Victoria's Secret Secret Garden Shampoo/Conditioner REVIEW

  I don't know why it's taken me so long to try these products as I usually love ANYTHING from Victoria's Secret and am impressed with their beauty products 95% of the time.  Well, with these products, I can tell you I am very pleased.  To be honest, I wasn't expecting much in the way of actual results with these shampoos and conditioners.  I wasn't looking for something to soften my hair or give me extra moisture, etc.  What I WAS looking for was something with a lasting fragrance for my hair.  Typically, the fragrance in most shampoos and conditioners fades over time and any sort of perfume/body splash sprayed directly to the hair will evaporate pretty quickly.  I, personally, love when a fragrance lasts on my hair, no matter what product I use, be it a serum, hairspray, frizz cream, etc.  So, I decided to give these a shot for the purpose of a "hair fragrance" and for that purpose only.  Well, after using an these products for well over 3 weeks, I can tell you that they have surpassed my expectations.  Not only does the fragrance linger for hours, but the actual shampoos and conditioners made my hair super soft and more manageable.  I love that I can layer these with my other VS fragrances if I want a more lasting scent.  Amber Romance is my favorite, especially in the fall.  The price of these products isn't bad either.  They almost always have them priced at 3 for $21 or $10 each for 10.1 oz.  Not bad...not bad at all.  You can purchase these products at your local Victoria's Secret store or online at www.victoriassecret.com

To sum up:

Rating:  5 out of 5

Pros:  lasting fragrance, good value, very moisturizing

Cons:  some may consider them pricey, not easily accessible as you need to make a trip to  VS or purchase online


**I purchased these products on my own and am not being paid for this review.** 

Philosophy 3-in-1 perfumed shampoo, bath, and shower gel in Amazing Grace REVIEW

If you've never tried the Philosophy line, stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW and get yourself to a Sephora or Ulta and check it out!  They have an amazing skin care line and an awesome variety of fragrances that you're going to love!  The one I'm reviewing is the 3-in-1 perfumed shampoo, bath, and body gel in Amazing Grace.  This product comes in a variety of fragrances, including everything from clean, floral scents like Amazing Grace to fun delicious scents like cinnamon hot dots, fudge cake, caramel apple, and many more!  Now, I love products like these that come in such an array of "flavors" because I love a good bath and what's more fun than experimenting with bath products?  I'm a little obsessed with bath and body products, so I've shopped around quite a bit.  The Philosophy 3-in-1 shower gels are different than any other.  They lather REALLY well, which makes it an excellent shower gel and and awesome bubble bath.  It also lathers nicely when used as a hair shampoo.  Another thing I love about this is the fragrance stays on your FOREVER.  It stays on your skin and hair (if used as a shampoo) hours after using it.  BUT, it's not overwhelming either.  It's perfection.  Another thing I adore about Philosophy is that they include little sayings on their packaging.  The "philosophy" written on Amazing Grace talks about grace, forgiveness, compassion, etc.  It makes the brand unique and who doesn't love to read in the bath?  It is sold at Sephora and Ulta stores or you can find them online at www.philosophy.com for $30.  I know that sounds pricey, but it is for 24oz of glorious product and you can use it sparingly as it lathers so well. 

To sum up:

Rating:  5 out of 5

Pros:  great lather, lovely fragrance, lasting scent, cute packaging, good value

Cons:  costs a bit more than drugstore bath products, strong fragrance if you don't like that


**I purchased these products on my own and am not being paid for this review.**

 

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze Razor REVIEW

This razor is the best innovation yet! It has 3 blades that are surrounded by a gel cushion that actually LATHERS! So, you don't need to add shave cream or soap. You just add water. That's it! It creates a gel-like moisturizing solution on your body as you shave and the result is a super close shave and intensely moisturized skin. Obviously, you'll need to replace the blade after the gel pads are used up, but they last surprisingly long. I'll be sticking with this one for a while! LOVE it!  You can purchase these at your local drugstore and/or grocery store for $9-$11 each.  It comes with 2 refillable razors, in addition to the one that comes attached to the handle.  So, it's a good value, in my opinion.  That said, I'm a cheapo and still wouldn't pay that much money for a razor, no matter how great it is.  BUT, you can find awesome coupons in the Sunday paper almost every week for Gillette products since they're owned by Proctor and Gamble.  I find $4 and $5 off coupons in the paper all the time, so it makes the price a lot more affordable.  You can also use the coupons on the refillable cartridges!  Check them out on Amazon.

To sum up:

Rating:     4 out of 5

Pros:  gives you a close shave without using additional shave products, moisturizes skin, razors last a long time, excellent quality

Cons:  the gel-like lather can be a bit goopy, the lather eventually runs out, can be pricey without sales/coupons


**I purchased these products on my own and am not being paid for this review.**

CHI Silk Infusion REVIEW

This is a product that I had no idea existed.  When I'm on the hunt for a de-frizzer, I look for products labeled "frizz cream" or "frizz serum" or something like that.  This one doesn't mention anything about frizz, whatsoever.  That's because it's marketed as a hair protectant and I wasn't looking for a heat protectant as I have a few that work just fine already.  But, recently, my stylist used this on my hair and I have been IN LOVE ever since!  The thing I love about this is it leaves my hair looking and feeling like silk.  NO LIE.  It makes my hair super shiny without that greasy residue and it's literally soft as silk.  You can use it on wet or dry hair....I do both.  :)  I use it on my towel-dried hair before I blow dry it, then I put a tiny bit on after to give it a bit of shine.  You truly only need a dime size amount and I have long hair, so this product is a great value!  I purchased a 6oz bottle at the salon for $25.00, but I've seen it at discount stores, such as TJ Maxx and even Target for much less.  It's a bit pricey, but the value is excellent since you don't need that much product.  For more information, check out Folica.com.

To sum up:


Rating:    5 out of 5


Pros:  Protects hair against damage caused by heating tools, leaves hair feeling super soft, no greasy residue, makes hair really shiny

Cons:  more pricey than drugstore products


**I purchased these products on my own and am not being paid for this review.**

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish REVIEW: The lip gloss that changed my life

First off, I am not a fan of lip plumpers, in general.  The ones I've tried in the past usually sting my lips and have no plumping affect, as promised.  At a recent shopping trip to Sephora, I saw a line made by Bare Escentuals, called Buxom, on display and, to be honest, the packaging drew me right in.  The lip glosses are packaged in boxes with little  pictures of what seem to be burlesque dancers.  Each gloss has a different name.  Now, I'm a sucker for names and I've been known to purchase a product or two solely based on the name.  :)  The names on these glosses sound like stripper.....or....er.....burlesque dancer names.  A few names include  Bambi (a soft, shimmery peach), Dolly, (a shimmery plum), Trixie (a pinkish rose), Sandy (a pink nude), and Bunny (a baby pink).  These are only some of the wide range of color choices available.  Now, these glosses are marketed as a "pout-perfecting lip polish", so there is a slight tingly feeling when applied to the lips.  But, it's a cool, minty feeling, not a sting, like other glosses.  I'm SO in love with these glosses.  I never leave home without one.  I honestly think they put something extra in them because they have me completely addicted.  I actually crave them.  LOL  You can purchase Buxom lip gloss at Sephora and Ulta. 

To sum up:

Rating:  5 out of 5

Pros:  nice packaging, wide variety of lovely colors, infused w/Vitamins A and E, cooling affect on lips, noticable plumping affect, paraben, phthalate, and sulfate-free

Cons:  A bit pricey, IMO, at $18 each., you may not like the cooling affect if you're not a fan of mint or plumping gloss.

**I purchased these products on my own and am not being paid for this review.**

Welcome to my very first blog!

Hello, world!  My name is Shawna.....Welcome to my blog.  It's not much yet, but it will be soon.  I've been a makeup junkie and all around beauty fanatic most of my life and I've decided to make my obsession that much worse by creating a blog about it.  I don't know what's taken me so long, quite honestly.  I love to talk.  I love makeup.  I love to talk ABOUT makeup.  This blog makes perfect sense.  I'm also a dance teacher.....hence the "ratherbedancing" and I wouldn't be surprised if dance-related posts show up here in the future.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as I know I will.