Skincare
Less is More with Tvål Skincare.
Jun 22nd
I’ve had the opportunity to test some skincare goodies from Tvål. It’s been over a month now, and it is time again for reviews!
I’m writing these reviews short and sweet because I have difficulty reviewing skincare. Is it just me? If I missed anything, please ask me in the comments and I’ll answer them the best I can. 
Buddha Eye Cream
Ingredients: Aqua, rose water, cucumber extract, glycerine, olive squalane, shea butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) PEG-40 Castor Oil (and) Stearalkonium Chloride, silk amino acids, Tocopherol, Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate
I am only in my early 20s, but I could definitely do without the fine lines under my eyes. Have you seen them in my EOTDs? Recently I’ve turned to eye creams to help plump up my fine lines. I know eye creams will never get rid of dark circles (that’s what concealer is for), so all I look for in an eye cream are reduction in puffiness and less visible fine lines.
Buddha Eye Cream ($23 for 30 ml) is a yummy ultra-hydrating eye cream. It sinks in quickly and is a perfect base for under eye concealer. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen a difference in my fine lines since I started using this. I also suspect that something in this was irritating my eyes, because some days I wake up with puffier eyes than normal. No nirvana for me. 
Rating: C+.
Oil-Free Lotion with Strawberries & 2% Salicylic Acid
Ingredients: Aqua, Incroquat CR Conditioner Concentrate, olive squalane, Salicylic Acid, Sea Buckthorn Oil, aloe vera extract, strawberry extract, preservative
I have been using two pumps of the Oil-Free Lotion with Strawberries & 2% Salicylic acid ($11 for 30 ml) (and OMG longest name ever) for the day, layered under a SPF 30 from another brand. First of all, let’s talk about the scent. It definitely smells of strawberries, just like the strawberry body butter from The Body Shop. I’m not the biggest fan of the scent, but I know someone out there is. This takes about 2 minutes to sink into my skin, longer if I apply too much. After the 2 minutes, my skin still feels a little sticky.
The lotion is vegan and packed with Vitamins A, C, & E and other ingredients that are good for the skin. I do appreciate that, and the fact that this provides some — even just a little bit — of oil control throughout the day. Although I didn’t like the smell and I’m not used to the feel of an all-natural face lotion, I would recommend it to those are concerned about going all-natural with their skincare. Rating: B-.
Resurface
Ingredients: Sodium bicarbonate, aqua, emulsifying wax NF, stearic acid, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate, perfume
Tvål calls Resurface ($14 for 60 ml) as a “light and fluffy” vegan scrub. I never thought I would come across such a scrub, but this scrub is definitely that and more. Resurface is not your regular gritty scrub. Beneath all the fluff are micro crystals that work to gently exfoliate skin.
When I first tried this scrub, I actually rubbed it in quite vigorously all over my face. Bad idea. That left my skin feeling quite raw especially around my nose. Ouch! That’s what I get for not reading the instructions! 
Tvål recommends that you softly work this into the skin and just let the scrub buff your skin beautiful. It polishes my skin to a glow and minimizes the appearance of my pores (especially those pesky ones on my nose!). I really do like this a lot; it does what it says and I can’t say that about a lot of products I’ve tried recently. Rating: A.
Tvål Skincare is available all over Canada and online.
Disclosure: The products mentioned were provided by Tvål skincare for consideration only.
Contest Giveaway from Genuine Health!
Jun 3rd
So you read my recent review, Getting My Glow On Thanks to Genuine Health! Now you already know how I think about it, so would you like to try? 
Genuine Health has graciously offered to give away the following prize pack:
1 multi+ daily glow tablets
1 healthy skin chocolate soft chews
1 dermalipid softgels
Rules
- Contest runs from June 3 until June 10 @ 11:59 pm Eastern Time.
- This giveaway is open to North American residents only.
- You have to be a following Glitter Geek publicly. (It’s easy! Right there on the sidebar!)
- I will announce the winner here on a blog post, and you need to contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize.
- If the prize hasn’t been claimed within 48 hours, I will pick another winner.
To Enter
- Comment below on how you get your glow! Is there something you do (e.g., exercise) or do you have a favourite glowy product? (1 entry)
- On Twitter, follow @TheGlitterGeek and @GenuineHealth and fill in the blanks on a tweet:
I wanna win the @GenuineHealth prize on @TheGlitterGeek because ___
(1 entry) - On Facebook, be a fan of Genuine Health and let me know in your comment that you have done so. (1 entry)
Good luck!
Getting My Glow On Thanks to Genuine Health!
May 26th
You may have noticed in my recent FOTDs that I now have a glow to my skin. While the makeup products I use on my face are very very good (otherwise why would I use them?), I also attribute the glow to my multivitamin: multi+ daily glow. I have been taking the 2 tablets of the multivitamin daily for the past month, and now I feel comfortable talking about its effects on my skin.
Let’s talk about all the good stuff that’s in multi+ daily glow. It has a wide range of vitamins and minerals… ready?
Hydrolized collagen, White tea leaf extract, Pomegranate extract, Full spectrum grape extract, Lycopene, Vitamin A, Beta Carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic acid, Biotin, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, Manganese, Iodine, Vanadium, Molybdenum, Copper
It also claims to provide anti-aging benefits, sun damage protection, and overall improved skin structure/texture. While I can’t vouch for its anti-aging claims (I don’t need it yet!), I can definitely say this: my skin looks great and sometimes go sans makeup. I’m happy to report that my skin’s texture is more even and glowy!
I feel that I do have to mention that this changed the colour of my urine to yellow green since I’ve been taking it. I asked if this was a normal side effect of taking the formula. According to my contact from Genuine Health:
It’s normal to see a change in colour, particularly when taking a high potency formula like multi+ daily glow. Essentially, your body absorbs what it needs and flushes the rest out. This doesn’t mean you are not absorbing nutrients however! Just the opposite. Be sure to drink lots of water and take them with food for better digestion.
For someone who doesn’t always eat the healthiest diet (like me), I highly recommend this. Remember that your skincare products can only do so much; you also have to think about what’s going inside your body! Rating: A.
What’s This? Healthy Chocolate?!
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’m a fiend for chocolate. I also received healthy skin chocolate soft chews, which I have been snacking on when I have a craving for sweets. It has the exact same texture of Tootsie Rolls; this is something I’m not a big fan of because I hate food sticking to my teeth. And while this is no Ferrero Rocher, it tastes good enough considering that it’s good for you. Made with 100% natural ingredients and contains multiple vitamins, healthy snacking is super easy with these chocolate soft chews. 3 chews a day = 90 calories. Rating: B.
Disclosure: The products mentioned were sent to me by Genuine Health for consideration only.
My Adventures at Target.
May 9th
Hey everyone! Yesterday I crossed the border to Buffalo, NY to do some budget beauty shopping. My one stop shop? Target. Here are the goodies from my beauty spree. They are mostly stuff that I can’t get in Toronto, and other things that I already use but at a much better price. I gotta say I am definitely hooked on Target. We need one in Toronto, stat!
Yes To Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tint in “Coral Sunshine,” $4.49
(not available in Canada)
Soap & Glory Off Your Face Cleansing Cloths, $6.99
(not available in Canada)
Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Refill Pack, $5.29
Canadian price: $7.99
Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash, $5.84
Canadian price: $10.69
Dove Ultimate Clear Go Fresh Deodorant 74g Twin Pack, $6.59
Canadian price: $13.98
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro in “Steel Grey,” $3.79
Canadian price: $4.99
Maybelline Full ‘n Soft Mascara in “Very Black,” $5.94
(not available in Canada) Canadian price: $9.99
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector in “Medium,” $11.99
(not available in Canada)
Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge, $8.99
(not available in Canada)
Sonia Kashuk Bent Eyeliner Brush, $5.39
(not available in Canada)
Of course, I plan to review these! What should I try first? Unfortunately the mascara review won’t be for a while because I have several in rotation now. Like 5. Yeah, I know.
Oh So Cool! Biore Dual Fusion Moisturizer SPF 30 Review.
Apr 13th
It looks like it is a resounding “yes” for product reviews on Glitter Geek, so here’s another one. I’ll keep the poll up for another couple of weeks to see if anything changes. You can vote right here! Go ahead, click it! It will work this time. 
What would you like to see more of on Glitter Geek?
- Product Reviews (75%, 15 Votes)
- Makeup Swatches (30%, 6 Votes)
- Face of the Day (FOTD) (25%, 5 Votes)
- Other... I'll tell you in a comment! (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 20
Loading ...For a long time I have been jumping from one drugstore moisturizer to another, trying to find one that I loved. Everything else has just been okay: it didn’t break me out or smell horribly. In short, they were boring. 
Those moisturizers were never enjoyable enough to look forward to moisturizing every single morning. Yes, I do look forward to such strange things. Case in point, washing my face with Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple is the highlight of my pre-bedtime routine.
Biore Skin Preservation Dual Fusion Moisturizer + SPF 30 (whew!) is geared towards skin in the in-between stage, past the teenage years but before you think about slathering on anti-aging creams. You know, when fine lines starting to creep in under the eyes, that type of thing. Lucky for you, I happen to fall perfectly under this category!
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: OCTINOXATE 3.0%, ZINC OXIDE 3.9% Inactive Ingredients: WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, GLYCERIN, ISOHEXADECANE, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, CETYL-PG HYDROXYETHYL PALMITAMIDE, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, NYMPHAEA COERULEA FLOWER EXTRACT, MELISSA OFFICINALIS LEAF EXTRACT, HORDEUM DISTICHON (BARLEY) EXTRACT, DISODIUM RUTINYL DISULFATE, PEG-3 DIMETHICONE, POLYACRYLAMIDE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, SODIUM STEAROXY PG-HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE SULFONATE, DIMETHICONE/METHICONE COPOLYMER, LAURETH-7, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, IRON OXIDES, DISODIUM EDTA, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE, TROPOLONE, FRAGRANCE, GREEN 5, YELLOW 5, GREEN 3
Here’s What I Liked…
- Come on, the dual spout is so. damn. cool!
- SPF 30 is higher than what I usually wear (SPF 15) but the formula is non-greasy, perfect for my oily skin.
- It smells good. Who else here “forgets” to use a product if they don’t love the scent? I thought so.
- It applies comfortably, smooth and no unnecessary tugging, which I found to be a problem in the past with other higher SPF moisturizers.
- This one is for you ladies on the go: it absorbs very quickly into the skin.
- It photographs well under makeup — no white cast in sight here!
But They Should Improve on These…
- It’s not cheap for a drugstore moisturizer. I got mine for $16 at Wal-mart. Shoppers Drugmart has it for about $20.
- The packaging — while it is a cool concept — is a piece of crap. The packaging instructs you to “tap bottle on hard surface and prime pump 7-9 times until products dispense evenly.” When I did this, the product came out, but only from one side. Follow link to Babybubblz’s awesome review on how to fix this when it happens: click!
- In the mornings when I’m really in a hurry, I slap on my tinted moisturizer using my fingers on top of this. It has a tendency to pill up when I apply the tinted moisturizer with my fingers. It might be the extra pressure, because I don’t get this when using a brush. Something to keep in mind.
The Low Down
Even though the packaging caused me a broken nail in the beginning, this is the best everyday moisturizer I’ve ever used. I really enjoy using this moisturizer, and I’m sure most of you will too. I’m not sure if it is the best for dry skin since it dries on the matte side, but if you have normal to oily skin, you should definitely give it a try! Rating: A.
