Happy 2013 everyone! (ノ ゜∀゜)ノ*`☆*
Okay, okay I know I'm majorly late on the New Year celebrations but whatever. Better late than never, right? We're far into January now but I seriously wanted to blog at least once this month. Don't worry, this won't be a recap of 2012 but more a long the lines of a haul with quicky reviews. Most of the products were purchased near the end of December and a few during this month but all of which were tested recently.
Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment
Only starting to test this out but so far? LOVE. The first time I used it, it shrunk a HUGE pimple overnight. I am not exaggerating when I say "huge". The pimple literally looked like a third nipple growing on my face (－‸ლ)
Andalou Naturals Moisture Rich Shampoo (Argan & Sweet Orange)
Shampoo isn't something I splurge on but that isn't to say I'll settle for any cheap drugstore shampoo. Aside from a low price I also need my shampoo to be sulfate-free and smell phenomenal. Andalou's Argan & Sweet Orange scented shampoo smells like orange creamsicles! The scent is very light and doesn't linger which saddens me but it is still the second best sulfate-free shampoo I've tried so far (Alba Botanica's Colorific Plumeria is #1!). It foams up easily but doesn't leave the scalp feeling dry and scaly. It also leaves my hair soft and I frequently skip conditioner when using this shampoo.
Lush Let the Good Times Roll
Lush did it right with this cleanser-exfoliator hybrid. Let the Good Times Roll is perfectly grainy and leaves the skin feeling soft and new. I can't even begin to describe how delicious it smells either. It's like caramel popcorn but so much better. I've seriously contemplated eating the stuff...
Klorane Mango Oil Spray
When I first read about this hair oil on Jessica's blog Getting Cheeky I knew I had to try it. Unfortunately for me, this is the one Klorane product not available in Canadian stores. Months later I enlisted the help of Mr. Waffle (my wonderful SO and mule) and purchased a bottle through Drugstore.com. I tried it a few times but so far I only like the smell of the oil.
Hurraw! Root Beer Lip Balm
Someone on Soompi posted a picture of Hurraw! lip balm and my lip balm addict self had to try one out too. My good friend E helped buy this for me at UBC's book store but we've since found out American Apparel carries a decent selection of the brand's flavors. The scents are very accurate to the flavors but the balm itself isn't the balm-b (get it, bomb? balm-b? LOL). It's a thin balm that doesn't last for more than 2 hours but when you're hankering for a yummy smelling lip balm, Hurraw! will have you covered.
That's about it for this post but I hope you liked it! I certainly enjoyed trying out different brands and discovering new favourites. It felt like I was swimming in the same pool of brands and featuring the same products over and over again last year but now it's time for change! Who's with me?!
Do you know what time it is? It's empties time, fool! And this time there's a truck load of tossed items too. Despite finishing a bunch of the "good stuff", all of the "bad stuff" has resisted emptying. Thus, I was forced to toss a pile of crap in Round 5.
Emptied
Tossed
Tally
Full Size: 9
Deluxe/Travel Size: 8
Samples: 15
Sheet Masks: 10
Tossed: 7
Products I Hate(d) Emptying but Will Repurchase:
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate (reviewed here), Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Lemon (reviewed here), Bison Wakilala Bright Up! Essence (reviewed here), Lush Angel's Delight soap, Lush Lemony Flutter (review to come), Lush Fresh Face Mask in Cupcake, Caudalíe Premieres Vendanges Moisturizing Cream (definitely purchasing the full size!).
Everything else? Nothing worth mentioning or re-mentioning, especially the items being tossed. Tossed items are either a) old or b) old and crappy. The Mentholatum Acnes Tinted UV Milk was actually quite nice but I turned too dark for it after I tanned last year. Since then, the UV Milk hasn't seen any love and the product turned sour to punish me.
Honestly, this round of empties felt quite blah. It brings me no joy to empty truly amazing products and tossing things I spent hard earned cash on. I also feel like my emptying mojo is depleting again... Help! Tell me what you've emptied recently!
Long story short, I am no longer visiting the SO in April. Instead, he will visiting me again in July. He is coming to meet my parent's for the first time... It is going to be so much fun /sarcasm and [insert immense dread here]. And since I am no longer visiting the SO, he mailed out my birthday present instead. (He didn't think I could wait until July to receive my present. He was right.)
Kate Somerville Ultimate ExfoliKate Kit / MAC 130 & Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder / Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie / Paul & Joe Blusher Stick in 003 Minou / Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar & Hermosa Rose
I know, I know. Don't stone me! A luxury size Exfoli-Kate? Illamasqua blush? Paul & Joe kitty blush? The Milani rose powders? *Spoiled*
Note for my fellow Canadian beauty lovers - I tried tracking down the Milani powders for us but no luck. After visiting my local Sears and a few Superstores I have come to the fine conclusion that our stores are just slow. Think about it - we got a few of those much loved baked blushes didn't we? We'll have these illuminators in no time... I just know it!
From Liz, the Beauty Reductionista -
CLEAN Provence & Original & Simply Soap / ONE Shea Butter Lip Balm
She's also a fellow March baby! March babies are awesome, end of story! Oh, and we also smell the best ;P
To top it all off, some things from Sasa -
Hada Labo AHA + BHA Facial Cleanser / Rosette Hello Kitty Apple Gommage / Essential Rich Premier Ultra Honey Hair Mask / Mentholatum Hand Veil
I'm almost out of my favourite cleanser so when Sasa happened to have another free shipping, I had an order ASAP. I was really surprised with how fast this order shipped. It processed in 2 days and arrived 7 days later. Maybe it was a stroke of birthday month luck but shipping is normally never this quick.
Overall, my happiness rating for March is a solid 8 out of 10. It would be a full 10 out of 10 but I was drowning in presentations and papers this month. There was also the case of the cake-less birthday dinner.. but all in all, March was a good month. Wouldn't you agree?
How many of you are willing to spend big bucks on skincare products? I for one will spend a little to a lot and like always it just depends on the product.
Recently, I purchased a travel size (0.5 oz) tube of the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment. I was caught up in the moment of splurging but at least I knew better than to purchase the 2 oz tube at $85. Alright, so paying $19 for the travel size wasn't extremely painful but when I make the plunge for the full sized, I will be shedding pennies from my eyes not tears.
Sephora's Description:
A dual action exfoliation method.
What it is formulated to do
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment is Kate's top-selling product, and the next best thing to seeing Kate in the Clinic! Treat yourself to this at-home facial for fantastic, instant results. This signature formula works both physically and enzymatically to deliver safe, dramatic results in one application. It effectively combats acne and blackheads, reduces discoloration, and polishes skin for a smooth complexion. Welcome to healthy skin, a healthy glow, and a healthy you!
What else you need to know
This expert formula harnesses the power of fruit enzymes to clarify skin by removing dead cells and eliminating bacteria. It is ideal for all skin types, except sensitive skin.
As characterized, ExfoliKate is a 2-in-1 treatment - it works like a mask and exfoliator. The treatment is to be left on clean, wet skin for 30 seconds tops. In the 30 seconds the treatment is left alone, you may feel the enzymes begin to eat away at dead skin cells. While rinsing off the treatment, the minuscule grains in the creamy moss green concoction will slough off the aftermath.
What I find so spectacular about ExfoliKate is not how smooth it makes my face feel but how it also helps raise small whiteheads to the surface allowing me to deal with them sooner than later. After using the treatment, I take a blemish extracting tool to weed out the gunk in the pores on and around my nose. This part while gross really makes a difference in the clarity of my skin.
This is an intensive treatment in the sense it produces temporary redness but I felt no tingling or burning sensations like I've read about. I didn't experience tight, itchy, dry skin after using this either but it's always important to apply a moisturizer after.
Alas, such a promising product comes with two setbacks. First there is the heavy price tag and then a naughty ingredient that goes by the name, paraben. After reading Karley's insightful post on parabens - here - I am wary of buying any more products that contain them.
Bottom Line:
Based on ingredients alone, I don't think I can recommend this. If the other two versions (there are 3) of ExfoliKate yield the same results as the Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, then I would recommend giving those a try as they are paraben free!
Based on price alone, I would still recommend ExfoliKate. It does a far better job than I expected it would and it's well worth the money.
Ingredients
Water, Lactic Acid, Polyethylene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Pectin, Carica Papaya Fruit, Lactobacillus/Cucurbita Pepo Fruit, Ferment Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Papain, Bromelain, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Mel, Acetic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Salicylic Acid, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cinnamal, Potassium Sorbate, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Beta-Carotene (CI 75130), Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex (CI 75810).
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.
