Even though I'm a Canadian "beauty blogger", I tend to write a lot of reviews on U.S. beauty products that aren't available in Canada.. Annoying, huh?
Well finally, I have found some great places to purchase certain beauty products not available to us Canucks! Today I am reviewing the eos Lip Balm Smooth Sphere's which as we all know, isn't readily available in stores in Canada. These little egg-ish balls have been getting a lot of hype and attention in the beauty blogosphere & no doubt, everyone wants to try it! But do you really need to? Yes and no.
I'll begin by sharing some great news. I've discovered recently that eos Lip Balms can be purchased at RW&Co.! On the eos website, there is a helpful "where to buy" tab that provides a Google Map and list of locations on "where to buy" certain eos products. I haven't checked an RW&Co. store myself but I do know it's a business attire clothing store. Strange, no?? If you're in Vancouver & interested in the lip balms, you might want to check RW&Co. out :)
Review time!
EOS Says:
Can a lip balm make you smile? We think so. That's why we invented this one.
•Long-lasting moisture
•Shea butter & vitamin E
•Smoothes on clear
•New smooth sphere precisely glides on to lips
•Twist-off top
•Gluten-free
•Paraben-free
•Petrolatum-free
•Phthalate-free
eos lip balm is 95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, eos keeps your lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth.
I Say:
Love the ingredients, love the scent and yes these lip balms make me smile! They are so cute and hard to lose! Although, if you tend to pack light or carry a small purse, the Smooth Sphere can be inconvient to carry around.
So far, I have tried Honeysuckle Honeydew and Summer Fruit. Honeysuckle Honeydew reminds me of cantaloupes and honeydew whereas Summer Fruit smells like peaches! Honestly, my favorite part of the eos Smooth Sphere is the scent. Now the downside to these lip balms is that they aren't soft and balm-y like I prefer. Rather, they are hard and waxy. It applies smooth enough and clear but end up feeling waxy and noticeable on the lips. The most important part is that the the eos lip balms are moisturizing but the results aren't long-lasting like promised. I find myself reapplying the lip balm after every drink of water or meal. This stuff wears quickly and there's not a lot of product to begin with. When I'm nearly done with the lip balm, the sphere turns flat and becomes harder to apply.
Bottom Line
All in all, I'd recommend the eos Lip Balm Smooth Sphere based on scent and ingredients. I especially like the fact that the eos lip balms come without petrolatum. I find lip balms with petrolatum make my lips drier and dependant on the ingredient itself. Function-wise, these could be better. I'd actually recommend the EOS Lip Balm Smooth Sticks more because they are less waxy, same ingredients and easier to carry around.
Also, check out Citrine's review on the EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit here. She caught something I think a lot of us overlooked.
Ingredients
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D'abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract*, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract*, Linalool1. 1Component of Natural Flavor. *Organic. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth. Patent Pending.
Surprise, surprise! I have a makeup review at last!
I've been holding off many reviews lately as I haven't been wearing much makeup or trying new skin products. Most of the products I've been using are nothing to write home about, so I don't.
Today, I'm reviewing one of the most interesting and multifunctional cosmetic product that Neutrogena carries (to me atleast). It sucks that Neutrogena cosmetics aren't available in Canada but my experience with their products haven't been the greatest. But we'll get to that another time. Onto the review!
What Neutrogena says:
3-in-1 Concealer for Eyes instantly hides dark circles, reduces the look of puffiness and fine lines and helps protect the sensitive eye area with SPF 20.
This multi-tasking concealer instantly camouflages dark circles, reduces the appearance of puffiness and fine lines and protects with non-irritating SPF 20--all in one easy step.
The ultra-blendable, skin-conditioning formula provides natural-looking coverage, won't settle into fine lines and is safe for contact-lens wearers.
*Suitable for contact lens wearers
*SPF 20
*Available in 4 shades (Fair, Buff, Light, Medium)
Tip: You need a spoonful of SPF 30 or higher for sufficient sun protection for the face.
Wooooooooow, right?? Neutrogena promises some mighty things but do they deliver? Nope, not for me. I'll start off with the pro's and fight it with the con's. I like that there is SPF 20 (much better than SPF 15) but I always recommend a minimum of SPF 30 for sun protection. Now since there is SPF in the concealer, I can't recommend using it for night time partaaays and schtuff. It comes in four shades but it's suited for light or light-to-medium skin tones so the darker folk are left out. Boo! I'm using the concealer in Buff but I think Light would suit me better. The formula is creamy, thin but not runny. It turns thicker when I blend it under my eyes and dries to a matte finish. The Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer for Eyes definitely brightens my eyes but because it's a tad too light for me, it's kind of obvious and fake looking. Actually, I don't have much of a problem with dark circles but on the occasions that I do, a tiny bit of this does concealer helps. I can only use this sparingly. Unfortunately, the concealer does not reduce the look of puffiness or fine lines. Infact, it accentuates my fines lines and can be a tad drying - emphasizing the fine lines even more! Now, I also do not wear contacts so I'm not 100% it's suited for the sensitive eyes. My guess is that it isn't. and I'll go onto that in a bit.
As you can tell, the Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer For Eyes has it's high points and low points. But honestly, it has waaaay more low points. The ingredients contain talc, fragrance, dimethicone and other junk I'm foreign to. However, I will give you the low down on these three. Let's start with talc. Talc is known for being a cheap "filler" ingredient. Talc helps control shine and absorb excess oil but can also be drying, causing breakouts and clogged pores! Fragrance or Parfum can be irritating not just for the nose but for the skin as well. And lastly, dimethicone is silicone-based. Most foundation primers and bases are silicone-based but what you need to know is that "cones" can clog pores and cause breakouts.This concealer is aimed for the eyes and some of these ingredients just aren't safe around the eyes. I've read the concealer can double up as an eye cream because the ingredients are very similar to each other but I'd skip that suggestion. Your eye area and eyes are one of the most sensitive areas on your body. You need to take extra care of it and certain ingredients just shouldn't be allowed around it. Oh but hey! The bright side is that the Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer For Eyes is paraben free! Hmm..
Bottom line: Those with dry undereyes should skip it. The formula is too drying. Those with darker skin tones can't even get a colour match so y'gotta skip it. Sensitive to talc, dimethicone or fragrance? I wouldn't repurchase it or recommend it but it's your decision, right?
What an unhappy ending to this review. I hope you enjoyed it anyhow! I'll be back soon with another one and perhaps it will sound sweeter...
Cheers,
Ashley
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (9.5%)
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Talc, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyglyceryl 4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Dimethyl MEA, Cetyl Dimethicone, Boron Nitride, Cetyl/PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Ozokerite, Magnesium Sulfate, BHT, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Sodium Methylesculetin Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tyrosine, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silica, Alumina, Cyclohexasiloxane, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Magnesium Carbonate, Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Propylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum), May Contain (+/-):, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide ((1325-152))
After a lot of debate, I decided to go ahead and make a post about job hunting and how to prepare for interviews (on-the-spot or one-on-one call backs) and job orientations.
I felt a little ridiculous even coming up with the idea as I've only ever been hired to one place other than my family store but it's better to share tips passed onto me and tips I have created for myself and others.
Edit: I was hired for a seasonal part-time position at Bath and Body Works!
I'm extremely nervous and I feel like I'll get fired within the first week of working because of the lack of experience I have. If all goes well, I would love to be rehired for part-time.
Near the end of September/start of October, I went to a job fair at the local mall with a few friends to find new jobs. With my lack of retail experience, I never got a call back. I applied in store at another mall weeks before but I handed in a resume with errors and a wrong contact number.. Not only did I screw up my resume the first time, I screwed myself over on the on-the-spot interviews at the job fair. Now I don't want to yab too much about my personal life cause I'm sure it bores you, let's start!
Note: When it comes to retail, appearance is important. If you do not look well-groomed and lively, you aren't going to be given a second chance. How can your employer expect you to sell something when you can't sell yourself?? You are like a product that your employer wants to buy onto their team!
Things To Do The DAY Before Job Hunting/Job Fairs:
1) Look over your resume for errors and wording. Include a separate reference page if you have any. If you have ideas of where you want to work, print a resume and reference sheet for each store and staple them together. And then, print extras to test your luck at other stores! Remember to carry the resumes in a thin binder or folder. Keep a pen and correction tape as some stores require you to fill out an extra application. Make sure you know what hours you want to work too!
2) Prepare an outfit - SUIT UP! You always want to look professional at a job fair or instore applications. You make a bigger statement than most people as they feel they can go casual before an interview. I recommend: (black or white) blouse, dress pants or skirt, matching blazer and dress shoes -flats or heels. Personally, heels make me feel confident and strong but it can be too dressy and uncomfortable so I recommend flats.
3) Are you going to wear makeup? Find neutral colors that will give you a healthy complexion and appearance. You'll want to keep it minimal. I'll leave the makeup I'm wearing the next day in a box ontop of my table so I don't have to dig the morning of. Recommendations: A brightening eyeshadow for the lid, matte peach for my arch waterline. And a coat of mascara to define my eyes. Don't forget concealer or tinted moisturizer for that even complexion! Skip the blush and opt for a tinted lip balm. Done, bam, I'm out the door!
4) Most interviewers and applications ask, "Why do you want to work here?". Do you know your answer? I like to research the stores I'm applying for to gain insight one what kind of workers the store is looking for. Your employer is looking for a well-informed, confident and, friendly employee! Practice your answers for typical interview questions and ....
5) The Hand Shake - it's an old one but a good one. Everyone talks about the firm but not hard handshake. I don't believe much in it but always initiate the handshake, it shows how confident you are!
6) Get 8 hours of sleep and drink loads of water. This is crucial! Even if you don't think you're dehydrated, it's has a side effect of sleepiness! You really want to feel AND look awake.
7) Confidence, confidence, confidence. Before sleeping, say all of the good things about yourself outload and why your employer should hire you!
Things To Do The Day Of:
1) Breakfast. Never skip breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day. Load up on the OJ! You're going to need all that energy. Job hunting is exhausting, okay??
2) Shower, dress, makeup. This should be easy as your outfit is laid out as is your makeup!
3) Resume, check. Hold that with you instead of in your purse incase of creasing and folding.
4) Keep a pack of gum and Kleenex in your bag. The gum is for the nerves but never chew during your interview. Kleenex is a must, you never know if you might spill something on yourself or catch a runny nose.
5) *Courtest of Shop N' Chomp* Get there early. Being an eager beaver is better than being tardy. There is no such thing as being "fashionably late"!
Honestly, I'm out of tips and ideas. I know and feel I am forgetting a load of them so if you have any to add, comment to share!
Chat Again Soon,
Ashley.
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
