Midway Impressions | To Buy or Not?
If you’re anything like me, than you probably love trying out new products. Every couple of weeks I try to rotate in new products into my routine. The products mentioned in this post are products that are fairly new to me. I’ve used and tested them out for a few weeks to a month, but are not completely finished.
I thought it would be a great idea to share my mid-way impressions of these products. Some of the products are new on the market and others are just new to me. If this is something you would like to see more on a monthly basis, please let me know. I love trying out new products in all areas of the beauty world.
Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask $34
I haven’t seen much mentioning about the Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask. As an avid mask user, I thought the idea of an overnight mask for the eye area to be a great idea. Most eye masks are in the form of eye patches and are only kept on for a short period of time. The Laneige Eye Sleeping mask is different as it’s recommended to be used 2-3 times a week to the eye area and is not to be washed off. The product claims to depuff the eye area and provide moisture.
I can’t confirm nor deny that it helps to depuff the eyes as my eyes are not very puffy regularly in the morning. I do believe that The Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask provides a great amount of moisture to the eye area. The consistency is a gel like texture that feels soothing when applied to the eye area.
Tip: leave in the fridge, apply and use with a facial roller
Generally at night I like to apply a heavier eye cream for additional moisture. I would definitely consider purchasing the Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask after I finish my regular night eye creams as a substitute. The price and and size of product are very much aligned. I’m not particularly fond of the usage of Dimethicone in the product. If you’re someone who only uses products that contain clean ingredients, then this may not be for you. I’m trying to stay away from such ingredients,but I do like this sleeping mask so I may make an exception.
Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hesperidin, Caffeine, Beta-Glucan, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Adenosine, Triethylhexanoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Peg-14m, Disodium Edta, Fragrance.
Benefit Brow Contour Pro $34.00
The Benefit Brow Contour Pro Pencil is a four-in-one defining and highlighting brow pencil. It’s advertised as an easy-to blend formula that features up to 24 hours of long wear, and is waterproof. Each pencil contain 4 shades- 1 light shade for filling, 1 dark shade for filling in, a definer shade and a highlighting shade.
I purchased the Benefit Brow Contour Pro at a free standing Benefit store on a recent trip to get my brows tinted. Prior to purchasing it I asked the sales associates multiple questions regarding the pencil. Of course the staff had positive things to say about the pencil and stated that it should last a fairly long time in regards to quantity.
I’ve had the pencil now for about a month and based on the fact that I’ve used it everyday since then, I can make a fair assessment. I’m actually disappointed with this purchase for a few reasons.
1- Formula- the pencil formula itself was not waxy enough and moves around fairly easy. I thought the formula would be similar to the Precisely My Brow pencil, but it was not.
2- Color- The contour pencils are available in various shades. But the pencil that I was shade matched seems to be off. The lighter dark shade was actually quite dark and I could actually use it to fill in my entire brow. Thus making the darker shade only suitable for hairlike strokes as it’s almost too dark. The highlight shade was way too light.
Therefore, I was left using the lighter dark shade to fill in my brow and the definer shade to carve out my brows. I’m only able to use 2 out of the 4 shades.
3- Figuration of Product: the pencil does not come with a “spoolie” brush and I found this made the process of using the pencil more tedious. Also to use the highlight or definer shade requires a brush to blend it out. The idea of the pencil is be compact as an all in one, but I actually found my self needing additional tools to make it work.
For the many reasons stated, I will not be repurchasing this brow pencil. Due to the hefty price tag, I will continue to use the pencil until its depleted.
The Farmacy Green Clean cleansing balm is an oil based cleanser that helps to remove make-up. I’ve had a few of these mini’s in my collection for several months and I just recently got around to trying this out.
I don’t mean to be dramatic but this is probably one of the best cleansing balms and make-up removers that I ever used. As with any other cleansing balm, the balm is to be applied to dry skin, rubbed in and then rinsed off with water. The balm is a light green semi solid balm that easily transforms to a clear oil when rubbed into the skin. With most cleansing balms it’s usually recommended to follow-up with a regular (foam or gel) cleanser to actually cleanse your skin. Most cleansing balms are aimed to remove make-up only.
The Green Clean is great at removing even the most stubbornest make-up. The difference with this cleanser compared to other cleansing balms is that I don’t feel the need to follow-up with a traditional cleanser after using it. Its excellent at removing a full face of make-up including 2-3 coats of stubborn mascara. After using Green Clean my face felt completely clean and didn’t feel dry or oily. I’m also happy to see that all of the ingredients are clean.
I fully intend on purchasing a full size of this cleanser. Farmacy has tons of different kits and my ideal purchase would include this cleanser and their Honey Potion Mask (FULL REVIEW).
Further Reading: Honey Potion Mask Review
Ingredients: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Amino Esters-1, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Amber Powder, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid.
The Becca Glow gloss is described as a nourishing gloss that enhances the natural color of your lips with a high-shine finish. I’ve been intrigued by the Becca gloss ever since it launched last summer (2017). What initially caught my attention was the packaging. The sliver top and the clear tube displays a beautiful mermaid esque blue-ish- purple-ish color. I really haven’t seen the gloss mentioned anywhere and I really wasn’t sure if it was worth $24.
However, a few weeks ago the gloss was on sale at Sephora during one of their Weekly Wow sales. Instead of the $24 price tag, the gloss was down to $12.00 (plus I had a friends & family 20% off coupon); thus bringing the total price down to a whopping $10.00.
The gloss has a consistency that is more on the lighter side. It’s not sticky and provides a very high shine as described. After applied to the lips the gloss changes to a natural pinkish tone. The tone is formulated with your body chemistry and the gloss. Therefore, the color will not look the same on everyone. I find that after the gloss wears off it doesn’t leave my lips hydrated.
The gloss is nice, but it’s not the top ranking out of my current collection. I don’t believe it’s worth the $25 price tag, but I do think it was worth purchasing at the $10-$12 price range. I’ve recommended the gloss to friends and my Instagram followers, but under the terms of the gloss being on sale. I do think this would be a great gloss to wear over lipsticks and liquid lipsticks to change the finish.
I was pretty excited to try out the Sol de Janiero Hand cream. I received a full size in a recent purchase of one the Sephora Favorite compilation boxes. I’ve seen many wonderful reviews of the Bum Bum Cream and other products from the brand.
The initial scent of the hand cream is very much coconut scented, but not harsh. The scent reminds me of a tropical vacation. When applying the cream I noticed that although it appeared to be of a thick consistency, but was actually quite light when it was applied.
I’m actually disappointed with this hand cream. The cream absorbed into my hands fairly quickly and didn’t feel sticky afterwards. It left my hands feeling okay. My hands weren’t particularly softer than usual or more hydrated.
The one bothersome thing about the cream is I didn’t find it hydrating to my hands at all! After using the cream my hands still looked very dry. I envisioned that the Sol de Janiero hand cream would be extremely moisturizing like the L'Occitane hand creams, but it was not.
I do not plan to purchase the Sol de Janiero hand cream in the future. I’ll continue to use and finish it, but due to the lack of hydration I’ll have to use a larger amount just to get a mediocre amount of hydration.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua / Eau), Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Dodecane, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Tristearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Phytate, Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Dimethicone, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Oil, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Fragrance (Parfum), Ilex Paraguariensis (Yerba Mate) Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Coumarin, Limonene, Annatto