Category: Reviews (Page 4 of 19)

BANILA Co CLEAN IT ZERO PURITY REVIEW

January 29, 2015 / The Beauty Wolf

Do you double cleanse? If you don’t, you should. Even if you’re not big on makeup, you should still double cleanse if for no other reason than it’s the only thing that can properly remove the sunscreen I’m going to assume you’re wearing every day (you’d better be wearing it!). Anyone that does wear makeup can attest to the difficulty of removing every last bit of waterproof eyeliner, mascara, and whatever goodies you use to glam up your eyes. One of the gentlest ways to do that is with an oil cleanser, and the easiest way to use an oil cleanser is in the form of a balm cleanser. Those that don’t like the runny juggling act you have to do with an oil cleanser, but love the results, are going to absolutely love balm cleansers. They are the consistency of sherbet/sorbet and as they are warmed up by your skin and friction, turn into oil, making short work of removing stubborn makeup and sunblock.

I’ve reviewed a sherbet cleanser before, way back at the start of this blog, but had gone back to oil cleansers since that one ran out. A couple of months back I was sent this Banila Co Clean It Zero Purity from my one of my favourite shops, SokoGlam. I can’t believe I have gone all this time without trying the Banila Co cleanser, it’s a been a basic staple for almost everyone I know in the game. It comes in a plastic tub and they include a little spatula scooper thing so you don’t have to dig your nasty hands into the product. I always appreciate when a company does that. Immediately upon testing the cleanser I was mad I hadn’t tried it sooner. Once applied to dry skin and massaged in, your makeup simply melts away. Even my beloved Tony Moly Backstage Gel Liner which is super tough, is no match for this balm. There isn’t even the ghost of a trace of that liner left, and that shit stays on my face through my 105 degree hot power flow yoga classes! (Seriously folks, anyone who does intense sports or just really loves long last tough makeup, needs to own that liner. And anyone who wants that tenacious stuff off with ease needs to own this cleanser. They’re both little miracles).

Here is the aftermath of several eyeshadows and Tony Moly Backstage Gel eyeliners swatched on my arm over a primer

And as you can see it comes off completely brilliantly clean with minimal effort. It really is a stellar performer! It’s especially great for removing eyelash glue remnants on your lashline, if you’re at all familiar with eyelash glue you know it’s the devil. This stuff gets rid of all of it, it’s awesome. I especially like this sensitive skin formula. It has the faintest fresh scent and it sacrifices none of the cleaning power you’d find in the original. I highly recommend this cleanser to be a part of your double cleansing routine!

Five happy little clean turtles

It’s also available at amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Banila-Purity-Sherbet-Cleanser-Sensitive/dp/B00HDAF4ZG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421681544&sr=8-2&keywords=banila+co+clean+it+zero+purity

On ebay at rubyrubyshop (owners of roseroseshop) ships worldwide!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/BANILA-CO-Clean-It-Zero-Purity-100ml-/331417028886?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d29fe8916

TONY MOLY INTENSE CARE SNAIL EYE MASK JUMBO REVIEW

January 22, 2015 / The Beauty Wolf

I’ve talked before about my love of snail secretion as a skincare ingredient. It’s almost old-hat at this point, but it will always be a favourite of mine. Most of my snail skincare has slowly been replaced by ferments lately but the one area I still indulge is the eyes. Snail secretion is so soothing and moisturizing without being greasy, it lends itself wonderfully to delicate eye skin. My favourite delivery method is the Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Eye Mask Jumbo. If, for whatever reason, you don’t like the idea of applying snail secretion to your face, you may prefer to shop collagen eye masks as an alternative for making your eyes more refreshed.

These little comma shaped gel eye patches are perfectly contoured for your eyes. They come in a pack of 30 (15 uses) which I like better than the single use eye masks. I love the gel that these are made out of, the way it mollifies is unparalleled in the eye mask world IMO. Also packed with Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Aloe Leaf Juice, Rose Extract, Diamond Powder, and even Colloidal Gold, the ultra soothing patches cool and nourish. When I’m having a particularly rough morning, I love slipping these on my eyes, one set under my eyes, and one set on my lids, for the ultimate in remedying puffy tired eyes. I really love how they’re oversized and cover such a big area! I don’t like to be wasteful so after I’m through using them on my eyes (time permitting) I flip them over to the other side and put them on my smile lines. Their shape fits the contours of that area perfectly. I’ve also been known to put them on my lips. They’re definitely a lot more multi-purpose than they’re marketed as.

I even found this video showing how you can apply these as you’re doing your morning makeup for both therapeutic use and to catch eyeshadow fall out! (skip to about 4:05 in for that part)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–0eZS4ZkcE

I love these things and they’re a staple in my routine!
Five out of five soothed, un-puffy turtles

Available on amazon here
http://www.amazon.com/Tonymoly-Intense-Snail-Jumbo-Cosmetic/dp/B00DU5NUHC

and on ebay here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tonymoly-Intense-Care-Snail-Eye-Mask-Jumbo-Under-Eye-Patches-15pairs-/171560414290?pt=US_Skin_Care&hash=item27f1cc2c52

It used to be available on all the major sites but I’m not seeing it anymore. I hope it’s not discontinued! Maybe we should stock up while we can!

WHAMISA ORGANIC SEA KELP FACIAL SHEET MASK REVIEW

January 21, 2015 / The Beauty Wolf

Whoa, daaaamn! I never thought something as benign as sea kelp would illicit that kind of enthusiasm from me but then again I’d never tried Whamisa Organic Sea Kelp Facial Sheet Mask before.

Where do I start with this awesome mask? The ingredients:

Laminaria Japonica, *Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, *Lactobacillus/Aloe Barbadensis Ferment Filtrate, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, ☆(-)-alpha-bisabolol, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Natto Gum, Leonurus Sibiricus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Dioscorea Opposita (Wild Yam) Root Extract, *Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, *Centella Asiatica Extract, *Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, *Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Chlorella Ferment, *Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, *Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Royal Jelly 0.05, **Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, **Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, **Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, ☆Adenosine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
*Certified Organically Grown **Natural Preservative ☆Ecocert

LOOK AT THAT, LOOK! THIS HEAVENLY INGREDIENT LIST No fillers, no crap, nothing but goodness. It’s like a buffet of emollients, antioxidants, and anti-imflammitory goodness with absolutely NO acne or irritation triggers. I’m talking zero. It’s also organic if that stuff is important to you. I notice that this shares some wonderful ingredients with my new favourite Whamisa cream. Yaaaas, slay Whamisa. Perfection.

Another thing that separates this from the typical water and glycerin cotton sheet mask is that this sheet is made entirely of laminaria japonica, otherwise known as sea kelp. Sea kelp itself can help aid in moisturizing the skin, so what a perfect, genius delivery system for all of those top notch skin nourishing ingredients.

Because the mask is made of kelp, it’s got that very distinct seaweed smell. If you’re familiar with Korean or Japanese food, you know the aroma I’m referring to. As soon as I put this mask on I felt like the fanciest human kimbap (my husband actually remarked the same thing “smells like kimbap!” and promptly went out to procure himself one after this mask triggered the craving lol). The kelp is thick and laden with serum, it’s very slippery so take care getting it out of it’s package, I wasn’t being careful and I almost dropped it. The fact that it’s so slippery is good, that means it’s heavily concentrated. I also really like that this mask comes in two parts, it makes fitting it onto your face easier. Once applied the mask was very soothing and cooling, it felt extra nice on my winter wind irritated skin. This would also be amazing in the summer, I imagine putting one on after a hot day outside would be out of this world. In fact, I’m going to stock up on these to use after my hot yoga classes!

After removing the mask my skin was noticeably bouncier, and unbelievably hydrated and soothed. I mean really, seriously, bouncy. And really, seriously, hydrated. Like, really. Seriously. This is the part of writing this blog I love the most, because I’m discovering new holy grail products that I wouldn’t otherwise have. If not for this blog I would probably be lulled into a comfort zone. This product certainly takes it’s place on my holy grail roster.

At $14 the price is a bit steep for a sheet mask but it really is totally worth it. Put it this way, I’d rather have one of these masks than a facial at a spa, so $14 is better than the $100 at the minimum I’d spend at a spa. Buy a couple of these and save them for date nights or special occasions, or if you’re ballin’ use these suckers every damn day and feel my seething jealousy.Whamisa Organic Sea Kelp Facial Mask
five out of five turtles + one turtle for excellence and making me look like I’m cosplaying a Ninja Turtle while I’m wearing it.

+Whamisa has grown to be my favourite company right now, taking the crown from Benton and even Sum:37. Not that Sum:37 isn’t awesome, I still use their serum and cleansing stick every day. But this mask demonstrates why Whamisa reigns supreme for me, top quality ingredients and absolutely stellar results.

Available at Glow Recipe here
http://www.glowrecipe.com/products/organic-sea-kelp-facial-sheet-mask
Good news, Glow Recipe has offered to give you 15% off your order if you order through my link! Get in on this great stuff with this great deal and check out Whamisa’s other products!
http://i.refs.cc/Mxk05ta7

Also available in a five pack via eBay here

BEAUTY BEYOND BORDERS THE 3B BOX REVIEW

January 20, 2015 / The Beauty Wolf

Hello Beauty Pups! Welcome to my first post of 2015!
Due to a series of follies, I am so very late reviewing this box, but I really wanted to let you guys knows about the new subscription service provided by 3B Beauty Beyond Borders.

I know the market is inundated by a slew of new (and old) subscription companies all vying for your money, but this one looks really promising!

The synopsis from their website says it all:

“Each box contains a collection of deluxe samples that are new or popular in Asia but hard to get your hands on. The products will change each month, and you’ll get to try new skincare, haircare, nailcare, and cosmetic products. Sample products range from go-to brands such as Lioele, Etude House and Skinfood to high-end premium brands like SK-II, K, and Sulwhasoo. Don’t worry about not being able to read Japanese or Korean – we’ve got you covered with English translations of descriptions in each box.

$12/Month Gets You:

A pouch containing four to five deluxe Asian beauty samples that we love
Tips on how to use products
Unlimited access to our team to answer any questions you might have”

I was lucky enough to receive their inaugural box and wow, I really wish this kind of thing was available when I was first discovering Asian beauty products. I could have saved so much money! I actually prefer the 3b box to the Memebox for two reasons. One the price is like half, and two the top name brand selections. Memebox tends to flood you with boxes, and the contents are generally iffy. I’ve often times received products no one has ever heard of and of wildly varying quality. On the other hand, the 3b box is full of great things I’d actually use! For example this box contained

Etude House Moistfull Collagen Kit: Two deluxe sample sized (perfect for travel) of the facial fresher and the emulsion. This Moistfull line is something I would definitely recommend to young people just starting out with Korean skincare products.

The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Wipes: A full sized package of gentle wipes for cleansing point makeup.

K-Palette 1 Day Magic Liquid Eyeliner: This is what I love about this box,it contains a Japanese product I’d never heard of before but is apparently very popular. This ultra fine tipped eyeliner is pretty damn awesome and I’m so happy to have found out about it thanks to 3b! This liner alone makes the box worth it.

Nature Republic Nail Polish: Yessss. I love Nature Republic nail polishes! I was so happy this was included! It’s in a gorgeous classic orange based red, it’s like the nail polish version of Mac’s Lady Danger. Love it.

All in all I’m really happy with this box and I think it would make a great gift for someone just starting out or even for old pros who love getting new and beloved surprises every month! The only drawback is this is so far a US exclusive service. But if you’re in the US, I definitely recommend giving this subscription service a try!
You can find them at https://the3bbox.com/

SUM37 WHITE AWARD BUBBLE-DE MASK REVIEW

December 12, 2014 / The Beauty Wolf

Sum37 is quickly becoming my favourite all-around brand. I love their fermented products and their serum and cleansing stick (sadly discontinued) are on my holy grail list. When I read The Wanderlust Project’s review for Sum37’s Bubble De Mask I knew I had to give it a try.

This mask is different than any other mask currently in my repertoire. In fact, I haven’t used a mask like this since my school days studying to be an esthetician. We used to use these kinds of masks, called “bul masks” in class and I absolutely loved them. Back then they were extremely hard to come by outside of salons and I had largely forgotten about them over the years. I was thrilled to find that Sum37 offered a version! Any doubts that this was somehow different were erased the minute I put this on and felt that familiar invigorating tingle.

Straight out of the pump this has a consistency something like a creamy soap, upon massaging onto your face it foams up and bubbles, as demonstrated on the back of my hand here:
The sensation is somewhere between sticking your face into the bubble of a glass of champagne and having a full on alka seltzer tab foaming away on your face. I roped my husband into testing this out with me and he said “It’s like Pop Rocks on my face!”. I wouldn’t go that far, it’s not an unpleasant feeling, like I said, it’s actually quite invigorating, and I really love it.

Once it’s sat on your face for 20 minutes or so you the bubbles start to dissipate and it’s time to rinse it off. I can’t believe I’m actually putting this photo online but here I am, hair in a pony tail, baby hair flying everywhere, no makeup on, glasses on, bedraggled as all hell playing video games in my bubble de mask. I guess we’ve reached that “let it all hang out” comfort stage in our relationship, dear Beauty Pups 😉
As you can see below the bubbles have started to disappear and it’s time for a rinse.

Once splashed off you continue with the rest of your skincare regime as normal. Now, the effects of this mask aren’t always immediate, but don’t think it hasn’t worked. You may notice nothing different visually at first, but maybe in the morning you’ll notice a bit more glow. Certainly with continued usage the effects become more visible, but it does work. It leaves your skin more clear and radiant, trust me.

If you’ve never tried a mask like this, you really need to, and this is the perfect selection to do it with. Sum37 Bubble De Mask is available at W2Beauty where as always you can get $5 off your first order by registering for an account via my link http://w2beauty.com/?s=071087605 and entering code 071087605
This mask is on the pricey side, but it’s the perfect treat for yourself or a loved one, and certainly different than anything else they (or you) already have!

You can also pick up a bottle on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/2015-New-SUM37-White-Bubble-/dp/B00TV1FZDG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430698555&sr=8-1&keywords=Sum37+Bubble+De+Mask

And Ebay here: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/LG-SU-M-37-White-Award-Bubble-De-Mask-100ml-Cleanser-Korea-Cosmetics-Brightening-/321675492178?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae55a7b52

Five little fizzy turtles!