I love reviews. I love reading and writing reviews. I rarely buy something that I’ll use consistently without first looking at reviews. I even look at reviews for things I don’t want to buy; I just like to know everyone’s opinions on certain items. 

Which brings me to today’s post: 4 reviews on 4 beauty products that have become a staple in my life. 

Image

So, today I’ll be reviewing the following four products: 

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Hairspray
 Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo
L’Oreal Skin Genesis Pore Minimizing Gel Cleanser
Avon Eye Makeup Remover Lotion

First up; John Frieda Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Hairspray

This particular product promises a quick drying time for the ultimate hold that battles frizz, rain, & shine. It comes along with a UV filter and from a company that I trust with my hair. During the summer, my hair is constantly battling frizz, not to mention that misty rain that always threatens to turn my hair into a fuzz-ball. 

About six months ago, I bought a double pack of this on sale at Target for $6. I knew it was a great deal, Frieda usually runs a little more expensive than it’s drugstore counterparts. The next day I opted to straighten my hair and test it out during a little humidity spell. Usually, I’d have to have an arsenal of trial-size products to keep my hair tame during the summer months, but with this I was pleasantly surprised. Even at it’s price tag (I bought this particular one on sale for $4.50), I’d still get it all the time. In fact, it’s become a staple in my routine. I straightened my hair a few days ago and have used this product once a day in my hair. It’s managed to keep my hair tame and frizz-free, even in the unusually high wind gusts outside. Plus side? It does contain ingredients that will protect your hair against the sun. 

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo

The one reason I bought this (again) is to give it another go. When Suave first came out with this product, I bought it one sale and was sorely disappointed. It seemed to contain little to no dry shampoo. Luckily, Suave refunded my money and I received an e-mail two days later saying I got a ‘dud’ from their plant: it didn’t contain the usual amount of the spray. So I gave in and bought it again when it was on sale. For something on the inexpensive side (not on sale, it rings in at $2.99), I’m pretty happy with the product. Where I could go with Tresemme’s dry shampoo, I use Suave quite a bit for my shampoo & conditioner and trusted the brand name enough to go for it. 

It works great when I straighten my hair. I spray directly onto the roots (only the ones along my hairline) and it gives my hair back it’s shine & bounce. I have yet to really test it post-wash on my curly hair, but I don’t see a particular problem with it. It’s a great item to have on you if you’re someone who has done anything to their hair and needs an extra boost. You shouldn’t regularly shampoo your hair every day as is, so this is a great alternative for between-washes. Apparently, they do have a spray on conditioner, but I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t know how it would add up to the leave-ins though. 

L’Oreal Skin Genesis Pore Minimizing Gel Cleanser

I picked up this bad boy at a 50% off sale, or else I would never look at it (price tag usually reads $6.99 at most drugstores, whereas my usual cleanser reads $2 less). Seeing that I was out of my usual (Dove) and that I desperately needed something for my upcoming vacation, I picked it up. I’m a little obsessed with my pores (okay…a lot), so it seemed like something I would like and (plus side!) I trusted the brand name. 

Lets just say I’m pretty happy with the results. Because it’s a gel cleanser, this does come out a little bit thicker than the others. However, it’s also gently enough to remove most eye makeup, which is a plus side. It’s gentle on my combination skin, particularly around the T-Zone area. And it really does work. I’ve noticed a considerable improvement in my skin since I started using this, prompting me to head back to the store & pick up the last bottle they had sitting on the shelf. I’m onto the second bottle right now and use it day and night. You can use it in the shower as well, it doesn’t matter where you use it because it doesn’t strip your skin of it’s natural oils. Unfortunately, L’Oreal apparently stopped selling this particular gel on the store shelves, though you might be able to find at retail price or below on Drugstore.com or Amazon. 

Avon Eye Makeup Remover Lotion 

Though the above removes most eye-makeup lotion, I’m a fanatic when it comes to taking the makeup off my eyes. On sale for $0.99 (yes, you’re reading that right, under a buck), Avon’s eye makeup remover is just hands down amazing. And it’s simple. You take a dot of the lotion, rub it around your eye, then wipe it off with a damp cloth or tissue. It softens the skin & easily removes the makeup, even Avon’s own stubborn mascara. Some claim it doesn’t work, but if you follow the oh-so-simple directions, it does. A friend of mine was a non-believer; she bought the product & said it didn’t work. So one night, I had her try it again and noticed she put the lotion on the tissue before using it remove the makeup. Which is something you can do with a liquid or gel-like remover, not the lotion. So she tried the right way on the other eye and it worked like a charm. 

 

I keep going back to these four products for a reason: they all work great. They’re not only staples in my drawer, but should be staples in every girls drawer (whether it be these particular products or not, every girl should have these kinds of things in their routine).