Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream

I've been wanting to jump on the BB Cream bandwagon for a while now. It took a good friend to post some before and after shots of her face before I got serious about it. She introduced me to Garnier's Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector for Combination to Oily Skin.

The Highlights:

• Affordable - Average price is $12
• Contains SPF 20 sunscreen
• Non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic, oil-free, and non-greasy
• Provides light/medium coverage for those of you who have flawless skin
• Will purchase again - replaced my current foundation primer

My skin type: I have a mess of a face. I don't say that to be funny. It's actually quite irritating LOL. I have an oily forehead, and chin. My t-zone is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It really does flip-flop its oil quantities on a whim. I have hormonal issues as well, so sometimes, my face decides to throw in a little cystic acne. With that said, I have areas that require heavy coverage. I purchased the light/medium formula in oil-free. I had no expectations that this BB cream would act as a foundation for me.

Not all BB creams are created equal, and if you are considering purchasing a BB cream, I'd be happy to shed some light on the subject. BB creams are NOT foundation. Let us be very clear on that. BB creams are actually closer to foundation primer or tinted moisturizer, but some of us are blessed enough to be able to use BB creams as foundation. At most, you will only get medium coverage from a BB cream. I've read many web reviews of BB creams, and it is clear that many are confused as to what a BB cream actually is. Main complaints have been the lack of coverage. Well, that is because a BB cream is NOT a foundation. My only caveat is if you already have flawless, healthy skin and can get away with light coverage. The handful of friends I know that can put on BB cream, dust with powder, and walk out the door are fair skinned with no blemishes.

Garnier advertises their BB cream as a "miracle skin perfector". It claims to even tone, hydrate, renew, protect, and brighten. No where on the bottle, or packaging, does it advertise itself as a foundation, or boasts claims of "coverage". I'm driving this point home because I want you to make an educated decision on the type of product you need so that you can have realistic expectations of the product you're purchasing. I'd hate for you to waste money because you heard you can use it as foundation, and then be disappointed with the results.

With that said, let us go back to the Garnier product and hit up its claims:

1. Evens tone - I immediately saw a difference. It was a bigger difference than the expensive foundation primer I was using. It also reduced redness that I wasn't aware I had.
2. Hydrates - Yes. I have noticed that my dry spots have become more tame.
3. Renew - I honestly cannot verify this claim for you. I can say that my skin feels more moisturized and healed since I started using this product in place of my former primer. My problem areas seem to be doing better, but I cannot fully account that to the BB cream.
4. Protect - It contains SPF 20. I'm going to assume that it protects.
5. Brighten - I honestly cannot verify this claim, either. I have to apply foundation on top of the BB cream, so any brightening effects have been compromised.

With all the above in consideration, I definitely recommend this product. It is a great product at a great price point. It performs well as a primer. I feel like my skin breathes better in comparison to my old primer. It is also a significant savings vs. my other primer and has better benefits for my skin. I have also been able to retire my moisturizer, and I don't have to worry about sunscreen products because it already has SPF 20 in it.

The only thing I would change with this product is the consistency and the SPF level. It is pretty thin, even for a moisturizer. I wish it had the consistency of a light facial lotion, and not like hot, liquid foundation. My dermatologist recommends 50 SPF for my face, so it would be nice to have a higher SPF rating, but 20 should be okay if I wear a hat.

If you are looking for "full coverage" or "pore reducing", this is not the product for you. BB creams, at the most, give medium coverage when layered. Due to the thin consistency, this product does not fill in pores like a primer. If you are looking for a product that will help give you an airbrushed look, turn to a true primer.

I apologize that I have no pictures to support my claims. I took some with my iPhone and as you can image, the quality was pretty poor and you really couldn't see the big difference it made before and after. I just haven't had the time to break out my DSLR and take good before/after pictures. I may amend this review to add pictures at a later date.

Julep Polish - Great Customer Service

As mentioned in my previous post, I ran into an unfortunate situation with my March Maven box and felt a separate post was needed.

I was so excited when I received my March Maven box. It's like Christmas, y'all. The packaging is always so fun filled with crinkled paper in a black box. I purchased the "classic with a twist" style profile. My box came with two polishes, Simone and Debra. Simone is described as a "soft pastel lilac opalescent shimmer". Debra is described as a, "smoky taupe creme". Also enclosed, I received their Rock Star hand creme and a courtesy tube of their strawberry-mint lip balm. Unfortunately, you'll have to stone me. I didn't take any pictures.

After work, I rushed home to delve into my polishes. I opened Simone and there was something intensely wrong with the formula. I would describe it as "old". It was thick, gooey, and streaky. I didn't even finish one hand. I immediately removed it because it was so thick on the first coat.

Determined not to ruin my excitement, I opened up Debra. It wasn't as bad as Simone, but something was definitely wrong with the formula. Again, it seemed like a very old bottle of polish, if you can imagine that consistency. I was barely able to complete a manicure with Debra. Drying time took forever due to the thickness, and some nails had thin spots I couldn't control. I could have applied a second coat, but one coat was really thick enough. You can hold onto your rocks and stones, I actually took a picture.

You can visibly see that the polish is heavy in the bottle. It has already sunk from the top showing empty space.You can see that the polish is so heavy, it can't even stick to the inside of the bottle. This was one coat and there is visible unevenness. You can see it on my pointer and middle finger.

When my manicure with Debra was complete, I tried my Rock Star hand creme. The statement on the tube claims, "Anti-aging, emollient blend of shea butter, glycerin, coconut oil, and vitamin E keeps hands hydrated, even after washing. This non-greasy, fast-absorbing formula will leave you cheering for an encore. Rock on."

I was pleasantly surprised. It is a very nice hand creme. I keep it in my purse. I am a paralegal and deal with a lot of paper. This means dry hands. This creme holds up nicely. It lives up to most of its claims. It is supposed to be anti-aging, but I don't notice any change. It does keep hands hydrated. I can get 1-2 washes before feeling the need to replenish. It is non-greasy and does absorb fast. Will I spend $16.00 when I run out? I'm on the fence. It is definitely a very well formulated hand creme, but the thought of spending $16.00 makes my wallet weep. I'll have to keep track of how long a bottle lasts me to make a final determination.

After a few days, the dissatisfaction with the polishes I received festered. I finally got up the nerve to complain. Side note: I am an easy going person. I really don't like to complain, but I will.

I sent an email and within a day, I received a response. While I won't copy and paste my complaint or their responses, my complaint was light-hearted and basically stated that the formulas were not top-notch. I let them know that I wasn't looking for replacements, since I like the colors, but did not "love" them. I relayed that I would thin the polishes out on my own and that I just wanted to inform them in case they do have a storage/formulation issue. Side note: I don't "expect" a company to replace anything or offer me anything in return. I also don't demand compensation. I feel if you have to demand it, then you need to switch brands.

In their response, they apologized for the quality control issue and offered to send me another polish from their March collection. I obviously accepted the polish and responded with a thank you. I should be receiving Catherine any day.

The speed of their response, and the quality of Julep's generosity should be noted. I definitely felt like they wanted to get it right, and stand behind their product. Nowadays, that is a very hard quality to find.

The Julep Maven Subscription Service

First and foremost, I apologize for the LONG hiatus. Hopefully, I will have more time to post reviews. As stated on the very front of my blog, I am just a regular person with a regular job and raising a family. I wish I could be a more consistent and frequent blogger, but alas. Real life comes first :) With that said, I have discovered the wonderful world of Julep nail polish!

What is the Julep Maven subscription service?

The Julep Maven subscription service is similar to the ever-growing "beauty box" subscription services. It is a way to pay a monthly fee and receive a variety of product at a discounted price. While Julep is heavily known for their nail polishes, they also offer various beauty products. The monthly rate for becoming a Julep Maven is $19.99 for a monthly box valued at $40.00. For simplicity, I urge you to read the Maven FAQs.

How does it work?

I am going to be very general, so if there is something you do not understand, I urge you to visit www.julep.com for some self-educating.

Julep has a style quiz that you take. It will assign you a style profile. Currently, they have the following style profiles:

• Modern Beauty - You receive two full sized body products.
• Boho Glam - You receive two limited-edition nail colors and one full-sized beauty product.
• Bombshell - You receive two limited-edition nail colors and one full-sized beauty product.
• Classic with a Twist - You receive two limited-edition nail colors and one full-sized beauty product.
• It Girl - You receive three limited-edition nail colors in every box.

Don't like the style profile they give you? No problem. They allow you to change it at any time.

Once you pick a style profile, you get to choose your introductory box. They also offer "add-on" items for a discounted price when you check out. When I ordered my introductory box, they were offering many polishes at $4.99 (reg. price $14.00).

Unfortunately, this was the only picture I took at the time, and it is iPhone quality. I apologize for that. My intro box came with two polishes, and the Essential Cuticle Oil. I added on the Quick Dry Polish Drops and two of the polishes for $4.99 each! The lip balm was enclosed as a gift (I assume since I didn't order it).

On the 20th of each month, you will receive an email informing you that the contents of the next Maven box are revealed. You are provided a link, and from there, you can decide whether to stick with your style profile, try a different style profile, skip the month, or send your box to a friend. They give you until the 24th to make your selection. If you do not skip, or cancel by the end of the 24th, you will be charged on the 27th. It really is that simple.

The March Maven box was a bit of a disappointment for me, but more on that in a different post. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of my March Maven box. It contained two polishes and their Rock Star hand creme. It also contained a really nice strawberry lip balm.

Is it worth it?

As a nail polish lover, I say yes! I am still a new Julep Maven, but I have loved every moment. During my short time as a subscriber with Julep, they have provided excellent customer service, and have provided quality boxes containing a great value.

Mystery boxes. It's like Vegas, except better. Julep offers mystery boxes. This month's Spring Mystery box was $24.99 with a guaranteed $70-200 worth of product. Also, one lucky purchaser will open up their box to a pair of 3/4 carat diamond earrings! Sadly, I only received the lower end of the price guarantee, but it was still a bargain. I received four polishes, a nail wipe sample, three hair ties, an emery board, and pomegranate body creme.

Without going into too much detail since this post is mainly about the boxes, I will say that I am satisfied by the nail polish quality. More about that in a following post.

Julep's generosity is unmatched, in my opinion. Every month, Julep sends out "golden" boxes to lucky customers. They have also been known to randomly select items from your wishlist and mail you one. Tales of their excellent customer service can be found by browsing their Facebook page. I'd recommend giving the Julep Maven program a try.

Facial Care Review: Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer

I have a good friend who is a dermatologist. When I was shopping for a new moisturizer, she told me, "Neutrogena is really the best. You want SPF 30 or higher."

Well, you can't go wrong with a recommendation from a dermatologist, right? I immediately went out and purchased a tube of Neutrogena's Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 with Helioplex.

Highlights:

• SPF 50
• Affordable - Less than $15 for a 1.7 ounce tube
• Super Greasy
• Will probably NOT purchase another

I wanted to love this product since it was dermatologist recommended, BUT I don't. This product advertises that it is not greasy. WRONG. It is like applying sunscreen to your face. I think if you have oily skin, this is not the choice for you. I used the entire tube to make sure, but yeah. It caused breakouts along my chin, and hairline. I would not recommend this product for oily skin. This would definitely be better for dry skin that needs that extra moisturizer.

Makeup Review: Maybelline New York Color Tattoo by Eyestudio

I was shopping in Walgreens when this new Maybelline display caught my eye.  It was a display with bold cream shadows in glass pots. The display picture had the model in a bright, sparkly teal. To read more about this product, visit their website. I was able to curb the temptation, but ended up purchasing a pot from Target.  I purchased #30 - Pomegranate Punk.

The Highlights:

• Long lasting
• Blends well
• Creamy texture
• Reasonably priced - I paid $6.99 at Target
• Probably will NOT purchase more

First, I will apologize for not having enough pictures. It is something I will try to remember when I intend to review something. 

I woke up for work and decided to give the 24 hour Color Tattoo the 10 hour work day trial. I applied the Pomegranate Punk with a brush. I will admit, I think it is pretty gross to shove your fingers in makeup. I tend to avoid makeup in pots for hygienic reasons. Anyhow, I kept my look simple. I applied it to the entire lid and blended a matte flesh colored highlight downward. I did blend with my fingertip. Blending with a brush was nearly impossible. The brush would catch on the texture of the shadow. My hands were thoroughly washed before blending. Sorry, I have no pictures.

Overall, my impression is negative.

The positive - This eye shadow is long lasting. I do think it will live up to its 24 claim, but more opinion on that to follow. The product was easy to apply. It had good texture. It can be used as a liner. The price is right. Other beauty bloggers, which I am not, is claiming this product as a MAC paint pot dupe. I can't say whether it is or isn't. Besides price, value, and lasting wear -- I can't really like this product.

My first complaint was the color. When I flip my jar over, I see this beautiful plum color with shimmer. When I applied the shadow, it was more brown. This could be my skin tone. It could be a million other factors. I can certainly say, it was not the color I see at the bottom of the jar.

The swatch - As you can see, when I applied the cream shadow on top of Shadow Insurance, it really pronounced the sparkle in the shadow. It almost has a gold sheen. I had to apply A LOT to get this color. It wasn't picking up the plum color. Without Shadow Insurance, the color is very brown, not plum. This is what I had on my eyelids. Not the rich plum, purple hue of a pomegranate.  Again, I had to apply a ton of product to get this dark color. I don't think you should have to apply supporting shadow to get the color you want. I fear this product is no more than a colored base.

I have never tried a cream shadow, and I am fairly certain I will probably not purchase another. I had to build the color very heavily to get the color coverage to match what was staring at me in the jar. I could feel the weight on my lids. It wasn't like taping quarters to my eyelids, but there was a weight difference in comparison to mineral shadows.

This is NOT a solution for oily lids. I have oily lids and I can say by the end of my work day, there was a change in consistency, and color. The shimmer had disappeared. I am sure I could have applied a primer, but I see no point in adding more weight to my lids. I felt this shadow all day. Especially when I blinked. I am sure this could be solved by a lighter application and more blending; however, we purchase certain bold colors to be bold. It was my experience that in order to achieve the somewhat plum color, I really had to cake it on.

24 Hour Claim - As mentioned earlier, I think this product will last 24 hours and not budge. Honestly, I don't see why you would need this to last 24 hours. It seems a bit ridiculous to me. This will NOT come off with soap and water if used directly on the skin. The shadow over primer came off by 75%. The only way this could be removed effectively is with makeup remover and/or makeup removing cloths. I have cloths and the shadow came off with a bit of scrubbing.

I think overall, I am just not a fan of cream/pot shadows. This might be the bigger issue and this may be an unfair review. There are some positives, but I don't see this being a part of my makeup routine. If you're looking for a long lasting product, this is for you. Honestly, I would rather stick to primers and loose mineral shadows.

Culinary Product Review: KRAFT Fresh Take in Cheddar Jack & Bacon

I was on my way home and needed something for dinner. I went to Walmart with no dinner idea in mind. That's right. I walked into the store with ZERO inspiration. When I was about to give up and just grab one of their take-and-bake pizzas, I remembered seeing something on my last shopping trip. I headed toward the cheeses. Hanging with the cheeses was KRAFT's new Fresh Take line of coatings. For nutritional information and product information, you can visit KRAFT's website.

I grabbed a package of KRAFT's Fresh Take in Cheddar Jack & Bacon.  It is classified as a cheese breadcrumb mixture.

Highlights:

• Done in 30 minutes
• Cost effective
• Crispy and flavorful
• Will purchase again

According to the package - This system is supposed to coat 6 pieces of meat. It claims you can coat chicken, pork, or fish. I purchased four thinly sliced pieces of chicken. There was definitely enough mixture for two more pieces.

When you open the package, you will find the instructions printed on the enclosed zippered pouch. You are instructed to break the seal in the middle and mix the bacon mixture with the cheese mixture. I had no problem breaking the middle seal.  The instructions say to rinse the meat. I used an egg wash instead. Be warned. The mix is not ready to eat. The packaging tells you to not eat this mixture without cooking. If you are going to use an egg wash, definitely DO NOT reuse in anyway and make sure to wash all surfaces properly. 

The instructions are simple and easy to follow. You toss the chicken piece in some egg, toss it in the pouch, and then place on a properly prepared baking sheet. I covered my sheet with non-stick foil. It is a wonderful product for something like this. The instructions say to use a sprayed cookie sheet. Forego the mess and invest in some non-stick foil.

Here is what the chicken looks like after coating. The coating will not completely cover the chicken. Don't be worried. You are instructed to put extra topping on top.

28 minutes later, this is what came out of the oven:

The verdict: I will definitely purchase this again. I was able to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. I made mashed potatoes while the chicken was baking. My son LOVED it. The texture was better than any oven baked chicken I have done. It was actually crispy. You can hear the crunch when I made the initial cut. The chicken inside was moist. As for the flavor, it had that slight hint of fake bacon, but it wasn't bad. I think it was a very nice compliment. The flavors were not too overpowering at all. Best of all, it wasn't bland.

If you're in need of a quick dinner idea, give the cheddar jack and bacon a try. That is if you like cheese and bacon. It has a nice touch of both.

Food and Beverage Review: International Delight Vanilla Iced Coffee

Today, I tried International Delight's Vanilla Iced Coffee. You won't be able to find it on their website. It takes you directly to their Facebook page.

There are three flavors: Mocha, Original and Vanilla. I picked up a container of Vanilla because I like sweet coffee and vanilla usually delivers.

Highlights:

• Sweet with a good vanilla flavor
• Convenient
• Cost effective
• Would probably purchase again

The flavor - It is definitely your typical faked coffee drink, but don't be discouraged by that. It has a nice vanilla flavor, but doesn't really compare with the real thing.

The texture - Without ice, it is really silky, and creamy. I would even describe it as thick. I'm not too into the silky coffee drink. This is probably the one aspect that I did not like.

The value - I forgot to check my receipt for a price, but I think it was $4.00 for a half gallon. Great deal when compared to a drive-thru version or Starbucks.

Ingredients - Coffee, skim milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, sweet whey, gellan gum, natural and artificial flavors, carrageenan, and sodium citrate.

My overall impression: I like it. I don't LOVE it. I think I'd still prefer the sugar-free vanilla iced coffee from McDonald's; however, I don't have to drive anywhere for this. The texture without ice was weird. It was almost chocolate milk like. You know the kind that is silky and coats your entire mouth? I didn't like that. I suggest making sure you pour it over ice and allow the ice to melt. It extends the drink AND brings the texture closer to  a real iced coffee. The flavor doesn't water down which is a plus. In fact, I think it's better after sitting awhile in the ice. I would recommend trying for yourself. This gal likes it enough to maybe keep in the fridge for emergencies LOL.