Vickery & Clarke Face Mask Review + Sephora DEALS

(image: CVS)

It's been awhile since my last product review. As promised in a previous Vickery & Clarke post, I give you the detoxifying mask. This natural product line is sold exclusively in CVS. I've used the mask about 3-4 times since purchasing the item. So far I'm quite happy with this product, especially since it was purchased for half the price!:) Even at its full retail value, Vickery and Clarke products are very affordable (under $15). The mask alone costs about $4.99 at full price.

Here are a few specs about the product:

CVS Deal: 50% off on all Vickery & Clarke Products

(Image: CVS.com)

During today's CVS trip, I was drawn by the bright yellow 50% off tags for Vickery & Clarke. Love the simple packaging with its vintage feel and best of all, it's super affordable even at full price. There were many choices from face products to lip balms to body scrubs and much more. The line contains over 94% natural ingredients and are paraben free, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate free, Phthlate free, and Petrolatums free. There's even a quick history lesson behind it. A blurb on the packaging states that the line was inspired by two women pioneers of pharmacy, Alice Vickery and Isabella Clarke.

I was pressed for time today, so I quickly decided on the face mask and body scrub. They were $4.99 + 50% off each with your Extra Care Bucks card (sign up for free!). Awesome deal! From my quick perusing, it looks like all their products are under $15:) I will definitely write a review on these soon. I may be gifting a spa basket with these products for a certain sibling who loves trying out new beauty products...

Kiehl's Offer: Free Ground Shipping + FREE Lip Balm #1

It's been awhile since my last post! Those of you who are fans of Kiehl's products will love their online offer! I thought this was pretty awesome so I had to post it right away :) Become a Kiehl's member (http://www.kiehls.com/) and receive not only updates, but also exclusive offers! Their latest offer is free ground shipping with purchase of $30 or more AND receive a complimentary Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm. This offer is good for this week only. In addition, every order receives 3 free samples of your choice!

I discovered Kiehl's maybe about 2 years ago or so. Initially, I was hesitant to try their products. I thought that it would be another line of overpriced products with mediocre results. During one of my trips to Nordstrom's, I made my way to the Kiehl's counter and was approached by their skin specialist. He seemed pretty knowledgeable and asked me several questions about my skin and daily beauty routine. He recommended the ultra facial toner and advised that I used it after each face wash. I thought it was a bit excessive (and expensive :P), but he said that following this routine would wipe away not only debris but also residual detergents from your face (which also contributed to the tightness that you feel after you wash & dry your face). Two years later, I'm hooked on this product and the ultra facial cream moisturizer. Great combo for my skin type :)




I'm happy to say that I've seen an improvement in my complexion (my mom & my sister noticed, too!) It doesn't seem as dull, which is most likely attributed to the toner. For $15 a bottle, it's a bit pricey, BUT a few drops goes a long way! The moisturizer is a bit more expensive and comes in a small 1.7 fl oz jar for $24.50, but same goes for this product, you won't be needing too much for full facial coverage. We were at Nordstrom's last month and discovered that the same moisturizer comes in a bigger jar (4.2 fl. oz.) for $45.50! Much better deal. If only we had known...

Bottom Line: Become a Kiehl's member & take advantage of their awesome offers:) Still hesitant to try their products? Ask for a sample at the counter or store and test them out! (for FREE!) From my experience, Kiehl's reps have all been very nice and helpful and not stingy with the samples :)

Sephora Tricks of the Trade

I recently discovered Sephora's Tricks of the Trade. Awesome stuff! As you can see on the left panel, I have ridiculously oily lids:( Not only does the liner smudge on my lower lash line, but it also leaves its mark at the crease. A friend told me about this product since she has a similar problem. I tried it out and bam! hardly any residue at the end of the night. I used a waterproof liquid liner that day so I'm not sure how this product would work with a pencil liner. I will definitely get back to you guys once I try it out. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with this product. If only I had known sooner...:)

Check out this product here at Sephora's website. It costs about $14 for a small bottle. It's a bit pricey, but I think it's worth it :)

Almay's Pure Blends Deal @ Target

Target is having an awesome sale on Pure Blends products by Almay. Great time to stock up on eyeshadows & lipglosses! Shadows are packaged in pairs for $5.02 (approximately the price of 1 shadow!) I believe it's about the same deal for the lipglosses. I was too excited about the shadows, so I didn't really pay attention to the other products :) Can't wait to try the lavender and oatmeal shades. I will definitely write a review when I get the chance to pick these up. Busy weekend ahead, so hopefully there will still be some shadows left for me. Have a great weekend everyone!

Click here for more information on Almay Pure Blends. They claim that their products contain over 95% natural ingredients :)

Kiehl's Marvelous Mineral Mascara

Just saw the new Kiehl's Marvelous Mineral Mascara on the Kiehl's website. Gotta love Kiehl's products! Has anyone tried this out, yet? Sounds like a promising product, but my major problem is my ridiculously oily lids. Blast these lids. I've tried countless products and so far my regiment includes DiorShow Waterproof Mascara. I still get raccoon eyes at the end of the day, but I noticed that if I blot my lids, it somewhat helps. If you have tips/tricks or know products that work and if you are willing to share, I'm all ears :)

Here is the link to the Kiehl's mascara if you would like more information. BTW, retails for $16.50 a tube. Their description is quite enticing :)

• Mineral pigments add natural, rich color
• Acacia Senegal thickens for length and volume
• Paraben-free, clump-free, fragrance free
• Tug-free brush is ultra-soft to the touch
• Opthamalogist tested and allergy tested
• Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
  

Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Spray

Picked up a travel size version of Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo spray for $10.00 at Ulta. I thought I would give it a try first before purchasing the full size for $21. I've tried two brands previously, Ojon's rub out dry cleanser and Rene Furterer Naturia dry shampoo. I purchased the Naturia dry shampoo at Sephora. It was highly recommended by the sales associate (or maybe because it costs $3 more than the Oscar Blandi dry shampoo I was thinking of purchasing :P). The product worked well, but I wasn't too crazy about the scent. Ojon's was just mediocre, but again I wasn't too happy with the scent. It left my hair smelling like incense.

The Oscar Blandi dry shampoo was a bit of a disappointment, as well. I'm not sure if I had a bad batch, but it left grainy residue on my hair even after an hour or so. The powder didn't dissolve into my hair as well as the Naturia brand and it was quite obvious against my black hair. I attempted to comb it through to evenly distribute the powder. It was a bit of a hassle especially when you're in a rush.

Bottom Line: The scent of Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo was great. Smelled fresh and clean especially when you don't have time to wash your hair in the morning:) I probably will not purchase this product again, just because of the grainy powder residue it left on my hair. Out of all 3 brands that I've tried so far (and if scent was not a factor), I would recommend Rene Furterer Naturia dry shampoo. T3 has a fairly new dry shampoo line, 360 degrees Refresh Volumizing Dry Shampoo. Has anyone tried this brand recently?

Too Faced Make-Up Book: The Beach Bunny

Speaking of apricot shadows, I purchased Too Faced's The Beach Bunny mini pallet this past January. At the time, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that they were 50% off. I was drawn to the vintage graphics and the color scheme in this pallet. Another great feature about the packaging is its compact nature. It's about the size of a playing card and thin enough to slide in your pocket! Unfortunately, when I came home, the shadow was a bit too orangy for me. I was not tanned at that time, so it was a bit much for my skin tone. On the other hand, the bronzer was a great color if applied sparingly:) I pulled out this pallet again, recently, and gave the shadow another shot. The apricot color was still a bit too orangy even though I'm more tanned now. This color is a shade darker compared to the Almay's Pure Blends eye shadow I reviewed below.

Sorry about the bad picture quality, but the colors are actually much more vibrant in person. This pallet comes with two lipglosses in bubble gum pink and coral. I'm not too crazy about the quality of these glosses. It was a bit too sticky and when applied, it did not glide on smoothly. Also, it had poor lasting power. This is my first time trying Too Faced lip glosses, so I'm not sure if these glosses are representative of all their lipglosses. Bottom Line: Love the bronzer. Had high hopes for the shadow but it was a bit much for my skin tone. Have you guys tried other Too Faced pallets from this line?

Almay PureBlends Shadow in Apricot

My first product review ever! This is quite exciting:) for me at least :) I just bought Almay's Pure Blends eye shadow in apricot at Target yesterday. They're having a 10% off sale all the Pure Blends products. It doesn't seem much, but hey at least it covers the sales tax. This line of make-up is eco-friendly and contains mostly natural ingredients. The shadow I purchased is paraben and talc free.

I was hesitant about this color at first, since my skin color has yellow undertones. I was trying to avoid the jaundice look. One swipe of the shadow was not enough for me. I had to swipe on 2-3 more layers. Love the color! I've been out and about lately, so my face is a bit more tanned (more towards the medium range). I love how the color looks against my current skin tone. The apricot color is somewhat shimmery, but not too overwhelming therefore it's translates well in the daytime. Plus, the pigment did not bring out my yellow undertones. Such a great spring/summer color! I love the simplicity of the cardboard packaging with magnetic closure, plus it's made of 58% recyclable material.

Bottom line: I would most likely buy more shadows from the Pure Blends line. I'm not too sure how this color would look in my original skin tone (medium fair), but it works for the time being! My next purchase may be the shadow in lavender and perhaps a lip gloss. Has anyone tried either the lavender shadow or gloss or other Pure Blends products? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these:)