suigeneris
Member Since: May 6, 2011Reviews
Gillette Venus Embrace Razor and Razor Heads
I got these razors to test for free, courtesy of ChickAdvisor and Venus. I’ve never tried any Venus razors before, so I was really excited when I got these razors. For each razor that I tried, I gave it a score from 1 to 10, with 5 being average... +
I got these razors to test for free, courtesy of ChickAdvisor and Venus.
I’ve never tried any Venus razors before, so I was really excited when I got these razors. For each razor that I tried, I gave it a score from 1 to 10, with 5 being average. Since I got them for free, these scores only reflect my perception of their overall quality – price excluded.
The first razor I tried was the Olay & Venus razor in Sugarberry. It says that it does not require any shave gel, so I decided to test that claim out. Surprisingly, I found that the moisture bars provided more than enough lather for the blades to glide smoothly without fearing that I’d nick myself because of too much friction – just add some water, and you’re good to go! (Although if you’re going sans shave gel, it might be a bit hard to see which parts you’ve gone over already.) The moisture bars are pretty thick - a good thing, because I feel like they would be used up pretty quickly - and even though they also pivot up-and-down like the entire blade head, I found that I needed to press a bit when shaving in order to get the same close shave I’d get with a regular razor. Also, I found the scent pleasant, although unnecessary. Overall, I’d say that this razor is best suited for touch-ups – those spots that you found you’ve missed when you’ve finished showering but would rather not go back and reach for the shave gel and normal razor. I’d give this razor a 9/10.
Next, I tried the Embrace razor, but after the luxurious (I’m serious) Olay & Venus razor, this razor seemed so… normal. I can actually feel the blades as I glide the razor along, which is a bit unsettling, and I just felt like this didn’t live to its hype, especially the “ribbon of moisture” claim – what IS the “ribbon”? I wasn’t sure if it was the blue or green part because when wet, they both feel slippery – but only because of the foam. I didn’t feel like either the blue or green parts would be particularly moisturizing on their own. I’m also not sure about its “Venus’ closest shave” claim any razor can be made to get the same “close” shave, if you just press a bit harder. The 5 blades also didn’t make that much of the difference, so overall, I’d give this a 6/10.
The Divine razor felt even more primitive than the Embrace razor, since this one only has 3 blades. I was actually quite scared that I would nick myself when I was going over the back of my knees (so much so that my leg started shaking, haha) but thankfully, there were no casualties. There’s really nothing more that I can say about this razor, except that it’s absolutely average. Don’t bother with this one as there are so many other cheaper razors of the same quality out there! This one is a solid 5/10.
My thoughts on the Spa Breeze and ProSkin razors are that they are pretty similar to the Olay & Venus razor, except that they didn’t feel NEARLY as nice. (Or I might have been biased towards the Olay & Venus razor since it was the first of the huge moisture bar variety that I tried, and I was blown away by it.) These two razors only have 3 blades (compared to Olay & Venus’ 5 blades), but I didn’t feel the difference. Maybe it was more the quality of the moisture bar – the ProSkin razor felt more lubricated and foamy before the Spa Breeze razor, but the Olay & Venus razor triumphs them both. Regardless, all 3 went over my underarms smoothly after they were foamy enough - there wasn’t even any tugging or pulling, which I’d normally get with shave gel and a razor! Although the design for the Spa Breeze and ProSkin razors look pretty much identical, the moisture bar on the Spa Breeze looked (and felt) more jelly-like, and hence it began gliding smoothly a bit later, than the Proskin one. Also, the scent of the Spa Breeze was a bit irritating – it smelt too much like chemicals and I could only stand in small doses. Thus, I’d give the Spa Breeze razor a 7.5/10 and the ProSkin one a 8.5/10. (The Spa Breeze would have been a 8/10 had it been unscented, which is probably what the Breeze razor is.)
I didn’t get a chance to try the Original, Breeze, or (unscented) Olay & Venus razors due to time constraints on the review, but I hope to update this review later on to add my thoughts on those! (Although I believe that the Breeze and Olay & Venus are exactly the same as the Spa Breeze and Olay & Venus in Sugarberry, respectively, just unscented.)
And since all the handles seem the same, I have to say that my favorite pairing would be the Olay & Venus in Sugarberry blades the Spa Breeze handle (go pink!).
I would definitely recommend the Olay & Venus, Spa Breeze, and ProSkin razors to a friend, although I’d perhaps suggest the ProSkin razors a bit more because of its price (compared to Olay & Venus). All of the razors that I tested were very easy to use, but these three would especially be great for beginnings since it has the built-in moisture bar that would make accidentally cutting yourself very difficult. (Just remember that normal, no moisture bar razors don’t require as hard of a “press” when you’re shaving.) As for the Divine, but especially the Embrace, razors, I don’t think they’re worth it since they really aren’t that special and yet they aren’t that cheap. So I’d say either go with the huge moisture bar razors if you want to stick with Venus, or opt for a cheaper alternative (of a different brand).
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A England Nail Polish
These polishes are a dream to apply! I'm usually very picky with my nail polish but these polishes are pretty close to perfection - they apply very smoothly, are the perfect consistency, opaque coverage can be attained in 2 coats, and no staining... +
These polishes are a dream to apply! I'm usually very picky with my nail polish but these polishes are pretty close to perfection - they apply very smoothly, are the perfect consistency, opaque coverage can be attained in 2 coats, and no staining. Seriously, I think that if I had to pick the best overall polish that I've tried to date (and I've lost count of how many I've tried), I'd pick A England. Plus, most (if not all) of them have a fine holographic effect which I find absolutely gorgeous! I only wished that they had more lighter colors. But even though the ones that I have (Tristam and Ascalon) are a bit darker than what I usually prefer wearing, I love them!
I'd definitely recommend this brand, even to beginners - it will definitely boost your polish-applying confidence!
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Julep The Best Pedi Creme Ever!
First of all, let me say that my feet aren't particularly dry, nor are the heels cracked, so maybe someone who is in need of more moisturizing foot creams might have a better opinion of this product that I do. This is also one of the few foot creams... +
First of all, let me say that my feet aren't particularly dry, nor are the heels cracked, so maybe someone who is in need of more moisturizing foot creams might have a better opinion of this product that I do. This is also one of the few foot creams I've tried (since I didn't have an urgent need for them), so I'm not sure how this product stacks up to others on the market. The reason why I have this product is because I received it in a Julep Maven box, but even valued at around $10 (when splitting the cost of a Maven box into components), I still find this product overpriced, never mind at its regular price (2oz for around $20).
Ridiculous price aside, this product has a nice minty smell that I enjoy, though I find it slightly too "awakening" when I use it just before going to bed. It seems to sit on my foot for at least the first few minutes after application, instead of immediately being absorbed into my skin, but thankfully it doesn't feel greasy. When I do have some dry skin on my foot and I use this product, the effect isn't overnight, but it does gradually improve the dryness.
Overall, if you don't have to pay so much for this product, I'd say it's a pretty good product, but factoring in the price, I'm not sure that I could justify to myself if I recommended this product to anyone. Unless this is the miracle cure to those who have very dry and cracked heels, I'm just wondering - couldn't people who need foot creams get them for a much cheaper price at a drugstore?
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Julep Facial for hands
For me, this product does its job well - it exfoliates the skin on my hands and leaves it feeling smoother than before after rinsing. There is also a slightly sour smell (maybe lemon?). But I'm not sure what it does so spectacularly well that it... +
For me, this product does its job well - it exfoliates the skin on my hands and leaves it feeling smoother than before after rinsing. There is also a slightly sour smell (maybe lemon?). But I'm not sure what it does so spectacularly well that it deserves (in my opinion) its way-inflated regular price, which is 3oz for around $30. Thankfully, like many people who have this product, I received it in a Julep Maven box - the Intro Box, to be specific, so I got it basically for free.
I wouldn't recommend anyone to actually go out and BUY this product, even if it's some kind of half-off sale. This product is just too average to me, and I'm sure that I can go to a drugstore and get a hand scrub that is at least as good as this product, for a fraction of the price.
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Garnier Body Intensive 7 Day Soothing Lotion
I got a free bottle of this product as an apology for a glitch in one of Garnier's contests but unfortunately, I can't say that I'm too impressed with this product. My mom also got a free bottle, so I got to try both the Cocoa Butter and the Mango... +
I got a free bottle of this product as an apology for a glitch in one of Garnier's contests but unfortunately, I can't say that I'm too impressed with this product. My mom also got a free bottle, so I got to try both the Cocoa Butter and the Mango Oil kinds.
I found the scent of the Cocoa Butter to be much heavier than expected (not exactly a pleasant feeling), though the Mango Oil smelt quite refreshing and nice. Also, the Cocoa Butter lotion was on the thicker end of the lotion spectrum, while the Mango Oil one was just the opposite - quite runny. But for either lotion, I didn't feel like my skin was extra-hydrated or anything like that. My legs aren't particularly dry, even in the winter, but applying this "Intensive" lotion didn't feel any different from the other lotions I've applied before - not when I applied it, not when I woke up in the morning, and certainly not a few days later.
In fact, I read somewhere (but take this with a grain of salt) that the "7 days" claim didn't mean that it would hydrate your legs for 7 days (which actually sounds a bit too ridiculous to be true in the first place), but rather, that if you continued using it for 7 days straight, you'd see results. Yeah, apparently it's this clever marketing tactic that most people fall for. You can decide if you believe it or not...
In short, I think that there's nothing special about this lotion and that if it's not on sale, it's pointlessly overpriced (or is the pointless portion already included in "overpriced"?) Anyways, I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy this product - there are tons of lotions out there, and there are definitely some that moisturize better than this product for less!
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Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer
I received a sample for this in Medium to Tan and I have medium skin tone (or just a bit darker). As such, applying this product just once on my skin made a noticeable difference in color, though thankfully it didn't look orange. I was a bit... +
I received a sample for this in Medium to Tan and I have medium skin tone (or just a bit darker). As such, applying this product just once on my skin made a noticeable difference in color, though thankfully it didn't look orange. I was a bit surprised about this sudden darkening in color (especially since this was supposed to be a gradual self-tanner, but I guess my skin tone matched the bottle suggestion a bit too well), so I was wary of applying it more than once in a row. The smell wasn't as bad as I was expecting - in fact, I didn't mind it at all - and the color lasted for about half a week before fading.
I'd recommend people to buy this in one shade lighter for it to be a gradual process, or in their own shade if they're fully prepared to look at some much darker skin immediately.
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NIVEA Summer Touch
I was looking for something to make my legs look a bit more tanned and cover up some minor blemishes on my legs during the summer, so after reading pretty good reviews about this product, I bought it at The Real Canadian Superstore. I used this... +
I was looking for something to make my legs look a bit more tanned and cover up some minor blemishes on my legs during the summer, so after reading pretty good reviews about this product, I bought it at The Real Canadian Superstore.
I used this product only once or twice before giving up, but I think it was mostly because I was too lazy. I have medium-ish skin (maybe a tad darker), and I bought the fair skinned version because I thought it'd be safer than becoming orange on my first try (I had just started thinking about using self-tanners at that point, so I was afraid of looking too orange). On my legs, the effect is quite subtle and I really have to look closely to notice any difference after 1 or 2 uses. I'm fairly sure that if I had continued to use it for 5 days, taken some rest, and then restarted the cycle, I could have attained results close to what I had imagined, but after those 2 uses, I was too overwhelmed with the cautions associated with exfoliating and stuff that I just gave up. The scent isn't too bad either.
I'd recommend this product to people who are looking to self-tan over the course of a few days and have the patience to follow instructions, etc.
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Lady Speed Stick Fresh Infusions
I have the Strawberry Splash scent, and it smells extremely sweet (think strawberry jam). While it claims to be an antiperspirant that is invisible and lasts 24h, I can only attest to one of that - it is invisible. This product does nothing for... +
I have the Strawberry Splash scent, and it smells extremely sweet (think strawberry jam). While it claims to be an antiperspirant that is invisible and lasts 24h, I can only attest to one of that - it is invisible. This product does nothing for sweat and when I apply it, I feel as though I'm just applying a layer of scented product on my skin. Maybe this product is made to release fragrance to try to mask sweat, but that's not the purpose of an antiperspirant. As for the 24h claim, well, it doesn't even do it's job in the hour after applying, so I can't imagine how it will protect for 24h, unless you don't sweat and hence it won't need it to protect (in which case, you really wouldn't need an antiperspirant). But as soon as you need it, it's sure to fail!
So if you don't need this product in an antiperspirant capacity (like if you somehow like its scent and choose to buy it because of its scent), don't bother with this product.
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Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar
I absolutely LOVE Dove Bars, and this is my favorite one of all! Not only do Dove bars feel moisturizing, they also (usually) don't leave a "sticky" feeling after rinsing, which has been a problem with all of the other soap bars I've tried. I've... +
I absolutely LOVE Dove Bars, and this is my favorite one of all!
Not only do Dove bars feel moisturizing, they also (usually) don't leave a "sticky" feeling after rinsing, which has been a problem with all of the other soap bars I've tried. I've even tried using this on my face a few times, and my usually unpredictable facial skin had no negative reaction to it!
What's even better about this product (over other Dove bars) is that it's unscented so I don't get a headache from it!
This is an awesome product (and I'm usually not too impressed by most products), so next time during a sale or something, pick one up and try it for yourself!
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Bath & Body Works Antibacterial Hand Soap
I usually like to do my research before buying things, but when I saw these on sale for 5/$5 last year, I could resist! (Of course, I've barely been able to use up one of them as of yet...) I like the variety of scents they offer, and my favorite... +
I usually like to do my research before buying things, but when I saw these on sale for 5/$5 last year, I could resist! (Of course, I've barely been able to use up one of them as of yet...)
I like the variety of scents they offer, and my favorite has got to be the "Dancing Waters" one. The others are nice, but usually too sweet and overpowering. The beads in the in the solutions also disppear as you rub your hands together.
I think that this is a cute and great idea, but I'm not too sure about the effectiveness of these hand sanitizers. But if you like scented (and cute) things, and aren't super paranoid about germs, then this would be a great little bottle to have in your purse!
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