Category Archives: Skincare Reviews

Neutrogena Light Night Cream Review & Pictures

Neutrogena Light Night Cream Review & PicturesSince I was running out of moisturizer and there was a sale at my local grocery store, I picked up the Neutrogena Light Night Cream.

It sounded promising because I don’t like heavy moisturizers, but I wanted something that would still add some hydration when I needed it.

I wasn’t crazy about the tub packaging, but I thought I’d try it anyway.

Okay, so really the sale was a huge motivating factor. I’m not loyal to any brand when it comes to moisturizer, and I also tend to try out inexpensive ones a lot.

Usually I end up disappointed, but it hasn’t stopped me from testing the water.

If you know of any great night moisturizers, please let me know. I’m on the hunt to find a good one (this wasn’t it). Continue reading

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What’s in My Travel Makeup Bag

I’ve been seeing a lot of cool What’s in My Travel Makeup Bag YouTube videos and blog posts this summer. Thought I’d join in and show you what products I take. Plus this is very timely since I’m actually going on a short romantic ‘trip’ soon. I’m staying within the city, but he and I always have a great time.

Whats in My Travel Makeup BagBut before I go into the details about what I’m taking with me, I’d like to blab a little bit about myself first. If this bores you, you can scroll down this post to get right to the makeup. 🙂 Continue reading

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Bonne Bell Lip Smacker Cotton Candy Lip Gloss Review & Pictures

Bonne Bell Lip Smacker Cotton Candy ReviewEven though I usually am disappointed by beauty products that claim to smell like cotton candy, I always get suckered into giving them a chance.

The Bonne Bell Lip Smacker Cotton Candy Lip Gloss is well known among teens and pre-teens.

When I was in grade school, all the cool girls had Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. It was the trendy lip gloss that came in so many different, yummy flavors. Kiwi and Bubblegum were my favorites. (I’m going to look for Kiwi the next time I’m at the store!)

Don’t think I ever tried the Cotton Candy one. Have you?

Shoppers Drug Mart was having a sale, and the last time I used any Lip Smackers was at the beginning of high school, so I thought I’d give it a shot for nostalgic reasons.

How did the formula stack up? Did it smell and/or taste like actual cotton candy? Did it provide a nice, glossy finish?

The answer’s just a few seconds away! Continue reading

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Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 Natural Mint Review & Pictures

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 Natural Mint & Shea Butter Review & PicturesIf there’s one thing that really puts me in a sour mood, it’s having dry lips. I’m a bit of a lip-balm addict. I always have some on hand to keep my lips soft and hydrated.

For years, I relied on the Shaklee Lip Protection Stick SPF 15. I literally bought 6 tubes of this at a time whenever I would order it. Then Shaklee discontinued this amazing product. I was floored because nothing else worked as effectively as this.

All the drugstore brands felt waxy, too thin, too thick, or even drying. I was getting frustrated trying out so many lip balms and being disappointed by their performance.

Then I heard rave reviews about the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 Natural Mint. Since I had nothing to lose, I gave it a whirl.

And thank goodness! While I still miss my Shaklee lip balm, the Jack Black lip balm is a good replacement, and I dig how it has a higher SPF level. It’s my new holy grail lip balm! Continue reading

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Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50 For Face/Body Review, Pictures & Swatch

Shiseido Sunscreen Review & SwatchesWe all know that it’s important to shield your skin from the harmful UVA and UVB rays. But sometimes sunscreens are so sticky and gross-feeling, especially on those humid summer days.

For about 4 years straight, I religiously used the Neutrogena Moisture Oil-Free SPF 15 lotion each morning. It wasn’t because I loved it. More like just because it didn’t make me break out and because I couldn’t find anything better.

For a while now, I’ve been on the hunt to find a non-greasy face sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher. I really want to ramp up my protection because SPF 15 isn’t good enough.

After doing a lot of research online, I came across the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50 For Face/Body. (This is a Canadian product that isn’t to be confused with the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 60, which comes in a very similar bottle and is for sale in the US.)

It costs a pretty penny, but I figured that when it comes to skincare, you shouldn’t skimp. And the sun is getting stronger and stronger each year with the ozone layer being depleted, so it’s becoming more important to protect your skin to not only avoid premature aging, but (more importantly) to prevent skin cancer.

I am in love with this stuff, and I believe that I’ve found my holy grail sunscreen! Continue reading

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Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Nude Swatch, Review & Pictures

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Review & PicturesSometimes I try beauty products because of the hype surrounding a brand or specific product. A lot of times I’m pleasantly surprised, but occasionally I come across a lemon.

The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Nude is a case in point.

Laura Mercier is a brand that I’ve never dabbled with mainly because of the ridiculously high price. But I’ve constantly been hearing great things about their liquid foundation – people made it sound like their Holy Grail! However, I don’t wear liquid foundation, so I opted to try the tinted moisturizer since it’s lighter.

Unfortunately, the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is a product that I won’t be repurchasing because I didn’t like it. Let me tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Continue reading

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The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask Review & Pictures

Image of The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

Well, The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask is a far cry from fun nail polishes, isn’t it?

I’ve been looking for a good moisturizing and cleansing mask for a while now. Something that I could use as a weekly treatment to wipe away any skin sins accumulated throughout the week.

The Body Shop had one of their Buy 2 Get 1 Free sales, so I thought I’d give one of their masks a try. I’m not jumping-with-joy over this product, but I do like it. It does a pretty good job, just not perfect. I’m sure there are better masks out there. Plus, you could probably make a homemade mask that does a comparable job. Continue reading

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