MaKurishe

Burt's Bees - Herbal Blemish Stick

2011-05-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

Burt's Bees product description:
This blemish stick contains 10 effective natural herbal ingredients including willowbark, nature's version of salicylic acid, which clarifies and gently exfoliates skin to clear pores and help prevent breakouts. Combined with tea tree and juniper oils, known for their antiseptic and astringent qualities, and calendula to reduce inflammation and redness, this concentrated formula keeps your skin clear, naturally.

I've been hunting for blemish spot treatments derived from natural ingredients. I've tried The Body Shop's tea tree oil before and ran out of them so decided to try the Burt's Bees. The packaging is compact and I love how it's so easy to apply. Some people may not like the smell, but I'm used to it and have grown to like the herb smell. Personally, I believe that it doesn't smell as strong as The Body Shop's. It does visibly reduce the redness of my pimples after about 30 minutes of application and the blemish itself goes away after 3~7 days. Unlike the other drugstore spot treatments, this doesn't make my skin dry, peel, nor sensitive. I prefer using this rather than other tea tree oils for its convenience and effectiveness.

Vaseline - MEN Body & Face Lotion

2011-05-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

Vaseline's product description:

Fast Absorbing Body & Face Lotion

Instant relief for everyday dryness
Non-greasy formula absorbs within seconds

My boyfriend uses this body lotion and I will write down what he's been saying about it. He's pretty picky when it comes to body lotion and doesn't like what I use. He loves this body lotion. It moisturizes his body and it really is fast absorbing. I like the fact that this can be used for both body and face because his face tends to be dry too. It keeps both his body and face moisturized and soft. We both love the smell of this body lotion. It smells clean and fresh, and it's not overbearing unlike the other products that are specifically made for men. I would recommend this to all the guys or girls who want their man to have soft skin and smell good.

Burt's Bees - Beeswax Lip Balm

2011-05-18T04:16:00.000-07:00

Burt's Bees' product description:
Give your lips the soothing feeling they deserve. This natural lip balm is loaded with coconut and sunflower oils, rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, to nourish, condition and soften lips. Beeswax seals in hydration. We've even added peppermint oil for a refreshing tingle.

I'm sure everyone has tried this notorious lip balm at least once in their lifetime. I always have this in my purse and always keep one in stock in case I run out. (I actually have 3 in stock right now because I'm scared of running out of them.) That's how much I love this lip balm. It's soothing and moisturizing, and I love how it gives me a tingly sensation after applying it. It has a minty fresh scent to it but doesn't have any flavor to it, which I also love. This is a lifesaver for me whenever I have dry, chapped lips and instantly gives me an healthy, hydrated looking lips. This cute yellow tube makes me so happy and makes me want to thank all of the bees that worked hard buzzing for the beeswax.

wet n wild - Ultimate Brow Kit

2011-05-16T00:35:00.000-07:00

wet n wild's product description:
Mini brow salon in a handy, purse-friendly compact with all the essential tools to shape, smooth, define, and maintain perfect brows. This five-piece set includes a soft wax that shapes brows, two setting powders for definition, a hard angle brush for easy application, and mini tweezers for stray hairs. This eyebrow powder is amazing. The color is just right for me. It's an ash brown color so there is no red tint to it and is very pigmented. The brush that comes with it works surprisingly well and the eyebrows don't disappear throughout the day. I love the wax that comes with it too because it keeps my eyebrows from disappearing midday and it grooms my eyebrows after applying it. This is a must try if it matches your eyebrow color because it's easy to apply, won't fade, and very cheap!

ghd - Obedience Cream

2011-05-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

ghd's product description:

A lightweight, anti-frizz, blow-dry cream for normal to fine hair; ideal for creating glossy looks or defining curlier styles. Helps keep your hair frizz-free longer. Contains UVA protection and helps retain the hair's moisture and elasticity when heat-styling.

I apply this cream on my damp hair when I blow-dry my hair. It works great and delivers what it promises to do. It helps seal my cuticles so that it keeps my hair frizz free and looks healthier even though my hair is pretty damaged. Although it claims that it helps repair the hair, I don't see much improvement in them. It's just impossible for any hair care products to fully repair the damage that has been done to the hair. However, I still love this product for its power to tame my frizz. The retail price is not cheap ($24). I will seek for an alternative frizz tamer after I finish this bottle since I'm very low on budget.

Aveeno - Positively Nourishing Soothing 24-hour Body Moisturizer

2011-05-09T23:11:00.000-07:00

Aveeno's product description:

Calming fragrances like vanilla and chamomile soothe your senses. This breakthrough body lotion goes beyond pampering your skin. Formulated with nourishing ACTIVE NATURALS Oatmeal, it provides the essential moisture you need for healthier-looking skin today. And, this formula with antioxidants nourishes your skin to keep it healthier-looking tomorrow.

This lotion smells great and in fact, this is probably the best smelling lotion that I've ever came across. That's the only quality there is to this lotion. The joyous smell. After I apply this lotion, I feel like I need to reapply again because it does not moisturize my skin at all. It lacks the point of applying body lotion which is to moisturize my body. It is a little pricey for the amount of product it comes in. I love the smell but I will not repurchase this because it doesn't do its job as a body lotion.

Almay - Intense i-color Liquid Eyeliner

2011-05-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Almay product description:
Play up your eye color with dramatic, contrasting color! High-impact liquid liner defines your eyes with precise, bold color. Easy to use applicator glides on smoothly and evenly.

This is a great liquid eyeliner. It has a felt tip so it is easy to use even if you don't have a steady hand or a liquid eyeliner beginner. When you look very closely, you can see that this liquid eyeliner contains very small glitters in it. I'm guessing that the glitters are supposed to "bring out your eyes." The glitters are not visible once you apply your eyeliner. The color is opaque and it lasts all day long. It doesn't smudge, wear, or chip off like some liquid eyeliners do.

My Cosmetology School Experience

2011-05-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to share my own experience with attending cosmetology school. I attended Marinello Schools of Beauty and graduated from there. It took me about 10 months to graduate which is not a long time at all. This is my own personal experience so please keep an open mind about that.
First of all, the reason I decided to attend beauty school was because college didn't work out for me and I wanted to start earning a stable income so that I can move out of my parent's house. I always had interest in beauty, especially hair and skincare so I thought that it might be a good way to begin my life from there. This decision was made mainly to please the people around me rather than thinking of what I really wanted to do and pursue. Going to beauty school was very expensive. Everything was so unorganized there. Especially because the school was going under construction when I enrolled so the classrooms were always dirty and never had enough supplies to serve the clients. We have many lessons that we have to learn from electricity, human anatomy, to hair, makeup, and skincare. Instead of going over all of the lessons that we have to learn, the teachers mostly focused on teaching hair color and haircut. The teacher covered the same exact hair color lessons over and over again. I didn't understand why I had to hear the same lesson almost every 3~4 weeks. She just taught whatever she felt like teaching that day. I barely got to learn about other curriculum so I had to study them on my own time. I began hating having to go to school everyday from 8 to 5. I could have quit going to school but I just couldn't do it knowing that I will disappoint the people around me. I felt like I didn't belong there. Most of the other students there acted very immaturely for their age. As I began assisting clients to do services, I realized that this wasn't for me. I came to the realization that I have to deal with a lot of different people everyday and I couldn't handle that. Customer service was not for me. I became more and more discouraged everyday thinking that I didn't have enough natural talent or skills like the other students to become a cosmetologist. The teacher that I had was pure evil. She liked picking on students and unfortunately, I was one of the students who got picked on. I couldn't wait until I can finally graduate. There was so much drama going on between students and stealing occurred everyday. I just hated that place. You really have to have the passion which obviously I no longer had. Marinello is so focused on just having students enroll and graduate and make money off of tuition fees and from serving clients; not to have us actually learn something about cosmetology. The administrators even admitted so. I'm sure each campus of Marinello is different but the one I went to was pretty horrible. Again, everyone has a different experience but this was mine. I hope this helped getting to know what cosmetology school is like for people who are interested. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

L'Oreal - Telescopic Mascara Carbon Black

2011-05-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

L'Oreal's product description:
For lashes with dramatic length and 2X the intensity. The Flexible Precision Brush instantly lengthens up to 60%, while carbon black pigments dramatize your look.

When I go out to buy mascaras, I do my research before I go because I'm so indecisive and end up spending a long time at a drugstore, and I usually don't buy products on a whim. However, this was just calling my name when I passed by it. I was always hesitant of trying mascaras with a rubber wand but decided to try it anyway. I absolutely love this mascara. The wand is skinny so it is very easy to apply especially on my lower lashes. It significantly adds length to my lashes and separates them evenly. It doesn't clump nor smudge. Although my eyelashes are already dark, it gives me more intensity to them. This is my new favorite mascara.

Revlon - Colorstay Brow Enhancer

2011-05-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Revlon's product description:
Essential 2-in-1 tool for perfectly groomed brows that gives professional-looking results and wears up to 16 hours.

This eyebrow pencil is convenient because it has a brow pencil and a highlighter. It is also a twisty type so you don't have to worry about sharpening them out. I really like the color, it looks natural and they're not too harsh but still gives the right amount of color. I love the highlighter because it's not white so it gives a natural highlight to your brow bone. Each color comes with a complimentary highlighter color. The only downside is that this wears off in a few hours for me. That won't stop me from using this though, because I love it so much.

Aussie - Cleanse and Mend Shampoo

2011-04-30T04:22:00.000-07:00

Aussie's product description:
Infused with Aloe, Guava and Desert Lime, Cleanse and Mend Shampoo conditions to nourish your hair, rinse away dirt and buildup, then soften and smooth frazzled tips.

I've always wanted to try Aussie's shampoos and this was the first one that I decided to try. I thought this would be a great shampoo for me because I like the squeaky clean feeling that I get after shampooing my hair but I also need some nourishment on my ends from all of the damages. This shampoo smells great. It has a citrus, fruity smell which I love and it makes me want to breathe it all in while I wash my hair. It cleanses very well, and makes my hair more manageable and easy to work with. This can be one of my favorite shampoos. I am looking forward to trying Aussie's other lines of shampoo and conditioners.

Biore - Pore Unclogging Scrub

2011-04-27T02:55:00.000-07:00

Biore's product description:
Our gentle but super effective scrub uses perfectly spherical beads — not jagged edges, like some competitors' scrub ingredients — to detoxify skin. The scrub penetrates deep down where breakouts start to help prevent future ones. Show the door to pore cloggers and get ready for beautiful, clear, smooth skin.

I have an extremely dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin. I use this scrub twice a week to get rid of flakiness and hopefully reduce my breakouts. This scrub is so refreshing, I love it. It's very soothing and you can immediately feel the results. It's gentle enough that it doesn't cause any irritation for my sensitive skin. Every time I use this, I can see that my blackheads on my nose has been reduced and makes my skin feel softer and smoother. It really does what it tells us on their description.

Pantene - Heat Protection Shine & Spray for Medium-Thick Hair

2011-04-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Pantene's product description:
Pantene Medium-Thick Hair Solutions Heat Protection & Shine Spray protects hair against heat styling damage while providing softness and shine. Medium-thick hair is left soft and infused with healthy shine.

I use this heat protectant spray every time I blow dry, straighten, or curl my hair. I love the smell of the spray, very fresh like other Pantene products. I also like how they have products that target different hair textures. I'm not too picky on heat protectant sprays because I can't really tell whether it's really protecting my hair from the heat or not. It just makes me feel better of the fact that I'm using it because it gives me a sense of security to know that I'm attempting to protect my hair from damage. However, the downside to this is the spray bottle. The hole of the nozzle is so small that when I spritz it on my hair, it only covers one spot instead of misting it all over the area that I've sprayed. Personally, I would choose the Tresmme heat protecting spray rather than Pantene.

up & up - Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

2011-04-26T01:04:00.000-07:00

up & up is a Target brand and is cheaper than their competing drugstore brands, but claims to have the same effect. Their makeup remover cleansing towelettes is oil-free, hypoallergenic, and alcohol-free. I love the fact that these are alcohol-free unlike other makeup removers. They won't irritate my sensitive skin and doesn't make my skin feel dry afterwards. It keeps my skin soft and clean. It removes makeup very well and doesn't make me feel like I still have some residues on my skin. The only downside to this is that it doesn't remove eye makeup that well, especially mascara. I want to be gentle with my eye area but I have to keep rubbing my mascara off which eventually burns that area from the rubbing. I try to press on to the lashes so the cleanser can break the mascara down, but that doesn't work. Even if I think I removed all of my mascara off, I notice that I still had some on afterwards when I take a shower or wake up the next morning. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like trying to remove waterproof mascara. Great for removing face makeup, horrible at removing eye makeup.

T. N. Dickinson's - Witch Hazel

2011-04-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

T. N. Dickinson's product description:
Our pharmaceutical formulation of witch hazel gently cleans and refreshes skin without removing essential moisture. This exclusive multi-use formula temporarily relieves skin irritations due to minor cuts, scrapes and insect bites. Also useful to calm, cool and cleanse your face and body.100% natural astringent for face and body. Won’t dry like alcohol. Contains no artificial fragrances or dyes. Dermatologist tested and recommended.

I use witch hazel as a toner and to help my acne breakouts. This works great after cleansing my face because it closes my pores up. I've read that it can work miraculously some people to treat their acne, but it doesn't really do much for me. It also works amazing when I use it after shaving my bikini area. I no longer get red bumps from shaving that sensitive area. The only down side to a witch hazel is the stinky smell! It smells horrible like bacon and crest whitening strips mixed together. At least that's what it smells like to me. I have to hold my breath when I put it on my face, but I think it's all worth it.

Almay - Bright Eyes Eye Base + Concealer

2011-04-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Almay's product description:
Instantly refreshes and enhances your eyes with a unique natural complex of marine extracts, white tea and light reflectors specifically designed to brighten and illuminate your eyes. This concealer visually depuffs the eye area and helps reduce the appearance of dark circles. Provides a smooth canvas for eye shadow application.

I'm so happy that I came across this product. I love how it hides the veins on my eyelid which I usually try to hide with foundation. I don't get dark circles so I'm not concerned about hiding them but it does a great job of brightening my under eye area. This does not make my eyeshadow crease, and prevents my mascara from smudging even after a long day. The packaging can use some improvement because you have to squeeze out the product through the brush applicator, and can't control the amount coming out. The lid can get pretty messy. Overall, this is great as a concealer and eyeshadow base, and I love the price. This company also does not test on animals, which I always appreciate. I wish I could've come across this product sooner, would definitely recommend to everyone.

Hard Candy - Sheer Envy Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

2011-04-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hard Candy claims:
Sheer Envy is a sheer, lightweight formula tinted moisturizer that is used to lightly tint the complexion of your skin. With SPF 15, the leading in anti-aging

Hard Candy is only sold exclusively at Walmart. I don't live too close to a Walmart and when I do go, they never have any brands of cosmetics in stock, especially Hard Candy. Everything that's on the shelf has been opened and damaged. Pretty ridiculous. However, I was lucky enough to come across their tinted moisturizer. The packaging is absolutely adorable and I like how the container is clear so I can see how much I've used. The formula is a little heavy but it blends out easily. I can't stand the smell though. It smells like sunscreen and I understand that it contains an SPF of 15 but I just cannot stand having to put that on my face. Although I bought the lightest color, it was still pretty dark on me and made my face look orange like I had a bad tan. It was disappointing but there are so many other Hard Candy products that I want to try.


As you can see, the formula is pretty heavy. The moisturizer just sits on top of my hand.

The left side of my hand is bare. The right side of my hand has the tinted moisturizer on. You can obviously see where I blended out the moisturizer and how dark it is compared to my bare hand.

ghd - Purifying Shampoo

2011-04-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

ghd claims :

Use before the prescribed ghd shampoo to remove anything that shouldn't be on the hair.
Contains a gentle surfactant derived from olive oil, which won't irritate the scalp and which helps to protect and condition damaged hair.
Includes a polymer which removes hard water minerals and heavy-metal salts from the hair.
Removes product build-up, excess oil, chlorine, and helps prevent discolouration of hair after swimming.
Contains positively charged conditioning polymers, making it easier to comb the hair when wet or dry.
Helps to reduce static.

I was disappointed by their guardian conditioner but I love this clarifying shampoo! My boyfriend received this by the company as a promotion and he gave it to me. I use this once a week to remove any product build-ups and I believe that it really works great on my hair. It gives me that squeaky clean feeling and makes my scalp feel refreshed. I wouldn't consider purchasing this because this is way out of my budget ($25) and there are many cheaper clarifying shampoos out there. However, this product made me want to continue venturing out for other clarifying shampoos that are more budget friendly. 9 out of 10

ghd - Guardian Conditioner for Colour-Treated Hair

2011-04-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

ghd claims:

Contains a heat-activated ingredient derived from meadow foam seed oil, which penetrates the hair's cortex, repairing damage and adding elasticity.
Contains wheat amino acids, which repair and replace cystine bonds in the hair that may have been damaged by heat or chemical treatments.
Contains a UVB absorber, which protects hair from UV radiation and also protects the hair's natural surface proteins and lipids.
Contains merquat, a positively charged conditioning polymer, providing lustre without build-up, reducing static, and improving combability.
Contains a water-based silicone which works with the above polymers to help retain colour.
Contains hydrolysed vegetable protein for intensive conditioning and resistance to high humidity, thereby controlling frizz.

So ghd promises a lot of things for this conditioner. My boyfriend received it for free as the company was passing them out at his office and gave it to me. At first, I thought this would be a perfect conditioner for me since my hair has been color treated and I need to repair some damages that I've done to them. However, this conditioner just disappointed me. It smelled kind of weird to me, hard to describe.... Not the kind of smell that I'm used to which is usually fruity. This conditioner definitely doesn't do any harm to my hair but it doesn't do any good either. I would rank it as below average. It doesn't give me that silky, smooth feel when I wash my hair off and saw no results that it claims to give. Since my boyfriend received two full size bottles and I'm already on my second one, I think that gave me plenty of time to see some results. Clearly, I saw nothing. I would be so upset if I actually paid $29 which is the retail price. I would just stick to my drugstore conditioner which I'm completely content with. 3 out of 10

Physicians Formula - Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Berry"

2011-04-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Physicians Formula's description of this product:

A beautiful mosaic of complementary hues to contour and accentuate cheekbones with soft color and discreet shimmer.
It’s the perfect combination of colors that blend together to naturally enhance your cheekbones.

The finest Italian talc provides a silky-smooth application that blends easily without streaking or irritating sensitive skin.

This blush is so pretty. As the company claims, the blush is silky and is very pigmented. It has a very subtle shimmer in it that you can barely notice at all. It gives my cheeks an instant berry glow. Like I said, this blush is very pigmented so I have to be cautious when applying and use a light hand or else I can look like a clown especially on my fair skin. This comes with a mirror and a brush, but I prefer to use my blush brush. I believe the price is a little high for a drugstore brand but you get what you pay for in most of Physicians Formula products.

Physicians Formula - Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Jumbo Lash Mascara

2011-03-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

Physicians Formula claims that this mascara provides 100% dramatic volume & glamour, 100% of the total ingredients are from natural origin, 47% of the ingredients are from organic farming, organisoy moisturizes and nourish lases, and eco-olive a natural antioxidant, shields lashes from harsh environmental aggressors.
Physicians Formula is one of my favorite drugstore brands because they don't test on animals. I like how they are into organic ingredients and economically friendly. This mascara was a huge disappointment. It gave me good volume and length, separates my lashes very nicely, doesn't clump at all, and the packaging is absolutely adorable. However, this smudges on me way too much! It claims to be smudge-free but unfortunately, it makes me looking a like a panda bear. Mascaras do tend to smudge on me but it hasn't smudged as bad as this one. Otherwise, this would have been a perfect mascara for me because I love the instant result that it delivers. I'm so sad. 4 out of 10

Garnier Fructis - Nutrient Spray

2011-03-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Garnier claims that this unique formula combines liquid shine with weightless nutritive oils for an extra dose of nutrition. With each spray, hair is nourished, instantly softer, shinier and easier to manage.
I use this after using heat styling implements as a finishing touch. It seals my dry brittle ends and makes my hair look healthier. This gives a healthy shine but doesn't leave your hair looking greasy. I love the fruity smell. The bottle seems small but you don't need a lot of product so it has been lasting me quite a while now. Since I'm running out of my leave-in conditioner, I'm going to start using this after I take a shower on my dampened hair to seal in the moisture and nourish them. 8 out of 10

Maybelline - Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation

2011-03-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

Maybelline claims that this foundation provides 100% baby-smooth perfection and 14 hour hydration. I have extremely dry skin and when I wear any kind of liquid foundation, my face will appear flaky, blotchy, and unattractive. I was looking for a hydrating foundation and came across this one. I really like this foundation. It doesn't make my face look dry and keeps my skin looking hydrated. This foundation comes with the sponge but I prefer applying it with a foundation brush. It has light coverage but still manages to cover my red cheeks, and matches my skin tone perfectly. It gives you a natural dewy finish which I love and prefer. Because of the nature of this product, I always finish it off with a powder. This will be my favorite drugstore foundation that I've ever came across. 9 out of 10

Freeman - Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask

2011-03-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

This is the Freeman's clay mask from the Feeling Beautiful line. It claims that the mask purges pores and draws out excess oils and dirt.
I love this clay mask! When I first used it, it did burn me a little and was worried that this might irritate my skin. After several use, I got used to it and it no longer burns my face. I love the smell of this too. After washing it off, my skin instantly looks brighter, smooth, and glowing within the surface of my skin. My skin is free of pores! I only use this once a week but it makes me want to use it twice or three times a week because I love the way my skin looks after using this. At $3.99 this is a steal. This company does not test on animals so they are cruelty free. They have so many different kinds of mask, I want to try all of them. 9 out of 10

Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 15

2011-03-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Aveeno claims that with clinically proven Total Soy Complex and natural light diffusers, this daily moisturizer evens out skin tone and texture and immediately reflects light to bring out skin's natural radiance. Its fast-absorbing formula leaves skin soft and smooth and is clinically proven to improve skin tone and texture in as little as 4 weeks. Gentle enough for sensitive skin and daily use.
I use this moisturizer everyday under my makeup. It's great because it contains an SPF of 15. I love the smell. It's very subtle and smells clean and fresh. I've been using this for more than 3 months and I haven't noticed any difference in my skin tone nor texture since I've started the use. I wasn't particularly disappointed in that because I wasn't expecting this moisturizer to do so. It's very lightweight and fast absorbing. It's probably just my extremely sensitive skin overreacting to products, but I do feel a little burning sensation after I apply this. I guess it wasn't gentle enough for MY sensitive skin. It's a pretty big bottle so it will last me quite a long time. 7 out of 10