I mentioned purchasing the Paint it Pink set in my Value Sets post. I’ve had some time to put it through the ringer now. Today, I’ll share a brief snippet of my thoughts on each item. Full posts for each will follow.
Sephora Paint it Pink Value Set, $40
Foreo Issa MiniLast year after this post, I purchased a Foreo Issa Mini. I did not purchase the curious toothbrush for myself, but for my husband who happens to have unreasonably sensitive gums. Although his dentist tells him his gums are healthy, they bleed every time he brushes (even using the softest-bristled toothbrush).
Can you imagine? That’s REALLY unpleasant!
After I read that some people with sensitive mouths were having good luck with the Issa, I decided to go for it when Sephora had their Spring BI sale. This purchase is what made me VIB, so at the time I only managed to snag 10% off plus whatever eBates was offering at the time.
I ordered the Issa Mini ($119) because functionally, there’s no difference between it and the full-size. The main differences are length of the handle and size of the silicone ‘brush’ head…we checked them out together and decided the Mini would be fine. If anything, a slightly smaller brush head is easier to use; it offers greater maneuverability around your teeth, particularly in the back of your mouth. (If you’ve ever used an Oral-B or Sonicare electric with the petite heads, you know this!)
I interviewed my husband who has used it for coming up on a year to capture his opinions on the device and whether he thinks the Foreo Issa Mini was worth it.
Ever on the hunt for a great shampoo and conditioner for my needs, I decided to try another inexpensive option when it was time to repurchase, recently. (Sometimes inexpensive products that don’t seem exciting can be, after all!) So, for science, I picked up the Suave Professionals Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner ($4-6). They are claimed to be as effective as Matrix Amplify (but I have not tried the Matrix product so I am unable to compare).
The clear shampoo lathers well (if you’re into that sort of thing…and if you aren’t, steer clear) and rinses cleanly without too much effort. I found the consistency of the conditioner to be thin – not terribly thin to the point of being useless, but not as thick, creamy, and moisturizing as I would generally like it to be. I apply it and leave it for 3 minutes before rinsing while I other things in the shower, but it does not penetrate the hair shaft as much as I’d like.
Three areas my collection is really wants for are lips, blush, and highlight. A few months ago, Sephora had their Rouge Infusion Lip Stain available as a BI point reward, so I picked one up. I like the idea of stains because although I love makeup, I’m hilariously lazy when it comes to reapplication. Peony was the available shade, and I was delighted – it seemed like it would be somewhat MLBB, maybe with a touch more pink, but still very like that.
The Rouge Infusion Lip Stain tube is cute and reminds me of a vial, but it may suck to store if you keep all your lip products in an organizer in which they are intended to stand up. The Peony shade is pretty.
…and that’s where the good ends.
Simple Micellar WipesI haven’t forsaken the Kirkland Makeup Wipes I’ve been buying from Costco, but I’ve seen some positive chatter about the new Simple Micellar Wipes ($6 for 25). Since I enjoyed the previous Simple Makeup Wipes I had, I decided to take advantage of a coupon, Target Cartwheel offer, and an iBotta rebate and try them for science.
I like them – and I like them better than the original ones I had tried from Simple!
Sephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel TrioI’ve mentioned before that I have an interest in non-powder blushes. When Sephora released the Colorful Cheek Ink Gels, I made a mental note to give it a shot.
When I received the Sephora Collection Make You Blush! Colorful Cheek Ink Gel trio before Christmas, I was excited to but ultimately had to set it aside for a bit to get through the holidays. Well, the holidays have now passed and I’m finally settling back into my routine.
The Colorful Cheek Ink Gel trio features three of the six available shades in slightly more (0.35 oz) than half as large a the regular (0.67oz), individual Colorful Cheek Ink Gels.
Sephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel Swatches