Review: Finesse Keratin Protein Dry Shampoo

Me and dry shampoo have a love/hate relationship. My hair gets quite oily, and so when I find a dry shampoo that works I love it. However, most of the time I'm left dissatisfied with some aspect of the product, or I simply cant get it to work in my hair. I've tried almost every drugstore dry shampoo there is, from Garnier to Dove, and I think I finally found a winner.

About the Product

Finesse's New Keratin Protein Dry Shampoo will bring second day hair back to life. The formula absorbs oil without leaving a chalky residue behind. The Keratin Protein conditions and nourishes hair leaving luscious, shiny locks.

How to Use

Shake can well before use. Spray into roots from 20-30cm away. Massage through with fingertips. Brush out and style as usual.

I normally wash my hair every night, due to the amount of oil it accumulates during the day. Normally by the end of the work day my hair could use some refreshing, and this product does just that. The aerosol makes it easy to use and a little goes a long way. The clear, invisible formula ensures that I am not left with any chalky residue, or white cast. As a brunette this aspect is very appealing.

The smell isn't as nice as the Garnier or Dove, but it isn't a horrible smell. It reminds me of your standard hairspray smell. What I like about this product is that it does wonders for non-oily hair, as well. A few spritzes to my roots in the morning adds body to my limp locks, without making my hair oily throughout the day.

This product retails for $4.49 per 150g can, which is a great price for such a stellar product.

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. Thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Review: ARTDECO Summer Miami Collection

When Summer rolls around I am all about bright colours and long-lasting formulation. This Summer, ARTDECO helps me turn up the heat with their new Miami Collection. With trendy eyeliners, waterproof mascaras, sensual lip colours, and colour-rich eye shadow sticks, the limited edition Miami Collection will make creating that sexy beach look effortless.

Today I will be reviewing the Glossy Lip Colour in 16 Glossy Pink Grapefruit and the Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks in 08 Rich Girl and 34 Cruise Ship.

The Glossy Lip Colours come in a lip pencil format with the tip shaped like a lipstick bullet. This makes application effortless. The creamy texture glides on smooth and lasts for hours through drinking and eating. Lips are accentuated and voluminized in one stroke. Retractable, this stick never needs sharpening.

This pencil glides on leaving lips looking very glossy. I find the formula quite sticky on my lips, but I think that is what keeps it on for so long. I apply it at 7am and after breakfast, lunch, and a few coffees I can still see it lingering on my lips. After the glossiness wears off a slight stain is left behind. I really like that there is no scent to this product.

The Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks apply smoothly, blend easily, and once set do not budge. They are a must have for creating the perfect colour-rich, Summer look. The long-lasting, silky texture combines colour richness with excellent crease-free wear. This retractable eyeshadow stick is perfume-free and mineral oil free.

Rich Girl is a beautiful pink toned champagne that is perfect for a wash of colour over the lid. For days when I'm running late, or just too lazy to get fancy with my makeup, this colour with some mascara gives me a effortlessly natural look.

Cruise Ship is a medium silvered purple that creates the most gorgeous smoky eye. Because of how easily these pencils blend, I can apply this colour, some liner and mascara and in 5 minutes I've got a look that looks like it took way longer to create.

Both of these shades set and last all day without creasing, but remove easily with makeup remover. These have really became a daily go-to product for me.

The ARTDECO Miami Collection launched in select Shoppers Drug Mart locations at the end of June 2014.

Prices for this collection are as follows:
Ceramic Nail Lacquer $10CDN
Glossy Lip Colour $17CDN
All in One Liquid Liner $23CDN
Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Stick $16CDN
All in One Mascara - Limited Edition $21CDN

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. Thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Review: Mary Kay At Play Triple Layer Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Again, In the Plum, Atomic Red & Orange You Lovely

The silky, creamy-feeling texture leaves lips seriously soft, supple, smooth and cushioned in moisture with a deliciously sweet berry flavor. They come in four flirtatiously fun shades that complement the entire Mary Kay At Play Collection.

I’m a lipstick lover for sure, but when the warmer weather rolls around I prefer to use a tinted lip balm. These Mary Kay tinted lip balms come with 3 layers of moisturizing ribbons that add just a hint of colour to your lips. Because of the sheer application these are great for on the go; no mirror required.

The packaging on these balms are a bit juvenile compared to the normal Mary Kay line, but I think the At Play line is their attempt at attracting a younger audience to their products. What I love about this packaging is that the product goes down all the way into the tube so you don’t gouge it with the lid. I also love how the lid clicks on and stays on tight.

Although these balms go on sheer, the colour is buildable with a few swipes. You can make them visibly pink, orange, red, or purple on the lips. My favourite of the bunch, so far, is Pink Again. I’ve been wearing it everyday for the past week. I’m kind of afraid to try In the Plum as it comes off quite purple; this one might be reserved for at home use only.

If you are looking for a moisturizing lip product that gives a beautiful wash of colour then these tinted lip balms are for you.  The Mary Kay At Play Triple Layer Tinted Lip Balms retail for $12 per 0.12oz tube. These balms are available online at MaryKay.ca / MaryKay.com or through a Mary Kay Consultant in your neighbourhood.

Disclaimer: Product(s) in this post were provided for review purposes. Thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Review: Mary Kay Journey of Dreams Eau de Toilette

Dreams. They provide the power to overcome obstacles, achieve the impossible and transform today into a beautiful new future. Now you can spread hope, inspire change and encourage possibilities with the purchase of the limited edition Beauty That Counts Journey of Dreams Eau de Toilette.

I'm not very adventurous when it comes to perfume. I have the ones I like and I stay loyal to them. My current favourites are all a mixture of floral and fruity that is good for day or night. I loved the packaging of this perfume as soon as I saw it. Continue reading to see if I loved the scent at first spritz.

Review: Balea Deep Cleansing Face Mask

What started out as a 5 week challenge has morphed into a continuous feature here on My Beauty Full Adventure. I enjoyed reviewing Montagne Jeunesse’s face masks so much that I am going to continue to try and review face masks on here every week. This week I tried the Balea Deep Cleansing Face Mask. Keep reading to see how this mask worked for me.

Review: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Optimize your beauty routine with this 3-in-1 multi-functional sponge. Rounded sides blend large areas of the face with a repeated dabbing or “stippling” motion. Precision tip covers blemishes and imperfections. Flat edge for the contours around the eyes and nose. Its versatile design evenly blends makeup for a smooth, enhanced finish.

I only recently started to use my Beauty Blender and have been loving it! However, the Beauty Blender is hella expensive and not something I could consciously spend my own money on. So when the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge showed up at my doorstep I couldn’t wait to try it out. Continue reading to see how this sponge worked out.

Review: Wet n Wild Mega Plump Mascara

Plump up the volume! Instantly plumps for up to 3x the volume. 

I am always on the lookout for a great mascara at a great price. My lashes are naturally full and long, but I love layering on the mascara to get that VA VA Voom look. I recently tested out the Wet n Wild Mega Plump Mascara in hopes of very black, voluminized lashes. With only a price tag of $3.99, if this mascara ended up being amazing I’d be laughing all the way to the bank with my savings. 

Review: Eco Tools Skin Perfecting Brush

The skin perfecting brush is made from soft, cruelty-free bristles, has a recycled aluminum ferrule and sleek bamboo handle. Achieve a natural look while evening out skin tone with this two-tone brush, specifically designed to smoothly apply BB/CC creams and tinted moisturizers. The angled edge is ideal for precise application around nose and under eyes. 

I have only recently started using BB/CC creams, with my favourite being the Caryl Baker Visage CC Cream with SPF20 and tone adjusting technology. My favourite way to apply this product is by blending a dime size amount into my skin with my fingers. When I received the Eco Tools Skin Perfecting Brush I was excited to see what sort of results it would help me achieve. 

Review: Eco Tools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge

I know this may sound weird, but I really enjoy washing my face. There is just something about taking some “me time” and thoroughly cleansing and moisturizing my skin. I normally wash my face using my hands, but every once in a while I like to use a product that really deep cleans and give me a bit of exfoliation. 

When I was sent the Eco Tools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge to try, I was very intrigued. When you first open this product it is quite hard; I worried that it would be too exfoliating. However, upon using this I found that it is really gentle. It is almost too gentle and I wish it was more exfoliating. 

Review: Kiss My Face Olive Oil & Green Tea Soap

A Natural Moisturizing Soap. We combine rich Olive Oil, used for centuries to nourish and moisturize the skin, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and soothing green tea. It’s simple and pure. This moisturizing bar was created without animal ingredients, artificial colours, unnecessary chemicals or animal testing. 

I am not normally one for using bars of soap. I prefer a loofah and body wash. However, there was a time where I went through a pretty big Lush phase and I loved their natural soaps. So I figured I would give the Kiss My Face soaps a try. I brought this soap on vacation with me because I figured a moisturizing soap would be good for my skin after long days in the Sun.  

Review: Wet n Wild MegaShield SPF 15 Lip Color in Lolly Popstar

"Luxurious colour delivers hours of sheer-to-moderate coverage that glides on buttery-soft for a smooth, moist-looking pout. Lips are pampered with Vitamin E, Amino Acids, Avocado Oil, and Rice Bran Oil that moisturize and condition for silky, soft comfort. And with SPF 15, lips are cared for and protected from harmful UVB rays."

Although I like a good deal on makeup, I haven't really tried much from the affordable, yet high quality, Wet n Wild brand. I have tried their Matte Lipsticks, and I love them, so I thought I would give the MegaShield line a try as well. Lolly Popstar is a medium pink with an intense frost finish.

The first thing I noticed about this lipstick was how smooth and buttery it applied. The swatch above is seriously one swipe, and a light swipe at that. It is super pigmented and opaque in that one swipe. I also really like how moisturizing this lip product is. A lot of times I find that lipstick dries out my lips, but not with this one. 

Although it swatches without a frost, on the lips it is almost unbearable. It looks so bad, and dated, I cant stand how it looks. Apply a layer of similar coloured or clear gloss, and it helps diminish the frost. Another thing I don't like about this product is the packaging. The product sticks up past the tube making it super easy to gouge the product with the lid when putting it on and off.

Overall, the quality of this product is great for the price tag. I won't be buying anymore of the frost finish lipsticks, but I would like to try some non frosts from this line.

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

Review: Essence Bloom Me Up! Limited Edition Collection

Delicate lace with floral patterns combined with fresh colours consisting of pink, apricot and lavender, Spring is going to be playful and romantic – and at the same time, it’s self-confident and totally cool, with these fashionable beauty-pieces. Your eyes, lips, face, and nails are sure to turn into absolute eye-catchers. 

As soon as I saw this collection I knew I needed to own most of it, if not all of it. I pretty much cleared out the display when I found it at Shoppers Drug Mart. I was interested in the pink lipstick, however, my stores didn't have it. I also wanted the lace nail decals, however, upon inspection realized that they wouldn't fit my nail shape.

There were 3 nail polishes in this collection, and I picked up all of them. Bright, fresh colours consisting of mint, lavender, and apricot are about to make a statement. The effects – sometimes pearly, sometimes plain – are sure to put you the mood for new nail styles. Long-lasting and with a high coverage, these pretty polishes will make your nails stand out from the crowd. 

All three polishes were opaque in 2 coats. They went on evenly, streak free, and there was no bubbling. Like other Essence polishes these were fast drying, and so beautiful on the nail! Lovely Lavender and Blooming Tender had a pearl finish, and Blow My Mint was a pure creme polish. All of these colours are perfect for Spring, and I cant wait to wear them all season long

Lovely Lavender

Blow My Mint

Blooming Tender

Rose It Up

The delicately pigmented powder in light beige gives your face and neckline a touch of shimmer. And thanks to the elaborate floral design on the surface, this powder is beautiful to look at too! 

I love Essence's Limited Edition Face Powders! They are always such high quality, and beautiful to look at. This Shimmer Powder has an embossed floral pattern that will eventually wear away. I almost don't want to use it because of how pretty it is. This gives a light pink/white sheer wash of shimmer to the face. I definitely wouldn't use this all over my face, but as a highlight on the cheekbones, it is gorgeous. 

Chasing Lacey

The blush stick offers fresh accents in pink and feels lovely and powdery on your skin. The twistable blush stick guarantees a simple and practical application and the colour becomes more intense with each layer. 

I am not normally one for cream cheek products,  mostly because I can never find a good application method that doesn't have me looking like a clown. This coral-pink blush goes on quite sheer so I'm pretty sure I will be able to make it work. The colour is so pretty and it blends easily onto the skin. The only downside I find to this product is that it is quite greasy, and it doesn't dry to a powder finish.

Bloomylicious

One end of the pen is especially for use on the inner lid to create a wide awake, open look. Applied underneath the eyebrow, this other end usually lifts the brow. 

This is the product I really wanted from this collection. This helps make my eyes look open and awake. The salmon/pink colour of the liner pencil looks less harsh and obvious as white. I haven't used the eyebrow pencil yet, as I normally don't use a pencil to highlight, but I cant wait to experiment with it.

L-R: Eyebrow Pencil, Eyeliner Pencil, Blush, Shimmer Powder

Review: Frownies Facial Patches

Facial Patches for Wrinkles on the Forehead & Between Eyes 

Retail Price - $19.95 

Anti-aging Facial Patches assist to soften and smooth deep wrinkles or fine lines mechanically, without any harsh chemicals or needles. Designed to provide lasting results with continued use. Frownies address the physical cause of facial wrinkles. By holding the crease flat and relaxed while you sleep, the body can relax muscle memory. The muscles of the face cannot move under the patch, keeping you from frowning or expressing while you sleep. 

Rose Water Hydrating Spray 

Retail Price - $5.00 or $12.95 

For soft, beautiful skin, after cleansing use Frownies anti-wrinkle treatment Rose Water Hydrating Spray on the entire face, neck and décolletage. Frownies Rose Water Hydrating Spray compliments the pH balance of the skin and helps reduce the appearance of pore size as it begins to plump fine lines and wrinkles. 

Only being 23, I don’t have a major problem with wrinkles. When I look closely at my forehead I can see some fine lines starting, but they aren’t visible to anyone walking by me on the street. I was introduced to Frownies and thought, what the hell; if it can get rid of my wrinkles overnight why not try this product.

So what are Frownies you ask? Frownies are little triangle shaped cardboard/paper stickers which you adhere to your forehead by activating the adhesive with water or their Rose Water Spray. When applying the triangle you want to spread out/flatten the wrinkle and then adhere the Frownie to that spot. The premise is that the Frownie will keep the skin taught, and prevent your face from forming the wrinkle it did in the first place; thus leaving you with wrinkle free skin.

Are Frownies easy to use? The Frownies packaging makes it seem so easy to apply these patches, but I had a bit of trouble. Tearing the patches down to size was easy, due to the perforated lines; however, I couldn’t get them to stick to my head. I sprayed the Rose Hydrating Water until the adhesive was sticky but, it took lots of pushing, rubbing, and waiting before I could remove my hands and have them not fall off. Once the adhesive was completely dry the corners unstuck and peeled away from my skin.

Application Diagram

Removal was the complete opposite nightmare…they didn’t want to come off! I soaked the patches, as per instructions, to reactivate the adhesive, but they wouldn’t budge. I ended up just having to rip them off like a Band-Aid which I would not recommend, because it (a) hurts like crazy, and (b) probably isn’t good for your skin.


So did they work for me? In the short run, I did notice that my fine lines were less prominent after removing this product. However, in the long run (using them sparingly over a few weeks) I didn’t notice any major or lasting effects/results.


Now I didn’t get to fully test these how I would have liked, or how they suggest, because they irritated my skin, and caused me to break out. At first I thought it was a new cleanser, I was testing, that was causing the breakouts. However, after ceasing to use the cleanser I was still having issues. It was either something in the adhesive or the Rose Water Spray that was irritating my skin. I wasn’t getting whiteheads, just these translucent bumps that when popped looked like they had water in them. Not pretty!


Overall, I believe that these may be better suited for someone with more advanced wrinkles than me. Also, I just found these too time consuming, and painful to use on a continuous basis. It was nice to try them out but I wouldn’t use them on a regular basis or go out of my way to purchase them.


Check out KalynLord.com's review to see what she thought of the Frownies.

Disclaimer: Product(s) mentioned in this post were provided for review purposes. Opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Review: Eat Sleep Polish "April Showers Bring May Flowers" Collection

I am so excited about today's review! I am a huge nail polish junkie, and I recently got the chance to try and review my first Indie Polishes thanks the Eat Sleep Polish. ESP is a Canadian Indie line that is all 3-free. They contain no Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene, and Formaldehyde. All polishes are 100% Cruelty Free and Vegan.

The April Showers Bring May Flowers collection is not your typical "Spring" collection. In Ontario, where these polishes are made, March through April is still full of snow, rain & storms. It is with that inspiration that this collection was born.

I was so intrigued when I heard about this collection, because during this time of the year I am not really feeling the bright, classic Spring colours. This collection totally reminds me of the weather outside right now and it was so fun to try them all out on my nails. There were some clear winners for me in this collection, and some colours that weren't really for me. Overall, the quality of these polishes are comparable to brand name polishes, and I would recommend them and purchase more in the future.

Endless Sky

"A shimmery blue with a delicate violet undertone and a splash of scattered holo,  2-3 coats recommended. What would an ending winter be without a beautiful blue cloud free sky? This polish helps us to embrace the days to come where the sky is pure and endless."

This is my favourite of the collection. This sky blue literally glows on my nails. It is so eye catching and I received many compliments while wearing it. I dint find that the holo is very prevalent, but I think that it is what makes this polish look like it has so much depth and life. I used two coats for full opacity. I can see myself using this polish a lot this Spring.

Grasshoppa

"A light and airy green jelly filled with micro flakes, shimmer, pink & white glitter of various shapes and sizes. This is semi-sheer but can be layered, or worn over a base in a similar colour. Topcoat recommended to achieve a smooth finish. The inspiration behind this polish is itty bitty baby grasshoppers that start showing up in the fresh baby grass."

Although I really like the look of this polish in pictures, I really don't like how it looks on my nails. I have no problems with the formula or the colour combination, the shade of green just doesn't look good with my skin tone. 2 coats gave almost full opacity. I cant see myself grabbing for this one very often.

Perfect Storm

"A shimmery olive toned polish with a splash of scattered holo as well. 2-3 coats recommended. Spring is not spring without storms, and as the saying goes April Showers, Bring May Flowers. This polish represents the calmness and serenity that even a storm can bring."

This polish shifts from olive, to a champagne colour depending on the light. It applied the best of all the polishes, and was opaque in 2 coats. I found that this green looked better with my skin tone. I'm going to try some stamping with this polish in the future. The only downside I found with this polish is that it was difficult to remove.

Sidewalk Strider

"A funky cement looking polish. 2-3 coats recommended. This grey based polish is jam packed with black, white, pink & glitter and scattered with tiny blue sparkles. A delicate amount of holographic particles make this a unique and fun polish to wear. The inspiration behind this polish is going for walks in the early days of spring, where bits and pieces of winter ‘junk’ can be seen hiding in the melting snow."

This is my second favourite polish in this collection. It is just so fun to look at, both in the bottle and on the nails. I don't know how much it reminds me of cement, to me I always think of cookies and cream chocolate bars when I look at it. 2 coats is not fully opaque, next time I will use three coats. Removal is a bit difficult due to all the glitter, however, it's totally worth it.

Raspberry Mud Pie

"A cocoa coloured polish filled within beautiful raspberry shimmer, that truly glows from within. 2-3 coats recommended. Lets face it spring is muddy. However with soil and dirt come plants & flowers. There is always good to be found if you look hard enough!"

This polish was so frustrating to photograph! The holo glitter made my camera freak out! This polish does glow, and the glitter adds great depth, but I'm not in love with the base colour. I've never been a fan of brown polishes, and I think it looks weird on my nails. It's not an ugly colour, just not for me. 2 coats gave me full opacity.

Which polish from this collection is your favourite?

Disclaimer: These polishes were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

First Impression - Influenster NYC Brand Box

NYC isn't a brand I normally give much attention too. Mixed within all of the other drugstore brands I find that it doesn't really scream "Hey! Over here, swatch me, buy me!". Influenster gave me the opportunity to try NYC in their first Canadian box, and I was super impressed with the quality. I ended up being chosen for an additional bonus NYC box, and I have to say these products rock!

Sun 'N' Bronze Bronzing Powder in 706 Hamptons Radiance

Value: $4.99
"Why not give your skin a new bronzed dimension all year around? New NYC Sun 'N' Bronze combines the best shades ever for that perfectly sun-kissed look. Choose the one that fits your skin colour. Being sexy and tanned has never been so easy. Just smooth it on your face and get the sunny glowing look!"

This bronzer is the perfect shade for my skin tone, however, I have been using it as a blush instead. There is a slight sheen and shimmer to this product that I don't like in a bronzer. This gives a beautiful glow to my face, and a little product goes a long way.

L-R: All colours combined, each individual colour.

IndividualEyes Custom Compact in 944 Smokey Charcoals

Value: $4.99
"Discover NYC New York Colour Individual Eyes Custom Compact, the all-in-one compact with everything you need for a complete eye look: primer, illuminator, applicator and complementing shadows. With your colours, specially coordinated to intensify and enhance your eye colour, you can create a look as individual as you are, make your eyes pop!"

These wouldn't be first choice colour wise, but I am impressed with the pigmentation of these shadows. The primer and illuminator are a bit oily in texture. I find that they leave a greasy residue that creases extremely quick. The shadows have only slight fallout, and they have a creamy, and soft texture. 

Shadows on top. Primer bottom left. Illuminator bottom right.

High Definition Liquid Eyeliner in 889 Extra Black

Value: $3.99
"The ultimate mistake-proof application! With NYC's High Definition Liquid Liner you can forget those messy traditional liquid formula's that require a steady hand. The chic, liquid pen delivers smooth, fast-drying results whether you want a super-thin modern line or a thick, full-blown retro cat-eye flick. And the formula is smudge-proof and long-lasting - up to 10 hours of wear! High glam with minimal effort. Uber-black perfection in an instant!"

I love liquid liner! For the price of this liner, the quality is pretty good. Compared to my favourite Kat Von D liner, the pigmentation is a bit sheer. I will need to layer this liner to make it opaque. I am going to have to play around to lean the best technique to use this liner. I'm not sure at this point if it is something I would repurchase.

City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Colour in Ballroom Blush

Value: $2.99
"Just twist, glide, and go! NYC New York Colour City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Colour is here to give your lips a modern and fresh touch. Treat yourself to intense colours for hours with its wide range of amazing shades. With its shiny, stay put finish, this lip colour will become your go-to for an instant twist of colour. You will love its beyond cool pen format for an easy application. Feel the touch of silk on your lips!"

Lip pencils are my go-to for lip products, so I was ecstatic when I saw this in the box. This pencil is crazy pigmented, and super creamy. It glides onto the lips, and really does last all day. You really don't need at lot of product, I tend to apply a little and blend it out using my fingertip. The only downside is that the formula is a bit waxy.

Matte Me Crazy! Mattifying Top Coat

Value: $1.99
"Want more mattitude!? Go from shiny to matte in express New York seconds! So easy! All it takes is one coat of our new NYC Matte Me Crazy Top Coat! A special control-flow brush dispenses just the right amount of product for perfect application. Match with any of your favourite NYC nail polish shades, from light sheer to daring! Be creative and play with texture! Everyone will be totally matte about you!"

I've never really been a fan of matte nail polish. I prefer intense shine. However, after using this top coat I think I have been converted. Matte nails look sleek, and help play down crazy nail polish to make it more work appropriate. What I really like about this polish is that it is only $1.99!

Overall, this bonus Influenster box has really changed my perceptions of the NYC brand. I will definitely be giving them more attention from now on. Out of all of these products, I would repurchase the bronzer, and lip pencil for sure. The eye shadows I would repurchase, just in a different colour.

What are your thoughts on NYC as a brand? What are your favourite products from their line?

  

Disclaimer: I received these products for free from Influenster, for being a Brand winner for the Maple VoxBox. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.