Review: Boots No. 7 Lip Glace in Marshmallow

This is a review for Boots No. 7 Lip Glace in Marshmallow, a shimmery light pink. I found this at Target and I think that in the U.S. Target's just about the only place you can find this brand (except for online, of course). If I'm wrong, lemme know!



Here's the applicator:

The applicator is annoying. Although I like that it is plastic, I think it's too small. When I apply the gloss, most of the time I'm pushing the gloss around on my lips instead of evenly spreading it out. The result is an uneven application which feels gooey and a very dirty cap after you close the gloss cause the stuff is all over the applicator (on the sides). I do like the packaging as a whole. It kinda reminds me of the new Dior Kiss packaging, only rounder and larger.

Here's a swatch on my hand:

My camera and the lighting makes it look very warm, but the gloss has silver, not gold shimmer in it.

A swatch on my lips:

Again, it's a lot cooler in person. The gloss itself is very glossy. I read somewhere, and I'm not sure where, that Boots changed the formula of this gloss to make it less sticky, but I actually think that it's too thin now. I feel like it's going to slide of my lips in two minutes and the lasting power is only marginally better. It lasted about one and a half to two hours before I had to reapply. Usually, I can get three to four good hours out of a gloss, but not with this one. I do like the color and I really think that it will complement anyone who has a bit of a tan as it's an opalescent pink. There is a bit of a sweet smell to it, but nothing overpowering. I couldn't really discern much of a taste.

I have to say that overall, I probably would not repurchase this gloss. The lasting power and formula, coupled with the tiny, messy applicator are just too much to deal with for the price.

Info:

Price: $9.99 (Target)

Ingredients: Polybutene; Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax; Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil; Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2; Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride; Polyethylene Terephthalate; Acrylates Copolymer; Stearalkonium Hectorite; Ethyl Vanillin; Saccharin; Propylene Carbonate; BHT; (May Contain) Mica; CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide); CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake); CI 15850 (Red 6); CI 77491 (Iron Oxides); CI 75470 (Carmine)

Disclosure:The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Review: Boots Anti-Blemish and Concealer Duo

The applicator for the blemish treatment is a roller ball. Not liking that too much.


The applicator for the concealer is just a doe-foot spongy one.


Here's a swatch of both:

The red circle is where the blemish treatment is.

First off, the I have a gripe with the packaging, specifically that of the blemish treatment. The roller ball sucks! It takes forever to dispense the product-I could barely get any out to even show you the texture. I think it would be better as a gel, like most blemish treatments, and in a squeezable tube. As for effectiveness, I don't think that this one quite comes up to par with my other anti-zit gels. I've been using a Clearasil one that works a lot better. Honestly, I didn't see much of a difference in the size of my blemish, only a decrease in redness and even that was after three days of use, so it is not very effective.

The concealer on the other hand, is also problematic. The color selection is horrible as there is only one shade!!! What's up with that!? It matched me, but I've very fair, so it's not going to work well for someone even just a bit tanner than me. The formula is very creamy and applies well, but doesn't have much lasting power, even with a primer and a dusting of powder. The texture is very nice, however. It's very creamy. I wish my foundation was this creamy. But on pimples, it fails.

I usually like Boot's products, but this one is a skipper, I'd say.

Info:

Price:

Ingredients:

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Boots No. 7 Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator

Boots No. 7 is a brand that continues to surprise me. I'd walked past their displays at Target for years, never realizing how amazing some of their products really are. What got me interested in this product was the Mary Kay Microdermabrasion Set, a set of an exfoliant and renewal serum Unfortunately, the extremely small containers and a price tag of $55 turned me off! Now, Boot's skincare isn't that cheep either, or at least some of it isn't, but if you're lucky enough to have some coupons or get their products during a clearance, then you're set!

The product I bought is the Boots No. 7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator, and for $14.99 you get 2.5 oz. That may seem like a lot of money to pay for a drugstore brand, but compared to the MK set, you get more product for less. The MK exfoliator (you can buy the set or get the items separately) is $30 for only 2 oz. And, knowing just how much of a bargain hunter I am, I of course found the Boots version at a much cheaper price. Only $4.99! I have to say, though, that if I could only buy this at full price, I probably wouldn't.

Now, onto the actual product itself. The exfolatior is a cream cleanser with aluminum oxide micro-crystals that act as the abrasive. The crystals are actually a lot larger than I expected them to be. I've used the MK version, and the crystals in it were much finer and gentler. These were a bit larger and therefore rougher on my skin, though not as bad as the abrasive found in the St. Ives scrubs. However, based on the large size of the crystals, I would categorize this more as a scrub than a microdermabraser, but a good scrub at that.

First off, here it is on my dry skin:


Here it is spread:




Just to give you an idea on the size of the crystals, here's a closeup:


You can really see the texture and how large the crystals are. In the MK one, you can't even see individual crystals. It's uniform through out the cleanser it's added to.

Here it is after I ran some water over it and rubbed it a bit:


You can see that the cream cleanser the abrasive is added to is fairly thick, withstanding the water added. If found this to be both good and bad when I used it. It was good because it made my skin feel very moisturized. However, as I have oily skin, about half an hour after I washed my face (for the purpose of the review I didn't moisturizer right after) my skin felt very oily, giving me a very uncomfortable feeling, as though I was going to bed with a dirty face. As much as I don't like this aspect of the product, I do have to say that I am liking it in general because it left my skin feeling sooooooo soft! While it is a bit rougher than I'd like it to be, it leaves my skin feeling as soft as the MK version did. Now, just like the MK one, there is a complementing renewal serum/moisturizer, but I was disinclined to purchase it because it was $21, not something I was going to spend on a drugstore brand product. Overall, as an exfoliant it is excellent and I highly recommend it!

First image from Target.com.

Info:

Price: $14.99 (Retail)

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Alumina, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral oil), Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, PEG 100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.