The Body Shop: So disappointed

I was going to do the rest of The Body Shop products one-by-one, but I’ve since become so disappointed that I won’t even bother writing out a long review. Here’s a list of what I’ve bought in the last month, and why most of them will be going back.

Buy 3 Get 3 Free haul:

Buriti Baby Body Butter:
I really like this so far, and it glides on really smooth.

Cocoa Butter Body Scrub:
Like it so far, but would not re-purchase. I would like to try other body scrubs.

Aloe Soothing Moisture Lotion, SPF 15:
Like it so far. Face doesn’t feel greasy. I’m assuming it works as a decent sunblock. I use it on weekends when I’m not wearing makeup (which has SPF). Indecisive about re-purchasing. 

Vitamin E Face Mist (will be returning):
Mediocre. I was going to keep it to avoid having to return it. Until I saw the ingredient list:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alchohol Denat., Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Methylparaben, Lecithin, Rosa Centifolia (Rose) Water, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben.

For something as simple as a Vitamin E mist, why the heck is there so much paraben and alcohol in it??? Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) is the 6th ingredient…

Blue Corn Scrub Mask (will be returning):
Hate this. Feels like toothpaste on my face, and I don’t see any difference.

Buy 1 Get 1 Free haul (returning all of these):

Chocomania Lip Butter:

This buttery balm melts onto the lips for instant hydration. It contains real cocoa butter and has a delicious chocolate flavor.
– Instant hydration
– Buttery texture
– Leaves lips feeling softer and smoother
– Chocolate flavor

Um, I don’t know, maybe I got a bad one or something because it tastes absolutely disgusting. Yes, yes, it smells like that fake chocolate flavor/scent, but it tastes super bitter. I accidentally got some in my mouth because about 30 minutes after I put it on, I got to work, and we had free donuts; as I took a bite, I got some of the lip butter on my donut and promptly spit out my donut bite. I licked my lips, and realized my lip butter tasted nasty, so I wiped it off so I could resume eating my delicious donut. I tried it one more time, straight out of the container (maybe something got on my lips while driving?), and it was still bitter and gross.

I have this wonderful chocolate scented (albeit tasteless) chapstick, $6.50, and this minty chocolate one (also tasteless), $4. Tasteless > nasty tasting. They seem more expensive than the Chocomania (on sale), but I invite you to compare the ingredients list between Chocomania and the two chapsticks I have–I’ll keep the ones I have, thanks.

Rainforest Moisture Conditioner:
OK, I get that this is “a moisturizing conditioner without silicones, sulphates, parabens or colorants,” but I wish it didn’t suck. I don’t have tangly hair at all, but I had to use a lot of conditioner to get my fingers through my hair and it didn’t feel like it was moisturizing my hair at all :(

To be honest, I haven’t tried “natural” shampoos and conditioners, but I will try another brand. Let me know if you have any suggestions. I think I was still mad from my great Chocomania disappointment >.<

 

I also bought the Rainforest shampoo, and the Olive body butter, but I am too annoyed to give them a try. I already know I can find better products for similar prices.

The Body Shop: Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleansing Scrub Mask

(Image from The Body Shop product page)

I wanted the Honey & Oat one instead, but it was sold out. (On second thought, I could just make that, now couldn’t I? Expect a post with a DIY experiment soon-ish!)

I have some white/blackheads on my nose area, and white heads on my chin area, so I was really excited to get this mask/scrub! Sigh… I hate when I’m really eager to receive a product, and I am disappointed…

It feels like I am smearing toothpaste all over my face. Yes, I would know how that feels (sort of) because a few times I’ve woken up with a HUGE zit, and so I put some toothpaste on it in hopes that it would diminish/dry out. :( It’s kind of thick and a little dry/pasty and makes you “tingle” — see why I think of toothpaste?

Does it work? Hm.. well it’s a scrub, so of course my face is going to feel smoother. But aside from that, I don’t feel like I can see a noticeable difference in the clearing of my white/blackheads or anything. I used it once a week for two weeks. I know that isn’t a long time, but I’m not exactly thrilled to put toothpaste all over my face and leave it for 15 minutes if I can’t even see a difference :(

I’m going to try to return this product in store. I wonder how that will work since I did the Buy 3 Get 3 Free sale online…

LifeStride: Romp (Beige)

(Image from Zappos)

I was shopping for a pair of nude/beige wedges, and I thought these were super cute! Amazon’s description:

• Fabric upper
• Almond peep toe
• Gathered knot and pleated details
• ½” platform 2¾” braided rope wedge
• Synthetic sole

I’d also read reviews that they were very comfortable. My feet are slightly wider at the widest point, and narrow/pointy shoes are bad for me, so I ordered these in a 8.5W ~$50 from Shoes.com. When I got them, they were huge! I was actually considering buying 8.5 or 9! I sent them back, and ordered a 8W from Amazon for ~$34. When they arrived, they were good in the front, super comfy, but…I couldn’t walk in them because they were still a little big/loose in the back. I really don’t think 7.5 would be a solution, and I bought some shoe accessories to ameliorate the problem. While those were being shipped, I considered returning the shoes altogether. The pair from Amazon wasn’t as nice as the pair from Shoes.com. They seemed to have seen a little wear/tear already: the fabric looked a tiny bit dirty, and the espadrille was unraveling in some areas. I did like the shoes… but not enough–I returned them.

Currently eyeing:

• Naturalizer: Hidi (Taupe Shiny)
• Naturalizer: Burlone (Pallor)