Product Review: Biotherm Beurre De Lèvres Lip Balm

Reviewer: Suziesaurus

Brand: Biotherm
Name: Beurre De Lèvres Lip Balm
Size: 13 ml / 0.43 fl oz
Price: approx. $20 CAD

What it says on their website:
"Even the most dry, chapped lips can become smooth and plump with the high nutrition and protection of Beurre de Lèvres Lip Balm.

RESULTS: Lips immediately appear more smooth and beautiful while being nourished and protected from harsh weather conditions and dehydration.

TEXTURE: The deliciously addictive melting balm leaves a matte finish, perfect for men, women and for use under makeup. The delicate fragrance includes extracts of peach, lemon and rose."

To Purr About:
- buttery texture
- easy to apply
- leaves lips feeling amazingly soft, smooth and moisturized
- lasts hours
- no taste or scent

Claws Out:
- a bit pricey

Final Comments:
I was looking for a new lip butter/balm product when the in-store cosmetician suggested I try Biotherm’s Beurre De Lèvres Lip Balm. After testing out a couple of different products on the back of my hand, I picked this product because I really liked the buttery like texture.

Although this is more than I usually spend on a lip balm I decided to spludge a bit and try it. After using this product for about a week now I have to say I love it. The texture is buttery and glides on super easy. It leaves my lips feeling super soft and smooth and moisturized and is tasteless and scentless. Best of all my lips stay hydrated for hours with this lip balm.

I would definitely buy this product again. Although it’s a bit pricey it’s great for keeping the harsh dry weather at bay and i would invest in it again especially in the winter months.

Rating (out of 5):

Disclosure: This product was purchased by Suziesaurus
image: cinnamonkitten.blogspot.com

Contest: George's Skincare

Canadians! Have I got a contest for you! I recently received some George's Skincare products to try out (full reviews coming very soon) but since winter is upon us, I didn't want to wait to launch this awesome contest to help save some Canadian skin!

George's is a Canadian success story (we love those). George himself has some interesting stories about how he initially decided to develop a non-prescription cream to help combat severe dry skin for some of his local customers at his pharmacy in Calgary. Using his wife's cake mixer (yikes!) and working on formula after formula in his kitchen - the ultimate result was the popular George's Special Dry Skin Cream.

Prize (value $35 CAD):
A George's Cream gift bag which includes
- George's Cream Special Dry Skin Cream, 450 g jar
- George's Cream Special Dry Skin Cream, 30 ml tube
- George's Light Special Moisturizing Lotion, 360 ml bottle
- George's Light Special Moisturizing Lotion, 30 ml tube

To enter:
- 1 entry: Comment below on how the winter is affecting your skint. Don't forget to leave an email address where I can reach you if you win!
- 1 entry: "Like" the George's Cream Facebook page.

Notes:
- The contest is open to Canada only.
- Contest ends Wednesday, February 1, 2012
- Winner will be contacted via e-mail and announced on this blog shortly after. 

GOOD LUCK!

Contest: Freeman Beauty Kit

We've recently reviewed some great Freeman face masks here on Cinnamon Kitten (you can check out the reviews here and here) - now how about a chance to win some for yourself?

Freeman has given me a lovely kit filled with goodies to give to one lucky winner! Create your own mini-spa experience at home! You will receive:
- 1 Freeman Feeling Beautiful Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask
- 1 Freeman Feeling Beautiful Chocolate and Strawberry Facial Clay Mask
- 1 Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask
- 1 Adorable Travel Bag
- 1 Washcloth
- 1 Shower Cap

To enter (mandatory):
- Comment below on which Freeman face mask you'd like to try the most. Don't forget to leave an email address where I can reach you if you win!

For extra entries - please leave a separate comment for each entry (and include your username so I can verify if you're chosen as the winner!)
- "Like" the Cinnamon Kitten Facebook Page
- Follow Cinnamon Kitten on Twitter
- "Like" Freeman's Facebook Page
- Follow Freeman on Twitter

Notes:
- The contest is open to Canada and the USA only.
- Contest ends Wednesday, January 25, 2012
- Winner will be contacted via e-mail and announced on this blog shortly after.

Get 25% off Freeman Beauty products!
Love what you see and can't wait? Freeman is offering Cinnamon Kitten readers 25% off their online purchases at www.freemanbeauty.com. Use code blogger25. Promo code is valid until March 2012.

My Birthday = Gifts for You

It's my birthday!

I must admit, I haven't been posting on this blog as often as I have in the past, but it's because I've been spending some time focusing on my new blog project - kitchen frolic (if you're a food lover like me, I'd love to have you check it out!) in order to get things up and running. I've wanted to start a food blog for years but never found the time, but this year I decided to just go ahead and jump in.

But that doesn't mean I still don't love Cinnamon Kitten! It just means that instead of my almost-daily postings in the past, I'll probably scale back to 3-4 postings a week.

But enough about that - did I mention it's my birthday? To celebrate I'm planning on some amazing contests that will start launching sometime this weekend. I've very excited because I have some very cool giveaways lined up - but you'll have to wait and see what they are!

p.s. Speaking on contests, I know some of you have wondered who won past Cinnamon Kitten contests, so I'll also be creating a page that lists all my past contests and winners.  :)  That will also be posted soon!

Have a great day everyone!

Product Review: Freeman Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask

Reviewer: Suziesaurus

Brand: Freeman
Name: Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask
Size: 16 fl oz / 150 ml
Price: approx. $3.99 CAD

What it says on their website:
"This clay mask smells so yummy yet still helps tone skin and diminishes the appearance of large pores as well as nourishing and moisturizing skin. Perfect for normal to combination skin types."

To Purr About:
- amazing chocolate scent that isn’t too overpowering
- creamy and smooth texture makes for easy application
- affordable price
- didn’t irritate my super sensitive skin
- wasn’t messy to use
- dried quickly
- leaves skin feeling soft and clean
- did minimize the appearance of pores

Claws Out:
- none really

Final Comments:
I love using facial masks at home to give myself a little extra pampering. And I was interested in trying this product for several reasons: I love chocolate, I have some large pores that always give me problems and my skin can always use a little toning.

The first thing I noticed when I squeezed some of Freeman’s Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask on to my palm was the intense yummy chocolate smell. It wasn’t overpowering or too much, but it is so pleasant. It literally smells like I can eat this product. I couldn’t pick up the scent of strawberries, but that might be because chocolate is such a strong scent itself that it can easily overpower anything it is paired with.

The product is light brown, very smooth and creamy and easily applied to the skin and neck. It glides on effortlessly for a non-messy application and a little product goes a long way. Paired with the very affordable price point it is definitely a lot of product for what you pay.

After waiting for the product to set and rinsing it off per instructions, it leaves my skin feeling super soft and freshly clean. This mask was extremely gentle on my skin and it didn`t leave any of the chocolate scent, which was a bonus. Best of all it did seem to minimize the appearance of my pores!

I’ve been using this mask once every few days for a few weeks now and I’m definitely going to keep on using it. I’m really impressed with how it’s performing. I can’t wait to try some of Freeman’s other products.

Rating (out of 5):

Disclosure: A free sample of this product was received by Cinnamon Kitten
image: cinnamonkitten.blogspot.com

Product Review: Freeman Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask

Reviewer: Suziesaurus

Brand: Freeman
Name: Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask
Size: 0.5 fl oz / 15 ml
Price: approx. $3.99 USD

What it says on their website:
"This ever so fun mask gently peels away impurities while Cucumber extract leaves skin silky smooth. Perfect for normal to combination skin.

Directions: Apply evenly to face, avoiding eye area. Leave on 5-10 minutes or until dry. Gently peel off mask. Rinse with warm water."

To Purr About:
- conveniently packaged for 1 time use
- pleasant cucumber scent
- didn't irritate my super sensitive skin
- left my skin feeling very fresh, soft and moisturized
- you get plenty of product in 1 package
- affordable
- lets you try product prior to buying it in bulk
- comes in larger 150 mL size

Claws Out:
- didn't peel off in 1 piece

Final Comments:
I've used Freeman masks before with some success, but they were not the peel-off type, so I was pretty excited to try Freemna's Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask. I love how they come packaged for one-time use. It makes it so convenient and easy. Best of all it gives me a chance to try the product before buying the larger 150 mL sized package. I also think these make great little gifts.

When I first opened the package I immediately noticed the nice cucumber scent. It’s not too strong, but definitely noticeable. The product was very thick and gunky in texture, but applied easily to my face and neck. It’s clear and had no colour. I had plenty of product to cover my face and neck with product left over. The mask makes my skin feel tingly and cool which is quite nice.

The product takes about 5 to 10 minutes to dry and dries as a nice glaze on the skin. The only drawback to the product was that it didn`t peel off in a couple of easy large pieces. Perhaps I didn`t put a thick enough layer on my skin or wait long enough for it to dry.

It did however, leave my skin feeling nice and fresh, as well as smooth and soft.

I think I would definitely use this product again, but I'm not quite sold enough to buy it in the larger bottle. I think next time I try it I'll leave it on for longer and really make sure I have a nice thick layer on my face to see if I get an easier peel-off process.

Rating (out of 5):

Disclosure: A free sample of this product was received by Cinnamon Kitten
image: cinnamonkitten.blogspot.com

Product Review: Olay Total Effects 7-In-1 Anti-Aging Cleanser Refreshing Citrus Scrub

Reviewer: Suziesaurus

Brand: Olay
Name: Total Effects 7-In-1 Anti-Aging Cleanser Refreshing Citrus Scrub
Size: 150 ml / 5 fl oz
Price: approx. $16 CAD

What it says on their website:
"Cleanse your skin without over-drying it using this daily facial cleanser. Its formula with oil-absorbing beads gently exfoliates and cleanses thoroughly while its citrus-kissed formula refreshes your skin. Total Effects Refreshing Citrus Scrub fights 7 signs of aging by:
- Thoroughly cleansing skin
- Cleansing without over-drying
- Refining to minimize the appearance of pores
- Brightening the appearance of skin
- Gently exfoliating
- Smoothing skin’s texture
- Minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Oil-Free. Dermatologically-Tested. Non-Comedogenic (Won’t Clog Pores)."

To Purr About:
- fresh citrus smell
- gently exfoliation (gentler than other exfoliating cleansers I’ve used)
- leaves skin feeling clean and fresh
- doesn’t dry out skin
- doesn’t irritate my super sensitive skin
- get a lot of product for a great price

Claws Out:
- didn’t improve look of skin noticeably

Final Comments:
I’ve been using Olay’s Total Effects 7-In-1 Anti-Aging Cleanser for a few months now and I’m happy with the product, but not super blown away.

Don’t get me wrong, this product did have positive points. In addition to having a very pleasant citrus scent (that is subtle and not too strong), it gently exfoliates (with exfoliating beads) and leaves my face feeling clean and fresh. Best of all it doesn’t strip my skin of its moisture and cleanses quite nicely.

Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed any major improvement in my skin. I’d use this product as a cleanser again for sure, but wouldn’t buy it for its anti-aging properties.

Rating (out of 5):

Disclosure: A free sample of this product was received by Cinnamon Kitten
image: cinnamonkitten.blogspot.com

Product Review: TRESemmé Fresh Start Smoothing Dry Shampoo

Reviewer: Suziesaurus

Brand: TRESemmé
Name: : Fresh Start Smoothing Dry Shampoo
Size: 161 g
Price: approx. $5.49 CAD

What it says on their website:
"Hold on to smooth, salon-silky style even between washes. Rich with Vitamin H and Silk Proteins, the uniquely formulated dry shampoo revives hair; leaving it with a salon-freshness you can see and feel."

To Purr About:
- affordable price
- left hair looking softer and less greasy
- made scalp less itchy
- did not streak or leave any white residue

Claws Out:
- hair still looked a tiny bit greasy at the end of the day
- since it’s a spray, it’s harder to control where product is going
- not convenient for travelling

Final Comments:
It seems like the latest hair product to hit the shelves are dry shampoos – either a hair spray or powder that you apply to your less than clean hair to give it a quick refresh without having to wash it. I think this product would be perfect to help wean me off of washing my hair every day, which I know isn’t the best thing to do.

There were a lot of products to choose from, but one choose this 1 because it was cheap. I figured for my first foray in to using dry shampoos I’d go the economical route in case I didn’t end up using it as much as I planned.

The first time I used TRESemme’s Fresh Start Dry Shampoo I hadn’t washed my hair for 3 days (washed on Thursday and now it’s Sunday). It’s a bit tricky to get used to because I haven’t used a aerosol spray type product in my hair in a long time, so I just had to be careful not to get product in my eyes. I followed the directions (I’ve heard that if you don’t follow them, it may leave white streaks in your hair) after brushing my hair I saw an immediate difference. My hair looked instantly less greasy and softer (less stringy). It was much softer to the touch too and felt a bit cleaner!

I didn`t find the product streaked in my black hair (again, make sure you follow the directions).

I think this product is quite effective for the price. I don’t know if I’d use it multiple times/days in a row, but if you know you`re going to wash your hair after afterwards, it`s a good way to make your hair look and feel better until you can get to washing it.

I only wish this product wasn’t aerosol or came in a smaller bottle to make it convenient for travelling.

Rating (out of 5):

Disclosure: This product was purchased by Suziesaurus
image: cinnamonkitten.blogspot.com

Happy New Year!


I wish all my family, friends and readers a very wonderful and happy 2012, filled with memories and beauty!


Hugs,
Cinnamon Kitten