Monday 31 October 2011

The PERFECT lotion.

I live in Canada, where you're swimming in humidity in the summer, and doing everything in your power to not dry up into dust in the winter. Now that cooler weather is upon us (no snow yet though, thankfully!) my skin has been itchy and flakey and all together disgusting.

Enter: Baby lotion.

This ain't your baby's baby lotion.


I don't have any children or infant nieces or nephews, or any reason to ever be in the baby isle, so I was totally unaware that Johnson's is now making baby lotion that doesn't smell like babies! Lucky for me, my drugstore put out an end display that caught my eye. I picked up the Shea and Cocoa Butter version, but there are also Vanilla Oatmeal, Lavender, and Apple-Honey versions. They are all safety-sealed, so I can't comment on any of the scents except for the one I got, but mine smells a bit like how you'd expect a lightly scented green apple hand soap to smell. It's fresh, clean and not overpowering.

This stuff is totally non-greasy. And it absorbs crazy super fast. And it has made my hands, arms, and legs softer than I've felt them in years. The bottle promises to maintain moisture for 24 hours, and it totally does! It also doesn't leave that weird lotion filmy feeling all over your skin.

Along with the lotion, each scent has a matching body wash, which I am considering picking up. I'll let you all know how that one goes!

Johnson's baby lotion can be purchased for $4-5 at drugstores. Click here for more info, or to purchase online.

Saturday 22 October 2011

DIY Weekend!

Yesterday, I attempted to give myself an at-home pedicure. My nail polish skills are far from awesome, so it only ended up looking okay, but before I ruined everything with paint, I made myself a little scrub, and oh, was it amazing.

For your own at-home-foot-scrub, you'll need two ingredients which you likely already have:

1. Olive Oil. Any brand.

2. Epsom Salts. Again, any brand is fine.


For mine, I mixed about 5 tbs of salt with about 1.5 tbs of oil. You can play with yours a little if you want a more oily/salty consistency. 

I soaked my feet in a warm bath for about 5 minutes, then massaged some of the scrub on. I used a wash cloth for extra scrubbing power, but I'm sure you could also use a loofah or pumice. Then I rinsed the mixture off my feet, and quickly went over my feet again with the wash cloth to get rid of some of the excess oil. Once I dried off, I was good to go!

The epsom salts I had laying around happened to be lavender scented, so it all smelled very lovely, and the olive oil left my skin crazy soft. I would have thought it would feel like I dropped a greasy burger on my foot, but not at all! 

I had the afterthought of adding tea tree oil to it, for added fungal and bacterial fighting power, but couldn't seem to find my bottle. If any of you try this at home, let me know how it goes!

Over all, this is a pretty wonderful scrub, easy to make, easy to use, and super crazy cheap! Your feet will love you for this one.

Friday 21 October 2011

Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker: Your Lips But Better?

I had read on another blog fairly recently (I'm sorry, I don't remember which one, if you know please leave a comment so I can give credit!) that the Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker gives what experts call the "Your Lips But Better" effect. It has a sheer red tint, that just adds a little oomph to everybody's natural lip color. I decided to stop by Wal Mart to pick one up and try for myself.

Warning: Memories of second grade may come flying back.


I ended up taking before and after shots of my lips so you can compare for yourself! There wasn't significant change, but I do agree that there is a slight reddish tint, and it obviously makes my lips look more hydrated.



This was before. Nothing on my lips. They're oddly pink naturally.


And After! I feel like the difference was slightly more noticeable in real life,
but hopefully you can see some of the change in these photos.

Verdict: Yes, the Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker does give you the YLBB effect, but it may single handedly transport you back to elementary school. It still smells awesome, and still tastes vaguely of crayons, but for under $2, who cares?

Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers are available at drugstores, Wal Mart, and basically anywhere else that might sell lip balm (but it is usually stuck in the kiddie make-up section and not the lip balm isle) You can get more info here


Sunday 16 October 2011

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish Review

Okay, so I know this is sort of a generic review, and as with all nail polish, formulas will vary depending on color. That being said, I now own 4 very different shades of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish, and all are an absolute dream.

The bottles look like this, incase you get overwhelmed
by all trillion varieties of Sally Hansen.


The claim is that these are a base coat, polish, and top coat all in one. I wouldn't quite go that far. Though I'm sure they're fine on their own. I always use a base coat, just because I'm really freaking pale, and every polish seems stain my finger nails, so I try my best to prevent that. I also use my Revlon Quick Dry topcoat, because I really like the extra shine, and the quick dry time.

As I mentioned above, I own four shades of this polish. The brushes are more flat and wide than your typical brush, and although I've heard mixed reviews about it, it seems to really work well for me. I start with one line down the middle of my nail, then another on each side. I'm by no means very good at painting my nails, but this stuff always seems to look good when I'm done. The brush just seems to work perfectly on my (slightly larger than normal for a female) nails. 

I've had no troubles with discoloration, shrinkage, bubbling, peeling or lifting with these polishes. They're pretty excellent that way.

Check them out next time you're at your local drugstore. They should be between the $6-$8 mark. You can also get more info and see available colors at sallyhansen.com


Saturday 15 October 2011

EOS Lip Balm Review

Shoot guys, I'm really failing on the "new post" front. I'll try to be better! Today's post is about the EOS lip balm sphere. I'm sure most of you have already heard of them if not tried them, but I'm pretty new to them, and am still in love.

Swoooooooooooon.


I thought I had lost my beloved Burt's Bees lip balm (turns out my boyfriend had taken it), so I went to the drugstore to pick up a new one, and found these! I heard a lot of good things about them, so thought I'd give them a try. They're all natural and 95% organic. They glide on smooth, the flavor (I got sweet mint) isn't too strong, but strong enough that you know it's there, they aren't sticky or waxy or any other bad things that lip balms tend to be.

The packaging is unique, and kind of adorable. Though they would be a little bulky if you wanted to stick it in your pocket, they would be perfect for the bedside table, desk, or purse!

I got mine for $3.90 at PharmaPlus. But if you want to order online, they are available here.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve Review

There are basically two major companies making Rose Salve. One is C.O. Bigelow (available at Bath and Body Works and some drugstores) and the other is Smith's (available at Sephora) I know a lot of people who swear by the Smith's variety, but I bought the C.O. Bigelow kind during a "buy two, get one free" promo at Bath & Body.

I mostly bought it because of the tin.


I have mixed feelings about this stuff. At first I was using it as a lip balm. It added a nice sheen, with just a hint of rosy color. I actually quite liked the look and feel of it, until about day 3 when all around my mouth broke out in the worst case of acne in the history of my face. 

Since the packaging reads "lips, face, cuticles, elbows, knees" I figured I'd keep it and try it out on other areas. Turns out that it's great on really dry elbows, rough patches on feet, and I LOVELOVELOVE it as a cuticle oil substitute (it absorbs super fast!). In the winter when I get annoyingly rough patches between my fingers, I'll slather some on there too. It moisturizes really well, and has a nice light floral scent.

I'm curious to try the Smith's Rose Salve, since I have heard such great things. I'm hoping to do a comparison in the near future. What do you guys think? Have you tried either?

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve is available at Bath & Body works for $5.50. Click here for more info.


Saturday 8 October 2011

Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat Review

I used to hate top coats. I just didn't understand the point of them. They never seemed to add anything to my polished nails. But a few months ago, I picked up a bottle of crackle nail polish and I decided to also get a bottle of top coat, because (not fully understanding how the crackle worked) I was worried the crackle might fall off without it. I ended up picking up whatever was on sale.


This is what was on sale.


Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat was on sale that week for $3.99. I decided to give it a shot. That moment was life changing.  Or at least, nail changing.

If you're into nail polish, you know that Seche Vite is the holy grail of top coats. It dries quickly, and has an unbelievable shine.  I've tried Seche Vite at a friend's house, and I can honestly say, I like this stuff better.

The dry time on this is just slightly longer than SV. You're going to be un-smudgeable/un-dentable in 3-5 minutes. The shine is the same. The price is quite a bit less (when it's on sale), it won't shrink or discolor your manicure, and it's way easier to find!

The thing I really love about this top coat, is the consistency. It's thin enough to evenly spread over my nail, but thick enough to not get messy.  I find the more top coat I use, the faster my nail polish dries, so I tend to just put a big blob near my cuticle (when my nail polish is still a bit tacky), and gently spread it across my nail. It hides any minor imperfections, and evens out nicely.

This top coat can be up to $9 in stores, but if you shop around or wait for a sale (it's almost always on sale), it can be found for $4-5.

You can find the Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat at Wal Mart and most drugstores, or you can buy it here.

Friday 7 October 2011

Queen Helene Mint Julep Face Masque: Review

I'm going to start this off by saying I rarely put anything other than water and makeup on my face. Most cleansers seem to either make me break out, or dry my skin out so bad that it starts to flake. So I was pretty interested when I heard good things about the Queen Helene Mint Julep Face Masque.


Really good stuff, despite the packaging.


I think I may be in love with this stuff. It smells like mint gum, and has a slight tingling feeling when you put it on. After about 15 minutes of awesome minty face tingles, you can wash it off with warm water and a wash cloth. It leaves my face smoother than a baby's bottom, drying out zits, but not my face. It even worked to dry out the zits on my sister's super-stressed-because-it's-midterm-time face.

Since I've used this, I've noticed my face looks brighter, and my usual makeup seems to cover my face more evenly. It's a little bit magical.

Oh, and did I mention it's an awesome green color so you can totally play "Zombie Attack!" while you're waiting for it to dry? Because that's totally what my sister and I did the first time. It scared my cat.

In Canada, you can purchase the Mint Julep Masque in a big tub at Sally's Beauty Supply (about $7), and in the U.S., you can find it at Walgreen's. Or if you don't mind waiting for things to come in the mail, everyone can buy it here (where it comes in a fun squeeze-tube!)




Thursday 6 October 2011

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm Review

I'm the first to admit it, I'm a bit of a lip balm junkie. I need to have something to slather on my lips on me at all times. When I was a kid, I was all about the Lip Smackers, which did little to hydrate, and usually (yet always disappointingly) tasted like a crayon. Then I grew into Blistex, which was alright, but it seemed like I was always reapplying. Then, I found this!




If there were angels around, they'd be singing.



Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. This stuff is amazing. It hydrates, it stays on, it tastes lightly of mint. It's perfect. If I apply in the morning, I won't have to reapply until I go to bed. And even then, I think it's just out of habit more than anything.

I can eat with this on, I can drink with this on, I can brush my teeth with this on, and my lips will continue to feel (and look!) hydrated.

The formula isn't at all shiny or sticky and it has no color, so it's great for boys who don't love pink glittery lips. It also works well under lipstick.



Also available in a tin, if you're into that.


Burt's Bees only uses all natural ingredients in their products, so you can be sure you're not eating some crazy chemical if you happen to lick your lips. Obviously, the "all natural" factor boosts the price a little bit, but it will last forever. I've had my tube since Christmas 2010 and I'm sure I'm not even a quarter of the way through, because it still feels full.

I'm also a big fan of the yellow tube. It makes for easy finding when it slips into the dark abyss that is the bottom of my purse. There is not one thing wrong with this product. It truly is the perfect lip balm.

Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm is available at most drugstores, or can be purchased for $4.49 here.


Wednesday 5 October 2011

Revlon Crazy Shine Review + Pictures

For my first official review, I decided to go with a product that completely blew me away the first time I tried it.  I'm a nail polish-picker by nature. I can't help it! I love the extra shine on my fingers but as soon as there's a chip, I'm picking the stuff off. Enter the Crazy Shine. The Revlon Crazy Shine is a tear-drop-shaped sponge with a green rough buffer side, and a smooth white "crazy shine" side.  To make your nails crazy shiny, all you have to do is lightly buff your nails, then rub the crazy shine side of the sponge over them a few times. It's seriously this easy, and the shine for me usually lasts about a week... And it's totally impossible to pick off!

I took pictures before, during and after my Crazy Shine experience, so you could all see how well it works.

These were my nails before. A little banged up, but not bad.


After I buffed.


After I shined! The angle of my camera really shows my poor
dented thumb nail, but really, this thing is amazing.


Depending where you shop, the Crazy Shine will range from around $2.50 - $5.99.  The consistently cheapest place I have found it is at Wal Mart, where it is usually around the $3.00 mark.

The Revlon Crazy Shine is available for purchase here.

Welcome to Ten Buck Beauty!

First post, no followers. I'm the blogger version of the crazy guy on the corner muttering to himself.

My plan is to dedicate this blog to reviewing and swatching beauty products that can all be purchased for under $10. Because really, who can afford to buy $18 nail polishes and $35 bronzers?

I'm going to be adding a few posts in the next couple days, and hopefully I'll gain some followers so I can stop talking into this abyss.

Enjoy the blog,

Ashley