Tag Archives: Shopping

Pre De Provence Shea Butter Enriched Soap – Red Currant

8 Jun

pre de provence red currant

Holla! Look who’s in the house!

Love this soap. I have liked Pré de Provence Soaps for some time – you can get them in places like Pharmaca, PCC, and Whole Foods, so I trust the brand; they have a ton of scents to choose from; the bars last a REALLY long time, especially compared to glycerin soaps; the price is reasonable; and they are a Produit de France, which makes me say ooh la la and feel oh so fancy!

I tried Pré de Provence’s Red Currant Exfoliating Bar for the first time a few weeks ago and I am IN LOVE! The smell is absolutely fantastic – fruity and citrusy and sweet, it scented my whole bathroom in a very light and lovely way. Additionally, it has little bits in it that help gently exfoliate your skin as you wash, and I am a total sucker for soaps like that. Some soaps do it wrong – the bits are too rough, or there are too many, and you feel like you’re washing with a brillo pad. Not so with this soap – the bits are just the right size, shape, and amount to give you a gentle scrub.

I have an entire drawer of soaps, so I had to stop myself from buying a dozen of these after I tried it, but it’s going on my shortlist of soaps to buy again, and I’ll definitely be giving them as gifts (in fact, I already have).

Well done, Pré de Provence – your Red Currant soap, c’est magnifique!

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Naked Princess/theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer/October’s Birchbox

19 Nov

I kinda love Birchbox. And by that I mean I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with them. I am always excited to get my surprise box of samples in the mail. I am always excited to open it. But I am only sometimes excited by the samples inside. I have to stay faithful to them, because they did introduce me to my favorite hair product ever, Orofluido. And I have NEVER been faithful to a hair product as long as I have to Orofluido. It’s truly the best. But sometimes their boxes are just meh. However, they can’t have a home run every month, I guess, so I try to be patient.

Well last month’s box was not just a home run, but a straight up grand slam. TWO products I love AND a product so ridiculous that it’s blog worthy. How much more can a girl ask for?!?

First the good – theBalm cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer. Super cute “luminizer” you’re meant to be able to use all over your face. I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of anything that makes my face look shiny – it’s not a good look on me. Or, I think, on most women who are not either at a photo shoot or on a runway. But that’s just personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. That said, I DID use it as an eyeshadow and it is DARLING! A lovely, shiny gold color, just enough to be noticeable without being overbearing or too fancy. A perfect every day shadow. My main issue with this one is the cartoon woman on the front of the packaging, who looks just like this girl I used to know and hate. I might scribble her face out or something to make it easier for me to use it. Otherwise, a great product.

Next, the even better – Naked Princess Naked Shine Lip Gloss. Okay, again, main issue is very superficial – the name. “Naked Princess?” Are you effing serious? What…. I don’t… Okay moving on. The color I received was called Barely Nude and it is SO fabulous! It really is very nude, but shiny shiny, soft, not sticky, and smells like white chocolate! I can’t say enough good things about this gloss. If you’re looking for a sweet, pretty, simple, every day gloss, you found it. I went on Amazon and bought several more in different colors and I don’t regret a one. I am, however, embarrassed to tell people the name. Naked Princess… Jesus.

And finally, the most hilarious – tili Bags Small. Ahhahahaha, ahhhhahahahahaha, hahahaha, haha, ha – you’re kidding, right? Because I see you calling it a “Lifestyle extra” and a “stylish reusable bag” but it’s actually a crappy Ziploc, not even as heavyweight as the Hefty Zip bags I use, and it’s kinda ugly, and you’re trying to sell me 12 of them for $8.50, when I can get 22 heavier weight and more see-through Hefty quart-size bags for $2.68. (Let me break that down for you – that’s 12¢ for a Hefty bag, or 71¢ for a “tili” fashion bag. Made of plastic. Exactly like the Hefty bag. But not as heavyweight.) I just couldn’t let this one go, Birchbox. Super silly. Nice try, though.

Anyhow, all that said, last month was a real coup for the Birchbox! Two awesome items, one HEElarious item, and one happy shopper. Well done!

 

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Caudalie

17 Oct

Ah the long awaited Caudalie Blog!

I have been promising this for months but failed to deliver. Well HERE I AM!

I started using Caudalie maybe six months ago (maybe a year ago? It’s been awhile) and have noticed a dramatic change in my skin. It’s better hydrated (so much so that the aesthetician I see a couple times a year for facials actually remarked on it), clearer, softer, more refined, and with fewer wrinkles and less noticeable pores. It feels healthy and looks healthy and honestly I think I owe most of the “pregnancy glow” comments I have gotten not to Junior but to Caudalie products.

So what am I using? Well, that’s the tricky part, and part of what has held me up from writing this blog for so, so long. Although I have stuck entirely to Caudalie products, I have drifted between different ones and found them all largely to work the same! Now obviously I don’t mean a cleanser is a serum is a moisturizer (duh), I just mean the cleansers are largely the same, the serums are largely the same, etc. ad nauseum. I have found it’s less about which specific Caudalie products I choose, and more about the regimen I follow. And that regimen is:

AM

  • Wash
  • Eye moisturizer (under eyes and around sides)
  • Serum
  • Moisturizer

PM

  • Wash/Cleanse
  • Lip Balm
  • Serum
  • Moisturizer

If you go to Caudalie’s website, you can customize what regimen you want, but again – I have found most of the products to be pretty comparable, regardless of price. This is important, because some of the products (such as the Premier Cru line) are priced OUTRAGEOUSLY and offer little benefit other than those I find from all their products (that line does smell especially nice). Additionally, part of the reason I have switched products multiple times is that they keep discontinuing the products I am using. I am not sure what’s going on, but it’s pretty annoying. Thankfully, since all the products are similar, it’s not been too much of a hassle.

There are always exceptions to every rule, however. That being said, here are the Caudalie products I STRONGLY endorse:

  • Caudalie Beauty Elixir – Not part of my daily routine, but a lovely, refreshing water you can spritz on your face any time. Especially nice in the hot summer months after spending some time in the sun.
  • Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser - LOVE this, my go-to face wash. NO sulfates but nice and sudsy, gets my face uber clean without drying it. Much prefer it over their gentle cleanser, which leaves me feeling greasy. Could not recommend this more highly.
  • Caudalie Vinosource Riche Moisturizer – Pricey but worth it, and lasts forever. Super thick and hydrating, maybe not for those with oilier complexions. For me it is PERFECT. I mix a pea-sized dollop with…
  • Caudalie Divine Complexion Tinted Mineral Cream – Don’t be scared! I do not get a line. I mix a pea-sized drop of this with an equal amount of the Vinosource Riche, rub them between my hands, and smooth them all over my face, jaw, and down onto my neck. The difference is VERY subtle but definitely brightens up my sometimes sallow complexion. THIS is the pregnancy glow, ladies, combined with a dusting of my favorite bronzer.
  • Caudalie Cleansing Water – A little of this on a cotton pad and all my makeup is gone. Soft and gentle.
  • Caudalie Moisturizing Concentrate – My go-to before bed serum. Smells fantastic and gives an extra moisture layer.

So I love Caudalie. I think this is the longest I have EVER stuck to a single product line in my life. I am actually convinced that there is nothing better at a comparable price currently available on the market. If I had to choose just one product to insist you try, it would be the Foaming Cleanser. Two, and it would be that and the Tinted Mineral Cream. Both have changed my life and my perspective on skin care.

Even so – the most important thing about caring for your skin is not the brand you choose but how it works for you. There are some fabulous drug store brands out there, and some fabulous top of the line brands. Be consistent, explore, and find what makes your skin look its best!

 

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It’s a Beautiful Day for a Contest!

9 Aug

Today, I won a prize from Nest, the home organization company here in Seattle who is attempting to help me get my life together as I move all our belongings from the house my husband has resided in for 20 years to the house we just finished remodeling WHILE I AM PREGNANT. (No, I’m not at all overwhelmed, why do you ask?!?)

Anyhow, Nest is awesome, and you should enter their contest, BUT you should also enter my contest!

I am thinking, I have some favorites. And I want to share them with you lovely people. So how about a giveaway a month till the baby comes and makes me give up doing everything I have time to do now? YES!

This month’s giveaway will be a little happy Caudalie gift set. I have been raving about Caudalie for months now, and I know I still have yet to write the blogs to back up my love, but I will, I WILL! In the meantime, how do you feel about THIS:

It’s a Caudalie travel kit! Included are mini bottles of:

-Vinosource Quenching Sorbet Creme
-Cleansing Water
-Nourishing Body Lotion
-Fleur de Vigne Shower Gel
-Gentle Conditioning Shampoo

I haven’t even had a chance to try all these products myself, but I can attest that the Cleansing Water is awesome, and the Sorbet Cream is totally divine (or de vine, get it? Since their products are made of grapes? See what I did there?)

ANYHOO, sign up for this fun little giveaway – you don’t have long to enter, as I am going to do the drawing for this one on the 31st – and then next month look to win another of Kate’s Favorite Things, before diapers take over my life.

ENTER THIS CONTEST HERE, NOW!: Caudalie Travel Set Giveaway!

xoxo

PS. If you enter and say you did things you didn’t do, I will know! Yes I will, and you will lose your entries. So don’t cheat!

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Carol’s Daughter Chocolät Shampoo & Conditioner

6 Aug

So I just did my standard Google image search to find an image of this stuff to include, and I got a lot of photos of Black women. I know the founder, Lisa Price, is Black, but are Carol’s Daughter’s products really supposed to be, like  formulated exclusively for Black people? Because I have news: I FREAKING LOVE THIS STUFF. And I am as White as they come.

I’m pretty particular when it comes to shampoo and conditioner. I have been burned recently (see Organix and Phyto, ugh), have crazy hair, and require my shampoos to be sulfate free. I want my hair to feel clean, smell good, but also be tamed at least somewhat (no crazy frizz or flyaways, not impossible to get a brush through). This makes me a bit of a tough customer. I still LOOOOVE Alterna‘s line, but I like to switch it up, especially in the hair department. I went on Sephora recently and found that they have helpfully added a sulfate-free search criteria. I chose a few different shampoo/conditioner combos and ordered up.

Carol’s Daughter’s Chocolät line was first up at bat and, oh, can I marry it?!? Smells AWESOME (but NOT like chocolate, be forewarned)*, gets my hair clean and soft and brushable, and is, of course, sulfate-free. Can’t wait to use up the bottles and buy more for the next round! Nicely done, Lisa!

ONLY complaint – the dispensers are a bit awkward. But with a product this good, I can totally overlook it!

*Not sure how to define the smell exactly – not gourmand in any way. More herbal-y/natural, like sandalwood a little? Anyhow my husband can’t stop smelling me either, so it’s an all-around win.

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Anastasia Hydrafull Gloss

1 Aug

Meh.

Sephora was giving full-size tubes of this stuff in “Moi” away for free (I dunno if they still are, but you can try – the promo code is MOI). That should have been a clue that maybe I wasn’t going to love it (nothing good comes free in full size, in my experience). But enough parenthetical statements (okay, just one more, for funsies).

The gloss is thick and a little sticky, which is okay. The color is nice, a good neutral on me. And the smell is nice – a kind of pleasant vanilla sugar smell. But the applicator ruins it all! They show it above – see the image in the upper right that looks like it’s going BOI-OI-OI-OING? That’s it. The applicator is a paddle (?) type – flat plastic. I have used this type of applicator in the past with success but there’s something different about this one – perhaps it’s the width of it, or the thickness of the gloss itself. Either way, me no likey. It gives NO precision, which is pretty imperative with a semi-opaque gloss, and I ended up either applying too much or too little and then having to smooth out with my finger, which completely defeats the purpose of the applicator. After two uses, it’s being relegated to my giveaway pile, which is sad, because it has everything else going for it.

Re-release in a foam-tipped applicator wand, Anastasia! Do it!

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Ojon Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy

30 Jul

 

 

I wanted to love it, I really did. Look at it! You have to shake up the bottle to “blend” the oils together – so gimmicky, how could I help but try it? Sadly, for me, Ojon Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy was a fail. Not a TOTAL fail – it’s not like it was horrible – but it didn’t work on my crazy hair. It does smell nice and the blending aspect is undeniably cool. The oil has a nice texture and I didn’t need much to do the trick. But I tried it in varying amounts and the result was always the same – weighed down, greasy-looking locks. Now as I have mentioned before, I do have very thick yet fine hair, so if your hair is coarser than mine – or if you like the weight/effect of Argan Oil or Moroccan Oil – you may find this divine. For now, though, I am sticking with my favorite and still champion, Orofluido Beauty Elixir.

 

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Phyto Haircare

20 Jul

As I started this post, I was undecided about whether to link to these products for purchase. I promised when I started it that I would ONLY link to products I endorse, and there are some good things about these. Finally I asked myself: Would I buy them again? And I realized no, I wouldn’t, so there’s no reason to encourage you to.

I’m only realizing now, as I type this, that Phytojoba actually contains sulfates. I don’t know how the hell I missed this – as you may know from reading my blog, I am trying to eliminate sulfates from my life. I am usually hypervigilant about them, especially with shampoos, since shampoos contain sulfates about 90% of the time. Maybe it was the leaves on the label, maybe it was all the “natural” ingredients they claim to have, I don’t know. But I missed the sulfate connection until right this minute, which further cements my decision not to recommend.

So, Phytojoba – what’s good? It smells sensational, like coconut vanilla cookies. Not too overwhelming, not like a sunscreen, like a delicious cookie, like a kitchen with something fantastic baking. It has a nice lather (sulfates) and seemed to get my hair quite clean. What’s not so good? Why the hell is this stuff so runny?!? This is the second shampoo I have used recently with this consistency – is this a new thing? I do not like it. It’s basically got the consistency of cough syrup – slightly viscous, but mostly liquid. What this means is if you cup your hand and pour the shampoo into it (and granted, I haven’t taken any polls, but isn’t this what most people do?), it just runs right out of your hand and down the drain. Today I poured a teaspoon at a time into my hand, quickly applied it to my hair, and repeated until I felt like I had enough. If you have long, thick hair, this is a total waste of time and complete annoyance. That about covers Phytojoba – smells good, horrible consistency, and the sulfates put it over the edge into “do not want” territory.
Phytobaume is Phyto’s “normal” hair conditioner -

Highly concentrated in softening mallow extract, this lightweight conditioner gently detangles hair while eliminating static electricity. Hair immediately becomes easier to style, and regains its shine and silky softness.

LIES! It did not detangle my hair. My hair was NOT easier to style. It smelled fine and my hair looked fine after dry but I had to use even more Orofluido than normal in order to get the brush through. Yesterday my husband came into the bedroom to find me sitting on the bed after my shower looking sadly defeated. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “My hair,” I answered. I’d spent about 20 minutes trying to get the brush through – long enough that my arm hurt from brushing. He offered to help and when he tried, was horrified at the rat’s nest he found. So, Phytobaume gets even fewer stars than Phytojoba – the smell is just okay, and it doesn’t seem to do the most basic tasks I ask of a conditioner.

No good. Do not recommend either of these Phyto haircare products, and won’t be buying them – or trying any other Phyto products – again.

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Borghese Bagno Di Vita Body Soak

19 Jul

 

First let me tell you I traditionally HATE baths, for multiple reasons. One, I don’t like how fast the water cools down. Two, I don’t like the idea of sitting in a stew of my own dirt. And three, and this is the most important reason and may actually even be the parent reason that the other reasons just branch off of, I am bigger than normal bathtubs and it’s both uncomfortable and disheartening for me to try to sit in one. Enter our new, custom-designed bathroom WITH Victorian-style slipper tub, and cue the Hallelujah chorus. FINALLY a bathtub that I feel normal in. Between the fact that I have a gorgeous bathtub that fits my gorgeous body, and the fact that I am now subjected to all sorts of pregnancy aches and pains, I have actually been on the lookout for bath products that a) don’t contain sulfates, and b) don’t make me feel all dry. Enter Borghese Bagno Di Vita Body Soak.

I got two little packets of Borghese Bagno Di Vita Body Soak (in French underneath that says Oil for the Bath, which is kind of a lie, because it’s not an oil at all but a powder/salt, but I digress) in my Birchbox last month. I love that they sent me two packets because sometimes it’s hard to tell if you really like something after only one shot. This is a direct quote from their packaging – you can’t make this stuff up:

Receive the luxurious skin treatment of hydrotherapy – a therapeutic soak in mineral waters – in the comfort of your own home. Mineral infused crystals transform your bath into an oasis of calm, blue waters while the uplifting scent of botanical oils soothes tense, tired muscles.

Okay, I guess SOMEBODY made that stuff up, but still. An oasis? Really?

In spite of the silly description, I have to say, I fully endorse this product! I dumped the packet into my bath and it turned it a pretty blue color. No bubbles, but that’s usually what sulfates do, so that was okay. Additionally, even though it’s a powder, it really did feel like an oil! I left the bath feeling soft, silky, and refreshed – NOT like I’d just been soaking in my own filth for half an hour. The smell is pleasant, herbal, and spa-y, and I actually didn’t even need to use the second packet to know I wanted more – I just went ahead and bought some. I used it again a couple nights ago with an equally pleasant result.

Nicely done, Borghese! Now work on that copy.

 

 

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Simplify your nighttime routine!

29 Jun

If you read my previous post regarding washing my face at night, you know for awhile, I was using SpaSilk washcloths and water.

This is a great and cost-effective way to wash your face before bed. Water – free from the tap. SpaSilk washcloths – $9 for unlimited uses. Environmentally friendly because you’re not washing any soap down the drain (except when you wash them) and you’re not throwing anything away. The only con, I found, was if I fell behind on my laundry, I ran out of washcloths. Kind of a pain in the rear, and traveling with them isn’t really a viable option, either, given that I can usually barely find enough room for all my shoes in my luggage. I decided to try other options.

Enter Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloths.

I got a free pack of these in a Nordstrom sample bundle. I packed them in my overnight toiletry case and started using them at a hotel overnight with some girlfriends… and then kept using them when I got back. They’re easy, disposable, soft, and get all my makeup, even eye makeup, off. However, their steep price made me decide to shop around and see what else was out there.

Next up was Korres Milk Proteins Cleansing & Makeup Removing Wipes.

I have a real fondness for Korres, and have in the past used their Pomegranate Cleansing & Makeup Removing Wipes, but they are becoming harder and harder to find for some odd reason. These wipes had a bit more fragrance than the Koh Gen Do wipes, but were also softer. I liked them about equally, but I wasn’t done yet. I decided to try one last wipe – one you can get in a drug store.

The final contender: Bioré Pore Perfect Daily Deep Pore Cleansing Cloths.

Two most annoying things about this product: the long-ass hard to remember and type out name, and the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a photo larger than a thumbnail anywhere on the internet. Otherwise, love them. Cheapest of the three, takes off my makeup, handy refillable container (other two do not offer this, just adhesive flaps), and the cloth is very slightly (deliberately) rough to aid in exfoliation. Here’s your breakdown:

  Cost* Texture Quality Organic/Natural?
Koh Gen Do $1.30/wipe Soft, non-abrasive Spa – 5 stars Yes
Korres $0.60/wipe Very soft, non-abrasive Specialty – 4 stars Maybe
Bioré $0.28/wipe Exfoliating Drug store – 3 stars No

Make your decision accordingly. If you have ultra-sensitive baby skin, you may want to splurge for the Koh Gen Do. I have pretty sensitive skin, though, and so far have been happy with the cheapo Bioré wipes. Key to all of these wipes, in my opinion, is that they are NO RINSE – you simply use them to wipe off your makeup and the day’s grime, then moisturize as usual. If it’s something I have to dampen, lather up, and then rinse off, it’s just added an extra ten minutes to my routine that I could be using to blog. So no thanks to that nonsense.

If you’ve found love with another face wipe, I’d love to hear what kind!

*Based on the unit cost on Amazon without shipping.

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