Review: Maybelline's New Dream Matte Powder

I specifically wanted Maybelline, Dream Matte Powder for summer months when my skin tends to be shinier looking. I hate shiny looking skin, and matte foundations and powders tend to hide shine a hell of a lot better than other foundations and powders.

Although I didn't care too much for Maybelline's new liquid dream foundation, I still went ahead and tried out the powder hoping for better results. Hoping for long lasting results, and hoping the finish looked natural and not thick and cakey.

The powder itself goes on like a dream, it is light, airy, looks natural and feels natural. Frankly I do not even feel it when it is on.

What I also love is how it leaves my skin looking flawless and how it evens out my skin tone; not only that though, the powder itself got rid of the shine on my nose and forehead which is a huge huge plus!

The cons mostly are associated with the compact. Take a look at this photo. The compact is clumsy. The powder is pressed into its own separate chamber. You get to it by clicking up the see through lid. The application disc though is located underneath in a separate compartment. It does not slide out though, it slides to the right.


The reason I don't like it though is because it makes the compact harder to open completely, and it makes it easier to drop.

The application sponge disc is also made with cheap material, and you will notice it immediately. It has a thin cheap feel to it, and it is very small and hard to hold. Not only that it does not collect too much powder, so you continuously have to keep dipping it into the powder to fully cover your face in the powder for an even finish.

Overall though, I still love the powder. The compartment and the applicator could use some work.

Review: Soap and Glory Spa Return to Slender Body Lotion

When I bought Soap & Glory Spa Return to Slender Body last summer I thought that it would have that gorgeous Soap and Glory scent I already knew and loved. I was new to their Spa line though, and had no clue what it smelled like.

When I got home to actually use it, I was surprised at the new odd scent. It had a spa scent to it, mixed with a very minty note of spearmint or peppermint. I'm not a huge fan of such scents, but it was subtle and refreshing.

Soap and Glory Spa Return to Slender Body is meant to smooth and sooth the skin. I am pretty intelligent when it comes to the description, and I knew that the soothing feeling would be due to the cooling tingle sensation given off by the mint that was in the lotion.

The lotion itself was relatively runny, with a gel like consistency added to it. It rubs in easily and absorbs quickly. It does fill the sense with a chilly feeling due to the mint, but on hot summer days this was a plus. During winter months, I totally avoid this one because it does leave behind a cooling sensation on the skin.

As far as smoothing out my legs though, I used it day after day with absolutely no results.

Unfortunately Soap and Glory Spa Return to Slender Body is one product that I just didn't like. I normally like everything Soap & Glory makes, but Soap and Glory Spa Return to Slender Body just seemed like a waste of time.



Try This Instead:

Soap and Glory Glow Lotion: Review

I am a huge fan of Soap & Glory, it's really no secret. The line has come out with a slew of new products for this Spring 2009, however their are some older products which I must tell you about, that still hold a spot in my heart, and always will.

Today up on the chopping block we have Soap & Glory Glow Lotion.

The lotion is really meant to add a light fragrance to the skin, as well as a sparkling subtle shimmer.

The scent is what I really love about it though. It has that original Soap & Glory scent that I already love. A mix of musk, powder, and something bitter...combined though the scent is absolutely delicious, and best of all it is long lasting.

Soap & Glory Glow Lotion comes in a stand up plastic bottle as seen in the provided photo. The pump dispenser is easy to use, and the lotion itself is a pink color with a high shimmer of gold. It's quite lovely, and when spread on skin the golden shimmer blends naturally and well while highlighting your assets!

The shimmer is long lasting, and so is the silkening feeling it leaves behind on the skin. The fragrance sticks around for a long while as well.

It is one older Soap & Glory that I will recommend to women time and time again. Plus it is great for summer highlighting! Also add some to your hair for a high beam gloss!!!

More From Soap & Glory

Review: Earth Therapeutics Orange Eye Pads

When I picked up Earth Therapeutics Cucumber Eye Pads, the kit also came with Earth Therapeutics Orange Eye Pads, so I figured I may as well review the orange pads as well.

Like the Cucumber Pads, the Orange Eye Pads are made to rejuvenate the eye.

They are shaped and designed to look like real slices of oranges, and the scent is simply addicting, with a true Florida orange scent to it.

The pack comes with 5 individual packages, with each containing 2 orange slice pads. You get a total of 10 pads.

The directions are really self explanatory. You open the package, and add one pad to each eye. Relax with your eyes shut for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove the pads.

Using Earth Therapeutics Orange Eye Pads is really a pleasurable experience because while your puffy eyes get a treatment, you also fill the senses with a gorgeous orange grove scent which is totally uplifting and enjoyable.

They smell nicer than the Cucumber Pads, and I actually prefer the orange pads over them.

The puffiness in eyes goes away after a few uses of the pads. Using the entire pack, with daily 10 minute sessions using the pads will result in eyes looking less puffy and more awake.

I highly recommend Earth Therapeutics Orange Eye Pads, as well as the Cucumber Pads. The results are the same, but the orange ones smell better.

Review, Bath and Body Works: True Blue Spa Footloose and Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak

Last summer at my local Bath & Body Works, I had a coupon for a free True Blue Spa product. I wanted to try something outside of my beauty routine. I love my feet, so I figured I would do something for them I'd never done before.

I went ahead and chose True Blue Spa Footloose & Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak. In the store I sniffed the tester bottle and fell in love with the uplifting minty spa like fragrance.

At home I filled a large container with some warm water, and poured in a decent amount of True Blue Spa Footloose & Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak. Immediately the crystals began to fizz, so I quickly stuck my feet into the bucket and let the product go to work.

The bubbling feeling was pretty dang relaxing, and the scent rose from the bucket into my nose creating a relaxing mood. Yum yum...it was like aromatherapy for the soul.

I let my feet soak till the water ran cold. After drying my feet off they felt so soft, silky, relaxed, and charged all the same.

The softening feeling stood with me for hours after soaking my feet, and frankly I was not expecting this foot soak to work quite as wonderfully as it did.

I became hooked on the stuff, and ended up recommending it to everyone who I encountered in my friends and family circle. The girls in my family whom I let try some of my True Blue Spa Footloose & Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak also fell in love with it.

I soaked my feet in True Blue Spa Footloose & Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak once a week, and the long term result was spectacularly soft feet.

Now I use True Blue Spa Footloose & Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak about once a month just to maintain the feel of my feet, and it works like a charm.

This is definitely one I highly recommend. The unfortunate thing about True Blue Spa Footloose & Fancy Fizz Effervescent Foot Soak though is that I have not seen it being sold in Bath & Body Works for quite some time. You can pick up bottles of it though on Amazon! Thank God!

Earth Therapeutics Cucumber Eye Pads: Review

I have been purchasing Earth Therapeutics Cucumber Eye Pads time and time again simply because I find them to be cleaner, easier to use, and they're pretty dang efficient.

The Earth Therapeutics Cucumber Eye Pads come in packs of 5 (10 pads), but you can sometimes find them in a kit with 4 packs of eye pads. Two in cucumber, and two in orange, totaling 40 eye pads.

Anyhow, they are pretty cute, they are round pads with a cucumber design drawn right onto them. They actually look real, but clearly they are not.

You simply open 2 of the packages, and add one pad slice to each eye. I leave them on for about 10 minutes for a quick refreshing fix for tired eyes.

As far as removing dark circles though, the Earth Therapeutics Cucumber Eye Pads only go so far. They refresh eyes, and leave them way less puffy looking, but they don't cure dark circles.

Regardless though I do enjoy using them in the bath, or when I'm looking to reduce the look of puffy tired eyes.

New Soap and Glory iFoam Ultra Creamy Body Wash Review

Hey ladies, Soap & Glory has added a slew of brand new products to their line of already wonderful bath and body products! You can find the new products exclusively at Target!

I wanted to share my views with you regarding some of my personal buys, because as we know some of Soap & Glory's products can be a bit pricey. Although I rarely run into anything I dislike from their line, I wanted to share my reviews with you so you know which ones are worth the splurge, and which ones you should probably just leave on the shelf.

One of my latest buys goes to New Soap & Glory iFoam Ultra Creamy Body Wash.

It comes in a cute stand up squeeze tube, with an overall color of what looks like orange cream. The wash inside of the bottle is that color though, it appears that the bottle itself is see through, as you can see in my photo.

Now the body wash came to $9.99 which is pretty much the going rate for body wash these days. It's a bit pricey though, regardless.

I was initially going to leave it behind due to the price, but after I flipped up the click cap and gave it a sniff, I knew there was no way I was going to leave it behind!

Scent:

The scent that greeted me was a mixture of delicious citrusness! It smells like orange, cream, and grapefruit. Like one of those delicious orange cream pops I used to eat as a kid. Only New Soap & Glory iFoam Ultra Creamy Body Wash has a sweeter summery tone to it.

At any rate, the scent is uplifting, refreshing and addicting.

Use:

In the shower I tipped the bottle over and immediately the wash came sliding out. It was an odd texture that looked more like lotion than it did a body wash. It has a runny consistency to it, but the moment I began to work it into a lather in my bath loofah, I was surprised at how quickly it transformed into a creamy foamy wash.

The scent filled the bathroom was well, and it was a pretty delightful experience. It left my skin feeling soft, silky, and clean.

Unfortunately though all of these wonderful silky benefits that took place in the shower vanished the moment I dried up with my towel.

Overall:

It smells great, and is a wonderful in shower experience. I still recommend the product because it really is refreshing when you use it. I personally would have liked for the silkening feeling to have lasted, and for the scent to last after getting out as well. Like I said though it's primarily an in shower experience. It's still good, but could have been better.

New Olay Definity, Color Recapture Foundation Review

When I came across Olay Definity, Color Recapture Foundation I wanted to try it because it reminded me of the new CoverGirl & Olay foundation.

Seeing that Olay Definity, Color Recapture Foundation was nearly double the price of that foundation though I assumed it would be much, much different. I also thought it would be twice as good, so I splurged. I coughed up the $22.50 and made my way home a happy camper.

The package promised it would add an illuminating sheer to my skin, that it would help rid my face of fine lines, and skin discolorations.

Although I barely have any fine lines, I do in fact have dry skin in some areas, and my skin is a bit discolored in some areas.

Olay Definity, Color Recapture Foundation promised coverage as well as improvements to my skin. What more could I ask for?!

I got home and washed my face. Washing the face before applying foundation to it is always a must!!!

Anyhow, I squeezed some of the foundation out through the pump applicator and applied the foundation to my face. Immediately I hated it. I noticed it made my skin look greasy and shiny. I'd rater have dry patches than oily looking skin.

I plopped the foundation back into the package, and was going to return it after seeing how god awful shiny it made my skin. Not only that the coverage sucked. I could still see a red blemish I had on my cheek.

It seriously looked as if I didn't apply a thing.

I did however leave the foundation on my skin throughout the day.

I passed by a mirror and noticed something spectacular a few hours after applying the foundation.

Olay Definity, Color Recapture Foundation actually made my skin look healthy. It had a glow, it looked fresh, younger, and not only that my skin was all one solid tone. No discolorations, the greasy look was gone, and the best thing about it all was how natural it looked. It looked like my skin. Like I was wearing nothing on my face at all.

After realizing how great Olay Definity, Color Recapture Foundation made my skin look, I decided to keep it.

I have been using it for only 4 days now and I can say YES, my skin looks like it has definitely improved in this short amount of time.

I highly, highly recommend this one to yah ladies! Although it feels and looks a little shiny when you first put it one, allow it to dry and you will see some stunning results shortly afterward.

Hey Mom, Psst Dad...Enter Your Kid To Win $25k!!!

Seeing that I strictly review beauty products here, I figured I may as well tell moms and dads about an awesome contest going on at Cutekid.com.

If you enter your child, he or she can win the cutest kid of the year, as well as a$25,000 bragging right!!!

New From Soap & Glory; Feel The Knead Soap

When I came across the newest selections in the line of Soap & Glory, I wanted to try them all. Soap & Glory however can be a bit pricey; for good reasons though! Their stuff rocks!

One of their newest products is Soap & Glory, Feel The Knead Soap!

I was a little surprised at first to see that the soap was in fact black! Most of Soap & Glorys products come in girly colors, with girly packaging. Feel The Knead Soap though was a black odd massage bar, which is actually soap.

At first I thought it was nothing more than a massager, but when I read closely and learned it was soap that is infused with caffeine, which would help reduce the appearance of cellulite, I was on board! I had to try it!

Feel The Knead though came to nearly $7.00. It is a nice hefty bar of soap, but is round shaped so it's easy to hold.

I was expecting it to have the official delicious addicting Soap & Glory scent that many of their older products have. This soap however has a very new scent in the line which was different and exciting all the same.

When I first gave it a sniff my first impression was Lush! It smelled nearly identical to Lush's Coalface soap.

It has a very herbal scent mixed with a nice sweet tone of licorice. Their new cleansing wipes have this same scent, but the soap is a little sweeter.

The massaging lumps on the rounded disc shaped bar of soap do in fact give the body a bit of a massage, but they're not that great, just unique for soap.

Now I didn't notice any reduction in cellulite, but I have only used the bar once. So far though I really like it. I like the natural fresh scent it leaves behind on the skin, I like the large size of the bar, and I like how it leaves skin feeling clean and tight after use.

The Feel The Knead soap is new, so get them before the crowds get to them! You can find them being exclusively sold at Target!

-My original Photos are not for use

New From Soap & Glory!!! Off Your Face Cleansing Wipes

So my excitement was sky high this weekend when I went into my local Target and noticed a slew of new products from one of my all time favorite bath and body companies; Soap & Glory!

One of those new Soap & Glory products up on the chopping block today goes to 'Off Your Face' cleansing wipes!

They come in a resealable pack of 25.

I was a little hesitant on the purchase though because usually when I buy cleansing products; especially cleansing wipes I don't spend any more than $4 or $5.

Off Your Face came to nearly $8.00.

They come in a neatly decorative pack as you can see from my photo (not for use). I was expecting there to be some sort of plastic tub to put the pack in to, but it came as is, which was rather strange. I figure though this way they're a little more Eco Friendly!!!

As far as scent goes I was a bit disappointed that they didn't stay with their original delicious Soap & Glory fragrance. The wipes instead have a very au'Naturale scent to them. A mixture of what smells like herbs and licorice.

I don't love the scent, but I also don't hate it. It's decent.

As far as cleaning my face, they did a wonderful job at removing all of my makeup, and they left my face feeling very soft and silky which was nice. Most of Soap & Glory's products though are nice, so it was really no shocker.

The wipes left behind no residue at all, just clean fresh skin!

Overall, they are a good buy! Find them fast though because they are new, and likely everyone is going to rush out to try them!

Worth $8.00?

I'd say so!

Olay Smooth Skin Exfoliating Scrub with Gentle Microbeads

I have been a fan of Olay for quite some time now. I used to avoid their products in the past because they caused my face to break out. Recently though nearly everything they have made I actually like, and my skin likes it too!

My most recent purchase was Olay Smooth Skin Exfoliating Scrub with Gentle Microbeads.

The exfoliating properties not only are supposed to remove dead skin from my face, but it is also designed to make my skin feel smoother after just one wash.

I am pretty gullible, so the package didn't have to say much beyond the word 'smooth'. Seeing that I usually have dry skin after using exfolating washes, I was excited to see how if Olay Smooth Skin Exfoliating Scrub with Gentle Microbeads would work well, and to see if it would leave my skin smooth as promised- after just one wash!

I was relatively skeptical about it working in just one wash, but I went ahead anyway and spent the $7 and change on it.

The scrub is exfolating and you can feel the micro grains and see the microbeads within the formula. I wet my face first and then applied a quarter amount dab to my face and rubbed it all around. The scrub was gentle on the skin and not irritating at all.

The scent was nothing note worthy, which was odd because Olay products usually have a very nice refreshing scent to them. Olay Smooth Skin Exfoliating Scrub with Gentle Microbeads sort of smelt medicated and a little bland.

After scrubbing the formula into my skin for some time, I then rinsed.

My skin did not feel any smoother. My face felt clean, but as far as smooth goes, the moment I towel dried my face there was no difference. My face felt tighter when dry, but not smoother.

Overall:

Olay Smooth Skin Exfoliating Scrub with Gentle Microbeads is a good wash, don't get me wrong. It didn't irritate skin or cause any breakouts. But it didn't smooth my skin in just one wash as promised.

I do however recommend it to rid your face of any dirt and oil. It kept my skin mostly oil free for the day, so it makes up for its flaws in that department.

CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Mascara in Black Gold

I was so excited when I came across CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Mascara in Black Gold.

It's a new mascara made by CoverGirl that supposedly will bring out your particular eyecolor, and brighten the look of eyes as well.

There are numerous colors, and you can choose one based on your eye color. It states directly on the package which eye color the mascara was made for. Seeing that my eyes consistently change from green, hazel, and blue, I went with Black Gold because it was meant for hazel eyes, and it also seemed like the coolest color in the bunch.

I imagined Black Gold would feature a base color of black, with small subtle hints of micro flecked gold.

I don't normally wear mascara, but the whole thing just sounded so appealing, and fun!

At home though it was a whole other story. The color of the mascara was simply black! There was no hint of gold whatsoever. I felt really stupid for falling for such a package, and I had high hopes for it.

The mascara though clumped, was runny, did not thicken lashes, did not lengthen them, nor did it brighten my eye color. At all.

I was pretty disappointed in the product, and I recommend those of you looking to pick it up, skip out on it. But something from L'Oreal. Their mascaras are always rather flattering.

Too bad for this one though, it sounded, and looked so cool....that was....until I actually went to use it.

Skip This:

Try These Instead:

Lush Karma Soap

Lush has been one of my many addictions when it comes to bath and beauty products.

I mostly hit the site up once every two months and fill my online shopping cart with hundreds of dollars worth of bathing goodies.

One of my first orders I was sure to include Karma Soap. I had heard from many people that this was the most overpowering and potent scented bar of soap they had ever used.

Many compared it to incense; Patchouli to be precise. A scent I myself have always loved.

What I Got:

Karma is a solid glycerin bar of soap. The soap itself is a bright happy colored orange.

The Scent:

I was smelling my Karma bar before I even opened my box. I knew what they meant when they said overpowering.

The moment I opened my box, the scent I had slightly detected coming off of the box was now in full bloom.

A huge blast of hippies came flying from the box. I wanted to pop in Grateful Dead and start jamming. Karma smells like incense indeed. Incense so powerful though, that just being exposed to air for a few seconds, and the entire room smelled like a hippie's pot smoking lair.

I could not wait to get into the shower with Karma. I couldn't wait to see what this powerful soap had to offer.

My Use:

Karma is strong. The moment hot water hit the soap, the scent went into overtime. It actually got so powerful that I was barely able to tolerate it. The room filled with the scent of patchouli, and the scent was sticking my skin like leeches.

Suds were bare minimal, but it didn't matter, because the soap did in fact leave my skin feeling clean.

After getting out of the shower, I had this hunch that Karma was with me to stay. God was I right... the patchouli scent stood with me all day, into the night, and into the next day. By the time I woke up the next morning, I was actually sick of smelling it.

Overall:

Karma is NOT for everyone. This 3.5 ounce bar of soap packs a powerful punch. If you cannot stomach the smell of patchouli, then avoid it. However if it is a scent you love, then Karma is a sure pleaser.

Recommendation:

Cut the 3.5 ounce bar into sample sized pieces, and store in a cool place. I put mine in the fridge.

Try Tese From Lush as Well:

Review: Calvin Klein Escape, Perfume For Women

I have never been too fond of Calvin Klein fragrances. My turn off occurred back in the early 90's when nearly every Tom, Dick, Harry, Holly and Tina would walk around the school stinking up the hallways with their CK1 perfume. By the time I was scheduled to go home from school, I had what I like calling a CK headache.

It got so bad that the scent was everywhere. In hallways, classrooms, bathrooms. There was no escaping it, like a frigging plague; this scent took over the school.

I still too this day feel nauseous when I get a whiff of this scent, or an impostor scent that is similar to it. Even thinking about this perfume, I can seriously smell it, that's how much it has impacted me- In a negative way of course.

Anyhow, when I saw Calvin Klein Escape sitting on my moms dresser, I admit I wanted to try it, but at the same time wondered if it'd smell like that holy hell perfume from the past.

The Bottle:

Calvin Klein Escape comes in a bland cylinder shaped bottle, with a bland shiny silver mirror like metal lid on top. None of CK's perfume bottles have ever been attractive in my opinion. They've always been relatively blah, and most of them remind me of roll on deodorant sticks.

The perfumes color is a light burnt yellow/orange color... which immediately told me that this stuff would be strong. Most yellow/orange tinted perfumes have a very strong overbearing scent. Most...not all.

The Scent:

Calvin Klein Escape actually impressed me. It had a gorgeous honey mixed with cherry scent that was very powerful, but at the same time extremely likable. It also has a thick dewy scent that can be compared to a warm vanilla musk. Combined you get a really sultry heavy musk that smells like no other. Mommy like!

Last:

Before reviewing perfume, I always give each one a one day test. I do this by spraying some on my shirt, and some onto my skin. This way I can mention how long the scent lasts on each.

On my skin CK Escape impressed me with a long last. I was able to smell the perfume on me for the entire day, which is really good, because usually when I spray perfume directly on my skin the scent does not last very long...if at all.

It should be pretty obvious that Calvin Klein Escape lasted on my shirt for the entire day, and was still detectable the next morning. Spraying Escape on your coat will ensure 2 days of the scent. Not bad!

Overall Calvin Klein Escape gets two thumbs up in the 'long lasting scent department'.

Recommended Wear:

For me Calvin Klein Escape is a nice scent to wear at night. I find it's thick musky aroma would be suitable for dinner parties, nights out on the town, and so on. I also think it'd be a good scent for a nice seductive romantic night with your significant other.

It just has that warm seductive scent that puts you in a sexy time mood. Hehe!

Pricing and Availability:

You can find Calvin Klein Escape at perfume stores, and online for around $50.00 for the largest 3.4 ounce bottle. Prices are lower for smaller bottles. For more bang for your buck, you can purchase the gift set which includes the lotion and perfume.

Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo

Garnier has always been one of my top picks for hair care products.

Garnier has never really failed me when it comes to giving me excellent results, good looking hair, and affordable hair care products.

A few weeks ago at my local Walmart I came across a sale I could not pass up. I grabbed two items on the shelf that looked like they would be something that I would like to try.

One of those products I picked up was Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo. I bought it simply because I wanted to see if it would add a burst of shine to my hair like they promised.

According to the bottles description, Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo would smooth out my hair, add lightweight shine, clean, and strengthen my hair.

It was a lot of little promises packed into one 25.4 ounce bottle. I also paired up and bought Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner (which I will review later on).

Packaging:

There really is not much to say about the bottle. Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo comes in a standard neon green plastic stand up bottle, with an easy to use click up cap. However a very cool shiny metallic silver label popped out and caught my eye. It read SHINE BURST. Without the eye catching silver label I would of likely passed it right up.

Scent:

To me nearly all Garnier products have this official Garnier scent that makes the brand recognizable amongst others. Its a clean, yet fruity scent at the same time, with a little spice of citrus that is energizing.

My Use:

In the shower I first saturated my hair with hot water, and then added about a handful of the shampoo to my locks.

As I was scrubbing the shampoo into my hair and scalp I liked how moisturized it made my hair feel (usually my hair feels really dry when I am using shampoo).

I also liked how the lather worked up quickly and easily.

The lovely clean fruity scent also filled the bathroom, and I hoped it would stick around after my shower.

After rinsing I was surprised to feel that Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo did in fact leave my hair moisturized, and knot free. For me after rinsing shampoo out, my hair is usually left feeling dry, parched, and thirsty for moisture, and most of all knotty.

It was notthe case while using Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo.

Overall Results:

My hair was left (obviously) very moisturized, and very soft after drying. I can't say much for shine though. My hair is usually always slightly shiner after showering.

After using Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo though, I can't really say that it added miraculous mirror like shine, because it didn't. My hair was as shiny as it usually is after a shower.

Overall though I enjoyed using it. It left my hair soft, clean, fresh smelling, and knot free and I adore it simply because of that.

Added shine would of been nice too, but for me Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Shampoo did a fine job in every other department. I do think that it should be classified as a moisturizing shampoo instead of a shine enhancing shampoo though.


Price:

You can pick up a large bottle for about $4.00. In my opinion it is $4.00 well spent.

Recommendation:

I highly recommend it to those looking for relief for dry hair. It did quite a number on my dried out over-processed hair, so...yeah, I recommend it.

Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner

Since Garnier first hit shelves I have been a fan. When the bold word NEW stuck out like eye candy on my Walmart shelf, I had to see what their newest additions had to offer.

I love trying new things, and continue to try new things because I like thinking that I am the first to try them. After trying them, I then love sharing my finds online through a review, whether they be good or bad.

Seeing how I already reviewed the shampoo, I wanted to share shampoos sister conditioner, Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner.

Packaging:


The conditioner comes in the same neon green stand up bottle that the shampoo comes in. As a matter of fact nearly all Garnier hair care products come in the same neon green bottle, making the line very easy to spot at stores.

The Promise:

According to the description on the bottle, it promised the same things that the shampoo promises. Clean hair, strengthening agents, and lightweight shine.

I figured the promise was a decent one, and hopefully it would work magic on my locks. Besides, who doesn't love shiny hair?

Scent:

Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner smelled just like the shampoo, only it was not as powerful. As a matter of fact it seemed slightly watered down.

It still though had that fresh, clean, fruit and citrus scent that Garnier fans already know and love.

My Use:

After shampooing I added a nice handful of the white colored conditioner to my palm. (I personally need to use a lot, I've got long thick hair)

The conditioner itself was thick, but not too thick. It had standard conditioner texture, but not runny like some Suave conditioners are. I would have liked it to be a bit more creamy though. Usually the more creamy the conditioner, the better. At least for those with thick hair like mine.

Next I basically saturated my hair in the conditioner, and let it sit in for 3 minutes, as directed.
As I ran it through my hair, I could feel how fast it went to work on breaking apart the knots in my hair. This occurrence usually means good things, so I had high hopes while applying the conditioner.

The next step of course is to rinse.

Results:

My hair felt really slick and smooth after rinsing Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner completely out. My hair was also left feeling moisturized, smooth, and clean.

Dry time though was a different story.

I got my usual amount of puff and frizz, which was expected.

After straightening my hair though, it did have a slightshine, but the shine is the same that I would get after any other shower. Nothing glowing here, nothing bursting either, same ol' same ol'.

My hair was Moisturized; yes. As far as shine goes though my my hair was the same as ever. Nothing major to report in the shine department.

Like the shampoo, Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner should of been labeled a moisturizing conditioner, and not a shine burst; because truly it didn't really add any more shine then I normally have.

Overall:

Even though Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner failed to add any high beam glossy shine to my locks, it did leave my hair very soft, manageable, and best of all, knot free.

The best thing about the conditioner though was that it left my hair very moisturized. My hair is usually dry to the touch; especially at the ends. So the conditioner is still a damn good one in my book.

I enjoyed Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner, and would purchase it again.

Although the conditioner didn't add much shine, I still like it, and would recommend it to those who have dry hair.

Pricing and Availability:

You can pick up a bottle of Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Conditioner at any local store that sells hair care products.

You can also find it online. A large bottle will come to around $4.00 or less. You truly cannot beat that price for what it does.

I could easily compare this low priced conditioner to high end hair products

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo Sleek and Shine

This past weekend I came across a deal I could not pass up. $3.13 for a new Garnier product that yours truly had yet to try.

Due to the lovely fact that this bottle came with two free trial sized samples, I could not pass it up. Plus...it was new! That word alone calls out to me. "Buy me... Melissa... buy me... me so good... buy me, buy me now".

One of the free trial sized products included was New Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Shampoo Sleek & Shine. Super sweet, seeing how it also came with a larger bottle of sister conditioner, which I will review later.

Scent:

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Shampoo Sleek & Shine had a much stronger and nicer scent then the sister conditioner does.

It still had that tropical paradise type scent that reminded me of bananas, coconut, and honey. The scent is very easy to fall in love with, seeing how it reminded me of summer time. Best of all though is that the scent will be detectable in your hair after your hair is dry and styled.

Texture:

The shampoo itself was a nice pearly off white color, and had a very thick and creamy consistency.

I knew that with texture this thick, that Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Shampoo Sleek & Shine would provide my hair with a lot of moisture. I had high hopes before even applying it to my locks.

My Use:

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Shampoo Sleek & Shine worked into a really nice thick and bubbly lather with just a small amount of shampoo needed. I was impressed. Nice texture, tons of lather, and barely needing to use a half a handful!

What I liked most of all was how the shampoo did not leave my locks feeling dry or knotty while I lathered up.

Rinsing Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Shampoo Sleek & Shine out was also equally enjoyable. Usually when I am rinsing shampoo from my hair it leaves it feeling parches, and thirsty for moisture.

Overall:

I liked Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Shampoo Sleek & Shine a lot more then I did the sister conditioner. Which is odd, because usually I never really fall in love with shampoo. It's usually the conditioner I love. However I will say that the shampoo worked better than the conditioner!

As far as shine goes though, there was truly nothing added to my hair for me to report, which was sort of disappointing. My hair had the same amount of shine it always has.

Recommended?

Although the shampoo didn't impress me with shine, I still enjoyed it nonetheless.


Thick Hair? Try This One:

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Fortifying Creme Conditioner

I'm always looking for new ways to get my hair as shiny, sleek, and frizz free as possible. You would not believe how much money I have invested throughout my life...on hair care. God, I'm sure the dollar price is enough to make even me puke.

Anyhow, I suffer from what I like to call Macy Gray hair!Mmhmm, frizzy, out of control, knotty, dry, split, parched, funk!!!

There are so many things available on the market that promise relief for those with unruly hair...yet in my time, I have learned that only about half of what is available actually will help. I have yet to find the 'IT' product.

Last week while browsing through my local Walmart hair care section, I came across Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner Sleek & Shine.

I was going to skip purchasing it, but it came with not one, but two free samples of other Garnier products. For $3.13 I couldn't pass it up. Plus hey...maybe it would work?

The Promise:

According to the packages Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner Sleek & Shine would nourish my hair from roots to tips, strengthen my hair, and smooth it out.

The promise was not very bold (in fact it was quite subtle), but seeing how I liked Garnier in general, I went ahead and bought it anyway.

Texture:

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner Sleek & Shine had a somewhat nice texture, and felt nice in my hair. The texture though was not as thick as I would have liked. In fact it was a bit runny, which was sort of disappointing and messy.

Scent:

The scent was extremely likable. To me it has a very tropical smell, which actually smelled similar to banana, honey, and a tinge of coconut all mixed in one. This was the first Garnier prodcut that actually did not come packed with that official Garnier citrus scent that most of their products have.

My Use:

I kept the conditioner in my hair for the standard three minutes as directed, and rinsed.

I could feel the difference as I rinsed. Smooth, soft, and knot free.

However, I hoped that when my hair dried it would remain smooth, soft, and knot free. Usually when my hair type (frizzy, thick and unruly) begins to dry, the frizz begins to spring into action, as well as the puff, and the knots.

Dry Time:

Sadly I am reporting that Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner Sleek & Shine did not keep frizz at bay. I sort of figured it wouldn't. It's hard to keep frizzy hair tame, and with conditioner this runny, it was no wonder.

My hair did however, dry a wee bit smoother than usual, but the difference was noting remarkable. The nice tropical scent though stuck around, which was nice.

Overall:

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner Sleek & Shine only slightly worked, but the subtle difference was not as glorious as I have gotten from other Garnier products in the past.

Recommended?

I imagine that Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner Sleek & Shine would work wonders for those with thinner hair types.

However for those with thick hair, prone to frizz, it won't work any hair care miracles. It will only slightly improve how your hair feels, but as we all now, slightly just does not cut it.

I don't recommend it to those with thick frizzy or curly hair. It does not do much, and is not worth the money. I personally can't see myself buying this again in the future.

Diva Book Review: Freak Show, by James St. James

To be honest I checked out the book Freak Show based on the cutie patootie cover.

The pink book jacket screamed 'fabulous', and the odd bizarre statue of the red headed boy dressed in some sort of pageant queen green outfit, dawning a tiara on his head told me that this book was going to be interesting.

I had no clue what it would be about, but after reading the books jacket, I was pretty excited to discover that I would be reading about a drag queen for the next weeks or so. (I read fast)

The name of the book, Freak Show also called out to me. I considered myself an outsider in high school. A freak if you will.

I figured that even though this book focused mainly on a young boy who liked to dress up in drag, and there would be references to gay sexuality... I too may be able to connect with the character. I was surprised, because I was able to connect.

Anyhow...

Freak Show, by James St Jameswas pure genius, glorious, glamorous, fabulous, sad, wonderful, beautiful, and so vivid that I can't not recommend it.

The main character in Freak Show is a young man named Billy Bloom.

He just moved to Florida to live with his father, and the new school Billy is enrolled in is not to thrilled with the new student.

They immediately target him because he is different. Billy however sort of longs for the attention, I mean he showed up to school on his first day dressed a wee bit feminine.

Billy though is a drag queen! A fabulous one at that!

Showing up to school wearing outrageous outfits, Billy made more enemies then he did friends. And he made these enemies fast.

Like any closed nit community Billy the outsider is not welcomed with open arms, not by a long shot, Billy is immediately picked on, beat on, and stomped on, and on a daily basis; just for being different. Just for being himself. I'm sorry; herself!


Billy is eventually beaten on so badly, that he is actually put into a coma.

Once awaken from his coma, many students feel sorry for him, and many of them are now beginning to open up more towards him. Many, but not all. Some of them still hate his guts.

One boy named Flip (who is the schools dream boat) even takes a close liking to him, and feels the need to protect him from the packs of students who disagree with Billy's drag queen lifestyle.


Flip and Billy establish a close relationship, and quickly Billy takes a liking to him.

One problem though, Flip believes he is sincere when he tells Billy that he is not gay and that he does not roll that way. It causes friction in their relationship.


Billy's heart is broken and he decides to take things into his own hands. Why wallow in ones misery?

He puts his mind in full motion and decides that she wants to run for Homecoming Queen. Take that society!

Up against an entire school who feels that being gay is wrong, and dressing like a girl when you are a guy, makes you a freak, Billy has a lot of work to do in order to win the hearts of those who hate him.

I won't ruin the book and tell you if Billy was successful or not, but I will say this; Freak Show was a marvelous read. Glamorous, heartfelt, and humorous all at the same time.

Although I myself am not gay, I was totally 100% able to relate to the main character in his quest to finding acceptance among his peers.

Freak Show ended on a fabulous note, and had me yearning for more. James St James impressed me in each and every short chapter written.

Using modern pop references, and sentences that seemed to be threaded together with yarn made of sheer glamor and fun. I adored the book.

I highly recommend Freak Show. Not just to anyone or any group or cliche in particular...I recommend Freak Show to everyone.

You can pick up a copy at Border's, or even check it out at a local library. It's totally worth a read.

Beauty Book Review: Flawless by Sara Shepard

Flawless, by Sara Shepard, is the second novel in the Pretty Little Liars series. I first fell in love with her writings when I got hold of the first book Pretty Little Liars.I was drawn in to the characters, and wanted to continue the story to find out what happened to the girls from the first book.

In the second book, Flawless, all 4 of my favorite bad girls are back. Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer. Each with their own dirty set of secrets.

As we learned in the last book Pretty Little Liars, Allison's body had been found. Yep, Allison is dead, long dead.

The girls had been receiving text messages and emails from someone named 'A', and A seemed to know all of their dirty secrets, and guess what? She is going to tell!

With Allison not being alive to be the mystery person called 'A', the girls are now paranoid, because now they know someone else besides Allison knows their secrets...but who could it be?

We also learn in Flawless the big secret that wasn't discussed in Pretty Little Liars. It turned out that the big secret was that Allison was responsible for Jenna's (a dorky girl in the neighborhood they alwyas teased) going blind.

Turns out though that Toby, Jenna's older step brother, also knew that it was Allison, who lit the firecracker which caused Jenna to go blind. He saw her do it that night!

Allison though has dirt on Toby, and if Toby wants Allison to keep her mouth shut,she tells him that he has to take the blame for Jenna's accident. Toby goes along with it, and you are left clueless as to what Toby's secret is. It must have been huuuuge for him to take the blame for Jenna's accident.

Anyhow, it also turns out that Spencer was there when Allison was caught by Toby. So now she knows, that Toby knows, that they are responsible for Jenna's accident. It's not as confusing as it sounds when you read the book.

Allison though makes Spencer promise never to tell. When Spencer shows worry that Toby may tell, Alison tells her Toby's secret.

Anyhow, with that aside, A, the secret stalker who knows all of the girls secrets is back, and Spencer believes 'A' is Toby.... and now that Toby is back in town, she feels she has to warn the others.

You see, Spencer technically never told the other girls that she knew that Toby had known about their involvement with The Jenna Thing. Spencer also believes that Toby killed Allison. I mean why wouldn't he? She knew his dirty secret, and he knew that she hurt Jenna. He also promised pay back. So signs point to Toby as being 'A'.

Anyhow, the story goes on, and we find out that Hanna was recently dumped by her boyfriend who swore virginity till marriage. Too bad Hannah tried getting into his panties a little too early. Now her ex has eyes for someone else...wonder who that could be?

Even though Hanna may appear to be prettier, no matter how thin she gets, or how much money she spends on designer duds, her dad still looks down on her. Now Hanna is battling the bulge; once again.

Hanna seems to be the only girl in the book with a lack of a dirty secret.

So the girl barfs up her lunch... I don't get what is so deadly about that or why she is worried about A revealing her secret. Seems kind of petty.

Emily is also still struggling with the fact that she may be gay. An ongoing inner battle that she has been dealing with since the first book. She may even have a little crushie poo on someone... I wonder who!?

Spencer has once again has taken the lover of her sister, while she battles with whether or not she should tell the girls about Toby, and his secret, and why she feels he is Allison's killer.

Last but not least; Aria. She is pretty much caught up in some ridiculous mix about her father being a cheater. She worries about what it could do to her family if that secret got out. On top of the fact that she was doing her teacher. Her drama also seems pretty petty.

Somehow 'A' manages to know all of their old secrets though, and all of their new dirty secrets.

'A' taunts them every now and then throughout the novel with text messages and emails. Her threats have gotten a little deeper, as 'A' now demands things from them, which she did not do in the first book.

The genuinity of 'A" is starting to become more and more unrealistic though. This one person couldn't possibly know all of this dirt without physically attaching a damn hidden microphone to each and every one of the girls.

I liked Pretty Little Liars, but Flawless sort of kept bending things way, way out of proportion, and making it seem a little unrealistic. With that said though... the anticipation is still there, and it is still exciting.

In the end, Toby's secret is revealed, and it is a secret way worse then I had imagined it would be. Turned out Toby wasn't too kind to Jenna either. I won't spill the secret, that's for you to find out...

I will say this though, Toby's secret is gruesome, and at the end of Flawless another body is found, and 'A' still continues to harass the girls. Who dies? Who is A?

You won't find out who 'A' is in the novel, but you will find out who's body turns up in the end.

It's pretty exciting, but also ends on the same note that the first novel ended on.

Overall:

Flawless answered a few questions from the fist novel that I had been wondering about...but in reality, Flawless also seemed too much like the last novel. I mean don't get me wrong, the story was still really good... but it sort of dragged on, and was a bit like the first novel in the series.

I really hope this 'who done it?' mystery is at least half solved in the next novel 'Perfect'. I really don't think I could bare 3 more books of 'A', and a group of girls who cannot figure out who 'A' is (no matter how much I enjoy reading about each girl).

I enjoyed Flawless, but I still wished it wasn't so familiar with the last book. I don't know how much longer the author could stretch this 'A' thing out, and a dead body at the end to wrap it up, without fans getting bored.

Flawless was a fast paced read, even though the novel was long.

I will continue to read the series till 'A' identity is brought out into the open.

Recommended:

Yes. You need to read it to continue the story of the Pretty Little Liars. Although this book could of been a little more drama filled, it was still a decent read, and I'm sure will fit marvelously with the next books to come in the series.

I will also say that I have grown more to liking the girls in this book. I got to know a little more about each and every one of them, which made them as characters seem more real.

Review of Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser

About a month ago a new product by Neutrogena caught my eye. A commercial nonetheless. I usually never pay much mind to commercials. I thank Tivo for the lack of these annoying commericlas.

Anyhow, Hayden Panettiere was endorsing the new Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser. In the commercial she waved this itty pink hand held device across her face. As she rubbed this device on her skin, foam or soap began to develop. Oh cooool!

According to Miss Hayden, the new Neutrogena Wave vibrates on your face which will allow the soap to clean deeper, and remove surface residue, and makeup better then other facial cleansing soaps.

The Waves vibrating action supposedly will stimulate the skins surface, and open up pores, to allow this deeper cleansing action.

It sounded sweet. It did however resemble this stupid exfoliating wand I bought a few months ago as well. Only smaller.

Gimmick or not; I wanted it!!!

Although the commercial didn't quite convince me that this mini vibrator would do much, I still wanted to try it. It was new, it looked cool, and even though Hayden (who we all already know has flawless skin) was endorsing The Wave... I still NEEDED it.


I found the Wave at my local Walmart. I truly didn't think Walmart would carry the Wave, seeing how it was so new...but low and behold, there is was, in all it's princess pink glory.

When I first noticed that the last one was sitting there waiting for me to grab it, I assumed it would be anywhere from $20.00 to $30.00. The cool part was, it only came to $11.96. Way less than what I was first willing to pay for it.

Accesories:

Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser comes with the Wave hand held power cleanser, 14 cleansing pads, and an AA battery. Everything you need to get it started.

After ripping the box open I immediately had it figured out without having to use directions.

From the looks of the Power Cleanser, it appeared that the place that you would rub on your face had little grooves on it which would allow the pads to be placed on. Sort of like velcro, only plastic.

The 14 pads came in 2 separate white plastic bags. I was surprised at just how small the pads were, and even more surprised at how asinine the packaging was.

The moment I opened the bag, I noticed that each pad was wet, and stacked one on top of the other. What annoyed me was the fact that once the package was open, I could not re-seal it. Without being able to re-seal the package, I knew that the other pads would dry out if I didn't place them in a ziploc, which was annoying. You'd think they'd come in a re-sealable bag. Hmph!

Anyhow, I took one small pad out and stuck it onto the Power Cleanser head. It stuck with no issues, which was surprising. I imagined though that while cleansing my face with it, it would fall off. It was so small, and even though it stuck on precisely, it was still a little loose.

My Use:

After applying the pad, I then ran the it under some water, as instructed. I later on found that it is easier to lightly wet my face, and then use the Wave on my dampened skin.

I clicked the button on the Power Cleanser, and rubbed the pad around my face. The vibration from the device was a bit weak in my opinion, and it took quite awhile for any foam to develop on my skin. After about a minute or so I had a decent amount of lather, but nothing like Hayden had on the commercial. Her face was surrounded with lovely silky looking bubbles.

For me, the foam that released from the pad had the same texture as shaving cream. It was different, but pleasant all the same. I would of liked more lather though, more bubbles.

The scent was what I liked most of all. It had a very citrusy and fresh minty fragrance going on, which was quite different, and nice at the same time.


Visual Difference?

Before using The Wave Power Cleanser I rinsed my makeup off with my usual facial wash. The Wave was a test... I basically wanted to see if it would pick up any dirt or residue that my usual cleanser had left behind.

After rubbing the device around on my face for a bit, I stopped to check and see what the white pad looked like. I

I was surprised to see that a lot of nasties were left behind on my skin. I immediately noticed that there was some left over makeup that I swore I had gotten off completely when I rinsed. There was also some flecks of what looked like dry skin. I was quite disgusted with myself, but glad at the same time, that the Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser had gotten the left over grossness that was left behind on my skins surface. No wonder I get small breakouts!

Once I had a decent amount of lather on my face, I allowed the small device to do its job by rubbing it into my skin gently. I figured the longer I went at it, the more my pores would open for better deep cleansing.

When I felt satisfied with the time I had spent using the Wave, I then rinsed off.

The first rinse my skin felt a little greasy/slimy, and I was not happy, and I figured it would cause break outs. I went at my face with more water, and rinsed till the nasty greasy texture felt like it was gone.

I then towel dried my face. My skin felt fantastic. Thoroughly cleansed, tingly, and had a nice citrus mint scent left behind that was uplifting and rejuvenating.

Pros:

-I absolutely love how Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser makes my skin feel after rinsing


-Nice scent


-Picks up left over dirt and dry skin


-The Power Cleanser fits palm of hand perfectly


-Lightweight


-Refill pads are very cheap and affordable

- My skin looks and feels better, softer, and has not had any signs of new breakouts.

Cons:

-There are similar products available


-Pads package cannot be re-sealed


-Claims that there is a 2 week pad supply. In reality there are 14, which is correct if you only wash your face once a day! I wash twice, therefore there is in reality, only a one week supply.

-The Wave does add an additional 2 or 3 minutes to my usual facial cleansing ritual in the morning.

-Vibration is not very powerful

Overall:

Even with the cons, I still enjoy using the Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser. It picks up those small bits of dirt, makeup, and dry skin, that my usual cleanser misses.

Although I have not noticed a huge significant difference in my skin, I do notice that their are subtle difference, and my skin is much softer.

Recommended?

I would highly recommend it, because it does improve the look and feel of your skin over time. Although the changes are subtle, you will notice it.

Where To Buy:


-You can find Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser at local super stores and drug stores. Prices will vary. You can order the kit online as well for even lower prices

Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Anti-Stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals

I go through bouts of insomnia. There are weeks where I do not sleep a wink, and for some reason I once again have been going through a period where sleep is very difficult to come by. It sucks!

When I don't sleep my body can still function, but my face takes quite the toll of it all. I get dark circles, my skin looks dull and sleepy, and actually feels stressed.

When I came across a bunch of products by Montagne Jeunesse at my local KMart, I was drawn to the words that were written on the package: calming, and anti-stress.

The product was called Dead Sea Anti-stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals.

The packaging was flashy, convincing, and I felt as if I needed it (a lot of products have that effect on me).

I read closer, and according to the package, this face tonic would whip up a skin miracle in only 5 minutes. I liked that, because most facial masques or treatments call for a half hour of time, or more.

In 5 minutes time it also promised to re-hydrate and moisturize my skin. The face tonic is also gluten free, dairy free, and vegan, Why that is important is beyond me... but for those who look for this sort of stuff, it's free of it. Tee-hee.

What Is It?

Although it is called Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals, they fail to mention one thing....what it is.

Well, It's actually a cloth facial masque. You simply rip open the package, and apply the soaked masque to your face.

Packaging:

The packaging is what drew me in. Basically the masque comes in a tear drop shaped aluminum package. Inside there is one masque.

The package itself is done up to resemble a spa like atmosphere, with glistening water in the background, and a lady on the cover wearing this pretty blue and white masque. The masque on her face is colored blue with white waves throughout. It's supposed to look like water.

I hoped that the actual mask was the same one she was wearing. I doubted it would though. I imagined they made hers look all nice, nice for advertising purposes.

My Use:

The Montagne Jeunesse: Dead Sea Anti-stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals did not quite look like the masque that the woman on the cover package wore.

Instead I got a very thin large masque made of very thin, easily torn cloth. The cloth had the same pretty image on it, which I was actually surprised to see, however the masque was a hell of a lot larger then the one the perdy lady wore on the packages cover.

First I had to rip a small piece of cloth from the mouth area. I was to place this small strip of cloth on my nose, and then apply the masque after I had the nose piece in place.

Anyhow, the masque was saturated in the face tonic, and actually dripped a bit when I first began unfolding it.


The scent was rather calming, which was a plus. It reminded me of the way a beach would smell before a thunder storm. Calming, relaxing, and exciting all the same.

I applied the nose strip, and then placed the masque on my face. It was too large, and the edges hit the my hairline. Once I had the masque comfortably in place, I then tried to relax... for um... 5 minutes. Not very relaxing in my opinion, but whatever. I followed the directions.

Results:

After about a minute of the masque being on, I felt nothing. However just as I was about to write it off in my mind bank as crap, the masque began to activate. I felt a cooling and tingling sensation that was actually really, really nice.

After feeling that sensation it actually felt like millions of micro-bubbles were cleaning my skin. I could feel something going on, and it was unique and different. Almost as if there were some sort of active colony working on massaging my face pore by pore.


After enjoying the feeling of micro-bubble scrubbing my skin, the 5 minutes were up.

Honestly I could of kept it on for longer, but I feared that if I didn't follow directions it would dry my skin out, or cause break outs, so I removed the Montagne Jeunesse: Dead Sea Anti-stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals and threw it away. My skin still felt very tingly, clean, and refreshed even after the masque was off.

The package recommended that I splash some water on my face, an towel dry. After splashing the water on my face, the tingly sensation went away. That sort of sucked, but what can yah do?

Cons:

I have 2 issues with the Montagne Jeunesse: Dead Sea Anti-stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals.

The first issues is that it is meant to calm and relax you. However after the 5 minute treatment you can't just roll over and go to sleep. You have to get up and rinse your face off. That sort of defeats the whole 'calming/relaxing' aspect of the masque.

Secondly after rinsing off, and towel drying, my skin was shining like a star. I hate when my skin looks greasy. Although the masque didn't leave behind any sort of greasy substance or slimy residue, it looked greasy.

I know my skin was most likely super clean and this is why it looked shiny, but the shine seemed to last for the entire day and into the next. I don't know what it did to my skin, but I certainly didn't enjoy the 48 hours of shiny skin. I'm usually actively seeking products that remove shine, so it was dreadful to have the masque actually add shine to my face.

Pros:

Setting the shiny face and lack of relaxation aside, my face did in fact feel 90% better. The dark circles under my eyes were still present, but my eyes did not feel as tired and weighed down.

My skin was no longer dull either, and I enjoyed the 5 minutes that I got out of the masque.

Overall:

Although the Montagne Jeunesse: Dead Sea Anti-stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals left my face shiny for 2 days, I really loved the results. My skin felt rejuvenated. The tired skin around my eyes felt re-newed, and overall for $1.26 it was well worth it.

I do wish though that I didn't have to rinse the tonic off after applying the masque.

Where To Buy:

You can find this, and other Montagne Jeunesse facial tonics at KMart, and Walmart. You can also purchase them in bulk online, or at the Montagne-Jeunesse.com website.

I also think that these masques would make you face feel AWESOME after spending a day at the beach and getting a sunburn. This would bring total relief to your burnt face.

Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream

I have always been told by my grandmother that if you start using moisturizers and anti aging creams at a young age, you will end up with young wrinkle free looking skin in your old age. My grandmother had the skin to prove her theory.

About 2 weeks ago I was given Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream for free. A trial size, but nonetheless, enough to last me a good 2 weeks.

How It Worked:

Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream was pretty terrible. It left a swampy sticky residue behind, which made my skin feel nasty.

After using it for 2 weeks I also was not able to see any difference in my skin. I have very fine crows feet/laugh lines around my eyes, and after using Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream for 2 weeks, there is absolutely no significant changes.

Those small wrinkles are the same as they ever were.

The only thing I liked about the cream was that it had a nice fresh citrusy scent. Other than that it made my skin feel gross, which resulted in me washing it off.

One thing I will say about Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream, is that it would provide a lot of relief to those with very, very dry skin. This stuff over moisturizes, so for those with dry skin I imagine that this cream would work nicely for them.

Skip This:

Buy This:

Beauty Book Review: The Ruling Class by Francine Pascal

They say you should never judge a book by its cover. I'm famous for doing so though, and this is how I came across The Ruling Class by Francine Pascal.

I came across the book while browsing the very small book section of young adult books at my local book store.

By the looks of the attractive cover, I assumed immediately that it was going to very similar to the movie Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan.

The cover features a pair of legs, wearing a gorgeous pink tie up pair of stiletto's.

The book has 3 main characters. The way it is written, its almost like taking a peek into all three of their diaries, which I have always found cool. It satisfies the voyerism'ness in me.

First we meet J.S., whom is the most popular and beautiful girl in school. She's the girl every other girl wants to be, or be with. She is referred to as the leader of the R.C.'s. (short for ruling class) which consists of about 4 or 5 more extremely beautiful girls. They're nothing more than a shadow of J.S. though.

Next we have Myrna Fry. She is like a puppet on strings, and has forever longed to be in with the R.C's. She even at times in the book thinks she is part of the group when all she ever was, was a pushover, or someone for the RC's to use.

Myrna is in denial about it though, and even when J.S. and the rest of the R.C's were nasty to her, she thought it was just poking fun because that's what girls do when they're so close to one another.

Basically Myrna is the idiot who follows the pretty girls around, thinking that they actually like her. We have all known a stupid girl like this one time or another in life. The dork that longs to fit in, yet doesn't. That's Myrna.

Next we meet Twyla Gay, she is sort of our main character. Twyla is the new girl. Most of the story is surrounded around her. She comes from a poor family and all she longs for is acceptance.

She immediately attaches herself to Myrna Fry because she became aware that the R.C's were just using her. She figured if she became friends with Myrna she'd also have an in into the popular crowd, and that perhaps they would actually like her.

But then...something bad happens...


How was Twyla to know Ryder was J.S's boyfriend, or boy toy?

Noting really works out as planned for Twyla in the beginning of the book, and when the R.C's play a nasty prank on her so horrific, to the point where she was almost raped by a group of guys, is when Twyla goes from wanting to fit in, to her wanting to get the ultimate revenge on the R.C's.

Twyla plans her revenge, but for the most part her master plan is really freaking lame, and top that off with J.S. having the entire school making fun of her really makes things difficult. Not to mention that having Gay as a last name certainly didn't help Twyla either.

After you get your introduction into all of their lives,(or shall I say, thoughts, the book switches from Myrna, J.S's and Twyla's point of view) which is very amusing seeing how each girl has a total opposite thought of the last girl, yet the thoughts of each of them mesh in to one another in order to create the story.

My Thoughts:

It's a wicked book, and your going to enjoy how the writer has put it together. Some parts you will be feeling sorry for some of the characters, and other times you'll be laughing out loud- at them. (Especially when J.S. takes her great fall on the bar while dancing over lip gloss). There's even little traces of romance in the book as well...yep they always throw in romance in teen books.

Ruling Class also has some really good cat fights, and if you're a fan of the movie Mean Girls, its almost like a new group of them. I feel it could possibly be a sequel to the movie. Only they'd have to spice it up a bit, as some chapters did tend to drag on.

The pranks pulled by the R.C's and Twyla Gay were cool, and comical. But they lacked from reality of how mean girls could 'really' be in junior high school.

I'm hoping that Francine Pascal writes a sequel to the Ruling Class. I would love to see what happens after. The ending sort of just left you wanting more, and asking questions, which I didn't like.

Ruling Class is a fast read. I read it in only 2 days, so you can tell how absorbed in the reading you can become with this book.

Although I enjoyed the book, I still think that there could of been some parts that seemed more realistic too teen behavior. Some scenes were just too over done, making it seem a little...fake.

Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure Cleanser

I have to purchase facial cleansers at least twice a month. I go through them like fat people go through potato chips. I wash my face around 3 times a day. Once in the morning, once when I get home from work, and once before bed.

Although I love trying different products, I have noticed that the pricing takes a toll on me sometimes, so when I came across a bottle of Garnier Conditioner that had a free trial sized tube of Garnier Nutri-Pure Microbead Cleanser attached to it, I of course went in for the buy.

It promised to remove dull looking skin, while cleaning pores.

When I went to use it I noticed the cute teal colored microbeads within the white grainy textured cream.

At first I wondered if it would hurt, seeing how it included not only microbeads, but it also included extremely sand fine microbeads as well. They are added for extra exfoliation.

When I began scrubbing it into my skin, I noticed the gorgeous citrusy fresh clean scent, that comes packed in most Garnier products.

As I scrubbed, I was happy to note that it did'nt hurt at all, and that even those with sensitive skin could use this.

Results:

Fabulous! My skin was left feeling soft, clean, and new. I couldn't of been happier.

The best thing about it though was the fact that it left my skin oil free all day long.

I recommend this to those with oily skin, and those with dry skin. It keeps oil at bay for those with oily skin; and it will remove dry skin from those who suffer from it.

Overall I feel that Garnier Nutri-Pure Cleanser is an awesome product. I plan on making this one, part of my full time facial care collection. Not many items make it to the full time cabinet.

L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise Refreshing Eye Makeup Remover

L'oreal Dermo-Expertise Refreshing Eye Makeup Remover is amongst my favorite eye makeup removal products. It is oil free and will not leave a nasty residue behind like most makeup removal products do.

It gets rid of mascara and eye liner with ease.

I usually apply a decent amount to a cotton ball and it gets the job done.

The only issue I have with L'oreal Dermo-Expertise Refreshing Eye Makeup Removeris that it is difficult to come by at times. It seems whenever I want to restock, the shelves are empty.

Another con is that it runs out fast. If you apply makeup daily, and use L'oreal Dermo-Expertise Refreshing Eye Makeup Remover to remove that makeup daily, don't expect it to last longer than a month.

At around $6.00 for a bottle though, it's a good buy.