beachbabe
Member Since: March 16, 2011Reviews
Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo
For years I stuck with shampoos and conditioners purchased off the Wal-Mart shelves. But then when I was about 18, my hair stylist was doing a round of highlights on me and suggest I try Joico Moisture Recovery to strength my dry hair and also help... +
For years I stuck with shampoos and conditioners purchased off the Wal-Mart shelves. But then when I was about 18, my hair stylist was doing a round of highlights on me and suggest I try Joico Moisture Recovery to strength my dry hair and also help keep the new colour. She gave me a bottle of the shampoo and conditioner to try. And I loved it! Looking back, the months those bottles lasted me I had the best hair of my life. Soft, flowy, and VERY manageable even with my long and thick brown hair that seemed to be more trouble than anything most of the time.
But alas, I eventually went back to the store bought shampoo/conditioner as I was then a college student and couldn't justify spending so much money. When my hair quickly went from soft, flowy and manageable back to rough, tangled, and just a bother, I decided to go back to what I know works. And I am so glad I did. Within only one application my hair felt 90% better and within a week was back to amazing!
What I like about this shampoo and conditioner is that it really does return moisture to your hair. My hair is so thick and dry that it would tangle SO easily. Even combing my hair after a shower with a wide-tooth comb could be difficult - but not with this stuff! It also cut down on the frizz and I do find it keeps the colour in my hair longer. It looks so much healthier and is able to keep damage to minimum (I use heat on my hair on average 5 times/week). It adds plenty of moisture and shine without weighing my hair down or feeling oily and greasy. My husband even noticed a difference in the health and look of my hair! On top of that, it smells great too.
I purchased a 1L bottle of shampoo and a 1L bottle of conditioner at Chatters Salon Outlet for about $38. Seems expensive (which is the only thing I'd say is a con about this product), but those bottles last me nearly 6 months so it's worth it to just fork out the money initially. You CAN find Joico at places like Wal-Mart. However, I've been told that you can't be guaranteed to actually have a Joico product inside the bottle unless it's purchased from a salon.
All around, great product! Definitely lives up to it's name. I do not do without it!
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COVERGIRL LashBlast Volume Mascara
I LOVE this mascara - it is my every day use mascara. I have short and thin lashes and this mascara adds the perfect length and volume. I don't even need to use my eyelash curler anymore! :)
I LOVE this mascara - it is my every day use mascara. I have short and thin lashes and this mascara adds the perfect length and volume. I don't even need to use my eyelash curler anymore! :) -
Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa Strike Gold
Last month my husband and I went to Jamaica. I've always been a huge beach bum - totally in love with sand, water, and sun so this was the ultimate vacation for me. And of course with a tropical vacation comes a gorgeous tan! Since we live in... +
Last month my husband and I went to Jamaica. I've always been a huge beach bum - totally in love with sand, water, and sun so this was the ultimate vacation for me. And of course with a tropical vacation comes a gorgeous tan! Since we live in the most northern city in North America with a population of over 1 000 000 and NO beaches with hardly a summer, I was very happy to have a tan for the first time in almost 2 years. I'm originally from a place further south in Canada that has HOT summers. So when I got married and moved even FURTHER north, I was disappointed to learn summer here (according to my description of it at least) is maybe a week with sporadic days in between May - September of temperatures above 25 degrees.
Anyway, to the good stuff. I was so happy to have a tan again and I was determined to keep it as long as possible. But after a few weeks, it starts to fade. I am not for tanning beds so I started looking up what the best self-tanners would be. Along the way I came across anything from Jergen's Natural Glow to St Tropaz (I only actually tried Jergen's, St Tropaz is certainly out of my budget). I didn't want anything TOO bold since I've never used self-tanner before and, like many first time self-tanners, was worried of streaks and turning orange. The second product I tried was from Bath and Body Works in the True Blue Spa line. It's called Strike Gold Bronzing Self-Tanning lotion. I just have one thing to say: LOOOOOOVE!
Pros: I exfoliated and put lotion on my knees and elbows just like it says on the bottle. After my shower, I rubbed in just a thin layer over my face and body. It reaches max effect in 4 hours which I thought was pretty short! It also goes on a little dark initially so you can see where you've applied. The next morning, I looked like I'd just gotten back from Jamaica again! Someone actually commented at work the next day, "Did your tan get darker over night?" I was thrilled and it looks totally natural. It was a perfect brown/gold colour - NO orange whatsoever and absolutely no streaks. I actually even noticed it had a little bit of a gold shimmer to it, but not at all obvious. It's already last about 4 days and I have not had to do any touch ups yet so I'm hoping the bottle will be able to last awhile.
Cons: I can only think of a couple negatives. One being it is a little on the pricey side (for me at least) BUT it's TOTALLY worth it and Bath and Body Works almost always has bundle deals, like buy 2 get one 1 free or something so you can stock up! Another one is in the initial couple minutes of having the lotion on, I just felt kind of yucky. Kind of like I had paste on but that went away after about 20 minutes. And finally, the smell isn't great. Not awful, but not great. The night I put it on, my husband said I smelled weird but I didn't want to shower and risk losing the tan. But then the next morning he said it smelled great. So either he just got used to it, or the smell gets better as the tan develops. Either way, the cons I am totally ok with dealing with because the payoff is totally worth it.
I also do know that this product comes in a spray-on. However, the lady at Bath and Body Works told me the lotion is much more popular and likely the reason for that is the spray just "dyes" your skin temporarily and only lasts a couple days. The lotion lasts longer. I haven't tried the spray. I plan on sticking with the lotion!
If you need a tan, I'd try this product first. I really doubt you will be disappointed. I plan on stocking up!!
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NIVEA Fruity Shine Lip Care
I am and always have been a little bit of a lip balm nut. I never go anywhere without lip balm! I can't stand to have my lips "naked". I'd always wear chapstick even underneath my lipstick/gloss and sort of use it as a base just to keep my... +
I am and always have been a little bit of a lip balm nut. I never go anywhere without lip balm! I can't stand to have my lips "naked". I'd always wear chapstick even underneath my lipstick/gloss and sort of use it as a base just to keep my lips moisturized. Because of my lip balm obsession combined with my preference of lip balm over lipstick anyway, I often ended up with about 20 different lip balms at one time.
Then one day, I came across Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Care while at Wal-Mart. It looked great - it's a tinted and glossy lip balm! Now it's all I use. I purchased the strawberry colour and am now on my 3rd stick since I started using it about 6 months ago. So one stick, since you don't need to use alot to get the colour and moisture you need, I found can last me quite awhile. Especially for only spending about $3-4 on it! I use it EVERY DAY and have hardly even touched lipstick/gloss since (unless for special occasions). But for work or every day use, this is the way to go. It still adds a little bit of colour to your lips while keeping them moisturized!
A little bit later I tried the cherry colour which was ok but I prefer the strawberry. The strawberry is a light red/pink while the cherry I found to be a much deeper read and almost venturing in the purple category so I'd just go with the one that will fit your skin tone better. I've seen a dragonfruit colour online, however, have not seen it in on the shelves so I'm guessing it's either brand new or only available in select regions. Both colours (that I've tried) smell great and have a hint of shimmer in them as well!
As great as the product is, with anything there comes a couple cons. One of them being you have to put it on carefully (unlike other lip balms) because if you go outside of your lip line it looks like you let your little cousin but it on for you! I also find that in the dry winter months, it sometimes but not always acts as the PERFECT lip balm so I do keep a back up of normal Blistex for the very dry days.
But all in all, I love the product! Great colour, price, and quite effective! I don't go anywhere without it!
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