Jordana Overview & Revlon Balm Stain Honey Dupe

Jordana products have been in the market for a while but recently I have noticed a lot more buzz about them. It is a super inexpensive brand with some great products. Jordana is actually a family owned business based in Los Angeles, California. The only downfall is that I haven't been able to find Jordana items in any of the local Canadian stores so far. However, since I do a lot of online shopping so I am okay with it. In order to get a fair idea I picked up products from three main makeup categories i.e. eyes, lips and face. 

P.S. I apologize for the splotchy pictures, the actual copies are perfectly clear. I am not sure what went wrong with the uploading. I even tried to remove and upload again a couple of times but nothing worked. So really sorry about it. 

I bought all the stuff from the BeautyJoint website. When they first started the business their prices were relatively lower than any other online store, but now their isn't any noticeable difference. 

Above: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey; Below: Jordana Twist & Shine in Honey Love

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Honey Love: As the name suggests, the product comes in a twist up tube and provides moisture along with shine. Not just the packaging but the formula and the actual product is very reminiscent of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. However, I didn't know that even the colors that I own are same until I swatched them side to side for this post. 

Left: Jordana in Honey Love; Right: Revlon in Honey

The only difference I noticed is that the Revlon one takes a couple of strikes to attain the same color as Jordana. Other than that, it is very difficult to tell them apart. May be I am wrong  but I don't think that such similarity in the names (Jordana Honey Love and Revlon Honey) is any coincidence.  

Left Stain: Jordana; Right Stain: Revlon

As you can see the above picture, both of them leave a stain behind and surprisingly the intensity of the stain is also same. However, the Revlon Balm Stain retails for around $8.99 while Jordana retails for $3.49 for the same amount of product. If I am not wrong then Revlon Balm Stain comes in 12 different shades while Jordana has only 8 shades so far. 

Brown/Eye Shadow Powder in Brown: I really wanted to try their eye shadow but it was really difficult to pick one online due to the lack of swatches so I went with a very safe brown shade. The one I got is from their brow/eyeshadow line which retails for $1.99 and has 6 shades. I absolutely love this product and have been  using it since the day I received it in the mail. It is very pigmented cool toned true brown shade, so a little bit with a flat liner brush is enough to give a groomed look to the eyebrows. And for me, it is one of the must  have items from Jordana. 

Above: Covergirl Smoochies Lip Balm in Luv U; Below: Jordana  

Jordana Easy Shine Glossy Lip Color in Raspberry: This is a pigmented and moisturizing cool toned true pink color. It has a very strong fruity smell, which isn't bothersome to me. When I bought it, I thought it will be somewhat similar to the new Covergirl Smoochies (because of the similar packaging), but it isn't as it is a lot more pigmented than the smoochies. However, it should be noted that the Covergirl Smoochies is marketed as a lip balm so they are more comparable to Maybelline Baby Lips. And now when I am thinking about it I should have compared it to the pink baby lips instead of Covergirl Smoochies. 

Left: Jordana Easy Shine in Raspberry; Right: Covergirl Smoochies in Luv U

The easy shine costs $2.09 (1.9g) while smoochies is around $4.99 or above (4g) and both come in 12 different shades.

Jordana Fabuliner in Brown

Jordana Fabuliner in Brown: I also had this liner in Black but I threw it away because I didn't like it. Even the brown shade looks like black and I feel it should be named Black Brown instead of just Brown. I agree that it is super inexpensive ($2.99) with great pigmentation but it lacks severely on the lasting power. At least in my case, it didn't last through the day. I found that on humid days it creased and traveled all over and under my eyes while on dry and cold days it flaked resulting in missing patches. So, for me it is only good for short grocery trips. 

Jordana Blush in Touch of Pink

Jordana Powder Blush in Touch of Pink: Recently, everyone and their mother is raving about these blushes, so I thought of giving them a try. I wanted to order more but I ended up with just one. These blushes come in a lot of different shades so there is something for everyone. Also, they retail for just $2.49 for 2.2g. The powder is nice and soft with great pigmentation. However, since the blush is really soft so there is some fall out. 

I heard a lot of people saying that the packaging is very unique, however, that's not true since La Femme blushes have exact same screw cap packaging. However, La Femme's cap is all plastic so mine has already cracked but Jordana has used nicer material so it is quite sturdy. 

Left: Jordana Touch of Pink; Right: Mac Pinch O'Peach

For the color, Touch of Pink is a true peach with a very slight hint of pink. The name of this blush reminded me of Mac Pinch O'Peach. Just like Jordana is called Touch of Pink but is actually a Peach with very little pink, Mac Pinch O'Peach is a Pink with very little peach.  I know this comparison was irrelevant but I just found it very interesting. 

Left: Jordana Touch of Pink; Right: Mac Pinch O'Peach

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara: This mascara is one of the most raved about products from this line. However, I can't say much about it yet because I haven't tried it as I am working on the ones that are already open. But I'll post an update after I have formed an opinion about it. 

Jordana Color Extend Lip Liner: Last but not least, I also bought some lip liners which I completely forgot about and that is why they are not in the first shot. These liners are marketed as all day wear and waterproof. And they are not kidding, these are seriously waterproof. After I swatched them, even rigorous rubbing wasn't able to budge them. It took me some effort to take them off with soap and water. So these are super long lasting. However, I can't find them on the website anymore so I am not sure if they are discontinued or just not available on this particular website. 

Keep on Violet: A very dark plumy purple. 

Espresso Delay: A very soft brown. 

Reach for Java: A true dark chocolate brown, which looks more like an eye liner than a lip liner. 

I bought these for $0.79 each, however, I am not so fond of the colors. Especially the dark chocolate brown isn't my style. If I had seen the shades in person I probably wouldn't have bought the browns. 

Have you tried any Jordana Products? Which ones are your favorite? Where do you usually buy them?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Mini Haul & Website Comparision

This post is about some of the skincare stuff that I bought online from iherb.com. It is my go to website to buy natural skincare products. They always have amazing deals on along with super inexpensive shipping options. New users can use this discount code "ZUF525" for $5 off any order below $40 and $10 off any  order above $40. Before I found this website, I used to shop at vitacost.com but they increased their shipping cost many folds in the past couple of months. First their shipping cost to Canada was just $3.99 (amazing), then they increased it to $5.99 (really good), then $7.99 (okay) and now it is $11.49 (like wth?). So now I only shop at iherb because the shipping is only $4. 

Even though the shipping cost is very low, the shipments usually arrive within 2 weeks to Canada. Also, there aren't any shipping restrictions on oils etc. like their were on vitacost. I really love the fact that they have detailed information and list of ingredients for each product on their website. This time, I actually placed two orders on the same day but I am not including other items in this post as they are not relevant to the content of this blog. 

Derma E Scar Gel: I absolutely love Derma E's Refining Vitamin A Oil so I thought of giving this scar gel a try. It is a gel formula which goes on very lightly on the skin and doesn't feel greasy or sticky. However, you are supposed to use it 3-5 times daily and I sometimes forget to do that. 

Bee Naturals Queen Bee Facial Nectar: This is just a regular facial moisturizer but I bought it because I really liked the simple and natural ingredients. Also, it has a pump, which is always a bonus. 

Devita Revitalizing Eye Lift Cream: This is one of the main products that prompted me to place the order. However, I haven't tried it on yet as I am still working on my current eye cream but I really liked the ingredients. It contains some amazing vitamins and oils for nourishing the delicate under eye area. Also, it doesn't contain alcohol and is made with organic substituents. 

Quantum Health Scar Reducing Cream: This is another scar cream that I bought for my acne scars. However, this one is quite thick and has a distinct smell which I really don't like. Also, just like the other one, it is supposed to be applied at least 3-5 times daily. 

Sierra Bees Lip Balm: iherb always have freebies to choose from and I chose this lip balm in Pomegranate. I pick it up every time I place an order and I have almost every flavor now. 

Free Gift: iherb always sends a free gift, which may not be very valuable but definitely a very sweet gesture on their behalf. I have received a napkin, a marker, a stylus etc in the past. I really appreciate the fact that they think about their customers. 

Have you shopped from iherb before? If not would you like to in future? Do you have any favorite websites to shop for natural skincare products?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Disclaimer: I bought everything with my own money and any of the websites mentioned don't even have an idea about this blog post. 

Products I Regret Buying: Makeup

I buy a lot more makeup products than skin care or hair care, therefore, I have a lot more regrets in this category than the other two. I have dry, sensitive and acne prone skin so I tend to go for makeup products that are geared towards that but still some just do not work out the way I expect them to. Therefore, the products that I regret may be holy grail for you guys so please do not get offended with my opinion. Also, I have tried each and every product multiple times before forming an opinion. 

L'Oreal Voluminous Power Collagen Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black: I bought this mascara because I absolutely adore the Voluminous Million Lashes which comes in a similar tube but golden color. The problem with this mascara is that the brush is very oddly shaped and no matter how hard I try I always end up putting some on my eyelid. Also, it claims to have collagen for added volume, which I believe just adds up to the clumps resulting in spidery sparse lashes.

Almay One Coat Noursing Mascara Tripple Effect in Black: I was actually intending on buying Almay Get Up n Grow because of Emilynoel83's (my absolute favorite youtuber) recommendation but somehow I ended up getting this one. Firstly, I am not a huge fan of the wand as it doesn't coat the lashes uniformly. Secondly, the formula is super dry and it has been like that from the moment I took it out of the original packaging. It is so dry that hardly any product is transferred on to the lashes. I am not sure if I got a dud or the formula is meant to be like that. 

Milani HD Advanced Concealer in Medium: There was a lot of rave about this product when it was first launched because of its light texture and peachy undertones, and I love both of those aspects. However, the problem is that the formula is quite drying and I already have super dry under eye area so it settles into fine lines and accentuate them. Also, powder is a must for this concealer as it creases very easily, but that dries out the delicate under eye skin even more so I hardly use it. 

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in Light Medium: This concealer is meant for dry and aged skin so it has a swirl of eye cream along with the concealing product. Since I have super dry under eye area, I thought this would be the perfect product for me, but unfortunately it is not. It settles into every single crevice and line making the under eye area look awful . Also, no matter how I try to set it, it starts creasing within 15 minutes and the added setting powder just makes it look worse. So it is just collecting dust in my drawer. 

Skin Food Salmon Darkcircle Concealer in No.2 Salmon Beige: Until recently there weren't a lot of salmony or peachy toned under eye concealers in the drugstore, so, there was a great deal of buzz about this product. It comes in only two shades: No.1 & No.2.  The second shade is closer to my skin tone but still ends up looking ashy sometimes. Also, it just brightens the under eye area instead of covering the dark circles. And technically that is what salmon undertones are meant for and are supposed to be topped off with another concealer. But, firstly, this product is marketed as a concealer and not a brightener, which is somewhat deceiving. Secondly, the formula is drying and creases really badly so if another concealer is used on top, the under eye area looks very dehydrated with loads of makeup piled on. Therefore, I dread putting it under my eyes. 

Origins All and Nothing Powder: This powder comes in one universal shade, and that is what attracted me towards it. It is a sheer powder which goes on like nothing and  retails for $34.50 on origins website. I normally use translucent powder for setting my makeup so I thought this would be great for me. However, it turned out to be a complete waste of money because it doesn't even control oil for full 3 hours, given that I have dry skin. Also, I noticed that it oxidizes after a while, and I am sure that its this product that is causing the problem because this was the only new addition to my regular routine and everything went back to normal as soon as I stopped using it. 

Yves Rocher Soft Eye Makeup Remover with Chamomile: I really adore Yves Rocher products but this one just didn't work out for me. On the packaging it says "Gently removes eye makeup, soothing, refreshing & non-oily" and I do not agree with any of these. Firstly, it does not take off the makeup completely in a one or two swipes so you will have to rub it a couple of times which doesn't make it gentle. Secondly, it says soothing and it should be because of chamomile but it burns. Thirdly, it feels oily and makes the vision hazy due to the formation of film so it isn't non-oily and definitely not refreshing.

ELF Professional Eye Makeup Remover Pads: If you have read my past blog posts, then you know how much I love ELF. But this particular product just didn't work for me. The pads are extremely thin and not very saturated so it takes a lot of effort and rubbing to take the makeup off. Also, the pads dried off pretty quickly, but at the end of the day it costs just a $1 for 18 pads so you can't expect much. 

Have you tried any of these products? If yes, how did they work for you? If no, then do you have any recommendations?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for the second part. have a great day. 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Dupe: Neat & Easy

Biore Pore Strips have been around for years and almost everyone knows about them. And even though the general idea of pore strips is pretty popular but still there aren't many drugstore alternatives, which could be a problem for people like me for whom Biore strips do not work very well. However, I really loved them when they came in the green packaging. Actually I loved all of their products in the green packaging and I don't why they decided to change everything when they were doing pretty well in the market. Also, I have noticed that this new line contains a lot of unnecessary dyes (probably for the orange coloring) that were not present in the original products. Since I am not very happy with the outcome of Biore Strips so I instantly picked up this new alternative without giving it a second thought. I found them at my local Dollarama for $2, and honestly speaking, the price point also influenced a huge part of my decision.

I found these strips in the beauty aisle of Dollarama near the regular makeup and skincare stuff. The brand is called Neat & Easy and contains 10 nose strips each. They claim to be Deep Cleansing and remove blackheads, oil and dirt along with diminishing large pores. 

The inside packaging is just like the Biore. Also, both of them are imported to Canada, the Biore strips are made in Japan while Neat & Easy are made in China. 

Ingredients of Biore Strips: Polyquaternium-37, Silica, Aqua, Glycerin, Polysilicone-13, PEG-12, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Methylyparaben, Melalecua Alternifolia, Menthol, Hamamelis Virginiana. 

Ingredients of Neat & Easty: Aqua/Water/eau, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Parfum/fragrance, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylated Hydroxytoulene. 

Size of the Strip: Biore Strip is a little bit longer and wider than Neat & Easy. However, both of them cover the nose area properly so the size is not an issue. 

How to Use: Both of the strips are to be applied on clean and slightly wet nose for 10-15 minutes. 

Overall Performance: 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips: For me, Biore strips only work 1 out of 5 times in the sense that they only clean my nose partially and that too sometimes. I feel they work better when I have more blackheads but then I do not want to wait until my nose starts looking dirty and clogged. Also, under normal conditions, it only cleans up partially i.e. up to 50-60% of the blackheads and at times that cleaning ratio drops to just 10-20%. So they are kind of a hit or miss for me, and this was not the case with the previous formula because that one worked every time without fail. 

Neat & Easy: Firstly, this strip sticks to the skin harder than Biore, so it takes some effort to take it off. Secondly, it has a distinctive smell which is not very attractive, and after I read the ingredients I realized that it contains fragrance but unfortunately not a very good one. Thirdly, in terms of cleaning the blackheads, it performed just like Biore. The similarity was so stark that for a second I thought I am actually using the Biore strip, just from different  packaging. So, I am not sure if I should say it performed just as good as Biore or just as bad as Biore do. 

Final Thoughts: Apart from some difference in the ingredients and the size of the strips, I feel that both of them perform alike. So, if you like Biore ($7-9 for 6 strips) and find them to be expensive then definitely give these (Neat & Easy: $2 for 10 strips) a try because they are super affordable. Also, if you have not tried nose strips before, then these can act as a budget friendly experimental start. But otherwise, I feel that even though the black clay masks for blackheads are messy but they work the best.

Have you tried either of these? If yes, which one is your favorite? If no, then which one would you like to try?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!