ProductWhores

Mint, Melon & Sugar

My love for London knows no bounds, especially since it's the place where I first discovered Boots.  We lived right above one when when I studied abroad there in college and we spent hours (seriously, hours) browsing their makeup aisles.  I love so much that their products are available in the US now.  (It's a total excuse to go to Target, which I should know by now is a bad plan because I never walk out of there having spent less than $100).  My newest Boots obsession is their Mediterranean Mint, Melon & Sugar Scrub.  It comes in a big tub for only $10, and it smells fantastic.  The melon is definitely the strongest scent, but you can smell the hint of sweetness from the sugar and a touch of mint as well.  What I like about it is that it's super exfoliating, but it's not liquidy at all, so it won't turn your tub oily and cause klutzes like me to slip and fall in the shower.  (If you only knew how many times that's happened to me, you would definitely laugh... and then wonder how on earth one person could be that uncoordinated).  It also leaves a nice moisturizing layer on your skin after you rinse it off, which I love in a scrub.  (Some of them are so drying).  All in all, it's a great scrub, a great scent, a great value, and it lets me daydream about my time abroad while I'm using it.  If only all products could multitask like that...

Photo courtesy of Target

Now That's Some Quick Thinking

I hate gym showers.  The very thought of having to go in one literally makes my skin crawl.  I think I have flashbacks from college, or maybe it's just the naked old ladies walking around in my gym's locker room.   Whatever it is, I am not showering after a workout until I'm back at my place.  So, when I discovered that Boots had put out face wipes, I was excited.  Appropriately titled Quick Thinking 4 in 1 wipes, these little badboys are meant to cleanse, tone, moisturise (you know, spelling it like the Brits) and remove eye makeup.  They are large wipes that are actually thick enough for you to drag vigorously across your face without any sign of tearing.  There is no scent to them and they come in a nifty little plastic resealable container - perfect for treks to the gym.  I found they do take off makeup, but not without some pretty good scrubbing (especially where mascara is involved) so they really are better as a freshen up after a workout, or perhaps a good solution on a drunken night when you can't be bothered to pull your facial cleanser off the shelf.  They actually don't dry out my face, which makes me extremely happy, but they don't necessarily make my face feel moisturised as the package suggests.  I would definitely always have these on hand for gym trips, plane travel or lazy late nights, but I wouldn't rely on them for a regular facial cleansing routine.  Then again if you reach for basic wipes to cleanse your face everyday, you probably aren't even interested in this website.   

Not the Ultimate Curl

I am a big Boots cosmetics fan so I'm so sad to report that I don't like their Ultimate Curl mascara.  First of all it has a huge price tag ($10.00) which I wouldn't mind if it actually did what it was supposed to, but it completely fell flat on me.  I even used my eyelash curler beforehand and my lashes were still not curled any more than they are with all other drugstore mascaras I've tried.  While the wand evenly distributed the color and it didn't clump at all, it wasn't worth the money.  Also, the really strange thing to me is that the company says the Ultimate Curl Mascara can be used as just your mascara or as a base under your favorite mascara.  Who in the world would want to have two mascaras?!  I know I'm a complete product junkie but that seems absurd.  I will still buy their shampoos and other skincare products and makeup, but I'm steering clear of mascara from Boots.  I'd rather use the ten bucks on one of their killer lip glosses.  Or on a martini at my local bar Coda.  Either way, the ten bucks is going to better use.

Boots for your hair

I'm in love with London. Anything that comes from London, I have an instant fascination with (the Beckhams and "OK" magazine included). So naturally, I would have an obsession with everything that comes from Boots Pharmacy.  Now that we can get almost the entire line at Target, I can barely contain myself.  I just recently bought Boots Botanics Glossy Brunette Shampoo and Conditioner and I can't say anything bad about them.  My hair has never looked so fabulous.  It has body, a healthy sheen to it and is well-conditioned.  The shampoo and conditioner are meant to help sustain your color, while giving your hair a healthy shine, especially when color falls flat over time.  When you first squeeze it into your hand it looks like Vegemite, but it smells much better (not hard to achieve seeing as how Vegemite smells like burnt plastic).  It doesn't stain your hands, despite its dark color, and whips up a lovely lather.  And the conditioner, oh, the conditioner, where do I begin?  It goes in smoothly and smells delicious.  And it detangles even the messiest, thickest of hair.  I didn't even have to leave the conditioner on long for it to work.  And, like the shampoo, the conditioner also has a nice pigment to it which helps preserve your oh-so-pricey dye job. Thank you, England, for all have to offer me - Boots, Lush, Alexis Denisof, Harrod's...

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

For those of you in Los Angeles, the sound you heard this afternoon was me screaming with excitement because on a trip to Target (which is exciting enough on its own), I found an entire display of Boots products. Woo hoo! Boots is a drugstore chain in England that has awesome (seriously, awesome) products that up until now couldn't be found in the United States. I'd heard they were releasing a big selection of their products in certain Target and CVS stores, but since I hadn't seen it, I figured maybe it was just an urban myth. And now that I know it's not, it is on. Unfortunately, most of the products aren't up on the website yet, so I couldn't get pictures of both things I bought, but they did have a shot of a set that included the Olive Bergamot Orange Body Butter, one of my purchases. I've loved this stuff since I discovered it in London three trips ago and now I can buy it on American soil. That's almost as good as if Harrod's opened a division of their food hall here because those ham and cheddar scones are worth every single bit of their three thousand calories. The Body Butter comes in flat tins, which I love because it makes storing and packing them easier, and the orange scent is pretty without being overpowering. The display also had lipsticks and lip glosses, but I managed to restrain myself so I would have something to look forward to on my next Target trip. My life is so sad...