• dr paw paw oroginal multipurpose soothing balm with natural paw paw

    Review | Dr. Paw Paw Original Clear Balm

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m reviewing the Dr. Paw Paw Original Clear Balm. I picked it up at Winners for $4.99. I had heard good things about Dr. PAWPAW, so I thought I’d give it a try.

    Our main ingredient is fermented Pawpaw, the fruit of the plant Carica Papaya. The Pawpaw has been found to have natural healing qualities and is believed by many to be the finest natural medicine yet discovered.

    This genius product has a variety of uses, from skin protector and moisturiser to nappy cream and lip finisher. The balm also has healing properties and can be used on sun burn, skin irritations and as a hair conditioning treatment – whatever your use for it, we guarantee you will be delighted with the satisfyingly smooth finish!

    It’s great that it’s fragrance-free, cruelty-free and vegan.

    Unlike lip balms, it doesn’t have a lip applicator, it’s just a regular tube (see below to compare two lip balms with smooth applicators). So, it doesn’t glide across your lips nicely (it’s actually a little rough). I usually pat it onto my lips or squeeze some onto my finger and then apply to lips.

    It’s nice as a lip balm (I don’t think it’s anything super special). It adds a bit of sheen to the lips and moisturizes them like Vaseline. However, it doesn’t taste gross like Vaseline. It doesn’t taste like anything. Usually I use a very small amount, so I hadn’t noticed any smell before. After squeezing some out onto the spoon for a picture, I noticed it smells similar to Vaseline.

    With this product, less is more. If you use too much, it feels greasy like Vaseline. 

    On the cuticles, this definitely makes my cuticles feel smoother. It doesn’t feel greasy at all on the fingers (it absorbs fairly quickly).

    I didn’t try it on my hair because I knew I wouldn’t like it. I think it would just make my hair looks greasy.

    RATING: 3/5

    I like it, but I’m undecided on whether I would buy it again. I might consider the tinted balms because that would at least add some colour.

    Have you tried Dr. Paw Paw?

    Love,

  • This or That | Benefit 24 Hr Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel vs. Diorshow BoldBrow

    Hi Everyone!

    Do you use brow gel in your brow routine? I’ve tried a few different ones: clear and tinted. I prefer a tinted brow gel because I find that the clear ones I’ve tried make my brows look glossy/shiny in the sunlight? Plus, tinted brow gels give a more natural, filled in look (especially if they have fibers) whereas the clear gels sort of separate my brows and tend to wipe off the brow pencil I used beforehand.

    Benefit Ready, Set, Brow Deluxe Sample of the 24 Hr Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

    An invisible brow gel that shapes, sets, and locks in brow color for 24 hours. Hold eyebrows in place and keep them perfectly polished all day with this clear setting gel. The custom brush features long bristles that evenly coat brow hairs from root to tip and short bristles to sculpt and shape hairs into place. The flexible, flake-free and quick to dry formula applies easily to brows and locks on makeup for 24 hours.

    Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark

    Update: They no longer sell this and they’ve replaced it with another brow gel.

    A brow mascara to achieve lush, full, and groomed brows immediately. Quickly and easily create a natural brow look that highlights lids and emphasizes the eyes. The formula coats each hair for a strengthening effect, and the mousse-serum format is enriched with microfibers to coat skin and brows for an instant, lush look. The natural shades match any skin tone: Light, Medium, or Dark, while the micro-brush coats each fiber for fuller, perfectly shaped brows.

    I think clear brow gels are great if you just want a 1 step routine and you already have great brows. If you’re someone who has gaps in your brows, then a tinted gel with fibers is really useful.

    I love the Benefit Gimme Brow and the Diorshow Bold Brow gels. I bought the Dior one because it has a little more product in it than the Gimme Brow, but sometimes the shade looks a bit gray-brown. The Gimme Brow expanded their shade range and they have a darker shade that would match my dark brows. Next time, I think I will try the Anastasia and Hourglass ones. I know Essence has one for a fraction of the price, but I feel like the darkest shade will be too light for me. I know Glossier Boy Brow is a fave for many people, so I might give that one a try at some point. Since brow gel is okay to keep longer than mascara (because it doesn’t go close to your eyes), I don’t mind a high end one.

    WINNER: TIE!

    After trying the Colourpop Boss Brow Clear Gel, I’ve changed my mind. Initially, I chose tinted brow gels, but now I love clear gels.

    Between the Diorshow Bold Brow and the Benefit one though, I prefer the Diorshow Bold Brow.

    What brow products do you use?

    Love,

  • November 2018 Product Empties

    Hi Everyone!

    Here are last month’s product empties:

    Amika Nourishing Mask – I got this on Amazon, so this is the old packaging. The new one looks pretty much the same (design-wise), but the font is a bit bigger. This mask made my hair smooth and shiny.

    Repurchase? Maybe. I did really enjoy it, but I think I would rather get a hair mask from the drugstore because I really enjoyed the Garnier ones I’ve tried.

    Sephora Yuzu Micellar Cleansing Water – The lemon scent makes me think of dish soap. While it does the job to remove makeup, it kind of makes my eyelids tingle. I gave it to my mom (who doesn’t have sensitive skin) and she noticed that when she used it, her face would be red after removing her makeup. She rarely has reactions from products, so it was weird. I used what was left in the bottle to clean my makeup sponge.

    Repurchase? I don’t think they sell it anymore. Even if they did, I would not repurchase.

    Tarte Maracuja Oil – I love this oil! I use it as a moisturizer and a primer.

    Repurchase? I already repurchased a supersize bottle! The supersize is available on Tarte and it’s $22 more than the regular size, but twice the size. I got it during the Black Friday sale when it was 20% off!

    Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Redness Correcting) – I love the MUFE primers, but this one is kind of useless. If you want to colour correct redness, get an actual concealer that corrects instead of a primer. I’ve written a This or That post comparing this to the Smashbox primer. While this one performs better than the Smashbox one, it still doesn’t do as much as an actual colour corrector.

    Repurchase? Not the redness correcting primer, but I have already repurchased other MUFE Step 1 Equalizer Primers.

    The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Gel Body Scrub (read my review) – The gel texture of this made me use it faster because it was easy to just scoop some out with my hand and get too much.

    Repurchase? No.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Dead Sea Salt Soak – I enjoyed this a lot and it made me feel very relaxed.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Sugar Scrub (not pictured) (read my review) – I loooved this; it smells amazing and makes your skin feel baby smooth. I’m sad I used it up so quickly because it’s so expensive.

    Repurchase? Probably not. I just can’t justify the price tag, but I will try to duplicate it with a DIY sugar scrub or find one that’s more accessible and affordable.

    Live Clean Coconut Milk Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (conditioner is not pictured) – I liked the smell of this and it made my hair feel soft.

    Repurchase? Possibly.

    Johnson’s Baby Shampoo – I used this to clean my makeup brushes and sponges.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Lady Speed Stick Invisible in Cool & Fresh – The smell is very nice, but after a while, it started to smell different; not as fresh. I want to start using natural deodorants that don’t have aluminum.

    Repurchase? No.

    Delectable by Cake Beauty The Everything Powder – When I first tried it, I loved it. It doesn’t have talc and it was great to use as a setting powder, but I just don’t love the smell that much. I’ve said it multiple times, but it smells like this toy that my cousin had. It was a baby that comes with a bottle and spoon and you put the spoon in the bottle and it ‘fills’ up with cherries and you feed the baby and the cherries disappear.

    Repurchase? No.

    Delectable by Cake Beauty The Everything Balm – I enjoyed this when I got a little tube from a Topbox, so I bought a full-sized bottle. The full size comes with a pump, but the pump sucks. It doesn’t dispense the product and it smells a bit different from when I used the small tube.

    Repurchase? No.

    COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – I love these. They’re amazing.

    Repurchase? YES!!

    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel Cream (read my review) – This didn’t hydrate my eyes as much as other eye products I’ve tried which was disappointing because it’s a good price for an eye cream.

    Repurchase? No.

    Essence The False Lashes Extreme Volume & Curl Mascara (read my review) – This mascara held the curl of my lashes well, but it was quite flaky.

    Repurchase? No.

    Rimmel Moisture Renew Universal Transparent Lip Liner in 001 Universal – This is a clear lip liner that you can use for any lipstick. The only problem with it was that I could see where I was drawing on my lips. Also, it’s retractable and I prefer a pencil that you can sharpen so I can get a more defined line.

    Repurchase? No.

    Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 855 Berry Smoothie – This was a gorgeous shade, but I just didn’t like it on me. It looked like my lips were stained from eating berries and I always wore it with Vaseline on top or underneath to sheer it out.

    Repurchase? I would consider repurchasing a Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick, but not in this shade.

    Bourjois Twist Up The Volume Mascara (read my review) – This was an interesting mascara, but if I were to spend over $20 on a mascara, I would get one from Sephora that I like better.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Crème – I loved this shade. It was a “My Lips But Better” shade, but I didn’t love the watermelon scent of the lipstick.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Check out my Black Friday Haul!

    What did you finish last month?

    Love,

  • benefit precisely my brow lancome brow shaping powdery pencil diorshow bold brow

    My Brow Routine

    Hi Everyone!

    Let’s talk about brows! First, a little history of my brows. You can skip ahead if you want to see what products I use!

    My Brow History

    010_nr.jpgMy brows have gone through a lot over the years. I only started using brow products in 2016. Before I started grooming them, my brows were very thick (they were shaped like triangles, I had the arch where it was supposed to be, but then there were lots of hairs that needed to be tweezed underneath). Look! Triangles! →

    I started tweezing them in grade 8 (aged 12/13). I overplucked them, and I don’t mean they were too thin, I mean I plucked them so they were too far apart (wide gap between brows). They were like that in my high school years too- they got closer though. I don’t know when the first time I got them professionally waxed was, but I assume high school or university. Twice I’ve gotten them done where the lady waxed them and they were too thin. The head of my brows are a bit sparse and in pictures, it makes my eyebrows look farther apart than they are in person. The tail of my brows sometimes has gaps if I overpluck or trim the hairs too short. In the past, I used to overpluck underneath the head of my brows and it would look like the head of my brows had a hook. My eyebrows are arched, so when I overpluck and have a hook, my brows had a ‘C’ shape.

    I may need to just let them grow out and then get them done professionally.

    Captureas.PNG

    2010- they’ve started to grow closer together

    2013- too thin and far apart

    2016- eyebrows have a hook

    2017- success at last! No hook and not too thin

    Brow Products

    There are so many different brow products out there: Pencils, Mascaras, Gels, Pomades, Powders and more!

    Micro pencils are the most natural, in my opinion, because you can do feather-like hair strokes. They’re great for filling in gaps.

    Brow mascaras/gels are good if you want to darken your brows, but don’t want them filled in.

    Tips: For tinted ones, make sure to only touch your hairs and not the skin, or it will tint your skin and you’ll get random spots filled in that you don’t want. If you like clear ones, Maybelline’s Clear Great Lash Mascara is great because it’s duo purpose (brows and lashes in one) and good for throwing in your bag.But I prefer using a tinted gel though because it has a matte look. I’ve used a clear gel that hardened and made my brows feel crunchy.

    Powders are good if you want to fill in the brows, but still have a natural look.

    Tip: You can use a matte eyeshadow, just use an angled liner brush

    Pomades and cream gels give you the most colour. They’re great if your brows are non-existent or if you want a more dramatic look.

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – The spoolie side comes with a cap too, but I took it off because it was annoying taking it off everyday. The cap is useful if you throw it in your purse though, it keeps the shape of the brush intact.

    Build full beautiful brows with our ultra-thin Micro Brow Pencil. So precise it coats even the finest hairs with color for a natural-looking finish.

    Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil in Deep Brown – I bought this because I heard good reviews on it and it was on sale. I don’t like this, I don’t like the waxy feel. Now I know what I don’t like and won’t be buying anymore wax pencils. I use it for taking makeup selfies.

    This natural wax pencil creates fine, hair-like strokes while the grooming brush blends and softens for a natural finish.

    Benefit ka-BROW! Eyebrow Cream Gel Colour in 5 Deep – This is a deluxe sample size, the full size looks different. I should’ve just saved this for a giveaway or given it to someone. It’s so dark, but it’s good if you like to fully fill in your brows.

    Brush on rich, buildable colour! This all-in-one eyebrow cream-gel easily fills, sculpts and defines brows.


    Here’s an idea of what the three different products look like. Obviously the cream gel is the darkest, while the micro brow pencil is the lightest.

    media-20180128eeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    From Top: Maybelline Brow Precise, NYX Micro Brow, Benefit ka-Brow

    Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara – This is a great 2-in-1 product. You can use it for your lashes and brows.

    The classic Great Lash brush cnditions, grooms, and separates eyelashes and brows.

    Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fibre Gel in 5 Deep – This was recalled back in 2017 (I was able to return mine). Since recalling it, they’ve reformulated it and released more shades.

    Our cult-favorite gimme brow tinted eyebrow gel contains tiny microfibers that adhere to skin & hairs, creating natural-looking fullness and definition. The custom, tiny tapered brush blends easily while the precision tip shapes hairs into place.

    My Brow Routine

    I personally prefer using a pencil or tinted brow gel. I use a pencil to fill in gaps and the brow gel to tame hairs that are unruly.

    My favourite is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black and the Benefit Gimme Brow in 5- Deep. My eyebrows are dark to begin with and I just need help with the gaps. I’ve tried samples of pomades and cream gels, but I just look scary because they make my brows so dark. The only time I would use them is if I’m trying out a look and taking a picture for Instagram.

    My routine is fairly quick since I’m just filling in gaps here and there. I comb out my brows with a spoolie and then I use the NYX pencil. Then go over with a spoolie to soften any darker lines. Sometimes I will use the brow gel if my brows are being particularly unruly. At the very least, I use the pencil.

    I’ve written a few comparison blog posts on brow products, check them out:

    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow

    Diorshow BoldBrow vs. Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

    What brow products do you use?

    Love,

    jen