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Kiss InstaWave Automatic Curler review, before & after, and photos | Hair curling for dummies (with no risk of being eaten)

February 17, 2015

29 Comments

The product: Kiss InstaWave automatic curler

To all of you out there who are bad at curling your hair: you’ve heard of automatic curlers, right? The Conair Curl Secret (which I reviewed here for the Best Buy VIVA Blog) and the BaByliss Miracurl?

Well, this is like the lovechild of the creepy turtle-curler and the clamp-less curling wand, and it is beautiful.

How it works: The KISS InstaWave (yes, KISS like the nail brand) is the only product that I know of that functions quite like this, and it works by using a rotating base to feed your hair around a wand instead of using hidden mechanics to suck your hair into a Terror Shell™ of tangles.

Like the $200 BaByliss Miracurl, it can curl in either direction (the Curl Dial switch is also the “on” button, and will rotate the base when you press it), and you can switch directions without having to reload your hair onto the wand — you just grab some hair, put it by the base of the InstaWave, and let the iron do its thing.

What’s really awesome about the InstaWave, though, is that its totally terror-free — and I tried my hardest to make it mess up. Because it curls everything around a curling wand instead of wrapping it up inside of a Cave of Doom, hairs going in the wrong direction will just get mussed up, instead of devoured and solidly knotted, and you can start your curl anywhere with zero risk of fish hooking.

It also shuts itself automatically after 90 minutes (you know, because house fires are scary) and has two heat settings, the highest being 420˚F. I use the lowest setting, and my hair takes 5-10 seconds per section to curl and the curl lasts all day.

The problem with the InstaWave: Okay, so here’s the deal. This baby is pretty much perfect, save for being a little heavy, but… it makes an audible, high-pitched squeal when plugged in. And the squealing only gets louder when you turn it on.*

So, you’re going to have to store this thing unplugged, and if you have auditory sensitivities (I do), it’s a bad choice for you right now. However, I’ve been assured that KISS Products is addressing this issue currently, so hopefully the InstaWaves will be properly silent by the end of the year!

The verdict?

If you want to try out an automatic curler, KISS is pretty much the only brand you should be looking at. The InstaWave is very affordable (other automatic curlers run at $130-$250), relatively lightweight, and both more versatile and easier to use than the shell-type models.

However–and this is a big however–the cheap price tag comes at a cost. You’ll need to unplug your InstaWave after every use, and the squealing noise (similar to the noise a cheap battery charger will make) is unavoidable, at least for now. I liked this curler a lot more than the Conair Curl Secret, but if you can wait for the second run (which should be quieter), do!

Availability: $69.96 CAD/$74.39 USD at Walmart (CA) and Target (US), in stores and online.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Hair, Product Photos, Product Review, Tools

29 Comments

Clinique Wear Everywhere Neutrals “Greys” 8-Pan Palette swatches, review, photos | Super sleek + super affordable, with a side of extra-super-awesome

February 13, 2015

Rae Chen

34 Comments

The product: Clinique All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Wear Everywhere Greys

This palette, you guys, is everything.

“Pretty. Simple. Overstuffed makeup bags everywhere are rejoicing.

Life is complicated. With Clinique, pretty is easy. Mistake proof combinations exist within every palette. Go matte, go shimmery, and get creative. There are no wrong answers.”

-Clinique, preachin’ the truth

The shades: Clinique is always great at telling you which shadows are what, and this palette is no exception. In Wear Everywhere Greys, you’ll find Fawn Satin (Matte, from the Seashell Pink duo), a pinky satin-matte; High Tea (Matte, LE), a lovely purpley taupe; Mushroom (Super Shimmer LE), a gorgeous taupe that is not the same as the one in the Nutcracker Act I eyeshadow palette (see it worn here); and Grey Matters (Matte, LE), a dark grey-brown.

Clinique The Nutcracker Suite’s Mushroom (L) vs. the Wear Everywhere Greys’ Mushroom (R). You could have used ANY OTHER NAME, Clinique. Why would you do this.

Fifth comes the bright, white Sugar Cane (Soft Shimmer, permanent), then the neutral Silver Lining (Super Shimmer, permanent; not too blue!), both from the regular line. The palette finishes off with two insanely buttery liner/crease shades: Stormy (Soft Shimmer, LE), a gorgeous neutral-warm brown, and Stroke of Midnight (Matte, permanent), your standard soft black.

The formula: Clinique has played around with a lot of different eyeshadow formulations over the past couple of years, and while this palette doesn’t represent the very, very best of them, it’s still really good. Some of the shades feel a little dry in the pan (keep that in mind if you look at these in-store), but when you actually use them, they work perfectly — zero fall-down, easy to blend, and really well-pigmented.

Clinique Wear Everywhere Greys swatches

With primer, I get all-day wear out of these (which is really rare for me). The buttery, pigmented Mattes and Soft Shimmers are the best performers in the palette, while the few Super Shimmers remind me a lot of Clinique’s old Colour Surge eyeshadows — they feel drier and almost gritty when swatched, but still apply really gently and smoothly to the lid.

Overall, this Wear Everywhere Neutrals palette is of excellent quality, and there are no poor performers in Greys that drag the rest down.

Just the right size! And shades!

The verdict?

Okay, okay, okay: here is the most exciting part of this post. I don’t care if you wear a lot of eyeshadow or only very little, you need one of the Clinique Wear Everywhere Neutrals palettes, because they’re foolproof and only freakin’ $40!!!

Are these palettes perfect perfect? Eh, not technically — but if you want a monochromatic palette, these are your very best bet. They’ll leave you crease- and fallout-free, and strike the perfect balance between variety & simplicity. (Plus: $40!! And just as well-thought-out as the Shu Uemura Prêt-à-Palettes, which are more than twice the price!)

Availability: $36 USD/$40 CAD at Clinique counters & online.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Clinique, Eyes, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2015

34 Comments

Vixen Creations VixSkin Mustang in Fluor-a-Pink: review, photos | Give yourself the best Valentine’s Day gift ever. (EVER.)

February 10, 2015

Rae Chen

32 Comments

The product: Vixen Creations VixSkin Mustang in Fluor-a-Pink

You know something is good–like, really, really good–when you can’t shut up about it when talking to your friends.

VixSkin is no exception.

Keep reading! (Warning: NSFW) »

Tags: favourite sex toys/Feminism, Holy Grail, Product Photos, Product Review, Sex, Vixen Creations

32 Comments

Beauty Influencer’s Sunday Column, Vol. 1: Blogger Introduction

February 8, 2015

Rae Chen

1 Comment

Happy Sunday, dear reader! Today, I have a little something special to share with you — ever since I shut down BBLL (I loved doing it, but I couldn’t fit it into my schedule anymore), I’ve been hoping to find a new community of bloggers to exchange links with every now and then.

The lovely Jaa (from HelloJaa) solved this problem for me by asking me to be a part of her brand-new Beauty Influencer’s Sunday Column, a super cool series that’s going to feature the bloggers you see below. Today, she’s put together a Blogger Introduction so we can all get acquainted with each blogger, their skin type, their makeup style, and their makeup bag staples!

I hope you enjoy the intro.

OUR PANEL OF SELECTED BLOGGERS

– AGATA –

USA; Her and Makeup
Skin color and type: MAC NW20; normal
Makeup style: Smokey eyes with neutral brown shades, pink lips, pink and glowy cheeks
Makeup bag staples: Mac Face and Body foundation, N2, Buxom Lash Waterproof mascara in Black, and Dior Addict Gloss in Princess

– ALICE –

Belgium; Alice Yeh
Skin color and type: MAC NC25; dry to normal
Makeup style: Fairly neutral with a natural smokey-eye
Makeup bag staples: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk in shade 6.5 (The one foundation I rely on on bad skin days and big events. It guarantees great skin without failure. Thanks to it’s medium – buildable coverage, it blurs imperfections and creates a beautiful soft-focus look. It blends in so beautifully that even a magnifying mirror fails to detect it. I call it an Instagram filter in a bottle because that’s exactly what it is.), Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in shade Sepia Ink (Whilst I describe my make-up look to be rather neutral, I do have to confess that I haven’t been able to leave the house without a flick on the eyes. Bobbi Brown’s formula is hard to beat: it’s longwearing, smudge-free and budge-free. It applies so easily that it omits the need of cotton buds. Sepia Ink is a very dark ashy brown and wears beautifully day and night. I’ve caught myself to reach back to this time and time again.), and Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in shade Amazing Grace (A neutral lipstick hunt is generally just a wild-goose chase in my books because most of them are either too pink or too pale. Amazing Grace however is my current neutral lip love. The shade injects just the perfect amount of colour to perk up your complexion without being overly pink. Some people rock pink so naturally but I’m definitely not one of them. The formula rocks as well. It’s a creamy matte formula – yes you’ve read that well – that feels great on the lips and fades into the prettiest stain after having been displayed for a good few hours. There’s just nothing not to love.)

– DEE –

Canada; How Does Dee Do It
Skin color and type: NC 35-NC42 (depending on the time of year ); dry
Makeup style: Neutral with a pop of brights/colour
Makeup bag staples: Nivea Lip Smoothie lip balm in Acai & Wild Apple (now called Nivea Lip Care Kiss of Vitamin Swirl), Too Faced Teddy Berry lipstick, and Bobbi Brown Corrector (Peach)

– ERIN –

USA; Clever Girl Reviews
Skin color and type: Ranges from N/NW 5 to 15 depending on the time of year; combination with Rosacea; it can veer very dry and dehydrated in winter
Makeup style: Softer looks for day, bolder looks for night
Makeup bag staples: Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Raisin (I have bought at least 30 tubes since it came out), L’Oreal Voluminous Full Definition (20 – 40 tubes. I’ve lost count), and Armani Sheer Blush in #2 (this blush is worth every cent if you can find it)

– JAA –

USA/Thailand; Hello Jaa
Skin color and type: MAC NC30; combination
Makeup style: Smokey neutral
Makeup bag staples: Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in Ocher, Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in Cruise, and Kat Von D Ink Liner in Trooper

Keep reading! »

Tags: /BISC

1 Comment

Dreamy lids & blue-green liner with the Lise Watier Expression Spring 2015 collection

February 6, 2015

Rae Chen

31 Comments

I’ve been testing a lot of (rather excellent) all-natural skincare products for the blog recently, but this month, I had my first serious reaction to a product: a red, itchy, bumpy rash on my cheeks and jawline. I’m not sure what caused it (though I do have my suspicions), but while I wait for the reaction to go down, I’ll be focusing on testing new makeup products instead.

I don’t want to say that the rash was a good thing–because ouch–but maybe there’s a silver lining to it after all. I have so many pretty things I want to share with all of you this month!

(That rash, though. Take it back, universe. I don’t like it and I’m not having fun.)

I haven’t used any Lise Watier in a while, so this look was a great opportunity to try out a bunch of new things — and I pretty much adored them all. I used an old Lise Watier Crayon Jumbo pencil in Moonlight (the prettiest silvery-white-purple) as my base so that the violet sheen would peek through the shadows, and then paired a few of the shades from the Lise Watier Palette Expression with their Ombre Soufflé Suprême in Fairy Pink, also from the Expression collection.

The two are a match made in heaven, I kid you not. The cool khaki and the peachy pink pair together to create just the prettiest, dreamiest “daybreak” lids, and over the white-violet base, they both pull perfectly grey/blue.

Wearing/EOTD: Lise Watier Palette Expression, Féline Liner in Vert

I’m trying not to put anything on my cheeks until my skin calms down, so I finished the look with some heavy liner (Marcelle Double Precision through the lashes & Lise Watier Féline Eyeliner HD in Vert, which I swear usually looks greener than this; swatches below) and a nude lip. For the lip, I grabbed my Lise Watier Haute Couleur gloss in Rose Vintage, which was a big disappointment for me — I bought it a few months ago and only had the chance to try it today, but I didn’t like it at all.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, Canadian beauty, Eyes, Lise Watier, Makeup looks: colour, Spring/Summer 2015

31 Comments

A very exciting L’Occitane Shea Butter giveaway! | One for me, one for you…

February 4, 2015

Rae Chen

40 Comments

January is over, and with it, the month of free L’Occitane Shea Light Comforting Cream samples comes to an end. But the excitement isn’t quite over yet, because while I fell in love with these products in December, one lucky Canadian reader is going to get the chance to fall in love with them this month! (Who says fantastic skincare products can’t be your Valentine?)

I’ve put together a quick Rafflecopter giveaway form below, and to all of you, good luck. This giveaway is silicone-free and appropriate for all skin types (I’d be wary only if you’re very oily), and will close on midnight at the end of the 18th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Giveaway, L'Occitane

40 Comments

Curated Clarins favourites hauls | Valentine’s Day Bloggers’ Favourites

February 2, 2015

Rae Chen

3 Comments

I wanted you guys to get the chance to try out my Clarins body favourites, so when I found out they were doing a five-piece sample promotion until the 4th, I kinda… curated a couple orders for you guys. (I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.)

Here’s how to get the most bang for your buck while trying out my Clarins body favourites!

» See the feature here & use code RAE to get five free samples + free shipping with no minimum!

Clarins Skin Tones Eye Quartet Mineral Palette (Graphites has been discontinued!)

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Clarins, Other, Shopping, Skincare

3 Comments

TOP FOUR | My Clarins skincare (body) favourites

February 1, 2015

Rae Chen

10 Comments

I’ve loved a lot of Clarins over the years: their Mineral Eye Palettes, for one, or their lipsticks. (Or, right now, their One-Step Water Cleanser, which smells like peaches. I love the smell of peaches.) So, when they asked me if I wanted to pick out my four favourite body products from the line, I was like, YES PLEASE, I WILL DO THIS.

It’s always a little hard to find skincare favourites when you can’t use silicones, but here are my four top products from the line!

» Shop my favourites here with free shipping on all orders (use code RAE at checkout!)

4. Eau Ressourçante Gentle Fragranced Deodorant ($25 CAD)

Clarins Gentle Fragranced Deodorants

I can’t actually use Clarins’ spray-on deodorants (I swear the internet implied that they would be ‘cone-free somewhere, but apparently not so), but they’re just so unique.

I mean, a non-aerosolized deodorant that you spray on that’s scented with a proper fragrance, rather than a fruity $2 Unilever blend? You gotta give points for coolness. (And this packaging is totally too classy for my underarms — I feel like I’m about to grab lunch with Moira Queen or something.)

A runner up for my cool-cred favourite was Clarins’ Eau Dynamissante Treatment Fragrance, which is insanely huge. It’s bigger than a baby’s head, and when you pair the scent with the way that the bottle is styled, it gives off major ’80s mob boss’ wife vibes.

Clarins Eau Ressourçant Deodorant

Clarins Relax Body Treatment Oil

3. Relax Body Oil ($57 CAD)

I like to keep my body oils as affordable as possible, but every now and then, a girl’s gotta splurge.

Clarins makes three: Relax, which smells very herby and spa-like (it’s similar this oil, but in way better packaging) with geranium, petit grain, camomile, and basil extracts; “Anti Eau,” which is meant to–and I quote–“prevent sponginess” by eliminating toxins; and Tonic, with a lot of citrus and rosemary to its scent.

Lookit the tiny baby Tonic Body Treatment Oil! So tiny!

All three are preservative-free with a base of hazelnut oil, and they come in the most gorgeous glass bottles. Unlike the rest of the Clarins Body range, which I can find to be rather perilous (especially those damn shower gels!), the Body Oils are hefty and easy to use, and the smooth lids and heavy glass packaging seriously class up the product.

Clarins Body Oil packaging

2. Eau des Jardins ($53 CAD)

I’m using the Eau des Jardins Uplifting Shower Gel ($37 CAD) right now, and while the box is gorgeous, the bottle itself is pretty (charmingly?) comical. I mean, it smells great, but it is constantly falling over in my shower with its wide, flat body and tiny, tiny base!

Clarins Eau des Jardins Uplifting Shower Gel

That said, I do love a good citrus-based body product, and this one is no exception. It kind of reminds me of L’Occitane’s Frisson de Verveine (which I adore), with more garden and less unavailability. I like the shower gel a lot, but if you’re going to go for it, I say get the EdT instead!

1. Gentle Roll-On Deodorant ($21 CAD)

Clarins Roll-On Deodorant/Anti-perspirant, AKA THE BEST EVER

Do you know how hard it is to find a silicone-free antiperspirant? I’m guessing “no,” but just in case you’re not clear on it: it’s really bloody hard. When I went searching, I think I found a whopping three. But, because this one’s labelled as a deodorant, I didn’t even realize it was a candidate until this month!

Despite the misnomer, Clarins’ Gentle Roll-On Deodorant is actually not a deodorant (read: scent masker) at all — it’s an antiperspirant, which minimizes sweatiness. And it is the best of the damn bunch. This roll-on keeps my underarms significantly drier than anything I have ever tried before, including the “clinical” stuff.

Clarins’ spaceship-esque Roll-On Deodorant

This beauty takes few minutes to dry, but it’s leaps and bounds better than my last two ‘cone-free antiperspirants. It smells fresh and a little powdery, doesn’t sting at all, and despite the wait, it actually dries really quickly for a roll-on. (Literally five times faster than last one I tried.)

If you’re a sweaty-Betty looking for a fantastic antiperspirant for sensitive underarms, give this one a try! It does contain aluminum, but it doesn’t leave that super-gross aluminum-silicone film behind (ugh) and never leaves your underarms feeling itchy.

What body products have you been loving recently?

Keep reading! »

Tags: silicone-free deodorant/Clarins, Grouped reviews, Other, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free, Skincare

10 Comments

MUFE Graphic Liner, Marcelle Double Precision Liner reviews, swatches, photos | High vs. Low: Two pen-tipped liners you need to know

February 1, 2015

Rae Chen

23 Comments

When it comes to makeup, I sometimes find it helpful to think of things in context of “generations” — like, different generations of eye primers (pre-Urban Decay tone eveners vs post-Urban Decay longevity-improving creams), lip stains (thin liquids vs YSL-type gloss-stains), eyeliner pencils (hard kohls vs waxy gel-creams) and now, liquid eyeliner pens.

These, ladies and gents, are not your mother’s pen liners. They apply like liquid liners rather than markers, they dry down to wonderfully glossy finishes, and–most importantly–they wear absolutely flawlessly all. day. long. with no staining.

PS: Neither of these liners contain silicones, so they’re a great choice if you’re trying to go ‘cone-free but still want something with great opacity and wear time!

Marcelle Double Precision Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Intense Black ($14.95 CAD)

This dual-ended liner was the very first pen-style liner that I ever fell in love with, and I fell hard. The two tips moderate product flow so that you never end up with tons of liner on your lashes (as you might with a liquid liner), but it wears without smudging or budging for a good 12+ hours — maybe more, but I’ve never needed to test it for any longer.

Marcelle Double Precision Liner swatches

I like this one for its wear, which I find to be better than the Make Up For Ever Liner, but I think that its dual-ended design has a pretty big pull, too. The felt tip is smaller than that on the Make Up For Ever, and is just firm enough to line the eyes with ease (yes, even for winged liner), while the brush tip is very fine and looks like a delicate paintbrush.

Of the two brush ends, I mainly use the felt end — the brush tip doesn’t dispense quite enough product to deliver a really solid-looking wing, though it is excellent at getting the very point at the end of your liner and fading it into nothingness. Occasionally, I need to make two passes with this liner (either end) to achieve full opacity.

» See it worn here!

Marcelle Double Precision brush tip

MUFE Graphic Liner (thin/thick), Marcelle Double Precision felt tip (thick/thin), Marcelle Double Precision brush tip

Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner ($24 USD/29 CAD)

This liner has a significantly firmer felt tip than the Marcelle, which means that it delivers a much more consistent result: the line, no matter how fine, is always the same amount of pigmented and opaque.

On the flip side of that equation, however, is the fact that the Marcelle can achieve lines that are both thicker and thinner than those within the Graphic Liner’s range (even with just its felt end), so you have to choose which is more important to you: width or opacity. (There is no wrong answer!)

Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner

~~I do think this liner is ever so slightly better than the Marcelle~~, but (and this is a big but) I have two problems with it. One, the cap doesn’t click on; it just slides into place, and I constantly worry that it’s drying out. And two: the formula smells really toxic. Which is dumb, right? Like, logically, I know that something smelling bad does NOT equal toxic, and vice-versa.

But it smells really bad, like a paint or a Sharpie or something, and I’m not gonna lie, it freaks me out a little.

EDIT 11/03/15: This liner has started to smudge pretty badly on me, folks! I think it’s an issue of mascara — if I’m wearing a tubing mascara to “lock in” any stray patches of liner, I’m good; but if I’m not wearing any mascara at all, the Graphic Liner smudges on the top AND bottom. Keep it in mind!

» See it worn here!

Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner vs Marcelle Double Precision felt tips

The verdict?

I really love both these liners, so I’m going to leave the final verdict up to you (and possibly where you happen to live), but I think beginners and casual makeup wearers will appreciate the brush tip on the Marcelle, while makeup pros will prefer the Instagram-perfect opacity of the Make Up For Ever.

Whichever one you buy, remember that BOTH are very good — you really can’t go wrong here! Instinctually, I think I like the Make Up For Ever more (for its opacity and firm tip), but the scent-free Marcelle liner freaks me out way less.

EDIT: Note that the Marcelle has better wear time for those with oily lids! It does sometimes fade, but doesn’t really smudge or crease; the MUFE will give me “panda eyes” if I’m not wearing mascara.

Availability: The Marcelle liner is available at drugstores & mass market retailers across Canada or online at marcelle.ca ($14.95 CAD); the Make Up For Ever liner is available at Sephora ($24 USD/$29 CAD) and Make Up For Ever boutiques.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Eyes, Grouped reviews, Make Up For Ever / MUFE, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

23 Comments

Vegan Cuts December 2014 Beauty Box | I came, I tried, I cried

January 30, 2015

Rae Chen

18 Comments

The product: Vegan Cuts Beauty Box (December 2014)

*Disclaimer: No actual crying occurred in the making of this post.

THE STAGE IS SET: A girl stands under a single exposed bulb and tells you that she wants to try more all-natural beauty products this year. She then pulls out a Vegan Cuts Beauty Box, shows it to you, and breaks down weeping. “It could have been so good,” she says. “Why couldn’t I have liked it more?”

December 2014 Vegan Cuts beauty box

On their site, Vegan Cuts states that “only the good stuff will do,” and their featured brands included brands that I love (Weleda and Pacifica) alongside ones that I hope to try soon (Meow Meow Tweet and Mun), and I mean, hey. $28 for 4-7 products from brands that you’re already invested in isn’t a lot of money.

However.

However.

When my box arrived–and I feel terrible saying this, because it was sent to me as a sample from Vegan Cuts–I was horribly disappointed to find in it five brands that I have literally never heard of, and one that I’ve tried before and really didn’t like. My box contained a plastic-wrapped sliver of soap, a “lip and cheek balm” that looked cute but smelled terrible, yet another nondescript black eyeliner (the gratuitous shimmer powder of the beauty box world), and a shampoo with no conditioner counterpart.

Evolvh Ultra Shine Shampoo & Shorganics soap

The All Natural Face Black Kohl eyeliner & Devines Butter Me Up stick

The contents of my December Vegan Cuts Beauty Box, because nobody wants spoilers for a month they haven’t received yet:

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo, trial size ($8 value) – Am I the only one who can’t use haircare without the other half of its pair?
Shorganics Rosemary Mint Bar Soap sample
Demes Butter Me Up in Tangerine Vanilla ($15 value) – Smells like an orange loaf with sugary glaze. I want to eat it. The lid keeps falling apart when I take it off.
The All Natural Face Diva Stix Black Kohl ($4.88 value) – A commendably short ingredients list of jojoba oil, candelilla wax, mica, oxides, and literally nothing else.
Mullein & Sparrow All Natural Tinted Lip & Cheek Balm ($22 value) – ~~This guy is TINY for $22~~ Kim pointed out that this is probably a sample size (how big is an ounce???), so ignore that comment! The formula is soft and slippery with a very pretty sheer red tint when swatched, but the scent (all-natural, I believe) makes my stomach turn. This tint is invisible unless you really slather it on.
La Mav Antioxidant Rich Nightly Repair Nectar sample

At the end of the day, I am only left wanting to try more from Mullein & Sparrow, simply because their packaging is so charming. With, hilariously, the exception of the balm I received, every product in their line looks like it could have fallen straight from a bygone era, from the beautiful glass jar of their Pink Himalayan Bath Salts to their super-simple Facial Mask.

Mullein & Sparrow Tinted Lip & Cheek Balm & La Mav Nectar

More of Mullein & Sparrow’s charming packaging!

The verdict?

I loved the presentation of this beauty box, but the contents themselves just… didn’t grab me. I think it’s fantastic that Vegan Cuts takes the time to curate a cruelty-free box, but a “mostly natural” box with no guarantee of any full-sized products just isn’t enough to convince me that it’s worth subscribing to.

That said, where it excels is at introducing the subscriber to new brands. Everyone loves finding the next big thing before it gets huge; I just think that Vegan Cuts needs to take a little more time to select brands that have a presentable, market-ready feel to them. At $239-$419 USD/year, opening up the soap in your beauty box should make you feel pampered, not make you’re in the bathroom of a seedy motel!

My advice? Buy a Wantable box instead. It’s not vegan, but at least you’ll be able to select the “no black eyeliners or hair products, please” box.

Availability: $19.95 USD/month, plus $8 shipping to Canada or $15 internationally.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Paraben-free, Product snapshots, Silicone-free

18 Comments