John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Colour

Because I am a menace with hair color, every now and then I decide I don't need to color my hair.  After all, greys are a natural part of life, right?  Then I catch a glimpse of myself in certain lighting and, after the shock has worn off, I run out and buy some home hair color right away.  I am very interested in the new foam colors because I make such a mess.  I usually end up with it all over my bathroom, my ears, the back of my neck and my forearms.  But my last try with foam hair color did not go so well and although I never reviewed it, I tried the L'Oreal Sublime Mousse first.  The foam was thick but it didn't cover my greys at all.  Being the optimist that I am, I decided to try another brand.

The John Frieda is the only other one that is sold widely in drugstores.  I got mine at CVS and it was a little more expensive than L'Oreal or Clairol but I bet you could find it on sale for a better price.  You should always read the instructions and perform an allergy test (I don't but you should!).  The biggest difference in this is that you don't shake the developer and color to mix them.  You just gently tilt it from side to side.  The gloves that came with it were professional grade and went up an inch or two farther than the ones you usually get which was really nice.  However, the fact that they are black kind of made me feel like the Russian scientist getting ready to torture information out of a captured spy.  The foam was pretty thick and went on easily enough.  At first I felt like it wasn't saturating my hair but I was probably not applying it properly.  The directions on this step were very vague.  In the end it did cover all my hair although it didn't look as "foamy" as the picture in the instructions.  The smell was neutral.  I left it on for 30 minutes.  It rinsed out very quickly in the shower and I applied conditioner from the generous tube included.

The final result:  the color is very natural looking (sometimes with dark brown it looks black for the first few washings), it covered most of my greys (I've got some resistant little buggers right in front of my ears), and the smell of the conditioner is lovely.  I don't think it helped condition my hair but it didn't damage it either.  All in all, a nice (and except for one blob on my toilet seat), mess-free experience.  I will definitely use it again.

http://www.johnfrieda.com/en-US/homecolour/precision-foam-colour/

The Mascara Wave #2 - tarte gifted Amazonian clay smart mascara

This product is a perfect example of how much of a sucker I am for advertising.  Amazonian clay?  Nature's perfect ingredient?  And the tube is made to look like wood.  So natural!  So good for you!  Not to mention it is "clinically-proven to increase lash volume by 121% instantly!"  Holy cow!  That's exactly what I am looking for!

This mascara goes on nicely and does seem to add volume (with two coats) to lashes without clumping.  I have noticed only minimal smudging throughout the day.  The brush is a good size and easy to work with.  Lashes are a little stiff but not brittle.  I can't speak to the long term benefits and how the Amazonian clay is intuitive making it a "smart" mascara.  Most likely the hydration comes from the second ingredient on the list, cyclopentasiloxane, a silicone that is found in the majority of beauty products.  I really like this mascara for day time.  It doesn't have quite enough oomph for night.

http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-gifted-Amazonian-clay-smart-mascara

The Mascara Wave #1 - Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara

As a birthday present to myself, I got a sampler of mascara from Sephora.  I'll be reviewing these as I try them.  It's all very exciting!  Up first is a volumizing mascara from Bare Minerals.  I never really got on the Bare Minerals band wagon so this is my first experience (not counting Buxom which I learned is owned by the same company along with MD Formulations).

So, I'll just come right out and say it, "I am very impressed!"  It claims to volumize your lashes up to 600% after two coats.  I don't know about all that but they definitely look more lush.  And yet they are still soft.  It also looks like I have more lashes.  It has a thick, soft brush that easily captures all your lashes.  I have to admit I was not very excited about this one.  The packaging is just a boring, plain black.  However, when the product inside is this good, I guess you don't need a lot of flash!  Highly recommended.

http://www.bareescentuals.com/Flawless-Definition-Volumizing-Mascara---Black/masterfdmvolume,default,pd.html?start=4&cgid=BE_SUB_MASCARA

Tip: If you have a problem area on your lashes (just one spot that doesn't seem to lengthen as much), try using the mascara wand vertically.  It really works.

FLIRT! Peek-A-Blush sheer powder cheek color

If you read any "best cosmetics list,"  NARS blush in Orgasm.  With such a scandalous name, I had to check it out.  It's expensive at $27 but, hey, if it's the best.  It is not a color I would have picked.  It seemed too bright pink.  It also has flecks of gold.  But, I was surprised when I put it on.  It was a good color and very layerable (it's a word now!).  It gave a nice pinkness to the cheeks without looking too phony.

Now, you might be asking, "why are you telling me about this?"  Because I found a knock-off that is comparable at almost half price.  At Kohl's of all places.  This line is designed exclusively for Kohl's so you may need to go online to get it if you don't have a store near you.  The color Popsie is an almost exact match to Orgasm.  It is pretty long lasting (although if I go out after work I usually refresh but I had to do that with NARS as well).  If you want to save a little money and still get a quality product, give it a try!

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/beauty/brands/flirt/flirt1/cheeks1/PRD~91979/PEEKABLUSH+Sheer+Powder+Cheek+Color.jsp

Burt's Bees Radiance eye cream

The first thing I think when I see Burt's Bees is...arrrrggghhhh BEES!!!  The second is...maybe bees are good for something.  Like many people, my first experience with Burt's Bees was their lip balm which was introduced in 1991.  With it's interesting packaging and natural ingredients, it was just the thing for us grungers.  I have used other Burt's Bees products throughout the years and have never been really disappointed.  They make a decent product at a reasonable price and they are a socially conscious company.  They use almost all natural ingredients (half the products are 100% and the other half 99%), use recycled packaging materials and they don't test their products OR ingredients on animals (an important distinction I've learned).

This eye cream is no exception.  It gives a decent amount of moisture and, although it looks a little greasy when you first put it on, it absorbs nicely into the skin.  I wouldn't say it has any miraculous curative powers but I have yet to find an eye cream that does.  I will keep searching for an eye cream that does but until I find it, Burt's will remain a staple in my make up drawer.

http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/face-care-eye-cream/radiance-eye-creme.html