New P&G Body Essentials


I tend to only talk about facial skincare and makeup here, so it's not often I end up talking about other body care. P&G brands like Olay, Secret, and Head & Shoulders have been around for decades, and can easily be found in drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores. If you haven't heard of the brands in this post... you either are not from North America or living in cave or something (heh).

Olay recently came out with a new line of body washes, Olay Fresh Outlast. It comes in about five different fruity scents. The one I have here is in Crisp Pear & Fuji Apple. The packaging is cute and the price is good, the bottle I have here is huge! but I do believe it comes in smaller, regular sizing as well. The scent smells like the real thing, it lathers well and doesn't dry out my skin. I have had no complaints using it but it is just a new scent and size, the formula doesn't seem anything new or special. 

Next I have the Secret Clinical Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant in Completely Clean. The scent is as described.. it is pretty plain and doesn't smell like my ideal deodorant but it does the job. This is the clear gel formula and is designed to fight odour all day long with 4x protection from stress sweat. I'm not typically fond of the clear gel formulas, I much prefer regular old-fashioned deodorant, but it works as well as a typical deodorant does for me. However, I don't notice it protecting much more than other deodorants. 


This one here is a known favourite. The anti-dandruff hair care line by Head & Shoulders. There are quite a few scents with slightly different properties in the line but the one I have here is the Instant Cooling Relief. It contains tea tree essence and peppermint oil to give your head a minty-cool feel. I found that the shampoo didn't give me the 'cool' feeling, but the conditioner made my scalp feel super cold! I have an itchy scalp and I did find my scalp slightly less itchy after using this shampoo, but the peppermint and tea tree definitely didn't help with my itchiness at all, if anything the cooling effect brought more attention to my itchy scalp.  My boyfriend does rave about this being the only thing that works for his flaky scalp however, so I have been letting his use this lately!


In the past, I enjoyed the Olay Eye Brightening Cc Cream and wrote a review about it a while back (here). The new Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream comes in the same packaging, and is also designed to fight puffiness, dark circles, wrinkles, and fine lines. The eye cream contains colour correcting technology, and a formula enriched with peptides and vitamins. It doesn't feel heavy on the eyes and absorbs super quickly. It is not pigmented enough (at all) to work as a concealer or for any coverage of that sort. I don't see this as having enough benefits for nighttime use.. edit: I found this didn't add moisture and dried easily in the jar. I don't really like it under makeup and so I ended up giving it away. 

These products were received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are never influenced by anyone. 

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation, Setting Powder & Makeup Remover

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation, Setting Powder & Makeup Remover review

Quite a while ago (Fall of 2016), I attended the Dermablend Professional Canadian Launch and received a few products to try from the brand. Dermablend is a medium to full coverage brand and is considered the #1 camouflage brand in the USA by dermatologists!

•  Dermatologist Tested
•  Allergy Tested
•  Sensitive Skin Tested
•  Non-Comedogenic
•  Non-Acnegenic
•  Fragrance Free

Dermablend camo cover cream covering tattoos
Dermablend Artists at work; covering tattoos with Dermablend!

I don't remember exactly what the artist used, but I believe they were covering the tattoos with a full coverage Cover Creme, with a powder foundation or setting powder on top.

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation review

Firstly, the Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Medium Coverage Foundation. It contains SPF 25, is a tiny 30ml size and retails for $42 CAD. To be honest, the size is so small it makes me not want to use it besides on special occasions, but a little ends up going a long way! The price is not bad considering what we see at Sephora nowadays (Marc Jacobs Remaracable is like $70 for 22ml, craazyy!).

The foundation claims to be medium coverage, but I find it to be a solid full coverage on me. It covers redness no problem, and acne spots, and just evens out the skin really well. The shade I have is 30W, it is a perfect match for me when I'm tanned in the summer but slighty too dark for the winter months. I might look into getting a shade lighter to add to my collection. I didn't find it irritating to my skin and I like that it has no added fragrance (aka it smells like plastic). I really don't mind it, it isn't overpowering and if you don't have a strong sense of smell it might smell like nothing to you. It is a little tacky at first, but smooths out well when you add the setting powder afterwards.

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation bisque 30w before and after
(Click image to enlarge)

I'm so so impressed with the coverage as you can see above. No editing!! It hides my redness and beauty marks quite well and evens out the skin tone. The shade I am wearing is Bisque 30W

Dermablend loose Setting Powder review

The Dermablend Professional Loose Setting Powder has been getting much use in my beauty routine lately. I was so excited to try it out as I don't usually have experience with 'baking' to set my face. It retails for $34 CAD, contains 28g of product and claims wear of up to 16 hours. This setting powder works so well over the Liquid Camo Foundation, it's like they were made for each other. My skin feels baby smooth after applying this over top of any foundation/concealer, and it helps my makeup last longer BUT not close to 16 hours long. 

But honestly, I wouldn't expect it to be some miracle powder to make my foundation last that long, it does well enough by extending the wear of my foundation before the oil ends up seeping through near the end of the day.

Dermablend loose setting powder review
I'm confused, am I doing it right? 

I like to apply the powder under my eyes and on my t-zone with a mini beauty sponge (the one pictured above is Sephora brand). Then I wipe the excess off with a powder brush. 

Dermablend long wear makeup remover review

The Dermablend Professional Long Wear Makeup Remover comes in a tube with 150ml of product, and has the best retail price in this post so far, at $23 CAD. This makeup remover is amazing for removing Dermablend foundations, or any other hard-to-remove face products. It's kinda messy, you apply it like a wet cream all over the face and rub it in to loosen the foundation. Next remove it with a cotton pad (or a few), and I'll then wet my face and go over it again with a final cotton pad. It works better than a micelle solution and isn't as messy as an oil.

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation, Setting Powder & Makeup Remover swatches
(1) Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Swatch, Setting Powder Swatch, and Makeup Remover Swatch
(2) Dermablend Long Wear Makeup Remover in action!
(3) My hand after wiping off the makeup remover with a cotton pad

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation 30w bisque worn
Full makeup face, wearing Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo & Loose Setting Powder. 
NYX Lip Lingerie in Push-Up on the lips & Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Quad in Rust & Tattoo Liner on the eyes.

Overall I am a big fan of the brand after trying these products. I do not think the price point is too high, and I do want to buy more from them and perhaps repurchase these once I've used them up! I'd actually like to try the Liquid Camo in 25N (a shade lighter) so it's more wearable for my pale winter months.

Dermablend Professional is available at select Shoppers Drug Mart's in Canada so far, you can check which locations stock the brand on their website, here. In the USA, I've seen the brand carried at Ulta and Sephora stores.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are never influenced by anyone. 

Sudio Vasa Bla: Rose Gold Wireless Earphones Review

sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review

I have something different today, something non-beauty related but it might just catch your eye and instantly become added to that birthday wishlist! Sudio Sweden recently reached out to me for feedback on their new VASA BLÃ… Wireless Earphones. What caught my eye wasn't even their bluetooth wireless capabilities, it was how cute and fashionable they are (damn, am I materialistic?)

To keep up with new technology, Sudio has created their version of this new revolutionary product, the wireless bluetooth earphones! I am definitely no super audiophile, but I do like a good quality sound system; whether it be earbuds, headphones, stereo, etc.

sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review
sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review
sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review

The Sudio Vasa Bla comes in a slim box, that opens to reveal a very 'Apple' product-like packaging. It's minimal, as it should be. I've laid out all of the box contents above, minus the instructions sheet and owners manual.

Contents:
• Sudio Vasa Bla Wireless Earphones
• Leather Case
• Micro USB Charger (Cable Only)
• 4 Extra Pairs of Earbud sizes
• Cable Clip 
• Quick Start Guide, Owner's Manual & Guarantee Card

Unfortunately, these did not come with a wall plug, likely because of the fact that they ship all over the world and everywhere uses a different outlet. But considering the price, I was a little disappointed it was missing this. The leather case is a good trade-off for the missing wall plug however, it fits the Vasa Bla perfectly and is thick enough that it feels like they're going to be protected in my purse.

sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review

Sudio VASA BLÃ… Features:

• Bluetooth 4.1 technology
• Sweatproof, with remote and mic
• Up to 8 hours of unlimited play-time
• Standby for up to 10 days
• 10 min quick charge, 120 min full charge
• Range of 10 meters
• Studio quality sound and noise isolation
• Lightest on the market

Sudio Sweden officially offers the Vasa Bla in four gorgeous and fashionable fun colours. Rose Gold Black, Rose Gold White (mine), Blue, and Pink. They do offer other products in various colours like their wired earphones and wireless headphones, but their main focus colour seems to be gold rather than the typical silver, which I think, makes them seem fashion forward.

sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review

The controls are on one side, with the battery pack on the other. They look the same so it can be easy to mix them up, but the controls tab is slightly slimmer. 

The indicator will flash red to pair, and will continue to flash blue to indicate that it is on. The middle control can be used to answer or end a call, pause or play a song, and turn the device on and off. The volume controls are used to control the volume of the earbuds, which (btw) is separate from your phone's volume. The volume controls also can be held for 2 seconds to change songs.

sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review

When I first opened these I was a little nervous. Seeing as they are a company I am not familiar with, I wasn't sure how they would perform. The initial reaction I had was 'wow they sound great! But there isn't enough bass?'. I was a little disappointed, but I realized that changing the earbuds really helped them fit properly, so I could hear all of the tones much better. Even my boyfriend, who is a little more tech savvy than me said that they sound amazing and he would steal them from me if I didn't choose the most girly colour (heh!). I do still wish it had a bit more bass, but it does have good sound and a good range of highs and lows. 

The unit itself is light, I haven't used other wireless earphones before so I don't have a good comparison. When they're in your ears, compared to regular earphones they are a bit heavy, but I found that letting the cord rest on the back of your neck really helps and makes them feel almost weightless.

The earbuds are interchangeable, with various sizes included, but they were a pain in the a%* to change. I will definitely update on the battery life. I have not noticed exactly how long it lasts, but it

Overall the quality is good, and I brought these on a trip with me to New Jersey with no issues. They are so handy and just cool to have. Also a huge plus...wait for it: NO untangling cords!!!! The cord is so short and shaped that it never tangles.

sudio sweden vasa bla rose gold wireless earphones review

Now for the price.. they're a little pricey at $140 CAD each. I know I'd have to think this one over if I had to purchase it myself, the sound isn't amazing and the price is a little high. But I think this is a great gift especially for someone who is into the 'fashionable' side of technology. Sudio offers free express shipping for all orders so the fact that they are located in Sweden really is not an issue. The Vasa Bla are so beautiful and I'll continue taking them with me whenever I have a long bus or train ride for sure.

I am also able to offer you guys 15% off with coupon code 'alovelyallure' on Sudio's official website! If you are eyeing them already, I'd say it's a decent deal for a pair of wireless earphones.

You can take a look at what Sudio has to offer, on their website here. Or check them out on amazon.ca, here.

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This product was received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are not influenced by any affiliates.