CoverGirl let your mascara talk.

If you know your dance music, you'll have probably guessed that this post's title is inspired by the RuPaul's Cover Girl. I've been obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race for the last two months, I've binged on every season and have played every version of the game from classic to all stars.

Anyways, onto the review of the mascara sent to me to try out...

So I've used this mascara for about a month now and I have some thoughts on the look, feel and formula of the CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara. I should preface this by saying I have not bought mascara (except for a tube of waterproof formula) in a very long time. I've been redeeming my Sephora VIB points and picking up samples for a few years now and I have no idea when the last time I bought drugstore mascara was. I was pretty excited to be sent this tube for review as a friend of mine once said:

"When it comes to the formula all mascaras are generally the same."

With that in consideration, it's really all about the wand right? GENERALLY!

It took me a while to get used to the twirling application that makes this mascara sing. It goes on dark and thick so mastering the twirl was vital to success. So a few attempts later I finally figured out a way to use it in a way that works for me. It's buildable, but you have to move quickly to get the separation you want before it dries and becomes a clumpy mess.

I'm not a huge fan of the wand; the bristles are a little bit too short for me. I prefer a longer bristle for my medium length lashes because my hands have a tendency to shake so when I bring the wand up to the ends of my lashes there's usually a shake and my lashes will group up and I look like a cartoon and not the big beautiful doe-eyed anime kind. Maybe this would suit someone with shorter lashes.

So yes, the formula is thicker, which means it's more of a gel-like consistency which I generally prefer for its more precise and quicker application. Throughout the day, the mascara stayed mostly where it should be but by the 10th hour, it was smudging into my eyes and it was so painful. This problem can be fixed with a top coat of waterproof mascara (don't worry the formula will still be easy to remove but will have a longer wear, just be careful that your lashes don't clump up, because that's not a cute look). Or you can remove and reapply if you're doing the whole day to night thing (in which case the packaging is a little annoying to carry around depending on what your purse real estate is looking like).

A few weeks in, the formula got clumpier and drier, a quick fix for this is a few drops of eye drops down the tube with a shake and stir, suddenly it's good as new! Just make sure your eye-drops aren't expired.

For my return to drug store mascaras, the Cover Girl Super Sizer was a solid offering. Probably will not buy again because the brush wasn't a great option for me, but I'll definitely explore what the CG brand has to offer in a wider brush.

Herbal Essences Naked Moisture Collection

** For the bulk of 2014 and 2015 I had been participating in the "No-Poo" movement. I was not using shampoos containing sulfates to help maintain the moisture in my curly hair. My hair had been loving it.**

I was sent shampoo, conditioner, and dry shampoo to try out from the Herbal Essences Naked Moisture line. I'm sad to say my hair wasn't having it.

The shampoo contains sulfates that wreaked havoc on my moisture dependent curls. What makes curls snag and twist more than straight hair is that there are gaps in the shaft that shrink to hold onto as much moisture as possible, also partially why curls see more frizz. Right after lathering my hair and rinsing out the shampoo, my strands had felt like twine. That twine feeling was probably because Sodium Laurel Sulfate, which is the prime grease cutting ingredient in the shampoo, is also the same prime grease cutting ingredient found in your dish soaps.

The smell was lovely, and it could be unisex albeit a little strong coming out of the bottle, it stayed in my hair but didn't really interfere with my perfume the next day (I should also point out that I'm a person who washes at night and air dries while I sleep).

Although I wouldn't recommend this shampoo for people with thick wavy to curly hair like mine, I have been finding success using it about once a week to remove build-up while trying to maintain the natural oils in my hair. It would probably be good for people with medium to thick straight hair to keep their grease in check.

As for the conditioner, it makes a great shaving cream substitute. It's thick and kind of just sits on the hair. It contains silicone and silicones make the hair more difficult for water to permeate hair. That means while silicones can help the hair shaft maintain straight and sleek textures in humid temperatures, the silicone can leave build up that can be difficult to remove. So it makes application a little strategical, I would probably recommend using this before a summer event involving heat styling and balmy weather.

The surprise star of the three was the dry shampoo. Fair warning, you need to shake every time you use it because the formula isn't always consistent. The spray didn't leave a grey tinge, but it did eliminate most of the shine leaving it believably fresh. It was perfect for quickly hiding greasy roots from a late night and no time to wash or even taming my bangs that tend to get greasy twice as fast.

I will probably continue to use this shampoo maybe once a week to cut the grease and buildup from styling creams from the week. As for the conditioner, I'll stick to my usual brand. I will be restocking the dry shampoo when this bottle is empty.

I tried Secret Clear Gel

I received Secret Clear Gel (in Cocoa Butter Kiss) in the mail back in July for review (no, I did not pay for it) and I saw an opportunity to really put it to the test in New Orleans.

And that's exactly what I did.

The little sample package took up a bit of room in my liquids baggie but I was able to make the sacrifice. It travelled well and didn't leak all over my other liquids. I did find the scent a little strong for my tastes. I'm the kind of person who doesn't really want my toiletries competing with my perfume.

Each night, I would shower and apply a layer before bed. The next morning I would reapply and let it dry fully before I dressed.

While it wasn't really a match for walking around in the sun and humidity, club-hopping and swamp touring, it did keep me feeling much less gross because the scent (which upon application I found a little strong) was still there and I felt like it neutralized my natural body odour.

Obviously I still had some product when I got home and found it was really effective on days that weren't painfully humid, and days of cold sweating in an overly air-conditioned office.

The best part about this antiperspirant was the light weight clear gel. I usually used only one click and found it was enough to cover my entire armpit and it never felt like a wet mess. I also want to mention that it was really great for leaving my poor shirts alone, no white marks found on any of my clothes.

While I liked this product, I will probably use it at night, sometimes waiting for the gel to dry won't cut it on those days I'm frantically rushing out the door or on super cold mornings.

Bottom line: I like it enough to use it again but I'd probably go with a different scent.

Update

Hello!

I hope you're having a great summer so far. Mine has been full of chaos with irregular work hours, home renovations and some minor health issues in my family.

Along with all that, I'm planning to go to New Orleans for the August long weekend to celebrate my friend's birthday. I'm so excited, I love traveling, but I'm having trouble trying to figure out what to pack. This is going to be my first flight where I don't check luggage and I don't consider myself a light packer.

Wish me luck. Have a great weekend!

Nearing the Finish Line

It's almost the end of the semester and the end of my blog assignment. So what does this mean? Not much, I'm still going to blog, but maybe less frequently, but I will be taking a week off to celebrate what I've done and what I've got left to do. I'll be planning my summer, playing some video games, and reading the enormous pile of books that have accumulated in the past months.

It will be a great holiday for sure. Yes, I am calling that a holiday, it has no title because I'm awful at coming up with titles.

Have a happy [insert holiday here]!

Pre-Finals!

I'm writing you from my pre-finals-cocoon. It's cozy in here, and I've got a space open for my arms so I can type. I haven't been feeling well for the last two weeks like I've been fighting a bug. I haven't been sleeping, and I haven't been able to do good things for myself. I've been skipping meals and tossing and turning in bed effectively reaching my goal of being as close to a zombie as I could be, but really, not really.

I've always had trouble with the Winter months it's like I spend nearly half the year in a personal funk. I don't do well in the cold, and the Spring is home to anniversaries of the worst days of my life. I try to keep things positive so I can power through. I'm lucky I have such great friends who remind me of all the good things around and within me.

This post is a pretty aimless one, consider it a confessional or a get-to-know-me post. Don't be like me, get a good solid night's sleep every night, and eat every delicious and healthy meal. You should probably get out of your cocoon every now and again too.

I just wanted to write something for the students; you'll do OK, you'll be OK. Here is a little gif I found on the internet as a parting gift. Watch it a couple times, take a walk then get back to your responsibilities.






See you next week!
Jessica

I'm so fancy because I went to the spa over the weekend.

I was given an assignment to review something going on in town, after a hangry experience at Rumor's Comedy Club, I decided to review a facial I received during my first spa trip with friends. This was way too long for the scope of the assignment so here is the original with a little bit of editing.

The Ten Spa, located on the 10^th floor of the Fort Garry Hotel, offers its patrons an array of spa treatments and amenities. Modernity clashes against the formal old décor of the Fort Gary Hotel as soon as you get off the elevator the floor is lit up in shifting colours. Turning the corner, you will find a sterile looking white wall, white floor and white counter. Pops of blue and colours are present in the products on display. A receptionist took our names and shoe sizes before disappearing and returning with robes, a fringed fabric known as a pestemal, and slightly wet, but comfortable, plastic sandals.

Once we were dressed in the robe and pestemal, we were directed down a dimly lit hallway with nude portraits that reminded me of Grecian frescos on the walls. At the end of the hallway is a lounge with many couches and coffee tables and a spread of snacks; including gluten-free muffins, pita bread, hummus and an array of dried fruits as well as tea and water. Alcohol and a menu are available for those who want to lunch between their treatments.

In the corner of the main lounge are two statues of a man and a woman. They're cramped in tubs with erect genitals and limbs coming up and out of the water in a style totally contrary to the neo-Grecian modernist décor.

Through the gendered bathrooms, you can find lockers, a steam-room and experiential showers that emit a light herbal scent.

The aesthetician was polite and made small talk before walking me through the ten’s Ultimate Head-to-Toe Facial. My limbs were massaged and covered in sweet-smelling violet clay to start, followed by the facial.

There were several steps to this facial, some of which I may have forgotten. It began with the basic stages of skin care: cleanser and an exfoliating scrub to remove surface dirt and dead skin cells but with the use of a Clarisonic brush. A refreshing toner followed to remove any leftover residue before the most intensive treatments happened.

At this point, there were warm face towels placed on my face. They were extremely warm and completely unexpected making them feel uncomfortable. Being that this was my first spa experience, I was a little surprised by the feeling, but it soon passed once the towels were removed.

The uncomfortable sensations didn’t stop there. The aesthetician began an extraction of all the impurities on my face, my eyes were covered, and my face was under a bright light while she squeezed, pinched and massaged my face. She asked me questions about my face and enlightened me on what type of skin I actually have and how to properly take care of it.

The most jarring feeling of them all was during the post-extraction cure when an electric current was smoothed over my face. My eyes were closed the entire time, so I didn’t actually see the instrument, but it felt like a glass wand that was slightly convex like a spoon. It was pressed against my face, and I felt pulses from it, occasionally it would be turned on its side to administer spot treatments that felt like little rubber bands snapping against my face.

The best parts of the facial were the oxygen masks. One administered by foam with a pumpkin spice scent, following another pleasant smell in the air, presumably to cover up the faint burning smell from the glass wand. The foam fizzed on the face, more of a tickling sensation. The other was a stream of mineralized air pointed at my face like the drying stage of a carwash. But we weren’t done then. The aesthetician brought another unseen tool to my face. A lymph-draining tool, it too had a pulse, but a far less hostile pulse. It whirred on my skin, lightly pinching in intervals as it moved along.

The final process involved one last thick mask that went straight over my eyes and dried into a plush layer of dough. While this mask sat on my face, the aesthetician wiped away the violet clay while giving my limbs a massage. After the procedure, I was guided into a quite room with deep couches where I was encouraged to nap before I was ready to leave.

Despite the poking, prodding, and tingling the experience was relaxing and recharging. The texture of my skin was refined, and I was relaxed for the rest of the day. The price tag was heavy at 200 dollars but if acne, puffiness, texture or  are issues for your skin, this will benefit you.

This photo is one taken after the spa fog wore off and we were ready for dinner. My friend Steph took this photo for us. 

Left to Right
Back Row: Me, Eniko, Meagan, Christine
Front Row: Megan, Jen, Kiran, Dana
Not pictured: Steph, Jocelyne