GTG Tries It (Clarisonic Mia)

Today's post is for my beauty aficionados!


I'm reviewing the Clarisonic Mia, which I got as a Christmas gift. I know it's been about three months, but I really wanted to make sure I used it enough times and that I had valuable information to share with you before I wrote about my experience with this cleaning tool.

Before getting to the review, I want to take a moment to reassure you that everything that I write about on this blog is me. These are my ideas, my thoughts and my opinions.

I don't get paid by anyone to write anything you see on this blog. I write the honest truth. I feel that as a person who consumes as much from the fashion and beauty industries as I do that I can share my knowledge to help you.

The goal of my blog isn't to persuade you to go out and buy x product; it's to help you make an informed decision if you were already considering buying something or are in the market to purchase a new foundation or lipstick.

With that said we can now return to my review!

Product: Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System

Note: I received my CM in jaguar (I love animal prints!) and the kit includes a charger, one sensitive brush head and a 1 oz. gentle hydro cleanser.

Claims:  Cleans 6 times better than using hands and soap alone.

Actually: It was love after first wash. My face never felt or looked as clean as it did after that first wash and the best part was that after using it for two weeks in a row about twice a day, my face still had that really clean feeling. I immediately noticed my face looked fresher and more radiant, which is a huge plus.

I'm almost 30 and I still combat breakouts. The only reason I even remotely looked forward to getting older was for the promise of clear skin. Ladies, let's file that under "myths," along with a college education will get you a great job.

For those of you who follow my blog, you already know I also have a huge issue with the size of my pores (no pun intended) and this product has helped unclog them, which in turn has seemingly reduced their appearance.

You must replace the brush head at least once every 3 months. Trust me you'll know when it's time to change it because the daily cleanings won't feel as thorough as they did when you first started using it. You can find the brush heads online or anywhere the Clarisonic is sold.

Pros: A thorough cleaning is made simple with the CM. Use it for 30-60 seconds once or twice a day. I like that the kit brings everything you need to get you started.

You can use any cleanser to wash your face with it doesn't have to be a Clarisonic cleanser. I'm currently using Purity from Philosophy.

Cons: Battery life lasts for about 20 minutes. That means if you are using the CM two times a day for about a minute each time then that's two minutes, which means you get about 10 days worth of use. 

Here's the really crappy part about the battery: it takes 24 hours to recharge, so essentially you go on a whole day without being able to use the CM!

You're probably asking: What's the big deal about going on a day without using the CM?

Well, the problem is that when you grow accustom to using it you realize that a facial cleanser and your bare hands just don't get the job done as well. I'm completely obsessed with mine and use it every single day (except the one day of charging.)

Initially, I also noticed a change in my breakout cycle. They started occurring more frequently around the first month's use, but I also noticed they'd disappear quicker.

 

It wasn't serious enough to discourage me from continuing to use this product.

Tip: Make sure you wash your brush head at least once a week. I use a gentle antibacterial wash, which is what I also use to wash my makeup brushes!

Fun Fact: After you purchase your CM kit, you should register your product on Clarisonic to receive a savings certificate for future purchases on your brush heads and cleansers. The offer is good for 3 months!

Do you have a Clarisonic Mia? What's been your experience?

Until the next review!

xo GTG

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

GTG Tries It (Viva Glam Lip Conditioner)

A few weeks back, I had to attend a wedding that I wasn't too thrilled about going, so I left everything that I had to do for the last minute. And when I say last minute I mean a few hours before I had to be sitting at the church for the wedding.

After I found my dress, I decided that I didn't want to do my own makeup, so I stopped by the MAC makeup counter. If I could afford to have my own personal glam team a la Miss Kim K, I would do it in a heartbeat. I love to look pretty, but I hate doing all the work. Anyways, I digress (that happens a lot).


Knowing I'd  have to purchase an x amount of products at any makeup counter in order to get my makeup done, I took the opportunity to stock up on some of my MAC faves.

By the way, I had to purchase 4 items this visit. I thought it was only 3 items. Can anyone confirm if that number has changed or if I was duped?

See I digressed just a bit there too!

Ok so I stocked up on my usual: eyeliner, a neutral lipliner and a new nude lipstick. I love nude!

I also decided to invest in the new Viva Glam Ricky Lip Conditioner, after the makeup artist applied it  to my lips. It was as if she had injected life back into them. They were particularly chapped that day. I think I was dehydrated.


So here's the lowdown on this little magic stick:

Product: MAC Viva Glam Ricky Lip Conditioner

Claims:  Keeps lips soft and supple.

Actually: I had been in love with my last lip product, which was the Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched, but I ran out of it and haven't been able to find it in that flavor again. (Keep in mind that I'm not a fan of fruity flavor lip balms.)

This Viva Glam did not feel sticky and as I mentioned before it seemed to rehydrate my lips as soon as it came into contact with my lips. I didn't have to put on a single dab more and even after I had eaten dinner and wiped my mouth, my lips still felt incredibly soft and moist.

Us girls do love instant gratification.

Pros: I did tell you how amazing it was upon contact, right? Aside from that-- every cent of this purchase ($15) goes to help people who are living with HIV or AIDS. It's also long-lasting and unlike Quenched from Maybelline you don't have to be constantly reapplying.

Soft kissable lips and helping those in need? It just doesn't get better than that. This is another lip conditioner you can wear on its own or on top or underneath your lipstick.

Cons: It's part of a limited edition, so it won't be around all the time.

My advice is to stock up on a few tubes before it sells out.

Ta-ta-- Until the next product!

xo GTG

GTG Tries It... Part 2

As I continue my quest to find out what is fab and what is drab in the beauty world, I'm bringing you a whole new batch of products in my second installment of GTG Tries It Before You Buy It.


Recently my lips had been very dry and I was looking for something to take care of the dryness. I needed an inexpensive product because I didn't want to pay $20 for something at a department store during the holiday season, so I ended up at my local Target (btw, I LOVE Target!)

I headed straight to the makeup aisle and started browsing. When I made my way to the Maybelline section, I noticed the brand's new adorable lip balms in different colors and flavors. They were simply eye catching--major props to Maybelline for the great marketing.

After casually reading the label, I decided to grab one. I don't really like flavored lip glosses, so I chose the "Quenched" because I felt it was the safest choice.

Product: Maybelline's Baby Lips Lip Balm

Claims: Provides 8 hour moisture renewal and delivers SPF 20 protection.

Actually: I'll be honest I don't think it really gives you 8 hours worth of moisture, since I do re-apply at least two to three times a day. But it did make my lips softer and I've noticed that my lips are no longer chapped or dried.

Pros: It's super cheap--$3 cheap. The Quenched flavor has no real definitive taste to it, so that was a plus. And it has sun protection, which if you're from Miami like I am, SPF is a must.

It's also great to wear alone or wear with colored lipstick underneath.

Cons: It can feel a bit greasy. But it's almost perfection for $3!

Last Christmas, my boyfriend's mom got me a little basket filled with beauty products, one of the products was an eye makeup remover. And I can't believe I haven't blogged about it until now, but better late than never, right.

Product: Mary Kay's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Claims: Gently removes eye makeup (waterproof mascara included) and doesn't dry out skin.

Actually: It really does remove eye makeup, even waterproof mascara is gently and easily removed without drying out the skin around your eyes.

Pros: This product is amazing even if it falls inside your eyes it doesn't burn. It leaves your eye area super hydrated.

I actually use it sometimes to correct makeup mistakes. I dab some on a cotton swab, dab it under my eye and I'm ready to go!

Cons: None.

Your GTG's Gel Manicure Review

Welcome back my fabulous GTG followers!

I hope you all had a great week.

I'm so excited to be able to bring you today's post. If you're a girly girl like me you're going to love my review on gel manicures.

"So what exactly is a gel manicure," you're probably asking yourselves.

A gel manicure is a manicure performed with a gel based nail polish, which is cured under ultraviolet lights to set in the color.This was started a while back on acrylic nails, but now you can do them on your natural nails.The manicure promises a few things that regular and acrylic manicures don't deliver:

• A chip-free manicure (which lasts for 14 days)
• Smudge-free
• A mirror-like finish (always shiny; never dull)
• No damage to the natural nail
• Promotes growth

All of these things sound great on paper, but I'm a journalist, which simply means I'm skeptical about everything until I see it for myself.
Gel manicures have been all the rage in nail salons and spas for a few months now, and apparently people are responding well to this product because it's growing very fast. Just at my last nail appointment, my salon only had 5 colors to choose from--now, they have about 20 colors.

I have been dying to see if all its claims are real and I already love getting my hands and feet, so I was ready. And as much as I love manis and pedis, I equally hate seeing my nails chip on day 3.

So today I went in for my very first gel manicure and this is the real low down.

• For one, this service is substantially more costly. I don't have acrylic nails, so my manicures are typically $10, $ 12-13 if I want to get fancy with french tips. I ended up having to pay $25 for the gel one.I'm still not sure how I feel about the $15 increase--only time will tell. If it indeed lives up to the hype then it really is worth it because it'll be the almost the same amount as two back-to-back manicures.
• This was seriously the longest manicure of my life! It consisted of two coats just like a regular manicure, but they kept putting my hands under the UV lights, which by the way has to be hazardous to your skin. I literally felt discomfort when my skin felt too hot.
• Gel polishes are only for your hands, which means your hands and feet will never match! Even when you do your hands in a standard nail color like red or black--your nails will never be the same color because as we all well know different brands have different colors, so the shades are never the same :/ This might just be an issue for me because I am a stickler for matching nails.

Are you ready to see what the fuss is all about? Here are a few pictures of my gel manicure for you're viewing pleasure.

Day 1: On my way home from the nail salon



*** The manicure is shiny and in tact.

Day 1. Color: Passion

Still Day 1. After I did the dishes.

***still in tact and shiny. Yay!

So on day 1 so far so good. I don't really have anything else bad to say about this experience, but I will be updating this post with new pictures from days 7 and 14 to see if the manicure is chip free and shiny as it promises.

Wait...

Did I mention my hands are in a passion color, while my feet are in a watermelon color? So. not. cute.

Ok back to the review:

I'll also bring you a complete weigh-in analysis if indeed it is worth having to pay more for these manicures and if they are as great for your nails as it claims to be.

A couple of days ago, I had posted on my Facebook wall about how I was going to get my first Shellac gel mani and review it. 

***Sidenote: Shellac is a brand of gel polishes; it was one of the first ones to come forth with this innovation and a lot of salons carry this brand as a result, but with anything this new and powerful there are now many brands available.

A few friends commented on their experiences with this product, and I noticed there was a high concern on how to properly remove gel polishes. So as I waited for my nails to get done, I asked the manicurist how this polish is removed. She told me they had a special solution that removes it instantly and it's at no extra cost, but that you can also do it yourself at home using a nail filer to reduce the layers, and then you need to soak your hands in acetone for about 15 minutes. Sounds easy enough, but..

Later, when I got home I researched how to remove the polish and from what I read from people online, I'd recommend you go back to your salon and have a professional remove the color. I read about people who couldn't get it off and others who in trying to get it off peeled the layers from their own nails.

Another friend asked if the Axxium system, which is OPI's version of the gel system is the same as the gel system and it is-- main difference is that you can buy OPI's system and do your own gel nails at home. I think this is great for the person who has tried this product and loves it because in the long run it will be worth it, rather than going in for a $25 manicure every 14 days, however, you will also need to invest in a UV light set to cure in the gel, which can be pretty costly.

I still don't want to put my final two cents on this product until after the 14 day period, but I will say this much--don't just take my word for it if you want to try it, go for it and you be the judge.

Again, keep an eye out for the updates and complete analysis in another 14 days and as always I'll be back next week with a new topic. Hope you enjoy this post.

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in PINK. I believe that loving is the best calorie burner. I believe in french kissing. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."- The Fabulous Ms. A. Hepburn

UPDATE:

Hi dolls, as promised I am back with my update and complete review. 

It's officially day 6 and my index nail has a minor chip on it. In fact, the overall look of the manicure isn't very glamorous anymore.

Day 6: chipped index nail and not so shiny.

Now this is a drastic change from day 5 (just yesterday, Wednesday, February 2, 2011,) when the polish still appeared shiny and in tact, as you will see in the picture below.

Because of the chipping so early in the "14 days period," I guess I'll put this review to rest. I've also found out some salons charge as much as $5 to remove the gel polish.

I did like that the manicure stayed in perfect tact for at least 5 days and from the looks of it it still has a few more days to go before I'm forced to remove it.

Your-Go-to-Gal's Do's for Gel Manicures:

•  Research the salon you plan to get your nails and inquire about which gel polish brand they used. According to my manicure experience not all brands are created equal.
• Engage in inquisitive conversation with your manicurist. Make sure that when you walk away with your hands done that you don't feel confused.
• Apply a light coat of sunscreen on your hands (not on your nails) before the UV light process because regardless of how safe it claims to be, you will actually feel a burn. Better safe than sorry.
• Keep your receipt. In case of chipping before the 14 days, go back to your manicurist with your receipt with the date on it and ask if they can fix it for you at minimal or no charge.
• If you're not satisfied with your first experience with a gel manicure, try going to a different place and give it a second try if you feel it's worth the time and money.
• Enjoy getting pampered.

Please feel free to leave me any questions you might have and I'll be more than glad to answer them. Remember I'm not here to tell you what or what not to do, but I do like to share my experiences.

Keep an eye out for my new post coming this weekend!

Have a great day dolls!

-xO's