New Year Product Review

Happy New Year! I recently acquired some new items that I wanted to share with you in hopes my thoughts on these can be helpful to you in your own search and shopping adventures:

Kiehls
On a recent trip I felt it was the right time to try three Kiehls products I had been eyeing online: travel sized Sunflower Color Preserve shampoo and conditioner, and Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant Deodorant.

The deodorant helped keep me cool and un-smelly through long days of walking in all sorts of temperatures. It is a tube that once you open the lid, looks like a very large lip balm applicator with a round tip and a tiny hole in the middle. A little goes a long way and it dries considerably quickly. The texture is creamy and light, the color of the product is white.  It does leave white streaks on clothes if you aren't careful.

The shampoo and conditioner were a total flop. I had such high hopes and was totally let down.The shampoo and conditioner smell absolutely heavenly, without being overpowering. The problem is that the shampoo is all-natural and emollient and as such, lacks sufficient surfactants for cleaning the scalp of natural and product buildup. The result was  severe build up on my hair and scalp over three days with break outs and very stringy, oily hair that looked unwashed.

L'Oreal
Mentioning the above situation with the shampoo, I rushed to the nearest pharmacy and got L'Oreal Everstrong shampoo and conditioner. This is a sulfate free line, sister to my much-loved Everpure line.

The added bonus with this particular line is that it helps strengthen hair that snaps, breaks, or is otherwise suffering--perfect for overprocessed hair or hair that's been suffering from extreme temperature and weather changes.

The aroma is very subtle and minty, the shampoo is creamy so it's moisturizing rather than stripping, and it foams well. It rinses clean for an almost squeaky feel. The conditioner is not too heavy but has some body to it. This is another standby or grail product line for me.

Lancome
I've been looking for a new eyeliner to replace my Sephora liquid eyeliner (the felt tip is inconsistently moist) and my Clinique pencil eyeliner (has been giving me the itchies lately).

I found both replacements at Lancome: Artliner is the perfect liquid liner in black and the felt tip remains moist. The second eyeliner that I love is Le Crayon Kohl which comes in a deliciously neutral, black brown. I also previously tried the black and found it to have great staying power and no itchiness.

As a reminder, a great tip is to apply some matching shadow on top of the eyeliner for added staying power for oilier lids (like mine) or for very long days (or both!). This trick helps me stay crisp and presentable through incredibly long and arduous workdays during day-long meetings or when I work at our company's annual conference for almost a week each year.

I also decided to try Definicils, after hearing great things from both YouTube makeup gurus and a real-time friend of mine. So far it has provided me the look I was seeking, which is darkened and noticeable lashes,without clumps. Hypnose hasn't worked out for me, it becomes greasy towards the end of the day and stings.

So there you have it, my latest investments and how they've turned out.
Happy shopping and beauty discoveries in this new year!