Product Reviews: Honey Do!

I had planned on writing this post all weekend after a Saturday trip to Target but then this morning I witnessed so many crimes of fashion perpretrated by our summer student body that I thought I should write about that. I mean, we're talking no bras, pajama pants, pareos tied over the body with no swimsuit underneath--basically anything you can think of that might make one's eyes bleed. I even started a post about this very special topic, and then realized that it was making my head hurt to be so angsty. So instead, you get my product review post of all the goodies I bought this weekend. All items are from Target, as that's the only place I went (aside from Trader Joe's, and seriously, I could write a post about their new Organic Strawberry Lemonade because it is damn good, but this isn't that type of blog). You should know that right now it is bloody hot in the Bay Area, and it is not usually hot here, so that tells you something about why I bought the products I bought, and why I went to Target in the first place (they have air conditioners, and I don't).

The first item is Boots Body Scrub in Orange, Chamomile and Honey. Unfortunately, Target's website doesn't have a picture of this item, and I'm not at home to take a picture of my tub of it, so you get no illustrations. Sorry. Anyway, I wanted to wear a skirt and heeled flops today, so I knew I needed to get the ole gams in fighting shape. Also, I wanted to try out something from this line since I'd heard that it is big in the UK, and I (like most other Americans) am enthused with items that are big there (except the Beckhams. I'm really quite over that). So I went straight to the bath aisle at Target to stock up. Let me just say now: the bath aisle at Target is now the bomb diggity. They have everything now--lots of cool looking boutique brands, a large selection of Burt's Bees, a ton of Boots items, and (gasp, gasp) KIEHL'S. AT TARGET. I was so excited that I did a little dance in the aisle, much to the chagrin of my 8 year old who rolled her eyes and declared that she didn't know me or my 3 year old son who was, at the time, walking around with the bottom of his shirt in his mouth and yelling about being naked. Unfortunately, the Kiehl's is still the same price as what you would pay at a Kiehl's shop, but it's there. At Target. This excites me.

But anyway...the scrub. First off, I smelled it in the store, and it is great. The honey, despite being the last listed item, is especially prevalent. It's a sweet smell, but not too sweet. I like it because it's a little different, and there is a certain naturalness to the smell. I liked the smell even more when I tried it in the shower. The consistency is nice too. I'm not a big fan of sugar or salt scrubs, where the scrubbing particles are packed in an oil (my mom likes those, and slathers the oil all over herself so she resembles a porn star when she's done, so I guess it's just a matter of taste), and this is not like that. It's not overly creamy either. It basically just a thin substance with small sandy particles. Kind of reminds me of a mildly creamy body wash with stuff in it. If you're looking for something creamy, I would go with one of the scrubs from The Body Shop, because this ain't it. This is just a basic scrub.

The good news is that it is gentle enough for sensitive skin and regular use. I have had a problem with scrubs in the past that were too abrasive and left me red, especially after shaving. This was not like that at all. I shaved right before I used it on Saturday night, and there were no red bumps or itchiness post bath. Then, sheerly to meet the high standards of investigative reporting that this blog necessitates, I used it again last night. I have no blotchiness, no redness, and my legs are soft, smooth, and as nice as legs that are roughly the same shade as Powder's can possibly be. I've actually been rubbing them under my desk all day because they make me happy.

The one beef I have with this product is that the tub it comes in is INSANELY hard to get open with wet hands. It's kinda fat, and you (at least, I) couldn't get a good grip on the turn off lid. It would be nice if Boots had considered that folks would be wet when trying to use it, so a wide screw off lid might not be the way to go . I struggled with it on Saturday night, finally getting it open after some wild thrashing about in the water. However, on Sunday, I just made my husband open it. He rolled his eyes, but he liked the end result, so he can't complain that much, now can he?

The second product (and actually, probably the last because this is getting so long) is Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm. I have been using Burt's Bees lip balm since I was a freshman in college--in fact, during college, I rarely wore lipstick or lip gloss, and when I was feeling spry, would rely on this. Yes, college was a dark time for your friendly fashion blogger. But anyway, I have always been partial to the peppermint tingle given by the original lip balm. However, when I saw this at Target, having already been tempted by the honey scrub, I decided to give this a shot. And let me say--this is awesome. I love this stuff. In fact, today, I am just wearing this--no lip gloss or lipstick at all. The smell is a little more floral/perfumey than pure honey, but it is nice and not obtrusive at all. And even better--my lips look so good. This stuff is clear like other balms, but it makes my lips look so nice. I don't know why. And this feels a bit more silky than the original balm: I'm not sure if it actually is, but it feels that way. So anyway, I love it, and now I'm jonesing for more Burt's Bees stuff. The Honey body butter looks especially tempting...

Anyway, I have one more product to review, but I'm going to give it a bit more of a test tonight, and hopefully review it tomorrow. I will also get my husband's take on that product. So stay tuned--and remember, let my beauty product addiction work for you!