Review - Glamorous Cosmetics Party in a Bottle

Our perfect coverage formula creates a fast-drying, long-lasting coat. Free of toluene, phthalate and formaldehyde our Supreme Nail Polish line has soft bristles for a smooth even application.
If you wanna be with me
Baby there's a price to pay
I'm a party in a bottle
Got to apply me the right way

If you wanna be with me
I can make your wish come true
But you need about a million coats
To make the sparkles show through

With apologies to Xtina.

This nail polish is great IN THEORY but GURL. You have to put on so many coats to get those sparkle chunks (yeah, I said SPARKLE CHUNKS) out of that bottle! I think I put on like four and that was not nearly enough bling for my tastes. There are better glitter polishes than this one, so don't bother. But no better songs about being a genie in a bottle (except maybe this one).

Sultana says: This is a beautiful polish on the outside, but you definitely have to layer it on to show the sparkles. You end up with too much sparkle on one side of your nail and not enough on the other. So, no party here........super sad face!

Review - Greenleaf Spa Foaming Hand Soap

Cleanse and refresh frazzled hands with the fluffy lather of our Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap. Infused with Aloe and Chamomile, this gentle soap will leave your hands feeling soft and supple.
I've always had a weird anti-foaming hand soap bias. I think it's maybe that I don't feel like I wash my hands as vigorously with foam soap as I do with a liquid soap, or something? Like, half the work is already done. It's lathered up. What's left for me to do? So I was skeptical with this one.

However, I put this Greenleaf Spa Foaming Hand Soap in my downstairs bathroom to see how the roommates reacted. "Oh my god," one said. "It's so...SMOOTH." I had to agree with him. The soap leaves your hands feeling clean, but SOFT. Like, creepily soft. And the scent we got - snow flowers (not a real flower) - isn't available online anymore, but if the others are anything like this one, they'll be dreamy.

Okay, so the soap is a little pricey. Maybe you get it and you put it in your Fancy Bathroom where some mom in the 80s would have put shell-shaped soaps that I never ever thought were candy and accidentally ate one time. Throw some seahorse towels on the rack, put this foaming hand soap behind the sink, and you got a stew* going.

*stylish toilet everyone wants

Review - John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

With Inca Inchi, a lightweight micro-oil rich in omega-3, this formula repairs the look and feel of overworked hair and adds body for full, flowing styles. Detangles strands, reducing the risk of breaking and snagging while combing or brushing.

Love. That is all I have to say about this winning combination of Shampoo and Conditioner. I would use them together, as I tried them on their own and was not as satisfied as I was using them together. Generally everything from John Frieda has been a winner, but the sheen and healthy glow to my hair when using this duo is just beautiful. I have noticed its easier to brush out while wet and my flyaways and split ends are less noticeable. The smell is really nice and rich too. If you have used John Frieda products you probably know that there is very little to complain about with their products, and as with most of them this Full Blown Repair Shampoo & Conditioner has an A+ from me!

Sultana says: This is definitely a good shampoo and conditioner for frizzy/dry/damaged hair. However, if you have oily hair, then this may not work as well for you. I found that the conditioner weighed my hair down a lot. So the next day, I didn’t use any conditioner on the top of my hair, just on the middle and ends. That seemed to help.
Overall, this help adds some shine to your hair and it does help with frizz control.

Trish says: I agree with all the above! John Frieda's Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner set does seem to work better together. I, too, tried using them separately and didn't have the same effective results as when used together. For me, the best part is how full my hair looked and and how clean it felt. On the downside, I found that the conditioner didn't work fully as a detangler on its own, yet I remedied that by adding a drop of Argan oil on my hair. I guess my hair really is that dry/frizzy/damaged/helpless/etc, but nothing this shampoo and conditioner couldn't remedy! For my winter frizz and general hair brittleness all around, so far this John Frieda's Full Repair line has been a nice hair-restoring fix.

Review- Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

No oils, no waxes, no nonsense
Natural coverage that leaves skin the way it was meant to be…fresh, breathing, natural
Exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through
Non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested

When I first tried Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation, I had mixed feelings about it. On the good side, the shade (Sand Beige 210) matched my skin so nicely and blended amazingly naturally, I was sold! Moments later though I noticed that on top of my dry skin, it didn't seem to help it at all. Later, after I switched moisturizers and tried the Fit Me Foundation again, I noticed that the foundation looked so much better on top of my skin and provided just the right amount of coverage that I wanted and, well, needed. It's not a thick moisturizing foundation by itself, so for oily types, this is a welcomed bonus. Although if you lean on the dry side, especially during the winter months, the right moisturizer will make up for the lack of moisture, for me it did. Once I discovered to do that, the Fit Me Foundation seems to be just the sort of foundation I like - lightweight, affordable, natural-looking, and still provides good coverage with SPF 18 protection. By itself, with an average moisturizer, the foundation still had some ways to go, but with my favorite hydrating moisturizer, it evened out nicely.

Review - Nutra Nail Speed Dry Top Coat

Protects from chipping & fading. Super shine finish. Problem: Nails with color polish that need to dry in a snap to a high-shine finish. Solution: Nutra Nail Speed Dry 30 Second Top Coat with Green Tea. What it Does: Dries color polish super fast - 30 seconds is all it takes for a strong, shiny finish that resists chipping and fading. Virtually ends smears, smudges and streaks. Results: Your manicure will last longer with a shiny, chip-free finish

Sooooo I wasn't expecting much out of this top coat. I am personally really hard on nail polish. Aaaannnnddd I have very little patience. It's not a great combination for manicuring yourself I will tell you! So I had little faith as I started applying this polish. I used it with Deborah Lippmann My Romance nail polish, I just adore the color! Generally, however, I hate how it wears. I'll usually get a day tops out of my manicure before it either turns orange or starts chipping. Within 30 seconds of my applying this top coat it was dry, and I applied it while the color was still tacky! Love it! This would be a great top coat even if it didn't wear beautifully for more than a week. It didn't start chipping like I said for more than a week and it didn't change colors at all! I was more than pleased with this Speed Dry Top Coat and have not only been wearing it exclusively since I got it, but I will definitely repurchase! Way to go Nutra Nail!

Review - Bath & Bodyworks Charmed Life Lotion

Our exclusive Charmed Life™ is a positively sexy blend of juicy guava, sparkling pear and creamy vanilla musk, inspired by taking chances, having fun and savoring life's fabulous moments

As previously noted with the shower gel, the Charmed Life line from Bath & Bodyworks is now discontinued! Super sad face! I LOVE this lotion. I loved it so much, I went out on a search for it. I found the shower gel, mini lotion and spray on sale for 75% off.

This scent is sweet, and I totally dig sweet smells. It lasts for a while. Everyone loves how I smell when I wear it.

Maybe one day they will change their minds and make it available again or make it limited edition. Hey, we can only wish!

Run to your local Bath & Bodyworks to see what they have!

Review- Bath & Body Works Charmed Life Shower Gel

Charmed Life is a blend of juicy guava, sparkling pear and creamy vanilla musk, inspired by taking chances, having fun and savoring life's fabulous moments!

Sometimes, with scented bath gels, I don't notice anything particularly special about the the scent or the gel itself, but Charmed Life actually impressed me unexpectedly so. I was a little bummed to discover that Bath & Body Works no longer carry this gel, but it's still available on Amazon.com at least (cheaper too!)... What I like most about the shower gel is the clean scent, it's not too overpowering or floral, just fresh and light with a soft fruity hint and for a lightweight gel, my skin felt so nurtured and thoroughly moisturized afterwards. Even in this wintery chill, this lovely cleanser held up and didn't dry my skin out or leave it feeling scratchy or tight. In fact, my skin felt soft and silky well into the next day. If you have a thing for shower gels and like products that really deliver on pampering, look no further, this shower gel brings it!

Sultana says: I loved the Charmed life lotion I got so much, that I went out to get the spray and the shower gel! Unfortunately as Trish stated, this is now discontinued. However, I did find the mini lotions as well as the sprays at Bath & Bodyworks for 75%! Of course there is always Amazon and Ebay!
I love this scent so much. Its exactly my style. A little sweet, a little fruity and totally juicy! A little goes a long way with this shower gel because its rich. One bottle will last a while. And at 75% off (if you can find it in the store) you can't go wrong!

Review : Promise Me Eau De Parfume

Top Notes: mandarin, bergamot,
blood orange, sparkling yuzu, fresh
aldehydes

Mid Notes: pink peony, rosewood,
wild orchid

Base Notes: white patchouli,
creamy musk With every Promise Me fragrance sold, a donation of 13.5% of sales will be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with a minimum guarantee of $1,000,000

Promise me is a Floriental Eau De Perfume, I love the cause, I love the scent: a light floral oriental with some pretty white musks and an ambery finish. I found this fragrance online discounted everywhere. in my opinion I would rather pay the full price and make sure that the donation to cancer research is there. Give it as a gift or wear it yourself, but lets get it people! I will tell you all that I am actually a registered fragrance sales specialist with the Fragrance Foundation of America (I've got a pin!) so I know A LOT about fragrance. This EDP is surprisingly light, and the staying power is not really there, I would give it an hour or two before it's quite difficult to tell you are wearing it. I do love the scent as you put it on, so clean yet ambery and very bright, but I love the cause more. Here is a little more info on Susan G. Koman for the cure.
While the staying power of the fragrance is a little iffy the good you will be doing is definitely there. I have quite a few perfume bottles, but this one I will definitely keep on display!

Review - L'Occitane Desert Rose Hugs & Kisses

L'Occitane En Provence is one of those companies I just really like. They are employing 12,000 women in Burkina Faso (not that I know where that is) and use the highest quality Shea Butter in all their products. I seriously love this brand. Their hand cream is something I have been using for years, it isn't oily or greasy and sucks right in so there isn't any residue like with some other hand creams I have used. The scent on this one is very light, almost not there at all which I like, and I'm not a big rose person but I can honestly say I like it. Its nice and clean, like you just washed your hands. The lip balm in this set isn't my favorite, its super moisturizing and very emollient but I just can't dig a lip balm that smells like flowers....... personal preference is all! If you like rose, and like a super natural clean smelling rose you will love it, I would just rather whipped cream or vanilla personally! As for the price point, $19? ehhhh it's a lot, but it goes to a great cause and keeps those lady's in business! I'll throw down 20 bucks for some awesome hand cream and lip balm (both a little goes a long way) that will keep me hydrated and happy for this bitter winter weather, plus it makes a GREAT little gift idea.

Review- Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

I can see why Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara remains an all-around classic. For an affordable price, my eyelashes can still look fuller and longer without too much fuss or hassle on my part from using this 40-year reliable formula and clean brush to separate the lashes. Although my eyelashes lean on the frail side, I think this is a sturdy and dependable mascara for someone who already has nice thick lashes and who would not require much curling or lengthening in the process. I have friends who fit this profile perfectly and a solid, straightforward mascara as Great Lash would be all they needed. While this mascara did run on me slightly, I'm happy to know that it is also made in a clear shade so no running worries to contend with! Overall, this mascara covers all the basics in an easy and reliable way holding up to the test of time, yet if you have more specific or targeted mascara needs, then Great Lash may hit some notes yet not all and still provide decent results. For the eyelash blessed, Great Lash does enhance what is already there! Yet, if you're like me and need more help with your eyelashes, Great Lash still works, but I did find I needed to lengthen and curl my lashes to fully maximize results, yet in the end they still looked classically nice.