New Fave Razor? BIC® Soleil® Savvy™

 

New Fave Razor? BIC® Soleil® Savvy™

As a BzzAgent I received a free BIC Soliel Savvy and I am now a big fan of this disposable razor. It has everything you need in a razor and won't break the bank! Which is a good thing because I'm not being paid for this review. ;)

I had been using the cheapest disposable razors you can get. I was in a pinch and just grabbed them and, not wanting them to go to waste, used all of them in the package. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started using the Soliel Savvy. It left my legs feeling so silky smooth that I kept touching my legs all day. I was so impressed!  

It comes with 4 replacement heads, which means you're not throwing an entire razor away every time you need new blades. That means less waste! But since it IS a disposable razor, once you've used the 4 blades in the package you have to buy another razor with 4 blades. You can't just buy more replacements. That's the only disappointing thing about this product. It retails for under $8 though so buying a new razor and blades still works out to a great buy.

About those blades.It's a triple blade system with a moisturizing strip. Whereas a lot of those strips on disposable blades dry out and flake off after a couple (or one) use, I have not had that happen on any of the 4 blades I used with the Soliel Savvy. The blades give a REALLY close shave too. I don't have very thick hair on my legs but I really cannot stand stubble in the summer, so I usually shave everyday to make sure my legs are totally smooth, but with the Soliel I was able to cut that down to only once every other day. The blades are flexible too, so that really helps prevent nicks and cuts. I had no problems in that department when using this razor, but I'm usually really careful, which is, of course, really important. 

I used each blade for 2 weeks. At the end of the second week the results weren't quite as fantastic but they were still pretty good and better than what I was used to and none of the blades rusted in those two weeks.

I personally really love the handle on this razor as well. It's small (the same size as the cheap disposable razors you're used to) so it doesn't take up a lot of space, but it's got a nice shape - rounded near the end- with a rubbery, textured grip so it fits in your hand really nicely, making it easy to control. 

Over all, I will be buying this razor again. It's a great price for the results your get and I'm never one to pass that up!

Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles

 Dr. Scholl's^® For Her High Heel Insoles

***As a BzzAgent I received a pair of Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles at no cost. The following is my own, honest opinion about the product.***

 The Dr. Scholl's^® For Her High Heel Insoles claims are:

 -Provide immediate and long lasting comfort

- Practically invisible, even in strappy heels

-Can be worn in all kinds of heels (sling-backs, sandals, strappys etc)

- Slim design won't make shoes feel tight

- Easily removable without damaging heels, but stay put when you wear them

-Made to fit women's sizes 6-10

-Ultra-soft FabuSTEP Gel Arch shifts pressure off ball of foot

First off, this product delivers, at least to an extent, on all of those promises. I recommend them to anyone who wears high heels. However, these are not going to make you feel like you are walking on clouds all night. High heels are high heels. They force you to walk in an unnatural position and I don't think it's possible for any product to completely eliminate all of the pain and discomfort that goes along with wearing heels for hours on end, but for those of us who enjoy the aesthetics of a nice pair of heels, these insoles are a must-try! 

The balls of your feet will instantly thank you the first time you stand in your high heels with these insoles. These days I am very selective about when I wear high heels because let's face it, none of them are designed for comfort and after just a couple of hours the "will this night ever end?" pain starts to settle in. Half the time I feel like my heels are made of concrete and the balls of my feet are being bruised with every step!

These insoles, being made specifically for high heels, have strategically placed gel right where your feet need it (on the balls of your feet and on the arch) which helps to soften the blow of every step by lessening the pressure on those areas of your feet.

They do stick in place on your shoe, so you don't have to worry about sliding off of those 6 inch stilettos! But don't worry, they're not permanent. You can remove them and put them in a new pair. After doing this so many times though, they will start to lose the stickiness.

Keep in mind, placement is key. I had to readjust them twice to get them to hit just the right place on my feet. If you're not careful you might end up being even more uncomfortable than you were before. This is a one-size-fits-all product and feet have lots of variables -  Length, Width, Arch etc. -  So while these conformed to my feet fairly well I imagine there are feet out there whose shape just won't align correctly with the placement of the gel in these insoles. (Just some food for thought)

Also, some shoes might feel a bit tight with these. It all depends on how the shoe is designed to fit your feet. The insoles are thin enough for the average heel though.

Like I said before, there is a certain amount of discomfort that comes with wearing heels. These insoles don't totally eliminate that, but they do make a noticeable difference.

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine shampoo and conditioner

 Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine shampoo and conditioner

As a BzzAgent I received full sized bottles of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine shampoo and conditioner to review. The following are my biased opinions. I am not and will not be compensated for this review.

Garnier says that these products will "Fight frizz and keep hair sleek for thee days straight, even in 97% humidity." Here are my results.

 (I did not use this in conjunction with any other products, as I wanted to review the effects of these products ONLY.)

Before - without a flash

Before  - With Flash




3 Days After Use - Without Flash

3 Days After Use - With Flash



 

The product

Both the shampoo and conditioner have a nice fruity scent that I really like. It leaves your hair lightly scented for about a day without being perfumey.

The conditioner is a thick creamy consistency. Much thicker than your average drugstore shampoo. It feels more like a hair mask than a regular conditioner.

Garnier touts the ingredient of "Argan Oil from Morocco" and apricot. I could feel the difference in my hair IN the shower. After rinsing out the conditioner my hair felt smoother already and once it dried I was very pleased that the smoothness was still there. My hair felt REALLY well conditioned, but not heavy and the fly-aways that I usually have to combat were noticeably reduced. I was actually stroking my hair throughout the day because I was so impressed. My hair felt pretty smooth for the full 3 days. It felt the best during the first 36 hours though.

So this product definitely delivers on the SLEEK part.

I did not really notice a difference in the SHINE of my hair. But since light is more easily reflected from smooth surfaces my hair appeared slightly shinier. The formula didn't seem to really ADD any shine though

 

The Price

The suggested retail price for a 13 oz bottle is $3.99. Pretty inexpensive for the results it delivers.

The Final Verdict

I would recommend this to anyone with frizzy hair. I would actually recommend this product to anyone, period. It smells great, it makes your hair smooth and it doesn't cost much.

ELF's Flawless Finish Foundation

 ELF's Flawless Finish Foundation has it's pros and cons. In general I like it, but there are some things I would change about it.

It's not too expensive at $6, but keep in mind you're only getting 0.8 fl oz (most drugstore foundations give you a ful ounce. If you do the math you're paying more PER OUNCE for this ELF foundation than you will for a lot of drugstore foundations) and you may have to pay for shipping, if you can't find it in a store near you, or you don't get in on one of ELF's awesome sales.

The bottle has a pump, which is a nice touch, but it's not easy to control it. I usually ended up getting way too much, so I started unscrewing the whole thing and getting the prodoct out that way.
 

It's got a nice finish. Satin-esque. Not dewy. Not matte.

SPF 15 is great.

 
It's not easy to blend evenly if you apply it straight. I HAVE to either use a primer or use a heavily dampened sponge to blend it out well. That said, it looks pretty good even if you only use a super cheap sponge to apply it.

You can definitely feel this on your skin. It's not light-weight at all. It doesn't feel disgusting or anything but you know it's there.

My shade is Porcelain, the lightest shade they have. It's not a perfect match, but it's not so far off that it's unwearable. With only 6 shades to choose from though, what can you expect? The Porcelain shade has a slight yellowish undertone. Most brands overdo the undertones, whatever they may be, but I think ELF got it spot on with this shade. It's an easy shade to wear, if you're pale.

The most startling thing about this product in the scent. It's very strong and I can smell it on my skin for about 2 hours after I've applied it. I'm not really sure if the scent goes away after that or if my nose just gets used to it. It's not a totally unpleasant scent, kind of powdery, but it's much stronger than I'd like.

It's a medium coverage with a satin finish. It says it's "oil-free" but it does contain mineral oil and some people with oily skin have reported looking a bit greasy after application. And I suspect that it could irritate those with sensitive skin, with all the fragrance they add.

Final Verdict
I like this foundation a lot more now than I did when I first tried it but I haven't decided yet if I'll repurchase it or not.

 

NYC's Smooth Skin Liquid Makeup

Anyone who has ever shopped for makeup at the drugstore is probably familiar with the New York Colors brand. It's synonymous with cheap right? Well, that doesn't necessarily put me off of anything. Sometimes you can find great products for very little money, and we all know that the splurge doesn't always pay off. So I decided to give NYC's Smooth Skin Liquid Foundation a try.

I was pulled in by the roughly $3 dollar price tag, for 1 fl oz,  and the name "Smooth Skin." I figured if it ended up being awful, I would have only wasted a few bucks. Turns out, the purchase was NOT a waste, by any stretch.

First off, my shade is Ivory 676, the lightest shade they offer, and has slight pink undertones. (I think they've only got 6 shades to choose from) I want to say it's a flat-out LIGHT coverage foundation, but some people might consider it to be light-medium coverage. Freckles definitely show through and if you normally need to conceal certain imperfections, this foundation won't lessen that necessity. It's got a slightly satin finish. Definitely not dewy but not fully matte either. It really does mimic skin. But like I said, it doesn't cover everything. It mostly evens out skin tone for a natural look.

The foundation is very thick and it does not come with a pump. I've read a lot of reviews from people who HATE that about this product, but it's not such a big deal to me. Once you get it out of the bottle it's very easy to apply. You just need to use a q-tip to get it out, or give the bottle the ole'Heinz 57 SMACK! You may end up wasting some of it doing that, but hey, it only cost $3 dollars!

The website claims that it lasts up to 12 hours. I've never tried to make mine last that long, but it does stay put through my 8 hour work day. I haven't had any problems with transfer either. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend giving this a try if you're on a budget and on the look-out for a lightish coverage foundation.