Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Buy It, Or Leave It? Product Reviews Galore!

You know what I'm not great at, as a blogger? Writing reviews of products that I promise to follow-up on. I always buy something and then say "I'll write a full review after I've used it for awhile" and somehow, that never seems to happen.
This post is going to talk about some products I've purchased over the last little while...I'll tell you if the product is a must-have or if you should pass on it (based on what my experience was with the product.)

I've found myself not using my Clarisonic that often. Maybe once a week for a good exfoliation.  When I first got it I used it once a day, but I guess it wasn't so life-changing that I feel the need to use it daily.  It is a good product, well made, etc...I just don't think I use it enough to justify the cost. Could I use it more?Yes. I guess I just feel like my skin is OK without using it daily.  I also like to use self tanner on my face and I feel this removes that color more quickly.

Buy it or leave it? Leave it. It's a luxury item, not an essential item.



I was anti-curling iron for awhile because I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to do it without messing up my ends. Then, I watched Tiffany D's YouTube video on how to make volumized curls and it changed everything. I finally had the courage to use my curling iron and so far, so good. I love this styling tool because it had adjustable heat settings and it's a good quality curling iron. It's easy to use and I like the results I get with it. I very much prefer it over my Conair one.

Buy it or leave it?  If you're in the market for a new curling iron, this is the one to have. Buy it.


I'll just be blunt- I prefer plain old baby powder to any dry shampoo I've used, but I do really like this product and the price is perfect (under $5) It's easy to use and it works, bottom line.

Buy it or leave it? Buy it, every girl should have a dry shampoo on hand.


I've been using this eye cream for several months now. I really love it.  The only concern I have is that the cream is not really meant as an anti-aging treatment but as a moisturizing treatment. Either way, it's really important to keep the eye area moisturized. I apply this generously to my eye area before going to bed. It's really rich and thick (but not oily) and it doesn't travel all over your face, it stays where you put it (which I love.) 

Buy it or leave it?  If you're in your 20s I would highly recommend this treatment. If you are 30 and older, you might want something with active ingredients that help prevent wrinkles. OR, if you like to use eye cream before putting on your makeup, this is a lovely choice. I personally only use eye cream at night right now.

This lip treatment is wonderful. It smells great and works well. It doesn't feel greasy which is awesome.  It goes on smooth and really conditions the lips. At $22.50 it's really pricey (I got it for 20% when Sephora had their F&F sale.)  The downside is the price, but it has lasted me pretty long.

Buy it or leave it?  I would say buy it if you'd like to splurge on a lip conditioner.  Otherwise, there are probably other conditioning products that cost a bit less.

This product really gives hair a volume boost!  I like how easy it is to get it on your roots due to the fact that it's a spray formula. I spray it on my roots and then brush it through.

Buy it or leave it?  Buy it!  If you like big, volumized hair, this is a great product to try! I think it retails for about $15 a can (and the can is HUGE!)

I got this liner really recently, but BB products never fail me (so far.) I really love this liner and I prefer them to MAC's gel liners (though there isn't a massive difference or anything, I just think the BB don't dry out as fast.) They cost about $22 but they last for a very, very long time.

Buy it or leave it?  I truly think every woman needs to own at least one gel liner. It's so versatile and the staying power is amazing. You have to use eye makeup remover to take them off- but in the summer heat, that's a good thing because the formulas stay on!


8. MAC Creme Blush  
I picked up one of the MAC creme blushes from the Lily Pulitzer line and I'm not really that impressed. I just don't reach for it very often.  Maybe I just need to use it more, but to be honest, I think the pigmentation and ease of blending the product is inferior to that of the Stila Convertible Color product, which is great to work with.  The color is gorgeous, but I don't love how it feels when I apply it.  I much prefer the Stila cream blush.

Buy it or leave it? Leave it. There are better cream blushes (IMO)

I'm not sure if they still have this color because it came out around the holidays. I never used it because I couldn't for the life of me figure it out, and then LisaLisaD1 on YouTube talked about how she finally realized how to use these NARS highlighters and now I love it!  I basically just use it straight out of the container and apply the product in a line directly on my cheekbones (to highlight.) Then I blend a bit with my finger.  Voila! I was trying to use a brush with it previously and I think that's what the problem was.

Buy it or leave it? It's pricey at about $36, but if you're not into powder highlighters, this is probably the product for you!
 

10. MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in "Porcelain Pink"
This is another product I never reach for. I find the texture to be odd, and I have other MAC highlighters that I prefer (like MAC loose powder in "silver dusk" which every girl should own, it's fabulous!)

Buy it or leave it?  Leave it. There are better highlighters.

I hope this was helpful!

xoxo,

Veronika.