HERBAL ESSENCE NAKED HAIR CARE LINE

I have often been skeptical of "affordable" haircare lines.  We are conditioned by our stylists that you should never colour your hair with a box colour, or you should never use store shampoo and conditioners because they are so bad for us.  Sometimes, I feel it's a BIG CONSPIRACY just to get us to invest in a $30 bottle of shampoo, which promises us the world and most often falls extremely short of our expectations.

Who are these people that make us believe this?  Well, I have to tell  you, I've been conditioned to believe that I need to over spend on my hair care, and honestly, all these expensive salon shampoos and conditioners have left me short on change, and not just in the monetary sense, but also in the way of NO RESULTS. My hair, in a nice way of putting it..."looked like caca/shit/merde/crapoola" you get the drift.

I recently have been fortunate enough to be accepted in a BuzzAgent Campaign for Herbal Essence Naked Line Shampoo, Conditioner and Mousse.

Although I received these products for free from BuzzAgent to review, my experience with the products and my review are completely my own opinion.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT AND WHAT THEY ADVERTISE

Why are they called "Naked"?
They are FREE from silcones, parabens, and dyes. This product does have Grapefruit and Mossa Mint Oils.
The above line does come in the following formulations: SHINE / MOISTURE / VOLUME
The formula does not strip the hair of it's natural moisture and cleanses the hair leaving it at it's natural state

MY EXPERIENCE

SHAMPOO: Left my hair manageable, shiny and I had less tangles after cleansing. I do suffer from alot of tangles, so no shampoo that I've tried has ever not left me with some tangles.  The scent has a fresh, mint and citrus fragrance, which was pleasant. However, the Shampoo, after further inspection on the ingredients does have sulfates in it....not sure how "naked" this really is. If you are trying to go completely natural, read the label to ensure you are good with these ingredients.

CONDITIONER: Surprisingly, this is the true test for me, I need a good conditioner that will detangle my hair and give it a nice conditioning.  This conditioner did eliminate some of my tangles, not completely, I did have to use my conditioning spray "It's a 10", but then again, I have to use that with any product that I've used.  However, I liked the conditioner and it did compliment the shampoo and did condition my strands.  The conditioner does contain "Dimethicone", which is a type of silcone.  Again, I question the "Naked" truth about the label.

SOUFFLEE / MOUSSE:  It is a medium consistency, not watery, and it indeed added volume to my hair.  It is a little difficult to get out of the container, you really have to press down hard onto the tip to get the product out.  I am a little concerned that I may experience issues with getting the product out of the nozzle down the road, however, for the time being, all is good.

OVERALL CONCLUSION:
My hair was left with incredible volume which actually lasted for about 3 to 4 days in my hair.  I don't wash my hair everyday, typically every 3 days, and my hair still has alot of fullness after the 3 days going onto my 4th day. I love the results that these products have provided my hair, however, the "Naked Truth" about these products, is that they are truly NOT COMPLETELY NAKED.  So read the label, decide for yourself if you can live with the ingredients.  I honestly am happy with the results, and I can live with few ingredients still in these products.

Surprisingly for a volume shampoo, it did leave my hair soft, shiny and manageable. Typically, volume hair care lines tend to dry out my hair. Thus far, I'm doing great!

RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend trying this line out. It is an inexpensive line and the results that I have experienced are worth a try.  Below are a couple of photos after two different times using this line and how my hair turned out....

WET N WILD MEGALAST LIPSTICKS - REVIEW AND SWATCHES

The Wet N Wild MegaLast Lipsticks are one of my ultimate favourite lipsticks.  There are so many reasons why I love these lipsticks. First off, I'm so loving the semi-matte finish is right up my alley.  I love that even though these lipsticks are semi-matte, I find them still creamy and non-drying on the lips.  I know that some people out there are not fans of a matte formula, however, a lipgloss ontop would help those who aren't the biggest fans of this type of finish.

There are 26 colours in this formula.  I am happy to own 14 of them.  I still am on the quest to get all of the shades that are available.  You can purchase these at most drugstores in the USA, and just recently, I have discovered that the Canadian Superstores carry Wet n Wild cosmetics and these lipsticks are available in some of the stores.  I was super happy. They retail for $3.39, at the Canadian Superstore.

I've attached a link to a site where they can be purchased for any of you that may be interested.
www.drugstore.com

This is how Wet N Wild describes these lipsticks:
This 4 hour, longwearing lip colour leaves a semi-matte, cream finish in one stroke.  Glides on easily with rich, velvety colour that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed.  Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips.

CON TO THIS PRODUCT
These lipsticks do contain parabens and unfortunately, they are made in China.

So I'm sure you are wanting to see some swatches as how these colours that I own look on the lips.  Below are my shades for you to view.  Enjoy the swatches!

 Above is the packaging of the Wet N Wild Megalast Lipsticks

 901B - THINK PINK

 

 902C - BARE IT ALL

 905D - SMOKIN HOT PINK

 907C - MAUVE OUTTA HERE

 906D - WINE ROOM

 908C - SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

 965 - CHERRY PICKING

 966 - DON'T BLINK PINK

 967 - DOLLHOUSE PINK

 970 - PURTY PERSIMMON

 969 - 24 CARROT GOLD

 914C - MOCHA-LICIOUS

 916D - RAVIN RAISIN 

 918D - CHERRY BOMB

On my recent travels I purchased another Wet n Wild line, the Fergie Lipstick. These are great as well, and are more moisturizing than the MegaLast lipsticks.  They also are very pigmented with medium to full coverage and very creamy.

Packaging of the Fergie Wet n Wild Lipsticks

Wet n Wild Describes these lipsticks as follows:

Perfect Pout Lip Colour

• Anti-aging technology
• Vitamins & minerals to keep lips soft and smooth
• this longwearing formula is specially formulated with anti-aging technology, as well as vitamins and minerals to keep lips soft, smooth and kissable all day

My Opinion:

• Creamy, pigmented, glides on smoothly on the lips, long lasting, non-scented
• From what I could see there was no parabens in this formula

 A033 - FERGIE DAILY

A040 - D-VINELY CHILLED

Final thoughts about these lipsticks...GO OUT AND GET YOURSELF SOME! They are an affordable, amazing product. Who knew that these could be as good as a highend product.  MAC watch out, WetnWild will give you a run for your money!

Thank you for reading my little Blog!

COFFEE TIME WITH LAVAZZA AND BUZZAGENT!

I'm happy to be a part of the LavAzza campaign with BuzzAgent!  If any of you are not familiar with BuzzAgent, it is a website where you sign up and complete a series of surveys.  From the surveys, they determine if you qualify for certain campaigns.  This is my second thus far and I am happy to participate in the LavAzza Coffee campaign.

The premise of a campaign is that BuzzAgent will forward you the campaign kit filled with it's goodies for free.  You have approximately 2 months to complete activities associated with the campaign.  These activities basically are meant for you to review the products and share your thoughts about them on social media, such as facebook, twitter, blog posts, youtube, etc.

In this campaign, LavAzza and BuzzAgent were super generous.  We received 2 full size coffees, Gran Aroma and Gran Selezione, these are 2 of the newest blends from LavAzza.  They actually have come out with 4 in total.  We received a travel mug, a magnet for our fridge, a game of Italian hand gestures and 7 - $4 coupons to share with family and friends so they too can have these delicious coffees in their lives.

There are 4 Brand New coffee blends from LavAzza....above are images of what they are. 

GRAN AROMA
This is a medium blend roast coffee with a mild flavour that is smooth and doesn't leave any bitter taste. Surprisingly the grinds are fine and do not drip into the coffee when brewed.  It almost reminds me of an espresso ground.  This coffee when I tasted it on it's own was fabulous, but when I did a blind taste beside the Gran Selezione, this was surprisingly not my favourite.  However, my boyfriend did enjoy this blend much more than the Gran Selezione, so it definitely is based on personal preferences.

GRAN SELEZIONE
This is a full bodied, dark roast with chocolate flavour. Well first off, there was no taste of chocolate in my opinion.  I have reviewed other peoples comments and they seemed to taste a hint of chocolate, I guess their palettes are much more heightened than mine, as I didn't taste any.  I definitely enjoyed this blend much more than the Gran Aroma.  It was a richer, more aromatic blend with full body and also left a smooth non bitter taste.  The grinds are also very finely milled, again like an espresso coffee.  Hands down this was the winner for me!

PARENTAL UNITS TASTE TEST
So being that this coffee comes from Italy, who better to try it out and do a blind taste test than the parents who are actually from Italy!  A wonderful Sunday pasta lunch at mom's wouldn't be complete without a cup of espresso afterwards!  However, this Sunday we made an exception, we brewed both LavAzza blends and did a blind taste test side by side.  Images below will let you know who was the winner...HANDS DOWN....3 TO 0!

STARTING THE TASTE TESTING

TOASTING THE TASTE TEST

REVIEWING AND CONTEMPLATING WHICH BLEND IS THE BEST - THIS REQUIRED DEEP CONCENTRATION...LOOK AT MY MOTHERS CONCENTRATION FACE

THE BIG REVEAL - WHICH BLEND IS THE WINNER? HANDS DOWN 3 TO 0

LAVAZZA'S GRAN SELEZIONE!

In true Italian Parent Form they think I'm crazy to do this, but they were fabulous sports in partaking..and were supportive and into this blind taste test.  As a big thank you, I awarded them with the $4 coupon off their next purchase of one of the new LavAzza blends.

In the end, all were happy and it was a great Sunday afternoon activity!

Hope you all enjoyed sharing this coffee moment with me and my family!

Pictures were compliments of my beautiful niece Trinity, who did an amazing job taking the photos of all of us...since she is only 9 years old, she couldn't really partake in the coffee challenge, but she did an amazing job documenting our day!  Thank you Trinity! I love you!

Influenster and L'Oreal Canada's Mystery Box Revealed!

The wait is finally over, L'Oreal and Influenster have finally revealed the Mystery Brand! It is Garnier Fructis' "Damage Eraser" line.  I received the full line of the "Damage Eraser"...complete with Shampoo, Conditioner, Split-End Repair Serum and Reconstructive Butter.

SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER: 
The claim is that the shampoo and conditioner reconstructs strength and helps repair hair. Protects hair from future damage.  The formula contains Phyto-Keratin complex, with plant-based proteins and active fruit concentrate, cupuacu butter with natural lipids.

SHAMPOO RESULTS: 
After using the shampoo, my hair felt shiny, bouncy, full of volume and healthy. I honestly can not believe how impressed I am with the results.  I have tried many salon brands and they have always fallen short. It's nice to try out a product that really gives me the results that I love, which is shiny hair with lots of bounce and volume.  The only con I had with the shampoo is that it did leave my hair somewhat tangly.

CONDITIONER RESULTS: 
The conditioner was a nice thick formula that left my hair smooth and soft and tangle free. What I love about this conditioner is that it detangled my hair, and did not weigh it down.

SPLIT ENDS BANDAGE SERUM: 
Helps to prevent split ends and reconstructs and preserves hairs strength.

RESULTS: 
The Split-End Bandage Serum is a nice thick creamy serum which I applied on towel dried hair.  Although, I do not feel that split end serums get rid of damage...only a good pair of scissors can do that, it did lessen the frizz of the hair and smooth my ends, which I did notice after blowdrying my hair.

STRENGTH RECONSTRUCTING BUTTER: |
Rich, indulgent butter is designed to intensely reconstruct hair's strength for strong, rejuvenated and shiny-looking hair.  Use weekly for optimal results.

RESULTS:
This is a great hair mask that leaves my hair extra conditioned. I have fine, wavy hair and it was nice to use a product that did not weigh down my hair.

OVERALL:
I'm really enjoying all the products that were sent to me through Influenster and L'Oreal Canada/Garnier Canada.  I always find products that are either for damage repair or volume and I have to compromise one for another.  Surprisingly, these products actually provided me with both volume and shine. I'm talking big, bouncy, shiny, healthy looking hair! I really recommend these products to anyone who is dealing with damaged hair due to styling products, age, colouring and blowdrying.

Another bonus, you will get salon results with drugstore pricing! Imagine that, affordable and helps with damaged hair!

The scent of these products have a slight banana/mango scent that is light and not overpowering.  A note: I have fine, wavy hair and my personal results were amazing.  If you have thicker, course hair, your results may be different than mine.

Disclaimer: The above are my honest opinions and although the products were sent to me for free to review, I have provided my honest experiences and opinions, as always!

If you have tried these products, please feel free to leave me your thoughts!

INFLUENSTER AND L'OREAL CANADA'S MYSTERY VOXBOX

I'm so happy to be participating in this Influenster campaign. For anyone not familiar with Influenster, it is a FREE website in which you complete several surveys, afterwards, they may qualify you for campaigns to participate in based on your surveys.  Campaigns vary. If you are chosen to participate they will send you products to try out and review on social media for FREE!

Being a beauty guru of sorts, I was super excited to have been chosen to participate in their latest campaign. Influenster and L'Oreal Canada partnered up and sent a Mystery VoxBox, which comprised of a shampoo, conditioner and split end remedy treatment.  I have used this product for about a week and thus far the results are fabulous!  The formula is for distressed, damaged hair! Oh, and yes, that would scream my hair right now! I suffer from damaged hair due to age, colouring, curling, teasing, and so much more!

The product that was sent to us is one of L'Oreal Canada's 25 global beauty brands.  We are supposed to guess and what the brand could be.

MY GUESS:
After using these products, I feel that this could be one of L'Oreal's professional line products.  The BIG REVEAL will be in about 1 weeks time, when Influenster will send out the second box with the brand and it's full product line! I can't wait..in the meantime, below is my review on each item I received in my Mystery Vox Box.

SHAMPOO:
The shampoo is lightly fragranced.  It is creamy and lathers very nicely.  A little product is required.  After shampooing my hair, it rinsed off nicely, however, my hair, being fine does have a tendency to get tangled and this shampoo did still leave my hair tangly, but not as bad as other brands I've tried.

CONDITIONER:
The conditioner smells slightly like bananas. I love the scent.  It is creamy and thick and really leaves your hair silky soft.  I loved that it did remove the tangles from my hair and rinsed off nicely.

SPLIT-ENDS SERUM:
Split ends are every girls nightmare. Have you ever gone to the hairdresser and they say, lets just trim of the split ends, only to have an inch chopped off! Sadly, there isn't any miracle cure for the ever so dreaded split end, but this serum did bind my ends together, leaving a nice shiny finish.  I still did experience some frizz, but not nearly as bad as I normally experience.

OVERALL:
My hair after styling was left shiny, soft, but with huge bounce and volume.  I'm so excited to see what the BIG BRAND REVEAL will be.

THANK YOU INFLUENSTER for allowing me to participate in this campaign.

If any of you wish to join Influenster and participate in future campaigns, please go their website...it's all FREE!

www.influenster.com

Thanks for reading my blog!

Manic Masks - Montagne Jeunesse

I have to admit, I'm not regimented like some girls.  I should do more masks on a regular basis, but if I do a mask twice a year that is a WOW for me.

I figured that I would try and improve on my mask routine in 2014, and here is my very first mask of the year.

I used the Montagne Jeunesse mask that I received in my complimentary Maple Vox Box from Influenster.  The type of mask that I received was the Dead Sea mask.  Typically this mask is for those who have normal to oily skin and for that ultra deep pore cleanser.  Well, I am on the dryer side where the skin goes, but I decided to still give my pores that ultra deep cleaning.

PACKAGING AND PRODUCT REVIEW
The packaging is very convenient for travel and comes in a pouch packet. You receive 20grams of product or .7oz.  Honestly, the amount of product you receive is good for two applications.

The product itself was a thick cream consistency and it was a lovely Robin's Egg blue colour. The smell was a fresh clean smell, not offensive.

HOW TO APPLY:
1. Squeeze the product out and apply with fingers or brush to a clean face. The instructions state not to use a soap on your skin prior to using, so a mild cleanser is what I used.
2. Apply all over face and neck (see attached photo)
3. Let product dry on face for about 10 to 15 minutes. You will know when it's dry as it hardens on your face
4. Wash product off face with warm water and a wash cloth, follow by your normal face routine.

CLAIMS:
The product claims that the Dead Sea Mud draws out impurities and opens blocked pores to leave skin feeling cleansed and soft. MY CLAIM: Yes, it does do this.

The product is Cruelty Free and is Vegan, and has the Vegetarian Standard of approval. Product is made in the UK.

PRICE:
Depending on where you purchase this mask, which is available at Walmart in Canada, it varies. I have seen the mask priced at $2.99

OVERALL:
This mask is a fun and affordable option for pampering yourself. From my experience with the Dead Sea Mask you definitely receive instant results. I personally did not experience any irritation to the product.  If you are one with sensitive skin, I recommend doing a patch test, prior to applying all over your face. With regards to long lasting results after using the product, I would say, no. The results last for a day or two. However, with any mask, they recommend using once per week.  The best part is that they have a variety to choose from to provide you with choices to suit many different skin concerns or if you just want to pamper yourself. I would recommend this mask and would purchase.

I hope you enjoyed the review. Please feel free to leave comments below. I love to hear your thoughts if you have used this product.

Ciao for now
Maria aka pebbles

Chicken Skin isn't just for Chickens! How I treat my condition - Keratosis Pilaris

Are you one of the unfortunate 50% of the world's population that suffers from the condition Keratosis Pilaris? Otherwise known as "CHICKEN SKIN"? You are NOT alone! 

WHAT IS THIS CONDITION:  
Keratosis pilaris (ker-uh-TOE-sis pih-LAIR-is) is a common skin condition that causes rough patches and small, acne-like bumps, usually on the arms, thighs, cheeks and buttocks. Keratosis pilaris bumps are usually white, sometimes red, and generally don't hurt or itch. Keratosis pilaris can be frustrating because it's difficult to treat. However, keratosis pilaris isn't often serious and usually disappears by age 30, but in my case, IT HAS NOT! In the meantime, prescription medications and self-care measures can improve the appearance of keratosis pilaris. 

IMAGES OF WHAT THE CONDITION LOOKS LIKE:

This condition, often causes people to feel embarrassed. I personally, hate the look of it at the back of my thighs.  I always feel very self conscious when wearing shorts or a bathing suit. (please note that these are stock photos and not images of my condition, as I could not master the technique of taking a selfie of the back of my legs for you, however, from the above photos, you will get an idea of what to expect).

WHAT TREATMENT WORKED FOR ME:

Step #1
I recommend to make sure to exfoliate the effected area with a scrub that has some Gylcolic Acid everyday before your shower until the effected area has cleared up or subsided.  I would not go more than 2 weeks consecutively. Afterwards, maintain this process to once per week.  

What worked for me is from DERMAdoctor KP Duty.  This is a medicated/chemical scrub that you apply once to twice a week on the effected areas to exfoliate the skin.  You can pick this product up at Sephora and it runs at about $52 Canadian.  I've included the link below for your reference.

http://www.sephora.com/kp-duty-body-scrub-P147925?icid2=Dermadoctor_KPDuty_Carousel_P147925_link

Step #2
After exfoliating your area with the KP duty from DERMAdoctor, you want to make sure to moisturize your skin area with an rich emollient moisturizer.   After you have eliminated the condition or it has greatly improved, you should continue to moisturize the area on a daily basis, both in the morning and/or evening. 

My favourite is from L'Occitane en Provence, Ultra Rich Body Cream Rich Sea Butter.  Although this product is on the expensive side, it is very thick and hydrating and very effective.  You can find this product in L'Occitane's stand alone retail stores, highend department stores, Sephora or online at the L'Occitane website. Retails at $48 Canadian.

http://www.sephora.com/ultra-rich-body-cream-rich-in-shea-butter-P238001?skuId=1169176

Step #3
I have recently discovered another product which is a one step process which has proven to show me some incredible results and is extremely effective in only a few days.  The product is Bump Stopper-2 Double Strength. I recommend using this product, everyday for up to 2 weeks or until area is clear.  Afterwards, you can use only once to twice per week.  The directions state to use after shaving.  In most cases, effected areas are ones that we do not shave, so I used this cream as a treatment cream only and ignored the "shaving" part.  Secondly, when I used this cream, I did not apply moisturizer on top as I did not want to diminish the effectiveness of this cream to the effected areas of my skin.  

This product's primary use is to treat razor bumps from shaving, however, I tried this on my Chicken Skin area and it really improved the area in about 3 days.  The results were amazing.  The only issue I have with this product is that you only receive 0.5oz which really doesn't last that long.  I was able to use the product for about 3 weeks tops.  It claims it is a 30 day supply, but I believe that to be only for small effected areas.  For larger areas, you will not be able to stretch the product out for that long.  The price ranges from $4.99 - $8 depending on where you purchase it.  It is available at Sally's Beauty Supply, Walmart USA and of course directly from their website, which I've linked below. Please note they have 2 types of this cream, I recommend the Double Strength if you have severe razor bumps or the Keratosis Pilaris condition.  I have not tried the regular strength, therefore, my recommendations are based on my experience with this strength of the product and I can't comment on the others effectiveness.

http://www.bumpstopper.com/catalog/

CONCLUSION:
This skin condition is one that can reoccur even after treatment, therefore you must be diligent in your treatment and make sure to keep up with maintaining the area with a weekly exfoliation and intense moisturization regime.  I personally have seen a big improvement by using the above products and hope that I've helped any of you out there suffering from the same condition.

Thank you so much for reading my Blog!

Have a beautiful day and Ciao for now!