Pinkwashing

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Some content has been edited for flow and clarity, but the essence of the post is the same.

It is October, which means a lot of things – dark lips, darker eyes, fun crazy eye looks inspired by candy corn, Halloween-look YouTube tutorials…you know. Things that matter.

It also means that it is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Which means everything is coated in a pink so similar to Pepto Bismol that you’re half-surprised there isn’t a lawsuit afoot. This phenomenon has come to be known as Pinkwashing and the goal (supposedly) is to raise awareness. We find people clad in pink all month feeling awfully good about the difference they’re making…but spoilers, your pink tee isn’t funding mammograms for early detection. Treatment. Etc.

We need less, “awareness,” bullshit and more research for treatment and prevention.

If you wish to support research efforts, actually try to support the cause by researching who you are planning to donate to. Unfortunately, not all charities are as noble as they’d have you believe.

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Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencil

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Esqido Gel Eyeliner

First things first: I received a pair of Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils for the purpose of a review. Otherwise, I did not receive any compensation or incentive to write this content, and as always, all opinions are my own.

Background

Esqido has provided me with lashes to review in the past. Even though I didn’t become a worshipper, they reached out to see if I’d be interested in giving their new eyeliners a shot.

I’m not a huge eye pencil user but eyeliner fits into my life a lot more than luxurious falsies do; I took them up on it.

Colors

For now, Esqido offers gel eyeliner pencils in black and brown; I received both. Between the two shades, I find myself favoring the brown for daily use.

It isn’t clear whether or not other shades are in the works.

Features

The first thing that struck me as clever as hell about these eyeliners is the silicone ring on the barrel that the cap will fit snugly over. Gel eyeliners, regardless of format, are notoriously susceptible to drying out; this ring protects the product by creating an airtight seal. CLEVER. Even my husband, who obviously gives zero bothers about cosmetics, thought it was cool and clever!

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Worth it? Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment

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Tarte Knockout Tingling TreatmentTarte Knockout Tingling Treatment, $39

At the end of August, during the surprise BI sale, I purchased two things:

  1. Restocked Ole Henriksen Truth Serum.
  2. I decided to give the overwhelmingly positively reviewed Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment (5oz for $39) a shot.

My interest in the latter was piqued when Stef Nicole mentioned it in her 2017 skincare video; she’s a highly skeptical character, went in to try this with an admirable level of skepticism, and came out impressed. So hey – I’ll give it a shot too. Like her, I question the foray of makeup brands into the skincare realm, but her judgment is pretty damn solid.

If it Ain’t Broke

For as long as I can remember at this point, I haven’t tried any new skincare products. This was due to a few things:

  • I’m on a low buy
  • I didn’t want to risk compromising my skin
  • Everything was working

For chemical exfoliation, I was largely relying on my Alpha Skin Gel for an AHA. That said, I can’t seem to get my hands on the Alpha Skin Gel easily – and for the first time in a while I felt adventurous.

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Done with European Wax Center

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Preparing for Waxing

Last year, I shared that I had started partaking of services European Wax Center. In spite of my comparatively (to the past, anyway) lower beauty budget, I enjoyed the results enough to justify the ongoing splurge. To fit it in, I did things like take advantage of their Wax Pass promotions to cut the per-service price down further.

My Skin

For a while, the results were fantastic. As time went on, though, I seemed to develop more issues with ingrowns and other unpleasant things. It felt like I was spending almost as much time and effort on preventing and treating waxing-induced ingrowns than I was saving by not shaving. That hardly makes it a winning proposition for me.

Turnover & Attention to Detail at European Wax Center

It seemed like every time I’d get comfortable with a particular Wax Specialist (esthetician), she would get promoted (yay!), change schedules (boo), or part ways with the company. This resulted in more last-minute rescheduling than I care for, and it meant reacclimating to a new person whose job is to rip hair out of you.

Beyond that, not all specialists are equally good; some are more or less thorough than others. Let’s face it – waxing isn’t inexpensive, and there are several good reasons for that. That said, when you’re paying for a premium aesthetic service like that, you should expect not to have to go home and find you need to finish the damn job.

The environment is not that of a luxurious spa, which is OK – but you still expect to receive a complete service at least, I don’t know, 90% of the time.

The Upsells got Old

Each appointment includes a hard sell on product even you in fact just bought product last time. Additionally, EWC employees don’t seem to be well-versed in their product; namely, what makes their products effective or preferable to other things on the market.

Done with European Wax Center

After several months in a row of this, I decided that I’m done with European Wax Center. I called to cancel my prepaid Wax Pass. This caused me to forfeit a $25 cancellation fee (terms I had agreed to upon sign-up); the remainder was refunded to my original payment method without fuss.

The Bottom Line

For my needs, I am considering investing in a small hard wax kit from Sally Beauty and resort to shaving (and giving my Silkn Laser another shot).

New Sensationail USB LED Lamp

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Happy Mani Monday! Yesterday, I did a gel set of Sensationail Nude Mood, which I used for the first time. Check it out:

new Sensationail LED lampSensationail USB LED Lamp

This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Content has been updated for clarity, but opinions are the same!

Back in 2016, I went shopping for the Sensationail Polish to Gel. There, I was faced with two options: just the Polish to Gel, $7.99, or a Starter Kit with the new Sensationail USB LED Lamp, $23.99. I was like, “Wait, NEW lamp?!”

I bought the starter kit. Yes, I already have a lamp – but I wanted to see what was so, “new and improved,” (or if it was indeed, ‘improved’) about the new lamp.

Power

The new lamp is powered via an included micro-USB cable, and comes with an AC adapter.

My desk is also where I usually do my nails, so it being USB-powered is perfect for me. If I choose to do them at my vanity, I just bring a power bank over there with me. USB power makes it way better for travel, should you need to bring it with you – it (generally) means you can travel with fewer cables, fewer things to need adapters for. Less competition for AC outlets, too.

Lamp Features

Instead of an annoying switch-and-button combo, the new Sensationail LED lamp has a motion sensor. The lamp detects when something is placed within and automatically comes on, as well as powers off when nothing is inside. This is awesome for flash-curing any colors that may be fussy about shrinkage.

Additionally, the new Sensationail LED Lamp’s base is magnetic and pops off to support easier use for pedicures. Some professional lamps are bottomless for this precise reason; it’s really nice to see this in a small, home-use lamp. I don’t do gel pedicures very often, but it is SO CONVENIENT to have this option. It’s great for when you’re dabbling in messy manicures (like embedding glitter in gel), too.

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Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 17 – Hair Dryer Recall

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Xtava Allure Hair Dryer RecallXtava Allure Hair Dryer Recall

Imagine it’s early in the morning, you’re getting ready for the day … and your trusted hair dryer burns you. Or catches fire. Hell of a way to wake up!

Back in August, over two-hundred thousand hair dryers sold by popular retailers Amazon and Wal-Mart were recalled. The dryers in question, the Xtava Allure and Xtava Allure Pro 2200W, are also commonly (and currently, WTF) sold by Groupon Goods.

Why the Hair Dryer Recall

Hundreds of reports were filed with referencing incidents involving explosions, melting, or catching fire.

Oh, that’s good.

Additionally, a few dozen people reported being shocked or burned by the appliances when they overheated.

Great, even better.

Who is Xtava

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