5 lip rating

TargetRoomEssentialsBrand: Room Essentials
Products: Miscellaneous Kitchen Decor

It’s been a dreary winter. Usually I have the promise of spring fashion to marshall me through my winter blues. This year’s color palette left me cold, however. Blush tones and neutrals. Ugh. Not at all my colors, and not at all uplifting. So, this year I’ve decided to feather my nest with bright, cheery hues.

Target’s Room Essentials product line is perfect for those of us who want to inject some playfulness into our decor and do so on a budget. My favorites from the line are the melamine serving tray, utensil caddy, paper towel holder, kitchen canisters and bread box. I’m partial to the Wowzer Red, but the products also come in peppy shades of yellow, teal and green. With sticker prices ranging from $9.99 to $14.99, they’re just too cute to pass up.

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma

5 lips

aquaphorBrand: Eucerin
Product: Aquaphor

What do Lucy Lui and Beyonce have in common? Both are reportedly huge fans of Aquaphor! I’m always intrigued when celebrities claim to be fans of drugstore scores. Sure, they all seem to LOVE, LOVE , LOVE Great Lash. I throw up a little in my mouth every time Jessica (pick one) or Jennifer (pick one) gush about it in Glamour. How utterly original! Sweeties, you’re not telling any of us nobodies anything we haven’t read a thousand times. Stop acting like you know something we don’t. Oh yeah, and Great Lash blows. Then there’s the celebrity spokesmodel who feels the need to product-drop every time they give an interview in In Style. Watch me clutch my heart in mock surprise when Drew Barrymore reveals that her clutch bag contains Outlast lip stain and little else. I’m sure your multi-milion dollar contract has NOTHING to do with that Drew (but I love you anyway).

As far as I know, neither Beyonce or Lucy Lui are on the Eucerin payroll. Kudos ladies. I once read Ms. Lui refer to the product as “Aquaforeverything”. That pretty much sums it up. The soothing gel is fragrance free and a rich moisturizer suitable for chapped lips, hands, elbows, feet, you name it. It’s also a great for diaper rashes. Forget expensive brow grooming products. Dab a little on brow brush and transform yourself into Marlene Deitrich. You just can’t beat the stuff. A 14 ounce tub retails at Target for about $14.

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma
5 lips

shiny-hairBrand: Dove
Product: Dove Shine Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

The Dove brand has been disappointing me a lot lately. Like most women, I ADORE their Campaign for Real Beauty. Although I know that the campaign was a stroke of marketing genius and it has made the company a boatload of cash, I appreciate the sentiment behind the ads. So, I want to LOVE their products. The simple fact is that I’ve found the majority of the line mediocre at best. Sure, The classic beauty bar and the cream oil body wash are Holy Grail items for me, but the entire skin care line is a bust as far as I’m concerned. I actually found the Go Fresh line to be less exciting than watching televised bowling. The shampoos that I’ve sampled from the brand have been, well, awful. So, I honestly did not hold out much hope for Dove Shine Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner.

I picked up the Shine Therapy duo on a whim because my hair was looking a little dull and drab, and, being a mommy, my funds are better spent on stocking stuffers (’tis the season!) than a highlighting session. Sometimes, having low expectations can be a good thing. There’s few things as satisfying as thinking something will suck only to discover that it most certainly does not suck! Dove Shine Therapy shampoo and conditioner DOES NOT SUCK! Not even a little. These products are the opposite of Suck.

Dove claims that these products contain a repairing serum that repairs cuticles and gently removes buildup. I can’t speak to all that. What I can tell you is that it lathers nicely and rinses cleanly. There is a faint fragrance, but not one that anyone would likely swoon over. That’s okay by me as I don’t want the scent of my shampoo to compete with my perfume. Use of both products left my hair shiny, manageable and soft. I even think my fine hair feels thicker when I use it! Overall, they are wonderful products.

Dove Shine Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner are on sale at Walgreens right now. A 12 ounce bottle will only set you back $2.99.

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma
5 lips