The Stayfree Challenge

Do you research your feminine products? Do you use the same brand every month? Or are you like me and just buy whatever is on sale when that week rolls around?

I've never really given much thought to the effectiveness of feminine products. I've always bought Always because that is the kind my Mom bought for me when I first started. I've continued to buy Always because they are always on sale at Shoppers, so I just stock up during 20x the points events.

I can say that I am happy with Always pads, they get the job done. But I can't lie and say that I am 100% confident in their abilities, or the abilities of any pad. To get personal for a moment, I need a super absorbent pad, but I don't want to feel like I am wearing a diaper.

So when I was approached to do this Stayfree Challenge I jumped at the chance to see first hand which brand really is the best. The kit came with everything I needed to test Stayfree's Ultra Thin pads against 2 competitors; one of them being my current pad of choice the Always Ultra Thin. To conduct this experiment I stuck the pads down in their respective places. Right away I noticed how thin, soft, and pliable the Stayfree pad was.

Next, I poured the blue saline onto each pad and noticed some pretty startling results. With the Stayfree the liquid instantly absorbed. No wait time, literally as soon as the liquid touched the pad it was absorbed. With both competitors there was some beading before absorption. It was shocking that I watched the liquid sit on top of the pad and move around a bit before being absorbed.

After putting the blotting papers and weights on for 5 seconds the true results were revealed. The Stayfree pad had 2 tiny blue dots of transfer. Even after applying extra pressure nothing else transferred. That liquid was trapped in the core and was not going anywhere. Competitor #1 soaked through the blotting paper. Not one spot was dry, and it actually stuck to the weight because it was so wet. Competitor #2, a.k.a Always, transferred more than Stayfree, but way less than #1. With additional pressure more liquid transferred. I was shocked that Always could only hold 5ml of liquid before it was full.

After doing this challenge for myself I can see that Stayfree isn't scamming us with false results in their commercials. And now that I have used them I like them better than the Always. I don't feel them at all while wearing them, and I'm not worried about leaking. The only thing I think needs improvement is the wings. They aren't very strong, and I had some issues getting them to stick. I will be using up my current Always stash, and then this girl is switching to Stayfree.

To learn more about the Stayfree Challenge, and how you can reclaim your pretty panties, head over to The Panty Party's Twitter and YouTube.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All opinions and views are 100% honest and my own.

CBB Montagne Jeunesse Challenge: Super Fruit Mud Mask

It's time for the final mask in the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Montagne Jeunesse Mask Challenge! For the past 5 weeks me and my fellow CBB members have been partaking in this challenge thanks to Farley Co Beauty. Every week we have been trying and reviewing a different mask. Make sure to follow the hashtag #CBBMJMASKOFF to see all of our crazy face mask pictures.

Check out these links for my previous reviews: Self Heating, Peel Off  , Nut Oil Mud, & Apricot Scrub

Week 5 is Mud masks, and I'm trying and reviewing the Super Fruit Mud Mask.

Goji Berries or Miracle Berries are one of the most powerful super fruits around so this mud packs a punch when it comes to protecting against the drying effects of environmental stresses. We've added nutrient rich Pomegranates too - POW! 

This mask was calamine lotion pink in colour. It smelt quite fruity, and super sweet. I really liked the fresh fruit scent of this mask.

I applied this mask with a brush, like the previous ones. It went on smoothly, and felt quite cool. However, almost immediately, it started to feel hot. I continued to apply the mask and kept it on for about half of the suggested time. I couldn't force myself to keep it on any longer as it started to burn and it was quite painful. Using cold water helped sooth my skin, but I was quite red and my skin was quite dry and tight after just 7 minutes. Regardless of the burning, removal was fairly easy.

Comfort 1/5 - Mask started burning almost immediately.
Aroma 5/5
Results 1/5  - My skin was dry, tight, red, and irritated.
Ease of Use 5/5
Total Score 12/20

To get your own Apricot Scrub Masque visit Farley Co Beauty or the following retailers: Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, Value Drug Mart, or Walmart. This mask retails for $2.

So which Mask won?? Here are my results:

Hot Chocolate Pore Cleansing Sauna Mask - 17/20
Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask - 11/20
Nut Oil Mud Masque - 18/20
Crushed Apricot and Mango Masque - 19/20
Super Fruit Mud Mask - 12/20

The Apricot Scrub mask was my winner! This mask really had it all! It was comfortable on my face, smelt great, was easy to use, and left my skin looking great! I couldn't have asked for more, and I will be repurchasing in the future! Make sure to check out the CBB Website on Monday to see our final group roundup, and see if the group's winning mask was the same as mine!

An InLinkz Link-up

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own. 

CBB Montagne Jeunesse Challenge: Crushed Apricot Scrub Masque

It's time for the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Montagne Jeunesse Mask Challenge! Over the next 2 weeks me and my fellow CBB members will be partaking in this challenge thanks to Farley Co Beauty. Every week we will be trying and reviewing a different mask. At the end we will tally up the results and see which mask is the winner! Make sure to follow the hashtag #CBBMJMASKOFF to see all of our crazy face mask pictures.

Check out these links for my previous reviews: Self Heating, Peel Off  & Nut Oil Mud

Week 4 is Scrub masks, and we are trying and reviewing the Crushed Apricot and Mango Masque.

"Montagne Jeunesse Crushed Apricot and Mango Masque. Bursting with sweet mango this rich facial scrub deep cleanses & revitalizes. Crushed Apricot Kernels remove dead skin cells whilst Aloe Vera softens & soothes, leaving skin radiant."

This mask was light yellow in colour, with brown specks which were the crushed apricot. It smelt quite fruity, almost exactly like the St. Ives Apricot Scrub.

I applied this mask with a brush, like the previous ones. It went on smoothly, and felt quite cool. I could feel the apricot scrubbies exfoliating my face as I applied it. I left it on for 10-15 minutes, and by that time it was completely dry on my face. It did not get as hard as the Mud mask last week. I could still move my face and make expressions, but there was a slight tightness.

Removal was fairly easy. I used warm water and a wash cloth, and massaged it off in circular motions in order to get the most from the exfoliation aspect. The creamy aspect of the mask removed easily, but the little apricot scrubbies were kind of a pain to get off. I had to rinse my face a few times to get it all off.

I was left with super smooth, cleansed, and soft skin. My skin didn't feel tight and dry, but it didn't feel super hydrated either. It just felt normal, and good. I toned and moisturized like normal after, and my skin felt great for the rest of the day. I also felt like my foundation went on better than ever after using this.

Comfort 5/5
Aroma 5/5
Results 5/5
Ease of Use 4/5 - Mask left lots of scrubby bits on my face that required quite a few rinses.
Total Score 19/20

To get your own Apricot Scrub Masque visit Farley Co Beauty or the following retailers: Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, Value Drug Mart, or Walmart. This mask retails for $2.

An InLinkz Link-up

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own. 

CBB Montagne Jeunesse Challenge: Nut Oil Mud Masque

It's time for the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Montagne Jeunesse Mask Challenge! Over the next 3 weeks me and my fellow CBB members will be partaking in this challenge thanks to Farley Co Beauty. Every week we will be trying and reviewing a different mask. At the end we will tally up the results and see which mask is the winner! Make sure to follow the hashtag #CBBMJMASKOFF to see all of our crazy face mask pictures.

Check out these links for my previous reviews: Self Heating & Peel Off

Week 3 is Oil masks, and we are trying and reviewing the Nut Oil Mud Masque.

"Feed your skin with this African delight, you'd be nuts not too. The goodness of nourishing Baobab Oil sourced from the African 'Tree of Life' and miracle Marula Oil penetrates deep down to reveal glowing and nourished skin."

This mask looked like mint green mud. It smelt very nutty, but not like peanut butter. It also had an herbal note to it that I quite liked.

I applied this mask with a brush, like the last one. It went on smoothly, and felt quite cool. It started drying quite quickly, and I found that I could feel some heat on my skin after it being on for about 5 minutes. The slight heat/burn subsided though, and it again felt cool. At the end of 15 minutes I had a few spots that weren't completely dry.

Removal was fairly easy. I used warm water and wash cloth and it wiped off with minimal rubbing. I had some redness around my nose and hairline where I had to scrub harder to get it off. That redness subsided within a few minutes though.

I was left with super smooth, cleansed, and soft skin.Unlike the peel off mask, my skin was not left feeling tight or super dry. I toned and moisturized like normal after, and my skin felt great for the rest of the day.

Comfort 4/5 - Slight burning when first applied, but felt good after.
Aroma 5/5
Results 5/5
Ease of Use 4/5 - Mask required some scrubbing to get off.
Total Score 18/20

To get your own Nut Oil Mud Masque visit Farley Co Beauty or the following retailers: Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, Value Drug Mart, or Walmart. This mask retails for $2.

An InLinkz Link-up

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own.

CBB Montagne Jeunesse Challenge: Peel-Off Mask Review

It's time for the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Montagne Jeunesse Mask Challenge! Over the next 4 weeks me and my fellow CBB members will be partaking in this challenge thanks to Farley Co Beauty. Every week we will be trying and reviewing a different mask. At the end we will tally up the results and see which mask is the winner! Make sure to follow the hashtag #CBBMJMASKOFF to see all of our crazy face mask pictures.

Week 2 is peel-off masks, and we are trying and reviewing the Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask.

"Busy bees have collected nectar from the Manuka Bushes of New Zealand creating Manuka Honey - a natural anti-bacterial cleanser. They source pollen and we add the flower power of fragrant Jasmine."

This mask looked liked honey, it was a thicker, gooey consistency. Unlike, the Chocolate Mask last week, however, this mask smelt absolutely terrible. I had no inclination to taste it, and spent the whole 15 minutes anxiously waiting for when I could take it off.

I applied this mask with a brush, like the last one. It went on smoothly, despite its stickiness. I ended up using quite a thick layer of product, so it took more than the 15 minutes to fully dry. In fact after 20 minutes there were still some areas that weren't completely dry and peal-able.

Removal was fairly easy. In the areas where it was dry it peeled off in one piece with minimal tearing. I got some along my hair line, near my temples, and it hurt really bad trying to peel it off there. Overall, though it wasn't uncomfortable to remove, and I used a hot cloth after to remove any remaining product.

I was left with super smooth, cleansed, and soft skin. I found though that this mask did dry my skin out, and my skin felt tight after removal. I had to slather my face in moisturizer afterwards.

Comfort 5/5
Aroma 1/5 - It smelt nothing like honey, it was a very herbal aroma, that made my stomach churn.
Results 2/5 - Left my skin cleansed and smooth, but also left me very dry.
Ease of Use 3/5 - Mask was slightly sticky when applying, and removal was difficult and painful around some areas of my face.
Total Score 11/20

To get your own Honey Peel Off Mask visit Farley Co Beauty or the following retailers: Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, Value Drug Mart, or Walmart. This mask retails for $2.

An InLinkz Link-up

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own.

CBB Montagne Jeunesse Challenge: Self-Heating Mask Review

It's time for the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Montagne Jeunesse Mask Challenge! Over the next 5 weeks me and my fellow CBB members will be partaking in this challenge thanks to Farley Co Beauty. Every week we will be trying and reviewing a different mask. At the end we will tally up the results and see which mask is the winner! Make sure to follow the hashtag #CBBMJMASKOFF to see all of our crazy face mask pictures.

Week 1 is self-heating masks, and we are trying and reviewing the Hot Chocolate Pore Cleansing Sauna Mask.

"Take a deep breath of our self-warming chocolate orange mask and you'll be in chocolate heaven! Mediterranean Clay cleanses dirt and oils from deep within pores. Rich dark chocolate and orange oil leave skin feeling soft and refreshed."

This mask looked and smelled exactly like melted chocolate. I was really tempted to lick the brush while applying it, but MJ stresses not to eat it on the back of the package. When the mask first touched my skin it felt cool, however, a few seconds later I could feel it warming my skin. It didn't feel uncomfortable or painful, it felt quite relaxing.

The mask didn't fully dry, even though I let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Removal was easy, and I was left with super smooth, cleansed, and hydrated skin. The only downside I had with this mask was that the package held enough product for two applications, but you have to rip it open to apply, so there is no way to save the excess product.

Comfort 5/5
Aroma 5/5
Results 4/5 - left my skin feeling great, but I didn't see any amazing results
Ease of Use 3/5 - mask was slightly sticky when applying, and packaging is a pain.
Total Score 17/20

To get your own Hot Chocolate Mask visit Farley Co Beauty or the following retailers: Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, Value Drug Mart, or Walmart. This mask retails for $2.

An InLinkz Link-up

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own.