Reviews: Caudalie Founder Favorites Set, L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza Mascara, Burt's Bees Soap Bark + Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

Caudalie Founder Favorites Set

image via pinterest

I was at Sephora asking about a serum that results in a more even skin tone. The rep went straight for the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. It is known for combatting the appearance of dark spots, which is exactly what I needed for my sunspots and freckles. So how excited was I to see that Caudalie had this Founder Favorites Set that included the full size bottle of the Vinoperfect serum! The ENTIRE set costs as much as the serum AND it includes three other products as a bonus!  Yup, $79 for the serum alone. Or $79 for 4 products. C'mon. A no-brainer.

I haven't had the set for long, but I wanted to share this with you asap because it already keeps selling out online. I think you should still be able to pick one up at a Sephora store.

My thoughts so far (I'm also linking reviews from Sephora):

Vinoperfect Radiance Serum- I love the clean smell and how quickly it absorbs into the skin. I'm talking fast! I try to use my Foreo Luna to get my serums and lotions deep into my skin, but my skin has already sucked up this stuff by the time I've taken the Foreo out of my drawer.  Reviews mention how quickly people see differences in the lightening of hyperpigmentation (especially for people with darker complexions). My skin tone is totally evening out, and I feel like parts of my sunspot are lightening. I know that it is pricey, but I highly recommend this!

Premier Cru the Eye Cream- I've actually used a sample of this before. It has a nice, rich texture that doesn't leave a greasy residue behind. I hear it's great for undereye circles. I didn't notice a huge difference for myself, but I will keep testing it out. 

Beauty Elixir- If you have money to blow, then you should get this for its refreshing effects. I will admit that it perks me up when I spray it on my face. But then again, any minty concoction sprayed in your face would probably wake you up. Definitely smell this before buying...it has a very strong scent.  And you may hate it. This product is also supposed to tighten pores, smooth the skin, and stimulate microcirculation. The only thing I noticed was a tingling of the skin, especially the lips. Maybe something is going on under the surface that I can't see? I personally don't feel like it is worth the $18-49 (depending on size) price tag.

Instant Detox Mask- I have only used this once so far. Unlike other masks where you feel like you have to cake it on, this product goes on like a thin layer of lotion. Light spa-like lavender scent. All I can say is that it didn't dry out my face. I will have to report back on this.

As of now, the champion of this set is the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum.  I would be open to trying other Caudalie products. The brand offers some all-natural products and is known for containing no parabens, phenoxyethanol, sodium laureth sulfate, mineral oils, synthetic colors, or ingredients of animal origins. To read more about Caudalie's "green actions",  click here.

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image via target.com

I picked up this mascara in Blackest Black at CVS for about $9.  It comes in a waterproof version of the same color and non-waterproof Black. The metallic packaging is fun and futuristic. The main attraction is the double-winged applicator. 

When you actually insert the wand into the mascara, the applicator kind of looks like a mess. And the formula is a little clumpy. The tiny bristles do an ok job at separating my eyelashes- you can actually feel the gentle tug as it combs through them. 

You can see some of the clumps here. 

For the price, I think this mascara has potential.  Most days, I think the applicator does a good job of separation. But as you can see on the pics above, sometimes I get clumps. I don't have a lot of lashes, but the Voluminous Butterfly Intenza mascara gave them length and fattened them up a bit.  I experienced no smudging.  People online complained of flakiness.  Maybe my clumps are actually flakes? This mascara is an "upgrade" from the original L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara with an applicator that has only one winged side. 

Reviews on Ulta and Makeup Alley for the Voluminous Butterfly Intenza

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Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

image by feelunique.com

I bought this facial cleanser for about $8 at a local drug store.  The ratings for this product were relatively high, and I was stoked about the "100% Natural" description. 

I'm going to preface this review with the note that I tend to prefer foaming face washes for a clean feeling (it's psychological). This cleanser has a lotion-like texture with no suds. I tried to rub the cream in my hands first and then apply to my face. Little globs fell into the sink. Then I tried to directly apply the stuff to my face.  I still had some of it slide off of my face and down the drain.

The menthol and citrus ingredients made me feel like I was rubbing Ricola cough drops all over my face. The sting from the menthol was quite overpowering. My face got used to it, but your eyes may never forgive you. I suppose the tingling sensation can be refreshing on a hot day.  I didn't love this cleanser, but a lot of people do! 

Reviews from Drugstore.com and Amazon

Review: Cooking with Blue Apron

I was super excited when our friend sent us a trial of Blue Apron. Getting food sent to us and avoiding the hell that is grocery shopping in New York City (tiny aisles, tons of aggressive customers) is awesome in itself. But also getting the right amount of ingredients without any waste and easy-to-follow recipes.... I couldn't wait to get started!

The basic Blue Apron plan is $59.99 a week covering three meals for 2 people.  You can choose between vegetarian, pescetarian, and meat/fish meals. There are also options to feed more people, at $9.99 per person, per meal.

Our 3 meals came in a huge box with colorfully illustrated recipes.

The insulated liner holding all of the ingredients was monstrous. It's also biodegradable!

 All of the ingredients are included, down to the little bottles of vinegar and soy sauce.  And very neatly packaged!  According to the Blue Apron website, most of this can be recycled!

Levain Bakery

Beat the huge line at Levain Bakery this morning. Bringing FAT delicious cookie fun to a birthday brunch and pasta dinner. This bakery don't play when it comes to size.

I love the Chocolate Chip Walnut and Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip!

Return of the Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon!

Sent out some digitals and needed natural makeup. Love my Clinique Chubby Stick in mega melon!

Swatch

Here is a review video from a previous post when I compared Clinique Chubby Sticks and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain.

Urban Decay Revolutionary Lipstick

I bought the Revolutionary Lipstick ($22) in the color Jilted, which Urban Decay's website describes as a deep fuchsia shimmer with a blue shift.  I gotta give it thumbs up for its creamy, moisturizing formula.  I usually avoid lipsticks because they tend to feel dry and accentuate any already chapped areas.  But the awesome blend of jojoba oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter kept my lips baby soft!  Oh, and this lipstick is vegan, too. Score!  I'm already a huge fan of Urban Decay's eye shadows, so I'm happy that I have a new go-to brand for lip colors!

Here is a close-up and swatch in natural light.

The gunmetal packaging is sexy!

Have you tried any of the Revolution Lipsticks?  Any favorite colors?

Review: LANCÔME Hypnôse Drama Mascara Set

image via sephora.com

For $33, this is a darn good deal available at Sephora. It's valued at $66 and includes a full size Art Liner in Noir (0.04 oz) and Hypnose Drama Mascara in Black (0.22 oz).  Though it is not a full size, a 1.7 oz Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover completes this limited edition gift set.

It's Cute. It's Colorful. It's eos Lip Balm.

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Ok, I'll be honest. When I first saw these egg-shaped lip balms people would pull out and practically suck on to apply, I thought they were ridiculous.  I had no desire to pucker up for this gimmicky product.

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Then their marketing magic hit me.  

Review: L'Oreal Telescopic Liquid Liner

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This product is kind of a bummer. The main issue is that the formula is super watery.  The first application will look like water color paint...with lots of water.

The liquid color can be described as "transparent gray". (Excuse my unkempt eyebrows here, please.)

The other problem is that the felt tip is so pointy and hard that when you try to add another layer of liner, you may move some of the first layer. You can see the gaps below where an attempt to add more liner scraped off the existing liner.

On average, I needed about 3 layers to get a nice, consistent dark line. That's a lot!

After the arduous task of applying this liner, I did not experience any smudging or smearing. So once it was on, it stayed on.  If you're willing to try it out, it is about $10 at drugstore.com.  It definitely did not work out for me.

Review: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

I've been on a red lipstick kick.  It's already horrible dealing with color transfer and that "cracked lips" look that occurs when the product starts rubbing off leaving only colorful remnants in the crevices of your lips. Those problems get multiplied by 300 when dealing with red lipstick (that number was based on an entirely accurate mathematical formula).

When Stila had their 50% off sale, I picked up the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Fiery based on the high reviews.

That's a lot of nostril.

Review: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara

image via sephora.com

I bought one of those Sephora holiday mascara kits, and one of my favorite mascaras from it is the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara (the other is the Lancôme Hypnose Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara).
 

I always preface my "before" and "after" photos of my eyelashes with this statement: I have really puny lashes. Therefore, if I am raving about a mascara, imagine what could be with ACTUAL lashes. And these photos don't do any justice to how much more volume and length my eyelashes experience when I use this Stila mascara. 

Review: Sally Hershberger Hyper Hydration Super Keratin Spray

Before I got my ends chopped off, they would get crunchy if I didn't blow dry them after a shower. I got this complimentary bottle of Sally Hershberger Hyper Hydration Super Keratin Spray, and I'm in need of a new one because it's so good! I love the smell and the moisturizing/defrizzing powers. Protects from heat, too!

$12.99 at http://sallyhershberger.com/shop/product.php?do=detail&productid=31

Cheaper at Amazon, but the bottle looks different so I'm a bit suspicious like an old person.

Product(s) Review! Neutrogena, ELF, Physicians Formula Happy Mood Booster Bronzer, Aveeno Lotion & More!

Estee Lauder vs. Target Brand Eye Makeup Remover

I had been using Target's Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover and was very happy with it. But I got the Estee Lauder Makeup Remover as part of a gift set so I decided to test it out. The Target brand says on the bottle that it is comparable to the Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover.

Both the Target Brand and Estee Lauder Eye Makeup Removers claim to be oil-free, but the Target brand one does seem to be a bit oily. The bottle even says to SHAKE WELL in capital letters in the directions. The oily feeling isn't so overwhelming that it bothers me. If there was an issue with feeling oily, I feel like all you have to do is take off your eye makeup first with the Target brand (which works really well!) and THEN wash your face. I really feel that you only have to swipe twice with a cotton pad using the Target brand makeup remover. I was a little too thorough on the video swiping with the Target brand. I wish I had shown you how much makeup came off with each swipe, but alas...I wanted to finish this video so I didn't redo it. Sorry! Anyway, when I use the Estee Lauder one, I have to swipe multiple times, and lots of times, it just feels like I'm moving the eye makeup around. It smears all over the place! But oddly enough, the Estee Lauder one behaved pretty well on the video.

Estee Lauder is 3.4 oz and $18! The Target brand is 5.5 oz and $4.54. What a deal! So yeah...I didn't care for the Estee Lauder one. I would definitely be purchasing the Target one again.