Anyone know what it is? A friend who just returned from Switzerland had it in his FB album… apparently it was in a zoo in Zurich.
Yah, so ummmm. On a scale of one to “would not want to meet in a dark alley, or for that matter anywhere ever” this is a ten and a half.
Just to get ’em out there so I can move them from my “Done!” folder to my “Product Photos” folder…
I hunted this one down for ages, and finally picked it up at Shopper’s this past weekend. (This is probably the quickest I’ve ever reviewed a product, now that I think about it.) There were only two left, and this one was the scent I’d been looking for, so I figured it was fate!
What it is: the eos smooth sphere! It comes in three scents; this one is honeysuckle honeydew, whose packaging is a light pastel green. (The others are sweet mint, which is a darker mint green, and summer fruit, a pinky red)
The great stuff, AKA what could be a marketing spiel: well, it’s cute as hell. Then there’s the fact that it smells amazing; there are tons of products that claim to smell like flowers or fruit and end up smelling cloying, plastic, and gross. Not this one! It really does make me think of honeydew, with touches of something else (the honeysuckle, I suppose!) and though it’s strong enough to smell, the smell is light — not to mention, fresh, juicy, and delightful! It’s very noticeable in the near vicinity of the balm itself, but fades on your lips after 5-10 minutes as to not be annoying.
The great stuff, AKA what could be a marketing spiel: well, it’s cute as hell. Then there’s the fact that it smells amazing; there are tons of products that claim to smell like flowers or fruit and end up smelling cloying, plastic, and gross. Not this one! It really does make me think of honeydew, with touches of something else (the honeysuckle, I suppose!) and though it’s strong enough to smell, the smell is light — not to mention, fresh, juicy, and delightful! It’s very noticeable in the near vicinity of the balm itself, but fades on your lips after 5-10 minutes as to not be annoying.Or make you want to eat. Fruit.
Nom nom nom.
The lid can be a hassle to get on (it’s hard to get used to!) but clicks nicely into place when it is shut – I love that feeling, the “clunk” at the end of the threads that lets you know it’s secure. Great packaging with attention to details? I think so.
Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Beeswax (cire d’abeille)*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol. (Starred items -> organic)
I think it’s awesome that they’ve gone paraben-free, and I like that they tried something different — a coconut/olive base, and then some beeswax and jojoba, rather than plain ‘ol petroleum. It gives a nice balmy feel, and lets the sphere of balm stay stiff and non-melty. (Dude, check out the photo above the ingredients list. You can see flecks of somethingorother in there! And the flecks are CUTE!)
Moisture?: Here’s where it loses points. Though it smells great, isn’t tested on animals, and the packaging kicks ass, it’s not the most moisturising balm. I think it would be fine for the regular girl, but with my super-dry lips, I have to layer this.
The verdict? It’s not cheap at $5 a pop for only 0.25oz, considering that ChapStick is like, $2. What you’re really paying for is the packaging and scent (both of which I love!) So, while this isn’t the best choice for the girl on a really tight budget, it is a great choice for a girl on a moderate budget (or not on a budget at all, if you’re lucky.)
The verdict? It’s not cheap at $5 a pop for only 0.25oz, considering that ChapStick is like, $2. What you’re really paying for is the packaging and scent (both of which I love!) So, while this isn’t the best choice for the girl on a really tight budget, it is a great choice for a girl on a moderate budget (or not on a budget at all, if you’re lucky.)
I actually enjoy using it every time I pull it out, which is more than I can say for a stick of Labello. It’s an unexpected little luxury that I think most of us can afford. Retail therapy for five bucks? Sign me right up!
I figured this one out a couple weeks ago — it’s really nifty! When you line on top of shadow with a black gel or cream liner (I used my Blacktrack, hence the title) it sometimes actually alters the colour of the shadow… check out the example below.
I was in disbelief for a few moments (it’s so different! And pretty! So… blue!) and thus made sure multiple times this wasn’t some epic screw-up. When I swatched it to show you guys, I wiped off the liner before dipping in with a clean brush… and yup, it definitely does change the colour of the shadow! (Okay, okay, maybe it isn’t THAT different. But you have to admit, it is a pretty big change, especially as you’d expect no change at all.)
‘Kay, one more time: here’s a close-up. (Can you tell that I am absolutely MESMERIZED by this??! Yah, pretty much.)
Just a nifty little trick that I thought I’d let you guys know about. Lesson: layer shadow under your black gel liners for a cool effect, or ensure that they’re going on shadowless skin if you want it super-black.
(The shadow used in this is Senna Fantasy, one of my favourite shades. It’s gorgeous and versitile, not to mention ridiculously vibrant for such a light colour.)
For any of you that are interested, they’re on for $10 (WITH a brush!) at beautycrunch right now. In case you can’t identify that for yourself, that is one GREAT deal :P
…is the feeling of the day.
Lovelyish has finally closed down my account and deleted my posts; I received an email from their parent corporation apologising and letting me know that they deleted my material. (And double-checked immediately, seeing as the last time they said they’d do it, they clearly didn’t.)
Thank you again so, so much — all of you. <3
Product: Demetria Organics Soap Nuts. I mentioned these a couple months ago, and they’ve finally launched!
What they are: Soap nuts are actually dried berries, not nuts! They’re orange-brown, hard, and hollow. They smell a little like apple cider vinegar, and are a little sticky if you squeeze them. This bag of soap nuts can be used about 4-5 times before becoming grey and soggy, at which point they can be thrown into the garbage or composted. 
What to do with them: All you have to do is throw three or four berries into the bag, and toss the whole thing into the wash! I like my clothes scent-free, so I stop there. If you do like a little scent, though, put a few drops of your favourite essential oil in the bag with your soap nuts. (I found grapefruit oil at the supermarket the other day, and it was to die for! I might have to pick some up…)
From there, your clothes wash normally. The berries are low-sudsing, so you won’t see as many bubbles – but as you’ll find, bubbles do not equal cleanliness. They’re just fun to watch in a side-loading machine :P Soap nuts can be used for other things, but I haven’t tried anything else with them. I’d be excited to see how they’d hold up in different situations, though!
Things I love: They’re easy to use, you get to pick your scent (if any!) and they’re incredibly environmentally friendly compared to normal detergent. (Plus, Demetria is Canadian… bonus points? I think so.) But let’s get on to the important stuff: will these get your clothes clean?
Effectiveness: These soap nuts were pretty darn effective! My clothes are clean, but I realize that’s not very difficult – I could probably get away with washing my clothes for six months with only water, seeing as I never really actually get them dirty. (No, I haven’t tried… don’t worry!) Anyhow, they feel soft, there’s no residue, and there most certainly is no scent! However, if you regularly wash very soiled clothes, these may not be the best option.
The verdict? I love the results, and paired with the fact that they’re a) eco-friendly, b) being sold by a Canadian company, and c) work out to being about $0.10 per load, soap nuts are definitely a winner in my books.
Now, this is a phrase that beauty bloggers (well, bloggers in general) don’t usually get to say due to the fast-paced speed of the internet, but theNotice gets the pleasure of saying it today: *ahem* This has been Rae for theNotice, and you heard it here first!
Apparently, women in Korea have been splitting up Pot Rouges and sharing them — love the idea, and totally wish more ladies were doing it over here :P
via
(note: sorry I couldn’t let you know I was linking to you, hon! Your comments button seems to be broken x.x)
I know we’ve been doing a lot of “hate posts” recently, but some of this stuff has to be said. This one? Lovelyish.com.
A while back, I was contacted by Lovelyish’s marketing director. I figured there was no harm, and double-checked to make sure I could pull out at any time. I then left for my trip and my account went largely unattended.
When I came home, I checked out the links that they had been putting up… some of this stuff was Tess’, not mine, and our arrangement did not extend unto material that isn’t mine. I asked Jamella to take my account down, and she said she would.
Then, when I check back a week later, not only was my account still up, they were still stealing my posts. Not to mention, after asking to pull out, they immidately increased how many posts they were using — BAM, suddenly, they’re taking one every five days or so. Nothing from September, and then they “remember” my account a few days after I email them? Not bloody likely.
Screencap evidence:
Surprise, they stopped responding!
So now I’m asking for your help, because they’re not listening to me. If you guys could send an email to their Marketing Coordinator, I would be so thankful — it doesn’t need to be long, just a line or two saying that you’re a reader of theNotice, and I’d like to pull out. (You can link to this post if that would help.) Even just a link to this post on your blogs, or twitter… anything that could help get me out of this fiasco :(
[info removed, as the issue has been resolved]
I never sign off my posts, but I feel like I need to today. This is so much more personal than usual — it isn’t a product sucking, or a bad sales associate, or an exciting product launch. This is theNotice, my baby, being victimized. And it hurts.
Love,
Rae.
Rae.
Edit: I just wanted to issue a huge “thank you” to everyone who offered a shoulder or an email throughout this ordeal! Lovelyish has finally deleted my profile and material — companies really listen once they realize they’re not going to be able to pull a fast one on you *rolls eyes* I was finally contacted by someone from Lovelyish’s parent corporation, and this mess has been cleared up.
<3>