* = Disliked the product - would not repurchase
** = Liked the product - might or might not repurchase
*** = Loved the product - would repurchase
1. Pantene Expert Collection Pro-V Age Defy Shampoo & Conditioner
Source: I can't remember!
Thoughts: I was surprised by how much I liked this shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo cleansed my hair nicely and the conditioner left it smooth and silky. I'm giving it 2 stars for now, but I may buy the full size down the road to test it out more.
Rating: **
2. Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo X 2
Source: Hotel samples
Thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of this shampoo. It's fine in terms of cleansing my hair, but the scent doesn't appeal to me.
Rating: *
3. Portico Spa White Ginger Clarifying Shampoo & Moisturizing Conditioner
Source: Hotel samples
Thoughts: Looks like these products are affiliated with the Hyatt. I didn't like these products very much - they were just ok in terms of effectiveness, and I found the scent to be cloying.
Rating: *
4. Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Repair Conditioner
Source: P&G Sample Pack
Thoughts: I couldn't stand the shampoo in this line when I tried it in June, but I actually quite liked the conditioner. It worked pretty well and smelled very nice.
Rating: ***
5. Elin Bianco Treatment Mask
Source: Glossy Party TO
Thoughts: I wanted to love this treatment as the gentleman at the Glossy Party was so passionate about this line of products. The mask worked amazingly well at making my hair soft and silky. Unfortunately, I didn't like the scent at all - it reminds me of baby powder... but times 100. The scent lingered after I rinsed out the product, and I just found it was way too strong for my liking.
Rating: **
6. Principessa Beauty Notte Breeze Dry Shampoo for Darker Shades
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: My favourite dry shampoo! Works very well, smells subtle but pleasant, and blends nicely into my hair. I apply this product with a little powder puff (I used one that I received in one of my drugstore pressed powders) so I can use just a tiny bit of product and not make a mess trying to sprinkle it into my hair. I already have a backup of this and recently purchased this cute travel size one.
Rating: ***
7. Consonant 100% Organic Olive Oil Body Soap
Source: Beauty Board Swag Bag
Thoughts: I loved this bar soap! It was smooth and silky - the card that came with the soap indicates that the soap has a "gooey" texture and it's true. It cleansed my skin really nicely but did not dry it out. The scent was also light and very pleasant. The soap came with a little loofa disc to rest the soap on when not in use... that way, it doesn't sit in its own goo.
Rating: ***
8. Quince Relaxing Body Butter
Source: July 2013 Starlooks Starbox
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this body butter! It is creamy without being greasy. It was also fast absorbing and smelled great. I am planning to purchase the full size of this as the website is showing flat rate shipping of $5 to Canada!
Rating: ***
9. Aruba Aloe Desert Bloom Body Lotion
Source: Purchased by me in Aruba
Thoughts: This body lotion is amazing! It smells wonderful (a mix of a fruity and a light floral scent) and it's light yet moisturizing. This was a great summer lotion for me, but it would probably too light for the winter.
Rating: ***
10. Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen with SPF 30
Source: June 2013 Beauty Box 5
Thoughts: I love this sunscreen. It is light and non-greasy... it rivals the Neutrogena Dry Touch sunscreen for me. The scent is a little strong but I don't find it unpleasant.
Rating: ***
11. Pur-Lisse Pur Delicate Gentle Soy Milk Cleanser
Source: January 2013 Beauty Box 5
Thoughts: Another product I really enjoyed! This cleanser is super gentle yet effective. A very light, barely there scent. It worked perfectly with my Clarisonic Mia 2. I am planning to purchase the full size of this once I'm done all my other (many) cleansers.
Rating: ***
12. Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser
Source: September 2012 Topbox
Thoughts: I've had this cleanser for ages, and I finally finished it. Oddly enough, despite the rave reviews, I didn't like this cleanser very much. I didn't like the scent, and I found it drying.
Rating: *
13. The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: So many products this month that I love! It took a almost to the end of this bottle of toner to fall in love with it, but it may have usurped my Nivea Gentle Toner as my favourite. This is an unscented toner that is very gentle on the skin. I used to love the scent of the Nivea Gentle Toner, but now it seems almost too strong in comparison.
Rating: ***
14. Medline Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover Pad x 22
Source: Unknown
Thoughts: I finished another 22 of these, and I still have a bunch more! These nail polish remover pads work very well, but one is definitely not enough for all 10 nails as the website claims! I found I could use one pad for only 2 nails - the pads are tiny (and thin) so the nail polish remover evaporates very quickly.
Rating: **
15. Vance Kitira Soy Candle in Pineapple Coconut
Source: June 2013 SeasonsBox
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this candle - the scent is just like pina colada. The burn time was decent, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't 25-35 hours like the packaging indicates. I wouldn't say the throw was anything unusual - just about average.
Rating: **
16. Yamamotoyama Organic Green Tea & Green Tea
Source: One of our hotels (I think)
Thoughts: Very yummy classic green tea! I liked both the organic and the regular. Neither of them were bitter nor did they have that wheat/rice taste about them (I'm not a fan of those varieties of green tea). I think this might be my new favourite green tea brand.
Rating: ***
17. Tetley Soothe Ginger Mint with Lemongrass
Source: Purchased by me (or my hubby)
Thoughts: Not a fan of this, but to be fair, I'm not a fan of ginger and lemongrass in my tea. I think my hubby may have chosen this! We've had this for a long time, and I've been trying to finish up all my older tea.
Rating: *
18. David's Tea Mint Julep
Source: Gift from my sister :)
Thoughts: I enjoyed trying this tea - it had some interesting flavours. A couple of things I didn't like about it - it contains spearmint (I prefer peppermint) and artificial flavours, so it's probably not a tea I would purchase regularly.
Rating: **
19. Lupicia Decaf Momo
Source: Purchased by me
Thoughts: This is the first Lupicia tea I haven't enjoyed - it was way too weak, perhaps due to the decaffeination process? I also received confirmation from Lupicia that there are artificial flavours in their teas, so I am not sure I will place another order.
Rating: *
Not that many August empties, and not sure September will be any better as I will be in France for half the month!! :)
