Friday, December 31, 2010

Tarte Ergonomically Correct Eyelash Curler Review

Where to begin when describing my new favorite tool? The Tarte eyelash curler is unlike any other curler I've used before. It is set apart by it's unique silicone padded handles. Instead of curling your fingers into impossible positions to get a good curl, you are able to gently apply as much pressure as needed by lightly squeezing.
Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler
Personally, I have never had a problem with pinching of the eyelids while using it. The curl lasts nearly all day and now essential in my makeup routine each morning. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of a new eyelash curler.
I would buy this curler again.

Final thoughts:
Likes: handles, performance
Dislikes: Nothing!
Rating: 8/10

If you are interested in purchasing the Tarte Ergonomically Correct Eyelash Curler, it is available at Sephora for $15

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Lush Vanillary Solid Perfume Review

A while ago, I bought solid perfume from Lush in one of my favorite scents, Vanillary.
I was on the Lush website and was surprised to see that the solid perfume had undergone a makeover. The product I purchased looked like this:

I admit, the packaging isn't very appealing and is difficult to use. Once you get past the top layer you will find yourself scraping your fingers against the tin to apply it to your skin. It gets quite annoying and sometimes messy.
But the new packaging looks like this:

MUCH better. Not only is this tube far more uniform but it is like lipstick in that you twist the bottom of the tube to bring more product to the surface.
The scent was wonderful. It smells of warm vanilla but it will remind you of cakes at bakeries and toffee with a hint of jasmine. It is a perfect fall/winter scent.
Sadly, it doesn't last very long. If I use this perfume in the morning I will find myself looking through my bag before noon to reapply it.
I would buy this product again, thanks to the new packaging!
Final thoughts:
Likes: scent, packaging.
Dislikes: not long lasting.
Rating: 7/10

If you are interested in purchasing Vanillary Solid Perfume, it is available at Lush for $9.95

Yankee Candle Lip Balm review

Recently I purchased several lip balms from Yankee Candle. The concept was too cool to pass up, so I jumped at the opportunity.
There are ten options to choose from. The ones I had tried were Juicy Watermelon, Vanilla Lime, Buttercream, Vanilla Cupcake, Christmas Cookie and Sweet Strawberry. Each of these smells very much like their candle and tastes heavenly. You have not lived until you swipe the your favorite candle's scented balm across your lips and experience the flavor fireworks.

The packaging of these lip balms are adorable! They resemble tiny candles, as shown above.
I found this product to be very moisturizing but not long lasting. If you wish to keep the scent (and taste!) with you all day, you will constantly be reapplying.
But these balms are good for your lips! They are very natural and are made with beeswax, organic extra virgin olive oil and vitamin E. The balms also have an SPF of 15.

I would repurchase this product.
Final thoughts:
Likes: flavor, clever packaging, natural ingredients and moisture.
Dislikes: not long lasting.
Rating: 8/10

If you are interested in this product, they are available at Yankee Candle for $3.99 each.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Lush Cosmetics Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb Review

Before I begin this review, I must confess that I am a huge Lush junkie. I am constantly buying and testing their products and will have many reviews here about them. If you've never tried Lush before, I highly recommend it for both girls and guys!
I tried the Dragon's Egg bath bomb recently and was very pleased by the results. To begin, it was a bit larger than an average bath bomb at Lush. The woman in the store told me it was sherbet scented and contained glitter, which was a couple of the many reasons I purchased it.

After I drew a hot bath, I popped in the bath bomb and waited for the magic to begin.
It took a long time to completely fizz out, maybe five minutes in total. As the bomb melted away, colored gel circles floated into the tub. I realized they were meant to represent dragon scales. How cool is that?
Once I reached the center of the bomb, I was pleased to see that there was a large pocket of liquidy gold glitter. It melted into the bath water and mixed in quickly.
Once I got out of the bath water, I realized there was a lot of gold glitter left on my body. If you're the type of person who does not like body glitter, I advise you to steer clear of this product!
After I drained the tub, there was some glitter stuck at the bottom. I ran the shower with cold water for a few moments to clean it out.
I would definitely repurchase this product again!
Final thoughts:
Likes: presentation of the product. The concept of dragon scales and gold glitter was very creative and fun. I also liked that the mess was easy to clean up, unlike other products I've tried from Lush.
Dislikes: Nothing!
Rating: 9/10

If you're interested in a Dragon's Egg bath bomb, they're available at Lush  for $4.95.

TooFaced LashLight Mascara review

My most recent purchase from Sephora was the TooFaced LashLight Mascara.
Needless to say, I had mixed opinions about it. After using it for a few days, I did some further research on this product and saw there were many others like me.
For starters, this is what the product looks like on the website:

Fancy stuff, right? Not only is the bottle uniquely shaped, but there is a mirror on the side of it, which is actually quite handy. The actual wand is nothing special, it reminded me of any drugstore mascara wand. The attention grabber was the lights within the wand. There is a button on the handle of the wand that activates the light. The purpose of the LED lights are to detect all lashes during application, so that each one is properly coated.
It seems like a great invention, but the light does nothing for me. I used it the first few times and stopped bothering with it completely because it became a hassle. If you angle the wand the wrong way, even for just a second- you will be blinded momentarily. It's happened to all of us before, but it's not good for your eyes. Once you regain your sight, applying mascara will be the last thing you feel like doing.
The actual formula does nothing for my lashes. I get similar results from Maybelline's Great Lash mascara, which is a fraction of the price.
I would not repurchase this product.

Final thoughts:
Likes: mirror on the bottle, shape of bottle.
Dislikes: formula, applicator, light.
Rating: 6/10

If you are interested in this product, it is available at Sephora for $25.