Review: Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara

I am very sad to report that this has been my least successful bzzagent campaign. It’s sad because I had high hopes for this one and was super excited for it.

Here is my background info: I have the world’s straightest, think lashes ever. They don’t curl well, mascara has very little effect. The only true product that has ever made my lashes look differently is perversion by urban decay. I just don’t have nice lashes and have to resort to falsies.

I chose to go with Covergirls LashBlast Volume to test out free of charge curtsey of Covergirl and Bzzagent. I chose it because as I said I have super small and thin lashes so this formula sounded the most volumizing. The product came with the bottle of mascara with a sealed lid and the brush was not yet inserted. I opened the package and placed the brush in the product and tightened the seal. I wanted to let the product rest so the new brush would be evenly coated prior to first use. I did the smell test and the mascara had a slightly chemical scent but it wasn’t overpowering. I probably wouldn’t have been able to smell it unless I purposely tried.

When I went to use it for the first time I noticed that there were already clumps and lumps and I hadn’t even used it yet. This was sad, it’s always a no-no when mascara does this. When I pulled the wand out this is what I saw:


The application process was typical; there wasn’t anything notable about this part of the testing. The results were not good and after 1 coat of 10 strokes or so, there was barely a difference in my lashes. Below you will see of one eye with the mascara and one without.

This did not improve after 5 coats and at least 50 strokes. Extra coats just made my lashes look hard and clumpy. It was a sad, sad day for mascara. Half an hour or so after the application the lashes were annoying and hard. I could see them in my peripheral vision and this wasn’t a good thing.

 Here are my 5 coat results and STILL no volume or lengthening:


All in all this was a bad experience. The rest of the product will go to waste as I wouldn’t even pass it on since it was such a bad formula. For the purposes of the campaign I did still bzz about it but I left out my horrible experience. There were 5-6 coupons with the package which I LOVED and I gave all away. In Covergirls defence I have yet to find mascara which works well. It’s not just this company it’s ALL companies and if you have the type of lashes I do then this product is not for you.

In Summary:
Pros – coupons galore, full size, pretty packaging Cons – terrible formula, clumpy, didn’t do what it claimed, feels heavy with multiple coats

Overall rating 1/5 Quality 0/5 Effectiveness 0/5 Packaging 5/5 Size 5/5


*special announcement - this post had a wonderful array of photos from this review and they were here to be posted but for some reason the site isn't letting me.  Will have the photos up as soon as possible*

Secret Clear Gel in Coco Butter Kiss

I received the Secret Clear Gel in Coco Butter Kiss to try free of charge from BzzAgent and Secret. This was actually the second clear gel campaign I have received so this product was already known to me. 


Prior to my first experience with secret clear gel I used Lady Speed Stick religiously as I couldn't find anything that worked better then that, AND I would say it only worked at an 85%.  After trying Secret Clear Gel the first time I was immediately turned.  I had never tried it before because I didn't think id ever like clear gels.  I came to find they actually work way more effectively then the solids. 


This product did not disappoint, and the Coco Butter Kiss is another scent I can add to my current favorites. The product I received this time around provides enough protection to last through my busy work days, its not as fast drying as it claims but I can over look that due to how well it works. 


I do have one criticism now that I have been a secret fanatic: my husband ran out of his deodorant one day so he used mine.  We ended up going out on a day trip and out in the sun I noticed how "white" his under arms were.  This has never happened to me before but I am far lighter in colour then he is (he is Caribbean so Is significantly darker then me).  This doesn't bother me but it may bother those with darker skin tones.


Overall I would HIGHLY recommend this product, especially to those who haven't found a product that works at a 100%.




quality 5/5
effectiveness 5/5
quantity 2/5 (I was sad at how small the sample was and used it up quickly)
price 5/5 (there are always coupons out for these!)
packaging 5/5

Review: Clairol Nice N Easy Root Touch Up

It was kinda funny to receive this campaign as I recently bought this product prior to being invited to the bzzagent program. I was able to get the root touch up kit + a box of dye for only $5 at Walmart plus I had a $2 coupon!! This box however was free of charge courtesy of Clairol and Bzzagent for testing purposes!




Anyway I was invited to this campaign already a fan of the product so my opinion is an easy one. This is a really great alternative for going to the salon as its an easy to use and effective product. For me I use it because I had previously dyed my hair a darker shade of brown (my hair is usually medium brown). What I really LOVE about this product is the fact that I don't have to go through the trouble of dying my entire head just to colour the roots and I don't have to waste a whole box on only roots.




The kit comes with an easy to use "comb" which makes application quick and pretty much mess free (as mess free as dye could possibly be). The downside as with most dyes is that it has a strong dye-like smell but that's to be expected. I would recommend this brand to anyone looking to quickly and effect cover their roots. PLUS there are always Clairol coupons floating around so you almost never have to pay full price!!!




packaging 5/5
effectiveness 5/5
price 5/5 - especially with coupons!
quality 5/5

REVIEW: Secret Clear Gel in "Oh-la-la Lavender"

I received this Secret Outlast Clear Gel free from Secret to review for testing purposes. Let me start out by saying that I am in my 20s and I feel I sweat more then most.

I have used so many deodorant/antiperspirants and I have come to one conclusion - Only one brand has ever worked for me. And with that being said, it doesn't even work at %100. Lady Speed Stick - Powder fresh, I would say it helps with sweat and odour %95 of the time. I only get it in one scent because I hate the other scents. At times it leaves white marks but its the price I have to pay to have a product that works properly.

When I received the clear gel I wasn't to excited about it as it came in the scent expressions scent "ohh-la-la lavender". I HATE lavender so this sat on my counter for a good week before I decided to try it. The first day I noted that the smell of lavender wasn't really there - for me this was excellent. I put it on and I found it a little wet. The product claims to be fast drying but what is really considered "fast"? I felt like I had to hold my arms in the air for a minute or so. I went to sleep and I could smell the clean scent. I enjoyed that. The following day I found that the product actually worked well. I didn't notice any odours, not even a hint of odour and I didn't even apply it again in the morning. I was able to go about my day and was clean and dry. This was fantastic since my old deodorant couldn't do that. Also note that I did not have any white marks on my clothes!!

The packaging of the product is nice, its visually appealing and "pretty". The price was decent - I looked it up on Walmart.ca and it was about $3.79. My only complaint is the amount you get per stick. It seems like they could fit more product in the packaging but just didn't. I don't know whether the actual amount of product received is worth the price.

In summary:

PROS
- visually appealing product
- smells great
- actually works against odour and wetness
- low pirce

CONS
- wet
- lack of product per container

Packaging 5/5
Performace 5/5
Scent 5/5
Cost 5/5
Quantity 4/5

I WILL buy this product and I would definitely recommend it to someone else.