Ahleessa 4 Realz

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush and Super Perricone Winner

2012-01-30T00:04:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter Zoya Nail Polishes Giveaway. It ends February 1st, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

I'm on a row reviewing Maybelline products! I'm going to review their new cream blush.

Product Review: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in #20 Peach Satin

Where to purchase: drugstores, merchandiser, online
Price: $7.99 for 5.6 g/0.19 oz

Made in Korea

Description on the site:
Freshest flush ever:
* Revolutionary gel formula provides a new bouncy texture.
* Lightweight like a powder, yet melts seamlessly into skin like a cream.
* Natural sheer wash of color that is buildable for greater color intensity.
* Dermatologist tested. Allergy tested.
* Non-comedogenic.
Thoughts: When I first saw this, I knew I had to get one. I love my cream blushes! They're great alone as a tint or as a base to layer more colors. The packaging to me I think it's a little kiddish, but it's cute. I feel like I'm carrying something teenagers would use. It makes me feel young not only on the inside. :P

I wanted to stay away from pink blushes since I have so many. For that reason, I got Peach Satin.

I thought it'll be brighter than Candy Coral or at least it looks that way in comparison side by side.

It's a peach with a sheen of gold. It's a pretty color, but kind of reminds me of the Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin they stop making. I had to compare. I just took out my Maybelline Mousse Blush in #20 Peach Satin. They're not the same in color!!! The Maybelline Mousse is more frosty in color in comparison to this Bouncy Blush. If I had to choose between the colors, I'll choose Dream Bouncy! :) Sorry I do not have a picture of the comparison. If you want, I can take it later. Just feel free to tell me.

When you swirl your finger in the blush, it's very cooling. It feels great to the touch! It's not sanitary safe if you use your finger, but I prefer my finger over a brush. It's quicker that way or at least for me. Using a finger, you would use less blush. The brush will have to pick up more. Another reason why I use my finger over a brush. Another thing I noticed is that the blush is so gel-like, it's easy to put a dent. It kind of reminds me of Play-Doh. :X

Here's how the blush looks on me when it's only a flush of color. You can layer more with each usage. It is up to you. I noticed the blush lasted a good amount of the day. Then again it might be that case since I have dry skin. If you have oily skin, I'm not too sure if it'll last a good amount of the day to be honest. I think cream, gel-like blushes are made for people with dry skin. It's goes deeper on the skin then oily people; oil will come out of the skin removing the blush.

Pros:
* Maybelline; a brand I trust.
* Made in Korea; being biased here. :X
* Packaging is kiddish; makes you feel young.
* Good amount of selection in colors.
* Peach with gold sheen.
* Not frosty.
* Feels cool to the touch.
* Gel-like texture.
* Last for half a day.

Cons:
* Packaging is kiddish.
* Easily can put dents.
* Not sanitary safe if used with fingers.
* Brushes pick up more product then needed.
* Not the best for oily skin.

Would Repurchase: Yes.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Now for the Super Perricone winner...

it is...

#11...

Congratulations to ShinyPrettyThings! :)

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name, address, and which product you would like from the Super Perricone line. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw a new winner.

Thank you Perricone for a wonderful giveaway! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for Perricone. They are sponsoring the giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Maybelline Baby Lips and Nail Polishes

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter Perricone Super Giveaway. It ends January 29th, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Please don't forget to enter Zoya Nail Polishes Giveaway. It ends February 1st, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

It's been awhile since I reviewed a product *sigh*. Whenever I want to take pictures on the weekend (I can't on the weekday since I work), there's no sun. :/ My reviews might be late, but it's better now than never or at least I like to think so! ;)

Product Review: Maybelline Baby Lips in #25 Pink Punch

Where to purchase: drugstore, retailers, online
Price: $3.99 for 4.4 g/0.15 oz

Made in USA

Description on the site: No more basic lip balm.
Lip renew formula and 8-hr hydration for visibly renewed lips in 4 weeks.
Clinical care for baby-soft lips.
Ingredients:

Thoughts: The first thing I do with SPF products is check the active ingredients. Thankfully, it only has octinoxate and octisalate. I try to avoid the ingredients oxybenzone and avobenzone. I'm allergic to either ingredients or both. That I'm not too sure about, but I will find out soon enough when I play around with some products that only have one of them. :X Now that I knew I wasn't allergic to the product, I had to get one. To be safe, I decided to only get one and I'm always like that with SPF products. Once I try them out and I'm okay, no allergic reaction, I tend to buy more if I like the product.

For the packaging, I thought it kind of looks kiddish. It reminds me of something I would use in elementary/middle school. That's my own opinion. You don't have to agree. :P Even with the packaging, I still wanted to get one.

It smells like fruit punch. It smells heavenly!!! :) Unfortunately, I don't smell the fruit punch while putting it on my lips. I smell something fruity, but it's not specific. I still like the smell.

It's a sheer, light baby pink color. The more you layer on your lips, it gets a little bit brighter or at least for me. It's hard to say since I have naturally, light pink color. I tend to show more color on my lips than most people. I also heard it's the most tinted one from the Baby Lips.

Here's how the color looks on me. I actually like the color on me! :) The color lasts for some time on me until I eat or play with my lips. Then it will fades.

Now for the most important factor, does it hydrate my lips for 8 hours and make it baby soft? My lips feel better after several hours of wearing this especially during this winter weather with my chapped lips. Would I say it's hydrating for 8 hours? I wouldn't say that. I think it hydrates like any moisturizing lip products. Does it make my lips baby soft? I wouldn't say that unless I wear it throughout the day on daily basis.

Pros:
* Maybelline; I tend to like their products.
* SPF 20.
* Does not contain oxybenzone and avobenzone.
* Packaging is kiddish; make me feel young again.
* Smells like fruit punch; fruity.
* Sheer, light baby pink color.
* Hydrated a bit.

Cons:
* Not UVA; protects the inner layer of the skin.
* Packaging is kiddish.
* Color will probably not show up on darker lips.

Would repurchase: Yes, for this color. Possibly a maybe for #15 Cherry Me.
Rating: 3.5/5 Tobey's Paws

I've been obsessed with nail polishes this month *sigh*. I need to stop buying, but I'm loving the glitter and flakes that you put on top of a base color.

Revlon in #761 Scandalous. Since I missed out the first dupe of Deborah Lippmann nail polish, Revlon in Faucets of Fuchsia. I had to get this one when I saw it.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in #150 Glass Slipper. I first saw this on a blog and wanted it badly! I'm so obsessed with flakes and knew I had to get it. Only thing is it came out months ago, and was extremely hard to find. For some lucky reason, I found it at my local Rite-Aid. Not only did I find one, I found three and bought all of them. :X

Here's my NOTW. I'm wearing a dark blue with the Glass Slipper on top. For some odd reason, the blue is lighter in the picture and you can hardly see the flakes. :/ The flakes look like diamonds in person; very sparkly and bright.

Finger Paints in Twisted. It's a gorgeous, multi-colored flakes. Love it!!! I'm a little sad that my co-worker spilled half the bottle, but she replaced it with an OPI nail polish. I'm hoping my Sally's will replace these so I can get another one.

This was my nail last week. Black with Twisted on top. Love it!!!

Orly in Frisky. I needed a good cream, light blue color for a nail art I'm planning on.

Orly in Shining Star. I saw this in the clearance bin so I had to grab it. I thought it would make a great top color.

OPI in Black Onyx. I was shock I did not have a solid, dark black color so I got one.

OPI Crackle in Blue Shatter. I only own a black one and suppose to have gotten a silver one for Christmas from a friend. I haven't seen that friend in awhile so no clue when I'll get my gift. :X I had to buy one when it's on sale at Ulta.

OPI in Save Me. It's from the Nicki Minaj Collection, and my replacement nail polish from the co-worker. I love it on top of black and cannot wait to try this out!

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for Save Me in OPI; that's given to me as a gift. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Pittsburgh Salons

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Perricone Super Giveaway. It ends January 29th, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

A wonderful PR from Verve 360 Pittsburgh salons is giving one of my readers a chance to win a Zoya nail polish set. How nice of them! They are giving out from the Fall 2011 Collection, Smoke & Mirrors, in Anja and Jem.

"Zoya nail polish in Anja can be best described as: A rich, deep, vampy red-toned wine purple with a glossy creme finish. This vampy shade is both sexy and elegant."

"Zoya nail polish in Jem can be best described as: A dark red-toned purple base with metallic dark pink highlights and subtle gold duochrome flecks. This shade has it all; bold color, vampy drama, bright sparkle and a glam rock persona."

How to enter:
1. You must be a public follower of my blog with Google username (I will check). PLEASE do not just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!
2. Open only to the people living in U.S. except for Hawaii and Alaska.
3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.
4. You must leave a comment "why do you like Zoya?" Creativity in answer is appreciated, but you don't have to. If you don't have a comment, you are NOT entered.
5. The giveaway will end in 10 days, February 1, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).
6. The winner will be drawn with a random number generator. You have 48 hours to contact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Extra entries:
1. If you follow Verve Wellness Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
2. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
3. If you follow Verve Wellness Twitter page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
4. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
5. If you follow my Twitter and re-tweeted the giveaway, give me the link. (+2)
6. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1)
7. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1)
8. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+3)

Thank you Verve 360 for sponsoring the giveaway!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are pictures and descriptions taken from Zoya website. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Hollywood Beauty Event

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Perricone Super Giveaway. It ends January 29th, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

LA Glow will be hosting Hollywood Beauty Event this coming April 15-16th, 2012 at Sheraton Universal Studios.

"The Hollywood Beauty Even is the 2-day hands on training event where you learn from the best of the best in fashion, film, beauty, and editorial hair and makeup artistry. Don't miss your chance to experience the event that puts you on the fast tract to success!"

Video 1 - What Is The Hollywood Beauty Event? from LAGLOW on Vimeo.

You can also win 2 tickets to the event! Check out http://www.facebook.com/glowofficial.

Good luck and you don't want to miss this opportunity to attend a wonderful event!!! :)

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. I am just passing along information I received. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Super Skincare & Get Super Perricone

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Super Skincare & Get Super Perricone... Have you checked out the Super Skincare line by Dr. Nicholas Perricone? Basically the website says it in one sentence, "the antioxidants found in the world's most powerful Superfoods are combined with time-tested, patented technology for an innovative new line of preventative, protective and therapeutic skin care." Doesn't it sound great!?!? I hear it all the time that antioxidants are good for you to prevent future health problems, as well as, protect. For example, you get antioxidants from blueberries and it's suppose to neutralize the free radicals (unstable molecules linked to development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other age-related conditions). Not only do you get antioxidants from food, it now comes in your skincare line!

For example,

the Crinkle Eraser contains red algae. The "ocean's richest source of minerals that helps maintain skin's elasticity" (taken from the website).

A wonderful PR is willing to give one of my readers a chance to win one product from the Super Skincare line from Dr. Perricone. How nice of them! :)

How to enter:

1. You must be a public follower of my blog with Google username (I will check). PLEASE do not just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!

2. Open only to the people living in the U.S.

3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.

4. You must leave a comment "which Perricone Super product you will need and why?" Please be detailed about the product and the reason. If you don't have a comment, you are NOT entered.

5. The giveaway will end in two weeks, January 29, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).

6. The winner will be drawn with a random number generator. You have 48 hours to con tact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Extra entries:

1. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)

2. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)

3. If you follow my Twitter and re-tweeted the giveaway, give me the link. (+2)

4. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1)

5. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1)

6. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+3)

Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are pictures taken from Dr. Perricone. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Vivite Daily Antioxidant Facial Serum

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last year, I won a Vivite giveaway from SkinCareRx.

It included two Vivite products, Facial Cleanser and Facial Serum. They were nice enough to add a Duwop blush. I will review the blush later.

I already reviewed the Vivite Exfoliating Facial Cleanser. It contains both scrub and cleanser in one. Pretty genius idea I might say since most brands you need two products. Since it contains granules to exfoliate your face, it isn't highly recommended to use more than twice a week. You don't want to be rough on your skin. For that reason, this product lasts a long time. Even after months, I hardly noticed a decrease in the product. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this product! :)

Now I'm going to review the Facial Serum since I'm almost done with the product. :X

Product Review: Vivite Daily Antioxidant Facial Serum

Where to purchase: SkinCareRx, online, etc.
Price: $109 for 1 fl oz/30 mL

Made in USA

Description on the back: Exfoliates, hydrates, and protects skin while reducing the appearances of fine lines and wrinkles. Perfect for daily use under makeup.
Ingredients:

Thoughts: I first used the cleanser before I used this product. I had such good thoughts about the cleanser that I went into the serum with high expectations. It's kind of bad to go into a product with high expectations. If they don't meet your standards, you are disappointed by the product. It's better to go into a product without any expectations or at least that's what I think.

There's nothing special about the packaging. It's very simple. I guess it's a good thing since so many companies focus on packaging. Believe it or not a lot of the products cost more because of the packaging *sigh*. The packaging can cost more than the product. :/ For that reason, this product must be good since it cost so much!

It doesn't have any scent which is a good thing or at least for me. It's better than smelling bad.

It's a clear, beige-colored product. You only need a drop or two for the face. It's very cooling to the skin, and I noticed some hydration once you apply it. If you have extremely dry skin, it doesn't hydrate but it will help. As time goes on, I can see an improvement on hydration but it can be a mixture of serum and moisturizer. It's also very light. It doesn't feel like you're' putting heavy products on your face.

When it comes to improvements, I am not too sure on this. My fine lines and wrinkles do not seem to disappear, but it's suppose to prevent future lines and wrinkles. I guess in this concept it does help, but it can be a mixture of products I use on my face (cleanser, scrub, Clarisonic, toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen). I know I use a lot of products, but I am trying to prevent future wrinkles and age spots. I guess overall, I am very lucky I look younger than my age! :)

Pros:
* Simple packaging.
* No scent.
* Antioxidant.
* Daily usage in the morning.
* Light.
* Hydrates.
* Improves the skin.

Cons:
* Not well know brand; hard to find in stores.
* Expensive.
* Not attractive packaging.

Would repurchase: Maybe, if it wasn't expensive.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post I won in a giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Physicians Formula Palette in Nude Eyes and Nail Polishes

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy belated New Years!!! I hope everyone had a good one. :) Mine was spent with family. Whenever I spend time with family, it takes me a week to get rejuvenated. :X My nieces and nephew take the energy out of me, but it's all worth it. :)

When Physicians Formula Palette in Nude Eyes came out, I had to get it right away. Not because it's only nude (which that's the only thing I wear), but the cute packaging. Isn't it amazing how packaging can sell people!?!? :X

Product Review: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner in #7564 Nude Eyes

Where to purchase: drugstore, retailers, online
Price: $11.29 for 0.26 oz/ 7.7 g

Made in USA

Direction on the back:

Ingredients:

Thoughts: Like I was saying the packaging is one reason this palette sold me! Honestly, it shouldn't be but I am the first to admit I am really into packaging of beauty products *sigh*.

I love the lace on light pink package. It looks so sexy. Doesn't it remind you of lingerie? They added the cuteness with the light pink bow. The lace on the package is definitely real lace and not a picture. You can feel the lace while you rub your fingers on it.

One thing I found interesting about the palette is how it opens. It usually opens on top, but this palette opens to the right. I like how different and unique it is! :) It also comes with a sponge applicator with a tip. The tip is suppose to help you line your eyes if you use the shadow colors, and the side is to use for the eyeshadows. I do not know how good the sponge applicator is since I never use it. :X

Now I need to look at the quality of the palette not the initial attraction. I think the colors are gorgeous! I can see myself wearing all those colors on daily basis except for the far left, black. I'll use black but it's seldom. I also like that it comes with direction of the colors on the packaging, but I hardly follow them. :X I tend to go with the flow.

For the swatches...

The first 5 colors from the left.

The last 4 colors from the left.

I was kind of disappointed the colors were so light when I swatch them. Who knows it might be better on the eyes, and I did not use a primer to swatch these. Using a primer might make a difference.

Now for two looks I came out with...

I used the fifth color from the left on the lid. Then I tried to contour with the fourth color. I noticed it didn't make a difference so I contoured with the second color from the left. I used a primer, UDPP, before the look and it didn't show up much.

Here I used fourth color from the left on the lid. Then I lighted the crease area so it blended more with the highlight color. I used the fifth color from the left. The color showed up more, but I wasn't blown away. It just seemed like a typical brown color.

Overall, I'm not blown away with this palette. If I just want for the outer layer (packaging), this is it. Packaging might sell me in the beginning, but you need something more to last a long time. The colors are light and nothing original.

Pros:
* Physicians Formula; brand I trust.
* Cute packaging.
* Nine colors in one palette.

Cons:
* Not pigmented.
* Primer helps a little bit.
* Typical colors.
* Nothing spectacular.
* Cannot grab certain colors without grabbing the neighbor colors.

Would repurchase: No, not this color palette. The other Physicians Formula Shimmer Palettes I have are good.
Rating: 2/5 Tobey's Paws

I'm going to end this post with some nail polishes I bought. I bought two Essie polishes.

This is Essie in Shine Of The Times. I heard it's a dupe of Sally Hansen in Hidden Treasure. Since I missed out on Hidden Treasure, I had to get this.

This is Essie in As Gold As It Gets. I was not planning to get this until the cashier told me this was more a success than Shine Of The Times. After getting this, now I can understand. I'm so into flakes at this moment. I want to get their white one now. :X

I also got one OPI polish.

This is OPI in Peach-A-Boo! I saw it in the clearance section at Ulta. I thought it was a gorgeous color and being on sale, I could not refuse.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Hauls and Aveeno Hair Kit Giveaway Winner

2011-12-29T00:02:00.000-08:00

During these last weeks or I should say months (including Black Friday and Cyber Monday), I've been buying a lot of cosmetics *sigh*. It's a good thing I've been getting them for cheap but do I really need these? Probably not! :X Now onto my hauls and they do not include the new products out from drugstore *sigh*...

Sasa:

I bought three boxes of masks, sheet and eye, online. The two sheet masks are My Beauty Diary and the eye mask is My Scheming. I will review these in the future.

Missha:

They had this promotion for new users to get a sampler BB Cream set online with a purchase. I've been curious about the BB Creams so it gave me a good opportunity to try them. The stupid person I am I thought I ordered the full sized BB Cream, but I ended up with a travel sized. :/ I will review these too.

AskDerm:

I purchased Clarisonic Mia online when they had the 30% discount and free bag with a head brush. For years, I told myself I did not need Clarisonic and that it would be too rough on the skin. I changed opinion. :X

Sephora:

When they had the holiday discount, I could not resist the offer. To be honest, I really did not know what I wanted. After seeing swatches of these eyeshadows and lipsticks in person, I could not resist especially the container. You can use the container for other things once you're done. :)

Milani:

When they had the sale online, I could not resist the blushes and pencil I've been wanting to try for some time. Yeah pencil not pencils. I ordered one pencil, black, and two blushes. When I received the package, it only came with one blush and two pencils. I called the customer service and they sent the other blush I ordered and told me to keep the silver pencil. How nice of them! :)

CVS Clearance Sale:

I've been wanting to try the Revlon eyeshadow palette, as well as, the Maybelline concealer. This was a good opportunity to get it, as well as, heard good things about the Physcians Formula powder/bronzer set.

I told you I bought way more than I should had, and these do not include the new drugstore products that came out *sigh*. :X

Now for the Aveeno Hair Kit Winner...

it is...

#23...

Spankedelic.

Congratulations to Spankedelic! :)

Thank you Aveeno for the wonderful giveaway! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the Aveeno. Aveeno is sponsoring the giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Adore Me Lingerie

2011-12-26T00:44:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Aveeno Hair Kit Giveaway. It ends December 28, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

I want to wish everyone a very happy, Merry Christmas!!! I guess when this is posted it's belated, but still wish for the best. I hope you were surrounded by good people with tons of food. :)

In November, I introduced Adore Me. If you don't recall Adore Me, it's a monthly lingerie club that comes to your door. You can check out my introductory post or the website. I was fortunate to receive a lingerie from Adore Me so I can fully review the process of the club, as well as, review the lingerie.

The first thing I did is take the quiz. It took a good 2-5 minutes depending on how quick you are. There were times I had to think about the answers.

They ask all types of questions relating to lingerie to your style. Some of the questions were, "What's your favorite lingerie fabric?" which I took the picture from their quiz, another is "Which Gossip Girl style fits you best?", and so on. One thing I really like is that you have choices from pictures. You just click on the picture you like and then move on. That's how simple the quiz is.

After you take the quiz, the stylists compute your answers to get the perfect lingerie for you. For some odd reason, I thought the showroom would be done in a minute or two. I believe it took a good night to morning process. I waited for the showroom, but I didn't get it to the next morning. One thing great is that they e-mail you that the showroom is ready. That was nice!

Here's my December showroom.

Not only do they only have lingerie, but they have babydolls & slips.

They also have hosiery. I printed the screen of my December selection. If you don't like any of the ones they posted, you can check out your friends and choose from there. I choose something from my selection. ;)

Once I chose the item I wanted, the ordering took a couple of minutes. They also sent an e-mail confirmation of the item you ordered.

I chose Hannah. It's a simple lingerie for my style. :) It costs $39.95 including shipping and handling. Pretty good price I might say. By the way, I did not pay for mine. It was free to review on my blog.

The shipping took a good one week or even less. I cannot remember the exact day, but it was pretty quick from what I recall. Now onto my review...

The lingerie is packaged inside a box. The box itself did not come alone, but in a big envelope. For that reason, the corners got bent. In all honesty, I don't think it matters about the box but what's inside.

Once you open the box, you see a cute wrapping with a letter from Adore Me.

Here's a picture of my lingerie set. It's a lot pinker than the picture but I actually like it better in person. :)

Here's how the bra looks like. The wire is secure, sturdy, and well made. I love how it has laces on the top part and it isn't the cheap kind. The bow in the center is an added cuteness to the bra.

Here's the back of the bra. I love how it has three button/strap area. Most bras I own only have two. Three gives it more a security and sturdiness or at least I think so.

This is so unique for me!!! I have never seen the inside of the bra like that; how it has different bumps of padding. At first, I was not too sure why. Now that I tried this on, I understand it. It gives the added push especially for the women who are not blessed in that area. ;)

Here's the pantie. It's striped pink and lighter pink vertical (up and down).

It has laces all around and a matching bow from the bra.

One thing about the fabric is that it's see through. I put a sample product I received from somewhere else to show you how see through the fabric is. It can be sexy in some way, at the same time, protect you. ;)

Overall, I am happy with my lingerie and I think this a great idea! Nowadays, who has the time to go shopping at the stores. You can just choose from online, and with the ease get it delivered to your place. I highly recommend Adore Me!!! :)

Thank you Adore Me!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

L'occitane Hand Cream, Sheet Masks, and TFSI Winner

2011-12-22T01:19:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Aveeno Hair Kit Giveaway. It ends December 28, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

L'occitane were giving away, I cannot recall, hand creams. I got myself one and decided to try this famous hand cream I hear about all the time.

Product Review: L'occitane Shea Butter Dry Skin Hand Cream

Where can you purchase this: L'occitane store or online
Price: $10 for 30 mL/1 oz.

Made in France

Description on the back: With a very high content of Shea Butter, this hand treatment protects, nourishes and softens our hands.
Ingredients:

My thoughts: For the longest time, I've been curious about this hand cream. The only reason that held me back from buying is knowing I have so many creams/lotions that need to be used. I wanted to use all the products I have before buying. When they were giving away free hand creams, I couldn't refuse and get one. :P

I had mixed feelings about the packaging. I think it's great it comes in a tube so you can squeeze the product out. Unlike some tubes, this one is easy to squeeze. I also noticed at the store they sell this plastic thing that helps you squeeze it so you get more quantity. I also like that it's easy to carry around. You can just throw it in your bag.

Now for the smell, it smells like shea butter. It's an alright scent for my nose. I tend to like fruity smell. ;) At least, the scent doesn't last long.

I also noticed the cream is on the thick side. It might be too thick for oily skin people. People like me who have dry skin it's perfect. It's extremely moisturizing and helps my dry cuticles. I've seen improvements on my hands. This is a product I would only wear during the winter or nights before I head to bed. I cannot see myself wearing this during the summer. It'll be too thick even for my dry skin.

Pros:
* L'occitane; natural ingredient brand.
* Comes in a tube; easy to squeeze and carry.
* Not long lasting fragrance.
* Thick product.
* Extremely moisturizing.
* Helps the cuticles.

Cons:
* L'occitane; hard to find store.
* Comes in a tube; cannot get all the product.
* Shea butter scent.
* Not recommended for oily skin people.

Would I repurchase: Yes if it's on sale.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Here are some of the sheet masks I've been using lately. All of them were given to me as gifts thanks to wonderful people! :)

Luna was kind enough to give me six Silk Whitia. For some odd reason, I didn't take pictures of the other three. They're smaller size in comparison to the packaging of these. I actually liked them, but I cannot recall much. That's why I need pictures; out of sight, out of mind. :X

The three I took pictures of, above, were good. I noticed after removing the sheet masks off my face, I can feel cotton from the mask on my face. I'm not too sure why. :/ The left one is lavender, not too sure what the middle one is, and the right one is pearl powder. I cannot recall if they had scent. Gosh I'm so bad at remembering things that's why I need to write them down quickly or else I'll forget or get them confused with other products. :X

Luna also gave me this faceQ sheet mask. From my experiences with faceQ, they've been great. I think I'm a huge fan of faceQ masks now!!! This one is so unique. It comes with ear and chin part. Basically, you're hydrating your whole face including the neck. We definitely need to hydrate our neck so it doesn't sag as we age. This is Caviar and Hydraulic Acid Moisture Mask. Like all faceQ masks, they do not have scent.

That's not the only faceQ mask I got to try. Shiny Pretty Thing gave me one as well, and it's Ocean Aloe Mask. They're so hydrating, refreshing, and I love the end product of these masks. Unfortunately, I have none left. Hopefully, I'll get some in the future when Sasa has sale on these babies. :)

Now for the winner for Too Faced Shadow Insurance...

it is...

#71...

Stavroula@drugstoreandbargainlover.

Congratulation to Stavroula@drugstoreandbargainlover! :)

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name and address. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw a new winner.

If you did not win, do not worry there will be more giveaways in the future. Thank you all for joining the giveaway. I did not expect this many entries. Thank you everyone! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me either as a gift, masks, or freebies, hand cream and TFSI. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Born Pretty Nail Polish in Emerald Green Silver Shimmer

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Aveeno Hair Kit Giveaway. It ends December 28, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST. By the time this is posted, my Too Faced Shadow Insurance Giveaway should have ended.

I was fortunate to be able to review more products from Born Pretty. The first time I reviewed French Stamp Template DIY Kit. This time I received two products.

I will only review the nail polish for this post. I will review the template later when I get a good thick, black nail polish. :X

Product Review: BK Fashion Nail Color in Emerald Green Silver Shimmer #05

Where can you purchase this: Born Pretty
Price: $4.74 for 15 mL

Description on the site: Silver Shimmer, long lasting. Perfect color for spring & summer season. Get dry fast in seconds. Green Polish Guarantee. Does not contain toluene, formaldehyde, acetone type solvent, DBP and other carcinogenic substances.
My thoughts: When I first received it, I thought it was a lot greener than I imagined from the website. I wasn't too sure if I liked the color or not. Other than that, I didn't have any other feelings since I knew nothing of this brand.

I was glad to know the brush is thick! I've been using OPI nail polishes a lot lately and I got use to the thick brushes. You only need to brush three to four times on your finger and you're done. It's a lot easier compared to thin brushes which you need to brush gazillion times (a little over exaggeration) to paint your nails.

My first thought after applying the polish on my nails is how green it is. I wasn't too sure but I fell in love with the color the next day when I saw it in the sun. It's a gorgeous Christmas-like green with lots of glitters. It's so sparkling! I received tons and I mean tons of compliment on this nail color. It's probably the most compliments I have ever received on any nail colors I wore! :)

Not only is it sparkling, this nail polish does not chip! Whenever I wear a polish through washing and opening things, they end up chipping some way here and there. I opened a can and heard a click on my nail. I was shocked to see no chip on my nails! This polish is a lot better than a lot of nail polishes I have ever tried.

Pros:
* Shiny, glittery nail polishes.
* Multiple colors.
* Thick brush.
* Long lasting color.
* Hardly chips.

Cons:
* Hard to find in stores; located on the website only.

Would I repurchase: Yes!
Rating: 5/5 Tobey's Paws

Born Pretty is kind enough to give my readers 10% off with the code "ALYJ61" on your purchase.

Thanks you Born Pretty!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Olay Regenerist Cream and Aveeno Hair Kit Giveaway

2011-12-08T00:13:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Too Faced Shadow Insurance Giveaway. It ends December 18, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

I bought Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream from Costco earlier this year.

I haven't had the time to review this, but I thought I should. I always say it's better later than never. ;)

Product Review: Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-aging Micro-Sculpting Cream

Where can you purchase this: drugstore, retail, Costco, and online
Price: $30 something (I cannot remember the exact price)

Made in USA

Description from the back: Hydrate and firm skin's appearance without drastic measures.

The result of over 50 years of Olay research, this luxurious cream has the highest concentration of our signature amino-peptide + B3 complex infused with intracellular fortifier and a touch of precious marine proteins.

The Results: Intracellular hydration regenerates volume and shape across skin's 10 million surface cells, progressively lifting and micro-sculpting to help:
* firm sagging-prone areas, even the jaw line
* smooth skin's surface
* restore elasticity
Ingredients:

My thoughts: The first time I saw this was when my sister-in-law was using it. I asked for her opinion and she said she loved it. I thought it wouldn't hurt getting one from Costco.

Is it just me but all anti-aging products in the US come in red packaging. Why is that? I also noticed they come in thick bottles. :/

The first thing I did is smell the cream. It smells fruity to me, but I could be wrong. I know some people think the smell is thick, but it doesn't bother me. I actually like the scent. :X If you don't like it, it lasts about 5 minutes or at least it does for me.

The texture of the cream is thick, beige color. If you have oily skin, this definitely isn't for you. I think it's a great night cream for people with normal to dry skin. You can use it during the morning as suggested, but I don't. There's a reason why I don't. I don't know if it's just me but I noticed whenever I wear this cream during the morning and apply makeup afterwards (I do with most moisturizers), it makes my face look like it has dry patches. I don't have dry patches, but I noticed a layer of something moves around. It's so irritating. For the longest time, I couldn't figure it out until now. In my opinion, I think this cream doesn't melt into your skin. Maybe in the beginning it hydrates your skin but if you put too much, it just sits on your skin. I could be wrong, but that's the only thing I could figure out why I have thick chunks of something. It's not like I put too much cream either. After I apply it, my skin looks smooth, but I could feel the consistency of cream on your skin.

By the way if you're wondering about the spoon, Shiny Pretty Things gave it to me. It was so nice of her to send me one! :) I use it all the time, and it's so worthwhile. You don't have to dip into your moisturizer/cream anymore.

Thank you Shiny Pretty Things! :)

Other than the smell and texture, I think it hydrates your skin well. After I apply the cream, my face feels smooth. I don't know about the anti-aging effect, but my skin has looks decent.

Pros:
* Olay; brand I trust.
* Fruity smell.
* Scent doesn't last long.
* Thick consistency.
* Great for dry skin.
* Great for winter weather.
* Good for night.
* Hydrates.
* Your skin feels smooth.

Cons:
* So thick, consistency doesn't completely absorb onto skin.
* Not so great for morning.

Would I repurchase: Maybe, only for night cream.
Rating: 3.5/5 Tobey's Paws

Aveeno is so kind to offer one of my readers a hair kit with tons of products. How nice of them!!! :) In the kit, it contains...

Aveeno NOURISH+ Shine Shampoo and Conditioner

Aveeno Living Color Shine Glaze

Aveeno NOURISH+ Style Fortifying Hairspray

Aveeno NOURISH+ Leave In Conditioner

How to enter:
1. You must be a public follower of my blog with Google username (I will check). PLEASE do no just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!
2. Open only to the people living in the U.S.
3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.
4. The giveaway will end in three weeks, December 28, 2011 at 11:50 p.m. PST (Pacific time).
5. The winner will be drawn with a random number generator. You have 48 hours to contact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Questions and extra entries:
1. You must give me the Google Username that you are using to follow my blog.
2. You must live within the U.S.
3. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+2)
4. If you follow Aveeno Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+2)
5. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
6. If you follow my Twitter and re-tweeted the giveaway, give me the link. (+2)
7. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1)
8. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1)
9. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+3)
10. What do you like about Aveeno? (+2)

Loading...

Thank you Aveeno for sponsoring this giveaway!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the pictures taken from Aveeno. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

November Favorite Products, Finished Products, and Some Bags

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Too Faced Shadow Insurance Giveaway. It ends December 18, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

I swear the months go so fast, and we're reaching the end of 2011. Time sure flies!!! It's that time of the month...

November Favorite Products

The Body Shop in Merry Cranberry Body Butter: I love all the body butters from The Body Shop! They melt like butter on your skin, but I have noticed some are thicker in consistency. I'm not too sure why, but I think certain flavors come out during the season. For example this one, Merry Cranberry. This flavor only comes out during the winter. It's very thick and I definitely do not recommend for oily skin people. It might be too thick for them. For me, it's perfect since I have dry skin. It smells like cranberry, but I wouldn't say it's the best smell. It's doable which is fine with me since the smell lasts for an hour for me. You can read my review on the body butter.

Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist in Carried Away: For some reason, I prefer light scent this winter. Usually most people enjoy thicker scent during the winter and light in the summer. Something is wrong with me. :X The smell is very light and fruity. I'm not too sure if it's suppose to be fruity since I have no clue what Carried Away is suppose to be. :/ If anyone knows, please tell me. The fragrance doesn't last all day, but a good hour or so.

Orly Nail Polish in Space Cadet: This is a limited edition that came out last year. I remember how everyone wanted this color, and it was sold out. I forgot how gorgeous the color was until I wore it this month. Depending on the angle, you will either see dark purple or metallic green. You can see the swatch of the color. I even got commented from my friends. :)

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Cotton Candy: I'm still testing the lip butters from Revlon, but I'm loving this color. It's very sheer with gold sparkles. It looks plain in regular room, but it's gorgeous when the sun hits the lips. I'm still testing the product out but once I have an idea about the lip butters, I will review it.

Kate Eye Shadow Duo in BR-1: Every time I wear this eyeshadow and try to take pictures, it doesn't come out. It's probably because there aren't that much natural light. I hope I can take it so I can post looks of the eyeshadow, as well as, swatches. It's such a gorgeous palette that everyone needs to see it.

November Finished Products

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara: I'm pretty sad to throw this away!!! It's such a great mascara. It's really waterproof and the only way to get the mascara off is with the remover it came with. Some people might not like the waterproof concept, but I love it. No matter how much you rub your eyes, I never smudges. It also helps Asian lashes stay curl. I thought it was pretty easy to remove with the remover it came with. The best part of this mascara is the fiber. You can see your lashes growing with the fiber. I shortly talked about this mascara, but you can check out the pictures.

Would I repurchase: I would love to if it wasn't so hard to find.

Face Place Cell Regenerator Moisturizer: I'm sad to finish this! It really helped me during this dry weather. It's so moisturizing and soothed the tightness of my dry skin. You can read my thorough review.

Would I repurchase: Possibly if it wasn't expensive.

Body & Earth Elements Body Lotion in Pomegranate: I received this moisturizer, therefore, I have no idea where to get this. Also I have never heard of this brand. It's a light weight moisturizer. Perfect for the summer weather or people with oily skin. It helped me during the summer, but it wasn't thick enough for this dry weather. The smell was okay. Not the best smelling moisturizer but it was alright. It's doable since the smell didn't last that long.

Would I repurchase: Probably no.

How was everyone's Black Friday? For some odd reason, all I bought for myself was bags. :/

The first bag is Michael Kors in black leather. I couldn't refuse this good deal. Unfortunately, the picture didn't come out and isn't giving the bag justice. It's a lot cuter in person.

The second and last bag is Coach tote in brown. Again I think it looks better in person! :X I did buy other stuff, but they were online and still waiting for the package.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for Bath & Body works, Kate, Kiss Me Heroine, Face Place, and Body & Earth. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

What Suggestions Do You Have For A Blow Dryer?

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget to enter my Too Faced Shadow Insurance Giveaway. It ends December 18, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

I was fortunate to receive a Karmin G3 Salon Pro Touramaline Hair Straightening Flat Iron. Feel free to read my review. Even to this day, I love my Karmin flat iron.

Out of curiosity I wanted to check out the updated version of the flat iron, and noticed they came out with a pink ceramic flat iron. How gorgeous is the color!?!? It's so girly, at the same time, very classic looking. Other than the pink flat iron, there's hardly any changes from the one I have. I have to admit from my experience, Karmin is a great brand! I haven't had any issues, as well as, overtime I thought there would be fingerprints on the iron but there isn't any. Overall, I recommend the flat iron!

Since I had such a great experience with Karmin, I wanted to check out their blow dryer.

I'm in need of a new one. My old one is ancient, at the same time, it doesn't work properly. If you push the "on" button, it turns off. You have to keep pushing the "on" button to use it. After awhile, your fingers hurt or at least it does for me. :X The hair dryer looks good and it got great reviews, 4.5 out of 5 stars, from 56 people.

What makes a great hair dryer? What should I look for? Any suggestions?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are pictures taken from Rylees. I am not affiliated with any company, but I am getting sponsored to write this post. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Tokidoki 24-Karat Brush Set and Too Faced Shadow Insurance Giveaway

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving Day!!! I hope you had a lot of turkey. :)

I posted my Sephora haul and think it's about time I review my Tokidoki 24-Karat Brush Set.

Product Review: Tokidoki Pittura Brush Set: 24-Karat Edition

Where can you purchase this: Sephora

Price: $42

Made in China

Description from the site:

What it is: A set of four makeup brushes detailed with metallic colors and tokidoki charms.

What it does: The criminally cute 24-karat crew of tokidoki characters comes to life with this set of professional-quality synthetic makeup brushes.

This set contains four makeup brushes:

- Ciao Ciao Star Powder Brush

- Latte Eyeshadow Brush

- Adios Star Smudge Brush

- Unicorno Eyeliner/Lip Brush

What else you need to know: With decadent detailing and a mixture of black, white, gold, and silver shades. Tokidoki has gone 24k. It started inside tokidoki headquarters where Simone Legno, the artist behind it all, has a skateboard hanging on the wall. Printed with metallic-colored artwork, its opulent-yet-edgy look served as inspiration for this crew of tokidoki characters.

My thoughts: When I first saw this through e-mail, I knew I had to have it! It needs to go with my other Tokidoki brush set I own. I'm a big fan of Tokidoki, at the same time, a fan of the brushes. They're so soft, cute, and overall good brushes!

When I first got the brush set, it was hard to say. The brushes seem dark and not gold-like. I guess you can say it's best to see them during the day. :X The biggest brush, powder brush, has two female characters.

I had to take the picture during daytime outside or else it won't show. It's made of gold so it's really metallic and shiny. That's the reason there's a reflective brightness on the handle. It's the best I could do. :X

Here's the other female character. The other smaller three brushes only have this character. It's too small to have both.

I love how classic looking the handles are, at the same time, they added the cuteness with the charms.

Each brush comes with two charms, one character and their logo (on all of the brushes). Having the charm on the brushes can get irritating with all the clicking noise. I like how you're able to take them off if you want. You can use them for other things like charms on bracelets. ;)

Here's all the characters. The Unicorno is my favorite charm from here.

I like how the hair matches the handles, white with brown tip. Like the original Tokidoki brushes, these are soft. I've been using the other brush set for a year or so. One thing I noticed about those brushes is that the hair never goes out of place, at the same time, they stay soft throughout the time. I can see the same quality on these brushes. They also did not bleed or shred during the washing. I am extremely happy with these! :)

Pros:
* Tokidoki; just a big fan!
* Limited edition; honored to have one.
* Cute characters.
* Classic looking.
* Charms can be detached.
* Can use charms for other things.
* No bleeding and shedding during initial wash.
* Soft hair.
* Hair does not blend.

Cons:
* Limited edition.

Would I repurchase: Yes!
Rating: 4.5/5 Tobey's Paws

When I went to the Too Faced Event, they gave all of us Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

At first, I was going to keep it for myself. I remember I had a sample size and decided to use that first. It's a good thing, because this did not work on my oily lids. I know it works for a lot of people, but I was an exception. :X For that reason, I decided to give this away. I think it'll go to a better home than me. :D It's brand new and have not been used!

How to enter:
1. You must be a public follower of my blog with Google username (I will check). PLEASE do no just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!
2. Open to everyone including international.
3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.
4. The giveaway will end in three weeks, December 18, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).
5. The winner will be drawn with a random number generator. You have 38 hours to contact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Questions and extra entries:
1. You must give me the Google Username that you are using to follow my blog.
2. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+2)
3. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
4. If you follow my Twitter and re-tweeted the giveaway, give me the link. (+2)
5. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1).
6. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1).
7. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+3)
8. Just for the fun, which one is my favorite charm? (+2)

Loading...

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for TFSI. It was given in a swag bag. I am not affiliate with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Adore Me

2011-11-22T00:34:00.000-08:00

The latest trend is monthly subscriptions, you buy online and it delivers to your place on monthly basis. Who doesn't love coming home to see packages. I know I do! I've seen advertisements for jewelries, beauty boxes, and even groceries. I've seen almost everything, but not something intimate that we need in daily basis. There's a new eCommerce website that is great for females. Lingerie!!!

Adore Me is a new lingerie club that launched this month!!! It all starts with a quiz. The quiz is to help the stylists discover your personal style, and it only takes 2 minutes. Each month the stylists hand-picks a selection of lingerie, and it's uploaded onto your personal showroom. You can access your showroom for free and see the selections. Not only that but you can access your friends' showrooms. If you like any of the matching lingerie, it only costs $39.95. If you don't like any, you do not have to order any. There is no obligations and how great is that!

Here are some of the lingerie I like. They run from cute to sexy. It is up to your style. ;)

It's something you can wear on the daily basis with a hit of sexiness.

I love the pattern on the bra, it's so simple but draws attention.

If you have any questions regarding Adore Me, you can contact them through Twitter or Facebook.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are pictures taken from AdoreMe. I am receiving a set, but not getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Too Faced Retractable Bronze-buki Brush

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've been so bad in reviewing, and I apologize! I'm trying to get better but I think I have more stuff than any normal, non-makeup artist should have. :X I'm trying to catch up, and the most important thing is I'm trying. Anyways, I think it's time for me to review Too Faced Retractable Bronze-buki Brush. I received this in the first half of 2011 when I attended the Too Faced Summer Trend. If you haven't, feel free to read Part 1 and Part 2 of the event.

Product Review: Too Faced Retractable Bronze-buki Brush

Where can you purchase this: Too Faced website, Sephora, etc...

Price: $34

Made in China

Description on the back: Bronze-buki has been specifically engineered to apply bronzers in an airbrushed, layered fashion. The longer crimped bristles pick up the ideal amount of bronzer while the shorter bristles buff in color for an even, natural finish.

My thoughts: The first time I saw this at the Too Faced event I thought it was adorable. Who wouldn't want a pink and brown retractable brush! I also loved that it was a flat top. I already own a Too Faced retractable kabuki brush, and I love how soft it is. I had high hopes for this Bronze-buki brush.

The first thing I did is wash my brush. I was pretty impressed how easy it is to wash it. I didn't see any bleeding, as well as, shedding. That's a big bonus especially as times goes on it won't shed that often. Either I didn't wash my brush that well or the hair is just this way. Whenever I touch the hair, it feels oily but it isn't. After you touch the brush and rub your fingers together, you do not feel the oil.

I love how the hairs are a mixture of light pink and brown. Such gorgeous colors! I also noticed there are two types of hairs, short and long. From the description, the long hair picks up the powder and the short hairs buff it onto the skin. I can see that happening. I also love how dense it is at the barrel and loose at the top, brown hairs. On the box, it says it's Teddy Bear Hair. I'm not too sure what Teddy Bear Hair means. I had to look on the website. It says...

'Teddy Bear Hair: Too Faced's one of a kind "Teddy Bear Hair" is an exclusive, super soft and luxurious fiber that grabs and blends pigments for a professional looking application without any of the animal cruelty associated with natural hair brushes.'

I love how Too Faced is against animal cruelty! When you own pets, you tend to respect that in a company. :)

It has a pull up and down, the brown metallic part. There's one thing I love about this one! My first retractable brush I own is from Essence of Beauty. I liked that brush when I did not know better. Now that I look back, I'm not too keen on that brush. The reason is that the pull up and down part would grab the hairs on the outside, and time goes on I can see the hair getting tangled on the outside. Too Faced brushes are well made that the hairs on the outside does not get tangled. I've had this brush more than half a year, and I still do not see tangled hair on the outside.

You put the lid on the brown metallic that goes up and down. I love how sturdy it is! Once it's on, it's on unless you take it off. Then you push it down so the brown, metallic part goes down and does not show. Either I got a rejected piece or all the brushes does this. Mine doesn't fully stay down. It moves up and down depending on where the brush is. It's not a big deal. It's really minor in comparison.

Here's how the brush looks in daylight. The packaging is a pink, shiny, metallic container. Depending where you store your brush, it can get bruised and scratched. Luckily for me, it doesn't happen much but I can see it happening.

The name of the brush says it's for bronzing, but I disagree. I think you can use it for any powder products. I use it to buff my powder when I need a touch. It's easy to carry, just put it in my makeup bag and go. You can use it for blush, bronzer, powder, and so on. It is up to you. Just use your imagination. ;)

Pros:

* Too Faced brushes

* Against animal cruelty.

* Cute colors!

* Can carry in your purse.

* Versatile brush.

* Flat top.

* No scent.

* Outside hair does not get tangled.

* Extremely soft.

* Buffers well.

Cons:

* Brown, metallic that goes up and down isn't fully intact.

* Packaging can get damage if handled wrong.

Would I repurchase: Yes!

Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Thank you Too Faced for the brush!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me for attending the Too Faced event. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

One of the Beautylish event I attended, I had to look it up on my blog to see when it happened (check out the pictures on the event). It was March of this year. In the swag bag we all received, there was a sample Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I heard good stuff about this primer, but I didn't want to use it until I finished my present primer. I usually use one primer at a time so I do not contaminate the product before fully using it. This time I decided to use this primer and put the summer primer away for now. The reason I changed my primer is the summer primer I was using has a bronze tint. I was using Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer. Since I'm paler during this fall/winter weather, I thought I would put away the bronze tint primer. Now that I've been using the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, I think it's time to review it.

Product Review: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

Where can you purchase this: Hourglass website, Sephora, online

Price: $52 for 1.0 fl oz/30 mL (I received 0.16 fl oz/5 mL)

Description on the back: Mineral-based primer with SPF 15 developed to even skin tone and prep skin for flawless makeup application. Clean, satin-finish formula helps keep makeup looking fresh, while absorbing excess oils and minimizing enlarged pores.

Ingredients:

My thoughts: In all honesty, I didn't have an initial reaction to this. I just heard it's a good product and didn't think more of it than that. The first thing I did is see the ingredients since it has SPF. I'm allergic to certain chemicals in SPF products, and was stoked to know this product didn't have those active ingredients.

Then I smelled the product. You really cannot smell anything unless you sniff directly at the product. It kind of smells slightly like glue, but it's not noticeable.

One thing I found odd is that it comes with a spatula-like top.

There's nothing wrong with it; it's flat on one side and round on the other.

What I found odd is that the spatula-like top has holes. I'm not too sure what the holes does. If anyone knows, please tell me. I would like to know! I have nothing against the spatula-like top, but I would think it's not sanitary safe. You put it either directly on your face which I don't or on your hand. Then you put it back into the container. I wish they made it more a pump or a squeeze bottle. It'll be more sanitary safe or at least I think so.

Can you see from the picture on the bottom part there's like three round swatch of the primer? That's from the holes. :/ Anyways, here's how the primer looks. Even though it's white, it's blends well onto your skin and does not leave a oil-like residue. It actually makes your face matte and smooth. You can feel the texture while you're putting the primer on. It feels different than your natural skin tone. For that reason, I can see it working. It's covering up your fine lines and imperfection, and preparing your skin for makeup.

Overall, I think it's a great product. It does what it's suppose to which is to prep my skin for makeup. Can I say it lasts all day? I don't know about that since I rub my face pretty often. It does what other primers does, but a little bit better. It covers up my imperfections and it comes with SPF!

Pros:
* Mineral product.
* Comes with SPF; I'm not allergic to the chemicals.
* Fragrance free.
* Oil free.
* Water-resistant.
* Paraben free.
* Smooths your skin preparation for makeup.
* Long-lasting.

Cons:
* Comes with spatula-like top; worry about contamination.

Would I repurchase: Maybe, it's kind of expensive.
Rating:

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me from a swag bag. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

October Favorites, and Ulta and Sephora Haul

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Halloween!!! I hope everyone got to eat wonderful goodies. :) Unfortunately, I did not have time to post since I had a busy weekend. The only Halloween spirit I had was my nails.

For some odd reason, the web on my ring finger doesn't look that good in the picture. It looks better in person or at least I think so. :/

Happy belated Halloween!!! :)

I don't have any finished products, therefore, I will only have Favorite products for the month of October.

October Favorite Products

Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes: For some odd reason, the last month I've been really lazy and these wipes have come in handy. Whenever I don't want to thoroughly wash my face, I wipe it clean with these. They clean my face really well, as well as, take off the makeup. I reviewed these wipes so feel free to read my review.

Face Place Cell Regenerator Moisturizer: Since it's that time of the season, your skin starts getting dry or at least it does for me. This moisturizer has thick consistency that hydrates your skin, but not enough for it to feel heavy. It's a great moisturizer for daytime, as well as, nighttime. It has helped my semi-dry skin and I'll be sad when I finish this product. You can read my review.

Shiseido The Makeup Eyebrow and Eyeliner Compact in BL2 Deep Brown: Since I finished my eyebrow pencil, I've been using this. To be honest, I bought this long time ago and haven't really touched it until now. I don't know why I took so long to try this. :/ It makes my eyebrow look natural, and it's really easy to apply. In my opinion, I think it's easier to work this than a pencil. Also please ignore all the dents in the palette. My niece got into the compact. :X

Smith's Rosebud Salve: I bought this from a trio set, and it's taking some time to even finish one. I'm pretty impressed how much product are in these tin! It's been helping me with my chapped lips. I think it's a great product to use especially during this season. I know a lot of people don't like scooping their finger into the product including me. For that reason, I use a lip brush. ;) I will review these when I get to my third tin.

The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes Palette 06: My friend bought me this for my birthday, and I'm so in love with this! They're shimmery and gorgeous. I love the mixtures of colors, as well as, the staying power. They don't crease on me and last all day. I will post swatches and looks with this soon.

I'll end with my haul from the Friends & Family deal from Ulta and Sephora. I'll start with Ulta.

I really wanted the Tarte Lip Stain Set, but it was sold out unfortunately. I went with my second choice, Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Diamond Dog. I've been wanting this eyeshadow for more than a year I believe. I don't know what took so long to get one. :/ I will review in the future post.

Now for my Sephora haul.

I bought the Tokidoki Pittura Brush Set: 24k Edition and Illamasqua Blush in Lover. It also came with three samples. The tokidoki brushes are so cute! They're soft and comes with a dangling charms. I'm a big fan of Tokidoki brushes! This is my second set. ;)

I never own an Illamasqua blush, but I heard great things about them. This gave me an opportunity to try it. I will review in the future.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for Face Place and The Body Shop. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Born Pretty French Stamp Template DIY Kit

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

The PR from Born Pretty approached me to review a product from their site. Of course, I could not resist! They have so many wonderful products from nail polishes, Hello Kitty, to cosmetics. You should also check out their FaceBook. They always have giveaways. ;) I got couple of free stuff which I will review in the future posts. They gave me an opportunity to choose from their nail art collection, and I choose French Stamp Template DIY Kit.

Product Review: French Stamp Template DIY Kit

Where can you purchase this: Born Pretty
Price: $4.85 for 1 kit

Description on the site:
Each image plate have 6 patterns.
Each plate is shielded by protective film and please remove the film before using.
Hard plate and not easy to bend.

Size:
Template: 6 cm (diameter)
Scraper tool: 4 cm (length)
Stamp: about 3.2 cm (length)
Packaged included: 1 pcs scraper
1 pcs stamp
2 pcs template
My thoughts: Before I review the product, let me tell you my experience with stamper and templates. Either last year or the year before, I actually bought Konad. It came with a stamper, scraper, 2 templates, and 3 nail polishes. For the life of me, I was extremely frustrated!!! I could not work that thing, and put it to the side until now. If you're wondering why I got this kit when I could not work Konad is a great question. :X I love seeing pictures of different nail arts online. I would envy those gorgeous nail arts and wished I knew how to work the Konad. :/ Since I had an opportunity to try anything, I wanted to try this. If this fails, then I know it was not meant to be.

It came with a stamper, scraper, and 2 templates. The two templates are

m48

and m49. It is extremely easy to put nail polishes on top of the templates. Don't forget to remove the film before you put the nail polishes like I did. :X You can use any nail polishes as long as their thick like OPI, China Glaze, Essie, and so on. As soon as you put the nail polish on the design you like, you use the scraper to remove the excess. This is where I had issues.

Here's a picture of one of the scraping job I did. No matter how much I scrapped or redid the job, it would not come out clean. I was not too sure why until I took out my Konad scrapper. With the Konad scrapper, it actually worked and came out clean

I looked at my scrapper for this kit and realized it's not straight. I'm not too sure why. Either all the scrappers are like this or I just got a bad one. I would like to think it's the second.

After you scrap the nail polish on the design, you roll the stamper. For some odd reason, the stamper for this kit grabs the design much better than Konad! I had to file the Konad stamper to get it to grab some design. Even with filing, I still had some difficulties. Maybe that's why I was so frustrated with Konad. :X

With this kit, it was pretty easy. Then you put the stamper on the finger nail that you prefer.

Here's my nail art using the French Stamp Template DIY Kit. It's actually better looking in person. For the last week we haven't gotten much sun. For that reason, it was difficult to get a nice picture. I still think it came out nice!!! :)

Pros:
* Cute designs.
* Stamper is easy to use.
* Can use any thick nail polishes.
* You can have more than 12 different nail arts by mixing.

Cons:
* Blade on the scrapper was not straight.
* It can get messy.

Would I repurchase: Yes!
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

They are kind enough to offer my readers 10% off by using the code "ALYJ61" by December 31, 2011. I recommend you use the coupon code!!!

Thank you Born Pretty for the wonderful kit!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Maybelline Palette in Caffeine Rush, Accessories, and New Aveeno Winner

2011-10-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I saw Maybelline EyeStudio Color Explosion Palettes, I knew I had to get one. The packaging is so cute! It reminds me of eyeshadow palettes from Japan. To be safe, as well as, I knew I would get the best out of these palette; I got the brown one. :X

Now I think it's time to review this palette.

Product Review: Maybelline EyeStudio Color Explosion in #05 Caffeine Rush

Where can you purchase this: drugstore, retail, and online
Price: $10.99 for .09 oz/2.6 g

Made in Canada

Description on the back: Luminizing Eyeshadow
My thoughts: I love neutral eye makeup, and was really excited to try this! The first thing I did is swatch the palette.

The left one is the gold glittery on the top of the palette, the second color from the left is the next dark brown, the orange one is from the third on the left, the taupe is the third on the right from the palette, and the right one is the bottom.

After swatching the palette, I was not too sure if I was into the colors. They seems so typical of other neutral palettes. There was nothing ordinary of this palette maybe except for the gold glittery color. Sometimes I feel this way about palettes until I work it's magic on my eyes. Here's two looks I came up with the palette.
Look #1:

I used the orange on the lid, taupe as the v and crease, and tap the gold glittery shadow on the orange. To be honest, I was not really into this look. :X

Look #2:

I used the cream color (bottom) on the lid, orange in the center, and taupe color on the v and crease. This look was better than the first, but it still doesn't blow me away.

Other than the colors, they're pretty medium pigmented and long lasting. It's actually not a bad palette. I'm just not into the colors which is odd since I love neutral eyeshadows. Maybe I'm getting out of neutral looks. Who am I kidding! :X

I also thought the second color from the top, the one that looks like a "V" in the palette, was hard to grab with an eyeshadow brush. It's easier with a sponge and crease brush.

Pros:
* Cute packaging.
* Gold glitter eyeshadow; unique.
* Medium pigmentation.
* Long lasting.
* Semi-shimmery.

Cons:
* Hard to grab second color from the top with eyeshadow brush.
* Colors are not unique or special.

Would I repurchase: Maybe, if they have other colors I want.
Rating: 2.5/5 Tobey's Paws

I want to show some of the accessories I have bought over the months. :X Last weekend, I went to Claire's and saw this cute owl ring.

It's a knuckle ring. The salesperson said it's the hottest thing and it sells out quickly. I never own a knuckle ring so I just couldn't resist.

I'm a big fan of Hello Kitty, and loved this bag when I saw other people carry it. I wanted one so badly. Now that I have it, I haven't used it yet *sigh*. It came in other colors, but I like the typical classical black bag. I still think it's cute! :)

It comes in a cute black protection bag. Isn't the Hello Kitty on it cute!?!?

At the same place with the Hello Kitty bag, I bought this cute Hello Kitty hair bow.

Since the winner for the Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator never e-mailed me (gave her 2 weeks), it's time to announce a new winner.

It's #16...

Rebecca Wang.

Congratulations to Rebecca Wang!!! :)

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name and address. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) come. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw a new winner.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my money. Aveeno sponsored the Eye Illuminator giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

What Do You Think of Clipless Curling Iron?

2011-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

We all know you can straighten your hair with a flat iron, but did you know you can curl it as well? You can use all types of flat iron, but I recommend Titanium Flat Iron.

Not only will it curl and straighten, it is good for the hair! The titanium flat iron will remove static giving you silky shiny hair, seals in the natural oil from your hair, and locks in the moisture. I was fortunate to receive Karmin Salon Pro G3 Salon Pro Touramaline Hair Straightening Flat Iron. What a tongue twister! :P You should read my review, as well as, see pictures of my hair before and after. ;)

Flat iron isn't the only way to curl your hair. You can use Clipless Curling Iron.

Unfortunately, I don't own one of these but I find it intriguing!!! The idea of curling your hair without a clip sounds great. I have questions for the people who own one of these.

How do you compare this to a curling iron with a clip? Would you recommend I get one of these?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are pictures taken from safrons. I am not affiliated with any company but I am getting sponsored to write this post. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Mont Bleu Glass Nail File

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mont Bleu is a website that sells crystallized items like compact mirrors, jewelries, and glass nail files. I was fortunate to receive one of their most popular items, glass nail files. They gave me an opportunity to choose any nail files, and I really like their Luxury Edition. Unfortunately, the one I wanted was not in stock. They told me they only had three styles available from that line. I choose one of the three which was Ornament LE-8.

I like how simple the design is, but I wasn't too sure what to expect. Now that I've been using it for some time, I think it's time to review.

Product Review: Mont Bleu Ornament LE-8 Glass Nail File

Where can you purchase this: Mont Bleu website
Price: $18.41 for 10 g

Description from online:
Hand Made with Crystallized Swarovski Elements.
Famous Czech glass.
Best quality.
If a long time to use the Glass Nail Files nails will become stronger and healthier. Taste once this Nail file will not want another.
My thoughts: To be honest, I was not too sure what to expect but was excited to get this cute glass nail file! From the pictures, they look gorgeous or at least to me. :)

When I received the package, I opened the box to find only this inside. It's a plastic container for jewelries. I was not too sure what to think at this moment since the plastic container was not the most appealing. I was also shocked there was no business card or a piece of paper describing the company or the item. :/

Once I opened the box, I was a little more impressed. I like the black velvet. I'm not too sure about the gold on the sides on top of the velvet. It's not the most appealing. Then again I shouldn't be so concerned about the box. It's only packaging. :X

The glass nail, on the other hand, impressed me! The filing part is sharp and the file is nicely made. I think they did a great job. :)

The crystals are shiny (you cannot tell from the picture, but they're better in person), nicely placed, and it looks very professional.

On the back, you can see the backs of the crystals. It's not messy looking at all. It's actually a pretty decent looking glass nail file. :)

After admiring the glass nail file for some time, I finally used it. Oh mi goodness, it's so sharp! It only takes one grind for the nails to look nice. It's a lot better quality than the file the nail clippers come with. Yeah, I use those. :X

Pros:
* Simple design.
* Professionally made.
* Good quality file.
* Many choices.
* Comes with a velvet pouch; you can carry.
* It's quick on the nails.
* Sharpens the nails quickly.

Cons:
* Not the most attractive packaging.
* No instruction on the company or the glass nail file.

Would I repurchase: Yes.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post is given to me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

What Makes a Great Hair Dryer?

2011-10-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

I own one flat iron, as well as, a mini-flat iron and I think it does a great job on straightening my hair. Out of curiosity, I decided to look on Best Hair Straightener. Is yours on the list?

Instead of the Best Hair Straightener, the Best Hair Dryers intrigued me more! It's because I'm in search of a new hair dryer. The one I own is old! It's probably more than 10 years old. :X The question I want to ask is how often do you repurchase a hair dryer? The one I own does not work that well especially, the "On" button. You have to push on the "On" button for the dryer to be turned on. If you let go of the "On" button, it turns of. I think it's time for me to get a new one, but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out which one I want.

I noticed most of the hair dryers come with a flat top. From the looks of it, it's an attachment but I am so out of the loop. I only noticed those attachments at the hair dressers. :X I also noticed the brush-like attachment. I'm not too sure what each one does, but isn't it cool!?!?

You can also get zebra prints. How cool is that!?!?

Now for my question...

What do you look for in a hair dryer? How do you know it's a good hair dryer?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are pictures taken from rylees. I am not affiliated with any company, but I am getting sponsored to write this post. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Nail Buffer, Nail Polishes, and Aveeno Winner

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I don't know what to say *sigh*. My personal life has been a little crazy, but I think things will get better or at least I hope. :)

Some time last year a guy from a kiosk at my mall approached me. He demo this nail tool on one of my fingers and thought it was an amazing product. I never knew such a thing existed! :X The only reason I didn't buy it was the cost until my friend showed me a cheaper version of it. She told me she got it from Target. I'm so out of the loop that I didn't even know they sell these at retailers. I decided to get one, as well as, blog about it for the people out there like me. :)

Product Review: 4-Step Nail Buffer

Where can you purchase this: drugstores, kiosk, mass retailers, etc.
Price: $1-$5 (mine was $1.50)

Description from online: A tool for smoothing, filing, and shaping nails to perfection.
My thoughts: When my friend showed me her tool, the only reason it intrigued me is knowing that it buffs and smooths the nails. I've been noticing ridges on my nails, as well as, how horrible it looks with nail polish since it's not smooth looking. I decided to invest in one. It doesn't hurt and it doesn't cost a lot either.

The store I went to has many different nail buffers. It was so confusing especially for a beginner like myself. I decided to get the one with the steps. There's four steps. You just follow the steps.

Step 1:

File your whole nail even the sides. Just make sure you don't do this on daily basis or weekly basis. It's not good to file your nails that often. I will probably do it once a month. This is the dirtiest part of the job. You will see white powder like substance, but it's from your nails since you're grinding it down to be smooth. ;)

Step 2:

Remove ridges as the step says.

Step 3:

Buff and you will feel a difference between step 1 to step 3. The nails feel softer.

Step 4:

Polishes & Shine... Your nails aren't the most shiniest as in the demo from the kiosk, but it's not that bad. It's shiner than your natural nails or at least for me.

I wanted to show you a before and after, but my camera couldn't focus on the nails *sigh*. You just have to trust my words. ;) Overall, I am very happy with this product. I love how smooth my nails look and feel. I don't see the ridges on the sides, as well as, dents in my nails. The best part the nail polishes go on smoother than before!

Pros:
* Comes in different teal/blue color; my favorite color.
* Easy to use.
* Comes with steps; great for beginners.
* You can clean it with water.
* File and smooths your nails.
* Makes your nails shinier than your natural nails
* Applies nail polishes easier.

Cons:
* While filing, it can get dirty.

Would I repurchase: Yes!
Rating: 4.5/5 Tobey's Paws

Speaking of nails, I recently got some nail polishes. Either I bought them or they were given as gifts.

Revlon in #355 Mad About Mango.

Priti NYC Polish in #652 Swan River Daisy. I have never heard of this brand, but I received it through mail. I'm not too sure but I think I entered a contest and won this. :/

OPI in Go on Greens! The same friend who introduced me to nail buffers bought this polish for me.

OPI in Don't Melbourne The Toast. It's such a gorgeous color even on your toes!

Now for the winner of Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator...

it is...

#24...

Crystal.

Congratulation to Crystal! :)

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name and address. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw a new winner.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my money except for Priti NYC and one of OPI nail polishes. Aveeno sponsored the Eye Illuminator giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Wet n Wild in Dancing In The Clouds, Kiss Me Heroine Mascara and Remover, and Cookies

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator. It ends Sunday, September 25th, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

From the Dream Weaver collection, I bought two eyeshadow palettes. I reviewed Wet n Wild in We're Blasting Off.

It's the palette on the left. Now I will review Dancing In The Clouds, the palette on the right.

Product Review: Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeshadow Palette in Dancing In The Clouds

Where can you purchase this: drugstores, mass retailers, and online
Price: $2.99 for 0.12 oz/3.5 g

Made in China

Description on the back: Coordinating shades take the guesswork out of creating the perfect eye look.
* Beautifully enhances any eye color
* All-day crease-resistant color
My thoughts: When I first saw this, I knew I would love the eyelid and browbone color. The only thing is the browbone looks similar to one of the colors from the Wet n Wild palette in Night Elf.

The one on the left is from Dancing In The Clouds and the right one is Night Elf. You cannot tell in the picture but the one from Night Elf is more silver, right one. Other than that, you can actually say dupe of each other or at least I think so.

Speaking of colors, here's the swatch of the colors from the palette. Starting from left to right, it's eyelid, crease, and browbone.

Other than the colors, I'm pretty impressed with the palette. The browbone color is the most powdery from the palette, but over all it's not that powdery.

Here's a look I did with the crease and browbone.

I love the mixture of the eyelid and browbone colors. I blended the colors with Jemma Kidd eyeshadow in Vanity Fair on the crease.

Pros:
* Cheap, $2.99 for the trio palette.
* Both shimmery and matte colors.
* Pigmented.
* Good staying power.

Cons:
* Sponge eyeshadow and brush is useless.

Would I repurchase: Yes, it's my favorite palette from the collection.
Rating: 4.5/5 Tobey's Paws

From my August Favorite Products, I mentioned Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara. I was very lucky enough to receive this from a reader. She's so sweet to send this and a lot of other products. Thank you!!!

She sent me the 5th Anniversary Mascara and Remover Set. The one on the left is the remover and the right one is the mascara.

Here's a picture of the mascara.

Here's the wand of the mascara. It's curved and has fibers. I don't know if you can see the fibers on the mascara, but it is there. I love how Asian brands mascaras have fibers. The fibers attach at the end of the lashes lengthening them. You can check out my lashes from the pictures above with the Wet n Wild looks.

This is the remover.

You apply the remover onto your lashes like a mascara, and wait 2-3 minutes. Then you remove it with a cotton pad or tissue depending on you. It really moves the waterproof mascara. I'm pretty impressed with this product. I love it!

Thank you!!! :)

Being an Aveeno ambassador, they spoil you at times. I'm not too sure if it's their birthday or mine. :/

They sent me a gift and a birthday card. I'm not too sure why, but I will take it. ;)

They sent me a cookie set. Isn't it adorable!?!?

As soon as you open the box, you see these cookies.

I didn't know there was a second layer and these were on the bottom. They're so cute and my favorite has to be the cupcake one! :)

Thank you Aveeno!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the mascara and remover, and cookies. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

August Favorite and Finished Products

2011-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator. It ends Sunday, September 25th, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

I have not done this in such a long time, but I think it's about time. It's my favorite products of the month.

August Favorite Products

Face Place Cell Regenerator Moisturizer: I've been using this moisturizer for quite some time, and just love the dewy-ness it leaves me! It feels very refreshing compared to my dry, matte look. I also love that it moisturizes my skin and feel so wonderful in the morning. You can read more on this since I reviewed this.

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara: I received this as a gift, and am so thankful for this mascara. It's the bomb!!! I love waterproof mascara but this product is more than waterproof. It does not budge which is awesome. It also comes with mascara remover. The combination of both is so wonderful. I will write more in the future post.

OPI in Give Me A Coral Sometime: I won this in a giveaway either last year or a year before. I'm not too sure, but it's such a gorgeous coral pink color. It's a wonderful color for the summer! :)

Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator: I love the smell and the cool sensation while you're applying this on your eye areas. I haven't seen dramatic differences, but it's still works well. :) I reviewed this so read up, and enter the giveaway!

Kate Eye Shadow in BR-1: I received this as a gift, and am in love with the color! I love the shimmery, brown colors especially for this summer weather. It's my typical colors and I will talk about it more in the future post.

August Finished Products

Too Faced Size Queen Mascara: This mascara is an okay product especially for people with extremely long lashes. If you have average like myself, I would not recommend it. The big wand makes it hard to use. Read more on my review.

Would I repurchase: No.

Prestige Eyebrow Pencil in Gray: This is such an old, eyebrow pencil that they don't make it anymore. :X It's an okay pencil. I love that it's light and looks natural on the eyebrows. It also lasts a decent amount of time. If you have oily skin, I doubt it will last. Thankfully, I have dry skin and it last quite some time. I do have one question on pencils though. Do you throw your pencils when you cannot sharpen or do you have a way to finish it up?

Would I repurchase: No, since they don't make this anymore.

Merlot Grape Seed Moisturizer: I used this last summer and fall, but I didn't get to finish it since winter came along. Thankfully, it's summer and I got to finish it. This is such a great moisturizer and I still recommend it. It smells wonderful, grape flavor, and love the fun purple moisturizer. Read my review.

Would I repurchase: Yes.

Avon Anew Rejuvenate Revitalizing Night Cream: I reviewed the cleanser, but I didn't get the chance to review the moisturizer. I'm not too sure if I will review it in the future post or not. Most likely I will not review it, but it's a great product. I love how it softens and moisturizes my skin. The only thing I disliked about this product was the smell, but it doesn't last long. Other than that, I enjoyed it!

Would I repurchase: Yes.

Beauty Secrets Acetone Nail Polish Remover: This is my second bottle of this and I still love it. It removes my nail polish well, and that's the most important thing.

Would I repurchase: Yes.

Victoria's Secret Energizing Body Wash: There's no point in reviewing this since they don't make it anymore, but it's an alright product. I'm not too keen on this product, but it did do its job which is to clean my body.

Would I repurchase: No, since they don't make it anymore.

Bath & Body Works Body Lotion in Country Apple: This is an older version bottle of the lotion. :X I have so much lotion to use up *sigh*. When it comes to body lotion, I love thick products. This is an alright product and great for people who do not have dry skin. I can only use this during the summer. Other than that, I love the smell! Country Apple is one of my favorite smells.

Would I repurchase: Yes, but in a thicker formula they have (cream).

The Body Shop Body Butter in Pomegranate: I love the body butter from The Body Shop. They make the best body butter I have tried! I don't think other stores can beat them. They just melt like butter on the skin. I review this product so read more on it.

Would I repurchase: Yes, I still have some more to try.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money unless otherwise stated. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator and Giveaway

2011-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone is having a great three day weekend. :)

Aveeno was kind enough to send me the newest product, Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator.

I used it for some time now and think it's a great time to review this product.

Product Review: Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator

Where can you purchase this: drugstore, mass retailer, and online at Aveeno.com

Price: $14.99 for 0.5 fl oz./ 15 mL

Made in Canada

Description on the back: Dark circles and dryness around the eyes are key factors that affect your natural radiance. Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator contains an exclusive combination of Active Naturals Total Soy Complex boosted with tone-evening vitamin B3 and light-diffusing technology to rejuvenate your natural radiance and help you look fresh and luminous.

Ingredients:

My thoughts: When I first received this, I was excited. I need all the help I can get to improve my dark circles and wrinkles. Also was excited because Aveeno is a trusted brand of mine. Having a product of a mixture of both was nice! The first thing I noticed about the product is how cute the color of the packaging is, as well as, how unique the shape is.

The next thing I did is smell the product. It's a ritual with me. :X It's hard to explain the smell, but it's floral. The first thing it reminded me was the smell of a floral liquid hand soap. It's a decent smell and I actually liked it a lot! The smell disappears within a minute or two after applying it.

Before I talk about the brush, I need to explain how to use the product.

Here's the instruction how to use the product. You squeeze the product out of the tube onto the brush. Then you can apply the brush onto the desired spot.

Now I can talk about the brush which I had mixed feelings on. I think it's cool there's a brush.

It's soft and gentle to the skin. It's a pretty decent brush. The hairs do not spread out after you use it.

When you squeeze the product and I have noticed this with a lot of products with brushes. They squeeze out to one side of the brush instead overall. I am not too sure why. :/ The thing is you need to be careful how you squeeze the product, because you can squeeze out too much which can be a waste. I don't know if you can see in the picture, but I tried to show where the product squeezed out from. The bad thing about the product and it can be my anti self isn't the most sanitary. After the first usage and using the brush on your skin, the brush will get moisture from the product. As times goes on, it can build bacteria. You can clean your brush in a weekly basis, but would most people do that? I don't know. :/ Just a mixed feeling about this product. Even with that knowledge, I still use it. :X

Since I've been using this for two weeks, I noticed a slight improvement. I feel that my wrinkles on my inner, bottom eyes has gotten better. When it comes to puffiness, I cannot say since I don't have puffiness. The darker circle has gotten better as well. Overall, I'm happy with the two weeks progress.

Pros:
* Aveeno; a trusted brand.
* Cute packaging and color.
* Good brush.
* Floral smell; it smells nice.
* Noticed slight improvements on the wrinkles.
* Noticed slight improvements on the dark circles.

Cons:
* Comes with a brush; not the most sanitary safe.
* The product is squeeze onto one side of the brush.
* You can squeeze too much.

Would I repurchase: Yes.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Not only am I the lucky one, but Aveeno was kind enough to offer one for my readers. How nice of them! :) Here's the information and how to enter.

How to enter:
1. You must be a public follower of my blog with a Google username (I will check). PLEASE do not just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!
2. Open only for people living in the U.S.
3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.
4. The giveaway will end in three weeks, September 25, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).
5. The winner will be draw with a random number generator. You have 48 hours to contact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Questions and extra entries:
1.You must give me the Google Username that you are using to follow my blog.
2. You must be living within U.S.
3. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+2)
4. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
5. If you follow my Twitter and re-tweeted the giveaway, give me the link. (+2).
6. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1).
7. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1)
8. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+3)

<p>Loading...</p>

Thank you Aveeno for the product and the giveaway!!! :)

Wet n Wild Palette in We're Blasting Off, Masks, and Giveaway Winner for Victoria's Secret Eyeshadow

2011-08-30T00:18:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering about my blogroll, I had to take it down. One of the links had malware, but I wasn't too sure which one. For that reason, I have to redo my blogroll. If I don't add your blog quickly, I apologize. I will add as time goes on and it might take months. :X

A month ago my Rite-Aid had the Wet n Wild Dream Weaver collection. From that collection, I bought two trio eyeshadows.

I bought We're Blasting Off and Dancing In The Clouds. I will review Dancing In The Clouds later. For this post, I will review We're Blasting Off.

Product Review: Wet n Wild ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette in We're Blasting Off

Where can you purchase this: drugstores
Price: $2.99 for 0.12 oz/3.5 g

Made in China

Description on the back: Coordinating shades take the guesswork out of creating the perfect eye look.
* Beautifully enhances any eye color
* All-day crease-resistant color
My thoughts: Recently, I've been a big fan of Wet n Wild eyeshadows. I think they're extremely pigmented especially for a drugstore brand. I also think they have pretty good staying power. The best part of these palettes are the price! $2.99 for these trios is such a good deal. They're like a dollar an eyeshadow. ;)

When I saw the new collection, I knew I had to pick out the ones I like. I usually don't go for pinks and purples. I'm more a neutral brown and gold type of person. The eyelid color, the bottom, drew my attention. It's a light pink, taupe-y color. It's so rare to find that mixture of a color or at least for me. I thought the other two colors were okay and I didn't see myself using it much. :X

Here's a swatch of the palette. From left to right is eyelid color (my favorite), crease, and browbone.

When I first got this palette, I didn't realized how similar it was to their other Wet n Wild Eyeshadow palette in Silent Treatment that I have. Of course, they're is some differences but not by much.

The top three eyeshadows are from Silent Treatment and the bottom three from We're Blasting Off. If I have to choose the palettes, I would choose We're Blasting Off because of the eyelid color. I like it better than the darker purple, taupe-y color from the Silent Treatment. I'm not a big fan of the crease color from both palettes though. They're really dark and extremely pigmented. You need to have a gentle hand to use the crease color. If you get too much, it's hard to remove on the eyes. The browbone colors from both palettes are nice, but I wouldn't use either for the browbone. I tend to like matte, off-white color. I would use the browbone color for other things like lid color.

Now going back to We're Blasting Off... The crease color is very powdery. Just putting a dab of brush in the crease color, I can see it all over the palette. :/ I honestly think a lot of darker shades from the Wet n Wild palettes tend to crack and break easily. I don't know why *sigh*. :/ Other than that for a cheap palette, it's not bad.

I tried to do a look with the colors from the palettes.

I used the eyelid color on the top lid and bottom. The crease color on the outer v and crease. I blended the crease color with the browbone.

Here's how the eye look looks semi-closed.

Pros:
* Cheap, $2.99 for the trio palette.
* Both shimmery and matte colors.
* Pigmented.
* Good staying power.

Cons:
* Crease color is powdery and I can see it cracking if not used gently.
* Don't see myself using all 3 eyeshadows.
* Brush and sponge is useless.

Would I repurchase: Yes, for other colors.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

I've been very blessed to receive masks to try. :) The first two are given to me by my friend that I knew since third grade.

This is by Hannule. I have never heard of this brand and was shocked to open up to a beige sheet mask. Most masks are white from my experience. It didn't have any scent from what I recalled. It was an alright mask. I'm not too sure if I would purchase this since for one thing, it's hard to find. The other reason is I'm not too keen on beige mask. :X

I'm not too sure what the name of this brand is, Sampar or Urban Advance? This is an interesting mask. It's a gel mask where there's two pieces, top and bottom half of the face. You have to take the gel mask out of the package and put it on your face. You have to be careful or else it will rip. I don't know if it's just me, but I noticed gel masks tend to smell like you just permed your hair. You know when they use this chemical on the perm, there's an odor for several weeks or maybe it's just me. :/ Thankfully, the smell disappears after you take the mask off. Other than the odor, I noticed this mask really plump my face. I have mixed feelings about gel masks.

The next sheet masks were given to me by Luna.

They're both from Nature Republic. The one on the left is Tiare Flower and the right one is The Bamboo of Damyang. Tiare Flower, no clue what tiare is, smelled flowery. I was excited to try the one on the right, The Bamboo of Damyang (no clue what Damyang is too but I'm guessing a place) because of the popular Korean group. I know it's a foolish idea. :P They're both good masks.

I also tried the eye sheet masks given to me by a sweet, generous reader. I wonder how she's doing!

I believe the brand is from Watsons, but I'm not too sure. No clue what lingzhi means. :/ If you haven't tried eye masks, I definitely recommend it. It's good for aging eyes like mine. I haven't been good about using eye masks, but now I'm a converter to try it once a week. :)

Thank you for the people who have given me masks!!! :)

I know what you guys are here for. The winner for the Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Shadow Quad in Secluded.

The winner goes to *drum roll*....

#35....

Autumn Dream.

Congratulation to Autumn Dream!!! :)

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name and home address. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw new winner.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my money except for the masks. They were given to me as gifts. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Face Place Cell Regenerator Moisturizer

2011-08-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends Sunday, August 28th, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Several months ago, I received a cleanser and moisturizer from Face Place. I think I gave it enough time to review the products. They also have FaceBook so check that out. ;)

The cleanser on the left and the moisturizer on the right. I will only review the moisturizer this time around.

Product Review: Face Place Cell Regenerator Moisturizer

Where can you purchase this: online on Face Place and Face Place locations
Price: $65 for 2 fl oz./60 mL

Made in USA

Description on the website: Provides intensive moisturization and protection, and addresses the appearance of visible signs of aging by helping to rebuild and revitalize the skin. Helps to soften and return elasticity to skin. A complex of natural botanical extracts (grape seed, yeast, green tea, olive) that are rich in vitamins and free-radical scavenging antioxidants. A unique encapsulated carrier system delivers the potent ingredients to where the skin needs them most.
Ingredients:

My thoughts: I was really excited to try this since I love trying new products and brands I have never heard of! She told me it's good for my dry skin. :) On the website, it says it's for normal to dry skin.

The first thing I did is smell the moisturizer. I'm not too sure what the smell is but it kind of smells flowery. I'm not a big fan of flowery smell, but the smell disappears within seconds after you apply. It isn't bad! ;)

The color of the moisturizer looks off-white, creamy color. The moisturizer in the tube also looks very waxy, but it isn't once you apply it. One thing I found interesting is when you apply moisturizer, there's always a dent where you scoped it out. With this moisturizer, there's never a dent. It moves back into shape as if it's brand new. I'm not too sure why but I thought it was interesting!

Since it's summer time, I've been applying this at nights only. It's too heavy for the morning. I definitely think it's great for normal to dry skin people to use it during nights, as well as, mornings and nights during winter season. It's really moisturizing and leaves a dewy glow on your face. It looks nice at nights or at least I think so. When I wake up in the morning, my face looks great! I don't see dry patches and it looks dewy. I can actually go out without a moisturizer in the morning, but I still apply a light one. It's always good to apply moisturizer if you have dry skin. You don't want to create more fine lines.

Pros:
* Trying a new brand.
* Smells disappear within seconds.
* Product moves back into shape; looks brand new.
* Moisturizing.
* Gives of the dewy look.
* Lasts a long time!

Cons:
* Comes in a container you have to scope; not sanitary.
* Smells flowery.

Would I repurchase: Yes, and no. Yes, because it's a great product. No, because it's expensive.
Rating: 4.5/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Victoria's Secret Eyeshadow Giveaway and Aveeno Road to Healthy Skin Tour

2011-08-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you remember my Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale Haul. I posted all the swatches except for one. The reason why I didn't post a swatch for that one is that I got an extra one for one of my readers!

Here's the picture of the eyeshadow, Baked Mineral Shadow Quad in Secluded Lagoon.

Here's how the palette looks open.

You cannot tell from the pictures of the palette alone, but it's huge! I compared it next to one of my MAC eyeshadows. I hope you can see the difference in size.

Here's the swatch of the eyeshadows from left to right. They're really pigmented and gorgeous in my opinion. Then again I can be biased since it's my typical colors. :P

I did two looks with this eyeshadow palette.

Look #1:

Here's how the eye looks open.

Here's how the eye looks semi-closed. I used all the colors in the palette.

Look #2:

Eyes open.

Semi-closed eyes.. I did not do a good job lining my eyes, but it's all good. :X

How to enter:

1. You must be a public follower of my blog with a Google username. PLEASE do not just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!

2. Open to all including international.

3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.

4. The giveaway will end in three weeks, August 28, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).

5. The winner will be drawn with a random number generator. You have 48 hours to contact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Questions and extra entries:

1. You must give me the Google Username that you are using to follow my blog.

2. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)

3. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)

4. If you re-tweeted the giveaway on Twitter, give me the link. (+1)

5. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1)

6. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1)

7. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+2)

I'm going end with the Aveeno Road to Healthy Skin Tour that is happening this coming Wednesday, August 10th, and Thursday, August 11th, in Santa Monica.

Free Skin Cancer Screening Tour

How Five Minutes Can Save Your Life

WHO: The Road to Healthy Skin Tour Screenings conducted by board certified local dermatologists

WHAT: The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Road to Healthy Skin Tour, presented by AVEENO^® and Rite Aid, will be stopping by the area in the Tour’s 38-foot customized RV to offer free full body skin cancer screenings and the latest skin cancer information to the public. AVEENO^® sunscreen samples, coupons and complimentary copies of Fitness magazine are also distributed. Screenings are first come, first serve. Local dermatologists that have donated their time will be available for media interviews. For more information, please visit www.SkinCancer.org/Tour.

WHY: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 3.5 million cases diagnosed annually across the country. Skin cancer is also one of the most preventable and curable form of cancer if it is detected early. The goal of the tour is to save lives by detecting skin cancers early on, and educating the public about skin cancer prevention by means of sun protection and the need for prompt, effective treatment.

LOCATION	DATE	TIME	DERMATOLOGIST
Santa Monica, CA Rite Aid #5490 2412 Pico Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90405	Wednesday, Aug 10^th	1:30 PM – 3:30 PM	Lisa Chipps, MD
	Wednesday, Aug 10^th	2:00 – 4:00 PM	Vicki Rapaport,MD
Santa Monica, CA Rite Aid #5488 1331 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90403	Thursday, Aug 11^th	1:00 PM – 4:00 PM	Heather J Roberts, MD
	Thursday, Aug 11^th	2:00 PM – 4:00 PM	Daniel Behroozan, MD

I will not be attending since I have to work. If you're around the area or can get off work, I really recommend this! You will really benefit from this screening. It's amazing what you will learn. :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my money. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Too Faced Size Queen Mascara

2011-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I feel so bad that I neglected this blog. I apologize!!! A lot has been happening in my personal life that I haven't had the time to blog. I can't promise you but I am trying to be good about posting. Thank you for the people who still read my blog!!! :)

I've been using the Too Faced Size Queen Mascara for three months now. I received this at the Too Faced Summer Trend 2011 Event. I have Part 1 and Part 2 of the event if you want to check it out. I think it's time to review the mascara.

Product Review: Too Faced Size Queen Mascara

Where can you purchase this: Sephora, Ulta, online at TooFaced.com, or anywhere they sell Too Faced products

Price: $21 for 15mL/0.5 fl oz.

Made in Italy

Description on the back: Our dual-helix brush and keratin-enhancing, curl-setting formula work together to create QUEEN-SIZED, multi-dimensional lashes instantly.

Our exclusive, corkscrew-shaped brush has long, lengthening bristles and short, volumizing fibers to grab, coat and curl for a lavish, layered effect!

Ingredients:

My thoughts: The first thing I noticed about this mascara is the huge wand!!! I have never seen a wand this huge in my entire life. I thought it was cool!

It doesn't look huge in that picture but it is in person.

I compared it to the latest mascara I used, MAC Zoom Lash, in the picture above.

After the shock of the size of the wand, I tested it out. I actually did not like it much on the first day. It was too big to coat my short, Asian lashes especially on the bottom. I felt it was more towards non-Asian people since they have longer lashes.

Now that it's towards the end of my three months of using this mascara, I actually think it's okay. I definitely know how to use the wand better than I first did. Instead of using the middle or the end close to the handle, I use the tip to coat my lashes. I still have issues with the wand touching my skin while putting it on, but it's not as bad as before.

Other than the huge wand, it's not waterproof. Most mascaras that are not waterproof tend to weigh my lashes down. This wasn't bad. It actually kept the lashes up which I give a thumbs up for.

I also noticed there wasn't much smudging throughout the day for me. Most of the smudging happened applying the mascara.

Here's how the mascara looks on me.

I only did one layer of mascara.

Pros:
* Too Faced; they always have cute packaging.
* Huge amount of mascara.
* More for non-Asian lashes.
* Doesn't weigh your lashes down.
* Not much smudging throughout the day.

Cons:
* Comes in one color.
* Huge wand; hard to use on Asian lashes.
* You need to be careful how you use it or else it will get on your skin.
* Not waterproof.

Would I repurchase: No.
Rating: 2.5/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale Haul

2011-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot remember, but I believe it was in June when they had the Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale *sigh*. :X I went right after work on the first day, and hot dang it was crowded.

Here's my beauty haul. I actually bought some more but I'll be giving them away as gifts. ;)

I'll start with my Beauty Rush...

I bought two eyeshadows from this line. Even though this line isn't discontinued, the colors are. I got Glow Gold and Green Goddess.

Here is the swatch of the colors. Glow Gold on the left and Green Goddess on the right.

I also got a lipstick in this line in Grape Fruity. It seems like this line is discontinued, but I'm not 100% sure.

Here's a swatch of the lipstick. It's a light, sheer color.

Now for the Minerals...

I got one lipgloss in Untamed. It's a discontinued product.

Here's a swatch of the lipgloss. It's such a pretty, not my typical color. I still like it though! :)

The last collection is the Baked Mineral...

The first thing I got is the Shadow Quad in Secluded Lagoon. I won't be showing a swatch of the colors for a reason. ;)

The second thing from this line is the Bronzing Powder in Sun Goddess. Unfortunately, everything is discontinued in this line. I have no clue why since the packaging is adorable, as well as, huge. This is the only one I found. If I found another Bronzing Powder, I would have given away as a prize. :/

Here's a swatch of the bronzing powder.

The last thing from this line I got is Luminous Cheek & Face Highlighter. Oh mi goodness the marbleized is gorgeous! I think I fell more in love with that than the color itself. :X

Here's a swatch of the cheek highlighter.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money unless otherwise stated. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

CoverFX & Beautylish Event

2011-07-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not updating my blog! There has been changes in my personal life. I just needed to adjust to the changes. I am SORRY once again and THANK YOU so much for the support!!!

The weekend of June 25 there was an IMATS in Pasadena, the Los Angeles showing. Unfortunately, I did not attend but I was able to go to some of the events held there. The first event I attended was the CoverFX Tweetup Event. I got to meet Jenny Frankel, one of the co-creaters, and Melissa. They're both adorable people! Jenny Frankel told us the story of how she became part of the CoverFX. It's such a great story and you can see why CoverFX has made an impact in people. :)

Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures this past weekend. I've been such a bad blogger. :( Sorry! CoverFX was kind enough to give us a swag bag of their goodies.

They gave us a silver gift bag with purple tissues. That's such a great color combination. I can see it being beautiful on the eyes. ;)

I received Bronzed FX, SkinTint FX, BritePrep FX, and MintTint FX. I will review these in the future posts.

The other event I attended was the Beautylish Cupcake Greet & Meet. It's great seeing Christine, Ning, and Victoria. It's always great seeing familiar faces. :) Again, I did not take any pictures. :X I did pick up some of the things they were giving.

Beautylish gave away this Baggu. It's such a genius idea! Having fold-able, fabric bag you can carry with you. How convenient is it to take it out of your purse when you need a bag around. ;)

Here's how the bag looks when you take it out of the cover. I love the Beautylish logo as well.

I'm not too sure if Taaz sponsored the event, but they were there giving some products out.

They gave out a clear, cherry flavor lipgloss/lipbalm.

They also gave out a small mirror with a crystal star on the cover.

Thank you for both CoverFX and Beautylish for inviting me!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me for going to the events. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

NYX Palettes Giveaway Winners.

2011-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't announce the winners earlier! I just wasn't feeling too good *sigh*. Now for what you are waiting for *drum roll*....

The winner for Giveaway #1, NYX Lipgloss Palette goes to...

number 13...

spider girl.

The winner for Giveaway #2, NYX Eyeshadow Palettes goes to...

number 43...

donna <3 baby.

Congratulations spider girl and donna <3 baby!!! :)

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name and home address. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw new winners.

If you didn't win, don't worry I will have more giveaways in the future. I'm actually looking for something for my next giveaway. ;)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the lipgloss palette. I got that in a swag bag at an event. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Vivite Exfoliating Facial Cleanser

2011-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends this coming Sunday, June 12th, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

I won a giveaway several months ago from SkinCareRx. You definitely should check out their website. They always have a monthly giveaway. I believe they have one Just for Dad for this coming Father's Day. The sweepstakes ends June 13th at midnight. The winner will receive $250 gift certificate to their partner site Apothica. It'll make a great gift for your father! :)

I won Vivite cleanser and serum. They were kind enough to add DuWop blush. I will review the serum and blush in a future post. For now I will only review the exfoliating cleanser.

Product Review: Vivite Exfoliating Facial Cleanser

Where can you purchase this: Viviteskincare.com, SkinCareRx. com and Apothica.com

Price: $38.60 for 6.76 fl oz.

Made in USA

Description on the back: Cleanses and smooths to refine skin gently and effectively. The dual action of manual and chemical exfoliation thoroughly dissolves skin cell build-up. Rich, creamy lather without a soap base.

Ingredients:

My thoughts: I really didn't have an initial reaction to this product since I have never heard of this brand. The only thing that intrigued me is a product triggered for aging skin. It's also good for acne-prone skin, but I do not have to worry about that. ;) I do have to worry about aging skin since I have dry skin and it's showing signs of age. :(

When I first received this, I wanted to use it on daily basis since it's a cleanser. I read the direction on the box and realized it's not a good idea. :X It says to use it 2-3 times a week and it makes sense after I read the direction. Yes, I am slow in that way. :P It's not a good idea to exfoliate your face on daily basis. It will be harsh and can damage your skin. It's best to exfoliate 2-3 times a week to remove build-up of dead skin. To be honest, I wasn't too sure how exfoliating the product would be. I was thinking something really mild. For that reason, I thought of this product more a cleanser than an exfoliator. I am so wrong on that! :P

It doesn't look like an exfoliator but more a creamy cleanser. Even in person too. :P You only need that amount on damp skin. It's so creamy that it it spreads really well onto the skin. It has tiny particles that doesn't feel harsh. It actually feels very relaxing or at least, I feel that way. After you use this, your skin feels so soft and you can tell it got rid of the dead skin. It feels like a baby's skin. I also noticed it doesn't dry out your skin and doesn't feel tight like some exfoliators.

Pros:
* It's in a tube; easy to squeeze out.
* Target to aging and acne-prone skin type.
* Creamy texture.
* Small granules.
* Cleans and exfoliates well.
* Not rough on the skin.
* Skin feels smooth.
* Doesn't dry out the skin.

Cons:
* Not a well known brand; hard to buy at stores.

Would I repurchase: Yes.
Rating: 4.5/5 Tobey's Paws

I review Personal Microderm and thought I would share their YouTube video. It's pretty entertaining! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post I won in a giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Avon ANEW Rejuvenate Cleanser and CCO Haul

2011-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends this coming Sunday, June 12, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Avon had a giveaway several months ago and I entered. I forgot all about it until I received a package at home.

It came with the whole set of ANEW Rejuvenate cleanser, day cream, night cream, and eye moisturizer. I ended up giving two of them away, day cream and eye moisturizer, to a friend because it had avobenzone and oxybenzone as one of the active ingredients. I'm allergic to those chemicals. I kept the cleanser and night cream. I will review the cleanser this time around.

Product Review: ANEW Rejuvenate Revitalizing 2-in-1 Gel Cleanser

Where can you purchase this: Avon representative or online at avon.com
Price: $12 for 4.2 fl. oz.

Made in USA

Description on the website: Deep cleanses and tones. Visibly reduces signs of aging. Innovative 2-in-1 gel formula deep-cleans and tones, as it rejuvenates fatigued-looking skin. Formulated with a fusion of pioneering technologies -- Exfo-Smoothing Complex, MiniExtraction Technology and RevitaFresh Technology -- inspired by a professional anti-aging facial. Instantly, leaves skin looking and feeling clean, toned, and refreshed. With continued use, improves skin texture and makes pores look tighter. Visibly reduces lines and other signs of aging to reveal fresh, younger-looking skin. Oil-free. Dermatologist-tested. Allergy-tested.
Ingredients:

My thoughts: Usually I'm really excited to try products, but I wasn't this time around. The reason behind it is because my experiences with Avon. I haven't had bad experiences, but I haven't had blown out spectacular experience. I just think Avon is average. When they had this giveaway, I just thought it wouldn't hurt to enter and try. Who knows this might blow me away! ;)

When I read the description on the back, it said "massage over skin until beads dissolve." How exciting, it has beads! Yes, I'm that simple of a person who gets excited about littlest things. :P The first time I used it there were no beads. The second time I got two beads... wheee~ Third time one beads. You can see the trend I hope. There aren't that many beads. The most I got were two unless you squeeze out a lot of cleanser hoping for the beads. :P

Here's a picture of the amount I would use to cleanse my face. I hope you can see the one, blue bead. It's on the bottom right. No matter how much I play with the bead/s, it doesn't dissolve. It's solid as a rock for me unless I'm doing something wrong. :/ Other than that, the only thing I give credit is the color. It's blue!!! :)

Enough about the bead and now about the product, I'm not too keen on this. I tried this for a week and my skin dried out. I thought it dried out because of the different skincare products I was using. For that reason, I stopped using this for couple of weeks and then went back. It dried my skin again. My skin felt so tight and dehydrated after using this. I would apply night cream afterwards and it still made my skin feel tight. I gave up and realized it's not for dry skin people. I think it might be good for oily skin people. :)

I don't know if it does what it claims, reduces signs of aging, since I wasn't able to use it long enough. It might actually who knows. It's just not for me. ;)

Pros:
* 2-in-1 product; cleans and tones.
* Comes with blue beads.
* For oily skin people.

Cons:
* There aren't much beads. You will get one or two each use if lucky.
* Blue beads does not dissolve.
* Strong scent I cannot distinguish. It kind of smells flowery.
* Definitely not for dry skin people.
* Dried my skin.
* Felt tight.

Would I repurchase: No!
Rating: 1/5 Tobey's Paws

On Memorial Day, I visited a CCO and hauled some stuff. :) Here's what I got...

I got Bobbi Brown eyeshadow, MAC eyeshadow, and lipgloss.

I'll first talk about MAC.

I got CremeSheen Glass in On The Scene. This is my third CremeSheen and for some reason, I love this formula. They're not glittery, metallic, and so on. It's just a simple one color gloss. :) The first CremeSheen I got is Petite Indulgence. It's a lovely, hot pink color. The second CremeSheen is Melt In Your Mouth. It's a lighter coral pink color. Now I have a peachy colored one. :)

Here's a swatch of On The Scene. Such a gorgeous peachy color lipgloss. :)

Here's how the lipgloss looks on me. I think it'll look great alone and on top of a nice lipstick.

The second thing I got is MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Illusionary Burning Ambition. When I first saw this at the MAC store, I wanted it. I just couldn't afford it at the time. It's great that I was able to see at the CCO. It was meant to be mine! :)

I could hear a lot of people say it's typical Aly color. Yes, I know. :P That's why I love it and know it'll get good use. ;)

The last thing I'm going to mention is my very first Bobbi Brown eyeshadow. I'm so excited!

I got Sparkle Eye Shadow in #18 Black Velvet.

It's a black base with purple sparkles. I'm not a purple eyeshadow lover but I thought this was gorgeous. I just hope I can rock it! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the Avon. I won that from a giveaway. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

May Favorite and CVS Clearance Sale Haul

2011-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends on June 12, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Unfortunately for the month of May, I didn't finish any products. At least I have my favorites. :)

May Favorites Products

Avon Anew Rejuvenate Revitalizing Night Cream: I received this from Avon giveaway they had several months ago. I ended up only keeping two out of the four products. The other two had chemicals I'm allergic to, therefore, I gave them away. Even though I'm not too keen on the smell of the product of the night cream, I actually love it. It's very moisturizing and silky smooth on the skin. My skin looks better after I apply it and feels very moist in the morning. I will thoroughly review later in a post.

Vivite Exfoliating Facial Cleanser: I also won this in a giveaway. I love two in one products that actually work. It's recommended to use two times a week which makes sense. It's not a good idea to exfoliate your skin everyday. You can definitely feel the granules as you exfoliate your skin. At the same time, it's not harsh on the skin. It also saves time and water since you only need to use this to cleanse your face and exfoliate at the same time! I will thoroughly review this product too. ;)

Essie Nail Polish in Coat Azure: I love Essie nail polishes other than OPI. I think they're the best nail polishes that aren't drugstores. I'm also a big fan of blue nail polishes since I'm a freak of nature when it comes to blue. I have a lot of blue items. :X You will see the blue swatch towards the end of this post.

Maybelline EyeStudio in #200 Alluring Almond: I'm a big fan of the Maybelline EyeStudio palettes. This is my fifth one I think. :X I have Green With Envy, Give Me Gold, Taupe Temptress, and Legendary Lilac. The only bad thing I noticed is most of the palettes I tend to pick one or two colors and only use those. Then again most palettes are like that for me. :X If you're not into shiny eyeshadows, then this isn't for you. I'm into shiny eyeshadows and think this is a great neutral palette. I will post a look with this palette in a future post.

Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in #840 Coral Lustre: Oh mi gosh this lipstick color is gorgeous! I cannot pull of coral/orange lipstick, but this one looks good on me or at least I think so. I think the quality of this lipstick is similar to the other ColorSensational Lipsticks but a little bit creamier. I definitely recommend this color. I will post a review on this lipstick in a future post.

The past couple of weeks I bought couple of stuff from the CVS clearance sale. Unfortunately, the CVS by my house didn't label the Essie nail polishes. I had to scan them to see if they were on sale and yup, they were. I bought two Essie nail polishes.

This is in Sand Tropez. It's such a gorgeous beige color.

This is in Coat Azure. It's such a gorgeous blue color. It has to be my favorite purchase. :)

I also bought Revlon Colorstay Mineral Finishing Powder. I definitely don't need this product, but I couldn't refuge with 75% off and $2 off coupon. :X Amazing what sales can make you buy!

This is in #010 Brighten. I heard it's a great highlighter color.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for Avon (won) and Vivite (won). I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer

2011-05-30T00:00:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends on June 12, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Before I start my review, Happy Memorial Day! I hope you're having a great one. I feel blessed to have spent it with family and friends. :)

Since it's summer time or at least some days (having weird Cali weather), I started using the Too Faced Primed & Poreless Primer because it has a bronzer in it. Before I review the product, you might want to check out my other Too Faced reviews. I reviewed The Bronzed & the Beautiful (doesn't it sound like a soap opera show). I think it's perfect timing for summer bronze. It has a great bronzer and highlighter in one kit. I also reviewed Full Bloom & Lip Creme Color. It's a great, versatile creme product you can use on the lips and cheeks. Now for the review...

Product Review: Too Faced Primed & Poreless Bronze Tint Skin Smoothing Face Primer with SPF 20

Where can you purchase this: stores that sell Too Faced and online at TooFaced.com

Price: $30

Made in USA

Description on the back: This bronze-tinted, smoothing face primer was scientifically formulated to wear under powders, foundations or alone to achieve the look of flawless skin with a sun-kissed glow!

Vitamins A & C, Mulberry Extract and Retinol virtually banish pores while SPF 20 offers optimal sun protection.

The sheerly-tinted formula makes foundations versatile by adding a bronze boost for an effortless winter to summer transition.

Skin appears fresher, younger and barely bronzed.

Color stays true and in place all day.

Ingredients:

The active ingredients are Octinoxate 7.5% and Octisalate 5.0%. They're both used for sunscreen.

My thoughts: When I first saw this, I thought how cool to have a tinted face primer. Other than that, I didn't have much expectation going into this product.. Before I talk about my thoughts on this product, I want to mention that Too Faced will donate 15% of the net proceeds to the Melanoma Research Foundation if you buy this product. I think it's great that a company care about prevention of skin cancer!!!

Speaking of skin cancer, I also think it's great that it doesn't have skin causing chemicals oxybenzone and avobenzone in this product. Most sunscreens or products with SPF tend to have those chemicals. I feel blessed in a way that I'm allergic to those chemicals so I can avoid them.

I wasn't too sure what to think about putting bronzer/tinted product on my face. Most bronzers tend to turn me orange instead of tan. :/ To be honest, this product also turned me orange but it actually worked to my favor. Since I use BB Cream and most BB Creams are for pale people, this primer actually made the BB Cream darker on my skin.

Here's how the primer looks on my skin. You only need a little bit to apply on your face. This is a good amount. :)

Here's how the primer looks when blended. It turns the skin a little orange or at least it does on me. I hope you can see it. It dead center on the picture.

When I first applied this product, I was shocked how orange I looked! I was too scared and wanted to wash it off, but decided to apply my BB Cream. It's a good thing I did. Whenever I apply my BB Cream, I have to apply pressed powder afterwards to darken the BB Cream. With this primer, I actually am okay after the BB Cream. Also after you apply the face primer, you might want to wait a minute for it to dry. It oxides the face which will make it less orange, but still orange on me. ;)

Other than the product giving you a bronze tint, it's actually pretty decent. It's very light weight and you don't feel like you're wearing any makeup at all. It's also very silky and very easy to apply onto your skin. When it comes to covering your imperfections, I don't know about that. It will cover small pores but I doubt it will cover big pores.

Here's how the makeup looks on me. By the way, I have nothing on my face other than the primer. I know it's pretty scary, but you take it the way I love. :P

Pros:

* Too Faced donates to Melanoma Research Foundation.

* It comes in SPF 20.

* It doesn't carry the cancer causing chemicals oxybenzone and avobenzone.

* It comes in a tube, sanitary safe.

* Tinted primer.

* It's great for BB Cream. It turns the pale product darker.

* Lightweight.

* Silky smooth and easy to bend on the skin.

* It oxides onto your skin to make it less bronze and in my case, orange.

* Covers small pores and imperfections.

Cons:

* It turns me orange.

* Probably would not cover big pores.

Would I repurchase: Yes and no. Yes, I think it's great for the summer. No, not for the winter weather. For that reason, I think it's best to get regular primer.

Rating: 3.5/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me to review on my blog. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

WEN Sweet Almond Mint Styling Creme

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

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends on June 12, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

This will be my second review of WEN products I received from a wonderful PR. The first review was WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner. I definitely recommend that product if you need a natural, chemical-free cleansing product. I also was fortunate to attend the Chaz Dean and Genlux Magazine Event thanks to wonderful PR people I have met! :)

Before the review, here's the products I received from the PR. I received three Sweet Almond Mint products. I already reviewed the Cleansing Conditioner. Now for the review for the second product...

Product Review: WEN Sweet Almond Mint Styling Creme

Where can you purchase this: Chaz Dean Studio or online on his website at chazdean.com

Price: $24 for 6 oz.

Made in USA

Description on the back: WEN Stying Creme adds the perfect balance of moisture, shine and body to the hair. It acts as a leave in conditioner, polishing gloss and light gel, all in one.

Ingredients:

My thoughts: I was excited to try this product since I have never used a styling creme before. I know as a beauty blogger, I'm not the most experienced when it comes to my hair. :P I like simplicity when it comes to hair since I have naturally, straight hair. I don't have to do much. I'm very blessed in that way.

I noticed just like the Cleansing Conditioner, the Stying Creme is creamy in texture. The only difference in my opinion is that the Styling Creme is more clearer than the Cleansing Conditioner.

Here's a picture of the Styling Creme on a cotton pad. Thanks to a blogger buddy I know how to take pictures of products and make it look clear. Thank you! :)

The direction on the back says after cleansing with WEN Cleansing Conditioner, apply 1-2 pumps of WEN Styling Creme to the mid-shaft and ends of wet hair. Style as desired.

Thank goodness you don't need to use that much pumps! I cannot imagined using so many pumps for the Styling Creme like the Cleansing Conditioner. Even with my long hair, 2 pumps is good enough. My hair goes down to my waist. It won't be that long as soon as I get a hair cut. I'm just too lazy. :X Since you only need to use a little amount, this product will last a long time.

When you apply this on your hair, it has a very strong minty smell. It's much stronger than the Cleansing Conditioner. Even if you don't like the smell, it doesn't last that long about a few minutes. They also come in other flavors like Fig, Cucumber Aloe, and Lavender (I received this one from the event).

I hate to admit this, but I have an OCD when it comes to my hair. Whenever I am stressed or alone, I tend to pull my hair. I know it's a bad habit, but I can't seem to stop *sigh*. Since I pull my hair, I have a lot of baby hairs. It's very noticeable especially on the top of my head. When I was using the Styling Creme, it flatten my baby hairs and mixed it in with my normal, straight hair. It looked really good! :) I also noticed after you use the Styling Creme, your hair is softer and shiner than usual. The best combination is to use it with the Cleansing Conditioner. Your hair feels great afterwards. It also says on the back it's a great heat-protected product. You can use this before you blow dry, straighten, or curl your hair. The hair stylist at the event blow dried my hair after they cleansed my hair and used the Styling Creme. My hair felt great with the mixture of WEN products. I also heard from other people at the event their hair grows faster when they use the WEN products. ;)

Pros:

* It comes in a pump; easy to use.

* Not harsh on the hair.

* Only need a little; 1-2 pumps.

* Product will last a long time.

* Versatile product; for styling, leave-in-conditioner, heat-protection, etc.

* Smells like mint.

* Smell doesn't last long.

* Tames the free away hair.

* Makes the hair shiny.

* Hair is softer.

Cons:

* Strong smell.

Would I repurchase: Yes, but I don't have to. I have the Lavender one waiting. Plus this one is lasting a long time. :)

Rating: 4.5/5 Tobey's Paws

Thank you Chaz Dean for the products!!! :)

If you want to check out Chaz Dean Studios, his address is...

Chaz Dean Studio

6444 Fountain Ave.

Hollywood, CA 90028

(323) 467-6444

chazdean.com

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given for me to review. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

500+ Followers Giveaway

2011-05-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would reach 500 followers. Thank you for the people who follow me and hopefully, like my blog! :) I always wanted to have giveaways on my blog but I wasn't able to with issues in my personal life. Since things are getting better and I reached 500, I decided to have a small giveaway. I thought having several small versus one big one is better. I could be wrong on that! :P

Now for the giveaway...

I am going to give two NYX palettes. I will have one winner for each palette.

Giveaway #1:

One of the winners will get the NYX Luscious Lip Gloss Pallet in Dance In Africa. By the way, I know palette is spelled wrong. That's what it says on the cover. :X I do not take the credit on getting this product. I received this from the Beautylish Event. I do not wear bright colored lip products. Whenever I wear bright colored, I've been told by many people to take it off. I just cannot pull it off. :X Instead of just having it in my room, I decided to give it away. I hope that's okay.

Giveaway #2:

The other winner will get NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette from The Runway Collection in Jazz Night. I did buy this one! I thought the colors are gorgeous and heard it's a dupe of one of Kat Von D's eyeshadow palette. It comes in a versatile color from purple to gray.

How to enter:
1. You must be a public follower of my blog with a Google username. PLEASE do not just follow for the giveaway and then once the giveaway is over, stop following. It's just not polite!!!
2. Open to all including international
3. You must be 18 years or older. If you're younger than 18, please get your parent's permission.
4. The giveaway will end in three weeks, June 12, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).
5. The winner will be drawn with a random number generator. You have have 48 hours to contact me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com or else a new winner will be chosen.

Questions and extra entries:
1. You must give me the Google Username that you use to follow my blog.
2. You have a choice of entering Giveaway #1, 2, or you can enter both. I will draw and you will only win one prize.
3. If you follow my Facebook page, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
4. If you follow my Twitter, give me the username you are using to follow. (+1)
5. If you re-tweeted the giveaway on Twitter, give me the link. (+1)
6. If you added the giveaway on the side bar of your blog, give me the link. (+1)
7. If you added a post but is on a separate giveaway page, give me the link. (+1)
8. If you added a post and is on the main page, give me the link. (+2).

<p>Loading...</p>

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the NYX Lipgloss Palette. I received that from an event and know it will go to a better home. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Physicians Formula Eye Booster and Masks

2011-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I heard so many people rave about Physicians Formula Eye Booster, therefore, I had to get one for myself and try it out. Who wouldn't want to try a product that lines your eyes, at the same time, lengthens and thickens your lashes.

Product Review: Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Black

Where can you purchase this: drugstore, mass retail, and online
Price: $10.99 for 0.016 fl oz/0.5 mL

Made in Japan

Description on the back:
2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum
* High-tech formula visibly enhances natural lash growth while providing the instant definition of a liquid eyeliner, in one easy step!
* Lash Boosting complex targets the root of lashes where it is most effective in providing nutrients associated with growing long, thick lashes.

Ultra-precise Brush-Tip Applicator
* Innovative and easy to use eyelining tool delivers effortless definition.

High-performance, 24-Hour Wear
* High-tech Japanese formula is long-wearing, water-resistant and smudge-resistant.
Ingredients:

My thoughts: When it comes to lengthening your lashes as well as thickening, I get excited. Who wouldn't want to try and believe in products that can make your lashes look like a doll.

I took this picture from the back of the box. After seeing the results for two weeks and four weeks, it convinced me to try. It wouldn't hurt right!?!? If it doesn't work, then I will know not to buy this again. If it worked, I found something that will help my lashes look longer and thicker.

Here's how the pen looks out of the box. I think it looks very classic looking. It's shiny, sleek, and different from other liquid eyeliners. Most eyeliners come in black packaging.

Here's the tip of the eyeliner. It's very sharp which makes it easy to draw.

Here's a swatch of the eyeliner on my hand. I love how matte it is, at the same time, very dark. The day I bought this eyeliner I was disappointed they ran out of the Blackest Black, and I debated. At the end, I decided to get Black and wasn't disappointed with the swatch. I'm also not too keen on liquid eyeliners because of the shininess. I think the shininess of the liquid makes it look more fake. That's just my opinion. You don't have to agree with it. :P

After this swatch, it all went downhill. :X

Here's how the eyeliner looks on me. This time around it actually didn't come out bad, but that's the problem. :X Some days, it looks really bad and some days, it looks alright. You never know what you will get! Since the eyeliner is made with serum, it can get liquidity and make it hard to draw. It would slide to certain areas and not darken in some. You either have to wait for it to dry to redraw or go out with pretty bad line. I don't have the patience and the time to redraw. :X Even if it dries, it's hard to redraw because it would slide again.

In the picture, it looks black but it wasn't. It's more on the grayish side on the eyes which I'm not a big fan of. I like my dark, black lines. The only credit I give is that it's not shiny. I used it for one week straight to see if my lashes grew. I probably had to give it more than a week, but I just couldn't. It looked horrible on daily basis! I had to go back to a darker gel liner, Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner. For that reason, I cannot answer if it makes your lashes grow or not.

Pros:
* Physicians Formula; most products I have had great experience.
* Love the concept of the idea of lining your eyes, at the same time, growing.
* Silver packaging.
* Sharp brush.
* Lasted a long time.

Cons:
* Not dark enough.
* Too liquid-y.
* It would line certain parts and certain parts have too much serum.
* Hard to redraw because of the serum.
* I didn't use it too long to see if my lashes grew. :X

Would I repurchase: No!
Rating: 1/5 Tobey's Paws

The last couple of months I've been using different masks thanks to wonderful people in my life. :)

Luna sent these three Aqua Sense masks! I have never heard of them until she sent them. Oh mi goodness these smell divine!!! It's probably the best smelling masks I have ever tried. The left one is Hokkaido Grape Mask and it does smell likes gapes. I always loved the smell of grape. :) The middle one is Sapporo Premium Yoghurt Mask and it smelled like Asian milk candies. The last one is Hakone Oats & Honey Blend Masks and it smells like oats. I didn't particularly smelled honey. I love all of them and they even plump my face. I definitely recommend these. :)

Amy Naree gave me this mask to try! This is FaceQ in Luffa + Adlay Mask. These masks don't particularly have scent but they plump your face. Other than plumping your face, it also comes in cute packaging. I was able to try the purple and pink as well thanks to Luna. I definitely recommend these as well! :)

I'm not too sure if Clear Turn is the name of the brand or White. If anyone knows the name of the brand, please tell me. Amy Naree also gave me this mask. :) It doesn't have a particular smell, but I thought I smelled orange for a second. I could be wrong on that! :X I also noticed it has a slight orange in color as well. Most sheet masks I have tried are white, but this has a slight yellowish-orange to it. I see a "C" probably meaning vitamin C, but I could be wrong on that too since I don't understand the language written on the packaging. :X It left my face plump and feeling good. I recommend this too! :)

The last mask I'm going to talk about has no name. :/ If anyone knows the brand, please tell me. I also got this from Amy Naree. All I can say about this mask is that it's very unique! It's not a typical sheet mask but more on the gel type. It kind of reminds me of silicon. You have to stretch the eye and mouth part of the mask to fit your face or eyes and mouth will be shut close. Other than that, it had a smell that lasted the whole time on the face. It reminded me of getting my hair perm. It's definitely unique and great to try different types of masks.

Thank you Luna and Amy Naree for these masks!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the masks. They were gifts. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Chaz Dean and Genlux Event

2011-05-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened to my Thursday scheduled post. I know it was up in the morning but at night time, poof it was gone. Blogspot was having maintenance Thursday night to Friday. When we were able to log back onto our dashboard, it was back to what we had on Wednesday. For that reason, I rescheduled for another day. ;)

This past Thursday I was fortunate enough to attend Chaz Dean and Genlux Event. Chaz Dean remodeled his studio and they decided to have a celebration, as well as, a collaboration with Genlux Magazine. For the people who don't know who Chaz Dean is. He's a professional hairstylist to the celebrities, as well as, the creator of WEN products. I was fortunate to meet him at the last Beautylish Event. Of course, he doesn't remember little old me but the wonderful PRs from Mannfolk does. :) They were kind enough to invite me and I, of course, couldn't decline.

Before I talk about the event, I need to apologize! I usually take a lot of pictures, but this time around I wasn't able to. Most events I have other bloggers and we share my camera. When I'm getting my hair or per say makeup done, I let the other bloggers use my camera. This time around since I didn't have any blogger friends with me, it was myself taking the pictures. :X

I actually showed up before most of the people came and was able to check out the studio. The first thing I noticed were the cute cupcakes from A Sweet Design.

They had mini cupcakes on the bottom four layers. The top piece, WEN Products and Genlux, are actually a cake. Aren't they adorable!?!? I was fortunate to receive cupcakes from A Sweet Design to review on my blog. Please check out my reviews and if you're around the area, I swear you need to grab some. They're delicious! :)

A Sweet Design

17801 Chatsworth St.

Granada Hills, CA 91344

(818) 363-9825

asweetdesign.info

Then I noticed three skinny, large size Labrador Retrievers. They were on the side playing with each other. I found out they're Chaz Dean's dog. I must say he has good taste! :) He has two black ones and one yellow lab.

I had to take pictures of the black labs. They reminded me of skinnier, darker, and taller Tobey. The girl is in the front with the red collar, and the dog sleeping at the doorstep is a male. They're so adorable. :)

I had to take a picture of this. The green liquid is green tea cucumber lemonade. Oh mi goodness, that thing is delicious! Who would have thought a mixture of all these flavors would make a delicious, yummy drink! As I write this, I'm drooling and wanting some at the moment. :X

The sad thing is these were the only pictures I took that day. :X After getting the drink, I went into the studio to get my hair washed and blow dried. Both washing and blow drying took longer than most of the other people. I got the best people working on my hair! Theresa, an assistant of Chaz Dean, washed my hair. She was amazing because not only did she shampoo my hair, she gave me a great neck massage! :) Shiri (I hope I spelled her name right) blow dried my hair. She made sure it was blow dried, as well as, curled on the ends. I had the best experience on my hair. I definitely recommend Chaz Dean's Studio in Hollywood.

Chaz Dean Studio

6444 Fountain Ave.

Hollywood, CA 90027

(323) 467-6444

chazdean.com

I wish I had more time, because I would had taken pictures with the celebrities who were there like Petra Nemcova and Josie Maran. Next time I hope!

I did come home with a swag bag of WEN products and Genlux Magazine.

This is what was inside the bag.

Here's a closer look of Genlux Magazine. Petra Nemcova is gorgeous on camera, but I have to say she's more in person! I was blown away by her angelic look. :) I will review WEN products throughly in the future posts. I did review WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner. Please check that out.

Thank you Mannfolk for inviting me to the event, as well as, Chaz Dean for having one!

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me from the event. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Too Faced The Bronzed & The Beautiful

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to attend Too Faced Event in March, as well as, receive the whole summer collection. This is the second item from the collection that I am reviewing. The first review was on the Too Faced Full Bloom Cheek & Lip Creme Color. Now for the review...

Product Review: Too Faced the Bronzed & the Beautiful

Where can you purchase this: stores that sell Too Faced and online at TooFaced.com
Price: $38

Made in USA

Description on the back: Join the bronzing revolution and get your 'glow' on with Too Faced's collection of best-selling bronzers! A couture collection containing Sun Bunny - the cult favorite classic bronze, two shades of Snow Bunny - our skin perfecting winter bronzer, Chocolate Soleil - a matte bronzer as well as the exclusive, Powered Sun - an illuminating highlighter. To achieve a flawless finish, we've included deluxe size of our Primed & Poreless SPF 20 Bronze Tint Skin Smoothing Face Primer. You don't have to jet off to the French Riviera to get that perfect tan; just use the enclosed "how-to" cards to achieve your perfect bronze!

Ingredients:

My thoughts: When I first saw this, I thought how cool to have a whole kit just to bronze/contour the face. I also thought it was perfect timing since I hit pan on my NYX Blush in Taupe which I use for contouring. I was planning on repurchasing the NYX Blush in Taupe, but I didn't have to since I got this kit.

Before I talk about the kit, isn't the packaging so cute!?!? I'm really digging pink and brown theme. I also love the old fashion picture of the model and the beach. It reminds me of the classical movies from the '60's. Yes, I love old fashioned movies. :P You pull the brown ribbon on the front of the palette to open the top.

Here's a closer look at the kit. I will not talk about the Primed & Poreless spf 20 with Bronze Tint, primer, in this review since I got a full size one. I will review that separately in it's own post. I gave this sample away to a friend. The four colors from this kit from top left, bottom left, top right, and bottom right are...

* Chocolate Soleil = matte bronze
* Powdered Sun = gold
* Sun Bunny = classic bronze
* Snow Bunny = mocha/pink

Here's the swatch of the kit from top left, bottom left, the two colors separately from top right (mixed on top), and the last two colors separately from the bottom right (mixed on top). You probably cannot see the farthest right but it is there. It's just very shimmery.

It also came with three bronzing lesson cards.
* Classic Bronze:

* Glamour Bronze:

* Lose 10 lbs in 10 Seconds!:

Here's how the bronzer looks on me.

I used Chocolate Soleil to contour my cheeks to make me look like I have cheekbones. I have such flat face that bronzers help on me. By the way, I'm not wearing any blush. I took this before putting blush on. Once I mix the blush with the bronzer, it'll look more natural. Out of the whole kit, I use Chocolate Soleil the most. I tend to like the matte over the shimmery bronzers. I'll probably use the others for blush since they're shimmery for the summer.

The staying power on the Chocolate Soleil is pretty good. It lasts all day on me. Let me tell you Chocolate Soleil smells divine!!! Whenever I open the box, I smell hot cocoa. It's suppose to smell like chocolate but to me it's more hot cocoa. It's really fun opening the kit then a whoosh of hot cocoa smell. :)

Pros:
* Gorgeous packaging; pink and brown theme.
* A kit with all the bronzers in one place.
* Comes with lesson cards.
* Versatile palette; comes in matte, shimmer, and a highlighter.
* Fun palette to try the different bronzers.
* Chocolate Soleil smells like hot cocoa.
* Long lasting.

Cons:
* Cardboard packaging; mine already had a dent on the side.

Would I repurchase: No, because I only used Chocolate Soleil. Probably would just buy that by itself.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Thank you Too Faced!!! :)

April Favorite and Finished Products

2011-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I swear time sure flies! I remember doing this couple of weeks ago for March.

April Favorite Products

Too Faced the Bronzed & the Beautiful: I received this from the Too Faced Event, as well as, I mentioned this from their summer collection. I feel blessed to have received this at the perfect timing! I finished my NYX Taupe blush (will be posted in the finished products) which I used as a contour on my face. I tend to like matte, taupe-y color instead of orange as a contour. I think it looks better in my opinion. :X I only used the left, top one in the palette. That's my favorite from the kit. I will review this in the future post so look forward to that. ;)

Cosline Princess BB Cream: Oh wow, I didn't even realized it was in my January's Favorite Product. :X I really like this product to have mention it again. I love how lightweight it is, as well as, grayish tone. It oxides to my skin very naturally. I think it's a great spring/summer product when the weather is hot and you need a lightweight foundation/BB Cream. I was kind of worried about this during the summer and if it will match my tanner skin color. Luckily, I received the Too Faced Primed & Poreless, a tinted primer. The primer darkens my skin which prepares for the BB Cream to lighten to my natural skin. They work really well together. :) I doubt I would review this product since it's kind of hard to find. If you want me to review, please tell me.

Wet n Wild Coloricon in Comfort Zone: I received this from Trinh and love it every bit of it. I was expecting only to like the green side, right, but I ended up loving all the colors. :) They're so pigmented and gorgeous. I swear Wet n Wild has improved so much over the years! I will post about this in the future. ;)

Cargo blu_ray High Definition Make-up Pressed Powder in 20: Now I can see why so many people love this product. It's so great! If you're looking for a lightweight pressed powder, this isn't it. It's more medium to high coverage depending on how much you apply. It looks so natural and covers flaws so well. It's also very silky to the touch. I love products like this. I will review this in the future post.

Too Faced Full Bloom Cheek & Lip Creme Color in Prim & Poppy: I reviewed this and you can see why I love this color. It's perfect for the spring/summer coral/orange trend. It's such a gorgeous color! Other than the color, it gives a radiant natural flush look. It blends well and it's vibrant. I would not use this on my lips unless my lips are really moist. :X

April Finished Products

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover: I bought this when it was on sale BOGO free deal long time ago. I finally finished my first product. Amazing! I actually like this product. It's pretty good for a drugstore and it reminds me of the Lancome makeup remover. It removes all my eye makeup really well even waterproof mascaras.

Would I repurchase: Yes, and I'm already using the second one I got from the BOGO free deal.

Cellnique Contour De-puffy Jewel: It's an eye cream which I received to review on my blog. It's suppose to help the puffiness and to moisturize your bags. I honestly did not see anything towards the end. Either I have really deep wrinkles or this product wasn't working. I honestly think it's the first since a lot of eye creams don't work on me *sigh*. I think it's great for beginners who are looking to prevent signs of aging. Other than that, it's such a cooling refreshing gel.

Would I repurchase: Probably not. I need a heavier product.

L'Occitane Almond Apple Velvet Concentrate: I will review this in the future posts. I have mixed feelings about this product. I think it moisturizes the skin really well. The next day my skin looks healthy and plump. On the other hand, I hate that I had to melt the product into an oil and apply it onto the skin. It was messy, and I saw it all over my skin and counter.

Would I repurchase: No.

Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-aging Micro-Sculpting Cream: I will also review this in the future posts. I have mixed feeling about this product as well. I love how my skin feels afterwards; soft and plump looking. On the other hand, I felt that it didn't hydrate deep into my skin. I felt it only hydrated the outer layer of my skin. I need to test this product out more.

Would I repurchase: I have another one. I bought mine from Costco and they came in two.

Make Up For Ever HD Primer in #6: I reviewed this product and please check that out. I think much better of this product than I first started. It's a great primer but to be honest, I would get another number. The yellow is suppose to brighten more than anything. I need a primer that fixes my flaws like my redness and large pores more than anything. :X Other than that, this primer really soaks into your skin and looks like you didn't put anything on. Once you put a foundation or BB Cream in my case, it made it look better than no wearing any at all.

Would I repurchase: Yes, in another number.

NYX Blush in Taupe: I used this as a contour more than anything. When it comes to contouring the face, I am more into taupe-y color than orange. I am not too sure why people would contour with orange bronzer to be honest. :X This is a perfect contouring of the cheeks, sides of the jawline, double chin, sides of the nose, and so on. I also think it looks natural on all skin type. It might not work for very dark skin since this would be lighter than them. For Asian skin like myself, it is fine. I also think it lasted all day on me. Most products last a long time on me since I have dry skin. For oily skin, it might last as long.

Would I repurchase: Yes.

MAC Zoom Lash Mascara in ZoomBlack: I reviewed this product and I still stand by my review. I was not a big fan of this mascara! It's very wet and gooey. Since it's so wet, it smudges throughout the day. I would have raccoon eyes especially on the bottom. Not a pretty sight. For that reason, I had q-tips with me so I can wipe the smudges off my eyes. I honestly felt like it was a waste of time to do that, but I am good about wearing the mascaras for three months before tossing them away. I am happy to toss this one away for sure!

Would I repurchase: No!

OPI Base Coat: I find it amazing when I can finish certain products like nail polishes, blushes, eyeshadows, and so on! I cannot believe I finished this nail polish. It's just amazing! This has to be one of the best base coat, and I'm a huge fan of OPI polishes. The reason why I love OPI is that they have such huge brushes. You only need to apply in three areas and you're done. Other polishes you have to apply quite a few strokes to get your whole nail or at least I do. I also think OPI polishes are well made. They're not gooey, streaky, and so on.

Would I repurchase: Yes.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for Too Faced (review), Wet n Wild (gift), Cellnique (review), and MAC (sample). I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner

2011-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to meet a wonderful PR who gave me a chance to review WEN products.

They sent WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, WEN Sweet Almond Styling Creme, WEN Sweet Almond Replenishing Treatment Mist, CD/DVD, and a catalog. I'm going to review each product in a different posts. For this post, I am going to review WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner.

Before I review the cleansing conditioner, let me briefly talk about the CD/DVD.

Unfortunately, I was not able to view it either on my computer or DVD player. I am not too sure why, but my guess is on my side. :X I'm having computer problems at the moment. I'm guessing this CD/DVD is an introduction to the WEN products. I could be wrong about that! Even though I wasn't able to view it, I thought the cover was gorgeous. Each page has a picture with beautiful people with beautiful hair. I was very drawn to the pictures.

This is the front of the CD/DVD.

The back of the CD/DVD.

I also thought this was cool. When you life the CD/DVD, there's an introduction of his storyline of how the WEN products came to be and his signature.

If you want to visit his studio, here's his information.

WEN

Chaz Dean Studio

6444 Fountain Ave.

Hollywood, CA 90028

(323) 467-6444

Now onto the review...

Product Review: WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner

Where can you purchase this: Chaz Dean Studio or online on his website chazdean.com
Price: $52 for 32 oz.

Made in USA

Description on the back: WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner was created with the perfect balance of herbs and natural ingredients, to not only cleanse your scalp and hair but to also moisturize, add sheen and body. WEN is designed to eliminate the harsh effects of shampoo, without sacrificing the integrity and beauty of your hair. WEN is the only cleanser/conditioner you will need to use in your daily routine, and can be used as often as necessary.
Ingredients:

My thoughts: I wasn't expecting such a big bottle, but I feel very fortunate to receive the biggest cleansing conditioner! I was also excited to try this product out. I heard great things about WEN products. People told me how clean their hair felt afterwards, as well as, how soft. How could you not be excited to try this product after hearing that! :)

The first thing that I noticed about this cleansing conditioner is that it's not liquidly like a lot of shampoos, but it's more thick like conditioners. It really intrigued my interest since it's a versatile product. Most people use shampoo and then follow with a conditioner. With this product, you only need to use one step and you're done. It also saves time spent on the hair in the shower, as well as, the cost of water.

Not only that, you can use it for other things. You can use it for shaving cream, leave-in conditioner, and you can even use it on your pet. Yes, your pet. It's not harsh or full of elements which is great for pet hairs/furs. I have not used this on Tobey, but I might in the future.

The direction on the back says to rinse hair thoroughly, then apply 8-15 pumps of WEN to your palms and rub together. 15-20 pumps for longer/thicker hair. Apply to your scalp, massaging vigorously and add a splash of water to create a foaming effect. WEN has no detergents or Sodium Laurel Sulfate, so it won't lather. Massage vigorously for 1-3 minutes, comb through hair, and leave for 3-5 minutes for maximum conditioning. Comb through and rinse hair thoroughly, massaging scalp and running fingers through to the ends. Repeat if necessary. Apply a dime size as a leave-in conditioner, if desired.

That's quite a lot of product, 15-20 pumps for longer/thicker hair. :/ If I did that, I would use up this cleansing conditioner really quickly! The first time I only used 8 pumps and my hair felt clean and soft. After a day, my hair was really oily which is unusual for me. It would usually take two days, but it only took one day. I decided to try the 15 pumps to see if that made a difference. It sure did! My hair took three days before it started getting oily. Yes, I waited to see how long it would take for it to get oily. What a beauty blogger would do for beauty products. :P It's definitely worth it to follow the direction of the product.

The smell of this product is delicious. It smelled like mint and I'm usually not a mint person, but this smell is divine. I did not smell any almond at all. :/ It wasn't also sweet to my definition. Who knows I might have a sweeter taste than some of you guys. :P The smell of mint on my hair lasted as soon as I towel dried my hair but it smelled good in the shower.

Other than the smell, it has a refreshing cooling sensation as soon as you apply onto your hair. It reminded me of getting a hair wash at the beauty salon. You know that little sink you put your head into and they wash your hair. Whenever I get that done, I get goose bumps from the cooling sensation on the scalp. I felt that way without the goose bumps. It felt great! :)

If you're looking for a lather, foamy type of product then this might not be for you. It lathers but not to the point of being foamy. Even though it does not foam, you can feel the lather or at least I can. :)

Pros:
* It comes in a pump; easy to get the cleansing conditioner.
* Not harsh on hair.
* Element-free; no detergents or Sodium Laurel Sulfate.
* Use one instead of two products; shampoo and conditioner.
* Versatile product; can be used for other things.
* Smells like mint.
* Refreshing, cooling sensation.
* Lather.

Cons:
* It's expensive.
* Use 15-20 pumps for long/thick hair.
* Can use the product quickly with the amount of pumps you need.
* Does not foam.

Would I repurchase: I'm mixed on this, because it's a great product. Who wouldn't want a product that is element-free, no detergents and not harsh on the hair, and only need one step. On the other hand, it's quite expensive for a product you use up quickly. I guess having great product can be costly. ;)
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Thank you Chaz Dean for the product!!! :)