Secret Clinical Strength Invisible Solid Antiperspirant in Completely Clean: Review

Today I'm going to share my experience with Secret's Clinical Strength Invisible Solid Antiperspirant/Deodorant.

Claims: 

• 4X STRESS SWEAT PROTECTION*
• LIGHTLY SCENTED
• GOES ON DRY OR CLEAR

*80% sweat reduction versus the 20% sweat reduction
required by an ordinary antiperspirant 

Available in: 

• INVISIBLE SOLID 
•  CLEAR GEL

From the Box: 

• Clinically proven to provide extra effective wetness protection
• "Adapts & Responds" Technology to give you Customized Protection that adapts to you.
• Goes on dry and stays dry
• 48 HR odour protection

I received my package from BzzAgent and was excited to get started. If you haven't heard of BzzAgent, they are a great site where you can try out products for FREE, to test out and give your opinions on them, that's it! It's loads of fun too! You don't have to have a blog either.

Here is how my package arrived from BzzAgent:

Here I am before, stressing about an impending "situation" And, ready to put my the product to the test!

Here I am shortly after. Feeling relaxed and taking silly selfies for this review:

It didn't leave any marks on one of my favourite black tops, which I wore with my favourite new lipstick (Jordana Modern Matte in Blush).  And, my Malibu Lemon Blossom perfume by Pacifica is also pictured along with my new Secret Clinical Strength deodorant.

Here I made a little collection of tools I use to stay #stressfree (including the latest addition, My Secret Clinical):

The first thing I did when I got the product was put it to the sniff test. It passed with flying colours, I love the scent! I decided to put this product to the test during a stressful situation and it stood up really well. I normally only wear deodorants and if I'm stressed I sweat, but at least I don't stink! :P This definitely controlled the normal wetness factor as well as any potential stink factor. It also stood up to a light workout. I could tell because I was sweating on other parts of my body but not so much on my underarms. Maybe I should just slather this product all over my body.. OK, just kidding. I mean we do need to sweat a bit to release some toxins from our bodies. But, no one wants to walk around with wet under pits!

I think this product is fantastic to have on-hand if you have any situations where you don't want to be embarrassed by sweaty armpits. It's in a different league than my usual deodorant. I will probably continue to use my usual deodorant when I'm just chillaxin at home etc. But, for anything else, I will definitely continue to use Secret's Clinical Strength Antiperspirant. It will also save my good clothes too! I'm sick of white blouses turning yellow under the arms from perspiration! And, who needs #stresssweat anyways!?

Have you tried a product from this line?  And, please, share any tips to stay stress-free! We can all use that...

I received this product free for trial purposes from BuzzAgent
 #GotItFreeFromSecret . 

All opinions on this product are my own.

Amy

xx

Laneige Advanced Water Science, Water Bank Gel Cream #lovingLANEIGE Review

I'm a total skincare junkie! I have been for years. So, I was really curious when I heard, after much anticipation, the Korean skincare line Laneige had finally arrived in Canada!

I was even more excited when I found out that I was fortunate enough to be able to give one of their products a test drive through influenster! If you are not familiar with Influenster, I highly recommend them if you're interested in trying out products for free! All you have to do is test the products out and give your honest opinion about your experience with the product. Influenster has much more than beauty products too, they have food and drinks, pet supplies, games, you name it, they have it.

Anyways, back to Laneige. Over 20 years of research has gone into the making of these products. They have a really nice range of products on Sephora's website and I'm pretty much drooling over all of them!

The product that I got to test out and will be reviewing here is the Water Bank Gel Cream, it can be found on www.sephora.com. I didn't get to choose a product from their line, instead, I filled out a questionnaire about my skin and they matched me to the right product for my skin type based on my answers.

Here is some info from Sephora's website on the Water Bank Gel Cream:

What it is:
A cooling, non-oily gel-cream that immerses skin in moisture for 24 hours.

What it is formulated to do:
The six hydrating ionized minerals—zinc, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and manganese—in hydro ionized mineral water replenish and lock in moisture while winter cypress polysaccharide extract soothes irritated skin. Cooling and ultra-light, its silky texture makes it the perfect choice for warm climates and oily skin, absorbing instantly and delivering 24-hour essential hydration, protection, and revitalization.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is dermatologist tested and non-comedogenic. LANEIGE does not test ingredients or products on animals.

The above are features I already look for when shopping for new skincare. Now, onto my experience with the Water Bank Gel Cream!

My Review

A peek inside

My first impression after unboxing the cream was great based on the sturdy, high-quality packaging. And, it came with a little spatula to keep the product sanitary. Talk about attention to detail, I really appreciate things like that. But, it's really what's inside that counts! I had never read any reviews on this product, so I went in with a completely open mind. Excited, I began using the product the day that I received it, of course.

A quick bit about my skin type: I have combo/oily skin that is very dehydrated, aging, reactive, and acne-prone. I know, quite the combo!

The product has a nice light fragrance that is very pleasant. It has a gel-lotion-like consistency. It layers well with my serums and other products, and I could immediately feel a cooling sensation but more importantly, a hydrating feeling on my skin. It plumped my skin nicely and gave it a more youthful look. I found it very soothing to my dehydrated and reactive skin. I did not have any irritation or acne breakouts. The hydration definitely lasted all day. This product also performs well as a base under my makeup as it is not greasy at all, yet it's super hydrating!

After using it for a few weeks I could definitely see that my skin's overall appearance was younger looking. But, the biggest testament to this product happened when I saw a friend that I hadn't seen in a few months. He accused me of "having something done." When I swore I hadn't he said I "at least had some Botox done." I told him I just started using some new skincare, I swore that was it! He didn't seem convinced but I didn't really care because I was just happy that I apparently looked that good! Or, at least that much better! I think it's often easier for other people to see changes in us than it is for us to see ourselves. I knew my skin had improved, but I didn't know to what extent until my friend accused me of "having something done." It is the first time in my life that I've been accused of that! Now, I want to try every product in the range. I mean, seriously! Like, have a Laneige bath or something. hehe

By the way, I did tell my friend that I'm not against Botox. I told him that I was just afraid to put toxins into my skin as it's obviously going to be absorbed by my body, and I don't know enough about what that might cause... but that's a whole other story.

Has anyone else tried any products from Laneige? If so, which ones have you tried, and what was your experience? I think I'd like to try the serum and sleeping mask next! :D

I received this product free for trial purposes. All opinions are my own.

Amy

xx

30 Days of Fitness Challenge: Update!

I wanted to update those who may had been following my 30 Days of Fitness Challenge, and also put some closure on this one. My last post in my 30 Days of Fitness Challenge was on April 30th, you can find that post HERE.  The original post to the challenge can be found HERE.

It was a pretty difficult summer for me, with sick family members among other issues. So working out was put on the back-burner for much of the summer. I still did go from doing nothing to doing a variety of workouts, from yoga to HIIT and cardio. Despite this and relatively healthy eating, I was not losing weight.

I ended up having blood work done and found out that I am hypo-thyroid. I had been hypo-thyroid years ago, but once I stopped having soy products my thyroid went back to normal. That`s a whole other story. But, I can tell you, I`m not the only one, this happened to a friend of mine also. Needless to say, I've stayed away from soy since then. But, now I find myself dealing with Hypo-thyroidism again.

I have started a thyroid med that was prescribed by an M.D. who practices bio-identical medicines. He does not prescribe synthetic medications. My understanding is that one that I have started is made from a pig. oink oink.  OK, it`s kind of gross.  I am only on a 15mg dose which I think is low, and I am now due to retest my blood and see where I am at.

This doesn't mean that I've given up on working out. I just have a lot of my focus elsewhere. But, when I can, I do short, at home workouts with weights, cardio and yoga. Although I like variety in my workouts, I am really interested in starting to do some weight lifting. I don't mean that I want to look like a body builder, I just want to feel strong and keep my muscle tone as I am aging. I have actually lost muscle tone, so even getting some back would be great at this point.

I have a few free weights at home, my highest being 8 lbs. There is a gym opening up near my house that is a no-frills gym, so it will have cardio and weight machines and that's about it. But, it's only $10 per month, so I am likely going to join and work on my cardio and weight training there. I will always keep up a yoga practice at home with my assorted DVD's.

I'm sorry if I left anyone who may have been following this challenge hanging, that wasn't my intention. So, while I close this "challenge," I will most likely start up a new one once I've joined the gym. For now, I will continue to work on my thyroid issue, trying to eat healthy, and some at home workouts.

Scored these new workout leggings at Winners for inspiration to keep going! :)

Amy

xx

Reviewsio : Brand New #FREE Product Testing Program Starting up with Amazon!

If you like trying out new products for free like I do, then read on!

There's a brand new free product trial program starting up with Amazon! It's called Reviewsio. It hasn't started yet but it's launching in only 9 days from now, and you can sign up now, and get a head start! If you like trying out products for free (who doesn't), you can sign up with this program and they will send you free products in exchange for your honest reviews.

I already belong to a few other programs that let you try out products for free in exchange for reviews. It's a lot of fun, and who doesn't love testing out new products! I've learned the hard way about which sites are legit and which one's are not. Because this is an Amazon program, I already know it's something I can believe in.

The program launches on October 1st, but you can sign up now as this program will probably fill up quickly.

From their website: "Are you interested in writing reviews for Reviewsio in exchange for FREE product? We are currently looking for talented and trusted reviewers to leave honest reviews for our partner’s product."

"Reviewsio.com members are receiving products in the mail FOR FREE in exchange for their honest review on Amazon.com. After receiving the product, leave a high-quality review and you get to keep the product… no strings attached!

Let me know if you join in on the fun!

Amy

xx

Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara Review! #bzzagent

I recently had the opportunity to try out one of Covergirl's LashBlast Mascaras through BzzAgent.  BzzAgent one of the Legit sites out there that connects consumers with new products to trial in exchange for honest reviews. They are an international network.

Each Buzz kit contains a choice of one of four COVERGIRL LashBlast Mascaras:

• LashBlast Volume
• LashBlast Fusion
• Clump Crusher by LashBlast
• Full Lash Bloom by LashBlast
• $2-off coupons to share the blast with friends and their lashes

I selected the Fusion mascara which claims to provide both volume and length, I mean why should I have to choose between volume or length? I want both, so the choice for me was easy :D  The product came in the colour, Very Black. 

Of course, I broke into the package and had to try it out the day I received it. I just love a good mascara as it can really open up and brighten your eyes. I have hooded eyes so for me a good mascara is almost like an eye lift or a "lift" for the eyes.

The mascara came with a rubber-like wand that is quite large in size. It went on easily and layered really well, not all mascaras layer very well. Within two coats I had major volume AND length! I did not have any flaking or transferring onto my hooded eyes which is a big deal for me. I felt this compared to Benefit's They're Real mascara, with one exception: the Covergirl washed off easily so I didn't lose any lashes in the removal process, another big deal for me!

Here are some pictures of the product and results that I got with just 2 quick coats. Note, that I do not have any eyeliner on, I wanted to give the product the true test to stand alone and see what it could do. The results were impressive! Ha, sorry for the scary close-up, but I really wanted you to see what this mascara achieved. ;)

I think the picture really is worth a thousand words. Again, I do not have any liner on and I did not put mascara on my bottom lashes- just a habit of mine.  I am really impressed!  ps. I'm still working on my selfie skills.

Have you tried any of the Covergirl LashBlast mascaras? Let me know what ones you've tried and what you thought.

And, if you're interested in trying out BzzAgent, they have my highest recommendation. No gimmicks here.

I received this product free from BzzAgent for trial purposes. All opinions are my own.

#GotItFree  #ABlastForEveryLash

Amy
xx

Decluttering Series: Weekly Beauty Product Testing With #Reviews- Week of Aug 3 + 10th

I'm still working on using up all of my samples, but I am making a lot of progress along the way. After this week, I mostly have some skin care samples to try out.. here's hoping that my skin wont freak out!

I tried out quite a few products so I'll try and make the reviews brief and to the point. ;)

John Frieda Colour Renew Tone-Correcting Shampoo for Colour Treated Blondes

This shampoo claims to neutralize brassiness for colour-treated blondes in 3 uses. It's your typical purple shampoo that you find in blonde shampoos that remove brassiness. Some of these types of shampoos can be VERY drying for your hair. I didn't find this one very drying and the results were subtle. I wouldn't say this one is very powerful at reducing brassiness. 

Korres Wild Rose 24HR Moisturizing and Brightening Cream

I found this to be more of a lotion consistency than a cream, despite this, it was fairly hydrating. I was surprised that I didn't have any breakouts as many rose based products tend to make my acne-prone skin breakout. I used it in conjunction with my usual serum and oil and although I would rate it as good, it didn't blow me away so I wont be purchasing it.

Dove Go Sleeveless Beauty Finish 48 Hr Antiperspirant

I really liked the scent, not sure how to describe it but I really liked it, and it wasn't a powdery smell (which is great for me). This is definitely a little more powerful than my aluminum free deodorants. I never wore it for 48 hours, so I cannot attest to that claim. I prefer to use products without aluminum, so I will stick with my aluminum free deodorants and save this for special occasions when I need a little more power.

Novex Queratina Brasileira Hair Food Keratin Treatment

After using this product my hair had a slightly different texture to it. It felt a little bit more coarse (maybe stronger?) but I found it a little too heavy for my fine hair when I left it on for 25 minutes with a shower cap on. However, when I used it as a regular conditioner in the shower and only left it on for a few minutes, my hair was not weighed down and I liked the results much more. I am curious to see if it would have any long term benefits though. And, I'd be willing to sacrifice weighed down hair for a day each week or month if it meant healthier, stronger hair. My hair wasn't particularly soft, so I doubt I'll ever find out if there are long term benefits unless I'm able to get my hands on a few more samples.

John Freida Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo

This product definitely brightened my blonde hair. I noticed it after just one use. It did leave my hair feeling more unmanageable when it was wet, but it was fine once styled. I would say this product lives up to it's claims. However, unless my hair needs some lightening, I will probably be sticking to my purple shampoo to tone down any brassiness.

Mario Badescu Skin Care

Special Cucumber lotion: Forget about it! This is full of alcohol. I will not be using this. I damaged and dehydrated my skin for enough years when I was trying to combat acne and didn't know any better. Luckily, now I know better and I don't dry out my skin!

Peptide Renewal Cream: I don't know if I got a bad one, but this smelled of some horrible gas or engine oil, it was very strange (and awful). It was really thick and very difficult (almost impossible) to blend into my skin. I would be willing to give it another chance if I could get my hands on another sample and see if I just got a bad one. I find it hard to believe they'd make something that smells so horrible and doesn't absorb into the skin.

Peptide Renewal Serum: This serum had a nice slip to it and seemed hydrating. Unfortunately, after using it for a week, I ended up with small, painful bumps under the skin on my forehead!  Nuff said. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! 

Let me know if you've come across any fab products lately..

ps. Come and join a bunch of fabulous bloggers at fabulousandfunlife

Amy 
xx

Tag, You're it! The Blogger Interview

This is my very first tag blog post. I was tagged by the wonderful Nerida at Space of Beauty to do the Blogger Interview Tag.

How did you get into blogging?

It's ironic because I never knew what a blog was. I had heard the term before but had no idea what it was. I worked for one of the biggest airlines for over 17 years and believe it or not, we were not allowed Internet access! I know, barbaric!  So, I only had Internet when I was at home (which wasn't much) and I would basically check emails, use google and that's about it. 

After I took a package and left my job, I found myself on my computer a lot. I had always searched for product reviews, but now, I suddenly discovered the world of YouTube and blogs, plus Twitter and Instagram! It was a whole new world for me. I was amazed at this massive online community of people who also had a love for all things beauty, fashion and health. 

I never actually considered starting a blog. It was as spontaneous as you can get. I couldn't sleep one night and I was bored and restless, so I just decided right then and there to start a blog, and i did. I didn't know what I was doing, but I just went with it and had a lot of help from google.

What advice would you give to beginner bloggers?

Well, I am a beginning blogger. I've only been blogging since March of this year, so I still have a ton to learn. But, I have definitely learned a few things in the months I've been blogging. Here are a few suggestions.

Don't try to be like any other bloggers, just be you. Take inspiration from others but put your own spin on things and let your own personality shine through.  We are all unique and special in our own ways. 

Schedule time to blog. When you're starting out, blogging can be overwhelming, especially in the beginning when you are setting up your blog. If you're not careful you can end up working late into the night and wearing yourself out. As they say, your inbox will always be full. So, set aside a specific amount of time to work on your blog and then shut the computer down. Even if you have a lot more work to do, write it down and get back to it with a fresh mind the next day.

I had no idea how much time blogging takes, I definitely developed a respect for bloggers when I found out how much time and effort it takes. I suggest to either set a schedule for  when to blog and post, or just write when you are inspired. I do have somewhat of a schedule but I prefer to blog when I'm inspired. I don't enjoy the process if it's forced. Do what works for you!

Bring readers back. Create some series with some of your posts and link back to other posts in your series. For example, you could do some sort of challenge or favourites where you would post weekly or monthly on the topic. This is not only fun (IMO) but also gives your readers something to come back for. 

What would be your dream campaign?

At this time, I can't think of a dream campaign. I'm just happy to be doing what I enjoy and doing it on my own time. I love being my own boss for once and being able to create anything I want. I really appreciate that having a blog gives me a platform to be heard and to share information with others. 

In the future, I would love to work with socially responsible companies in the health, fashion, and beauty industries.

Do you have a plan for your blog?

My only plan for now is to continue blogging for as long as I'm enjoying it. Who knows where it may go, if anywhere. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the creative process, and along the way I've been getting to know some of the nicest people I've ever met, even if it is through the interwebs.

Thanks again for tagging me Nerida!

I would like to tag:

fabulousandfunlife 
katscolourings  and raincouverbeauty

Anyone who wants to do the tag is more than welcome, I tag you!!

Amy