* = Disliked the product - would not repurchase
** = Liked the product - might or might not repurchase
*** = Loved the product - would repurchase
1. Asira Shampoo
Source: Hotel product
Thoughts: I finished another one of these in April. The scent of this shampoo was alright but it did not do anything special for my hair.
Rating: *
2. H2O Plus Bath Aquatics Natural Spring Shampoo
Source: February 2013 Beauty Box 5
Thoughts: I liked this shampoo a lot. The scent was nice and it did a good job cleansing my hair.
Rating: **
3. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque
Source: Glossy Party TO
Thoughts: This masque made my hair soft and shiny. I loved the scent and also liked that you only have to leave it in your hair for up to 7 minutes. Quick and effective!
Rating: ***
4. Vitabath Plus for Dry Skin Moisturizing Bath & Shower Gelee
Source: Glossy Party TO
Thoughts: I liked this as a bubble bath but it wasn't my favourite. I thought the scent was just average. The bubbles were nice and soft but went away quickly.
Rating: **
5. Algemarin Foam Bath
Source: Purchased by me!
Thoughts: My favourite bubble bath!! I love the spa-like scent. The bubbles are tiny and soft... they too go away quickly but this product turns your bath water blue so it still feels luxurious even without the bubbles.
Rating: ***
6. Gilchrist & Soames Stimulating Bath Fizz
Source: Hotel product
Thoughts: I liked this bath bomb - it fizzed well and smelled pretty nice. I didn't see this available for purchase on the Gilchrist & Soames website so not sure if this is a discontinued product or perhaps a hotel exclusive.
Rating: **
7. Lush Sugar Babe Sugar Scrub (I couldn't find this product on the website so I've included a photo below)
Source: This was part of a Christmas gift from one of my sisters
Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of this sugar scrub. I found it really rough to rub the scrub directly on my skin so I ended up breaking pieces of it off and smooshing it my hand before using it on my body. The scent wasn't anything special.
Rating: *
8. Lush Sakura Ballistic
Source: This was a gift from a friend
Thoughts: Even though I had this bath bomb for a very very very long time, it still fizzed nicely. The scent was alright.
Rating: **
9. Lush 17 Cherry Tree Lane Soap
Source: This was a gift from a friend
Thoughts: I thought this product was ok but my hubby LOVED it! He commented a few times about how much he liked the scent.
Rating: **
10. All Things Herbal Naturally Irish Soap in Dublin Mint
Source: March 2013 SeasonsBox
Thoughts: This might be one of my favourite soaps ever! It smells so refreshing and invigorating... and it lathers amazingly. Love love love!
Rating: ***
11. Villainess Soap in Scintillating
Source: Purchased by me (using Glymm points)
Thoughts: I liked the full size soap a lot better than the Glymm sample I used up in March. I think I may have had the Glymm sample for a little too long as the scent got a little funky. The full size bar smelled great and I liked that there were little exfoliating bits in the soap.
Rating: **
12. Dot & Lil Rose Soap
Source: BlushPretty / Dot & Lil Event
Thoughts: I love this soap! It smells amazing - just like rose but the scent is not at all artificial or cloying. It lathers up really nicely and I feel so girly when I use it. :)
Rating: ***
13. Dot & Lil Satsuma & Shea Body Butter
Source: BlushPretty / Dot & Lil Event
Thoughts: I really enjoyed trying this body butter. It is a harder texture than the Villainess body butter (which is probably my favourite) but it applies nicely and is non-greasy. I loved the scent of this - satsuma is always a winner in my books.
Rating: **
14. Whispering Willow Peppermint Whipped Shea
Source: January 2013 SeasonsBox
Thoughts: I didn't like this body butter. It was extremely greasy to the touch and left my skin looking like it was slicked with oil. I loved the scent but unfortunately the greasy texture was a deal breaker.
Rating: *
15. Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream
Source: February 2013 Topbox
Thoughts: I liked this moisturizer a lot... the scent and texture were both excellent. I used this sample as a night cream and found it a little too light for the winter but I am going to try it again in the summer when my condo is a little more humid. I think this would be a perfect night cream for the summer.
Rating: **
16. Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer
Source: ebeauty.ca Summer 2012 Bag
Thoughts: This is one of my favourite night creams that I've tried (BeFine Night Cream being the other one). It is a miracle cream for me. It leaves my skin feeling soft, supple, and rejuvenated in the morning. I think I will be purchasing this product as it works so well that I think it is worth the price... plus a little goes a very long way.
Rating: ***
17. Pure + Simple Calming Cucumber Mask
Source: July 2012 Topbox
Thoughts: I really liked this mask the first couple times I used it but I think I may have left it too long (bad bad habit) as the scent had gone very funky when I picked it up again. Thankfully, after using it again a few more times, I must have gotten to a part of the mask that hadn't been exposed to air because the scent went back to a fresh algae, seaweed, and cucumber combination. I like that this mask is light as I don't always want to apply a heavy clay mask. This one is perfect with a quick soak in the bath.
Rating: **
18. My Beauty Diary Mexico Cactus Mask
Source: Purchased by me at T&T Supermarket
Thoughts: I am loving these sheet masks! They come with a plastic backing so they are easier to unfold than the MaskerAide masks. The thickness and texture were about the same as the MaskerAide masks; however, there was less leftover essence in the My Beauty Diary packet (which I didn't mind). The scent of the Mexico Cactus Mask is very light and fresh. Most of all, I love the price as I purchased 10 masks on sale for $13.99 plus tax.
Rating: ***
19. Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover
Source: Sephora bonus sample
Thoughts: This is probably one of my favourite eye makeup removers that I've tried. It is very gentle but effective at removing all my eye makeup. It didn't sting my eyes, hallelujah! This is a double layer (oil on top) makeup remover and I generally find these more agreeable on my eyes.
Rating: ***
19. Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser with Vitamin C & Ginseng
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: I prefer my cleansers to have exfoliating micro scrubbers so I wasn't a huge fan of this product. There were a few "bursting beads" in the cleanser but not enough - this seemed like a basic gel cleanser to me. It worked well but I would not repurchase this product because there are other Clean & Clear cleansers I prefer.
Rating: *
20. Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: This was an easy empty because I found an almost-used-up packet of these when I was cleaning out my bathroom cabinet! I love these sheets.
Rating: ***
21. Lashem Measurable Difference Eyelash and Brow Enhancing Serum
Source: December 2012 Glymm Bag
Thoughts: I finished this product ages ago but lost the container until now. I thought this product was working when I first started using it. It must have been my imagination because I didn't notice any difference to my lashes as I continued to use it.
Rating: *
22. Julep American Beauty Volumizing Mascara in Black
Source: September 2012 Julep Box
Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of this mascara due to the little fibers in it. They would get stuck on my upper waterline and irritate my eyes.
Rating: *
23. Starlooks iPrimer in Clear
Source: September 2012 Starbox
Thoughts: I love this primer! It's easy to apply, has a nice scent, and allows my eyeshadow to stay all day. I think this is one of my favourites.
Rating: ***
24. Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizer Wipe
Source: Glossy Party TO
Thoughts: I finished 3 of these this month... I use them to clean my tweezers and my makeup.
Rating: **
25. Julep Acetone-Free Conditioning Nail Polish Remover
Source: August 2012 Julep Box
Thoughts: Not only do I love the convenience of the pump bottle, I also love the actual nail polish remover inside. It is gentle yet removes my polish quickly - much better than the Sally Hansen remover I used previously. The only issue is the price - it's pretty steep for not very much nail polish remover so I'll probably wait for a sale as Julep products do go on sale very frequently.
Rating: **
26. Rexall Quilted Rounds Cosmetic Pads
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: Pretty standard product - it was ok.
Rating: **
27. Vance Kitira Incense Cones in Peach Cassis
Source: March 2013 SeasonsBox
Thoughts: I liked using these incense cones but I probably won't be purchasing them because I prefer my candles and home fragrance oils. I think my days of burning incense are done! That being said, I did like the scent of these incense cones. There was a slight sweet fruitiness to them, which helped offset the incense scent. The cones themselves do not burn very long (under 15 minutes) but they do freshen up the room.
Rating: **
28. The Octavia Tea Company Emerald Spring Green Tea
Source: March 2013 SeasonsBox
Thoughts: This is probably one of my favourite green teas I've tried. It has a nutty aroma and doesn't taste at all fishy (I find some green teas do have a slight fishy flavour). I don't find this tea bitter but I do rinse my tea leaves before steeping. I also love this tea cold... yummy!
Rating: ***
29. David's Tea Jessie's Tea
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: This is a rooibos blend and I liked that there was lavender in the blend; however, I probably will not be repurchasing this because I don't like that it contains artificial flavour. The ingredients in this tea are rooibos, honeybush, coconut bits, lavender, blue cornflowers, and natural and artificial flavoring.
Rating: **
30. David's Tea Cream of Earl Grey
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: While I liked this tea, I prefer regular earl grey without any added flavour. The ingredients in this tea are black tea, cornflowers, natural vanilla, and bergamot flavouring.
Rating: **
31. Numi Aged Earl Grey
Source: One of my YouTube viewers (thanks Tammy!!)
Thoughts: I loved this tea!! It was so bold and flavourful. I will definitely be picking up a box of this tea.
Rating: ***
32. Tealeaves Imperial Earl Grey
Source: One of my YouTube viewers (thanks Tammy!!)
Thoughts: This tea had a different aroma from the Numi Aged Earl Grey but it was still very yummy. I think I prefer the Numi a touch more but I still loved this one.
Rating: ***
33. Tazo Calm Chamomile
Source: One of my YouTube viewers (thanks Tammy!!)
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this tea as I love chamomile! I think I prefer plain chamomile a little more - this one was a blend and contained chamomile flowers, hibiscus flowers, spearmint leaves, rose petals, lemongrass, blackberry leaves, color (turmeric, riboflavin), peppermint leaves, sarsaparilla root, lemon balm leaf, licorice root, and natural flavor.
Rating: **
WOW! This blog post took a while... please let me know if you've tried any of the above products!
