PULSE IMPERFECT TWIRLING MASCARA
Maybelline Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara -Â I was so excited to buy this mascara because it was finally a vibrating wand that I could afford, and I even had a $5 coupon for it at Duane Reade. So I bought it and rushed home anxious to try it because I was going out. Unfortunately, the results were not as exciting as the walk home. There is not a consistent, ongoing vibration– you have to hold down a button on the top of the wand, and when you let go or shift your finger, the vibration stops. The on-and-off vibration doesn’t really help to prevent clumps either. Also, the product lengthens (it doesn’t add fullness or curl), but it doesn’t reach all the lashes because the brush is so thin. I couldn’t reach the inner corners of my eyes because if I move my hand, the vibration stops. Soooooo frustrating!
FINAL VERDICT – SYC (SAVE YOUR CASH) -Â Overall, for me this mascara was quite a disappointment. The $15 price tag is great for low budgets and half the price of the premium vibrating brands, but the lengthening-with-clumping is definitely NOT a bang for your buck. I guess I’m just going to have to steal my mother’s Estee Lauder Turbolash or Lancome Oscillating mascaras when she isn’t looking. LOL
FRESH SUGAR, SUGAR
Photo Credit: Fresh.com
By Guest Bag Lady: Arianna Gold
FRESH BROWN SUGAR BODY POLISH – One of the essential things I do in the shower is use a body scrub to make sure I remove any excess dead skin and/or impurities. I splurged one day and decided to pick up Fresh’s Brown Sugar Body Polish Scrub, which is an expensive product. (A 14.1 oz container retails for $65.00.) There were a few things about the product I really did love… the scent of the lemons mixed with the essential botanical oils and brown sugar left my skin feeling smoother than ever before. The exfoliation process was stimulating and treated my skin by gently moisturizing it and restoring its beautiful glow. One conclusion I came to after using this product is that it is easily duplicated and I could make my own sugar scrub for half the price. If you just put brown sugar in a jar, add as much baby oil as the jar can hold and then squeeze in lemon juice from at least two fresh lemons you have your very own brown sugar body polish scrub!
FINAL VERDICT -Â SYC (SAVE YOUR CASH) – Save your cash and make it yourself!!
CELEBRITY SUNSCREEN
PHOTO CREDT: www.nordstrom.com
KATE SOMERVILLE Protect’ SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen – I have to admit that I don’t exactly get all the hype over this range. The prices are sky high. Kate is supposedly the facialist to the stars in LA, which doesn’t really make me run out and buy her overpriced stuff. This sunscreen was given to me by one of my facelift patients (I am a Registered Nurse who takes care of cosmetic surgery patients) because she knew I was going to Palm Beach for a break. It was very kind of her to think about me. The main benefits of this sunscreen are that it is oil-free and is a serum that comes in a tiny (2 ounce) tube which is easy to get through airport security at least. Â But two ounces of sunscreen won’t get you too far, especially in Florida where the rays are everywhere and you need to reapply every two hours because you sweat it off. I used it up in 5 days of daily use. I would not buy this product for myself based on price or performance.
FINAL VERDICT – SYC (Save Your Cash) – For $45, you can get a whole lot more UVA/UVB protection in any drugstore. There is nothing special about this product in my opinion. Neutrogena or La Roche Posay have developed far better sunscreen technologies than even a celebrity facialist can make. If you want something more luxurious, I would go for one of the Lancome or Estee Lauder SPFs personally that have the science and credibility to protect your skin.
ORGANIC OIL SPILL
JOHN MASTERS ORGANICS DRY HAIR NOURISHMENT & DEFRIZZER – I admit it – I am not all that fussed about certified organic products, but I appreciate that they have a place and I may be in the minority on this. It is not that I don’t like them – I am just not inclined to see them out over any other product or brand. I was on a whirlwhind trip to Stockholm for literally one day to do two presentations to about 200 plastic surgeons and arrived at Arlanda Airport early for my return flight. This is always dangerous for me because it is notoriously easy to get lured into buying stuff you don’t want or need out of sheer boredom. Now Arlanda looks a little like an IKEA nightmare – modern, sleek, lots of steel and light woods, oddly sterile as in “you can eat off the floor” kind of clean, and everyone speaks perfect English. I found this little brown dropper bottle from John Masters in the hair care section of the Duty Free shop, and since it was TSA friendly, I decided to try it. The combination of oils – rosemary, jojoba, lavendar, cedarwood and helio carotene smells nice enough and it is a leave in treatment. But unless I missed something, this is merely a mixture of oils with nothing more that smacks of hair care to me. Unless you have a fro like Beyonce is Austin Powers, I am not sure how you can really use this as a leave in treatment without having an oily residue on your hair. It can also be used as a booster for other conditioners but I would not be inclined to bother.
FINAL VERDICT – SYC (SAVE YOUR CASH) – Too expensive for what it is and not sure what it does, and all it did for me was to make my hair flat. If you are going to use it, use very SPARINGLY (the directions say 3 drops in your hands and rub together before applying to hair) and only on the ends to avoid greasy, stringy hair.
