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Review: L’Oreal EverStyle (“energizing”) Dry Shampoo

OK, I might have gotten a little out of control with my collection of dry shampoos.  When I picked this up, my daughter even said “How much dry shampoo do you need?!?!”  But, I do use dry shampoo quite a bit.  (It’s not that I don’t believe in cleaning my hair – I just have to straighten my hair now that it’s short, so I want to get a little more mileage out of my styling than half a day…)  Besides, this one was on clearance, there was a L’Oreal promotion at Target, AND I had a coupon, so it was basically free…

Note: Other dry shampoo reviews available:

Pros:  Nice fragrance – not too heavy.  Sulfate-free.  Not as white/powdery as others. Talc-free.

Cons:  Comes out “invisible”, so you might not think it’s working.  As a result, you might end up applying too much and getting a “powdered” look.

In Summary:  This is one of the better dry shampoos.  The bottle is a normal size you could throw into a gym bag or (large) purse if you needed to.  I hope it isn’t discontinued. (Maybe Target just had too much?)  I will definitely buy it again, especially since I often get coupons for L’Oreal products.

Price:  Approx. $6 (USD) for 3.4 oz bottle

Available at:  Target (maybe?), other mass merchandisers, drug stores, Ulta, drugstore.com

Made in:  USA

loreal dry shampoo

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by Bridgett on January 29, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by Bridgett on January 29, 2014

https://bridgettsbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/review-loreal-everstyle-energizing-dry-shampoo/

Review: Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Eye Shadow Palette

I used a little of my Christmas gift money to order this item, since Sephora was doing a promotion where sale items were an extra 20% off.  It’s my first-ever Make Up For Ever purchase (oddly, I ordered MUFE “Aqua Seal” at the same time – been wanting to try that – review coming soon!). 

Note:  This review is provided for reference only – the product is no longer available to buy at Sephora.com.  I’m reviewing it as a first-time Make Up For Ever purchaser and in case someone ends up finding it at a discount store, eBay, etc. 

Pros:  Paraben-free.  Cute, convenient packaging with a magnetic closure and large mirror.  No cheap eye shadow applicators wasting up space.  Quality is better than the average “drugstore brand”.  Eyeliner is deeply pigmented and stays in place.

Cons: The colors look a lot more “neutral” in the product image than they do “in real life”.  (Two of the colors are actually shades of green/olive I was expecting to be more brown.)  Eye shadow colors aren’t as deeply pigmented as other prestige brands, like Urban Decay.

MUFE wild & chic palette swatch2

Colors – left to right: 184, 123, 152, 17, 122, 126, eyeliner (black)

Random Info:  For some odd reason, the eye shadows aren’t in the same order in the kit as they are in the product image.

In Summary: While I may not love all the colors in this kit, it’s worth the $16 (after discounts and sales tax) I spent on it.  However, I don’t think it would have been a good buy at the $39 price point.  It’s a good kit for travel or throwing into a purse on the go.  At any rate, maybe I’ll experiment with some of the colors I don’t normally use/buy.

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars   4-stars

Price:  originally $39 (USD), was on sale for $19 (USD) 

Available at:  ???

Made in:  France (shadows) &  Germany (pencil)

MUFE wild & chic palette

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by Bridgett on January 4, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by Bridgett on January 4, 2014

https://bridgettsbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/review-make-up-for-ever-wild-chic-eye-shadow-palette/

Review: Lorac Eye Shadow (single)

Some of my all-time favorite eye shadows were in a LORAC set I got as a gift years ago.  Admittedly, I held onto that set for WAY longer than I should have, just because I loved the eye shadows so very much.  (It was almost physically painful to throw it out!)  So, when I saw this lonely eye shadow in my recent raid of the clearance section of a Sephora-inside-JCPenney store, I couldn’t resist – especially since it was in a nice golden color I like to use to “highlight” the area under my brows…

Pros:  Contains botanical ingredients (cornflower, calendula, and cucumber).  Can be used wet or dry.  Texture is very smooth, soft, and light-weight.  Shimmery, but not sparkly.

Cons:  Contains parabens (high in ingredients list, indicating a larger percentage of them than some eye shadows).   Expensive – if not on sale.

In Summary:  Considering the (regular) price, I feel like this item should be paraben-free, cruelty-free, etc.  I would never pay $19 for a single eye shadow that contains parabens.  Quality means a lot to me, but if two items are equal in quality, I will always choose the one that speaks to my conscience, even if it costs a little more.  If I were in the market for a $19 single eye shadow, I would buy one from Urban Decay instead. (Read my review of the one I recently purchased here:  http://wp.me/p1Z8Rq-EM)

Note: If you love Lorac eye shadows, check out the new “Dazzling Dozen” set at Ulta for $35.  The shadows contain parabens, but the price is reasonable.

Rating:  3 out of 5 stars   3-stars

Price:  $19 (when not on sale)

Available at:  beautybar.com, loraccosmetics.com*,  zappos.com, beauty.com 

* currently on sale here for $6

LORAC eye shadow single

Shown in the color I bought: “Serenity”.

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by Bridgett on September 30, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Bridgett on September 30, 2013

https://bridgettsbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/review-lorac-eye-shadow-single/

Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB

I am not yet totally sold on the idea of a BB (“Beauty Balm”), but only because I haven’t found one that I love yet.  I have VERY oily skin and haven’t found a BB that doesn’t feel too “heavy”.  I got a free sample of this one, so here’s my review…

Pros: Paraben-free.  Inexpensive.  Available everywhere. Oil-free. Comes in 5 shades.  SPF 30.  Provides some coverage for small imperfections.

Cons:  Contains glycerine, which can feel greasy/oily.  For “normal” skin only.

In Summary:  I guess I need to find a BB that’s designed for oily skin.  Or maybe I just need to give up on the BB concept.  I have fairly bad skin, so I prefer products that offer more coverage.  However, this is a good “happy medium” for days I don’t want to wear ALL of my makeup.

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars 3.5-stars

Price: $8.99 (USD) for 1 oz. or 1.09 oz, depending on color selection (odd, I know)

Available at:  drug stores, mass merchandisers, drugstore.com

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by Bridgett on December 3, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Bridgett on December 3, 2012

https://bridgettsbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/review-maybelline-dream-fresh-bb/