Review: Fruits & Passion's Summer Fragrances

Hey Girls! Today I will be reviewing some products from Fruits & Passion, in their new Summer Fragrances. I received these products for free from F&P to try out and review.

Pomelo Granite 
"A joyful fragrance that combines the sweet, energizing notes of pomelo with the freshness of mint, for a granita effect. Melon, pear, peach, grapefruit, guava, blackberry and coconut. This fruit extracts cocktail is known for its antioxidant and softening properties."
 
At first I was worried that I wouldn't like this scent, but I LOVE it! It smells exactly like Spritz Up pop. Which is basically like 7UP or any other lemon-lime soda. It is very fresh and invigorating. I like to use this shower gel in the morning because the citrus really helps me wake up.
 
The body gel and hand lotion both have a gel consistency and the texture reminds me of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. It absorbs very quickly into the skin and there isn't any greasy residue. I've been using the Hand Cream at work and it works wonders. I am washing my hands 5-10 times an hour when I'm at work and they are extremely dry. This cream has saved my hands. I would definitely recommend it. 

Watermelon-Goji
"A fragrance bursting with fresh, summery watermelon notes accented with a cheerful and invigorating splash of goji berry."
 
I thought I would really like this scent, but it is just meh. It doesn't overly smell like watermelon, and I don't know what goji smells like, but this just smells very artificial. I definitely prefer the Pomelo Granite scent. This shower gel, like the Pomelo one, lathers well and is very moisturizing. The scent also lingers on the skin which is nice because when you use the lotion after you are layering the scents and you smell awesome all day!
 
If I had to repurchase one of the two scents I would absolutely pick the Pomelo Granite. And if I had to pick one of these products to repurchase it would be a hard choice between the shower gel and the hand lotion, but the hand lotion would win. Just because of the wonders it has worked for my hands.
 
If you are interested in purchasing any of these products, or F&P's other products, you can visit your local store or visit their website --> http://www.fruits-passion.ca/.
Keep in mind though that all of Fruits & Passion's products are seasonal and only available for 3-4 months. So run, run, run, to get your hands on these great products before they are gone. 



March Empties

1. EOS Shave Cream in Pomegranate Raspberry - I've reviewed this before and I don't really like it. It only slightly moisturizes and it really clogs up the razor. I really liked the scent, so I bought a new lip balm in it. Repurchase - No.

2. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Conditioner - I didn't love or hate this conditioner. It was just OK. I kind of expected more from John Frieda. I found that it really didn't add much moisture into my dry hair. Repurchase - No.

3. Herbal Essences Colour Me Happy Shampoo - This shampoo was over a year old, from the last time I dyed my hair. I didn't find that it overly did much when my hair was coloured or when it wasn't. I do like the Herbal Essence brand though and will continue to purchase their shampoos. Repurchase - Not this exact shampoo, but others I will.

4. Nivea Refreshing Toner - This is my current Holy Grail toner! It smells amazing, gets all the dirt/oil/makeup off my face, and leaves my skin feeling moisturized. Repurchase - Yes.

5. Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub - I love this stuff! It smells so good, like you are putting strawberry shortcake on your face. Although the strawberry seeds do exfoliate nicely, I wish it was a bit more scrubby. Repurchase - Yes.

6. Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel - I didn't really enjoy this cleanser. It didn't lather, smelt kinda funky, and I didn't feel like it really cleansed my skin. Repurchase - No.

7. Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser - I loved this cleanser! It foamed up nicely and gave a very gentle clean. After using this I always felt like I got all the dirt and makeup off my face. Repurchase - Yes.

8. Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes - These wipes really remove all my makeup with just one or two swipes. They are not drying to the skin and have a nice scent. Repurchase - Yes.

9. EOS Summer Fruit Lip Balm - I really like these lip balms and they are perfect for in your purse. I really liked the scent and I only used half, but it lasted forever. I just didn't find it sanitary anymore, so I am throwing it out. Repurchase - Yes.

10. Seche Vite Top Coat - As I've said before, this is one of the best top coats I have ever used. I just wish it didn't get thick and goopy after you've used half. Repurchase - Yes.

11. China Glaze Code Orange Mini Nail Polish - I received this in my very first Luxe Box almost two years ago. At the time I really liked the colour, but now I think that it just looks gross on my nails. Plus it is getting slightly goopy so I'm throwing it out. Repurchase - Yes.

12. Calvin Klein Splendid Basis Protective Base Coat - This base coat did not protect my nails from staining and caused my nail polish to peel after a few days. Repurchase - No.

13. Leaves Mini Candle - I love the smell of this candle (I know...typical blogger statement). This mini candle burned for about 5 hours and I loved every minute of it. Repurchase - Yes.

14. Quo Blush Brush - This is my second one in less than a year. I am not impressed with this brush at all. It sheds from day one and within a few months all the bristles are broken in half and it hurts my face to use, because the bristles are so picky. Repurchase - No.

NOTD: Starry - My 1st Holographic!

I rarely go to the Real Canadian Superstore in my city, but during a shopping day a few weeks ago, I stopped in because I needed some grocery items. I took a walk through the cosmetics section and was really impressed by the set up and selection. I ended up purchasing quite a few items that were on sale. You can see them in my Shopping the Sales Haul.

During that shopping spree I found this Joe Fresh Holographic Nail polish, named Starry, on sale for only $1.99. Normally, JF polishes are $4 a piece so I quickly snatched up this colour, as it looked like they were clearing them out, and it was the last one in stock.

I was excited to try a holographic, but I have to say, now that I have I am kinda disappointed. I did two coats of polish and you can still see my nails underneath. And it is really hard to see the flash of different colours in person, let alone capture them on camera. I took almost 50 pictures trying to get the few you will see below.

Pros of this polish is that it dries super quick and goes on very smoothly. The formula of Joe Fresh polishes never ceases to amaze me, that's why I will always repurchase from this line. The sliver base of this polish is really pretty, and when you can detect the other colours it is incredibly beautiful.

Cons are that I would need at least 3-4 coats for this to be completely opaque. Also, compared to the Color Club and China Glaze Holos, these polishes are lacking a bit.

I may not purchase any more JF Holographics, but my disappointment in this polish will not sway me from trying other brands.

Have you tried a Joe Fresh Holographic? If so, what are your thoughts on them?

What I Found @ Dollarama

Hey girls! Today's post is just a short one to show some great things that I have been seeing at my local Dollarama's. Lately I have been seeing some great brands at great prices, so I thought I would share with you!

Keep in mind that all Dollarama's get different products so you may or may not find these products at your stores. Happy shopping! :)

Review: BA STAR Smoky Eye Shadow Palettes

Disclaimer - This product was sent to me for review purposes from BA STAR through the website BrandBacker. I am not being compensated for this post. Opinions on this product are 100% honest and my own.

BA STAR offers four different smoky glitter palettes on their website in the colours: Natural, Smoky, Pretty N Pink, and True Blue. I received the Natural palette which is the one I was hoping for. You can see the other three by clicking HERE.

This palette comes with three mineral eye shadows in the colours Bronze, Cocoa, and Nude, as well as, two gel glitters in Gold and Crystal. It also includes a dual ended brush.

The brush is pretty cheap and I will never use it. One side has a sponge applicator and the other has a little brush with plastic bristles. Overall, the quality of this brush is lacking. I don't know why companies even include these.

The glitters are nice, but not practical for everyday wear because of the gel base. But I didn't have high expectations for everyday wear. Because BA STAR creates and markets their makeup for use by cheerleaders and dance teams, these glitters need to stand up to sweat, but are not likely to be worn on the eyes. In my life I would probably only use these on Halloween.

The gold glitter needs a few layers before it is semi opaque. I didn't find that the gold was as pretty out of the pan as it is in the pan. For me, the gel base didn't completely dry and on my eyes would crease fairly quickly. I also really had to scrub to get the glitter off which irritated my skin.

The crystal glitter was super pretty swatched on my hand. This glitter flashes a rainbow of colours, in the right light, and I tried my best to capture that. This would be perfect to use if I was doing a Fairy or Mermaid Halloween look. The downside of these glitters for me is that they irritated my skin. After removing the swatches from my hand I was left with a lovely red rash for the rest of the day. I'm not saying this will happen to everyone. Obviously one of the ingredients does not mesh with my skin.

The eye shadows in this palette far exceeded my expectations! I would not hesitate to purchase all four palettes just for the eye shadows and depot them into a freestyle palette. They were super smooth, and buttery and went on like a dream. The only one I had a problem with was Nude. It was a bit chalky and had a bit of fallout. Bronze and Cocoa were both opaque with one swipe. The colour payoff was amazing! I really think Bronze would look good over Maybelline's Bad to the Bronze cream shadow. I really love the tiny gold barely there glitter in Cocoa, it really adds a nice depth to the shadow. Nude would be great over Maybelline's Barely Branded cream shadow and perfect for an everyday makeup look.

I really love these shadows already and could see myself using them daily. If you would like to try BA STAR's Smoky palettes, or any of their other products, readers of my beauty full adventure will receive 50% off by using code BBSMOKY at the checkout.

NOTD: Blue Lagoon



Today's Nail of the Day is Revlon's Blue Lagoon. I picked up this polish at Dollarama a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to wear it. Revlon is my favourite nail polish brand right now and I love that I can find them at Dollarama for 50% off the regular retail price. It can be pretty hit or miss on the colours you can find at Dollarama, but at my local stores I can usually find a mix of both newer and older colours.

 

When I first saw Blue Lagoon I thought it was just another light blue polish, however, upon picking it up I noticed that it had really nice silver iridescent shimmer to it. The shimmer gives the polish some depth and set its apart from the other light blues in my collection.

 

I thought at first to describe this as a Baby Blue, then I said Robin's Egg Blue, but my BF disagreed. In his exact words this nail polish is "a grey blue." And after a week of wear it does kind of look like a greyish blue. But when it was first painted and in the bottle it is a lot brighter. It reminds me of the colour of Cinderella's dress. I don't know why, but it is just what I first thought of when I saw it.

 

Unlike most other Revlon polishes I have used, this one only lasted about 4 days without chipping, whereas, I normally get a week.

This is the best picture I could get that shows the silver shimmer.

Review: Wantable.co Monthly Makeup Subscription Box

Hey girls! Today's post is really exciting! I am going to be reviewing Wantable.co's Monthly Makeup Subscription service. I want to disclaim now that is post is going to be very long! I am going to be going over all the important company information, subscription info, and reviewing the products I was sent. I also want to disclaim that I was sent this promo box for free from Wantable's PR Rep Jaclyn. However, even though I did not pay for this box my views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.

Wantable is a makeup and jewelry subscription company, that is well established and reviewed in the U.S., and is making the move to Canada in April 2013. I actually heard about this company back in September 2012 when they were first launching, and recently heard through Smart Canucks that they will be offering a free box to all Canadians. We just have to pay for shipping. Well, naturally, the beauty enthusiast in me totally wanted to jump on this offer and within the past few weeks it has spread throughout some Canadian beauty enthusiast Facebook groups that I am a part of. I got in contact with their PR Rep Jaclyn to find out more information and she offered to send me a box so that I could review it here on my blog. Thank you so much Jaclyn! I just want to say that Customer Service at Wantable is amazing! They answer all your emails and questions in a timely manner and go out of their way to make sure that their customers are satisfied!

The Wantable Team!

I've broken down all of the information you will need to know into different questions that arose for me while I've been learning about this company. Hopefully, I answer all of your questions as well.

What Wantable claims.

"We send you hand-selected boxes filled with items that perfectly match your style."

How do Canadians sign up for their first box for free? How much does shipping cost?

The first box will be available mid-April. You can sign up to be on the waiting list using the following link. Sign up for your Free Wantable Box here!

According to Wantable, once you sign up for the waiting list they will email you instructions on how to get your free box, when they launch in April. Keep in mind that you must pay for shipping, so the box isn't really free. I just noticed on the web page that it says you must subscribe and your second box will be free. Now I am/was not aware that you had to pay for a first box before you get one for free and even in my talks with Jaclyn I was never given the impression that that was so.

Shipping for this free box will be a $5 premium rate, plus whatever duties and taxes apply for where you live. Therefore, everyone will probably be charged a different amount based on where in Canada they live.

UPDATE - Due to Wantable still being a start up company it is not feasible for them to offer everyone their first box for free. As everyone would sign up for the free box and then unsubscribe. So now all Canadians who subscribe and pay for their first box will be able to get their second box for free plus the shipping costs.

UPDATE #2 - For the 1000 people who signed up to get the first box free, they will still get that. They capped that promotion at 1000, and because it was so successful, they opened up the page for more people to try as well, but their second box will be free instead. So, anyone who signed up before yesterday - March 27th, will receive their first box free, and anyone who signs up from here on out will get the second one free.

What do you get when you subscribe to Wantable?

There are two different types of subscriptions at Wantable. You can sign up for either a recurring monthly Jewelry or Makeup Subscription. Or you can buy a one time gift of either Jewelry or Makeup. The Jewelry Box comes with 4-5 items. The Makeup Box includes 5 full size items, with additional sample sized items sometimes included. Both boxes are valued at over $80 and are filled with boutique, premium, brand products.

What does this subscription cost?

$36 per month for a recurring membership + $5 premium shipping rate + any additional duties and taxes

or

$40 for a one time gift purchase + $5 premium shipping rate + any additional duties and taxes

Now Americans normally get free shipping included with the base price of each option, but us Canadians are going to be paying quite a bit more per month. Because the duties and taxes are different for each part of Canada, you will be able to figure out what your monthly cost will be after you pay the $5+ duties and taxes on the free boxes. I'm just guesstimating here, but I'm thinking that it's going to be at least $20 additional for Canadians each month. I'm not sure if I would be willing to pay that much for a subscription box, full size products or not. But, we'll see.

What if I don't like the products I am sent?

No problem! Send them back to Wantable. Returns are always free!

What if I can't afford it one month, or would like a break?

Just like Julep you can choose to skip a month or two and still keep your current membership active. You are not locked into anything. You can cancel at anytime, no questions asked.

How do they customize my box according to my style?

Every month you can choose to go with the curated box that has set colours in it, or you can choose to have a customized box made for you.

There is a very comprehensive Beauty Questionnaire you go through upon subscribing. They ask you questions about the following beauty categories: brows, lip colour, lash products, eyeliner, eyeshadow, brushes, highlighter, bronzer, blush, & nail polish.

At first you pick whether you like, love, or dislike those categories. Then each category is broken down into subcategories, then colour option, and product type. All with like, love, and dislike options. So if you say that you love black gel liner, and hate hot pink lipstick, you will get the liner, but never get hot pink lipstick.

How long does it take to ship to me?

Shipping takes 5-9 business days and they will ship to anywhere in Canada.

Who chooses the products we get every month?

Wantable doesn't just hire anyone to pick their products! Industry specialists hand pick the brands and products. Let's meet them!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now as you can see, this subscription is a lot more, cost wise, than others on the market right now, even Glossybox. But what makes this subscription totally worth it is that you always get full size products. And these products are completely customized to you style and preferences based off the Beauty Profile. And on top of all that you can change what you want to receive every month, by changing your Beauty Profile to reflect what you like and dislike. And finally, if for some reason you still are not happy, (although I can't see why you wouldn't be), you can return the box at no extra charge to you, plus a refund of your money.

You will never get packet samples like Gylmm, get drugstore brands or expired products, like Glossybox, and you wont have to wait three months for your next box like Loose Button. You will always get full size, in-style, and in-season products and brands delivered to your door every month.

Now that you know about the company, here is what I received in my PR promo box. I kept my beauty profile very open, liking almost everything, as I wanted to see the variety of colours and products they would send me. I think going forward I am going to refine it a bit because some of the colours I got are just okay. I kind of wish now that I had stuck with the Robert Jones curated box instead of getting the customized one. I didn't really like the green eyeshadow in RJ's box, but I would have preferred to receive the pink lip gloss and blush to the ones that were chosen for me.

The packaging of this box is very nice. It's a purple cardboard box with the Wantable logo on the outside. The products are wrapped in black tissue paper. Inside the first thing you see is a thank you card and an invoice. What I really liked about the invoice is that they show you that they were listening to your requests by listing the product categories you did and did not want. They also list the products you received and the retail price of them. On the opposite side of the page there is a little letter about this months products and the thoughts behind their choices.

The second sheet shows a small picture of each of the products sent, a description of the product, and an application tip from "T".  I really like this touch because sometimes when I receive products in these boxes I can never figure out the best way to apply them.

Once seeing my products this month I noticed that they sent me everything I need to create a complete makeup look. I really like this aspect!

Here is a breakdown of the products I received:

Brand: 29 Cosmetics
Product: Crush Cheek Blusher in Tannins
Retail Value: $36.00
Description: A real honest-to-goodness healthy glow packed with anti-oxidants in shades that leave the skin naturally looking "blushed" not made up.
Tip from T: Swirl your brush in this beautiful blush and apply in a circular motion to the apples of the cheeks, extending outward towards the temples.
My Thoughts: This isn't a blush colour that I would normally pick out for myself. So it is nice to get something different. However, when swatched this blush comes off almost brown and reminds me of a glittery bronzer. I said I didn't like bronzer, so I don't know why they would send me something that resembles one.

Brand: Be a Bombshell
Product: Felt Tip Eyeliner in Espresso
Retail Value: $14.00
Description: Our long lasting eyeliner formula in a rich brown. Serves as a great base for neutral eye shadows.
Tip from T: Connect short strokes together until you feel comfortable with application, or practice on the back of your hand until you find the proper angle and amount of pressure to get that perfect cat-eye you desire.
My Thoughts: I really liked the chocolate brown colour of this eyeliner and it went on very smooth. It wasn't overly opaque so a few layers may be needed. The marker shape makes application very easy.

Brand: Benecos
Product: Natural Baked Eyeshadow in Amazing
Retail Value: $12.99
Description: You can't go wrong with our brilliantly-hued Natural Baked Eye shadows. These mineral shadows are baked to provide you with long-lasting colour. Organic plant oils create a creamy application, goes on smooth and even. Colour sparkles and enhances your look. Moisten for a more dramatic look.
Tip from T: Using a medium shadow brush, apply shadow from upper lash line to just below the brow bone. Pair with your favourite liner and mascara, as desired.
My Thoughts: I really like this colour! It's like a greyish teal and goes on sheer enough for a wash of colour all over the lid. But I think I will use it more as an eyeliner. It will give the perfect pop of colour to a neutral eye.

Brand: Color Club
Product: Nail Polish in On the Rocks from the Fiesta Collection
Retail Value: $8.00
Description: A flashy molten silver, Color Club's On the Rocks adds a touch of luxe glamour to your everyday look.
Tip from T: Apply two thin coats of polish on top of your favourite base and finish with a topcoat for a lasting manicure.
My Thoughts: I have been loving polishes that look like metal and this is just that! This polish goes on fairly smooth, but has some streaking.

Brand: Lavera
Product: Organic Lip Gloss in Almond Kiss
Retail Value: $16.80
Description: Get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals with this shimmering healthy lip infusion. Made with 100% pure crushed minerals for shimmer, plus anti aging sun protection and super hydrating oils of vitamin E and Jojoba.
Tip from T: Apply natural lip gloss straight from the tube for a hint of sheer colour and shimmer.
My Thoughts: This gloss looks kinda brown in the tube. But swatched it has a slight peachy undertone. The shimmer is very noticeable in this gloss. I don't know how often I will use this gloss. I prefer pinks and reds, not browns.

Brand: Milu Beauty
Product: Amber Sugar Scrub Sample
Retail Value: $0.00
Description: A luxurious experience to exfoliate the skin with sugar and nourish the body with vitamins, essential oils, and a splash of bourbon. Use as an indulgence ritual to smooth, soften, moisturize and heal the body. Suitable for all skin types. Paraben Free and Fragrance Free.
Tip from T:  Try shaving with this for the most ultra-soft sexy legs you've ever had!
My Thoughts: It was nice to get an extra sample and it smells amazing!

Overall Value of this box: $87.79

Overall, I really enjoyed the products I received. I would definitely suggest filling out the Beauty Profile to specify exactly which colours and products you like to receive so that you are always getting the most for your money. I am going to stay subscribed for the free box, and depending on how much extra it will cost for me for shipping I may stay subscribed after that. At $36 I could justify it because I am getting full size products. However, I can't justify paying much more then that, seeing as I am trying to save for a house. It would have been nice to see shipping included in the monthly subscription cost like it is for Americans, but we Canadians always get the short end of the stick somehow, so here's to hoping shipping isn't too expensive.

Remember to click the link above to sign up for the free box, this is a generic link, not an affiliate link. Also please leave your thoughts on this company and this subscription service in the comments below so that Jaclyn and Wantable.co can see the opinions of their Canadian customers.

Check out Wantable's Website!

Like Wantable on Facebook!

Are you going to be signing up for Wantable in April?