Product Testing

Sonia Kashuk No 4 Synthetic Flat Top Buffer

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Sonia Kashuk No 4Sonia Kashuk No 4

Over the last two years years I’ve given my F80 quite the workout. It’s on its last legs, and could use replacing. I planned to. Then, Target offered 25% off all beauty products; I struck out and bought the Sonia Kashuk No 4 Synthetic Flat Top Brush (reg $16), which is widely suggested to be a dupe for the F80. I had my eye on it for a while, but with no reason to buy, I refrained.

Ergonomics

The No 4 features the same weird, ergonomic handle that many of the, “nicer,” SK brushes do. For some, that’s great – but unfortunately, this brush was awkward for my to hold and felt very unnatural. My hands are somewhat small, so your mileage may vary with the handle. I’m sure some people would find it comfortable to hold.

Bristles

This is the crucial part. So as you can see below, the bristles are different lengths (pardon the smudged eyeliner on my index finger)…

 

Sonia Kashuk No 4 Synthetic Flat Top vs Sigma F80

This isn’t a bad thing per se. Depending on the type of bristles and the rigidity with which they were bound, the length could be irrelevant. Here, however, it is not. Because more of the length is exposed, the bristles flex more during application. This impacts buffing and can, at worst, lead to streaks; at best, your application could take longer as you work to even out the product.

Like the Sigma F80, Sonia Kashuk No 4’s bristles are all synthetic (read: cruelty free). That said, there is a marked difference in texture. Compared to the F80’s Sigmax bristles, the Sonia Kashuk No 4 feels rough. It is not rough and does not irritate my skin; its bristles just seem so when compared with something softer.

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Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil

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Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil

Ages ago and with much skepticism, I tried argan oil for the first time. I ultimately decided that I liked it. I tried a less expensive oil and it wasn’t even close. A few months ago, I decided to try some other oils. I tried a pure grapeseed that turned out to do alright as an OCM oil, but wasn’t so great for moisturizing.

On a trip to Target, I purchased a bottle of Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil ($8.99) to use as a moisturizer in place of the Josie Maran I’ve been using. At under $10 for 0.84 fl oz, it is a far more economical option than anything Sephora has for sale. Having enjoyed their Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm, I approached it with optimism and curiosity.

Inside Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil

Rather than a single solitary oil, Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil is a blend of several. The first ingredient in the list is Sweet Almond (prunus amygdalus) oil, which explains some of my experiences (below). Thankfully, though this product does have a unique scent, there is no added fragrance. It claims to be rich in Omega-3s

Full ingredients are as follows:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Limonene, Citronellol, Pelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil, Geraniol, Citrus Aurantium Sinensis Peel Extract, Linalool, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citral, Citrus Lemon Peel Oil

Although I have an affinity for citrus, I’m not loving a handful of those ingredients that originate from citrus fruit. Compounds Limonene, Citronellol, Citral, and Linalool all occur naturally in the essential oils of plants and each has been shown to cause irritation in some individuals. In spite of my reservations and knowing that my skin is not sensitive, I did use the product for several months.

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LUSH Bath Bombs

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In September, I visited a LUSH store for the first time. I’m familiar with the brand, of course, but had never tried their products – shopping for such things requires at least one physical visit before retreating to the internet for future purchases.

I rarely take baths, but I knew I wanted bath bombs. From there, I had no idea. Luckily for me, I encountered a friendly, knowledgeable employee (whose name, I regret, I do not remember) who asked me some questions to make recommendations:

“Do you like glitter?” Woman, is that even a question? Of course it is – plenty of customers don’t care for glitter. That’s fine, more for me. “What kind of fragrances do you like? Clean? Warm? Vanilla-y? Citrus? What else?” There were a few more – but she led me to two. The Experimenter, which is vanilla and tonka…

LUSH - The ExperimenterLUSH Cosmetics – Experimenter Bath Bomb

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Batiste Dry Shampoo

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Batiste Dry Shampoo
Batiste Dry Shampoo / Tropical / $6

For several years, I was a devotee of Psssst! dry shampoo. It took me a long time to find and settle on it, sifting through failures from Pantene and Dove, the lackluster one from Not Your Mother’s, and through an incredibly-awesome-but-usually-out-of-my-budget KMS Hair Play. Psssst! was out of stock when I went to replenish, so I decided to try Batiste. If you caught my August Favorites, you saw that it earned a place as one of them.

Application

That pressure, though – depressing the nozzle of a Batiste bottle releases a quick, forceful burst of product where you want it to go. No wimpy, aimless mists here – Batiste’s fine, powdery spray is targeted. Batiste is on a mission. This is awesome if you’re like me and tend to need to concentrate dry shampoo in certain areas – for instance, towards the back of my crown is the spot that usually needs the first, and repeat, attention. Being able to direct product there means less product goes to waste – and it means that areas that don’t need help aren’t risking unnecessary build-up.

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Trim Portable Manicure System

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Trim Portable Manicure SystemTrim Portable Manicure System, $8

I had something similar to this cheap, battery-operated electric file years ago. The motor ultimately burned out, and I hadn’t seen a replacement until I came across the Trim Portable Manicure System while out and about.. Admittedly, I didn’t give the tool much scrutiny in the store when I picked it up. For under $8 and running on non-included AA batteries, my expectations were low.

First Impression

Upon unboxing the tool I confirmed that its construction matched its price-point. The body is made of cheap, lightweight plastic. The handle is long (read: awkward to handle), and it doesn’t seem as though the bits have a locking mechanism to hold them in place. The battery compartment was easily accessible, but there aren’t any markers to indicate which way to insert them. I determined that negative should face the bottom of the compartment, positive towards the top.

No dial, switch, or series of buttons means no variable speed control. This little guy is a one-speed.

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