Photo Credit: www.sweetspotlabs.com
Something For your SweetSpot
PRODUCT: SweetSpot
The first time I noticed the SweetSpot Labs product line was on a visit to a legendary Chicago waxer, widely known for her speed and skill working below the belt. Before setting to work on my girl parts, she jovially handed me a little package of wipettes and gave me a moment to prepare myself. This was no Cottonelle. The beautifully designed package boasted a gently formulated refresher, alcohol-free and pH balanced. The SweetSpot line is available unscented or in basil grapefruit, citrus galbanum and geranium lavender. Why not? We spend a small fortune on every other inch of our bodies, certainly our proverbial sweet spots deserve a little TLC.
I forgot about SweetSpot for some time until I recently spied a product display in a local beauty boutique. I picked up a bottle of the geranium lavender gentle wash ($12). I put it in the master bath and heard the predictable giggles when my husband spotted it. It's a nice product, as mild as promised, a little special something for my special something. I thought I was a SweetSpot devotee until one shower when I paused to read the label, which is how I pass the time while deep conditioning my hair. Mixed in with all of the good natural ingredients, I noticed methylparaben, propylparaben, Yellow 5 and Red. While I try to avoid parabens and dyes wherever possible, I'm not a hardliner. But seriously? The thought of putting those controversial substances directly onto my baby-maker? Meh. I won't be buying any more SweetSpot for mine.
FINAL VERDICT: SYC (Save Your Cash)
BY WAY OF: PURCHASED
Would you buy it again? NO
Would you recommend it to a friend? NO
Photo Credit: Maybelline.com
Broken Heel: Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length Mascara
PRODUCT: Maybelline® New York Lash Stiletto™ Ultimate Length Mascara
I consider myself to be a woman of reasonable expectations and modest tastes. However, my usual preferences fly out the window when it comes to eyelashes. I want them long, thick, dark and glossy. In an ideal world, my lash look would lie somewhere on the line between naturally beautiful and outrageously audacious.
After seeing dozens of print ads featuring models with fabulous lashes, I fell victim to the siren call of Maybelline® New York Lash Stiletto™ Ultimate Length Mascara ($8). Even the product packaging, shiny black and metallic red in a geometric tube, is consistent with the look I was hoping for. Promising to do “for lashes what stilettos do for legs,” I believed, and I purchased.
From the first application, I was disappointed. I thought I’d like the “Grip & Extend” brush but it didn’t do much for my lashes. (To be fair to the brush, that could have been the formula.) After applying about nine (seriously) coats, I looked in the mirror and thought, “Meh.” My only consolation was that I could keep the product and use it as an everyday mascara.
How wrong I was. Just two hours later, a brief glance in the mirror caused me to do a double take when I noticed black mascara flakes around my eyes. As the day went on, the flaking continued and worsened, so that I was excusing myself every few hours to go to the restroom to clean up the area between my lower lids and the apples of my cheeks. When I got home that night, I threw out the tube.
FINAL VERDICT: SYC
Maybelline’s overall stellar line of mascaras is marred by Lash Stiletto. This product is not worth buying, even considering the modest price. The only similarity this mascara shares with stilettos is that wearers will find themselves dying to take it off at the end of the day.
BY WAY OF: PURCHASED
BB LITTLE SHINE, BIG STINK
Photo Credit: www.mspmag.com
BB Little Shine by Bumble and Bumble - Let me begin by saying I am a huge fan of the Bumble and Bumble line. From the thickening shampoo and conditioner, to the hair prep tonic, styling lotion, styling cream, thickening spray, and the classic hair spray, I love it all. These products do for my thin, straight hair exactly what they promise, and for that, I am a devoted fan. Unfortunately, I have found one product in the line that will not get a spot in the Bumble and Bumble section of my cabinet. The BB Little Shine product promises to make your hair glimmer with a silky, soft, smooth, sexy texture. Who wouldn’t want that? The directions specifically say “a little goes a long way” and I adhered to that warning. The product delivered exactly what it said it would. My hair looked fabulous. The problem is the smell of the product as it goes on is so incredibly overbearing, I could never use this product again. I did give it twomore tries, both times with the same result. I admit I have a keen sense of smell, but I cannot see using this product again unless I managed to apply it outside with a stiff breeze blowing the smell away from me. Sorry, this product was a bust for me due to its very strong odor.
FINAL VERDICT: SYC (SAVE YOUR CASH) I remain a Bumble and Bumble devotee, but I would pass on this particular product.
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