COVERGIRL Super Sized Mascara (from BzzAgent)

I received a retail sized tube of COVERGIRL's new Super Sizer Mascara in Very Black from BzzAgent and COVERGIRL. For more information on BzzAgent and their program, please visit their website. They are so encouraging of try before you buy and encourage open, honest feedback! 

About me: 
I love makeup. I do full makeup every day, because I honestly enjoy it. I don't feel put together if I'm not completely done with makeup, right down to mascara. While I'm not a pro, I can hold my own and am very comfortable trying new products. My blonde hair means I have very light eyelashes, but, thankfully, they are full and long. I don't need much help in the mascara department other than to darken them. I usually use items that are either Black or Very Black.

About the product: 
From COVERGIRL.com - "The Super Sizer by LashBlast Mascara gives you 400% more corner-to-corner volume for full, fanned out lashes. Our amazing Lash Styler transforms even small lashes— just twirl as you apply it to your lashes for an instantly Super Sized lash look. Opthalmologically tested, suitable for those who wear contact lenses."
Current Retail Price (Walmart.ca) - $6.97
Available colours - Black, Black-Brown & Very Black

Packaging:
The product packaging looks awesome. With teal and vibrant green, it's eye catching on the shelf. The only thing that puts me off is the standard, blah, shape of the tube. Another line by COVERGIRL features a more ergonomically friendly tube that fits nice in the hand and is easy to twirl on the lashes, so this one is lack luster in that regard. 

Packaging is bright and playful

So for this product, there is a three step process to follow...
Step 1: Place the Lash Styler’s narrow core and short bristles right at the base of your lashes
Step 2: Pull the Lash Styler through the lashes from root to tip, twirling or rotating a bit as you go

Step 3: Sculpt and style the lashes until you reach super-sized, corner-to-corner volume!

Unpackaging:
The tube is just like any other product in this type of cardboard/plastic combo packaging, but it eventually lets the product loose! I open the tube, and the first thing I think is... where is the rest of the brush? The comb part of the brush is very long, but the bristles are very tiny. I guess this is to get in the very corners of the eye. In my opinion, if you want to use short bristles, do a little feature at the end of the brush, but leave the rest longer so they separate the lashes. But I can't make this judgement for sure until I try it, can I?! 

Opening the tube

Testing:
To give you an idea of what I'm working with, here's my eye with just foundation...

With everything up until mascara...

And with COVERGIRL Super Sizer Mascara (I can't lie, this is one of the few days where I actually got the application right...).

I'm not green when it comes to mascara. I can twirl the brush like a pro. But it seems that no matter how much I shimmy and twirl the wand, it doesn't catch my lashes like it should. They just don't want to settle into the tiny little brush fibers of the wand. Once in a blue moon, I would get it right, but 90% of the time, I would get blocky, gross lashes that I took a kleenex to, to wipe the makeup off before I could move on with my regular mascara.


Results:
Honestly, it's a lot more work compared to my regular mascara, with results I don't really care for. My lashes end up very stiff and heavy, and I can feel them all day, similar to wearing false eyelashes (which are honestly more easy to apply than this mascara). The brush doesn't separate the lash nearly as well as I would have liked, most days, and left my lashes blocky more often than not. It takes forever to dry and I had to be careful not to smear it all over my eyelids while it set. Honestly, I'd rather put on false eyelashes daily to get the same effect... it would be so much easier (in fact it is, as I use to do it!)

Secret Clear Gel Clinical Antiperspirant/Deodorant (from BzzAgent)

I received a trial sized tube/stick of Secret Clinical Antiperspirant/Deodorant Clear Gel in 'Completely Clean' scent from the good people over at BzzAgent. If you haven't already checked them out, click here and do it! 

Note: Some people in the trial got the Invisible Solid, and some got the Clear Gel. I am only reviewing the Clear Gel.

About me:
I'm a girl, and I sweat. There! I said it! LOL

But really, I enjoy being physically active, so I'm always looking for something with a little bit more protection than the average, light use antiperspirant. I usually stay away from gel products for underarms, as I feel they don't dry properly and I don't feel protected. Normally I purchase invisible solids in very VERY light, or unscented varieties. 

About the Product:
From Secret.com: Goes on clear, stays clear throughout the day.
Odor-fighting capsules absorb odor all day long.
Offers 4X protection from stress sweat*
Sport Fresh scent: Designed with athletes in mind
Available in four unique scents: Powder Protection, Sport Fresh, Completely Clean and Ooh-La-La-Lavender
Current Retail Price (via WalMart.ca): $7.99

Packaging: 
In whites, greys and blues, it looks clean and simple. 

The box

Text on the box states: 

• Claims that it 'Adapts & Repsonds' with 'Customized Protection', with a '100% Confidence Guaranteed' cash back program within 60 days of purchase. 
• This product is formulated for 'Any woman who wants a product that adapts to her unique body changes and responds for customized protection". 
• It is supposed to go on clear and provide 48 hour odour protection through the busy day. 

The stick itself is very clean and clear, with a clinical feel. It's very appropriate for the product. It's not overbearing or girly, it's just simple. 

The stick

The one thing it doesn't state on the package is the % of the active ingredient, Aluminum Zirconium Octachlorohydrex Gly. But a bit of digging and a look at the ingredients list at Secret.com, and it is 20%. I usually like to purchase products with around 20-21%, so this is well within range. A lot of 'Clinical' products will have 14-15%, which is no more than a regular deodorant. This one actually has some kick behind it. 

Directions: 
"Secret's Clinical formula was designed to be activated at night to take advantage of your body's natural temperature variations. Apply 2-3 clicks of product to underarms at night for extra effective wetness protection." 

Okay. I can handle this. 

The Test: 
Well, at the end of the day, I put on the antiperspirant. It feels weird because I'm a morning person, normally, but for the sake of the trial I'll go with it! First impression: COLD! So cold! 

It doesn't have a very strong scent to it, but what is there is chemically. I hope it dies down overnight. I'm sensitive to scents and having something this strong on me all day will drive me insane! 


My pajamas are loose enough that the trial area can breathe, and I get ready for bed. I can't lie, I had moments of feeling like the SNL character Mary Catherine Gallagher for the next while while I waited for sleep to decide I was done for the day, as every once and a while I had my hands checking my armpits if they had dried. By the time I went to sleep an hour or so later, they still had not. 

By the time I woke up in the morning, it was finally dry. The smell is gone and I go about my normal routine, sans my regular antiperspirant. It's weird, but I go with it. 

The Results:
Half way through the day, I'm breaking into my emergency stash of antiperspirant at work. I have 0 confidence that I'm not going to sweat through my shirt, even though I wore something airy. 

Conclusion: 

If I was given a chance to try the invisible solid option of this antiperspirant, I would give it a go, applying at night and probably in the morning, but this one, as it is, is a firm no, since I can't apply it in the morning without leaving huge wet marks on my shirt.