print pattern (each pack comes with 3), and they have teeth in each headband that keeps your hair in place. If you use the teeth to go through your hair when you put it on it actually makes the look neater! We didn’t see these headbands on the Scunci website so we’re hoping that doesn’t mean they’re being discontinued! You can check out the headbands on the Walgreens website at http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/scunci-effortless-beauty-fashion-headbands/ID=prod6026738-product.
Tags: hair, headband, product review, scunci, walgreens
Posted in Product Reviews | 5 Comments »
La Roche-Posay Mela-D Dark Spots
Friday, October 28th, 2011
It used to be that most skin lighteners contained hydroquinone. However, in 2006 FDA proposed a ban on the over the counter sale of cosmetics with this ingredient that was so popular to reduce age spots and blemishes. So why the ban? Studies showed some evidence that hydroquinone had some cancer causing properties. 2010 studies also showed that there was a link between hydroquinone and ochronosis, a condition where the skin gets dark and thick. Skin care companies have since found alternate ingredients to use for skin lightening. For example, La Roche-Posay’s Mela D Dark Spots contains Kojic Acid and LHA. You can use this as a daily moisturizer for age spots, sun spots, liver spots, and freckles. It’s also safe for sensitive skin. We tried this for a week and noticed a difference. We really liked that since it’s non-greasy we could use it in the morning beneath our makeup and at night. We noticed a nice improvement, but found that their other product, Mela-D Serum, gives faster results. If you haven’t heard of La Roche-Posay it is a skincare company that bases its products around healing thermal spring water. Their products are all designed not to irritate delicate skin so they are fragrance free and tested on sensitive skin.
Here is a resource for those who have a passion for beauty and want to learn more.
Tags: anti age, Daily, dark spots, la roche-posay, mela d, moisturizer, product review
Posted in Product Reviews | 4 Comments »
