BlushPretty: Make-up Artistry Weblog

the good, the bad, the pretty ...

This post concludes the end of The Beauty Board reviews. (I heard that "Finally!!" your eyes just rolled).

But a great and successful event is only as good as the reviews it gets, so here are some reviews of the event itself ... the good, the bad, the pretty (really it should be "the ugly", but there is really nothing ugly about the event or my guests.)

I want to thank all my guests for their support and encouragement of The Beauty Board and I am looking forward to seeing them, and of course some new faces, for the next The Beauty Board in October 2010!

Take a deep breath ...

"Loved reviewing products & getting free samples. I was happy to find the Consonant Body brand." - Rowena

Awesome event. It's great there is a forum such as The Beauty Board to allow the consumer to be able to try on items prior to purchasing." - Maureen

"LOVED IT! really enjoyed trying the different companies I would not have tried otherwise. I only wish there were more applicators to try the products on ... also, wipes or access to a closer sink." -  Mabel

"Really fun and fabulous event Stephanie! All the brand reps were so sweet and really informed. It was so nice to meet them! Thanks again." - Brooke

"I had a great time. My only complaint was too many products - I started to get confused! I loved my makeup demo and received great info." - Leslie

love it: mai beauty lipsticks

Lipstick is a staple.

We might flirt with gloss every now and then, maybe even do a phase of wearing Chapstick and nothing else; but in the end, we always come back to lipstick.

So, it is refreshing to know that we have options. Between all the department store brands, the brands and Sephora and the brands at the local drugstore, it is always nice to know that there is a new brand just around the corner ready to offer us a new formulation and a new colour.

Just like Mai Beauty...

Mai Beauty lipsticks are mineral based. They provide all day hydration and protect the lips. They come in seven different shades (with matching lip gloss if you just can't make the switch) and are paraben free. Both Greta and Olive were fan favourites, as well as Lolita, at The Beauty Board!

Here are the reviews:

"LOVE IT! Olive & Greta.  Great overall color palette and very natural." - Alleben

"LIKE IT!" - Young K.

"LOVE IT! Olive!!!" - Frances

"LIKE IT! Olive" - Nina

"LOVE IT! Greta is a fabulous colour. These sticks are like a stain, but thicker!" - Lauren

"LOVE IT!" - Lori

"LIKE IT! Love the Lolita and Andee colours." - Brooke

"LIKE IT! Very pigmented and creamy. My favourite colour is Olive" - Kimberley

"LIKE IT!  Lolita!" - Suzanne

"LOVE IT! Love the packaging - Olive is great!" - Breanna

love it/like it: olay quench firming body lotion

Holy jumping beans Batman. It's a tie!

I think this might be a first.  We had an equal number of Beauty Boarders vote to "love it" as they did to "like it". And yes, about 5 people voted to lose it ... but right now, that's besides the point.

Either way, the overall review is it's a great body lotion to stock up on this spring.  Olay Quench Firming Body Lotion provides intense moisture to strengthen the skin and visibly firm and renew it. The perfect answer to dry and damaged winter skin, and for all you mommies out there, a great way to get that body looking a little bit better now that you're losing all that baby weight (trust me ... I'm in the midst of this process, I think it works and I see a difference**).

But, really what do I know ...?

I purposely did all the Love it and Like it votes alternating. For all the reasons people voted to Lose it, please click on the post and scroll to the bottom!

"LOVE IT! It has an amazing smell and isn't too thick or greasy." - Christine

"LIKE IT! Smells good and feels smooth." - Lauren

"LOVE IT!" - Young J.

"LIKE IT!" - Smooth texture, nice scent." - Mabel

"LOVE IT!" - Young K.

"LIKE IT! Nice refreshing scent; leaves my skin soft and absorbed easily." - Maureen"

"LOVE IT! Smells good and I like the consistency. Good for dry skin." - Yvette

"LIKE IT! Nice and light, not greasy." - Rowena

"LOVE IT! Feels good - correct combination of moisturizer." - Leslie

"LIKE IT! Nice smell and absorbs quickly." - Marie

captured: beauty boarders in action

Here are some great photos from The Beauty Board event.

(images provided by Jonathan Ponce)

 Trying out North American Hemp Co.

The event in full swing.



Upper Canada Soap

My BFF getting her nails did!

Consonant Body set up.

love it: consonant body organic body soap

 Soap. Good old soap.

In a pinch, you can use any bar of soap for everything: to wash your face, to wash your body, to wash your hands, and heck, you can even use it to clean up your hair when you forgot to buy a new bottle of shampoo.

Soap = reliable.

Consonant Body Organic Body Soap was a hit at the The Beauty Board and a bar was included in each of the gift bags! (lucky, lucky, lucky!) Consonant Body's organic soaps are 100% natural and are free of dyes and preservatives. They come in a variety of different scents and textures including Clove, Goat's Milk & Hemp, and Spearmint & Sage. 

Anyone that I have spoken to after the event has raved about one little detail that means a lot: the little loofah that comes with each bar of soap! You know how a bar of soap can get all gooey and sticky when it sit in its dish? Well, with Consonant Body, you sit your bar on top of this little loofah, and once (or twice or thrice) a week, you pick up that loofah with all that gooey and sticky soap bit and exfoliate. No wasting precious soap.

Here's what Beauty Boarders had to say:

"LOVE IT! Great smell." - Lori

"LOVE IT! Love the packaging, love the scent!" - Kathy

"LOVE IT! Love that this comes with a loofah - how brilliant." - Meredith

"LOVE IT! All the products are great." - Frances

"LOVE IT! Comes with a loofah - great packaging. My favourite!" - Lauren

"LIKE IT! Like the natural ingredients; appreciate the loofah!" - Mabel

"LIKE IT! Good variety of smells. Love the loofah." - Tahlia

"LIKE IT! Nice smells" - Marie

"LOVE IT! Smells amazing - bought one." - Christine

"LOVE IT!" - Mary

"LOVE IT! The Canadian Grain is very interesting - particularly for the exfoliating." - Natasha

"LOVE IT! Great smell and good for the environment." - Summer 

"LOVE IT!" - Joy

"LIKE IT! I really like the loofah idea to use with the soap to exfoliate." - Paula

LOVE IT! Love the packaging and it smells great." - Pamela

like it: north american hemp co. hemp hangnail helper hand and nail cream

Don't you hate it when you reach to turn a door handle and your hand slides right off because of your hand cream?

Yeah ... me too. But I make do because I need hand cream. I never wear gloves, always wash my hands with hot soapy water, and pretty much treat my hands like crap. To combat the greasy hand syndrome, I try to find a hand cream that isn't to oily and not too thick. I also look for ones that absorb easily into the skin.

North American Hemp Co.'s Hemp Hangnail Helper Hand and Nail Cream received the most mixed reviews. The majority of Beauty Boarders loved/liked the cream.  There were a few more "Lose It" votes than the other products received, but what I found interesting about this is that the ones who voted to lose it did so because they thought it was too light and that a moisturizer should be thicker. They equated thickness with moisturizing capabilities.

My personal opinion on the thicker = more moisturizing line of thinking?  I think that it's not the weight or texture of a product that makes it what it is ... its the ingredients.  I would most welcome a lighter cream or lotion as long as my hands ended up moisturized, hydrated and healthy. This particular cream moisturized my hands and left them silky, but it also absorbed quickly ... which means I was able to open any door I wanted to!

But don't take my word for it ...

"LIKE IT!" - Brooke

"LOVE IT! Very rich." - Ruth

"LIKE IT! Nice and moisturizing; but it left my hands a bit greasy." - Breanna

"LIKE IT! As a nail cream, I would like this cream to be thicker and more concentrated." - Maureen

"LIKE IT!" - Leslie T.

"LOSE IT! I want a thicker nail cream." - Rowena

"LIKE IT! Good texture." - Kara

"LOSE IT! Cream seems a little light, not sure how moisturizing it is." - Marie

"LIKE IT! Don't like the scent; feels nice on the nail and skin." - Yvette

"LIKE IT! Nice emollient cream but the scent is a bit strong. It made my cuticles look really good." - Kimberley

"LOVE IT! Very smooth." - Young K.

and the winner is ...

Barbara D.!!

Okay, so most of you have no idea what's going on. Sorry about that.

Just last week I posted about the Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly line and I invited the Beauty Boarders to post their comments about the product line and what they loved (or possibly hated - but no one hates it!) about it.  Each person who posted a comment would have their name entered to win another set of goodies from the past The Beauty Board event.

Congratulations Barbara! Thanks for posting your comment and I will be in touch to deliver your prize!

And now its your turn to win ...

If you happen to be following The Beauty Board events and the posts, you can have a chance to win a selection of products that were showcased at the event.  To enter, leave a comment to this post and explain which of the posted products or brands you are dying to try and why.  This contest will be open until May 9, 2010 and only open to readers who were unable to attend the event.

Good luck!

-bp-