Review: Tony Moly Banana Sleeping Pack - I'm glad it was a sample

I received this product as a sample and it is something I will definitely not be buying for myself.

I read a number of reviews before I tried it, and was excited to  use it, however when I did, I was disappointed. 

As the name suggests, you're supposed to put it on before you sleep and let it soak in over night. I applied it before bed and my experience is that, other than the lovely smell, it didn't work for me. 

The product is very easy to apply and the smell is a very relaxing soft banana smell - very lovely. After application I went to bed and having read the reviews, I prepared myself to experience some sort of discomfort as reviews mentioned it would be for those who aren't used to it. I was prepared for that. 

What I wasn't prepared for was the itchiness that I felt afterwards and the longer it stayed on, the itchier it got. I had to remove it in less than an hour. The next day, I got a pimple. 

This mask is definitely not for me =(

Review: Dr. Jart+ Blackhead Master Patch - nope, never again

I originally bought the one-time use, Dr. Jart Blackhead Mater Patch because I was just shy of free shipping from Sephora. When I bought it, I didn't realize it was another Korean product, but it is! I was excited to try it and used it immediately when I got home the day it was delivered.

They're advertised as: powerful yet gentle blackhead nose patches instantly remove blackheads and unclog pores while tightening and cleansing. Complete with a dry patch and wet patch for anytime, anywhere use, this two-step system features optimal pore-purifying benefits for clear, healthy-looking skin. 

The dry strip is similar to any nose strip pore remover but these did not have the slits to make it fit properly on the nose. I had to shift it down pretty far in order to wrap it around my nose. I waited longer than the recommended 10 minutes (as I usually do with these things) before removing it. I was VERY disappointed - the strip removed 3 blackheads and nothing more. I've tried regular Biore strips that work MUCH better than this. 

The wet strip, is very soothing and I did enjoy how it felt, but I had to hold it for a while before I could leave it my nose alone. It is very wet and probably would have been better if I had lied down, but I usually like to do stuff when I am waiting for my face stuff to work haha. Alone, the strip was soothing enough that I could render myself immobile for 10-15 minutes, but unfortunately, the dry strip didn't do enough for me to want to get to this second step.

One pack costs $9 and there is no way I will be buying this again.

Review: Tony Moly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm - love it

Last week I was browsing the Sephora website and came across the Tony Moly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm - since I had been experimenting with masks, I've been closely inspecting my face and felt I needed to try this (although I'm told that I don't have many black heads and my pores aren't that big, but I am a bit OCD...). It was sold out on the Sephora website, but I found it at my local H Mart for almost half the price - $12.99.

Why? It was described as: A self-heating balm targeted for blackheads that removes dirt and oil within minutes. I love anything that heats up, cools, tightens or hardens on my skin. It just feels so satisfying. 

Not to mention, it's incredibly cute looking. 

I used a small dab, about the size of a pea and it was enough to apply on the sides of my nose and across. It's easy to apply and spread around, but I didn't feel it heat up at all. Nothing. I was disappointed with that, but the smell of it is very, very pleasant and the end result was quite impressive. I left it on for a little over 5 minutes (it's recommended to be left on for 3 - 5 minutes). There was a noticeable difference in my pores and my nose felt very smooth, but it did lack the clean and airy feeling that I would get from using a nose strip. 

Would I get it again? Yes - a little amount goes a long way and I can see it lasting for a good year with regular use. For $12.99 you can't beat the value for an effective product. It's a very quick and easy, no-mess way to get results.

Review: Rocky Mountain Soap Company's Lavendar and Oat Face Mask

Just sharing my thoughts on the face mask sample I received from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company - I typically am very lazy when it comes to using face masks, but since I'm fast becoming a life-long fan of this company and its products, I couldn't wait to test it out.

 

I tried the Lavender and Oak Calming Face Mask -

 

The lavender smell is SO amazing and it was instantly cooling. When I was sitting there waiting for it to dry, I felt so calm and just couldn't help but relax. I added a few drops of water to get the consistency I wanted in the paste and it gave me ample time to apply before beginning to dry. I love the feeling of a mask hardening and waited 15 minutes before removing it with a face sponge. I was left with a clean tingling feeling and didn't feel I needed to apply face moisturizer immediately (like I normally do any time after washing my face due to my really dry skin). The second time I used it was because I felt my face starting to itch and wanted to cool it down - worked like a charm. For reference, I have extremely sensitive skin - one year I had a year-long reaction for no reason and my body would not heal itself properly (luckily not on my face)... just for reference.

 

I can't wait to try all of them - the next one on my list is the Tea Tree Deep-Cleansing mask and would definitely love to spread the joy of this Lavender one. Such amazingness!

I really like the cute little packets it comes in!

They're so pleasing to look at, all lined up like that!

$12 per one 28 gram pack, up to 3 servings
(I was surprised that my sample was a full sized sample)

 

I've used it twice already and can probably get another 3 uses, easily;
the sales associate said she got 6

 

That's how much I used -
I'd say about the amount that would tightly fill a bottle cap



Just add a little water to turn it into a paste; when freshly applied

 

When dried after 15 minutes

 

Review: Rocky Mountain Soap butters, hand lotion and deodorant

I want to do a follow-up post - earlier in the year I found these products and I have finally used the last of them. I wanted to share my experience with those who might by considering a change, or are curious. 

I chose these products due to their organic and toxin-free ingredients and this is fantastic for my sensitive skin. 

The body and hand butters - I originally was very excited about the packaging of these but after getting down towards the end of the tube, I wasn't too thrilled. It actually falls off easily towards the end and the way the butter is packed into the tube, there is actually a lot of wasted butter. If the bottom part of the package hadn't fallen out and rolled onto the gross floor, I could have scooped it out and still used it. The butter itself was great for my legs because they get suuuuper dry; I don't quite like it for the rest of my body though as it does get heavy and doesn't spread easily. The smell though, is really amazing. The hand butter, same deal, but it's a bit too greasy for my liking. 

The hand lotion - love the smell of it but I find the texture to be a bit on the thin side. It's great if you have normal hands that aren't very dry like mine, but for myself, I need something that is a bit heavier but not greasy (the hand butter is a bit too greasy; I put it on the top of my hand and it's ok). I have to reapply this frequently. The packaging leaves a lot of waste when you get to the end so I do suggest cutting the top of it off and scoop out the rest of it - I was able to get almost a week of use from what was left in the tube. 

(Yes, in case you haven't noticed, I am big on packaging and waste of product)

The deodorant - I am still un-decided about how I feel about this. I love the roller-ball packaging but I'm not sure if it's effective. The smell is nice and fresh, the feel of it is very nice and cooling and doesn't leave a wet feeling after application for too long. Later on in the day, the smell of it doesn't smell the same (I'm sure due to me sweating) but it doesn't leave me smelling bad - just different. I might try another scent and come back to review this particular item. 

Overall - I would get the body butter for travel purposes because it's very compact, and I'd keep a travel size one in my bag for emergency dry-skin problems. For every day use, I'd probably use it at night so the butter has time to absorb into my skin. I won't buy the hand butter or lotion again. 

They have toxin-free days where they give away samples of products - I received a lavender face mask this week and look forward to trying it. I will continue to explore their products - I'm looking forward to trying their lip-balms when I'm done with all of mine I'm trying to get through. 

Rocky Mountain Soap Company - a step towards my lifestyle goal for healthier skin!

A major lifestyle goal I am trying to achieve is to take better care of my skin. All my life I have lived with extremely dry skin and eczema, and a few years ago, experienced the worst eczema outbreak I have ever had, lasting a year and even landing me in emergency a couple of times. 

My skin is under control again, and thankfully do not have any scarring, but that experience really scared the s*it out of me. I was miserable, my self-esteem took a hit, I had open wounds that would not heal, it was ugly and uncomfortable. After I recovered, I REALLY wanted to make an effort to keep my skin healthy - I switched to products made for sensitive skin and tried to keep my skin hydrated as much as possible by drinking water, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and constantly moisturizing. The products I used worked well, but I was also wanting to lead a healthier and 'cleaner' lifestyle, thus began my search for toxin free products, and especially those that were easily accessible - locally available, and not insanely expensive. 

Enter, the Rocky Mountain Soap Company - this little boutique store opened near my work in Downtown Vancouver near the end of 2014. They have a full range of items such as soaps, lip balms, deodorant, and body butters. I was most curious and impressed by their deodorant and body butters (especially their body butters as I loooooved their packaging - such easy application!). I tested their body butter in store and it left my skin very soft and lasted quite a long time without feeling greasy; their scents were lovely but not too over-powering. My favourite is the apricot.

I purchased the Apricot Body Butter, Hand Butter (Avocado), un-scented Body Butter (specifically for dry skin), Lemongrass deodorant, and was gifted an Apricot hand-cream during their promotion (buy $35 of product before tax and receive a free hand cream). 

I'm extremely excited to start with these products =) Best of all, they're made in Canada, and I love their saying - "Tested on owners, not animals".