April started off with me getting a sinus infection. Of course I wasn't using much make-up while I was lying in bed coughing my lungs out. These are the products I ended up using during the month, my mini reviews of them and weather or not I will purchase them again.
* denotes cruelty free
** cruelty free but parent company is not
v vegan product
Bold denotes product I will repurchase
28. Lush Tea Tree Toner Tab (last of five) * v
I bought these forever ago and I had used all but one of them. They are little round disks you stick in boiling water and the steam is supposed to help with acne with the leftover water becoming a toner for later applications. I don't think this product works. I don't use toners very much anymore now that I'm on an antibiotic for my acne. This is not my favorite product from LUSH (they make fabulous soaps and conditioners) and I will not buy this again. However, it IS a vegan product (yay for vegan things!) so props to LUSH for making awesome cruelty free and vegan products. Not all of their products are vegan, but looking at their website, you can search and find the ones that are.
29. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Conditioner for Lighter Blondes
This, alas, is neither cruelty free nor vegan. It is, however, a fantastic conditioner that I have used for many years. This conditioner makes my hair super silky looking and keeps my hair from tangling. The "highlight activating" is effective as my hair looks brighter and cleaner when using this conditioner (and shampoo), but the smell is not my favorite. It smells overly synthetic like many blonde shampoos and conditioners on the market. I will not be repurchasing this in the future since it isn't vegan.
30. Secret Wonderland Fragrance Mist from Bath and Body Works 3 Fl oz **
The only way I can describe this scent is winter berries in a dark cool cave. This is how BBW describes it on their website:
A whimsical blend of luscious strawberry, frosted jasmine petals and white amber inspired by a world you never dreamed existed
Top Notes: Luscious Strawberry, Wild Goji Berries, Ripe Raspberry
Mid Notes: Gardenia Petals, Jasmine, Peach Nectar
Dry Notes: Coconut Musk, Creamy Vanilla, Sandalwood, White Amber
This was a small size bottle I got on a buy 2 get 1 free sale a few years ago. It isn't my favorite scent, but it is one that I do like. I have a full size bottle of it still to use, so I won't be missing it greatly. This is a wintery scent for me, so I probably won't be using it again until Christmas time. BBW is a cruelty free company, but their parent company does test on animals. I will not be repurchasing this fragrance because it isn't my absolute favorite.
31. Caudalie Huile Divine- Huile seche sublimatrice .1 Fl oz (3 ml) *
This Devine Oil is a dry oil to be used on skin and on the ends of hair. I, of course, just dumped it all over my scalp and rubbed it in like a hair oil. It did leave my hands very smooth and heavily perfumed. That was my big issue with this oil. I hated the smell. I should have really checked that before I dumped it on my head. It smelled heavily of gardenia (online, they all say rose, but it is definitely not rose smelling) or jasmine, which makes my head hurt. Other than that, it made my hair super nice feeling and smooth the next day. A cool thing about this product is that the company donates money to planting trees in the Amazonian rainforest with a percentage of the proceeds. The company is against animal testing, does not use animal derived raw materials and is a part of 1% for the planet. I won't be repurchasing this product because I hate the smell.
32. Elf Tone Correcting Powder in cool (AKA Complexion Perfection) * v
I love this stuff. I have used five of them at least... and they cost $3. The powder is light and doesn't cake on the skin. I use it as a setting powder over liquid foundation or concealer and as an all over face powder. It does tend to highlight any flaky or dead skin if you live in a dry climate, but I live in the humid South, so this doesn't bother me at all. I do tend to need to blot my face and apply more about halfway through the day, but that is normal in my part of the world. I will most definitely buy this product again and again. It is one of my Holy Grail products that I always return to, no matter how many other face powders I try.
33. Ojon Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy .07 Fl oz (2 ml) *
This hair oil had a lovely scent and was a really nice texture on my hair. I loved the way it felt. The sample was super small, so it only covered about a fourth of my scalp. I don't think it does everything it claims:
"So potent that just one precious drop of this multi-tasking wonder protects, nourishes to repair and transforms dull, dry or damaged hair to vibrant health. Hair instantly looks glossier, shinier; suddenly feels softer, silkier, more luxurious." (quoted from their website, link above)
Do I think this is the miracle hair treatment they claim it is? No. But is did make my hair softer and it smelled nice when I had it on. They are a cruelty free but not a vegan company because they use honey and beeswax.
34. Orofluido Beauty Elixir .17 oz (5 ml)
This smells divine! Absolutely adored this hair elixir. I can't even explain how much I loved the scent. The website claims it smells of vanilla, amber, Bergamot, orange blossom, red pepper, patchouli-sandalwood, and cyclamen- muguet. I will say yes to the orange blossom, bergamot, and amber, but it isn't very vanilla-y to my nose (but remember that I had a sinus infection, so maybe my nose can't be trusted. I did feel like this made my hair very soft and nice smelling. I had a lot of trouble finding out information about this product, mostly because it is made by a company based in Spain and their websites were not very easy to navigate. I don't know whether or not this is cruelty free or not. If anyone knows, let me know please!
35. Elf Studio Makeup Remover Exfoliating Cleansing Cloths (10 pack) * v
These cloths were really exfoliating, but not too cleansing and very drying. I had to put on a super thick night cream after using these wipes. They did, however, take the noticeable dead skin off my face, so that's a plus. I also was not a big fan of the scent. It reminded me of the equate wipes I used a few years ago. I will not repurchase these.
36. Bath and Body Works Rainkissed Leaves volumizing conditioner 1 fl oz (29 ml) **
I had several of these sitting around in my bathroom that I had half used when I was in some hotel a while ago. The scent of this conditioner is like fresh cut grass, summer rain, and green leaves that have just begun to grow in early spring. It really made me feel like I had just stepped into some sort of spa or alternate reality where grass grew indoors. I love fresh scents like this and would love to smell this scent all the time. I'm not sure this is available as a conditioner anymore (or maybe it is only available at hotels?) as I couldn't find it on the website, so I obviously won't repurchase this conditioner.
37. Elf Studio Lotion Wipes Cucumber and Melon (15 pack) * v
I loved how these smelled. They are more of a refreshing soother than a moisturizer, but I loved how these made my legs and arms feel after a hard day. These helped revive me so I was able to carry on until the bitter end. This is not a product I would normally use, but came in one of my elf beauty bundles and I did enjoy using them once I had them. They are not something I am planning on repurchasing any time soon since I have a huge container full of lotions to use up, but I did enjoy this unconventional product.
38. B and BW Rainkissed Leaves volumizing conditioner 1 fl oz (29 ml) **
see description number 36 above.
39. Fiafini skincare Delicate Cleansing Emulsion .17 oz (5 g) * v
I did not like this sample cleanser. It smelled like a disinfectant and I don't feel like it cleansed as well as it should have. This is disappointing because this is a vegan and cruelty free brand, but it just didn't work for me.
40. Bausch and Lomb Re-nu Fresh Multi-Purpose Solution 4 Fl oz (118 ml)
I tried this because it was the only contact solution at the store that worked on soft contacts and I had run out. Nothing too exciting and I like the Biotrue better, so I probably won't repurchase this again unless I can't find the Biotrue at the store. Bausch and Lomb tests on animals and is not vegan.
41. Archive Calming Body Lotion Rosehips and Lavender (hotel sample)
This product is not available for sale in the normal retail world as it is sold exclusively to hotels. You can find some on Amazon.com, but they are $2 a bottle, which isn't that great a deal. I did love the scent. The lavender was a little more prominent than the rosehips, but overall the scent was light and lingered all day. The lotion did leave my legs feeling a little oily, but it went away after about an hour. I would not repurchase this product because it is too expensive for the quality of the product.
42. B and BW Rainkissed Leaves volumizing conditioner 1 fl oz (29 ml) **
see number 36 above
43. Atelier Cologne Cedrat Enivrant Cologne Absolute (sample)
I adore this scent! It is light and citrusy and glorious on the skin. I placed a little behind my ears and on my wrists and this beautiful scent wafted through the air around me all day. Mint, lime, bergamot, and vetiver make this scent delicious and bright as well as comfy and fresh. I love citrus scents and bergamot is one of my favorite smells in the world (hello Earl Grey! You are calling for me!) so this is definitely my kind of scent. Unfortunately, it is expensive with 100 ml priced at $105 (I don't like spending over $50 or 60 for perfume... that is why I like mini versions and samples so much). The sample I got in my most recent birchbox is priced at $3 on the website. Digest that for a moment. Most companies will send you samples for free if you ask. My lovely friend Sara is an expert at sampling fragrances (she would love this scent, btw) and has gotten many samples in the past. However, this scent is glorious enough that I would spend that much on it because I love it so much. I couldn't find any information on the Atelier Cologne website about their animal testing policy.
44. Tom's of Maine Mouthwash in Cool Mountain Mint 16 Fl oz (473 ml) **
This had a feeling in my mouth reminiscent of some bottled waters that taste soft, like they have been stripped away of all minerals and you're just left with bland soft water. That is what it felt like in my mouth. But, it had the taste of non-tingling mint. It left my mouth feeling slightly dry as well. I will not repurchase this mouthwash because I don't like how it feels in my mouth. Tom's of Maine is a cruelty free company, but they are a subsidiary brand of Colgate- Palmolive, a company which tests on animals. They use beeswax in some of their products.
45. Miss Jessie's Crème de la crème Conditioning Crème 1 fl oz (29 ml)
I liked this conditioning crème. I loved the way it made my hair feel and the smell was rather nice. But... I don't have curly hair. I actually have the opposite of curly hair: straight hair that refuses to curl. So why would I use a product designed specifically for curly hair? I wouldn't. This would be another product for my lovely friend Sara (who does have curls). I can't find information on whether or not this product is cruelty free.
46. English Laundry No. 7 (for her) Eau de Parfum (sample)
I don't think I've even been more disappointed by a perfume sample as I was by this one by English Laundry. I LOVED the smell straight out of the spritzer, and I loved how it smelled after about ten minutes, but if I tried to smell anything on my skin at all after an hour, I was disappointed. The smell was totally gone. English Laundry is a clothing brand that sells some really fashionable men's clothes. This is a fragrance that was tweaked for women. The notes I smelled the strongest were pear and musk. It also is supposed to have hints of jasmine, melon, apricot, vanilla, and sandalwood, but I can't smell these scents at all. To me, this actually had a very powdery scent. I got this sample from birchbox, where you can buy 3.4 oz for $90. If the scent lasted longer, I would grab this scent in a heartbeat. But it doesn't, so I won't be purchasing this.
47. Model co Fibre Lashxtend Extreme Black Lengthening Mascara *
This is one of those products that sounds like it will be great, but falls short of all expectations. Let me start with the things I liked about this product. It dried really fast once it was on my lashes. It was also extremely black, like the name promises. I loved the little mirror on the side of the tube, that is handy when applying mascara on the go. What I hated about this product: the smell. It was one of the worst smelling mascaras I've used in years. I also did not like the fibres at all. If I ran the wand along my lashes once, they looked great, but if I ran over them again because I missed a few lashes, I suddenly had giant clumps of fibres sticking to the ends of my lashes and getting in the way. Also, if I wasn't very careful, the fibres would fall off before they dried onto my lashes and into my contacts. This was not a pleasant experience. I could only wear this mascara for about five hours before my eyes started to get irritated. Also, it is $22, which I find rather expensive for a product that will only last me a few months. I will not be buying this product again. They are a cruelty free, but not vegan company.
That concludes my April product empties. I've already finished several products in May, so look for that post early in June. Let me know if you have any specific questions about these products or recommendations for the future.
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