Product review: iMethod Angled Eyebrow Brush & Eyebrow Spoolie Brush

 The iMethod brush is dense and stiff. It does a good job and gives me a lot of control over the brush strokes. The flat brush end is fine; however, I find it less useful than the spiral brush. I always try to note down the pluses and minuses of the products I review. The only downside with this brush is that at the current price of 10 dollars, it is about twice as expensive as other similar brushes sold on Amazon.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆  

Review of iMethod Angled Eyebrow Brush & Eyebrow Spoolie Brush

Product review: Saavy Naturals Gift Basket For Women Gift Set

 

The Savvy basket was a disappointment. It contains ten pieces, and I only liked four of them.
Below are the details of why the basket was a disappointment.
1) The packaging was messy, unattractive, and very wasteful. The cardboard tray had crumpled brown paper
covered with paper shreds. It did not look gift-suitable.  
2) The sugar scrub leaked, so the inside was sticky around that area. The scrub was not properly closed, and the seal was only attached to one small area, the rest was opened. The scrub package was either defective
or a returned product. Two body scrubs are included.
3) The soaps were 3.5" x 2" bars. They were discolored on one side. They looked unattractive, and the
I did not care for how they smelled. Two soaps included.
4) The bath bombs are large, 3" in diameter. They work fine, but their scent was not pleasing to me. Scents preferences are very personal; there is no defect in the bath bombs, and I just did not care for the scent. Two bath bombs included.
5) The package includes two body creams and two body washes. I liked the body washes best. Each tube is 7/14 inches long, not counting the cap.

Given the price, I expected better from the Saavy gift basket.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Review of Saavy Naturals Gift Basket For Women Gift Set
 

Product review: NOVEHA Eyelid and Lash Gel Cleanser - too expensive

 

Fitglow Beauty comes in medium size tub. The tub contains 50 pads. At the current price, the cost is almost one dollar per pad. Expensive. On the positive side, I like the textured finish of the pads, as they provide some extra friction. I also like that they are fragrance-free. They do a good job cleaning, but I can't say they are better than my old pads, which are less expensive.

Ingredients:
Water, Betula Alba (Birch) Juice, Mandelic Acid, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Water, Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) Virginiana Water, Camellia Sinensis (Tea) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (German Chamomile) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Propanediol, Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi (Bearberry) Leaf Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Review of NOVEHA Eyelid and Lash Gel Cleanser

Product review: Lucky Chick Liquid Eyeshadow (Rose Quartz) - Warning: Not sweatproof

 

This liquid mascara is not sweatproof or waterproof! A big problem in the summer. The mascara ran into my eyes on a hot and humid day!

The color is nice and is exactly what I expected, but the applicator is not very good. The eyeshadow is hard to control and goes on too thick. I had to use my finger to make it look better.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Review of Lucky Chick Liquid Eyeshadow (Rose Quartz)

Product review: Fitglow Beauty Night Lip Serum - Sticky feeling hydration

 

Fitglow lip serum comes in a nice-looking container with a soft tip dispenser similar to a lip gloss.  It kept my lips moist, but I did not like how sticky my lips became when I applied the serum.   This feeling continued for 3-4 hours.  If you have painfully cracked lips, the serum stays on them for a long time and is likely to be helpful.  However, if you just have dry lips, the unpleasant sticky feeling is not worth it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Review of Fitglow Beauty Night Lip Serum

Product review: Yoobao Professional Nail Drill Machine, Yoobao Rechargeable 35000RPM Electric Nail File for Acrylic Gel Polygel Nails

 

 This nail drill looks attractive, but it is confusing to figure out as it comes with absolutely no instructions.  You get two colorful pieces, both with electrical cords, and an additional AC power cord, and a set of drills. What to do with all the pieces?  There are no hints in the package.  Turns out the drill-looking part of the device plugs into the colorful control with a button.  The control has to be recharged using the included AC power plug.  Then the drill must be plugged into the control while using it. You can think of the control as an external battery.  I wish the cord connecting the control and the drill were longer. It is a bit awkward to have this appendage, especially when using it on my toenails.

How to insert drill bits is also confusing.  The drill is shipped with a piece that is not a drill.  It took me a while to figure out how to remove it to insert a drill bit. You need to turn the middle ring on the drill clockwise to unlock, then the jaws of the drill open, and you can pull out the old drill bit and insert a new one, then you need to turn counterclockwise to lock the drill bit.  You need to push the ring through some resistance until it clicks. If you don't push strongly enough, it snaps back without opening.

The ports on the control are also confusing. There are two ports on the control unit, they look identical, and the power port fits into both.  However, it only charges when it is plugged into the correct port. The left port is used to plug in the drill.  


How do you know you did it correctly? Eventually, I figured out that the display lights up if you insert the AC cord in the correct port. If you plug the cord in the wrong port, the display remains turned off.

The control unit has a button that can be pressed to toggle between on and off, and it can also be rotated to increase or decrease space (turn clockwise to increase).  To turn on the drill, you need to press down for a long time (more than a couple of seconds, maybe 5 seconds).

Overall, this is a pretty device, but I thought it was poorly designed.  The lack of instructions exacerbates non-intuitive design.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆   

Product review: Deoproce Snail Galac Pearl Shining BB Cream SPF50+/PA+++ (#23 Sand Beige)

 I got #23 Sand Beige.  While it covers my sunspots, but it does darken my skin as if I had a slight tan.  This means I have to make sure my entire face and neck are covered; otherwise, it is obvious I have a foundation on my face.  It is a little thicker than I expected.

I like that it has SPF 50 sunscreen as part of the preparation, I like that it is unscented, and the coverage is good.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: L'Oreal Paris True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum

 I developed some faint sunspots on the left side of my face (guessing from sun exposure while driving my car). I have very fair skin and got the  0.5-2 Very Light. It gives ok coverage on the sunspots without looking that I have make-up on, but I don't like the applicator. It is a very messy to use.

It would have been nice if it also had sunscreen. I want to apply it before sunscreen, but I can't really do that before applying sunscreen after it removes the tint.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish, Shade Peach Please 051

 

This nail gel does not spread as smoothly as other gels.  The peach color was exactly as I expected. It removes easily with regular acetone.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: C'est Moi Aspiring Cheek Palette, Light color blush make-up

 

This blush is for those who lightly pigmented blush; it takes many applications to get visible color.  This is not a bad thing, as I like subtle make-up.  What I don't like is the container it comes in.  It closes like a book with magnets on its edge; it has no edges to contain blush powder; it does not have a mirror; it does not lock.  I have to keep it in the box it came in to prevent blush powder from dropping out of it.  It is not a blush  I can carry in my purse as it will shed powder.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Mamonde Pang Pang Hair Shadow Hair Line Makeup Concealer

 

Think of Mamonde Pang Pang concealer as blush or eyeshadow for the scalp.  It is pressed powder, and you apply it with a sponge applicator to your scalp. It leaves a little bit of color on the scalp, similar to how eyeshadow leaves a little bit of color on your eyelids. The thin hair areas look slightly less noticeable because the skin you see is a little darker.  I got the darkest color, and it leaves just a hint of dark color, not very dark. It does lessen the visibility of areas that have less hair.  You do need to have some hair; it would not help a bold spot at all. You will need to wash your hair before going to sleep so your painted scalp does not stain the pillowcase.

The container is tiny. It is less than 1.5" tall and contains three compartments - the cover has a mirror, the center has a small amount of powder, and the bottom compartment, the largest, contains an application puff.

Overall? It is okay, not great, not terrible.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link. Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: duri Nail Polish, Fall 2020 Trend, 777 Hunting for Love, Opaque, Glossy. Two colors: Intence Purple, Royal Blue

 

I purchased two colors of duri Nail Polish:  Purple Plum and Roayl Blue.   I really like this nail polish. The colors are intense, shiny, and very pretty.  The thick brush makes it easy to get good coverage in one stroke. It dried very quickly. The color stayed on well for close to a week.  Very nice!

You can find purple nail polish on Amazon by following this link. You can find blue nail polish on Amazon by following this link. Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: CCbeauty Haircolor Cape, Gloves, Disposable Ear Protector

This set includes a mini cape, a pair of gloves, and a bag of ear coverings.

The cape is not a full cape typically used at the hair salons.  This cape covers your shoulders.  The cape comes down to my waist in the front, half-way to my elbow on the sides, and a bit below my shoulders in the back.  It is best suited for at-home hair color where you just want to protect the shoulders from accidental spills.  This is exactly what I wanted.  A full cape would make it more difficult to have my hands up while applying color to my hair.

The gloves are medium size. They are a little long in the fingers for me (I wear size small gloves normally) but fairly snug in the palm. I don't love the gloves, but they are okay.

Ear coverings have a rubber band on the edge. I found it a bit hard to make them stay on my ear, but I do like the idea of protecting the top of my ears from color.

This is not a fancy set,  but it does the job for at-home hair color.  I learned how to color my own hair during COVID-19 and this kit will make it easier for me.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Sensodyne Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth

Sensodyne toothpaste has been a savior for me.  A couple of years ago I began feeling discomfort when drinking hot or cold liquids.  My dentist told me to try Sensodyne and it totally fixed the problem after about 1 week of use.  Pronamel Sensodyne is working well, and I like the flavor. My mouth feels very fresh after using it, and even though I am not a big mint fan I like its taste.  I also like the packaging - the tube can stand on its cap very well.

It has two active ingredients: potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride. Potassium nitrate is used in a 5 percent concentration to aid against teeth sensitivity and sodium fluoride in a 0.25 percent concentration to aid against cavity formation.

Ingredients:

Active:Potassium nitrate 5% - Antihypersensitivity Sodium fluoride 0.25% (0.15% w/v fluoride ion) - Anticavity.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Butter with Orange Blossom & Pistachio

Burt's Bees pink grapefruit is my favorite lip balm, so I decided to try the tin with lip butter because orange and pistachio sounded like an interesting flavor.  The tin with butter provides more moisturizer then a tube.  I spread it with my finger (note the finger needs to be wiped out as there is some greasy feeling left on the finger after application).


Burt's Bees lip butter has a slight orange flavor, it is very subtle. The content is soft enough to make it easy to spread, but not too soft that is smeared too much balm on the lips.


INGREDIENTS

Ingredients: Caprylic/capric triglyceride, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, C10-18 triglycerides, polyhydroxystearic acid, glycerin, glyceryl behenate, glyceryl stearate, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, theobroma grandiflorum seed butter, aroma [flavor]*, hydrogenated castor oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cera alba [beeswax], pistacia vera seed oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) flower extract, citrus limon (lemon) fruit extract, hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower extract, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, rebaudioside A, citric acid, citral, citrolnellol, geraniol, limonene, linalool *aroma naturel / natural flavor



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: BonnieHill Rose Foam Cleaner

Korean cosmetics has such wonderful reputation that I could not resist this nice looking cleaning at a local T.J.Maxx.  It smelled good, but the foam in the foam cleaner does not foam at all.  I was disappointed!

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Pearlessence Dry Shampoo Cherry Blossom

I've been using dry shampoo for the last year when I need to make my hair look good in a hurry.  I purchased this dry shampoo in a local Marshalls because they had a really attractive price and I was meaning to give Pearlessence a try.  I liked the attractive bottle and the nice smell, however, I needed to use more during each application than Batiste Dry Shampoo. I also noticed the effects did not last as long as when I use Batiste Dry shampoo.

The Pearlessense dry shampoo (just like Batiste Dry Shampoo) goes on like white residue on the hair which you need to work into your scalp with finders and then style with a brush.

So given the price difference, Peralessence did not live up to my expectations.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm, Pomegranate with Beeswax and Fruit

Burt's Bees Pink grapefruit is my favorite lip balm, so when I saw Burt's Bees pomegranate (new to me flavor) I was eager to try it.  It did not disappoint.

Burt's Bees lip balm is colorless moisturizing lip balm and it combines everything I was looking for - taste and longevity.  The pomegranate flavor is subtle, not like earing a candy, it is just hint of the pomegranate flavor.

The content is soft enough to make it easy to spread, but not too soft that is smeared too much balm on the lips.

Ingredients:
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut), Beeswax, Ricinus Communis Seed.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector (USELESS!)

If you are looking for a product to remove dark spots (sunspots), this product does not help. It is pleasant in texture and odor-free. It is absorbed well and does not leave the skin shiny as some other preparations. The skin is left softer after the application. However, it has no effect on dark spots.
After using the serum for many months with no visible results, I saw a dermatologist and asked her if there is any chance that this serum will work. She said no. She said, freezing the skin where the spots are however is very effective. I went ahead and told her to do the freezing. Several weeks later, my spots were totally gone, there is not even a faint mark where they were. It cost me $25 per spot (insurance does not cover it since it is cosmetic). For a week it looked like I had a couple of pimples until the skin totally healed. If any spots appear again, I will do the freezing again. I can't tell where the old spots used to be.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Mandre Cream for Face (Tub)

Mandre moisturizing cream comes in a 1.7 oz tub. The cream feels rich and smooth and leaves my fingers non-greasy. The cream has a slight flowery scent.  I prefer non-scented moisturizers so I can use it at night (scents keep me awake).

The cream softens and smooths my skin and relaxes the tiny wrinkles around the eyes.  Like with most of these creams the effects do not last all day, and require reapplication. I use this cream in the mornings and mid-day. 

Ingridients include: hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, Vitamin C, E, and Green Tea.  Amazon description does not include a full list of ingredients so I included a photo of the box that shows all ingredients.  Gycolic acid removes the outer layer of dead cells from the skin and that helps improve the skin appearance.

I like that this cream is made in USA and is Paraben free.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆