xoliana
Member Since: July 31, 2016Reviews
Udi's Gluten-free Classic French Dinner Rolls
The Udi's Gluten-free Classic French Dinner Rolls come in a bag of six small rolls. In addition to being gluten-free, they're also dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free. As I mentioned in another review, one of my local gluten-free bakeries recently... +
The Udi's Gluten-free Classic French Dinner Rolls come in a bag of six small rolls. In addition to being gluten-free, they're also dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
As I mentioned in another review, one of my local gluten-free bakeries recently shut down. I've had to hunt down alternatives to all of the wonderful buns I used to buy, and these were some of the ones I came across. Unfortunately, they really don't come close to the taste and texture of the fresh, hand-made buns I was buying.
These were in the freezer section, so I had to defrost them for use. If you let them thaw over time, they aren't very soft, so I popped them in the microwave, thinking that this may make them softer, and it did -- for a few seconds, until they suddenly became hard again. I found these to be very rough and coarse, to the point that I found it really difficult to actually chew a piece off with my teeth. I was having to tear small pieces off by hand before chewing at the back of my mouth.
Aside from my difficulty in actually chewing the darn things, I also found that there was very little flavour to be had. This is definitely one of those products that "tastes gluten-free", if you know what I mean. I don't know if these were older, and therefore not as good, or if they're just like this all the time. Either way, I wasn't impressed.
I wouldn't recommend buying these. They just weren't very good in any way.
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Yoso Premium Cultured Coconut
The Yoso Creamy Cultured Coconut is a brand of dairy-free yogurt made with coconut milk. It comes in three flavours: Unsweetened Plain, Vanilla, and Chocolate. I have tried both the Vanilla and the Chocolate flavours. They both have a fairly... +
The Yoso Creamy Cultured Coconut is a brand of dairy-free yogurt made with coconut milk. It comes in three flavours: Unsweetened Plain, Vanilla, and Chocolate.
I have tried both the Vanilla and the Chocolate flavours. They both have a fairly thick consistency, and they both taste very smooth and creamy. I've tried other varieties of coconut yogurts and I think I prefer other Vanilla yogurts to this one, simply because the overall vanilla flavour is a bit stronger and more authentic in other brands. This one is still very enjoyable, though!
I've not come across another brand that sells a Chocolate variety, so I have nothing to compare this one to. All I can say is that it tastes very sweet and feels like enjoying a dessert. The health benefits are exponentially higher here, though, as coconut yogurt is so good for you in many different ways.
I would definitely recommend this brand of coconut yogurt. The taste and consistency is very good, and it's sweet without being too sugary. If you're unfamiliar with this type of product, try having just a small serving at a time -- the fibre and good fat contents are high, so it's quite filling.
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Yoso Premium Creamy Cultured Almond and Cashew
The Yoso Premium Creamy Cultured Almond and Cashew is a dairy-free yogurt product. It's made with almond and cashew milks and comes in Unsweetened Plain, Vanilla, and Strawberry. I have personally tried both the Unsweetened Plain and Strawberry... +
The Yoso Premium Creamy Cultured Almond and Cashew is a dairy-free yogurt product. It's made with almond and cashew milks and comes in Unsweetened Plain, Vanilla, and Strawberry.
I have personally tried both the Unsweetened Plain and Strawberry flavours. The consistency of both is quite thin, though there's no actual liquid separation. The unsweetened variety has a very bitter and sour taste to it. I had to add dried fruit in order tolerate the taste. The strawberry definitely has more sweetness to it, but it's still a tad on the bitter side, and the overall fruit flavour is not terribly strong.
I've tried quite a few dairy-free yogurts, and these simply aren't my favourite. Even their coconut yogurts are more preferable, both in taste and texture. These are fine, but I prefer my yogurts to pack more flavour and sweetness into each spoonful. I also enjoy a thicker variety of yogurt.
I would still recommend these if you're looking for dairy-free alternatives. Maybe you'll like them more than I do, or perhaps you'll find new ways to make them more enjoyable.
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Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer
I received a sample of this with an order from Sephora. This product comes in three different colour correcting shades -- Dim Light (a darker beige), Luminous Light (a very pale skintone shade), and Mood Light (a pale pink). There's no mention of... +
I received a sample of this with an order from Sephora.
This product comes in three different colour correcting shades -- Dim Light (a darker beige), Luminous Light (a very pale skintone shade), and Mood Light (a pale pink). There's no mention of how each specific shade is supposed to correct which issue; the product only said that it's supposed to "blur, smooth and correct" skin as well as adding a glow.
I received Mood Light, the pink shade. Although it appears pink in the packet and when you first squeeze it out onto your fingers, once you spread it onto your face, that tint disappears. Unfortunately, it didn't leave behind any sort of blurring, smoothing, correcting, or glow.
What it did was settle into a laugh line around my mouth, causing my concealer and powder to do the same, and I couldn't smooth it away no matter how hard I tried. It made every bit of my face makeup go on cakey, emphasising every single dry patch I have on my face -- and some I wasn't aware that I had. And last but not least, it left me with some breakouts around my chin and jawline.
Needless to say I was less than impressed. I didn't even finish the entire sample before tossing it in the trash. At a price of $52 for a full size, there's absolutely NO WAY I would consider buying this, nor would I ever recommend it to my friends. There are way better primers available at much cheaper prices.
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Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup Oil Free
I received a sample of this in an order from Sephora. Let me start off by saying that I had a pretty bad experience with a previous Hourglass primer, so I went into this with fairly low expectations and a sense of hesitation. Hourglass is a very... +
I received a sample of this in an order from Sephora.
Let me start off by saying that I had a pretty bad experience with a previous Hourglass primer, so I went into this with fairly low expectations and a sense of hesitation. Hourglass is a very expensive brand, but so far the samples I've received have been very hit and miss.
The first thing that struck me was the consistency of the product. It's extremely odd and completely unlike any face primer I've tried. It's very thin and slippery, so a small amount spreads quite far. I can't say I'm a fan of the texture, because it honestly kind of feels like I'm spreading margarine across my face, so I immediately began getting nervous that it was going to break me out like so many other primers do. Surprisingly enough, it didn't!
Aside from its very strange consistency, this product actually performed quite well. After I'd put it all over my face, it kind of felt like I'd put on a thin layer of lotion. Most primers have that smooth, silicone texture, but because this is silicone-free it felt more moisturizing. I do suffer from dry patches at the moment, and I found that my makeup went on very smoothly and remained in place throughout the day.
The only issue I seemed to have with this product was towards the tops of my cheekbones, after I'd applied my under eye concealer. I use extra moisturizers under my eyes at night (vaseline, for one), and I think this was fighting a war with the different textures of those moisturizers. Everything was kind of balling up in that area, so I had to kind of brush off little pieces of product before I could achieve a smooth application.
Other than that, I thought that this performed well. The texture is odd and it seems to disagree with my under eye moisturizers, but otherwise it does its job. I could see oily skin having trouble with this, since it does feel somewhat greasy. Perhaps try it before buying it.
Overall, I would recommend this primer. It's one of the better ones I've tried for my very sensitive skin with dry patches.
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Living Proof Prime Style Extender
I received a sample of this in an order from Sephora. I have very short hair, so this sample has lasted me a very long time. I keep going back and forth between using it and not using it so I can get an accurate picture of whether or not it's... +
I received a sample of this in an order from Sephora.
I have very short hair, so this sample has lasted me a very long time. I keep going back and forth between using it and not using it so I can get an accurate picture of whether or not it's actually doing anything for me.
I've been applying a small amount to damp hair after I shower, after which I comb it through and then blow-dry as usual. I've come to the conclusion that while it doesn't necessarily "extend my style" -- my hair looks the same 2 days later, whether I have used it or not -- this product does make my hair feel very soft, and it appears to be protecting it from the heat. My hair is extremely fine and delicate and I've noticed that, when I use this product, not as many strands fall out after I blow-drying it. Additionally, it seems to be helping with some mild split ends in between hair cuts (my hair has grown out a bit at the back).
I can't say I'm too fond of the smell. When I get it on my hands, I immediately wash it off so it doesn't linger. Luckily, it doesn't seem to stick around on my hair after I've blow-dried it. It's just got a very perfumey smell that doesn't sit well with me.
So while this product doesn't necessarily do for me what it says it's going to do, I have found it useful in other ways. I'm sure it'll do different things for different hair types. If you can get your hands on a sample, I would recommend doing so, just to see what kind of effect it will have for you, and whether or not you like it.
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the Estée edit Pore Vanishing Stick by Estée Lauder
I received a sample of this with an order from Sephora. I have large pores with sebaceous filaments on my nose and cheeks, so I'll take any help I can get to minimize them! The sample that I received looked to be a small segment of the stick... +
I received a sample of this with an order from Sephora.
I have large pores with sebaceous filaments on my nose and cheeks, so I'll take any help I can get to minimize them! The sample that I received looked to be a small segment of the stick itself. There's an outer portion which is white, and an inner core which is more of a skintone shade. The directions said to swirl a finger through both and apply to the face (if you have the full size, I imagine you would apply it straight from the stick).
I don't wear foundation, however I do wear liquid concealer, and my makeup has a tendency to sink into my pores. This definitely helped to create a smoother surface so that my concealer didn't sink into my pores and exaggerate their appearance. I find it's best to use pore-minimizing primers by patting and pressing the product into pores. That way, the product kind of fills up each pore, whereas if you're just rubbing it around, you won't get the same effect.
This product is very similar to Benefit's The Porefessional, only this is a solid and that is a liquid. I think it all comes down to what you prefer, but they're equally good and I would recommend either of them if you have larger pores.
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Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer
I received a sample of this with an order from Sephora. This primer came with a ton of very bold claims on the back, including the very boldest of all -- that 9/10 women said that this was their favourite eyeshadow primer. I had heard many great... +
I received a sample of this with an order from Sephora.
This primer came with a ton of very bold claims on the back, including the very boldest of all -- that 9/10 women said that this was their favourite eyeshadow primer. I had heard many great things about it, and after reading those claims, I was certainly expecting great things.
I have to say, I don't really get the hype. The texture of this is very strange. It's almost...foamy. I can think of no other way to describe it. It's feels like a foamy, souffle-like texture. As I tried to spread it around my eyelid, it took forever for it to blend in. It just kept slipping and sliding around, and I wasn't using too much. Additionally, this isn't the type of primer to add any coverage to the eyelids, which I personally prefer due to my translucent skin -- but this is something I could look past if the primer actually performed.
When I finally got it in place and set it with a powder -- which I do with all of my primers -- I noticed that my eyeshadows didn't blend very well on top. It's almost like the primer was still too tacky, even after setting it with a powder. When applying my eyeshadows, they just kind of stuck down in one place and muddied up, instead of blending out seamlessly.
The best thing I can say about this primer is that it definitely kept my eyeshadow in place. As in, I literally had trouble removing my eyeshadow at the end of the day when typically I don't. I don't like having to rub at my eyes that hard, so this actually turned into another negative for me, not a positive.
Maybe this didn't work for me because of my particular skin type -- I'm not really sure. All I know is I get way better results from the drugstore, and I won't be purchasing a full size of this.
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L'Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate
I received a sample of this cream with one of my orders from Sephora. Because I am incredibly sensitive, I have to test any new skincare product before applying it to a large area. So I took the tiniest amount out of the packet and rubbed it on... +
I received a sample of this cream with one of my orders from Sephora.
Because I am incredibly sensitive, I have to test any new skincare product before applying it to a large area. So I took the tiniest amount out of the packet and rubbed it on the back of my hand. Immediately, I knew I would be unable to use this cream because of its unbearably heavy fragrance. This is another unfortunate circumstance where a company felt the need to add perfume to their product. Any smell of almonds and/or milk was covered up entirely. I wish they had left its natural scent alone, because almonds and milk probably would have smelled beautiful together.
This saddened me because the actual texture of the cream was very enjoyable. As I said, I took the TINIEST bit, and that little bit spread far and wide. It was very rich and silky-smooth. I imagine this cream would have felt very nice. If you can tolerate perfumes, I envy you, because you'll probably really like this cream.
This, sadly, wasn't for me. If they ever come out with a fragrance-free version, I would love to give that a shot.
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Sephora express eye makeup remover wipe
I received two of these as a sample in an order from Sephora. Each wipe came individually packaged. Upon opening a wipe, my immediate reaction was that it smelled incredibly strongly of potent, rubbing alcohol. Sure enough, they contain... +
I received two of these as a sample in an order from Sephora.
Each wipe came individually packaged. Upon opening a wipe, my immediate reaction was that it smelled incredibly strongly of potent, rubbing alcohol. Sure enough, they contain Phenoxyethanol, which is an alcohol-based ingredient. I noticed several other red flags in the ingredients list, as there are many chemicals involved in the making of this product.
Nonetheless, for testing purposes, I tried out the sample. The wipes were terribly ineffective when it came to doing their job -- I had to rub really hard at my eyes to get any makeup off, and I wasn't wearing anything waterproof. The following morning, after using the sample wipes, I had a small series of bumps on my eyelids, as well as some redness. I had some sort of reaction to them, which quickly resolved itself after discontinuing use.
I would definitely suggest looking into a different eye makeup remover wipe, not only due to the inefficacy of these, but because they're so laden with chemicals. Even if you don't experience a reaction like I had, I can't help but think that it isn't safe to be using these on your face, particularly on such a delicate and thin-skinned area.
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