GlamGlow Super Cleanse Daily Treatment Cleanser Review!

If you're like me then you have a love/hate relationship with GlamGlow. You LOVE how your skin feels after using their masks, but you HATE the price. I weep a little when I hand over my credit card and watch my bank account shrink.

But then I find myself looking at myself in the mirror, rocking out to some old school Destiny's Child and saying 'I woke up like this' and feeling #flawless. As much as I hate to say it, this mask is worth every. freaking. penny. And it tears me up to say so because I wish there was a cheaper alternative that gave GlamGlow a run for it's money, but nope - it is on a whole other level.

So here's the second issue - the jar is freaking tiny- which means your love affair with this beloved mask is on a very strict timeline. I seriously would daydream about a world where I could get the satisfaction and the results that the mask gives me on a daily basis. Well the GlamGlow gods (the triple Gs, as they will now be referred to - it was coined here my friends) heard my prayers and brought us all a cleanser!

You can click on the link below to check out my video review, or you can keep reading.

GlamGlow Super Cleanse Daily Treatment Cleanser Review

Now there are two cleansers, The Super Cleanse (a cleanser that is matched up with the Super Mud) and the Thirsty Cleanse (a cleanser matched up with Thirsty Mud). I haven't tried the Thirsty Cleanse or the Thirsty Mud as I do not have dry skin, so I cannot speak on the results of these products. However, I am a seasoned veteran when it comes to the Super Cleanse and Super Mud. 

The Super Cleanse is a mud to foam cleanser. You feel like you're putting a clay mask on as you spread it on your skin. I find you need 2 pumps in order to cover your whole face (but the pumps don't pump out as much as you expect). The cleanser will dry quickly on your skin, but it's okay to let it dry, you can leave it on for a few minutes as a mini mask. Once you're ready, dampen your hands and start rubbing in the cleanser, it will turn a light grey and slightly foam. Keep in mind, this cleanser does not have sulfates in it so you will not get the foaming satisfaction as you would with a sulfate cleanser. It's a good thing that it's sans sulfates because that would just strip your skin and the oils on your skin will be dried out enough already with the clay cleanser. 

My tips for using the cleanser - make sure you tone and hydrate your skin immediately after cleansing. If you use it at night then I definitely encourage you to opt for a rich moisturizer to ensure that your skin has ample hydration overnight. 

Pros

1. Skin feels immediately clean/soft after cleansing

2. You see immediate results. 

3. You get 5 oz. of product (yeah, that's a lot!)

4. The dispensing mechanism doesn't force you to use too much product.

Cons

1. The pump sometimes doesn't pump up when you push it down so you have to manually pull it up.

2. The cleanser container itself is self contained. This means that you cannot pop the cap off once you get to the end to ensure that you get every last drop of Glamglow goodness (and it's a pump too so it's not like you can sit it upside down and funnel out the product).

3. It's $43 (CAD), which sucks, but it's worth it.

Anyways, so that's pretty much all I have to say about the cleanser. If you want to check out my video review then click here. 

While you're at it, you should subscribe to my channel.

I hope you all have a great day and don't forget to put a bow on!

Hill

Vlogmas Day 1: December 1st - Part 2

Helloooo everyone! So here is Vlogmas Day 1 Part 2 where we decorate the tree!

Click here to Watch!

Stay tuned for more vlogs and don't forget to subscribe to my channel!

Hope you're all having a great day and don't forget to Put A Bow On....Vlogmas!

Vlogmas Day 1: December 1st 2014

Helloooo everyone! So if you missed it - I am doing Vlogmas this year! I'm super excited to do it, but I do work in retail so some of my days will be a complete write off (damn you 11am-8pm shifts!). For those days I will have pre-filmed Christmas related videos, so keep your eye peeled for that. Vlogmas Day 1 is up and live, so be sure to check it out!

Check it Out here

If you have any video suggestions or questions then you can tweet me directly @PutABowOn and hashtag #PutABowOnVlogmas as well :)

In other news - Ivy and Remi now have their very own instagram account! Go follow them right now so you can be overloaded with yorkie cuteness! 

Don't forget to subscribe to my channel so you don't miss a day of vlogmas!

Hope you all have a great day and don't forget to Put A Bow On....Vlogmas!

Hill

Perfect Purple/Pink Lip Tutorial For Summer

Hey everyone! So I posted a video showing a quick tutorial for a nice purple/pink lip tutorial. This tutorial helps make your lips appear fuller/plumper/whatever other word you like to use to describe super fab lips!

It's super easy, and super quick. I guess you could describe it as an ombre lip but I'll be doing a separate tutorial on that in the near future so keep your eyes peeled!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE

Pink/Purple Lip Tutorial

Let me know what you think! And don't forget to subscribe!

Have a fab day and don't forget to put a bow on!

Hillary

Dry Shampoo Showdown

Hello everyone!

So I recently did a video on my YouTube Channel comparing 7 dry shampoos (ranging from drugstore to high end).

Click here to see what I had to say

I recently purchased 3 more drugstore dry shampoos so I could add a little bit more variety to my selections giving you -that's right - 10 dry shampoos! (Scroll to the bottom for the TL;DR lowdown if you're in a rush).

Now before I get into my reviews I want to give a bit of background so you understand why my dry shampoo expertise and opinion matters.

My hair is quite possibly the biggest pain EVER! Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it certainly isn't a walk in the park. When it comes down to it, I have a lot of hair, but the follicle itself is very thin so I'm left with a bunch of limp hair that has zero volume. As you can imagine, my hair gets knotted SO easily and it is the queen at getting really oily around the root, and incredibly dry at my ends.

So you're probably thinking that's the end of my woes, but nope! I decided to dye my hair red to add into this insane pickle. I now had to: maintain my red hair, give my hair volume, thicken my hair, control oil, and keep it hydrated. I mean, really?

So here's what my solution was:

1. Wash my hair as least often as possible
2. Use volume/thickening/colour safe shampoo/conditioner and styling products (but we'll get to that in a different post/video)
3. Use dry shampoo to keep my hair looking fresh!

So this might come as a shock to you, but dry shampoos aren't all the same. I've tried some that have made my hair look like I just got a blowout, and others that created such a disgusting mess that I had to wash my hair (and clarify it a few times with cider vinegar).

If you want to check my video where I review 7 dry shampoos you can click here. (Bumble & Bumble, TreSemme, Cake, & Batiste - to name a few).

But now onto the 3 new additions!

Herbal Essences Colour Me Happy Instant Clean & Colour Protection Dry Shampoo

So this dry shampoo has a 'luscious rose scent'. Kind of smells like hairspray at first (to be honest) but it definitely dies down. It claims to give a '1st day clean feel'. Don't let the name fool you, it literally has zero special ingredients in it to give you colour protection (i.e, UVA & UVB filters). The idea is that your colour will last longer if you wash your hair less by replacing shampoos with a dry shampoo. 

This product uses tapioca starch to soak up the oils and sprays on a bit wet. I found that you need to let the dry shampoo dry (haha - but seriously) and then you can brush it out. It does have a bit of a residue so you do need to work it into your roots. I found tossing my hair upside down helped a lot. 

The smell is fine - it matches the shampoo and conditioner from the collection, but it's kind of annoying that they say 'colour protection' when it's honestly a load of crap. I mean, yes, it's sulfate-free, and I might not be a scientist or anything, but are sulfates necessary in a dry shampoo? Don't sulfates give you that foaming effect in cleansers and soaps? I've studied & worked in advertising for 5 years now, so I'm onto you Herbal Essences! It's like advertising that sour patch kids are fat-free - really? But I digress. This dry shampoo is good if you are on a budget, but definitely not the best.

Pantene Pro-V Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

I'm going to come out and just say it right here, right now. I DO NOT like Pantene as a collection/brand. Most, if not all of their products are packed with dimethicone. For those that aren't sure what dimethicone is - it's a filler (like silicone). You know how some face primers have that kind of greasy/easy glide feeling? Well that's what you're putting in your hair. Some people like how it feels, but it's not doing any good, it's just a filler that is not penetrating or repairing the follicle. So it will 'prime' or block good things such as argan oil from penetrating the follicle and repairing it.

So now that I went on a ridiculous rant, let's get into this dry shampoo.

I was hesitant to try it due to my opinion of their shampoos, conditioners, and treatments, but I decided 'why not' after Elle Fowler (Allthatglitters21 on YouTube) suggested it. Keep in mind, Elle openly discusses that she is sponsored by Pantene, so I was weary of whether she liked the dry shampoo due to it being gifted to her/her being paid to use it, or if she sincerely actually liked it. I've always found Elle to be extremely upfront, honest, and transparent (in regards to her beauty opinions) so I decided to go for it.

Well, I love it! If there's one thing I do like about Pantene it's the fragrance in their products, and this dry shampoo did not disappoint. It also gave me volume, soaked up all the oil, and made my hair easy to style. My hair didn't feel dry or brittle (side note: there is NO dimethicone in this product, but there is silica). However, it did dry out my scalp and make it flake.

They use tapioca starch as the drying agent and I found that this definitely stood up to it's promise. Maybe this is a step in the right direction towards me trying Pantene products (that are not packed with dimethicone of course).

Aveeno Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo

I was actually shocked that Aveeno came out with a dry shampoo, I don't know why but it just seemed strange to me. I know packaging really doesn't matter, but this is my personal favourite (I'm a total sucker for green
though).

I love the smell, it's fresh and light- not too overpowering, but enough to trick you into thinking your hair is squeaky clean. They use corn starch as the drying agent, which definitely does a great job.

The product has seaweed extract, which claims to 'renew hair for a clean, fresh look'. Seaweed is known for repairing the hair follicle and soothing the scalp - but I'm a little skeptical about how much 'extract' is in this product (but that's just me).

That being said, I do find that this dry shampoo does not make my scalp flake or feel dry. This has been an ongoing issue with dry shampoos where it gives me some faux dandruff due to the excess of the product sitting on my scalp (and probably a hint of irritation too with all of the drying).

It doesn't give me the full amount of volume that I need so I do have to tease my hair a bit to give it that extra oomph, but it also isn't flattening my hair and making it feel like I dipped it in canola oil like SOME dry shampoos (you'll have to watch my YouTube video to get the full low down on that one).

Anyways, that's all for now! I hope you all have a lovely day, and don't forget to Put A Bow On!

Hillary

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TL;DR:
Go for the Aveeno dry shampoo if you aren't concerned about volume, go for Pantene if you aren't concerned about overpowering fragrance & drying scalp.

Amazing new products! Nars dupes featuring Vasanti!

Hello my lovely subscribers!

So it's a lovely Saturday afternoon and I was in the shopping mood. I recently ran out of my BareMinerals concealer and my Tarte amazonian clay concealer is a tad bit dark. I've been on a serious hunt for a new concealer (I love the BareMinerals one, great coverage but holy do I ever blow through that guy fast). I know this may come as a shock to you, but I've NEVER been in a Rexall drug store before. I know, I know, there's plenty of brands there such as The Balm, I mean, what am I doing with my life, right?

Anyway, so I decided to pop in. I went in determined to purchase Mary-Lou Manizer. I walk in expecting it to be a carbon copy of Target/Shoppers, but nope! I was overwhelmed with all of these brands that I've honestly never heard of.

So I quickly grab my Mary-Lou Manizer, but then I see this brand next to The Balm that I've never heard of called Vasanti. I died, not literally, obviously, or else I wouldn't be here. The first thing that caught my eye was the Face Base Powder Foundation. It looked really silky so I swatched it on the back of my hand.

the box that the Face Base comes in

Now I need to warn you that this is not an exaggeration whatsoever, so brace yourself. This face base, I kid you not, is a perfect dupe of Nars' powder foundation. It has the same creamy texture and great coverage. It literally covers seamlessly.

quick swatch of the powder 

So Nar's Powder Foundation runs at $65 CAD with 0.4 oz of product. Vasanti's Face Base Powder Foundation runs at $28 CAD with 0.38 oz of product. Pretty damn fancy, eh?

Now onto the packaging: it is in a sleek silver plastic compact with a large crisp mirror and a sponge for application. I personally like using my BareMinerals precision face powder brush, but to each his own.

packaging

I grabbed the shade V4. This shade has a yellow base (as I believe the majority if not all of the line has, so my apologies in advance if you have a beige or pink undertone). It is a perfect colour match, and I honestly couldn't be happier.

So the next Vasanti product that caught my eye was the Liquid Cover Up. It can be used as a foundation, under eye concealer, or complexion concealer. It is brightening, light weight, and oil-free.

packaging that the Liquid cover up comes in

It is in a tube, which is kind of strange, and there is a brush tip. I fell in love with this concealer because, much like the powder, it blends in seamlessly with your skin but gives great coverage.

Packaging of the product

brush tip of concealer

This concealer covered up my hyper-pigmentation with very little product. It was easy to blend and didn't cake up. Ugh, I'm just in heaven.

So I'm glad I took a chance on this Vasanti line. It's Canadian and run by women so WOOH for supporting a Canadian brand! I honestly bought these products based on how they looked in store, I didn't even look up on sites like Make Up Alley to see what others said. And I'm glad I did this because these are two really great products. I definitely will be trying more products from this line. If you're looking for an awesome powder foundation or liquid concealer then I highly encourage you to check out Vasanti!

Anyways, that's all for now! I hope you all have a lovely day and don't forget to put a bow on!

Hillary

Make Up Favourites in 2013

2013 was an amazing year on all fronts! I met a lot of great people, tried out a lot of awesome products, got to see a lot of great places, and made a ton of amazing memories!

So I decided to do a video summing up my favourite beauty products of 2013. I haven't been able to do a bunch of monthly favourites this year due to the lack of camera pickle - BUT! I got the camera I was going to buy for Christmas from my parents so there will now be regular videos twice a week - no excuses. 

Click here to check out the video

So I hope you guys enjoy the video! I have a ton of great videos coming up but let me know if you want me to make a video on a specific topic. I hope you all had an amazing New Years and I hope 2014 is off to a great start for you!.

Have a great day guys and don't forget to put a bow on,

Hillary