Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer

I'm still new to the primer trend in make-up. But from what I can tell, I like the idea. The first time I tried any sort of primer, I was quite impressed with the texture (or lack there of) it left on my face. So along come this tinted primer in my Birchbox - of course I was excited to try another one!

So the Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Primer would seemingly have the advantage of a tint with it. Sometimes these 'tinted products' leave nothing but a fake color behind. So I did have that concern. But I wouldn't know until I tried it. So I did. At first, I thought it seems a little harsh in color. But by the time I put my powder base on, it look liked a sunkissed tan. I was even asked, at one point, if I had be on vacation. I would call that a good result!

Though I haven't bought the primer outright (or any other for that matter), I'd put this on my list to come back to if/when I decide to buy. They only have a few tint shades, currently, and maybe it they came out with a few additional shades, it may help. But regardless, what they have does give good results.

Chuao Chocolate Bars

This latest little product I received in my last Birchbox, actually, and I really wasn't too sure about it... dark chocolate with chipotle flavor, salt, and popping candy?? Not too sure about that.

Somehow, though, this Venezuelan chocolatier figured out some combos (such as the above) that play out well in chocolate form! There are a variety of these Chuao Chocolate bars that look odd, at first, but then blow your mind with the taste. I absolutely loved the one I had, named Firecracker (with the flavors listed above)! The flavor all melded together and made for a unique taste experience that was actually memorable, not just your ordinary chocolate so easily forgotten.

I haven't seen this brand in stores, but I actually have looked at buying it online. On the Chuao Chocolate website, they even pair up the chocolate with things like craft beer. This is definitely not chocolate that should be taken lightly.

So, bottom line... yes, I would buy this! Would LOVE to see it in stores, eventually. My first sep will be to try all the various flavors of chocolate bars, and they continue through the other products they have. I can only imagine there's the same uniqueness throughout!

Juice Organics - Brightening Shampoo & Conditioner

I was feeling a little 'green' and decided to try out some organic hair care products. I have fine blonde hair, so, as you can imagine, there's not a lot of life to my hair (no natural body). But if taken care of, it can have shine, which is good. And with the right products, it can even have a little more volume, which I really like to get when I can.

So, organic shampoo and conditioner... how does it stand up? Let's start by saying that Juice Organics Brightening Shampoo and Conditioner doesn't promise anything but brightening. And I did see that. It gave it that summer sun kissed glow, which was nice. But it did nothing for volume, which I can't complain too much about - it did say it did anything for that.

The thing was, it almost seemed like it weighed it down more. It felt flatter than what other products leave it like. Not sure if that was due to one of it's ingredients in it, or the lack of something found in other. Didn't like that too much. The conditioner didn't do too well as a detangler, either. I don't have super long hair, but I do need detangling in my products.

Bottom Line... I won't buy it again. It's not bad, it just doesn't give me everything I want. I guess I've become spoiled with what so many of the other products can d out there, so no I expect that out of whatever I buy. And it I don;t get that, I'm not happy.

King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Brownie Mix

This was another Gluten-Free mix I was asked to try. I'll save you all the background - you can check out my cookie mix blog entry if you want to see all that. I'm just going to get down to it.

After trying the cookie mix last week, I wasn't naive about gluten-free products and knew a little bit more what to expect out of King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Brownie Mix. Of course, brownie batter is already pretty sticky... but aside from that, all the other items of interest from the cookie blog applied... sticky, grainy texture, still a yummy batter, and didn't rise like 'normal' brownies. Actually, I take that back... they rose, but then fell again. The final product still looked like a regular brownie, though.

And the taste... these really tasted like normal brownies, through and through. So much that others that tried them never knew the difference. I was impressed! I'm even almost sold on buying these again, 'just because' sometime.

So final verdict on these... winners! Again, something the whole family can enjoy if you have a member of the family that needs to eat gluten-free. These didn't last as long as the cookies, so I can't comment on the storage of them... but for the short time they were stored, they were great!

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser

When it comes to cleansers, you really never can be sure what you're going to get until you use it. Sometimes they dry your face, sometime they feel like they do nothing, sometimes you can really feel a deep clean.

The Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser is the later of them... hence the name.

I've always thought Biore was a great brand... it always seemed to work well, so I expected nothing less when I tried this. It was a good time of the month to try it, too - my normal cleanser wasn't cutting it lately. So it was as good of a time as any to try it out.

It feels just like it says. At first, it didn't seem like anything - I was afraid I'd be disappointed. But then the 'ice' hit and it felt so refreshing! And when I rinsed, it felt even better, leaving that cool feeling behind. And after the two washed I had as a sample, it even helped!

So I might be buying this sometime soon, just to have as back-up. It's nice to find something that you can buy off the shelf at Target and not have to go to a beauty county in a department store for great results!

King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Cookie Mix

This was an interesting trial for me.  Occasionally, I get to try kitchen products or foods.  So I was intrigued when I got the request the try King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Cookie Mix.

First off, I can have gluten products, so this product is not necessary for me.  But that also gave me a way to truly compare it to 'the real thing' I would normally make.  I've never (knowingly) had a gluten free bakery product.

So to start, this is just a base.  You can add nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or whatever to it.  I added some chocolate chips and dried cranberries for a little something different.  for those who've never tried a gluten free mix, the powder base you work with is typically a rice flour or tapioca powder or a mix of the two.  As anyone whose been in the kitchen can tell you, those two items can become very sticky.  Which, in turn, makes this a very sticky batter when mixing.  Didn't think much of it until I tried to spoon out the cookies... they didn't want to leave the scoop (and I have one of those snazzy cookie scoops)!

Of course I tried the batter... I know... you're not supposed to.  But I can never help myself.  This is when I noticed the next big difference... a much grainier/gritty consistency.  But the taste wasn't far off from your typical batter.

They cooked up pretty well, though they obviously don't rise like some cookies can.  But when they came out, if no one told me from looking at them, I never would've known they were gluten-free!

Now the real test... how do they taste?  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.  They definitely weren't the same as your flour based cookie, but they had a very similar flavor.  And that grainy texture could still be felt, but that may only be because I knew it was there before.

One thing I will note is they didn't store well as long as normal cookies.  I guess the tapioca/rice dries out faster?  Not sure.  But you may not have them around toolong, anyway.

Final verdict?  If you have a family member that can't have gluten, this is a great substitute that the whole family can still enjoy.  I, myself, don't see buying these 'just because' in the future... but that's probably more because I like making them from scratch.  Or just going to the dairy section of the grocery store if time doesn't allow for scratch.  But all in all, this is a product I could get behind.

Infusium 23

This is a product that goes way back - been around for awhile.  I remember trying it back in high school/college.  They recently revamped it.  Or at least that's what they're telling us.

My biggest qualm with it way-back-when was the consistency... like water.  It was hard to actually keep on your hair and I felt like I wasted more down the drain than I got on my hair.  Might have just been my perception.  So my big hope for the 'revamped' Infusium 23 was the consistency was a little thicker.
I tried the Infusium 23 Moisture Replenishment Leave-In Treatment.  Well, much to my disappointment, the consistency was not any thicker.  Well, not much, anyway... not enough to get excited about.  There was still a lot of dripping.  But I brushed it in the bet I could and avoided too much mess.

Now, I only had one use.  I can't say I saw much difference in my hair after one use.  Maybe a full bottle/multiple uses over a period of time would give great results.  But this... considering there are products out there that you CAN see results after one use, I'd go for them, instead.

On the plus side for Infusium 23, they have shampoos and conditioners now that compliment their leave-ins, and that might help the ultimate results, as well.  I didn't have those to try with my leave-in, so I can't comment on them.  But from this single sample of leave-in only, I'll stick with some of my other leave-ins.

Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion

You may find I post a lot of facial lotions on here.  It's because I'm determined to find one I'm in love with.  I've found eye creams, night lotions, lip treatments, etc. that I think are great and I love them, and I've even found day lotions that I like... but I haven't found 'the one' that I can't live without.

Enter Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion.  I know there are a lot of Burt's Bees lovers out there.  I do like some of their products, too, but I'm not totally convinced about the overall brand.  So when I got this sample to try, I once again tried to open my mind about it and the brand as a whole.

First off, it's SPF 15.  Good, but not great in the realm of facial sunscreen.  Unfortunately, like most lotions that have sun protection, it goes on like sunscreen (I've found very few that don't act like a sunscreen when applied), which I hate.  It feels greasy and takes forever to absorb.  But it does smell nice.  But the greasy/stickiness just stayed around on my skin too long.  It didn't feel  like it absorbed until I put my foundation powder on... which I makes me assume it was my powder that did the absorbing, at that point.  No telling, I guess.

So the search for 'the one' lotion will continue because his definitely is not it.  It didn't feel as if it really did anything extraordinary for my skin and, in fact, I think it even irritated it the first day I used it (the sample was big enough for more than one day's trial).  So a "no-go" on this for me.

Pangea Organics Facial Cream

I have really been back and forth on this one, and I'm still kind of on the fence.  But I have enough thoughts on it to make a post... maybe this'll even help me out, one way or another.

What's in the name says it all... "Organic".  And I think that's the only thing that has kept me wishy-washy about this product.  Because it's organic, it smells organic, which isn't always a smell one can deal with in the morning.  It has a list on organic ingredients that do great things for skin, from grape leaves to ginger and peppermint.  All those mixed together give it its own unique scent, which some days I kind of like, others I just grin and bear it.

But I can't argue the fact on how it works - it is a great moisturizer and I can see and feel a different when I use it.  So in that respect, it's a great facial cream.  Though it doesn't always absorb easily, which I found odd.  Sometime, it seemed to have that 'sunscreen effect' where it just leaves while streaks across your skin instead of absorbing.  But if I kept rubbing it in, it'd get there.

Unfortunately, I can really set a bottom line on Pangea Organics Facial Cream.  I like it, but I don't.  Luckily, this was one of the products I got in a Birchbox, so it's a premium size sample, and I still have more to try.  Which I will continue to do until it's gone.  Pangea Organics has a full line of products, and I hope to try some more out to get a feel for the brand.  

I guess if I had to set a bottom line, it'd be that unless you're dead set on organic products, there are other moisturizers out there.  But if you want organic products, this could be a good product for you.  I know... not much of a one way or another type decision.  But I think you get the drift.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel

I'm never sure about any kind of gel moisturizer.  In my past experience, I've just never liked them.  But I tried to go into this product with an open mind.

Well, despite my trying to be positive, I didn't like it.  The gel part, to begin with, felt sticky going on, and it seems to take awhile soak in/dry.  It did smell good, though, so that's a positive.  But after getting past the 'gel' part of it,I pushed on through the rest of the day to see if the 24-hour moisture was really there.  I applied the rest of my make-up, as usual, in order to truly test it in 'real' conditions.

My skin is not very dry to begin with, luckily.  It can get dry in the winter, but we're not there yet.  So I was a little disappointed when my skin seems a little dry and tight about halfway through the day.  It felt more like a dried gel then it did a moisturizer.

I can see where this might be better for someone who has slightly more oily skin (or maybe my skin is drier than I thought).  But for me at this point in my skin's life, it's a no-go.  I'll stick with my lotions.

Blinc Mascara

There are so many mascaras out there claiming they can do this, and they don't do that and may or may not do those things... so you never know what you're going to get.  So when the sample of Blinc Mascara showed up in my Birchbox, I didn't expect much.

The big difference about Blinc is how it goes on.  Not how you apply it, but how it actually takes to your lashes.  Most mascaras just layer on coats of whatever it actually is, but doesn't bond to yourself, nor does it bond to your lashes (which is why you will get flaking, smudging, and running on typical mascaras).  My biggest problem with mascara has always been the flaking... I'd always buy waterproof just in hopes it'd stay on my lashes.  But it'd still flake.

So what does Blinc do differently?  It actually bonds to itself and forms a tube around each lash.  At first glance, it looks like every other mascara out there.  But then you look closer, and it just looks cleaner.  And it stays put - WIN!  

It doesn't do all the fancy volumizing and lengthening and 'doll lashes' that you see now... but since this bonds to itself, if you could do a couple of layers, it will volumize and lengthen based on pure physics of additional volume of mascara.  But I'm not big on all that...

Be warned, though... it's freaky the first time you take it off!!  It comes off all connected and string like (they say it's the 'tubes' coming off) - your lashes aren't in this mess!  That's just shows how well it bonds to itself. LOL

So... for your everyday mascara, this is a great deal.  And unless your deal is to look like you have fake lashes on your big nights out (face it, girls... they do look fake after a certain point of 'mascara tricks' are hit), it works then, too.  They have your basic colors, and some fun ones, too.  So buy it - it works!

BeFine Exfoliating Cleanser

There are so many facial cleansers out there, both the foaming and scrub types.  They all claim they're the best and they all claim they can do things others can't.

I had the chance to try an exfoliating cleanser in my Birchbox a few months ago.  As I am with any sample, I go in as a skeptic.  This one in particular was all over the 'all natural' and 'good for sensitive skin' tags.  I don't have overly sensitive skin, so that wasn't a concern, but I know in the past, some of my experience with 'all natural' versions were harsh or sticky or both!

To my surprise, the one-time use packet I received made me fall in love with BeFine Exfoliating Cleanser!  So much, that the next day, I ordered a full size version.  You put on this initially very gritty, true exfoliating 'cream' that turns into a true cream moisturizing cleanser as you slough away any dry skin.  And then I rinsed.  Wow!  I could tell a difference after one use!  My skin felt so smooth and looked even more radiant!

As a brand, BeFine Food Skin Care is a pretty cool brand (cruise around their website and you even find recipes - how many skincare lines have that??). And I believe it's pretty moderately priced compared to a lot of the choices out there.  So all in all, I would definitely recommend this to someone.  For me, at least, it was a true "try it, love it, buy it!" scenario! 

Incoco Nail Polish Appliqué

So I was pretty skeptical about this product.  I've seen it come across those 'pay half price' website a few times (not necessarily this brand), which made me wonder even more.  I finally had the opportunity to try them, though, through my Birchbox last month.  But I will make the assumption that all the brands out there function pretty much the same way.

Looking at the instructions, it sounded easy enough... so it was time to give it a shot.
To start with, if you have trouble putting polish on one of your hands (whichever you write with), then you'll still have trouble putting on the dry polish on that hand.  It's just a matter of if you're ambidextrous.  Most people aren't.  It might get easier, I suppose... but with the strips, you actually have to place them a little more precisely that if your just brushing on polish that you can remove from your cuticles later.

Then there was the 'finishing off' of each nail... stretching the polish to cover everything and folding over the end and 'filing off' the excess.  First problem, sometimes it would tear not quite at the end and leave some of the nail showing.  Secondly, you couldn't file right away - it would crease the polish and/or make it bulge at the tip.  These may be items that just take practice, but I thought it was just as easy to use normal polish if this was going to be the case.

But I will admit, once it was all done and 'dry', it looked good and very professional.  And I've even gotten a few compliments on them!  So now the test was how durable it was - it says it can last up to 2 weeks.  It's been just over a week now and there's been a few chips.  Typical for me (nothing more than I'd expect), as I'm not exactly a pretty, pretty princess that goes easy on her nails.  But the bummer is the fact that without a bottle of polish, you can't mend those chips.  So I've been trying to blend with a variety of polishes I do have - still can't match exactly.  Though one thing is since it came as a 'strip' to put on your nail, sometime the chip starts as a tear in the strip, so if you catch it early on, you can just mend with clear nail polish.

So ultimately, my opinion on these... well, if you're not doing anything fancy, I think it's just as easy to apply regular polish.  I guess you have a longer dry time, but if you have the time, why not?  Plus, you can cover up chips if they happen.  However, I will say if you want to do something besides a solid color, these dry polish appliques have a lot of fun options, and then it would be absolutely worth going this route!  Just don't apply until right before you want them on if it's for a special occasion.  You can check out all the various fun polish options at their website - I may break down and get a few for some fun nights out with the girls or something.

Birchbox

So I've said I'm coming into more opportunities to try samples.  Everyone loves samples, right?  Especially if you get to try new or 'in the know' products from high end brands!

Yeah... I know... I sound like an ad...

Well, I found this really cool site called Birchbox.  It's not free, and I admit, I was skeptical when I first saw it... why would you want to pay for samples?  But it boasted how these weren't your run of the mill samples you can get online through department store websites... these were actually big names or up-and-coming names in beauty and they weren't just little samples that can get lost in the mail (or in your medicine cabinet).  I figured I'd try the first month and could always cancel if I didn't think it was worth it.

Well, I was thoroughly impressed with my first box!  First off, it was quality products (usually 4-6 items), most of which were in a deluxe sample size.  Yay!  They include a little card that explains what everything is and even why they love it.  The added fun is how it comes all wrapped up in a little box, making you feel like you're getting a cool gift.  I know after the first month, I couldn't wait till the next month!  Well worth the $10 (which basically covered the package and shipping).

So if you like getting samples, and really like getting GOOD samples, go check out their website and sign-up.  I know I'll be posting a lot of my reviews from things in those boxes!

Origins High-Potency Night-a-Mins

So I figured I'd start the posts with the sample I tried that made me want to tell everyone how awesome it was (what inspired me to start this blog) - Origins High-Potency Night-a-Mins.

I got the sample and it was truly a one use sample - no big deal.  So I initially chalked it up as just a lotion I could use overnight one night (instead of the usual) - didn't think I'd be able to tell anything about it in one night.  So I put it on without much thought.  It smelled good... but, whatever...

I was wrong.

The next morning, I could totally tell a difference!  I had a few dry spots/rough patches on my face, and they were gone!  Overall, my skin felt so much softer and it looked so much more even toned.  How did that stuff do this in one night??  It made me want to run out and buy it to see how much more could happen (though I haven't made it, yet - still want to!), not to mention tell everyone I knew!

So all in all, I'd recommend this to anyone who was looking for a good night lotion.  Shoot, even if you're not looking, it's a good one.

Trying Stuff

Welcome to my new blog!

I find myself coming across samples of stuff all the time.  Sometimes I like it... sometimes not so much.  Other times I find that the claims are just way off base and they should be completely called out on it!  Besides... I LOVE trying new stuff!

So I decided to start this blog.  Not just to share my knowledge, but to help me remember what I do and don't like!  And if I can keep someone else from making a big mistake in buying something, well then, that's just a bonus.

So here's to trying new stuff!