Raise your hand if you thought the brand Jack Black was founded by Jack Black himself.
*Shamefully raises hand*
Yeah I'm silly but it turns out the brand which focuses on men's personal care was founded by three people: Curran Dandurand, Jeff Dandurand and Emily Dalton!
They are officially my significant other's skincare heroes or rather, my heroes. After a year of intense debates, the SO is finally convinced he needs a little bit of help with his problematic skin so he opted to try out Jack Black products. The SO likes Jack Black's color scheme and loves their pump bottle packaging. I love the fact that there's even a brand my SO can consider trying without hesitation.
What else do I love? The Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm.
Even though Jack Black products are produced and formulated upon men's needs and preferences, their lip balm is golden and I don't see why it would be wrong for the ladies to use them as well.
Jack Black Description:
Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 with Lemon & Chamomile
Enriched with superior skin conditioners and antioxidants, this emollient balm soothes and relieves dry, chapped, irritated lips. Unlike waxy sticks, it penetrates quickly to provide instant relief. Offers broad-spectrum sun protection with an SPF of 25; also guards against windburn and temperature extremes. Contains lemon and chamomile to refresh and calm. Fragrance-free. Colorant-free. Dermatologist tested.
What's in it?
UVA and UVB absorbers- Avobenzone(Parsol 1789) and Octinoxate--screen harmful UV rays.
Lemon and chamomile refresh and soothe.Shea butter and avocado oil soften and condition lips.Vitamin E and green tea extract, anti-oxidants which help protect lips from damage caused by UV-induced free radicals.
How and when do I use it? Apply to lips whenever they feel dry or chapped. Use 30 minutes before going out in the sun to protect against damaging UVA and UVB rays.
First, I will profess my love for the scent! The lip balm isn't edible but the scent makes you think otherwise. Lemon & Chamomile is deliciously sweet like candied lemons. It's not sour-y but it has a certain perkiness to it which makes it hard to detect the chamomile.
Second of all, Intense Therapy Lip Balms have chemical ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) absorbers - Avobenzone and Octinoxate - to protect lips from sun damage. With SPF 25, my lips are protected from 96% of UVB rays. The difference between SPF 25 and 30 (97%, my bare minimum) is only 1% so I can settle this time around. Also, some lip balms with SPF actually dry out my lips after prolonged use but Intense Therapy does not. This means I can finally stop my search for my holy grail lip balm with bonus sun protection!
Third and lastly, a little goes a long way because the texture is thicker than your average balm and I think this is why the lip balm can last up to 5 hours on my lips not including eating & drinking. Certain lip balms which won't be named would leave a gross rim of white residue on the inside of my lips after 5 hours of use but Intense Therapy doesn't. This is one of those lip balms that not only leaves my lips feeling incredibly soft after a night of use but they're soft all the time.
The lip balm is housed in a plastic squeeze tube with a slant-tip applicator. Nothing special but it's easy to clean if you're afraid of bacteria and germs spreading.
With all that I've said I can't be sure if all males would like this for use in public. It's not invisible but it looks like any other lip balm on my lips; not glossy nor greasy looking but the naked eye can tell what is and isn't a naked lip.
Bottom Line:
The Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Lemon & Chamomile is my holy grail lip balm. I highly recommend it but there are five other scents to choose from if you're not into lemon scented products. It's not cheap at $7.50 but the price tag isn't outrageous as this supersedes a basic lip balm. It's great as a treatment and boasts a decent amount of sun protection so this makes for a good all-year round lip balm!
Have you tried the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balms yet?
Who else was forced to wait an extra week or two for important mail or packages?
Among many, I was forced to wait but fortunately, one of two packages made it to my doorsteps the week before Canada Post went on strike.
All the way from Australia and sent by the lovely Adeline of Through Beauty Eyes, I received her one year blog anniversary giveaway prize:
I am/was most excited about the fact I'd be receiving something sent all the way from Australia.
It's not often I can say, "Oh hey, a parcel all the way from Australia". I have never ordered anything from the land down under but maybe that will change in the future.
So the giveaway prizes were jam packed in an extremely cute Rilakkuma square cosmetic pouch, also one of the prizes. It's a lilac colored pouch with stars and Rilakkuma heads spread out. The Rilakkuma heads are wearing a sleeping cap which I find is the cutest factor.
Inside the pouch was a mix of mostly foreign make-up goods. My excitement lies deep within the 'Made in Australia' goodies; Face of Australia, Australis and, Lucas Papaw Ointment.
Adeline included her holy grail eye liner as a prize - Maybelline Eyestudio Drama Lasting Gel Eyeliner in Brown - which also claims to be Japan's "No. 1 Eyeliner in Japan". I don't doubt it's HG-material nor a #1 product but I wonder if it's any different than the Western-produced Maybelline gel eyeliner. Perhaps I'll do a comparison post?
Deep within the pouch was a Palmer's Body Gloss which is a ultra rich body lotion that leaves my skin looking luminous as it contains very fine shimmer. It's probably going to look very good with a tan which means I better slap on some SPF & get baking!
The My Beauty Diary Mask in Cooling Mask included will help my sunburned face if I over bake! A few Korean pieces buried even deeper: Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in#06 Great Bear Star), Etude House Collagen Moistfull samples and, VOV false eyelashes!
Also included was a Prestige lipstick in Penny (gorgeous golden bronze shade) and Rimmel Color Rush Mono Eye Shadow in 310 Goddess (mossy green with a velvet/Perlé finish). The only thing un-photoed is the Easter egg chocolates & mint taffy's Adeline threw in. I ate them before I even swatched everything *oink*.
Yet another package from my significant other which ended up arriving late all thanks to Canada Post:
If you follow me on Twitter you should already be in the know about this "special" package I've been expecting. Any package from my SO is special and important but this one is the last one for a long while, seriously! No more spoiling this brat, no more he says!
Soompi's "Samples? Freebies? Coupons? Savings?" thread will be the bane of the SO's existence. I am always lurking the thread and when I came across this Laura Mercier deal back in May, I couldn't say not.
A combination of deals on Laura Mercier's website had me spiraling out of control. First the free shipping on $50 & up orders (easy). Any order over $85 at the time got a bonus 5-piece deluxe sample kit. Add in a $25 off $75 purchase code, plus a free full size foundation primer with the purchase of two face products and 3 regular samples... How could I not ask for a half-year birthday present?
Conclusion: Extremely good deal = justified. Spoiled brat + satisfied = well-behaved.
Best part of the package was the Jack Black duo and travel size slant tweezers by Tweezerman:
The SO made an order on Sephora for himself yet somehow I ended up being a part of the order. I can't say I mind much but hopefully this isn't the last time he makes an order for himself because a guy with good hygiene's will know how to wash dishes well for the future! If I cook, someone else has to clean.
That's all I received for June and I couldn't be any happier!
What did you receive in June or are expecting for July?
As you can tell, my eagerness got to me. I originally decided against testing the Korres Pomegranate Regimen Kit but I figured a new cleanser & moisturizer would do me no harm.
My dry and combination skin simply adores the texture of gel-based moisturizers so it's what I opt for all year-round. They absorb the quickest and hydrate the best while being extremely lightweight. They are also very kind to my oily t-zone.
Today's focus is on the Korres Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer/Cream-Gel.
Korres Description:
Lightweight cream-gel moisturizer provides immediate and lasting hydration while simultaneously balancing oily and combination skin.
Key Features & Benefits
- Lightweight cream-gel with Carob tree polysaccharides and Pro-Vitamin B5 provides immediate and long-term hydration while simultaneously balancing oily and combination skin.- Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins helps to tighten pores and tone skin.
- Vitamins C and E, in combination with Avocado extract, provide anti-oxidant benefits.
Key Ingredients
- Pomegranate extract: rich in tannins, tightens the pores and tones the skin.
What it is formulated WITHOUT
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
- GMO
- Triclosan
Now I understand why Cream comes before Gel in the title as the texture leans towards cream. As this moisturizer is suited for oily to combination skin, I find the formula too rich for oilier parts of my face. My t-zone feels greasy after applying this moisturizer and it doesn't fully absorb. Yet I notice the area around my nose and cheeks are dry and a bit patchy. Perhaps my oil glands are overcompensating by producing extra oil but what ever the case is, this moisturizer isn't balancing my skin whatsoever.
I have no visible pores either so I can't tell if there's any tightening or toning. The bright side is that I haven't broken out due to the Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser or this.
As for the scent, I find it questionable. I can't pinpoint a fruit or flower to associate the scent with and I had hoped to smell pomegranates but there's none of that here. It's still a light and fresh scent but it will dissipate within minutes anyhow.
Bottom Line:
My skin type isn't a match for this moisturizer so maybe oily/combination types will fair better. However, I urge those with dry to combination skin to skip this even if you're a gel-aholic like me. The price is alright ($32/1.25 fl. oz.) but it needs to actually work with my skin to be worth any amount of money. Remember to check the ingredients below if you have any ingredient concerns and allergies!
Ingredients
Aqua, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Mannan, Pentylene Glycol, Punica Granatum( Pomegranate) Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis(Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Sucrose Cocoate, Titanium Dioxide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Aluminium Oxide, Aluminium Stearate, Benzyl Alcohol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Geraniol, Glycerin, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Hexyl Cinnamal, Lauryl Glucoside, Limonene, Linalool, Methylparaben, Panthenol, Parfum, PEG-8, Persea Gratissima(Avocado)Oil Unsaponifiables, Polyglyceryl -2 dipolyhydroxystearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polysorbate-20, Propylparaben, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Zinc PCA.
Korres is a new favorite cosmetic brand of mine. The scents of their products are usually a miss for me but the products themselves are great. I also appreciate the fact that the brand is cruelty-free!
Since mid-May, I've been using the Korres White Tea Facial Fluid Gel Cleanser and while I have had no ill effects because of it, you must know all of the perks of this cleanser.
Korres Description:
Formulated with vegetable-derived soap substitutes-deeply cleanses and refreshes without dehydrating the skin.
Key Features & Benefits
- The gel with oat proteins rinses off easily, while softening and moisturizing the skin.
- Mild liquid gel is fine - lathering to avoid over-stripping the skin.
- The Selected combination of naturally derived cleansing agents ensures excellent tolerance to skin.
What it is formulated WITHOUT
- Parabens
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
- GMO
- Triclosan
This Korres cleanser is extremely basic. While it doesn't foam up as much as I like or remove thick layers of make up, this is the type of cleanser I'd recommend for the whole family or skeptical-about-skincare-boyfriends (such as mine).
Easy to describe, the scent is a lick of lemon and wash of white tea. Imagine: Hong Kong-style Lemon Tea. It's fresh and a bit calming; not overly-bright thus suitable for all sexes.
This cleanser foams up very lightly due to the SLS-derivatives but luckily my skin hasn't dried out because of it. To get the most out of the derivations, my favorite method to using this cleanser is taking two wet silicone face scrubbers and rubbing them together. This will generate enough bubbles to tame my bubble-holicism. The Clarisonic works well too but two scrublets is more affordable than a Clarisonic!
The stock photo shows a fussy pump-less bottle but since I have a squeeze tube sample, I can't comment on the packaging. My main concern is how easily this thin fluid cleanser can be diluted. Too wet of hands will rinse away the SLS-derivatives and the whole cleansing process will be less fun. It's safest to use two wet scrublets and a dry face. While the negative seems tedious, it also means the cleanser rinses off easily.
Bottom Line:
If you're interested in a basic cleanser good for yourself, usable for the family or beau then I highly recommend you try this. At $21 for 6.7 oz, available at Sephora, you can give it a try and return it easily if you dislike it. I understand some people need a cleanser that removes make up effortlessly but I enjoy a separate make up remover for that.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Betaine, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sucrose Laurate, Capryloyl Glycine, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrolysed Oats, Arginine, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Castoryl Maleate, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Lactic Acid, Linalool, Magnesium PCA, Manganese PCA, Panthenol, Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol, Zinc PCA.
*Bolded ingredients indicate SLS-derivatives.
Out of my 73 followers, only 12 have entered my recent giveaway.
No biggie, it only means the odds are less for the current 12 entrants!
If you're still interested in winning some goodies, the giveaway is still open but will close on June 30th.
The giveaway features a highly coveted Wet n Wild (8-pan) Palette and Annabelle Eyeshadow Quad with mystery eyeshadows included!
Enter to win in this post here.
Good luck everyone!
The last Hada Labo GOKUJYUN product I have to review is the Moisturizing Cream.
This moisturizer is my least favorite Hada Labo product but it's worthy of a short review nonetheless.
Sasa's Description:
Hadalabo is a newly mutually-developed brands operated by Rohto (Japan) and Mentholatum (USA), with the concept of 'Perfect & Simple’. They bring you a series of skincare products with the highest purity of ingredients under strict quality control.
HadaLabo GOKUJYUN Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion is infused with super hyaluronic acid which deeply penetrates into skin. It keeps on moisturizing and softening skin, meanwhile enhancing skin’s water-binding ability, leaving skin supple, smooth and radiant. Weak acid, no fragrance, and no colorant.
Same as the cleanser and lotion, the moisturizer is loaded with "super hyaluronic acid" but free of fragrance and colorant. Read the two reviews here and here.
The texture is that of a thick gummy-gel. Since the texture is thick and the formula is extremely hydrating, my face is left feeling and looking positively soft and hydrated the morning after I use it.
What I despise about the product is the application. It drags, literally. Half way through massaging the cream in, it'll get tacky and the tackiness prevents the cream from absorbing fully or allowing my fingers to glide smoothly across my face.
Thus, only 50% of the moisturizer absorbs and the remainder sits on top of my skin. You can only imagine how shiny my face looks. It's fine for night time but a definite no-go during the daytime even for the driest of skin. While there's noticeable shine, the feeling is more sticky than oily.
Housed in a jar, the packaging isn't too efficient or hygienic. The price however is commendable; less than $15USD. My mom paid $100HK/$13CAD for my jar at Bonjour. It's much cheaper than the Clinique Moisture Surge gel-cream and the results are the same.
Bottom Line:
Don't waste your effort hoarding this Hada Labo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream. Make a bee line for the GOKUJYUN Lotion instead. Seriously, why haven't you picked up the lotion yet??!
Normally I wouldn't bother mentioning shopping woes on the blog but here's an exception. Also, I don't want anyone else paying more than they should have to.
About a week ago (June 9th), I purchased a My Beauty Diary Alice in Wonderland gift set at T&T Supermarket-Metrotown for $24.99 pre-taxes. It was on sale down from $29.99; not much of a sale now that I think it over.
Two days following (June 11th), I wandered around T&T Supermarket-Renfew to find the same gift set going for $15.99, down from $29.99 as well. Did the math - it's a nine dollar difference from the Metrotown store. Overall, it's practically 50% off the original price whereas the discount at Metrotown is less than 20%.
Less than a week later (June 14th), I went back to T&T Metrotown to get a price adjustment. Hey, I'm too busy to chase store prices but I did send an email to customer service on the 11th. They never responded to me and now the official T&T Supermarket website is down for maintenance. Now I'm unable to get a phone number to contact head of Customer Service. What a load of bologna.
The Alice in Wonderland set is now off the shelves at Metrotown. Perhaps it's sold out but what bothers be most is that in-store customer service say T&T prices vary. Whether or not the locations are different, the prices shouldn't be different by 3o-40%. I'd say 10% is about right.
The rent may cost more at Metrotown but even that is a poor excuse for the difference in costs. T&T Supermarkets is a chain now owned by Loblaws. Loblaws policy allow customers to do price adjustments unless the stores are different by name. The stores aren't different by name, just by location. Even by location, we're not even states or provinces apart so the standard of living should be/is the same.
The customer isn't always right but in this case, I feel that I am.
While I had opened the first gift box, none of the contents were used. Even if I did, I could complain I am unsatisfied with the product and I want a refund. But of course T&T Supermarket won't even allow that. This is what you call a pathetic excuse for a return policy.
Customer Service so far has been unhelpful too.
Unless someone can explain to me all the differences and make me feel better about losing $9 in which I could have used towards buying another box of My Beauty Diary masks, my blog title will not change. T&T Supermarket is stupid.
This is my fair warning to all Burnaby, Vancouver, Surrey, and Coquitlam-residents. It appears that T&T's prices do vary from store to store. If you want to save the most money, go to one unattached to a large mall (Metrotown/Coquitlam).
I'd recommend Renfew's T&T any day since they carry a better variety of masks and for cheapest too. Metrotown does carry a better selection of hair products, cleansing oils, facial cleanser, and body soap.
Just to name a few Asian beauty products sold at T&T Supermarket, they're *hot* products that are highly raved about around Asia:
Hair - Palty, Prettia, Gatsby, Shiseido Tsubaki/Super Mild, Ascience
Skincare - Shiseido Perfect Whip (Cleanser/Oil), HIPITCH Cleansing Oil, Kracie Naive Cleansing Foam(s), Naris Up Skin Conditioner
Perhaps I'm missing a few things but if you've spotted anything special or spectacular at T&T that needs to be talked about, comment below!
P.S. Sorry for the rant, regular blogging will resume on Wednesday!
P.P.S. Don't like a picture-less post so check out these hotties:
The shopaholic that I'm always jealous of, Mallory of Rolsbak, recently awarded me the Liebster Award and it's now my turn to share the love!
I Google'd what 'Liebster' meant and it's a German noun for darling, beloved person, or sweetheart. Assuming this is true then the English translation would be, "The Darling Award" or "The Sweetheart Award". What ever it is, the idea behind this blog award is wonderful.
The Liebster Award is designed to be awarded to blogs with less than 300 subscribers to spread the blog love and get them out them out to a wider audience.
The Rules:
1. Post displaying the award,
linking back to the person who awarded you.
2. Pick 3 blogs and let them know they're awarded.
My Pick(s):
Liz of Beauty Reductionista.
I am biased towards Canadian Bloggers but honestly, Liz's writing style is precise and informative and it's exactly the what I like. My favorite post by her, here. My shopping addiction cooled down quite quickly thanks to that post. I read it now and then to remind myself not to accumulate junk!
Dani of call it beauty.
Oops, another fellow Canadian Blogger... Dani does a great job creating beautifully bold eye looks. I could never pull them off but a girl can still try!
Che of lovefemme.
Che does a few nail tutorials and here Galaxy Nails are my favorite. Along with pretty nail art, Che always buys the hottest shoes. I have considered robbing her if I were capable of it *cough*...
The brief descriptions of why I enjoy these blogs gives you insight as to why you should check out their blogs and follow them too. However, there is more to their blogs than what I like about them so regardless, go check out their blogs!
Again, thanks to Mallory who awarded me and the person (or people) who came up with this award ♥
P.S. Anyone can do this award; there is nothing wrong with sharing the spotlight with a few of your favorite bloggers!
P.P.S. Don't forget to join my "Tiny 50+ Follower Giveaway"!
At the beginning of May (or was it April?....), I realized I had 50 followers and prior to that I had promised myself I would celebrate with a giveaway if I reached that mark!
A month passes and now I find myself with 50+ followers. Now the number may seem small to you but it's very big to me.
I simply want to show my readers that I appreciate your time (ie. reading, commenting, skimming!) and if there's anything I can give back it's a few little goodies. Nothing special (all drugstore products) but it's free so who cares??!
Prize
Win an Annabelle Custom Quad Refillable Compact with FOUR mystery Annabelle Mono Eyeshadows, Wet n Wild Color Icon Collection in Comfort Zone, Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner for Hazel Eyes,C.O. Bigelow Mentha Organics Sheer Lip Tint in Sheer Rose, N.Y.C. Blushable Creme Stick in Berry New Yorker.
This giveaway is not sponsored by any brand. I purchased all the prizes with my own funds.
Rules
1) This giveaway is open to US/Canadian residents only. At this time, I can't afford international shipping but in the future I will include everyone possible!
2) You must be 18+ or have parental permission to give out a mailing address.
3) You must be a follower of Make Up Kismet. You can be an old follower or new!
4) You must leave a comment about anything.
(A few suggestions: What would you like to see on Make Up Kismet? What can I do to improve Make Up Kismet? What did you eat for dinner? What should I eat for dinner?!)
Please include your Google Friend Connect name and email address so I can contact you quickly. If you can't/won't leave your email address, I will announce the winner on the blog and you have 48 hours to respond. If you fail to respond, I'll choose another winner.
5) I'm offering three extra entries: Blog about my giveaway on YOUR blog (+1)
Include my giveaway on your blog sidebar and remember to comment below to tell me you did so with links back to your blog (+1).
Note: I will disqualify all blogs dedicated to giveaways.
This giveaway ends on June 30, 2011 at 11:59PM PST.
Again, the winner has 48 hours to respond or I will be forced to pick another winner.
I can't guarantee safe shipping so if the prize arrives busted up or doesn't arrive at all, I can't do anything about it. Blame the mail wo(men).
Good luck everyone :)
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.
