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!

New Product Alert: Super Inexpensive Nail Polishes

I went to the Walmart today and was browsing through the aisles casually and came across a hidden display of nail polishes.  At first I thought these are the nail art type with pointed brushes because of the bottle design and the overall display,  but since there were a lot of glitter options so I checked one out and found them to be regular polishes. The brand is called Fingrs Heart 2 Art, and they carry standard polishes with cream, shimmer and glitter formulas along with  a lot of other nail art accessories and kits. Even though they do not have a lot of unique colors but I found the collection to be pretty decent with a lot of neutrals and mid-toned shades and some bright colors. After pure ice, I feel that this nail polish has the most attractive price point of $1.98 and that is what made me pick up so many shades at once.

New Nail Polish Brand at Walmart: Fingrs Heart 2 Art

I usually do not buy multiples at once, especially from a new brand but this time I did because the formula seemed pretty nice and the shades were also very wearable. 

From Taupe to Bottom - 2 coats 

This polish passed the test when I swatched the lightest shade as lighter shades are usually streaky. However, this one went on very nicely without streaks in just two coats. 

Left: Julep (8ml); Right: Fingrs Heart 2 Art (8.8ml)

The bottle is very similar to the Julep, except the shape of the cap. Julep has a rectangular cap while this one has round cap. However, the main difference is that Julep polishes retail for $14 (8ml) while Fingrs is just $1.98 (8.8ml). I find this brand to be pretty generic, just like any other nail polish brand. The brush is just like Julep or any other typical nail polish brush. The only thing with cheaper polishes is the strong scent. I felt the scent was really strong and chemically when I had a whiff at the store, however, now that I tried smelling the other polishes for comparison, it seems fine to me. 

I can't really comment about the lasting power because I just bought it, but I am planning to do NOTD's with these shades so will let you know about their wear time in those posts. However, it is definitely not one of the quick drying nail polishes and it does take a while to dry off without a top coat. 

The colors that I picked up are as follows (in the order shown in the picture):

From Taupe to Bottom: This is a gorgeous sandy beige shade with a hint of taupe. To me, it looks very similar to Essie Sand Tropez, may be a bit lighter. 

Mauve It or Lose It: This is a mid-toned mauvy neutral shade. It is basically the above mentioned shade with mauve tint to it, but a very beautiful work appropriate neutral color. 

You Pinky Swear?: This is a nicely pigmented standard baby pink, which goes on without any streaks. 

Peri-Wink, Wink: As the same suggests, this is a periwinkle shade with a tinge of purple and goes on very nicely. 

Catch Some Grays: This is a grey shade with a slight taupey tint to it. In the store I thought it is similar to the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe but it is not. It looks taupey grey on its own but more like a standard cement grey in front of the color tattoo which pulls more purple near it. 

V.I.Purple: This is a shimmery duo chrome bluish purple shade. When you look directly at the bottle it looks like a deep blue, but when the light hits at an angle, the beautiful purple shows up. 

Red You Loud And Clear: This is a true velvety red shade which reminds me of holiday season and Christmas. The shimmer in this polish is so finely milled that it just takes this color up a notch. 

Even though I bought these polishes today but I already love them because it doesn't take too long to test the quality of nail polishes. Especially because the wear time is not an issue for me as I change my polish every other day. Also, I give this brand props for giving a thought to the names like the OPI does. So overall, I love the packaging, the shades, the formula, the pigmentation, the names and off course the price. 

Have you seen these polishes at Walmart stores near you? Have you tried them? Or do you plan to try them in future?

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

Top 5 Favorite: Highlighters

Highlighting is like an extra luxury step in my makeup routine. I do not feel that it is a necessary step but definitely something that can add an oomph factor to the overall look. I own several different formulas and brands of highlighters but I prefer using powders over creams, liquids and other stick forms. The main reason for this preference is the compatibility and mixing of textures. For example, I own Benefit High Beam, which is a cult favorite of the beauty community, but I do not like it much because usually I forget the highlighter part while working with cream products and if I use it over powder it looks somewhat cakey. 

I have picked up the top five favorite highlighters based on continued preference and the frequency of use. 

Natural Light: ELF Golden Bronzer; Physicians Formula Powder in Translucent; Sephora Illuminating Powder in Rose.Pink; TheBalm Mary-Lou-Manizer; Lorac Perfectly Lit Spotlight

Indoor Lighting: Same order as above

I didn't notice it earlier, but surprisingly all of these highlighters are somewhat different from each other in terms of their undertones. 

ELF Golden Bronzer: I am a huge fan of ELF studio line in general. They have amazing quality products with durable and functional packaging at very reasonable prices. This particular product is marketed as a bronzer but it is so light and shimmery that  it qualifies as a highlighter for my skin tone (NC25). The swatch is of the lighter shade in the lower left corner (since the post is about my faves) but I have also used the other three shades mixed up together. Out of all the other highlighters, this one appears to be a true beige-y champagne shade. Also, I feel that this is a versatile product because it has four shades which could either be mixed up or applied individually so people of different complexions can use it. 

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Powder in Translucent: First of all, the packaging and all the hearts make this powder special for people like me who pay extra attention to such details. Secondly, just like the ELF bronzer, this powder has multiple shades that could be mixed together or used individually. I personally like to use the big whitish heart towards the upper left side (thus the swatch is of that particular shade). I usually go for this highlighter when I want a very subtle glow, and it is definitely not as stark white as it looks in the swatches. Even though it has some shimmer but it is so finely milled that the highlight comes across as a sheen on the cheeks. 

Sephora Highlighting Compact Powder in Rose.Pink: This is a true rosy pink highlight which definitely has some shimmer in it. However, the shimmer just adds up to the beauty of this highlight and does not look tacky at all. I literally used it religiously for at least six months when I bought it, and it took some conscious effort to put it down. I don't know why Sephora brand products are not talked about when they have such amazing quality products at reasonable prices. 

TheBalm Mary-Lou-Manizer: This is a very intense golden-y champagne color, which can be used as a highlighter, shimmer or an eye shadow according to the TheBalm's description. I totally love this brand and all their products just like the rest of the beauty community so there isn't much to say about it. It is super pigmented so you need the tiniest amount to highlight therefore, it is a great investment of $24 because this product is going to last a lifetime. Also, many people say that the Hard Candy Baked Bronzer in Tiki is a dupe of this product. I do not own Tiki but I have swatched it a couple of times and I feel that it is not as smooth and creamy as TheBalm, but would still make a great dupe in terms of color. 

Lorac Perfectly Lit Spotlight: This is a peachy highlight with no shimmer whatsoever, which makes it look very subtle. It gives a very pretty natural sheen making it a perfect highlight for no makeup kind of nuanced look. Many youtube gurus, compare this with WnW Reserve Your Cabana, but I find the WnW version to  be very chalky and powdery. Also, the WnW powder doesn't seem to have the peachy tint like Lorac, and I feel that peachiness is something that makes Spotlight different from other highlighters. 

What are your favorite highlighters? What formulas do you prefer?

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

Product I Regret Buying: Skin Care

This post is about skin care products I regret buying and even though these products didn't work out for my particular skin type, they may work amazingly for you. As for some background, I had combination skin for a most of my life but now I have dry, sensitive and acne prone skin. I always had some acne but recently I got an acne rash all over my face due to an allergic reaction which resulted in peeling and flaky skin. 

Lioele Night Spot Treatment: I have tried Mario Badescu Drying Lotion in the past and that one didn't do anything for my breakouts and I knew this product has the same basic idea but still thought of giving it a shot. I used it religiously every night for about 2-3 weeks and instead of drying out the acne, it dried off the surrounding skin resulting in huge dry patches and uneven skin tone. 

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Treatment Gel: This product is meant to reduce redness and dry out the acne, but it actually makes them look bigger by pulling out the puss onto the surface resulting in huge white heads that are very nasty looking and  impossible to cover with makeup. Also, I absolutely dreaded putting this product on my face because it stings very badly. Even though the stinging goes away in a few minutes, but it is a nightmare if you have several acne all over the face. So, in short, it hurts and makes the acne look humongous and nasty.

                       
                       

Christopher's Beauty Facial Cream: As I said earlier, I have extremely sensitive and dry skin so I need super moisturizing night creams to make my skin look presentable in the morning. However, the problem is, that I am allergic to Stearate which narrows down my options to minimal. But I found that this cream not only has very simple and nourishing ingredients, but doesn't contain anything that I am allergic to. The color is definitely appalling but the actual product is really moisturizing, however, the scent is so  strong that it is just impossible to put it anywhere near your nose. And mind you I am not super sensitive to scents but this one is a different story. Also, the scent lingers for hours and hours. I regret  buying it because I can't use it on my face, but since it is very moisturizing so  I will probably use it on elbows or other dry areas of my body for the sake of finishing it up. 

Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Skin Ointment: Tea tree oil is considered very effective for acne so I picked up this ointment as a night cream. Firstly, the product is super hard and solidified, so in order to cover just your chin, you will have to rub your finger in the tub at least 10 times. Secondly, after you put it on your face, it just does not sink into the skin at all for hours. Thirdly, I know it has tea tree oil in it, but it made my face feel so oily and dirty that I literally had to wipe it off with a tissue. So I do not like it for my face, but will probably use this one too on my elbows.

C+M Green Tea Whitening & Firming Eye Cream: I bought this cream because I have dark under eye circles and green tea is known to help reduce them. When I started using it, I absolutely loved the texture because it went on very smoothly and provided sufficient hydration. However, after a couple of hours it made my eyes sting and water very badly. And I guess that was probably because its so smooth and thin that it traveled to my eyes. I tried putting it as far from the rim of the eyes as possible, but nothing worked so I had to stop using it. Since I didn't use it enough for the above stated reason so I am not sure if it actually helps with the dark circles or not.

Oxy Maximum Action Spot Treatment: I always used Salicylic Acid as an acne treatment, but it never gave satisfactory result so I thought of trying benzoyl peroxide this time. I picked up the highest concentration i.e. 10% and it did absolutely nothing for me. I tried it several times as a night treatment and didn't notice any difference in the redness or the size of the acne. 

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum: I don't have any major issues with this product, however, the problem is that it doesn't provide any long term benefit to the skin. Also, it has a lot of junk in it. Even though The Body Shop claims to be a natural brand, but if you check the list of ingredients, it is full of chemicals and parabens. 

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Lotion: This is shimmer body lotion and is good for only that purpose. It hardly  has any moisture so I use it only for a glowing shimmery skin during summer days. And for me, that is kind of a waste because  it doesn't have any real benefit and I get to use it only for a few weeks.

 

The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Cream: I bought this hand cream because I heard a lot of good things about this line and I absolutely love roses. However, it was such a disappointment in terms of mositurization. No doubt, it smelled absolutely amazing but instead of hydrating my hands, it made them even more dry, which was very weird. Also, the dryness increased with the number of uses, so I returned it within three days of buying it.  

Have you tried any of these? If yes, how did they work for you? If no, do you have any recommendation of the ones that you use?

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