Secret Scent Expressions does not hold up well (from BzzAgent)

I received one Secret Outlast® Clear Gel in Oh-La-La Lavender for free from BzzAgent and Secret. For more information on the BzzAgent program, please visit their website. They're an awesome consumer review group, and a lot of fun!


There are a few things I want to know about antiperspirants/deodorants prior to using, including the percentage of active ingredients, how long it's supposed to last and what it will smell like, if anything. I'll cover this all below.

Packaging: It's girly and doesn't have much information on it. The aluminium (active ingredient) content is nowhere to be found on the product, so I assume it is around 14-15%, which is on the low/general end of the products. I usually look for 20-21% for effective anti-perspiration support. The packaging is glittery, purple and very feminine.

Scent: STRONG! I don't like lavender to begin with and this is VERY strong. I am sensitive to perfume, and usually don't have trouble with deodorant/antiperspirant, but this one seems very focused on covering ALL scents/smells. I wouldn't want to wear an eau du toilette on top of it.

Application: Directions say add 2-3 clicks as needed. 2 clicks worth of this gel is a LOT! Wow!

This is about 3 clicks. There is a LOT of product.

But that's what it says, so I do it. I put it on my underarms, and it's cold, wet and unpleasant. I fear putting on my clothes right way, and stand there with my arms in the air waiting for it to dry a bit. A couple of minutes later, it's still not dry but I put on my top. I smell like bad laundry soap, and feel like I'm sweating before I even do anything that day.

Protection: There is little to no protection through the day. My office is quite warm and I'm sweating through the antiperspirant right away. Like I originally thought, there is very little active ingredient in this product and I'm left uncomfortable with things until noon when I run home, wash this product off and put on my regular antiperspirant. If it doesn't last the morning, the 48 hour claim isn't even close to true if you sweat at all.

Overall Thoughts: This went right in the garbage.

Footner Exfoliating Socks (from Bescot Health)

Footner Exfoliating Socks

How I Got Them

I was made aware of a testing opportunity through their website and made my interest known via email. A few weeks later they emailed saying there were socks on the way! Easy! 

A couple of weeks later, I had an envelope in my hand that contained a shiny silver package with the socks in it, and a sample of ReSkin, a re-usable blister prevention bandage. I haven't used it yet, and I can't really understand how it's reusable, but that's not why we're here, is it? 

Nope! It's because of SOCKS!

The Product

There's really not a lot of information on the package. The front has the product name, footner exfoliating socks, and a little shield saying it's dermatologically tested. 

The back has pictographic instructions which show:

1. cutting the top off something foot shaped
2. putting your foot in
3. leaving it on for an hour
4. washing your feet off under water 
5. feeling how wonderful your feet are now

It also states the contents: 2 x 20ml, and Ingredients: Aqua, Alochol Denat, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Glycerine Butylene Glycol, Canola Oil Polydexterose, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Glycolic Acid, Methylparaben, Collagen and Parfum

That's a LOT of chemicals. I can see from the contents (alcohol and acids) that it will probably soften the skin by eating away the top layer of skin, then soften with the aloe, canola polydexterose and collagen. It's nothing worse than what I've spilled on my own self in organic chem, so I'll try it out. 

I also determine I don't want to get this stuff on my clothes and change into something that won't go near my feet. 

The Testing 

Okay, so lets do this. 

While we're here for the socks, I will mention that the nail polish on my toes is a gel polish, and is much harder than a regular nail polish. I have to soak it in 100% acetone to get it off, and this stuff stays nice for a couple months on my toes. This will be important to know later.

I open the package and pull out two plastic, foot-shaped sealed baggies that contain a clear gel.

Out come the scissors. I cut the top off and the first thing I smell is the alcohol. It's very strong. The cut piece is leaking from the gel trapped up there and I quickly throw it out. On to the foot it goes. It's cold, as expected, but warms up before I can really think to complain. It's big for my feet and doesn't really touch the toes, so I wrap it up and put an elastic around. Then repeat the process for the other foot.

And we wait.

I can't lie. It's hard for me to sit for an hour. These socks are not built for walking around in, so I chill out and read a bit. Once and a while I feel a little bit of pain in my feet and around the 45 minute mark I get a bit of a bigger pain in my right heel. I tough it out and go the full hour. I can't lie; I was looking forward to talking these off. 

While I was waiting, I did more product research. I usually like just using the package for information, since that is what most of the regular users would use, but was feeling a little out of the loop, so I hit up the website. It reads in the information section "Footner Exfoliating Socks activate the skin's own natural peeling effect, causing the upper layer of the skin to peel off, thereby removing the hard skin build up. The exfoliation process begins 5-10 days after wearing the socks and lasts for a total of 5-10 days. After just one 60-minute application of the socks, your feet will exfoliate the hard, dead skin and leave you with baby soft feet."

Wait. Whoa. I have a week and a half to 20 days of foot peeling to look forward to?! I really hope that it doesn't mean I'll have to cover ugly feet. We don't have that long of a summer, and I'd like to wear my open toe pumps as long as possible!

Anyway, time was up, so I washed up. As soon as water hit my feet there was another strong wash of alcohol smell. I immediately notice that my nail polish has lifted and will be coming off tonight. It's unfortunate because I just did them two weeks ago, and had another month and a half left out of the colour before I had to do them again. Oh well.

At this point in time, my feet don't look any different, other than the lack of toenail polish. But the packaging says it can take 5-10 days before the exfoliation process will start to take place.

So, more waiting. 

Days Later...

A few days later and my feet really don't look any different. I'm still sporting my pumps. 

Normally in the summer I'm a socks free and heels kind of girl, but for my work, occasionally I have to do socks and runners all day. 6 days after my initial Footner Sock use, it was a running shoe day, all day. I really didn't think anything of it, because my feet by this point in time didn't look any different than they did before I tried the socks. I went about my business, ran around for 16 hours and eventually made it home. I started to remove my socks and stopped about half way through because it looked like my feet exploded in there, with skin flakes galore! I put the sock back on and take the entire process over to the bathtub, where I sat on the edge and started over. After shaking out my socks (eeeeeeew!), and scrubbing my feet a bit to get rid of all of the hangy bits, I'm hoping to see beautiful, soft skin. 

It looks normal.

Utterly normal.

The peeling only happened the one day, and that was the extent of it, so at least I wasn't forced into premature socks!

The Verdict

After soaking my feet in chemicals, acids and whatnot, dealing with my feet exploding in my runners, and having to change my socks in the bathtub, I really didn't see a difference in my feet versus regular care and exfoliation that can be done with a pumice stone in the shower. 

While I do appreciate the opportunity to try and review this new product, I'm afraid that I will not be purchasing this item in the future. 

Garnier Fructis Colour Shield (from Influenster)

I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. For more information on Influenster, there is a button at the bottom of this post. 

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Garnier Fructis Colour Shield

Some Background

My day to day search for what works for my hair comes from a plethora of sources. Word of mouth, advertising, online research, whatever.  But I find the best way to try things is hands on. Give it a go, and it will either pass or fail.

My hair is important to me and I love the colour it is. I want to keep it as healthy and vibrant as possible, while not weighing it down. Day to day, things like humidity, sun, chemicals and styling can cause my blonde hair to go brassy or dull.

How I Got It

I won't give you quite as much information on Influenster on this post. To see what it entails, check out my imPress post. 

About two weeks ago I got an email from Influenster saying I might qualify for another VoxBox with a link to a quiz to find out more about me. After filling it out, I knew it would be about hair products, but beyond that, I didn't know what treasures were to be in store.  About a week later I got an email saying that I made it into the tester program and that a box of goodies from Garnier #ColourShield would be on the way! Yay! This company is SO easy to work with. If you are interested in signing up, check out the link at the bottom of this post. 

And a few days later, there it was. In all it's simplistic glory. One thing I like about the company is they let the product speak for itself and don't over-glitz the wrapping. It's what's inside that counts, people. 

A simple box with great possibilities...

The Product & Testing

In the box there were three full-sized items:

• Garnier Fructis Color Shield Complete Defence Fortifying Shampoo
• Garnier Fructis Color Shield Complete Defence Fortifying Conditioner
• Garnier Fructis Color Shield Complete Defence Blond Refresher Bi-Weekly Mask

Three full sized products. No fancy wrapping = less waste! Love it!

Everything was wrapped securely in bubble wrap, and it came with a little info card. I love it. Less frilly wrapping and packaging means less waste. Go Influenster!

At this point I did what any other person would do when given a new shampoo: I smelled it! It says on the back it has camelia seed oil and acai berry extract, which explains the berry scent. It's nice, and I look forward to trying it in all its sudsy glory later.

Then I went to the details. What does this product do for me:

• Shampoo & Conditioner: UV filters to protect the hair and its colour. Seals and protects colour so it doesn't wash away. Boost vibrancy, shine & softness.
• Bi-Weekly Mask: Contains a colorant neutralizing violet that prevents brassiness. Works to refresh your blonde. 

Honestly, this sounds good for both colour treated and naturally blonde hair, as both can be subject to the same issues, especially elemental and physical damage from the sun, chemicals or styling tools. We all come out of an over-chlorinated pool with green hair!

Using the Product

Well, there's really no explanation needed for this. I showered with the shampoo and used the hair mask for the first time. You either use the conditioner or the mask, not both. I assume it's so you don't get greasy hair from over conditioning, which both products are. You're supposed to use the mask 1-2 times a week in the conditioner's place. That's easy enough! I leave it in for about 7 minutes (it says 5-10 minutes), and it washes out really well, which I always worry about, especially with masks. If too much is left on, it really weighs down my hair.  The shampoo came out really well as well, so I'm feeling good about this product. It smells great in the shower and overall it's a really positive experience so far. 

The mask says to use it with the Heat Protect Shine Spray Treatment, but since it didn't come in the package, it's not in my arsenal. So that gets left out of the regimen. 

I let my hair dry naturally, as I do 99% of the time, over night. 

The next morning, I get up and run a brush through my hair. It's really quite soft and a little more shiny than normal. I turn on the hot iron and get ready to put it through it's paces! I curl my hair with the straight iron and it's holding well. If there is a bunch of product to contend with, my hair won't hold the curl, so this is a good sign. I put a bit of Garnier Curl Sculpting Cream-Gel (no longer on the shelves, so this is a precious commodity for me!) in my hair to help calm the curls so they won't frizz up on me during the day, give it a shot of hair spray for the bangs, and I'm ready to go out the door. It looks good, and is so far holding well.

By the end of the day, I'm pleased to report that my hair hasn't collapsed. It wasn't loaded down with shower products and build up, so it stayed nice, curly and voluminous all day. The blonde is nice and bright, and looks really clean.

Verdict

This is a nice product line for both natural and colour treated blondes. I will definitely be keeping this line in my line up of hair care products. It smells nice and does the job without breaking the bank. I love that it has a UV shield, because while that protects my hair, it also helps protect my scalp (which is something I'm very picky on. I sunscreen RELIGIOUSLY.) While this has a shield, I will continue to sunscreen my head when I am out and about, but it's nice to have a little extra day to day protection up there. 

imPress Nails (from Influenster)

I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. For more information on Influenster, there is a button at the bottom of this post. 

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imPress Press on Manicure

How I Got It

First off, a little bit on the Influenster program. It's free to sign up, and easy to get on. Once you're all signed up and have confirmed your subscription, you fill out a bunch of really simple surveys, depending on your likes. Make sure to link your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn/Blog/Google+ etc. accounts, as the chances of you being selected for these trials are affected not only by your scores on the surveys, but also how many people you are able to reach talking about the products.

And then you wait.

If you're Canadian, you wait even longer (there are fewer VoxBoxes for Canadians at the moment, but they are working to get more up north!).

But, eventually, you get... the email. Saying you might be in for a VoxBox. Maybe. Fill out one more survey, so they can be extra sure. It's short and simple. A couple days later, if you get chosen, you get a confirmation email, followed shortly by a shipping email, and in a few days, your VoxBox arrives! Huzzah! Once you get the invitation email, it's actually a very quick process.

It's unassuming on the outside, but treasures lie herein...

The Product & Testing

In the box there were three items:

• An information card with product and Influenster information
• One package of imPress Press On Manicure in D080-Working Girl (black base with silver crackle)
• One package of imPress Disney Villains Press-On Manicure in Evil Queen (purple/green iridescent)

So far, so good! Two full sets = greater chance to get this right!

The products have statements like 'fast & easy', 'no glue needed', 'last up to a week', '24 nail covers, 12 sizes' on the front. The back has full instructions for both application and removal. Seems simple enough. They come in a little container that looks like a bottle of nail polish. Cute. 

I open up the Working Girl set (because, honestly, I like the colour of the Evil Queen more, and if I break them, I would be more disappointed). First off, I have no intention of putting them on my nails today. I'm just playing with them to get a feel for the product. It opens easy enough, and the contents spill all over the counter. Partially my fault (let's be honest), but the 5 displayed on top are also loose, so that was a factor, but by no means a big deal. It was contained spillage. And solid. Really, can't complain.

Here's what you get in the package:

All the bits and pieces from one nail kit

Each nail at a little tab at the bottom that covers the sticky part, and also shows you which end goes towards the cuticle (it's a little more rounded than the tip).

So I start playing with them and seeing what the fit is like. I must have an above average thumb on my right hand, because the largest nail doesn't cover the entire natural nail. I also discover that I will have to trim a couple of my nails to fit under the falsies (I wear gel polish day to day, not to be mistaken with gel nails, so my nails grow longer than they would if they were just natural). The picture on the side of the package shows a nice long nail, but these are actually quite short and barely come to the tip of the finger. 

So at this point I put the nails back in the little container, package it up, and put it away. I'll play with them on Monday when I have time. I'll have to soak off my current polish before I put these on, and I also want the nails to have a bit of time to re-harden after the polish removal before I try to stick something to them. 

Monday:
Okay, my nails have been without polish for about 24 hours. I soaked off my regular polish yesterday and let my nails harden. I have soft nails to begin with, so gel polish has been a SAVIOUR! It lasts for about 2-3 weeks before I have to change it, and about 2 months on my toes! Well worth the extra cost. But I digress...

I followed the instructions layed out on the back of the package of Evil Queen, which had more thorough instructions, including washing with soap and water, and drying thoroughly before using the enclosed prep pad to cleanse the nails. The pack I opened also didn't say to minimize contact with water for 30 minutes after the nails are put in place, so I'll do that as well when all is said and done.  With my nails clean and ready to go, I went to work clipping my nails, since they are normally longer and stuck out under the imPress nails. I had to trim quite a few, actually. Just a note that I'll only take pictures of the one hand. The other one looks the same. So unless I really mess something up, or something goes funky that needs to be documented, one hand will do nicely for this. 

Before the adventure begins

Out comes the package, and I start lining up the nails. Kinda. Some look very similar, but I figure this will help the process.

That's about right... ish...

I start trying to find the right nails for each finger. It's all very 'Three Bears'. Some are too big. Some are too small. Occasionally you find one that's just right. Occasionally. That's the problem with one size fits all. When they're supposed to fit everyone, I find they fit nothing well.

That's about right

The final line-up

This shows the little tabs that you line up along the cuticles well

The fitting took the majority of the time.  Having 24 of the little guys to try helps, since there is more variety, but you're still making compromises. The packaging says if you are between two nails in size, go for the smaller one. 

So, start small. A pinkie is clean and ready to go. The backing is super sticky, but once it starts pulling away it comes off fairly quick. I find the best position of the nail and press. It sticky right away and doesn't lift. So far so good.

One down, nine to go

The peel, place and press process actually goes fairly fast. I finish the rest of the fingers in no time. 

Fingers completed

Fingers with thumb

The whole process, including sorting, applying, watching TV and stopping to take pictures, takes about half an hour. 

Initial Thoughts:

Look: 
They appear little thicker than my normal nails, but they don't look bad. I'm not a fan of the square tips, and would prefer an oval shape. I don't know if they look bulkier because of the colour (I don't usually wear dark nails), but I like the funky, crackled look. My nail sticks out below the imPress nails in a few spots, but unless you're looking for it, you don't see it. I think it is just the look of the crackled ones that don't have the high gloss shimmer, like it's missing the top coat, because the other set, Evil Queen, look shiny and pretty. Some of the nails have ridges at the tip from the production process, but once the nails were on, that was easy to file off gently.

Feel:
They actually feel a lot more natural than I remember false nails feeling. Big plus. They also don't feel like they're going to pop off the first time I scratch something. But they're still false nails, and my fingers feel the difference. I'm used to long nails, so at least typing isn't taking any longer. I think it's mostly the square shape that I'm not used to. Both of my thumbs are a little sore because I guess my nails are more rounded on those fingers, and they're being pulled up. I think this will go away, because they're already starting to stop tingling a bit.

Verdict:

These are good for a quick cover up, but I wouldn't wear them all the time. They're not my cup of tea, generally. I will go back to my gel polish, which lasts two-three weeks and feels more natural. When will I use them? When I don't want to buy a full bottle of gel polish to complete a look, since they are about $13-18/bottle, and I can get a full set of speciality nails for $10 with imPress. If I'm looking for something funky and different, then I will definitely pick up a pack of imPress nails.

Let's try this on...

You found me! Go you! Welcome. Grab a bevvie and let's get started. 

If you're just stumbling in here, you probably want to know why do I have this blog. Why indeed! 

I like trying new things. It's a good time! So I take part in product trials for a few sites. Mostly beauty, but there's some some food and household stuff thrown in occasionally. So I wanted to start a place that I can share the love (or not so much love, in some cases. Hey, it happens.) with ease. So, blog. I might also post rambling thoughts, glows & gripes, general musings and the like along the way. You just never know with me. Or I might not post much. You'll have to stay tuned to find out. 

I've already got the first product I'm going to post (I've tried other items in the past, and haven't had the time/will to get on the whole blog wagon), so we'll get into this together.

We'll go easy on each other.

Ha! Right. I do few things the easy way!

Anyway, the first product I'll be trying out is the new imPress Press On Manicure system, which was supplied to me by Influenster (check out the button at the bottom of the post for information on the site). I can't lie, I'm not a big lover of press on nails. But it's been years since I've given them a go, so maybe they've improved! Fingers crossed (and maybe stuck together... who knows???)! The packaging states these things are fast and easy... and are named Working Girl. I'm honestly questioning if these are for professional ladies... or 'working girls'.

So, let's journey together, shall we? Onwards!