Review: Lancome by Alber Elbaz Hypnose Drama mascara

This is another product from my Lancome by Alber Elbaz haul the other day, that actually turned out to be a really good one, just like the freebie mirror I reviewed yesterday.

The brush is slightly curved, which seems to work well for getting the mascara on, and while the brush doesn't look all that special if you ask me, it doesn't clump my lashes together at all, which I really liked. My lashes are really nicely defined, longer and thicker, which is exactly the look that I am normally going for, so this mascara really fits my needs perfectly.

The mascara also doesn't flake or smudge at all, even after several hours, which is great, since flaking is one of the main problems I normally have with mascaras.

Not to mention that the packaging is adorable as well. It is an Alber Elbaz design after all!

So I would definitely buy this mascara again, even in the normal, non-Alber Elbaz packaging, as the Hypnose Drama really is a very good mascara on it's own too.

Review: Lancome x Alber Elbaz mirror

Like I mentioned in my previous post about my Alber Elbaz for Lancome purchases, I actually got a really cute mirror when I bought my two mascaras, since there is apparently a campaign, at least where I live, that means you get a free bonus mirror when you buy two items from this lovely collection. And now I have had a chance to try this mirror a bit, and I have to say I really like it!

Not only does it look super cute (of course, it IS designed by Alber Elbaz, after all), it's also the perfect size. Some would call it a bit small maybe, but I actually think the size is really nice, since it's perfect for carrying around with you. I already have a mirror I use at home, and my Chanel mirror seems to look dirty (you can see every single finger print on it, basically) whenever I take it with me, so taking this instead is just great, I have to say!

It also seem to be of good quality, so I am not scared to use it, like I am with my Chanel one, so I have to say I would be willing to pay some good money for this mirror alone! But since I got it for free: even better!

That said, I don't really have much more to say about the mirror, even though I do love it. Because how exactly do you review a mirror, after all? But if you are wondering if it's worth getting something from this collection just to get the mirror, I would definitely say yes!

Shopped: Alber Elbaz for Lancome mascaras

I've been lusting after the Alber Elbaz for Lancome products since I first heard about them, way before they were actually on sale. So I was thrilled to actually find them in a local department store today!
Unfortunately, they didn't have all the items from the Alber Elbaz for Lancome line for sale, just mascaras as well as some eye shadows, and since I don't really use eye shadows (and should I decide to, I have quite a lot of them already, including brand new ones that have never even been opened!), I decided to just get 2 of the mascaras, that the sales lady recommended to me.

So I ended up with the Hypnose Drama

and the Hypnose Star

but apparently they also give you a small freebie, a really pretty pocket mirror, when you buy at least 2 products from the line, so I actually got three items!

I will be reviewing all of these products separately on the blog as soon as I've had a chance to use them for a bit. But for now I am just happy to finally be in possession of something from this line!

Review: Nature's Gate Lavender and Aloe Conditioner

The Lavender and Aloe shampoo from Nature's Gate mentioned in the previous post was not the only Nature's Gate I have been using lately, I got the conditioner from the same range as well, since I am a firm believer in using products that are meant to be used together at the same time for best results. And just like the shampoo, the Nature's Gate Lavender and Aloe Conditioner was quite good too!

The scent is the same as in the shampoo, and you don't need to use a lot of product for good results, which is nice. And of course the conditioner is cruelty free, sulfate free and organic, just like the shampoo as well.

And it untangles and softens unruly hair like mine quite nicely, and keeps dry hair from getting into worse condition.

The only thing I wish now is that Nature's Gate would make a hair mask for intense treatments besides this wonderful shampoo and conditioner as well!

Would definitely buy this again, as well as recommend it to others!

Review: Nature's Gate Lavender and Aloe Shampoo

I've mentioned over and over again on the blog that I try to buy only cruelty free hair products, but finding cruelty free hair products that are good is actually surprisingly difficult. Recently, I did find a shampoo, as well as a conditioner, that I really like, though. And it's cruelty free, so I am quite happy about it.

The shampoo in question is from a brand called Nature's Gate, and besides being cruelty free, it is also organic and sulfate free as a bonus. I wasn't familiar with this brand before trying this shampoo, but I like the shampoo so much, I will definitely try more of their products in the future if given a chance.

So why do I like this shampoo so much?
Well, first of all the scent is great. I am one of those people who wash their hair before going to bed sometimes, and lavender has always had a very calming effect on me, so having my hair smell of lavender in the evening is really great! The shampoo is actually supposed to be a lavender and aloe one, but I think it mostly smells of lavender, I can't say I feel the aloe scent very much.

Second of all, it makes my hair very clean and doesn't dry it out, like some shampoos can (which is a disaster for someone like me, who has dry hair to begin with!).

So this is definitely one of my favorite shampoos at the moment!

My second Glamguru box

I got my first beauty box from Glamguru at the end of May, and since I was quite pleased with it (read why here), I decided to get another one as well. I wasn't as happy with this one as I was with the first Glamguru box, however. The products just seemed way smaller and less unique compared to last time, and only one of the products really suit me. Not that this is really Glamguru's fault (because how are they supposed to know what suits me and not?), but it's still a bit dissapointing to me.

This Glamguru box came in a cute box:

And inside there was a pink Glamguru makeup case, which could have been nice if it wasn't for the fact that I have way too many makeup bags already, and really, really don't need more.

The products I got were:
- An eye brow pencil that I forgot to take a photo of.
- A bottle of Jasmin Natural Care Perfume Oil Extract Vanilla

- A bag of Emerald Bay Dark Tanning Lotion (definitely something I will never use, since I don't want to be tanned and burn in the sun anyway, so if any of my readers want this, let me know (preferrably by email: jojogalblogs @ gmail . com) and I can send it to you!)

- A Pomegranate Moisturizing Body Bar by Simply Be Well

- A small bottle of Silk Moisture Shampoo from Senscience (this is actually a product that could be useful for me, so this is the only one I am really looking forward to trying!)

and
- A small tube of San Francisco Soap Company's Coconut Mango Moisturizing Hand Cream.

I will be reviewing some of these products separately on the blog, I only just got the box a couple of days ago, so I haven't had the time to give these a try yet. But all in all, I wasn't as pleased with this box as I thought I would be, so I am not sure I will be getting more of these boxes. Let's see what others say about the next box and then decide I guess...

Review: Estee Lauder Pure White Linen Pink Coral

This perfume was actually given to me as a present, by someone who is a big fan of it themselves. This perfume was apparently released in 2009, but it definitely has the scent of a very classic Estee Lauder scent to me (I have some previous experiences with the brand, although not very extensive), classy and pure, rather than cheap and trendy. It's also a light and summery scent, perfect for every day wear, and I would also say it's not really a coincidence that it has the word "pink" in it's name, it definitely smells very pink indeed!

The scent doesn't last for very long though, which is the biggest disadvantage with this scent to me, I would need to reapply this several times during a working day if I wanted to make sure the scent could be felt all the time, I think.

I would also say that the scent is not very original. It doesn't really bother me, since I have quite a lot of very original scents in my perfume collection, but it could be a bit disappointing if you are getting this and are expecting something very unique, I guess, because this perfume isn't it.

The bottle is also very classy and simple, which I like. It fits the Estee Lauder brand if you ask me, and it's important that brands stick to what they do best, and I definitely think Estee Lauder does that with Pure White Linen Pink Coral.

So all in all a great present, and I am really happy I had a chance to try this scent, since I am not sure it's a scent I would go out and buy for myself.

Review: Ooh La Spa Fresh Minty Foot Scrub

This is one of the products I got in my Beautylishious beauty box some time ago. And while I have tried foot scrubs before (you could see one in my "What's in my shower" post last year, for instance), I must admit I am not a regular user of foot scrubs, but I still think I have enough experience in order to compare this foot scrub to other foot scrubs.

I would say the advantage this foot scrub has over others that I've tried is the scent. It's really quite lovely, and minty of course, which I like, since it goes well with another foot product I am using at the moment, Soap & Glory's Heel Genius, that also has a minty scent. So thumbs up for that!

I would say that the grains in this foot scrub seem rather small though, I've tried some in the past with bigger grains, that felt more rough on my feet, and I did feel that those foot scrubs were slightly more effective. So this might not be the best foot scrub out there, but if your feet are only slightly dry or you don't want to use anything too rough on them for whatever reason, this foot scrub is definitely worth trying!

I'm not sure I'd get it again, though. But not because the product is bad or anything, mostly because I am not a regular user of foot scrubs like I said, so I mostly use them if I get them as gifts or in beauty boxes or the like.

Review: Murad Pure skin clarifying dietary supplement

I get breakouts on a regular basis and had been considering taking some dietary supplements to battle this for a while, but I did not really find anything good for a long, long time. Until someone recommended Murad's Pure skin clarifying dietary supplement and said that it had really worked for them. So I ordered one bottle of these pills online, and started taking them.

You're supposed to take 2 pills twice a day, and I stuck really well to that regimen, even though I must admit that the pills both smell and taste quite horrible!
But I figured that I had already bought a bottle, so I might as well finish it up, even though it tasted quite bad, and despite not seeing any results during the first 2 weeks.

But during the third week and on wards, my skin really did start clearing up! I wouldn't say it's perfect, but it's much, much better, and any blemishes I get, are really small and rare. (I used to get some blemishes every week before, now I get maybe one a month, so it is a huge improvement)

Based on reviews I've read about these pills it seems they really work for some people, but don't work at all for others, so I guess it's very individual if they could help you or not. But if you are looking for any kind of dietary supplements to help with your skin, these are definitely worth a try! I will definitely keep buying them for myself!

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might have noticed that one of my main issues for quite some time has been to find a really good foundation, with no flaws. I've tried countless foundations, in all price ranges, and still haven't found one that works well in a hot and humid climate (during the summer), on oily skin, has good coverage but lasts a long time too.

So when I saw that my local pharmacy (that sells a lot of cosmetics) had a special deal for the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation I wasn't expecting too much. I was hoping that maybe it would be okay, but not much more. So imagine my surprise when the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation actually turned out to be the best foundation I've tried so far!

Why is that?

First of all, the coverage is great, it hides pretty much everything you could possibly want to hide, and really well too. But the result is still really natural, so it doesn't look like you have "paint" and a thick layer on, which is really important to me, especially during the summer, since a runny and thick foundation is hardly a good look.

So it basically makes my skin look really pretty, and who doesn't want that, right?

The lasting power is also wonderful, I do not need to reapply this foundation during the day like I do with most other foundations. And the price is really good too!

This foundation also has quite a nice scent, which is not something I am used to when it comes to foundations, but it's really nice, of course.

So I will most definitely be purchasing this foundation again, at least for use during the summer, but I actually think it would work really nicely all year round too.

(Unfortunately I didn't remember to take a photo of this foundation when it was new, this is how the bottle looks after I've been using it for around 1.5 months. So sorry for the ugly photos in this post!)

Review: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat moisturizer

I wrote a review of an La Roche-Posay Effaclar foaming cleanser a while ago, but I actually also got a moisturizer from the same range, since I like to try several products from one line at the same time, since I think products from the same range are often designed to work best together. The La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat moisturizer was also really good, just like the foaming cleanser, but while the cleanser seems to last for quite some time, I ran out of the moisturizer really, really fast. So it's hardly a long lasting product in any way.

But other than that, this moisturizer is really great. It's very light weight, so it's perfect for summer, and it does seem to mattify my skin, which is great. It also moisturizes my skin pretty nicely, but I should add that I don't really have the type of skin that needs a lot of moisture, I mostly moisturize in order to avoid breakouts due to dryness (yes, that's a thing, believe it or not!) as well as wrinkles. So if your skin needs a lot of moisture, this might not be a product that is enough for you.

The scent is nothing special, though, it's very light and natural, I would say, which is a shame, since I love products with stronger, nice scents, but like the cleanser from the same line, the Effaclar Mat moisturizer seems to do wonders for my skin, making it smooth, less shiny and generally pretty, and that is after all the most important thing with skin care. So I will definitely be buying this moisturizer again. And again. And again. Well, you get the picture...

Review: Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck & Shoulder Cream

I get all kinds of weird muscle pains from time to time, and usually, what I use for them is Bengay, which works, but has the disadvantage of not smelling very nice. So I usually avoid to use it if I am meeting others. The Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck & Shoulder Cream is supposed to have a Rosemary and Vanilla scent, however, but work pretty much like Bengay, so I thought it could be a nice alternative for next time I suffer from any kind of muscle pain.

And after having used this cream, I must say it has a much nicer scent than regular Bengay, and works in a very similar way. I wouldn't describe it as a rosemary and vanilla scent though, and I also wouldn't call the scent all that nice, but it's okay.

I also liked that this came with a rather nice and handy applicator, which most similar creams lack, so I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who thinks that applying other creams can get too messy.

The cream also absorbs fast, so I would get this cream again, for sure!

Review: Korres Multivitamin Compact Powder

A while ago, I got a Korres Multivitamin Compact Powder when I ordered some stuff on Strawberrynet, and I was pretty excited, since I had been wanting to try Korres products for quite some time, having heard a lot of good things about them in the past. But I was also thinking this product might not be the best one to get started with, since I don't really wear a lot of powder (I used to when I was younger, and then suddenly discovered that too much powder is not really such a good thing, and haven't dared to go near it since, basically!).

This powder is supposed to be suitable for oily skin, like mine though, which sounded good, since I don't think most powders are, and I was lucky enough to get a shade that suited me really well.

I did like the packaging a lot, even though it is not very unique, but it's sleek and chic, which appeals to me. The powder in it is also soft and easy to apply, and the Korres Multivitamin Compact Powder comes with both a mirror and a sponge in the case, so you have all you need in the package you get.

I do not believe the coverage of this powder is good enough for me to use it as a compact foundation powder, but if your skin is oily, yet doesn't need much coverage, this might be a really good choice for you.

I personally need more coverage, so I don't think I will be getting this powder again, but I am still really happy I got a chance to try it, because it seems to be a nice product, in nice packaging, just not one that suits me that well.