Rimmel retro glam scandal eyes mascara

I'm coming back with another review on a product that I received from influenster to try and give my two cents on. I previously wrote a review on Rimmel's stay matte mousse foundation, and now I am going to be writing about another product of theirs...the retro glam scandal eyes mascara. 

I was very interested to try this out. I am always on the lookout for a mascara that doesn't clump or gunk up while applying. I keep trying new products and brands when I get done with my mascara. I have yet to repurchase the same brand.

My first thoughts were that the applicator brush was a little weird. It's in the shape of an hourglass, and made me wonder where most of the product was going to go. I like the outside of my lashes to be more dramatic than everywhere else.

I received the color black. I personally like black mascara, but if you do not, then this isn't the product for you. It comes in only two shades, black and extreme black. However, those shades really work with the name of this mascara. When I think of retro, I see very dramatic black lashes. 

This product did not disappoint. It went on smooth, did not clump, and I didn't end up with the four lashes. You know where it looks like you only have 4 or 5 lashes after you've applied because your lashes are caked together. It isn't waterproof, but I'm not a fan anyways. So again, just little things that have to do with personal preference.

Here is a picture with just the mascara on. This is one coat. I don't put mascara on my bottom lashes because they are very long and kinda make me look like a doll. It's not my kind of thing. This gave my lashes the dramatic look that I've been looking for and I'm very pleased.

While wearin this mascara for an entire day, I had no fallout, melting, or change in the shape of my lashes. I have found my new mascara and I will definitely be sticking with this. 

If I left anything out, please let me know. This pregnancy has given me the worst brain fog and I feel as if I was everywhere with this review, so I apologize. 

Rimmel Stay Matte liquid mousse foundation

I have another review from Influenster, who teamed up with Rimmel London, to try and review their new stay matte liquid mouse foundation. I was really looking forward to trying this product out. I have extremely oily skin and foundations usually melt off my face, or end up giving me a much too "dewey" shall we say finish. Because of this problem, I mostly skip the foundation when I apply my makeup.

I skipped the primer while applying this because I wanted to see how it would do without it and because it is advertised to be feather light, I thought the primer would make this feel too heavy and may have swayed my opinion.

My first reaction to this when I first saw the product was that this could not be feather light. It has a very thick clay like texture and doesn't feel like mousse nor liquid. However, when I first applied it, it went on smooth and it was incredibly light. I was very surprised that it did not feel heavy on my face, and it did not cake at all. I forgot that I even had this on by the end of the day, and almost forgot to wash my face (not sure if that's a pro or a con). 

Now for the downside. I don't know if I did not prep my face correctly, or if it is the product itself, but it actually made my face too dry. My nose, forehead, and cheeks looked like I was exfoliating with the foundation. I wash my face with an exfoiliator, then apply my moisturizer. I wait until the moisturizer to dry completely before I apply my makeup. So I am a little stumped as to how the foundation dried out an extremely oily completion with moisturizer on at that. If someone's knows how to fix this, please comment and let me know. I am disappointed that this foundation does this to me, because it really stays matte and I had absolutely no shininess throughout the day. The foundation lasts for the average amount of time. It doesn't last as long as Revlon's Colorstay, but not so fast that you wished you hadn't wasted the money.

So my final verdict is this product is not for you if you're skin is already dry. If dryness is not a concern of yours, then purchase at your own risk. I am pregnant, so maybe my hormones have made my skin drier. Other than that one problem, this product is great in all other aspects. I am not going to recommend nor not recommend this product, because of my experience with it.

Influenster has been Revamped!

For those of you who have read my reviews on the products that I received from Influenster, will already have an idea of what I'm talking about. For those of you who have not, then let me tell you all about this company.

Influenster is a company that sends out voxboxes to it's members who fit the criteria of what their box contains. Then the recipients get to try out the products they received, which could range from a variety of categories. I received the summer beauty box and all of what I received are in previous posts and my reviews in detail about them, so if you have the time, go check them out.

You can unlock badges, submit your blogs, or vlogs, and social media. Because the main point of receiving these items is to influence the people around you via social networking. Things have changed for them now with their new site makeover.

You now can unlock 5 expert badges and they will be in categories that you feel like you know enough about to be able to spread the word about products that they could send you.
I was going to post a screen shot, but blogger's image window isn't being cooperative with me. However, you can go sign up (I will have the link at the bottom) and see for yourselves.

Then you have certain tasks from those 5 badges that you will want to complete (because it raises your Influenster score which is new now) and having a higher score means more free products to try. I think that this makeover is much more user friendly and much easier to understand now. The great thing about your Influenster score, is if you have a score of 100 or more, you are guaranteed a voxbox for that expert badge (I think, or it is your overall score and you are guaranteed the next box that comes out regardless) I'm not quite sure, but they mentioned it in their Facebook update.

I am loving their new makeover and I encourage anyone to join. What do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing. I joined in June this year and received the summer beauty box the same month, so that's pretty quick. Go check it out and let me know what you think of the look.

Influenster 

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Suncreen and Quaker Soft Baked Bar

The final installment of my Summer Voxbox from Influenster is finally here. Yay ^_^. I figured I'd just put these two together, since I really don't have much to say about Quaker, and I hate writing entries that are short. It's just a quirk of mine. *Disclaimer* I received these products complimentary from Influenster, who received them from the manufacturers to use, evaluate, and give my honest opinion about them.

First off, I am so psyched about Hawaiian Tropics Silk Hydration sunscreen/lotion. Yes, they have finally put lotion and sunscreen together. Well to my knowledge, this is the first I've seen. I haven't really had a chance to use it since I'm at home more than I am anywhere else, but I went out for a ride with the hubby on the motorcycle. I have already seen what happens when you don't have protection on when you are going on a 100+ mile ride. It's not a pretty sight. My face was burned, but I had on a long sleeve top because it was kind of chilly and the sun was not out the entire time. I even had a circle on my chest from where the pendant from my necklace sat. I was giving a whole new meaning to farmer's tan. I do know that you can still get burnt when the sun is not out, but I really didn't give it much thought.

Forgive the messy floorboard of my car, we had been out most of the day visiting family. You can find it at pretty much any major retailer and it is $8.99 for a 6oz. bottle.

To me, 30 SPF is good enough, but the fact they have 50 is awesome.

So Sunday, we decided to go for a little joyride. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day. It wasn't too hot or cold and we would have been fools to pass up the opportunity. So my mother in law watched my son and he ended up having an adventure of his own with Granny and Pa. Before I left, I remembered to apply sunscreen. So I slathered it on me. The smell is absolutely awesome, and the consistency was so silky feeling. Wasn't so much creamy, but truly a silky, satin type feeling. It did take a while for me to rub the sunscreen in, but I suppose that's a good thing. The thickness probably adds to the protection that you get from this.

After being out in the sun for about 6 hours, we came back home. When I went to the bathroom, I was not burned on bit. It looked like I had gotten a little bit of sun, but no redness or soreness what so ever. I was ecstatic. The little bottle I received was 30 SPF, but they have 12 and 50 as well. I did however, see where I had missed some spots. I had on a cut out back top and had three little lines on my upper back from where I hadn't applied the sunscreen and low and behold, sunburn!

I did not have to reapply this at all while we were out and I definitely liked that. No one wants to have to try and remember to reapply sunscreen when you are out having a good time. It has also really moisturized my skin. I will be using this as a sunscreen and a lotion. I do put on sunscreen regardless most of the time I go out, so this will save me money. I won't have to buy lotion and sunscreen, just this. I am very impressed with it.

Now on to Quaker's banana bread soft bar. I love their oatmeal cookies and so I was really looking forward to this. What is great about this line of products is that you can microwave them. My favorite part about cookies and banana bread is when they first come out of the oven and they are still warm and chewy. Banana bread with butter is my all time favorite comfort food. So I was more than ready to scarf this down.

I like to open both ends, because if you just open one end of it, one side gets warmer than the other and that is no fun. So I warm it up and eat it. It pretty much just tasted like nuts. This thing was covered in them, and I'm not a big fan of any kind of nut. I can tolerate almonds, but that is about it. I was excited about it because I figured, this will be able to substitute my craving for banana bread, since I want it all the time pretty much. I didn't really taste anything but walnuts. Maybe I just got a bad one. I know that they all don't have the same amount, but I wouldn't want to spend my money on just a guess.

This is just my opinion. This could have been heaven for someone else, but unfortunately, not me. I don't really have much else to say about this. It was okay all in all though.

Tampax and Always Radiant Collection

Another wonderful review from yours truly. I am still in the process of writing a review on the products I received from Influenster. Of course I cannot leave out the disclaimer. I received the products complimentary from Influenster, Tampax, and Always from Proctor & Gamble. I was asked to test, evaluate and give my honest opinion on the product.

Now on with the show. If you do not like reading things such as tampons, periods and such, then you shouldn't read any further, because I do not hold anything back. So you have been warned. I also would have taken more pictures, but by the time it came time to use them, I was in such a hurry that I used them before I even thought about taking a picture, so I just have a couple.

I wish I would have gotten some pictures after I opened the box, but my brain doesn't work right sometimes.
Check out Always and Tampax. They have some great products.

Firstly, I loved the packaging of the tampons. The whole reason I was so excited about receiving these, was their new resealable package. The tampon comes in a package with a little opening. You just pull the tab up, pull the tampon out and when you are done with the process of putting it where it's supposed to go, you put the applicator back in the pouch and close the tab. How awesome is that!? I loved it. It is so discreet and you're not having to worry about company going into your bathroom and seeing a heinous mess in your trash can if you're like me and your can doesn't have a lid.The nasty side of tampons can remain hidden. The tampons that were included however, did not really do the trick for me. Warning, this is a little graphic. I have a very heavy flow and I usually use Kotex Super Plus tampons. I have yet to find another brand that will work for me and these were no different. I would spend more money if I were to continue to buy this brand, and it is a shame, because I did like the packaging that the tampons came in. They may have a super plus, but I have not looked to see, and most other brands that have "super plus" do not compare to Kotex.

The larger pad that was included was great. I loved the colorful wrapper that it had. I also was really excited to see that it was scented. I mean every woman wants to remain "fresh" down there during that time and this really did a great job accomplishing just that. I have not used pads since I was 12, so I don't know if the material that this pad is made of is completely new, but I noticed that it was made differently. It was almost like a gel. I could be wrong, but it absorbed very well and did soak in. It didn't feel like it was just sitting on the pad, but was in the pad. It is thin, but don't let the look deceive you, it works just as well as the big bulky pads that are out there right now, but the upside is it doesn't feel like you are wearing a diaper. I will probably invest in these soon. It also stayed in place. Most winged pads will shift and the wings will pull up and end up sticking to the insides of my thighs. Once this was put in place, it stayed there, and I couldn't have been happier.

The last thing that was included were three panty liners. I thought there was only one when I first looked, but they are so thin that it wasn't until later that I realized there were more. I did like how thin and small they were. So it was almost as if I wasn't wearing one (trust me, I had to go and check to make sure it was still there). It worked okay. The sides curled up and ended up getting lopsided and such, but for most of us, a panty liner is mostly used for when that time is about up and is only used for when we are just spotting. So it did the job, but maybe its too small and thin? Anyways, I was very pleased with all of the products.

We can't forget the cute bag they came in. I really like the bag and I will continue to use the bag to hold my feminine products. It is small enough that it can fit in my small purse, and most people will just think its a makeup bag. I have such a problem with the tampon wrappers opening up and go to look through my purse and see the tampon just laying there with the wrapper no where to be found. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a tampon to go waste like that. I don't know if that's why it was there, but I am going to use it for that anyways.

My final opinion on this product is that this is a great collection. Like I said, the tampons did not work for me, but the quality was great and the resealable wrapper was absolutely awesome. The rest of it worked great for me and I have no complaints. I definitely will be purchasing the pads. If any of you are willing to risk trying a new product, because if you're like me, once you find a great feminine product, you hate to try something new. I definitely recommend trying it.

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Review

Here we go with another review on the Summer Voxbox list. I needed a few uses of this shampoo and conditioner before I felt comfortable enough to write an honest reivew.
*Disclaimer: I received this product along with some others by Influenster complimentary, to use, test and evaulate*

Okay, everyone hates dry scalp and flakes. I know I do not want to be wearing a nice black top and look over and looking like I just stepped out of a snow storm. However, I also want my hair to smell nice. Dandruff shampoos do not have the greatest reputation when it comes to the smell of them. So which do you sacrifice? Smell or flakes? Well now you don't have to choose (did I really just type a sales pitch? That was not intentional).

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Shampoo and conditioner

When I saw this in my box, I had no intentions on using it. I bleach my hair, so I have a restorative mask that I use every time I wash my hair. Damaged hair is no laughing matter and I refuse to go out looking like I stuck my finger in a light socket. That was my initial reaction. Then I got home and did a more thorough look. I wanted to give it a chance though, at least the shampoo. So I took the lid off and could automatically smell it. I must say it was pretty amazing. It completely caught me by surprise. Most of the time when I'm shopping for shampoo I really have to get my nose to the bottle and usually end up squeezing shampoo into my nose (never fails). I can't really explain the smell, but it smelled clean and sweet. Could this have really been a dandruff shampoo? I honestly thought that it wouldn't work, because there is no scalp shampoo out there that has a scent I would even want to put on my dog.

So the time came to put it to use. I put it in my hair and made a good lather, making sure to massage my scalp (never use your nails to scratch it, it causes damage to the skin). I go to rinse it out and at that point, I didn't even feel the need to use the conditioner. My fingers were going right through my hair wet! It was awesome. Then I thought, if the shampoo made my hair feel this silky, then what will the conditioner do to it. So I actually used a conditioner of than my Argan oil (which is crazy), and of course it made my hair feel even softer. So even if this stuff didn't work, at least my hair would feel and smell great which is a plus on it's own.

There wasn't much of a difference in the way my head felt flaky wise I guess you could say. I don't have a dandruff problem, but I have a dry scalp problem and I can scratch my head and have skin in my nails (yes i'm sure that's a little too much information, but it has to be said). Then I used it the second time, and the next day I went to rub my head and already it had made a difference. It felt like my head had been exfoliated. It was very soft and smooth. The third time had completely gotten rid of the problem.

Three uses and the dry scalp problem is gone. I think I have found my new shampoo. Still can't replace my argan oil mask, but I may cut down on how much I use that and use the conditioner for the days I don't use my mask. I did not think I would be completing a positive review for this product. I have to say that Clear Hair blew my socks off (yep I just said that).

So if you do have a dry scalp, or a dandruff problem, this is a great solution. Not only will it work fast, but it smells great. No one will ever know that you are even using one. There is not one trace of dandruff shampoo smell. I know what the ingredient is that does it, but cannot remember it to save my life right now.I will definitely be buying the full size bottles when I run out of this.

Influenster Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color and Nails & Cuticles Hand Creme

I am so excited about this post. I recently received my summer VoxBox and I am in love with the products I have received.
*Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary to test, evaluate, and review from Influenster*

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30: $8.99 for 6oz bottle and available in SPF 12, 30, and 50
Tampax and Always Radiant Collection
Quaker Soft Baked Bar in Banana Nut Bread: $3.29 per package
Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color: $9.99
Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme: $5.99
Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner: $4.99-$5.99 for 12.7oz and 12.9oz bottles

I am so excited to tell you about two products in particular that I have tried. Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color, and their hand cream.

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color 903 Silver Elements
$9.99 at most major retailers.

Sally Hansen Hand Cream

I love these two products. Lets talk about the nail polish. Firstly, I was not to crazy about the color. I don't wear colors like this and it would not have been something that I would have ever chosen for myself. However, after using this polish, I am definitely loving the color. I think that because it is a color I would have never used, I like how edgy it looks. Not only the color, but the effect it gives.

Then, I was thinking, this is going to be time consuming and with a toddler climbing and getting into everything every two seconds, I will never be able to find the time to even get this done. Probably was going to get one hand done and never finish the second. Especially when it says to put on a thick second coat. Let's face it, we have all had the smudges and scratches because a polish has taken forever to dry and then all that time and effort is wasted with a bad manicure.

I was determined to use this and be able to give my review, so I bit the bullet and commenced. The instructions say to put a base coat on, but I do not have a base coat, just a ridge filler. So I skipped that step all together. Then you are supposed to put a thin coat of the polish on all of your nails and let dry. That was very quick and painless and of course dried very fast. Then the dreaded thick second coat. Now with this step, you have to do one nail at a time. You apply the thick second coat and place the magnet above the nail immediately (if you wait to do this it will not work). What is nice about this magnet is it has a nice guide that you place below your cuticle and keeps you from touching it to the polish by accident (I did it anyways, but once I got to the second hand I had gotten the hang of it). Then hold the magnet for about 10 seconds. Now from my first time using it, if you are wanting a more subtle effect then you won't have to hold it that long, but if you are wanting a bolder look then the full 10 seconds will be needed. I was very amused at watching the effect take place, but it doesn't really take much to amuse me. After doing each individual nail, its time to let them dry.

I was very impressed by the time it took my nails to dry. I'm talking within a few minutes they were completely dry. That is just amazing with how much polish you are using. I am all for that. Then I applied a top coat and they looked awesome. It really looked like I had spent a lot of time and energy into my nails and I practically spent 10 minutes to do this. I could not stop looking at my nails and am looking forward to purchasing the other colors that they have. I do know that $9.99 is quite a bit for nail polish, but I'm sure there are a few people that have spent more than that. It is high for me, but when I find a good product, I am willing to invest a little more to have a great quality product.

First hand, not so good, but I accidentally touched the magnet to my middle and pinky finger, so I'm guessing that is why they did not get the effect of the magnet.

Second hand looking much better, and a little polish on my skin (never can avoid that)

 To top everything off with my awesome manicure, the Sally Hansen hand cream. The pictures above were taken before I put the cream on, but it really softened my hand and the skin around my nails that seem to get really tough. This cream reminds me of the beach. It has a scent of lime and coconut, and of course that made me think of pina coladas :) This stuff really works wonders and my hands continued to feel nourished and hydrated for the rest of the day. I did not expect such a great product for such a great price. Right on Sally.

I will have the rest of my reviews in the course of the next few days and I would really recommend these two products to anyone that is wanting an inexpensive manicure that took less than half the time it would take in a salon.