First, the BB Cream.
I first tried BB cream when I was given a sample of it at the Clinique counter when I purchased some other makeup. BB cream ("beauty balm" or "blemish balm") has exploded on the Western markets. It hails from Asia, where it's been touted as the "secret weapon" of Korean actresses. It's supposed to be a sunblock and light foundation in one, covering blemishes and imperfections and leaving your skin looking flawless.
I liked the Clinique BB cream - I found it similar to their foundations, just a bit lighter. It's quite liquid-y, unlike my Aveda tinted moisturizer which is thick.
Since I had run out of the sample and was nearly out of my tinted moisturizer, I decided to give the Maybelline version a try. I read promising reviews online and was tempted by the 8-in-one benefits: everything from sun protection to acting as a serum and primer to concealing imperfections.
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
The price was definitely right: $9 for 30 mL of goop. I chose the medium shade out of the 5 available. This BB cream is liquid and only a small amount is needed. I dotted my chin, cheeks, and forehead and blended with my fingertips. The cream felt smooth and had no odour. It felt a bit dewy after, like I had applied sunscreen. The medium shade blended perfectly with my skin tone. I covered it with a light dusting of setting powder because my skin is a bit oily and I work in a hot, humid environment. I wasn't sure if I believed the BB cream could stand up to a full working day and a visit to a friend's after.
Fast forward 14 hours: my skin is dewy and slightly shiny. I still have a polished look and imperfections are still covered, but my face is oily to the touch. Not bad for a sheer tint that's supposed to do 8 things.
Overall, I would give this product a good rating. It's definitely easy to blend, covers well (more than a tinted moisturizer), and stands up to a 14-hour day. However, I did use a setting powder with it and my skin was oily at the end of the day as it is with most of the foundations I've used. There are also only 5 shades available, some which might not be suitable for all skin tones.
Maybelline's The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara
I decided to give this mascara a try because I came up to the 3-month cut off of my Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion. A former coworker of mine had long, dramatic lashes and used this one as a base (she used 2 or 3 different mascaras; I'm only interested in using one). It was also $6 on sale, which is hard to pass up when my usual mascaras are around the $11 mark.
The first thing I noticed about this mascara is that the wand is flexible. It was bouncy! It was a little strange to put on. You can see in the photo that there is a gap in the wand; that's where it bends. I don't know the purpose of this - maybe to glide the mascara onto your lashes more effectively?
It did the trick though and I quickly built up 3 coats on each eye without drying between coats. One more and I would have had tarantula eyes.
I did indeed have long, luscious lashes. They definitely didn't look "false", but they looked nice. Just as nice as the Cover Girl mascara.
My only gripe is that this is harder to take off than the Cover Girl. I don't use any makeup remover (just cleanser) and I was left with raccoon eyes even after paying extra attention massaging cleanser into my eye area. I improvised by using olive oil on a tissue to remove the excess. It worked great.
Overall, a nice mascara and I will use it for the next 3 months.
Edit: I used Lash Blast Fusion again today and I find it's a much cleaner mascara. Meaning there's less mess to clean up after applying, it doesn't flake, and it's much easier to remove. The wand is also much steadier and easier to apply. I'll go back to it after I finish with The Falsies in 3 months.
Down Under Naturals Hypo-allergenic Conditioner
I picked up this conditioner because it was CHEAP! $2.48 for a full litre. Amazing! It usually costs me $12 for a third of that. And to boot, this conditioner is silicone and sulfate free! Score!
I used it twice today because I ended up showering both morning and night. I used 3 pumps for my shoulder-length hair. It felt thick, but not rich. Smooth, but not slippery. It smoothed through my hair nicely and I was able to detangle with my fingers. I left it in for a few minutes and it rinsed out clean without any residue like some of my other conditioners. It had a nice, light tropical scent. Nothing overpowering and nothing at all like the coconut on the front of the bottle, but nice nonetheless.
Today wasn't the greatest day to review a conditioner because A) it was raining heavily and B) I had to leave the house with wet hair (I have curly hair that I don't blow dry, except in emergencies).
I tucked most of my wet hair into a knitted cap and my hair air-dried at work. It was frizzy and I had to use water and a little finger-styling to get it back into shape. My coiff was quite voluminous, but it was soft to the touch and not sticky or waxy. By the end of the day my hair was full and glorious. I had finger-combed it into ringlets and it looked gorgeous.
My hair is drying right now from shower No. 2 and I have pretty ringlets. I declare this conditioner a super duper WIN!
If you don't like silicones or sulfates in your conditioners, check this out. I wouldn't use this as a deep treatment, but as an every day conditioner this stuff kicks ass.
Edit: A friend of mine pointed out that this conditioner is biodegradable and not tested on animals. WIN!
Edit: A friend of mine pointed out that this conditioner is biodegradable and not tested on animals. WIN!
That's it for now, friends. Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll find something around here to write about in the upcoming weeks.
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