Review:Comparing Maybelline, Dr. Jart, and Boscia BB creams

(Note: No picture just yet, camera is a bit out of commission)

Now that BB creams seem to be all over the place I've had the chance to try a few.

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical and I must say that I've never tried any Asian brands (most only come in a few colors, typically a bit too light/grey for me, and since I have no desire to lighten my skin I never bothered).

I got to try three different types: Boscia, Dr. Jart and Maybelline.  I've had the first two for a while and I used them on vacation.

Dr. Jart BB ($39 at Sephora) cream has SPF 45, which is great, and a light sunscreen smell, so not too bad (I can be a bit sensitive to that).   I found it to be pretty thick though, at times a bit hard to spread, and for some reason (for me) it played up some imperfections more (any irritated/peeling skin, pores, etc).  But when my skin is "okay" it works okay, and the coverage seems to be fuller, probably because it's thicker.  It's the most "grey" out of all of them, so that dulls my warm skin tone which I don't really care for.  It feels a bit heavy and greasy (though that settles down after a while), perhaps because of the SPF

Boscia ($38 at Sephora) is SPF 27 and as such has even less of a sunscreen smell (though still lightly present).  There is less coverage and it was easier to spread.  It was far too light one me so it had a similar effect in highlighting certain imperfections (small hairs, pores, uneven texture...I sound like a goblin).  However it was a warmer color (more yellowish, but not excessively so) and therefore looked a lot better. 

Both Boscia and Dr. Jart only come in one color.  While the effects of that can be toned down (and admittedly, I wear powder foundation over it) the color does not suit my warm, tan skin tone.   They both washed me out and were too light or grey for me.  That, combined with the prices, makes them kind of a no-go for me, but for someone lighter and more cool toned it would work.

They were very similar to me, and I found neither particularly moisturizing (though is BB cream supposed to be?  I always wore it on top of my typical moisturizer).  I can feel both of them on, admittedly.  

Anyway, oddly enough (maybe?) the best out of the three was the Maybelline (around $8, average).  It was the thinnest of the three, but it spread itself out well.  Out of the three it covered up imperfection the best and did do an actual good job of blurring out pores and so on...probably because, unlike the others, it comes in a range of colors.  I tried out the "light/medium" shade and it worked out surprisingly well for me; typically I'd have gone up a shade darker, but I wear a very thin layer and it's winter now, maybe that makes a difference.

I found this to be be really nice, it feels moisturizing, doesn't have any scent (no SPF though) and it is very smoothing.  I still use a concealer to cover up imperfection and a powder over to matte it out, but I'd actually buy this again if I were in the market for a very light, moisturizing foundation type of thing. 

I may be wrong but I generally get the feeling that BB creams are just hyped up tinted foundations. 

(Note: I got the Boscia/Dr. Jart creams from some Sephora sampler deal, and the Maybelline one from an online free sample opportunity; as of this typing, it is available from Target's site as a free sample).  

More Shameless Begging and Cool Results

A few weeks ago I decided to actually make an effort to save money with my biggest expense outside of rent: food.  In looking at my spending habits I ran into the (American?) issue of my biggest food expenses being fresh food, namely produce.  Not only do I consume a lot of it, but it's something that doesn't necessarily go very far (though of course, this varies, a pound of potatoes goes much further than a pound of spinach). 

Anyway, I decided to try to take note of the companies that produced the fruits/vegetables I bought and see if I could get coupons and samples from them.  This is rather difficult as coupons for any kind of fresh, non-processed food seem to be nearly impossible to find.  The most recent ones I saw (from Walmart, I think?) was to save some cents off of fruit when you bought a certain amount of cereal, which is...not so great. 

Of course I haven't been able to find all the producers who supplied to the stores I regularly shop at, but with the few famous ones I did (Dole and Chiquita) I had no luck.  They either didn't offer coupons at all or refused me any when I did write to them.  I did find their feedback to be pretty lacking; begging for coupons/free shit aside, I do like it when you can get a friendly little note back from a company, even if they refuse you anything (I got this with Carmex; no savings, but a nice thank you note for the comment I did leave). 

I should also say that I did (and do) feel a bit of residual guilt in asking certain produce companies (or farmers, at farmer's markets) for reduced prices; after all, it's a hard business to be in, and as we all know, the government doesn't subsidize the healthiest of produce, unfortunately.

Anyway, I did hit gold with Earthbound Farm Organics.  In signing up for their site I got a $.75 cent coupon for organic carrots (always great :3) and in requesting information/coupons I received a wonderful little letter, information/recipe pamphlet and several (six) excellent coupons. 

I have always wanted to eat more organic produce (and animal products) but it's one of those things that I only "indulged" in when I had extra money or if I found anything for sale (rare for produce).  That, combined with the fact that organic produce can be relatively difficult to find in many stores resulted in me rarely eating any (though more organic goods are popping up now, due to recent trends).

I have admired Earthbound Organics for some while, actually.  I have always been a regular buyer of their packaged salads, for example, because if I'm going to go organic with anything it will definitely be leafy greens (that I am not washing, because I hate washing salads and I only buy the packaged ones).  Not only were these very high quality and always fresh, but they are readily available at most big chains AND very reasonably priced for both packaged salad and an organic product (same can't be said for other big names that will not be mentioned, ahem).

Anyway, the coupons are excellent (free stuff, basically) the little pamphlet is great too.  It has some nice background information on the company itself (Including a great mission statement) and on organic farm practices, which is obviously better for health and the environment (they brought up enriching the soil as one that I wasn't aware of, which is great since we had studied food availability and practiced in regarding to soil depletion in one of the last biology classes I took).

I also think it's great that their cartons are from recycled materials :3

Information aside it also had several recipes (twelve total) for some excellent looking food.

And no, I wasn't paid for this. 

Back to my echo chamber: Free stuff reviews

Abandoned this, but my recent interest in getting free samples of things is a recent interest of mine, due to both poverty and my love of receiving things in the mail (I adore it, it's like getting gifts every other day, and it's always nice to get things in mail, a favorite thing of mine though sorely lacking in brown paper packages tied up with string).

 Requesting free samples is also a good way for me to gauge which companies I like supporting. I should note I tend to leave reviews/comments in my shameless begging for stuff/coupons (and visits to free sites) so it's not all a loss for them, I guess.

The best result was from the Bimbo company (Bimbo/Sara Lee/others). After leaving a nice comment and shamelessly begging I got two coupons for free bread and two for a dollar off--awesome! The coupons themselves were lovely too. I really appreciated that (again, deep poverty here) and the company was very lovely to do it. As such I will buy bread from them and will probably do so in the future, I like supporting nice companies.

 Eucerin sent a sample of their "Smoothing Repair" lotion that was very nice.

 I got a bunch of little perfume samples (soaked pieces of cotton, sort of) from various companies (Hugo Boss, Lacoste, etc) that were lovely. I got a nicer one from Lancome--La Vie est Belle-- that was actually a little spray bottle and the perfume itself was lovely, though I'm not usually attracted to that kind of musky/floral type scent or Julia Roberts and her toothy grin. Huge Boss had one called "Orange" that was quite nice, I tend to be drawn to citrus scents myself.

I got quite a nice sample pack of Proctor and Gamble, and while I don't often like supporting them the stuff was pretty good (some floss, toothpaste) and a very awesome sample of feminine hygiene products, including some tampons, pads, and a cute little bag for them.

Airborne sent a very nice sample pack with four flavors/varieties, though I've never used this stuff (and I'm not altogether sure I believe in it), but I like the gesture and extra vitamins is always a good thing.

 Aveeno sent some nice samples of shampoo but I haven't tried them yet.

 Got a free sample from Tricalm, though I haven't used it yet (it was for irritated skin, haven't had an issue yet).

Aside from the bread though my favorite samples were from Nescafe, their new "Memento" packets, which were very good. They sent both a mocha and a caramel, I preferred the former, probably because I don't care too much for caramel (and the corporate link).

 And a random picture, because I don't care to photograph any samples received, most are used up at this point anyway :/

From National Geographic

Review: Sephora Jumbo Crayon 12 Hour Wear, Waterproof (as compared to Urban Decay 24/7 Liner)

First off, sorry for the badly written headline.

This review comes after quite a while of me searching for a good, long lasting black eyeliner that's strong enough to deal with my super oily skin.

For quite a while I used the Sephora brand kohl eyeliner (waterproof, which is always a must for me). It sucked, as it smeared badly throughout the day, but I never managed to smudge it to my liking fast enough since it dried really quickly, but badly. Anyway, no good, and I no longer really have it so no picture...although quite frankly, the packaging on this sort of stuff really isn't very interesting either way.

Anyway, I'd heard great stuff about the Urban Decay 24/7 liners, so I got the matte black one (Zero). I had tried it before at the store by putting it on my hand. After scrubbing with alcohol, some make up remover, and having it on my hand it still stood up well (and I wash my hands with the fervor of the mentally ill). Seeing how well it stood up to this barrage of chemicals and scrubbing, I decided to smear it along my delicate eye area.

Unfortunately, I was surprised by how horrible it was!

I'm not sure why I had such awful results as compared to all the good press this had! I'm usually very happy with Urban Decay products but this was worse than the Sephora brand eyeliner (and every other eyeliner I've ever used). It smeared like crazy and was gone within some hours (excluding the amount smeared under my eyes).

So that ended up being the first thing I've ever returned to Sephora.

The day I returned it I picked up the Jumbo Crayon from the Sephora brand after I'd heard a good review about it somewhere online, though I (unfortunately) don't recall where. I admittedly didn't have high hopes for it since I've had nothing but bad luck with Sephora brand stuff (I had always found it really overpriced and really under performing).

But I was really pleasantly surprised with this! It is actually really perfect. It goes on very smoothly, doesn't smudge after it dries, and stays on all day. And at $10 it's a pretty good price for such quality (the Urban Decay eyeliner was $18).

So the Sephora brand did redeem itself quite a bit in my eyes, this eyeliner is wonderful. I won't write off the rest of the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, since a lot of them are really unique colors and hey, maybe they work better than Zero did.

But I'd definitely get all of the Sephora Jumbo Crayon ones first! They have other colors that look nice, like plum and navy.

Anyway, swatching a black eyeliner seems a bit...unnecessary but here we go, just to be fun:

**Note:It should be said that lately, despite my earlier praise, I have been getting some smudging. It isn't bad, nothing compared to the previous products, but still there.

However, this may be the result of my smearing myself with rich lotions to combat the winter induced dry skin I get. Perhaps the eyeliner performance varies for skin type, as many products do.

UPDATE: One problem (though, is it really a "problem"?) I've encountered is that I can't find a sharpener to use for this eyeliner. I have to hope/imagine Sephora sells one, but I don't quite want to buy one, admittedly, and I did a rather botched job of trying to sharpen it with a razor.

So, unless you have a larger than average sharpener, be warned?

Review: Jack Black Lip Balm

Update: picture :P

I ordered JB lip balm after hearing a lot of good reviews about it.

However, just for some background: I am absolutely addicted to lip moisture. I need it, very badly, and it drives me nuts when my lips are dry. I keep a bunch of lip moisturizers around my house and with me constantly so that I always have something with me. It is a necessity for me.

When I first got it I was a bit disappointed because of how small it was, considering the price. It is obviously far more than I'm used to paying.

However I was pleased to find that it is a very thick consistency, so a little goes a very long way. Add to that the high SPF (25), which for some reason is really rare in lip products, and I think the price is certainly worth it just for these two aspects.

I got the black tea/blackberry flavor just on a whim, I didn't quite know what to pick. However, I'm very pleased I did! The flavor is shockingly true to form. I was surprised to smell and taste a very characteristic black tea bitterness, it isn't bad but it is there. The blackberry was less strong but still very present, especially in smell. They work really well together and if I were to get more I think I'd keep getting this flavor, at least for how unique it is. I wish more companies would make these unusual flavors that actually smell and taste like what they're supposed to be, as opposed to the generic mint/common fruit scents and flavors.

I am very happy to report that this is also extremely moisturizing and it lasts forever. Far more than any lip treatment I've ever had in my life, and that is definitely saying something.

It should be noted that this is rather thick, again, and you can definitely feel it on your lips. While I live for that, others may not like it so much. I think it's fantastic though...

I will definitely keep buying these for now and I can't say enough good about it. I haven't been so pleased with a product for a VERY long time, this is absolutely great, 5/5.

For now, a random image, keeping with the winter/holidays:

Review: The Leather Satchel Co.

I got my bag a few days ago and I love it!  Here's the full story:

I had wanted a leather satchel after stumbling upon an image of one by chance (namely, the neon line).  I first stumbled upon the Cambridge Satchel Company and later discovered the Leather Satchel Co. on Amazon while searching for more satchels (I had been in the market for a very, very long time, haha*).  I'm not quite sure which company came first or anything, but since the Leather Satchel Co. had the neon colors that I wanted at a cheaper price I went with them.  (They also offered a guarantee, something that I did not see with the Cambridge, though I didn't necessarily look around for it so I may be wrong).

*I should say, I had been looking around at/for satchels for MONTHS.  I compared the Leather Satchel to the Cambridge to random stuff on ebay and spent months trying to decide what to do because I am indecisive and spineless.

The Leather Satchel Co. sells bags on Amazon but since I wanted a few customizations I worked with them through their site.  I will say, they were always very polite and helpful (even after I sent countless annoying emails full of questions) and answered all my questions fully.

I did run into two problems:

1. Their website seems a bit disorganized.  There are really no links on the first page so I had to do a google search to find the many pages they had up (that were full of pictures and information).  The website itself is great, very detailed and clear, I just wish it were all linked together a bit better!

2. As said, their customer service reps are awesome, but there was a bit of a time wait between emails.  I did have some issue when I had confirmed that I wanted a bag but nothing was sent to me (no invoice or confirmation) for a couple of weeks after that until I sent an email.  So, things may be a bit slow on the email front, but they were very nice.

3. There seems to be a few/quite a few loose thread ends but the stitching itself seems pretty secure.  I guess I'll have to wait and see on this one but I do have the guarantee. 

The bag shipped to me very quickly too!  I did pay for shipping since it came from the UK but on Amazon the bag ships free (though without customizations).  I was really surprised to get it when I did.

My first response upon opening the packaging: "OH HOLY FUCK" (in a good way, it was awesome!).
The bag is crazy, ridiculous bright!  I was a bit worried that it would be a watered down kind of neon but hell no, it is shocking bright.  As they said, pictures do not do it justice, it is really, really bright.

Another surprise: the leather is really nice too!  I had read some reviews on the Cambridge satchels and some said they found the leather rather stiff at first, which I have not found to be of issue.  The leather holds its shape very well, but I have found it to be nice and soft.  This was (after the color) my biggest concern since I really don't like stiff, hard leather but I really like this and I am a sucker for nice, soft leather.

I got the 15 inch because I like to carry a lot of crap around with me and it all fits really well.  I will say that I kind of imagine the smaller ones looking a bit more "stylish" (at least, or especially, for the neon colors) but I'm happy with the size myself.

As for customizations, I got a handle on the top and magnet closures instead of the buckles.  I had read a review (for the Cambridge, I believe, but w/e) that the buckles can be a pain if you want quick access to stuff which is something I need, and the handle is really convenient too.  

When I wore it out to the mall I got tons of compliments, with people literally stopping me to tell me they liked it, to ask where I got it, and to remark on how eye searingly (in a good way) bright the color is.  I can't recall the last time any accessory of mine got this much attention.

So I will say, if you are considering getting one of these, go for it.  I do think it is totally worth it. 

As to how this compares with the Cambridge company, I can't say as I've never touched any of those satchels, but I am very happy with what I have.  If I were richer I'd buy a bunch in different colors but my Western style "poverty" won't let me.



*Note: I wasn't paid for this, I bought it with my own hard earned money.  It cost about $175 or so (for the bag plus customizations and shipping).


UPDATE:  I took some more pictures, and I plan on putting more up as well after this:

 The one above was taken in an aquarium, hence the darkness.  It looked really cool, especially in contrast to the blue and cool toned surroundings.

This is the satchel in natural light.  It is extremely bright.  Other than the red sweater I tried to stick with a dark and neutral clothing palette, the contrast works really well. 



Funny enough, one thing I'm really excited about is what little picture I want to put in the card/ID holder.  I don't just want my name or anything, I want a picture (a neat way to display art on the go, amirite?) but I want to find something that doesn't clash too much with the neon...we'll see!

 Some Issues That Have Arisen: 

It takes a while to give a really good review of things.  

One issue I noticed after I started to use it was that the area where it folds open is already starting to show some wear.  I really hope this doesn't become a major issue because this is something that is definitely worth sending the bag back (for repairs!) for.  I don't use it every single day but I noticed the wear starting after about a week.  I'm not sure how to feel about that.

Another "issue" although far less stressful is that of the little loose threads (of stitching) everywhere.  Not a big deal, but noticeable.  I also wish that the thread itself had been dyed the same color as the satchel as it would have created a more uniform appearance but again, not a big deal.  

There is also some grime/discoloration/I'm not sure in one area of the bag (the upper part of the back) that didn't seem to go after even after cleaning.  I cleaned the bag today and most dirty spots wiped away easily but that area didn't, I'm not sure why.  I will clean it up more soon and report back.  

 Here is a picture of some of the wear that I'm talking about (along with one of those loose threads). 

Review: NYX "Nude on Nude" Palette

I got this palette from Amazon (for about $25) because I've kind of been wanting a nude/neutral palette that I could travel with without spending the money for the famed Urban Decay Naked Palette or or the Too Faced ones (I had wanted the Neutral Eye one, but it seemed a lot of money to spend at the time and I had a gift card for Amazon anyway).

I'm not sure how I feel about this palette, so I'll break it down a bit in my head:

Pros:

• This is really convenient for travel as it has a range of colors along with some lip glosses.  It is relatively small, compact, and seems to have a sturdy case.
• As stated above, there is a range of colors, far more than  lot of natural/neutral palettes out there. 
• Along with a range of colors there are different textures (matte, shimmer and some "sorta" glitters).  
• The packaging is attractive and comes with a nice mirror. 
• It isn't tested on animals

Cons:

• While $25 isn't a big price for how much you get (at least in terms of variation), I kind of go back and forth whether or not this is truly "worth" it.  
• The quality varies (more on this).
• The packaging, while sturdy, feels kind of cheap and I found it a bit difficult to open at first.  I also have to wonder/worry whether or not the lip tray will come out under the hustle and bustle of travel. 
• When I first opened it one eyeshadow fell out (the bronze one), but after I stuck it in there hasn't been issue, so I don't know if this is a con or not.  

My biggest concern is with quality.  Some of the eyeshadows can be a bit chalky (although I will say, others are lovely).  For instance, the black is just bad, it's chalky and doesn't go on evenly.  Some of the colors have issues with blending, but this isn't too bad.  Overall, I'd say the quality is simply "ok" though the colors themselves are, in my opinion, quite lovely.

UPDATE: I notice that the darker colors are the ones with the big issues (they're chalky, don't blend well, don't have good pigmentation, and so on).  The lighter ones work quite well though, I'm quite happy with the white, beige and champagne colors in the palette.  I occasionally use the sparkly taupe colors (more to the right) and they work well.  
I have ended up using this every day, I just avoid the dark ones.  

The lip colors are typical, not-so-high-quality lip glosses that tend to come in large makeup palettes.  I will say though, some of the colors are rather unique.  They are all glossy, while two seems to have glitter in them (one heavily so).  I myself have a hard time with pink lip colors (the majority of the colors here) but there is an interesting coral color here that I haven't seen too often with a lot of palettes that I really liked.  Other than that, these aren't too special to be honest.

So, overall, I think this palette is awesome for travel, when you need something compact, that carries a lot, and has makeup that's generally good for when you need something quick and simple.   The makeup is good for everyday use and translates well from day to night, informal to formal, etc.  I do use this everyday, and it works well enough, although if you are looking for something really high quality it is best to look elsewhere, and I do think a good, high quality set of neutral/natural eye colors is worth investing in.

I probably wouldn't buy this again, though.  

*I was not paid for this.

Reviews: Drugstore Mascaras

Hey,

I'm going to be reviewing some recent mascaras I've tried out in the last few months.  I do not have pictures up as of this writing but I will soon!

1. Maybelline: Falsies Volume Express (waterproof)

I didn't like this at all.  I found the formula to be extremely clumpy, sticky and thick for a mascara.  The brush itself did not lend itself to smooth application since chunks of mascara seem to have stuck to the "stem" of the brush (I'm not altogether sure what to call it), although I'm not sure if this is the fault of the brush itself or the formula of the mascara.  The wand was also made to be flexible and while I can see the appeal of this it ended up feeling weaker than it should have as the main point of flexibility is too close to the brush itself, making it a bit floppy to work with.

This clumped up my eyelashes like no other.  If there is one thing I detest it's globs of mascara on my eyelashes making them look like spider legs--totally this mascara.

I must say though, this did not seem to smear at all, and I have pretty oily skin that tends to lead to smearing/smudging throughout the day.  Of course the waterproof formula helps for this, but that is something in its favor.  

2. Maybelline: Lash Stiletto (waterproof)

I found this to be a generally acceptable mascara.  It did seem to lengthen, as promised, but it didn't strike me as particularly special.  One the whole though, the formula was generally rather nice, and the wand was rather typical.  I'm actually not sure there's much to say about this, it just seemed "okay" to me.  It kind of seems like a lot of the appeal for these was the improved packaging that made it look a bit more high end than most drug store mascaras.

3. Covergirl: LashBlastLength (water resistant)

I really can't say much about this since I actually only tried this out yesterday, but I really liked it!  It comes with a plastic bristled brush which I'm starting to find that I prefer since I need to have very defined lashes (I hate HATE spider lashes).  The plastic bristles here are very small and numerous so it does the job of defining the lashes really well.

I did wear it out in some really humid, hot weather (for Oregon) and it stood up really wonderfully, no smearing at all.  I was also really impressed with the lengthening (and volumizing, defining, etc) for this mascara, I will definitely buy this again!

I also note that while the packaging is very plain (something I tend not to care about when it comes to mascaras really) it seems to have a similar "stiletto" shape like Maybelline Lash Stiletto and I wonder if it was always that way or if they were trying to improve packaging.  If anyone is bothered by that shape (I can see how it would be a pain if you wanted to stand it up) that may be a minor issue. 

I love those short, widely spaced plastic "bristles" (what are they called?).  It works far better for my eyelashes than the more full, brush-like mascara wands, and I think in general it helps prevent clumping a lot. 


*Note: I wasn't paid for this.