Product Review - Equate Medicated Apricot Scrub

Holy crap. Yes, yes that is a Wal-Mart brand you see!

This has been a staple of my shower and beauty routine for years. I have bad breakouts if I stop using this product, and I also use it as a body scrub, even though I think it is sort of intended more as a facial/neck product.

I always have wanted to try the St. Ives product upon which this store-brand is based, but I have never gotten around to it. Any comments from people who have tried one or both?

I think the one drawback is that the grit, which is (I think) ground walnut shell, can accumulate in your tub if you do not wash it away right away. Also, the salicylic acid, I have been told, can cause increased melanin production in your skin. Again -- anyone who can tell me if this is true, please comment!

I can definitely tell if I go a couple of days without using this. It is a great blemish control product, and I think an essential for anyone with unfortunately blemish-prone or oily skin. It's a nice body product, too, and I have never had any problems using it. :)

Product Review - Giovanni "Wellness with Chinese Botanicals" Shampoo and Conditioner

Hey guys! This afternoon I have a shampoo and conditioner set to talk about. I picked up a bunch of samples of Giovanni's "Wellness with Chinese Botanicals" shampoo and conditioner, so I wanted to try it and see how it worked.

Giovanni's has a lot of nice hair and body products. I usually love trying their samples, and they make pretty much the only shampoo/conditioner set for reds that is still on the American market. I love different botanicals, so I was expecting to really enjoy trying this.

Unfortunately, I was a little let down by this product. I would almost like to have tried it in bottle form, though, because I always worry that my impressions of foil samples are set by how large the foil sample packet was. In this case, I felt like it honestly just did not do a very good job of cleansing my hair. I have normal to oily hair, and it felt like it did very little to remove the oil -- or maybe that was just because of the shampoo packet size?

It has a nice scent, and I think the botanicals do add a bit to the quality, especially of the conditioner. I had no trouble combing my hair after using it, and I think they probably would do a lot of good for the scalp after being used for the long-term.

On the whole, this might be better either rotated with a better shampoo to get the herbal benefits or used by somebody who has fewer oil issues. As it is, I am still on the fence unless I get a larger sample to try.

Product Review - Derma E "Very Clear Problem Skin Cleanser"

I have another Natural Grocers sample to share with you today! I had built up a good two week supply of the "Very Clear Problem Skin Cleanser" samples which they had available, so I finally decided to give them a try.

I really like this product! I have to admit -- I use it along with an acne-treatment exfoliant, but even so (and even without being really committed to using it regularly), I have noticed a definite improvement in my breakouts. I am rather surprised. For some reason, I have developed a weird mental hangup on cleansers -- if they do not exfoliate, for some reason I think they do nothing, as if they are blocked by dead skin. It only recently occurred to me that I could exfoliate first.

It washes off with no apparent residue, and I actually like the tea tree oil scent. It has not really cleared up the blackheads I battle, but it does seem to do a very good job controlling blemishes. I admit -- I am a little worried that they will come back before I buy a full-size!

As a side note, it does seem to be sold now under a new name -- "Clear Skin 1 Problem Skin Cleanser". It redirects now to this product on Amazon. If anyone knows for sure this is the case, please do comment below.

Product Review - Soothing Touch "Peppermint Rosemary Herbal Salt Scrub"

 

I'll have a few other posts this weekend, but to start, I had a short and quick product review for you guys.

Over Christmas, I found a sample of Soothing Touch's "Peppermint Rosemary Herbal Salt Scrub". I've been using my little sample since then. I have a mixed review, but I think my "issues" are really just my-skin peculiar, so I'm going to start by saying that I do like the product overall. :)

I like the smell and texture of the salt scrub, though it disappears very quickly when used on wet skin. I always use a apricot/walnut shell exfoliant, so I have become really accustomed to being able to achieve a substantial amount of scrubbing power. I think this still exfoliates pretty well.

I also think that this is supposed to be very moisturizing, and has the essential oils to accomplish this. However, I have fairly oily skin, and although I could be incorrect, it felt like it was hard to get the product off. Again, this could be intentionally left-over to moisturize, but without knowing that for a fact, I have to say that it felt like it clung to my skin after I'd "washed" it.

The smell is very nice, and I do think that it kept my skin smooth. People with dryer skin might really like this product; if you don't mind the "moisturizing" aftereffects, other skin types should, too.

Product Review - Larabar "Peanut Butter Cookie"

Good evening, everyone!

I had a yummy in my last Birchbox. I know that this isn't that big of a deal to most of you, but I actually like it when I get to try food samples in my subscriptions. I'm always really surprised when people are upset about them! Remember, loves, that beauty isn't always just a product you slather on... 

So I have a Larabar mini (100 calorie!) to share with you guys today. This was a timely and awesome present, because up until Monday I had been dieting really well, and I am becoming a big fan of these kinds of small bars. They get you to satiation really quickly, which is awesome.

I liked this one; I had it as a breakfast bar and it was really good. I think that these are some of the better bars on the market; I will probably be picking up a set of these to mix with my RawRev variety pack of minis.

Thank you Birchbox!

Product Review - Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in "Sugar Pink"

This evening I have a beauty product to share with you. I have the Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in "Sugar Pink" today.

This was in my Birchbox for November, 2011. While I was happy to receive the product, though, I rarely to never wear bright pinks, so this was a real departure from my routine to wear.

The gloss is very sticky, and is applied with a little plastic paddle. This worked well -- when I could get enough product on the paddle. I think I used a lot of my gloss very quickly, though, because I've only applied it 5 or 6 times, and now to get any gloss on the paddle, I have to rescrew it into the little tube to reach the gloss that is left in there.

It lasts okay, though nothing too special. On the other hand, I didn't think it was any less durable than other lipglosses I have tried. It also didn't make my lips break out in a weird rash, which is always a plus.

I hope that Birchbox eventually sends me this sample in Bellini, the "peach" version of this sample.

Product Reviews - Conscious Box December 2011

I have a few product reviews to share with you today from my December 2011 Conscious Box. The first I have is my sample packet of Chimes Ginger Chews. 

Some of you may know that I am an absolute ginger fanatic. I love it in cooking and in candy/snack form, so I was really happy to see this product in my first Conscious Box! 

My flavor was peppermint, which was awesome. I have never had a peppermint ginger candy before, but it tasted amazing. I also have to say that I am incredibly grateful to have had this product around. At the risk of TMI, I had a bad infection and resulting antibiotics (and resulting steroids/antihistimines for the resulting allergy to the antibiotics), and with all that combined, I had some bad bouts of nausea. Ginger chews are better than the best anti-nausea drugs on the market, so I can honestly say that these kept me functional during finals week and before Christmas!

My second product for today is a sample packet of Justin's Nut Almond Butter. This was an awesome sample. It has a slightly more subtle flavor than peanut butter, but it tastes amazingly fresh and flavorful on sandwiches. I will definitely be purchasing this in the future! I have always wanted to try almond butter. Not much to say except that all of you should try it! I imagine this might be a nice substitute for peanut butter sometimes to get a change-up nutritionally, too. :)

That's all for now! I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend if you are in the US.

Product Review - Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze

Hello, everyone!

I have a product from my October 2011 Birchbox to share with you. I received a small tube of Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in the "Bronze" shade.

Although I know better, since I have no real facial bone structure to speak of without it, I rarely wear a blush or bronzer/sculptor product. I am so glad that I received this product, because now I most definitely do, and I can definitely tell that my beauty regimen is improved because of it. I have worn it both under my foundation, as it is supposed to be worn, and on top as more of a blusher.

I have more bluish undertones than golden, but this works very well overall. I am glad that I had the chance to try it, and I finally look like I have some cheekbones! I will definitely be repurchasing this once I run out of my trial.

Product Review - Befine Lip Serum

 Hey guys!

Today I have the Befine Lip Serum that came in my October 2011 Birchbox. I have been using it off and on for a few weeks to see how it worked.

As backstory, I have a love-hate relationship with lip gloss. I do not have sensitive skin at all, but I have strange, semi-allergic reactions to a lot of lip products -- but never lipstick. I think sometimes it has to do with the fact that I have an allergic to bee-products (bee wax and honey, chief among them), and a little bit of that can be hiding in the product.

This product does not have any bee-product, so I was in luck. :) I had a very, very slight chapping that started a week after I started to use it, but nothing like my usual "clown lips" reaction to most lip glosses/chapstick, so I  can say that I can actually use this and may continue to!

On to what you guys actually want to know, since you don't have my bizarre reactions, haha. It has a mild "flour" taste which is actually very clean and refreshing. It also contains chamomile and beets, and is a very nice, natural product. I liked this a lot! I love Befine's "food skin care" idea, and I will probably pick this up in a full-size when I run out of my generously-sized sample.

A definite Birchbox winner! I was happy to try it.

As a note to other new Birchbox people, I am really disappointed to see that you cannot leave feedback for items once you receive a new box. :( This is a bad flaw -- I sometimes need more than a few weeks to really decide if I like a product. Bummer.