Tag Archives: star rating

Feb24

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review

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Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review

Hii everyone and happy Hump Day! Way back in November, I ran out of whatever moisturizer that I was using and needed a new one ASAP. I wasn’t really interested in going to the store to buy a new one so I raided my bathroom cabinets for any extra moisturizers my mom or I might have stored. I ended up finding a half used bottle of Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture and figured that I would finish the bottle. I kid you not, I’m still using the half used bottle almost five months later so I felt the need to write a review on the product that I feel like I’m never going to finish! Let’s discuss:

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I have always been a fan of Neutrogena products. I can remember being a little girl and seeing all of my grandma’s Neutrogena cleansers and creams in her cabinets. It’s a brand that has been around in my family for forever so when I found the Oil-Free moisturizer in my bathroom, I had no problem giving it a go. Just from looking at the packaging, I liked that it had a SPF of 15 because I rarely use creams with SPF in it. I also liked that it was obviously Oil-Free because I despise products that have a greasy or oily texture.

As always, the first thing that I did after examining the bottle was the smell test. I was a bit worried about what it would smell like because most SPF products smell like you’re lathering yourself up for a day at the beach. The moisturizer definitely had that unmistakable sun block scent but it was very light so I didn’t really mind it. Had it been extremely potent, I don’t think that I could handle it. I’m really sensitive to smells that I don’t care for so having a product sitting on my face with a fragrance that I hated would be torture!

Once the moisturizer passed the smell test, I pumped it into my hands to give it a try. The consistency was very light which is a must for me because I like fast absorbing products that don’t feel heavy or overpowering. I rubbed my hands together and then applied the cream to my face and it felt really nice! Within the time that I put on the moisturizer and got my skin treatment pumped into my hands, the cream was already absorbed so that was a major, major plus.

The best thing about Neutrogena’s moisturizer, though? The fact that a random half a bottle has kept my skin hydrated for nearly five months. I genuinely don’t understand how that happened but I am SO not complaining about it! It’s not like I use a huge amount of the product every day (I use six pumps) but still, I can’t believe that I still had some left to apply this morning. I’ll take it!

All in all, I’m going to rate Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture with: four stars. For excellent value and an overall solid product. My one complaint about this moisturizer would be that it’s almost too light – especially in the winter months. A light as a feather moisturizer is a must for me but on the days when it was particularly frigid, my skin felt like it needed something extra. I wouldn’t recommend this product for people with really dry skin because I just don’t think that it would cut it.

So there you have it, my Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review! What moisturizer are you currently using? How long does it usually take you to finish a cream or a cleanser? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

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I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! In my neck of the woods, there’s a discount store called Marc’s that’s seriously the best. They have the most fantastic closeout products ever and their prices certainly won’t break your bank. When my mom does her weekly grocery shopping there, she’ll sometimes surprise me with a beauty treat from the closeout section. A couple of months ago she brought me home an exfoliating shower gel from the brand I Love… I finally got around to using it and finished the gel yesterday so take a look at the pretty in pink packaging and then let’s discuss:

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Those who have read my product reviews before will know that for me to like a gel, cleanser, or what have you – it has to smell good! Usually I’m not the biggest fan of strawberry fragrances because it’s too sweet but I actually quite liked the scent of the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel. What was nice about the aroma of the gel was that it wasn’t a straight up strawberry scent. The “milkshake” essence of the gel dulled down what would be a potent strawberry fragrance with the luxurious scent of rich, freshly churned cream. The result of this combination was true to the product’s namesake…It really did smell like a frothy strawberry milkshake!

When it comes to cleansers and shower gels, another must for me is that it lathers well. This is where I Love’s… exfoliating body wash fell short. The texture of the product was one that I thought would bubble nicely – it was rich and creamy. It also had what appeared to be strawberry seeds thrown in for good measure. Despite having a texture that I usually would love, the lather that this gel created was minimal, at best. I really don’t like that. I love seeing big, soapy bubbles when I’m showering. It enhances my morning hygiene experience and most importantly, it makes me feel clean!

I’m going to chalk the lack of lather up to the fact that this gel tried to do a two for one by combining an exfoliant with a gel. Frankly, I think this product would have been a better exfoliater than a body wash. On the rare occasions that I do use an exfoliater on my body, I prefer for it to be cream rather than gel based. Products that are strictly gel based dehydrate my body to the extreme. The Body Shop has a strawberry seed exfoliater that’s a gel and I honestly think that if I Love’s… body wash was just an exfoliater, I would prefer it over TBS. (For a product to trump The Body Shop usually never happens for me!)

Although this product wasn’t the best body wash, per se, it still has a lot of potential and I really do like the I Love… brand. I’m going to rate the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel with three stars. My mom paid a whole two dollars for this body wash (granted, it was a closeout) and I think that it was a solid product, especially for what she paid! I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy the shower gel again but I wouldn’t say “no” to using it if the opportunity came about!

So there you have it, my I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review! My mom scored some of the brand’s lotion at the Marc’s closeout recently so I look forward to giving that a shot soon! Is there a discount store in your area that you like to shop at? What is your favorite body wash fragrance? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb13

Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

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Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I recently started using Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser and I’m really pleased with it so far! When I wash my face in the morning, I usually use some type of cream cleanser and then I use an exfoliater so it’s been nice using Olay’s product which is my two skin care staples in one. Take a look at the sunny bright packaging of my latest cleanser and let’s discuss:

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I’ve always liked using Olay’s skin care products and their exfoliating cleanser is no exception. As you guys know by now, it’s essential that the products I use smell good and my new cleanser passed the smell test with flying colors. As it says on the packaging, it has the essence of honeysuckle and white tea which makes for a sweet and bright scent. I love when my cleansers have a really invigorating aroma to them because it makes for a great pick me up during my morning showers. There’s a slight hint of floral to the scent but it’s not overpowering at all which leaves you with a fragrance that’s perfectly fresh and clean.

It is important to me that my cleansers create a lush and powerful lather when I’m scrubbing away and this product does exactly that. I was using one of Simple’s cleansers before this one and my biggest complaint about it was that it created no lather. Needless to say, I’m in bubble heaven now. What’s amazing about this product is that despite the exfoliater beads in it, it still feels so soft on the skin. A lot of exfoliating products leaves my skin feeling tight and dry but Olay’s “Bead Me Up” cleanser leaves my skin feeling supple and hydrated.

The best thing about this exfoliating cleanser is its personal vendetta against my blackheads! I have five nose piercings and I tend to get a lot of blackheads surrounding my studs. I’m not exactly self conscious of them because they’re really not noticeable but I know that they’re there and it drives me crazy! After just one use of “Bead Me Up”, 90% of my blackheads were gone. I rarely find cream cleansers that are strong enough to eliminate my blackheads so I am very happy with Olay’s exfoliating cleanser.

My one complaint about my cleanser is that it’s not gritty enough. What I love about exfoliaters is how rough it feels on my skin. I like the feeling of really scrubbing away and removing all of the dead skin and gunk clogging my face. If this exfoliating cleanser were just a smidgen grittier, it would be perfect.

Despite my desire for the exfoliating aspect of this cleanser to pack a bit more punch, I’m going to rate Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser with: four stars. I’ve really enjoyed incorporating this product into my hygiene routine and I’m excited to see the effect that it’s going to have on my skin!

So there you have it, my review of Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser! What is one of your must have skin care products? What cleanser are you using right now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb6

Nivea “A Kiss of Smoothness” Chapstick Review

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Nivea “A Kiss of Smoothness” Chapstick Review

Hi everyone and happy weekend! Last week my mom surprised me with a new chapstick because I’m seriously always complaining about how chapped my lips are. She came home from the grocery store with Nivea’s “A Kiss of Smoothness” balm and I was so excited because I’ve heard lots of good things about their products. But unfortunately, my new chapstick didn’t quite make the mark so let’s discuss:

My first impression of Nivea’s “A Kiss of Smoothness” chapstick when I put it on was how light it felt. The balms that I usually use tend to be thicker in their consistency which is something that I didn’t realize I liked until now. My number one complaint with this chapstick is that it absorbs much too quickly. To some, that’s a good thing. For me, not so much. I like being able to feel my chapstick on my lips and know that it’s working. Within five to seven minutes the Nivea balm was almost completely absorbed and I was left feeling like I needed more.

Before I snapped some quick pictures of the product, I applied a healthy layer on my lips. By the time I finished preparing the photos, categories, and schedule of this post – I was ready for another helping. What’s the point of a chapstick if you have to keep applying it multiple times per hour? My thing is, is that if the product felt like it was working every time I reapplied it, I wouldn’t have as big of an issue with it. But Nivea’s chapstick leaves my lips feeling dryer than they were before. The way I see it, Nivea’s “A Kiss of Smoothness” balm is giving my lips a few sips of hydration when I really just need a whole bottle!

One nice thing about this product is that it’s not fragranced which is a plus for me. I always end up licking the balm off if it’s scented with a delicious smelling flavor! I can see this balm being great in the summer time when something light is all that’s needed. However, with cold winter weather among us, I need something that really gets the job done and Nivea’s “A Kiss of Smoothness” balm just isn’t strong enough to do that.

All in all, I’m going to rate this product with: one and a half stars. The lightness of the balm and its lack of fragrance is nice. Having said that, it’s extremely inconvenient and annoying to have to reapply your chapstick constantly. Nivea’s “A Kiss of Smoothness” balm might be good for use on occasion but if you’re looking for the cure all product to your chapped lips then this chapstick is not for you…or me, for that matter.

So there you have it, my Nivea “A Kiss of Smoothness” Chapstick Review! What lip balm do you swear by? Who likes to make their own lip care products? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah