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RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation Review

March 26, 2015 by Kim S. / Reviews, Skincare / 19 Comments

I’m back with a review of the RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation. This unique shower gel is part of the RITUALS Hammam Collection, which features a range of products to help you relax while cleansing, softening and nourishing your skin.

The RITUALS Hammam collection was inspired by one of the oldest cleansing traditions in the world that originated in Turkey: the Hammam. Hamma means ‘spreader of warmth’, and claims to help cleanse both mind and body to promote inner and outer harmony and balance.

The RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation is enriched with revitalizing Rosemary and Eucalyptus, which makes for an intensely aromatic, and sinus clearing shower.

Eucalyptus, known as “the healing tree”, has a multitude of uses from being an antiseptic, helping with a cough and cold, to easing aches and pains. I can see why this strong, woody, sweet scented oil is one of the main ingredients in the RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation. After applying the foam to my mesh shower gloves, the Eucalyptus is the first thing that hits me – opening up my sinuses, and waking me up for the day. To be honest, I don’t really smell Rosemary at all.

The RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation is packaged in a light blue, pressurized canister – similar to what shaving gel is housed in. It’s not only packaged like a shower gel, it behaves like one, too. Foaming up once dispensed onto my damp mesh shower gloves. The lather is creates is amazing! I love that you only need a little to cover your whole body to get and feel clean. I also like that the RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation doesn’t strip my skin of oils and make it feel dry. After showering with Hammam Delight, I can go without slathering on lotion.

Overall, I’m enjoying taking showers with the RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation, and my husband enjoys it, too. The healing, and sinus opening Eucalyptus combined with the shower steam, make for a relaxing, yet awakening shower. I would recommend it if you’re into herbal scents. It’s spring, which means allergy season is right around the corner. Allergy sufferers like me can use this sinus-clearing foaming shower gel to help lessen the effects of allergies.

RITUALS Foaming Shower Gel Sensations are available in 200 ml for $15 in five other scents: Yogi Flow, Zensation, Diwali Delight, Happy Buddha, T’ai Chi, and Samurai Shower. They can be found at Barney’s or Barneys.com.

Have you tried any of the RITUALS Foaming Shower Gel Sensation Products?

Hair Care Tuesdays: Simplicity Hair Oil Review

March 24, 2015 by Kim S. / Hair Care, Reviews / 34 Comments

I BOUGHT THIS | AFFILIATE LINKS

I’m desperate to get my hair growing and back healthy, so I’ll try anything. Well, not anything, but just about anything. When I saw that one of my favorite T.V. personalities, Tamar Braxton grew back her thinning hairline by using Simplicity Hair Oil, I picked up some for myself.

The Simplicity Hair Oil Female Hair Oil Blend is a natural blend of 10 organic and therapeutic oils, along with 3 carrier oils that are organic and wildcrafted. Oils listed in the ingredients include Jojoba, Grapseed, Coconut, Bay Laurel, Sage, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary Verbenone, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang, and Carrot oils.

The Simplicity Hair Oil Female Hair Oil Blend is described as an all-natural plant oil blend of 10 organic and therapeutic oils likeBay Laurel, Sage, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary Verbenone, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang, and Carrot oils. It also consists of three carrier oils: Jojoba, Grapeseed, and Coconut Oil. Simplicity Hair Oil is formulated to be light and nourishing for all hair types. The company makes claims that the oil nourishes hair follicles to stimulate healthy hair growth, both of which are my goals.

When I received the Simplicity Hair Oil products in the mail, I began to use them immediately. Desperate times call for desperate measures, you know? I followed the instructions, which stated that the oil, using the dropper, can be applied every other day to the affected area, and massaged in for 20-seconds. The oil can also be used as an hot oil treatment or during conditioning, which I’ve tried as well. Using the Simplicity Hair Oil combined with their Moisture Conditioner, made my hair super soft and manageable.

I’ve been using the Simplicity Hair Oil on my hair line for approximately two months, and I can say that I am seeing positive results. The areas where my hairline was thinning out is starting to become thicker, and I have noticeable hair growth, too. I would show you pictures, but my hair doesn’t look too hot right now .:lol:. I like that the Simplicity Hair Oil is very light weight, and doesn’t weigh down my hair like some oils I’ve used in the past have. It’s so light that it’s easy to misjudge and use too much of the oil.

The oil is housed in a dark blue container to protect the oil from light; however, this is also a huge hinderance because it doesn’t allow you to see exactly how much of the product you’ve used. It’s been two months, and I have less than one quarter of a 1 oz bottle left, and that’s with me skipping days.

Simplicity Hair Oil reminded me of an oil blend I used to make when I was doing my natural at-home treatments. I’d create my own oil blends using a combination of Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Vitamin E, and one or two essential oils. Simplicity Hair Oil, although lighter in texture, it reminded me of my oil blend. Even the smell, very herbal-like, was similar, which I can probably attribute to the Rosemary and Lavender Essential Oils used in it.

Even though Simplicity Hair Oil is working to improve the thickness of my hairline, I do not think I will repurchase the product. At $30-45 per bottle it is expensive! I can’t imagine spending that much money every two months. I’m positive I can recreate the Simplicity Hair Oil Female Hair Oil Blend at home without the hefty price tag. And with some diligence and dedication, I can definitely receive the same results.

If you’re looking for a hair growth oil, and willing to pay the price, check out Simplicity Hair Oil.

Be sure to check back for another Hair Care Tuesdays post featuring the Simplicity Hair Oil Shampoo and Moisture Conditioner.

Have you used hair oil for hair growth?

Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara Review

March 18, 2015 by Kim S. / Beauty, Reviews / 21 Comments

PR SAMPLE

Who doesn’t love mascara? When I’m not wearing falsies, which is pretty often these days, my peepers are sporting mascara. Mascara, I believe really opens up your eyes even if you’re not wearing a lot of makeup, if any at all. Lately, the mascara I’ve been testing out to showcase to my beauty peeps is the Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara.

Beauty Addicts Cosmetics describes their Show Off Mascara as follows:

Intense, dramatic lashes with one easy stroke! This unique formula offers volume, length and curl with Argan Oil to condition and protect. The curved brush hugs the natural eye shape to coat every lash while fanning and feathering. No clumps, no flakes, no smudges! Comes off effortlessly with a gentle cleanser.

What do I think of the Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara?

The Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara is a super black mascara (I love dark black mascara), that is a bit thicker and dryer in consistency than other mascaras I have used. I like that it has nourishing ingredients like Argan oil. The Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara did a good job at adding volume to my lashes, and my lashes looked a bit longer; however, I can say that the length I achieved from using the Show Off Mascara wasn’t as good as my HG mascara(s).

The wand with the curved brush did make applying the Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara easier, but I can see how someone with shorter lashes or a smaller eye can have issues with the size of the brush. However, I do think that can be fixed with just a little practice.

Removing mascara can sometimes be a pain in the arse for me. The Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara did not give me problems in that area. It was easy to take off with one eye makeup remover pad, and I had no residue left over, which I sometimes experience with other mascaras.

The Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara lives up to all of its claims except that it does clump, and flake. The clumping I experienced isn’t terrible, but it is still a pain tot have to deal with since I’m not a fan of tarantula lashes. The flaking, since I’m a contact lens wearer with sensitive eyes is an issue.

The Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara is available on http://www.beautyaddicts.com for $22 or click here to locate a retailer near you.

Have you tried Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara? What did you think of it?

How does Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Compare to my HG Mascara?

March 11, 2015 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 15 Comments

I was gifted a Sephora gift card for Christmas. Stumped on what to pick up, I polled one of the beauty blog groups I’m a member of asking them what was worth picking up from Sephora with a $20 budget. The majority of the responses sang the praises of the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara. This was a great suggestion since I ran out of my Holy Grail (HG) mascara, and I wouldn’t be a good beauty blogger if I didn’t try out new things, right? So off to Sephora I went to pick up the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.

Too Faced describes their Better Than Sex Mascara as

Inspired by the curves of a woman’s body, the hourglass-shaped brush was designed with extra stiff bristles to maximize the performance of this carbon black, collagen-fueled formula. One coat and lashes are full and defined. Two coats and lashes are even more luscious, curled, and dramatic. Three coats help you achieve the most intense, black, multidimensional lashes possible.

The Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, after one coat, I saw a huge difference in my lashes. They seriously looked like a natural pair of false lashes. Well defined, dark black like I like them, and my lashes weren’t clumpy. Two coats, my lashes were vavavoom! So full of volume, but still looked natural. By coat three, my lashes did start to clump together, but didn’t give off the spider lash look, and I could also feel the product on my lashes.

The formula of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is wet, which is how I like my mascaras. With the help of the curved brush, it applies smoothly. Sometimes if a mascara is too wet, I’d have mascara transferring onto my lids, and sometimes my under eye area because it didn’t dry fast enough. However, I didn’t experience this with the Better Than Sex Mascara. And as far as how long I could wear it, after about 5 hours, I didn’t have flaking, but I did notice dark circles around my lower lash line. For some reason, any mascara I use tends to settle there.

Overall, I was impressed with the results I experienced from using the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. It definitely rivals my HG mascara giving my lashes the look of natural-looking falsies. I have sensitive eyes, and although I liked the look the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara gave, my eyes didn’t really like the formula too much. After application, my eyes burned slightly, but it didn’t last long. I’d say the feeling is akin to the sensation one would feel during allergy season; however, I didn’t experience redness of the eyes.

I’d recommend the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara for those without sensitive eyes, especially if you’re in the market for an intensely black, high-end mascara that adds volume and definition to lashes.

The Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara retails for $23/0.27 oz and can be purchased at Sephora or Sephora.com.

Makeup By Kim Porter

Reviews

RITUALS Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel Sensation Review

Hair Care Tuesdays: Simplicity Hair Oil Review

Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara Review

How does Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Compare to my HG Mascara?

Have you tried the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara?

What do you think of it?