Icehawk2818
Member Since: December 6, 2009Reviews
McCafé® Premium Instant Coffee Dark Roast
I was very happy to try this product for free into return for my honest review. I somewhat see myself as a bit of a coffee snob. I have a number of different type, light, medium and dark roasts, various ways to produce the coffee itself as well as... +
I was very happy to try this product for free into return for my honest review. I somewhat see myself as a bit of a coffee snob. I have a number of different type, light, medium and dark roasts, various ways to produce the coffee itself as well as different ways of dressing the coffee when its made. I enjoy the convenience of a pod brewed coffee and the richer taste of that made in a pour over but I also really enjoy a cup of instant. If it's good, you can have the best of both worlds; convinience as well as taste. This one by McCafe is pretty good. It is the first time I've had a dark roast in an instant form so that definitely made it stand out from other instants I've tried. It really did make a smooth tasting dark roast. I usually drink my coffee with cream and sugar but I wanted to test this properly so I tried it my usually way as well as completely black. Even before I added anything to it, it had lovely notes of almost a caramel or hazelnut. It was a great pick me up in the morning, as well as the perfect after dinner treat.
My only draw back to this coffee was the price. A 100g can retails for approximately $10 in most places I checked. That isn't so much more than my usual instant coffees but the amount of granuals used per cup is much greater than what I generally used. The McCafe coffee states to use 2 1/2 tsp per cup. The granuals are also much larger than what I'm used too. I believe I would be buying this coffee twice as fast as the other ones I use. So, while I do enjoy this McCafe coffee, I would probably only by it occassionally to supplement the ones I already have (ie. to have a dark roast option) instead of having it replace what I already drink entirely
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Aveeno® Calm + Restore Age Renewal Serum
I'm grateful to have received this product for free in return for my honest review. As I'm quickly approaching my 40s, I find myself more and more looking for products that have anti aging properties. I have found that the majority of them have... +
I'm grateful to have received this product for free in return for my honest review. As I'm quickly approaching my 40s, I find myself more and more looking for products that have anti aging properties. I have found that the majority of them have retinol in them, which can be very harsh for a lot of peoples skin. So, having received this Aveeno serum, I was most pleasantly surprised to see that it used cranberry extract as a plant based retinol alternative. Finally us senstive skin girlies can have the same benefits as everyone else without the drying and irritating effects of traditional retinol.
I tried this serum day and night for 4 weeks and the improvement in my skin is noticeable. The cranberry extract, in combination with oat and niacinamide have completely eliminated any dry patchy skin that I was dealing with, especially over the winter months. My skin is supple and smooth with many of my fine lines having mostly disappeared. When applied, it soaks into the skin immediately and leaves the perfect canvas for makeup. I tried it numerous different ways to really test if it would work for me including by itself, with moisturizer, with sunscreen, with other serums, with light makeup and with a very full face and it performed amazingly every time. I have no issue with piling or any other weird intereactions it might have had with my other skincare. It is honestly my go to serum right now I plan to continue to use it and I can't wait to see what benefits it gives my skin in another 4 weeks
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Aveeno® Calm + Restore Age Renewal Eye Gel
I'm so grateful to have received this product for free in return for my honest review. I'm always on the hunt for a good eye cream. The skin around my eyes can be particularly sensitive to different products so its always a struggle to find... +
I'm so grateful to have received this product for free in return for my honest review. I'm always on the hunt for a good eye cream. The skin around my eyes can be particularly sensitive to different products so its always a struggle to find something that won't lead to irritation and dryness. This product from Aveeno is one of the best I have found so far. Firstly, it is a gel, which is my preferred formula. I find the absorption is so much better. It immediately soaks into the skin and makes it look, and feel, super hydrated. It's frangrance free, so that's huge bonus as that can be a large irritant for some people. It also uses cranberry extract as a retinol alternative. This is an ingredient that I've never seen in a skincare product so I was super interested to see what it would do to my skin. After using it both day and night for 4 weeks, I found that even at my most exhausted, the skin around my eyes had little to no puffiness, but instead hada youthful plumpness to it. That, in turn, seemed to erase many of the pesky fine lines that have started to show as I now creep up on my 40s. This eye gel really seems to brighten up my skin and the more I use it, the more differences I notice. I also really like how well it cooporates with the rest of my skincare and makeup. It actually created the perfect moisturized base. Even under concealer, setting powder and eyeshadow, my skin looked flawless. This is not only a product that I will happily recommend to others but one I will definitely be continuing to purchase. I honestly can't wait to see how my skin will look in another 4 weeks using this Aveeno Calm + Restore Age Renewal Eye Gel. -
Aveeno® Calm + Restore Age Renewal Eye Gel
I'm so grateful to have received this product for free in return for my honest review. I'm always on the hunt for a good eye cream. The skin around my eyes can be particularly sensitive to different products so its always a struggle to find... +
I'm so grateful to have received this product for free in return for my honest review. I'm always on the hunt for a good eye cream. The skin around my eyes can be particularly sensitive to different products so its always a struggle to find something that won't lead to irritation and dryness. This product from Aveeno is one of the best I have found so far. Firstly, it is a gel, which is my preferred formula. I find the absorption is so much better. It immediately soaks into the skin and makes it look, and feel, super hydrated. It's frangrance free, so that's huge bonus as that can be a large irritant for some people. It also uses cranberry extract as a retinol alternative. This is an ingredient that I've never seen in a skincare product so I was super interested to see what it would do to my skin. After using it both day and night for 4 weeks, I found that even at my most exhausted, the skin around my eyes had little to no puffiness, but instead hada youthful plumpness to it. That, in turn, seemed to erase many of the pesky fine lines that have started to show as I now creep up on my 40s. This eye gel really seems to brighten up my skin and the more I use it, the more differences I notice. I also really like how well it cooporates with the rest of my skincare and makeup. It actually created the perfect moisturized base. Even under concealer, setting powder and eyeshadow, my skin looked flawless. This is not only a product that I will happily recommend to others but one I will definitely be continuing to purchase. I honestly can't wait to see how my skin will look in another 4 weeks using this Aveeno Calm + Restore Age Renewal Eye Gel. -
NEUTROGENA® Hydro Boost Ultra Hydrating Serum Fragrance Free
I absolutely love Neutrogena products so I was over the moon to get the chance to receive this product for free so that I could give my honest review on it. I have a pretty extensive skincare routine which includes a number of highend, expensive... +
I absolutely love Neutrogena products so I was over the moon to get the chance to receive this product for free so that I could give my honest review on it. I have a pretty extensive skincare routine which includes a number of highend, expensive serums. When I tell you this one from Neutrogena was completely on their level in terms of efficacy, if not better then a few of them in terms of hydration, I was blown away. Everything this seum claims to be is completely on point. Weightless, check. Ultra crazy hydrating, ckeck. Fast absorbing, check. Fragrance free, check. There is nothing wrong with this serum, and everything right, including the price. If you want the results of a highend skincare product but with the pricetag of an affordable one, this is the seum for you. Ball on a budget baby because no one is going to know the difference. -
NEUTROGENA® Hydro Boost Gel Cream Extra-Dry
I was so grateful to receive this Neutrogena Hydro Boost moisturizer for free in return for my honest review. It could not have come at a better time. The Canadian weather being all over the place lately is just doing a number ony my skin. It has... +
I was so grateful to receive this Neutrogena Hydro Boost moisturizer for free in return for my honest review. It could not have come at a better time. The Canadian weather being all over the place lately is just doing a number ony my skin. It has been unbelievably dry and tight. Until I started using this cream that is. Immediately when I applied it the first time, it felt like my skin had just taken a nice, long sip of fresh water. I couldn't believe how hydrated it felt! The first thing that I really love about this product is that it is a gel cream. Being a combo girlie, I find this is the best forumlation for my particular skin type. Especially with this cream, it perfectly moisturized the dry areas without making my t-zone greasy at all. And the speed in which it absords was crazy. Which, again, is an ideal for me because I knew it wouldn't interact weirdly with any of my normal face products. I tried this cream with a full face of makeup and skincare, a light makeup/skincare day, skincare only and a few times just by itself and I had zero problems. It created the perfect base for my makeup to sit on and it make my skin looked plumped and glowly on those no makeup days. Another a componant I love about this product, and it really is the star of the show, is that it using hyaluronic acid, which binds to water and allows it to be held with the skin's barrier. That plus amino acids, electrolytes and essential lipids, you literally could not ask for a more hydrating combination of ingredients. And of course, its free of all the bad stuff like parabens, phthalates, dye and fragrance. It is also non-comedogenic, so it won't clog pores and lead to breakouts. And the very best part, especially these days, is that it is affordable skincare. It does everything you need and then some and you wont break the bank doing it. -
Grown Alchemist Skin Defense Primer
I am a huge fan of Grown Alchemist products so I was psyched to be able to try this primer from them for free in return for my honest review. And in that regard, I honestly love it! I use different primers for different products. When I'm feeling a... +
I am a huge fan of Grown Alchemist products so I was psyched to be able to try this primer from them for free in return for my honest review. And in that regard, I honestly love it! I use different primers for different products. When I'm feeling a more matte, blurred pore moment, I always reach for one with a silicone base. The problem with silicone is that is can hard to remove from the skin which can lead to irritation and acne. So, its something I reach for less and less. And now, with this Grown Alchemist primer, I'll never have to reach for it again. The texture is almost identical. I have no idea how they did it but it is amazing. It might from the fructose, something I didn't even know you could put in a primer. Texture wise, its silky and smooth. It immediately blurs all fine lines and fills those pores beautifully. It makes the perfect canvas for any look imagined. It is scented but it is a light, botanical smell. Which makes sense since this primer is packed full of a bunch of natural goodies such as Mushroom Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Orange Peel Extract, Rosemary Leaf Oil, Bergamot Fruit Oil, Moringa Seed Extract, Lemon Peel Oil, Balsam Resin, and Ginger Root Oil. Thats a crazy amount of nature in one bottle! I did use this primer many times and with a bunch of different skincare and makeup and I found that it played nicely with just about everything. I only had a little piling with one sunsreen and it wasn't super bad. I just used a big fluffy brush to get the piling off my face and everything else stayed perfect. Added bonus for a product that also protects the skin from pollution and all other manner of nasties.
I only have one little con and that would be the price. She ain't cheap! But, at little goes a really long way so this 50ml tube should last awhile. This is definitely a product that I could see myself buying again and again.
- Product received for free from Grown Alchemist in exchange for an honest review.
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Aveeno® Calm + Restore Daily Face Moisturizer Mineral SPF 30
I geniunely wanted to love this moisturizer. I love a product that is multipurpose, especially when it comes to spf. When it is done right, have a product with any additional sun screen agent is a holy grail essential. Unfortunately, this one from... +
I geniunely wanted to love this moisturizer. I love a product that is multipurpose, especially when it comes to spf. When it is done right, have a product with any additional sun screen agent is a holy grail essential. Unfortunately, this one from Aveeno just isn't it. I tried using this moisturizer over a dozen different ways and no matter what, it pilled horribly. It was literally one of the worst products I've seen for that. I first tried it with my normal routine. Eye cream, serums, moisturizer, sunscreen, makeup. Each item gets time inbetween to soak and settle into the skin. The pilling was outrageous! I had to take everything off and start all over again. So, then I tried eliminating products or subbing in different brands. Nothing changed, some products only just made it worse (face oil, I'm looking at you). Even with no other skin care and just barest amount of makeup, I could not make it work. So, frustrated, I decided the only way this product may work for me is on no makeup days when I just need my face to be miosturized and protected from some UV rays. With that in mind, we fortunately had a day of unprecented mild weather for February in Ontario and I thought, what perfect timing to text out this moisturizer while I catch a little vitamin D. I applied a thin layer (I made the mistake of overdoing it with this product and it was not pretty - lesson learned!), grabbed a book and headed outside. I had to answer a call mid sun sess and the absolute mess left on the screen after I pulled it away from my cheek was unbelievable. Not only had the product just pilled on its own, it left a perfect grease impression of my face on my phone. That was the last test I could think of to put this product through and it failed so, so bad. Now, I'm not going to completely blame the product for all of this. It could very well just be how interacts with my own combination skin (I did try it on the backs on my hands and it seemed to pill a bit less there). Potential buyers should know that there is chance that the problems I experienced could happen to them though.
I don't want to make this entire review negative as there are a few good qualities. 1: It's good for senstivie skin, 2: Its unscented, 3: Uses a mineral sun block, 4: It's afforable, 5: Love Aveeno's sustainability efforts, 6: It has a slight tint that makes things look a little more evened out and 7: After it pills and has to be wiped off, my skin actually feels really, really nice. So, whatever absorbs while it's still on is pretty great.
Overall, I can't personally recommend this Aveeno Calm + Restore Daily Face Moisturizer Mineral SPF 30 but I'm hoping that my problems with it are due to my own skin and not the product itself. Unfortunately, not everything works for every body. I still love Aveeno and will continue using the other products they make that I know work for me. In the meantime, I will continue to use this moisturizer on the backs on my hands which is an area that always needs a little more moisture and spf.
I received this product for free to test and give my honest review.
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Aveeno® Daily Moisturizing Body Wash Eco Friendly Refill Pouch
I am very happy to say that I received this product for free in return for my honest review. I'm even more happy to say how much I love this product but more importantly, how it is packaged! We now live in a day and age where we expect more from... +
I am very happy to say that I received this product for free in return for my honest review. I'm even more happy to say how much I love this product but more importantly, how it is packaged! We now live in a day and age where we expect more from brands regarding their enviromental footprint. So to see companies actually step up and provide us with something that we can feel good about buying, it makes me sit up and take note. I am already in love with the body wash itself. It has been a staple in my home and my parents home, since I was a child. It not only does the job, it leaves the skin feeling moisturized and supple afterwards. Especially in our harsh Canadian winters, this body wash doesn't leave the skin feeling dry and tight after showers. Then to put it in a refillable package that saves 80% plastic when manufactured, that just puts it over the top. On top of the fact that it is already a very affordable option, you really just can't beat this body wash. I definitely recommend it and I will continue to purchase it for the rest of my life! -
Aveeno® Daily Moisturizing Body Wash
This is one of those staple products that has been around me since I was a child so when I found out that I was going to receive this body wash for free in return for my honest review, I was over the moon with happiness! I have always, always... +
This is one of those staple products that has been around me since I was a child so when I found out that I was going to receive this body wash for free in return for my honest review, I was over the moon with happiness! I have always, always suffered with horribly dry skin in the winter. Harsh Canadian winters are unbearable sometimes. Everything just feels so tight and itchy. So, I learned early on from my mother, you have to combat that in multiple ways. Stay super hydrated, don't have extra hot showers, use really good moisturizer and always use Aveeno's Daily Moisturizing Body Wash in the shower. I didn't have this in my current routine untul Butterly sent me this bottle and man, was I suffering. As soon as I started using this regularly in combination with what I listed above, so much relief! I've stopped carving trenches into my calves in the middle of the night. My hands, which are generally the worst part for me, have become much more supple. My entire body simply doesn't feel tight and dry when I get out of the shower and it continues like that for the rest of the day. I'm grateful for this product and just how well this formulation works for my skin. Plus it reminds me of my mom so it is a big win for me! I would a 1000% buy this again and I already recommend it to everyone who will listen. It is just one of those really great, super affordable staple products that everyone should have in their home, especially during winter. -
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