Glam Geek 1K Giveaway! CLOSED

Hey Glams and Geeks! First, I want to thank everyone who tunes in each time I post a new entry here on the blog. It means a lot to me that you would take time from your day to read about what I have to say in regards to products, skin care, and beauty. I am someone who is very passionate about beauty and writing, and deeply enjoy what I do here on The Glam Geek Confessional, and it means so much to me that everyone truly enjoys what I post. Second, I’d like to thank everyone who keeps up with me on Instagram. It truly warms my heart when someone tells me that they enjoyed reading my post, or that they were able to learn something new from my blog, and gives me a sense of accomplishment as I feel that is the purpose of social media and the beauty community: to inform, to educate, and to inspire one another while bonding and connecting over a mutual interest and/or passion. Lastly, I’d like to welcome you all to participate in my very first giveaway as a Thank You to everyone, both dedicated readers/followers, and new ones, for taking an interest in me and my blog!

RULES

In order to participate, please read the following and be sure you understand the rules, as I will be making sure everyone is taking part fairly. J

This giveaway will be held from August 22, 2014 until 11:59 pm on September 12, 2014! The winner will be announced Monday, September 15, 2014.

1.       In order for me to provide a better experience for my readers here on The Glam Geek Confessional, I would love to hear from you guys! In the comment section below, please leave three recommendations of what you would like to see me write about here on the blog. It can be anything along the lines of beauty products (Comparisons, dupes, recommendations, reviews, etc.), skin care, hair care, DIY, or even something new that you think would be a great segment/addition to the blog! Also, please be sure to INCLUDE your Instagram name within your comment, so I can be sure to include your entry in the giveaway. Please be sure to leave three recommendations as I will be keeping track of everyone’s suggestions to be used in future posts.

2.       This is open to U.S only! I plan to hold more giveaways in the future that will be open internationally, so don’t worry my overseas Glams and Geeks! ;)

3.       NO GIVEAWAY ACCOUNTS! As I spent my own personal money for the items included in this giveaway, I think it is only fair to have dedicated readers/followers participating.

4.       Only ONE entry per person! You can be awarded a second entry by following me here on Blogger. I will be posting a photo of the prize on Instagram, so be sure to leave a comment under the photo with your Blogger user name to have it counted as a second entry.

5.       Participants must be 18 and older to enter in this giveaway. If you’re under 18, you can participate with a parent’s permission.

6.       NO PRIVATE ACCOUNTS please! In order for me to see and include your entry, your profile must be public until the end of the giveaway.

7.       Also, on Instagram, please be sure you are following me @TheGlamGeekConfessional, like the giveaway photo, and repost it with the hashtag #GlamGeek1kGiveaway and tag me in it.

8.       If you have any questions, comments and concerns, please email me at GlamourGeekxo@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram.

PRIZE

ONE lucky Glam Geek will receive the following goodies in their prize:

1.       Simple Skin Face Care Starter Kit

2.       E.L.F 2 Piece Body Shimmer Set

3.       Wet n’ Wild Shimmer Shadow in Bleached

4.       Wet n’ Wild Shimmer Shadow in Brass

5.       Wet n’ Wild Shimmer Shadow in Spiked

6.       Inglot Sample Lipstick in #96

7.       Inglot Sample Lipstick in # 98

8.       Lush Bath Bomb in Butterball

9.       Bath and Body Works Mini Body Spray in French Lavender

10.   Bath and Body Works Mini Body Lotion in French Lavender

11.   Bath and Body Works Mini Body Wash in French Lavender

12.   Too Faced Candy Bar Palette

13.   Lorac Rockin’ Red Hot Lipgloss Collection

 Once again, thank you all! I am very excited for everyone to participate and to read your recommendations for the blog! Good Luck and play fair everyone! 

Lush Aromaco and The Greeench Review

Hello Glams and Geeks! Welcome back to the blog! In today’s post, I will be talking about my experience with trying out two natural deodorants that I purchased from Lush, Aromaco and The Greeench, as well as share with you some information that I learned about switching to natural deodorants. If you are considering going natural or trying out deodorants from Lush, this post will make your transition an easy one!

For a while, I have contemplated switching to natural deodorant, but had some concerns that always held me back, such as “Will it last all day?” “Will it keep me smelling fresh?” “Will it hold out during vigorous activity or in humid weathers?” Naturally, these are just some of the concerns that can arise, that may make someone new to this change, a bit hesitant. So, to help make this transition an easy one, I took to the internet to do some research to find a natural deodorant that is affordable, effective, and durable enough to meet my needs. While many options came up, the ones that really seemed to work well for many people are the Lush deodorants. They are reasonably priced (with the exception of their Dirty Body Spray - $19.95), ranging from $6.95 to $10.95. They offer various forms of deodorants, such as bars, powders, and sprays, so there are plenty of options! Their scents are very unique and earthy, making them wearable for both men and women. They are also vegan and made with natural and safe synthetic ingredients, making them safer than commercial deodorants, which include Aluminum, Parabens, and other harmful ingredients.

When I went to my local Lush store, I spoke with a sales associate who was very helpful, and I was given some great information that definitely came in handy during my trial of their deodorants. First, we spoke about why you should NOT use an antiperspirant. Anything that blocks the lymph nodes from excreting toxins from the body is very harmful for you. It prevents the body from balancing your PH levels and hormone functions, and can lead to a disruption in certain body processes such as your menstrual cycle. It can also result in the development of cancer in the body, such as breast cancer, or lymph node cancer, due to the antiperspirant ingredients trapping those toxins directly into the gland.

Next, we spoke about some possibilities that CAN occur during the first few weeks of switching to natural deodorant. I was informed that it takes the body anywhere from 14-21 days to naturally detox itself, pushing out any harmful elements from the body through your pores and underarms. It was recommended to me by the Lush associate, to allow my body to fully push through this period, to really see how the product works for me after toxin-elimination. During this process, it is possible that the skin may become irritated, possibly inflamed or chafe. In some cases, this may not be a worrisome issue, as it can be treated with Benadryl or A&D ointment (preferably applied at bedtime), and will go away within a few days. In others, if irritation continues after 7-10 days with the application of the ointments, I suggest discontinuing use of the product immediately! If irritation occurs, or worsens, it is possible you may have experienced an allergic reaction to the products, and should seek medical attention to properly care for your rash.

Lastly, I was informed that should I ever decide to switch back to using a regular deodorant, to ensure that it is just a deodorant and NOT an antiperspirant, as you want to allow your body to continue filtering out toxins as it did with the natural deodorant. I recommend researching some deodorizing alternatives that are free in any harmful ingredients, including, but not limited to Aluminum.

Now that you know what to expect, how to handle a rash should one occur, and what to do in the event of discontinued-use, let’s talk a bit about both Aromaco and The Greeench.

Aromaco is a deodorizing bar, which smells of patchouli oil and feels very moisturizing on the skin. Containing a total of 8 ingredients, this bar is said to be the gentlest deodorant offered by Lush, and includes Witch Hazel, Chamomile Vinegar, and Patchouli oil to help keep you smelling and feeling fresh all day long.

Because this is a wax-like bar, it is important to know that it doesn’t feel quite like a traditional deodorant. You will rub it on the same way, but rather than it transferring a cream-like product to your skin, it is coating the skin with a sheer layer of oils to keep the skin soft and lightly scented. This may cause chafing beneath the arms, so be sure to refer to the information provided above to know what should be expected. Also, because of the wax-like feel, this bar may tend to harden on the surface. Do not worry, as this is a quick fix! I urge you not to shave the edges, as this was recommended by multiple people online and by the employees at Lush. Simply use a towel, preferably one that will not be used on your face or body (try a paper towel, for example), and rub the hardened parts against the towel to remove the hard layer, and to shave off only what is necessary. This will help preserve the amount of product, and is much easier and safer than shaving it with a knife.

The Greeench is a deodorizing powder, which smells like a perfect blend of herbs, including Sage, Thyme oil, Tea Tree Oil, and Rosemary. When applied, this delivers a refreshing, minty-tingle to the skin, leaving you feeling cool and clean and dry throughout the day.

Because this is a powder, this may be a little messy to apply. I recommend storing the product in a box or container to preserve it, and purchasing a powder puff to make applying it an easier, neater process.

Throughout my trial period, I must say I really loved the light yet rich scent of Aromaco. It is a very clean fragrance, which really held up to all of my daily activities, including working out. Not once did I ever feel or smell bad. In fact, I felt that because it was oil-based, it held up better than any commercial deodorant I have used in the past. Now, here is where things took an unfortunate turn for me. After about two weeks of using this, I was very happy with it and was so excited that I actually found such a great natural deodorant. During my second week of using this, I began to notice darkening underneath my arms. I didn’t feel any irritation nor did I notice any inflammation, so I continued to use it. As this is a wax-like bar (same consistency of soy-candle wax, yet much softer upon application), I figured the rubbing of the bar was creating this darkness on my skin. I read some reviews on Google, and learned that this is normal during any transition from Aluminum-based deodorant to a natural one, so I dismissed the issue. A few days later, I began noticing that my skin was starting to chafe horribly, becoming red around the darkened areas and developed some dry patches. I stopped all use of it immediately, using only The Greeench powder instead. After discontinuing use, there is still some darkness, and some redness under my arms, as well as extreme irritation and sensitivity. I have continued to treat my skin with A & D ointment, and use The Greeench on its own.

When I began this trial, I spent one week using both deodorants paired together. I noticed that when they are used together, they provide maximum strength, Aromaco acting as the base and scent, while The Greeench kept me dry. Together, they created the perfect blend for me. The second week, I used Aromaco on its own, and was pleased with how it held up in regards to fighting odor. I didn’t experience any moisture other than that provided by the oils in Aromaco, nor did I feel sweaty, unless I was exercising or outdoors for long periods of time. The third week, I used The Greeench on its own. While I did notice that this kept me dry throughout the day, I felt the need to reapply this at varying times as this is great for keeping moisture at bay, but not for fighting odor. Because this is a sheer powder, it works great with something as a base to hold it in place all day. I plan to use this as an at-home deodorant, or whenever I know I won’t be doing any extreme activity.

Although my experience was bittersweet with trying these deodorants, I want to mention that despite my rash, I did really like both Aromaco and The Greeench. I do not want my experience to discourage anyone from personally trying either one, as everyone is different, and I believe I may have experienced an allergic reaction to the ingredients or that my sensitive skin could not adapt to the rubbing whenever I applied the Aromaco bar. I recommend when trying both products, to definitely observe your skin and be cautious of any signs or symptoms of irritation. I also suggest reading reviews online to see if there are other deodorants from their store that seem more suitable and are to your liking. I thank you so much for taking the time to read my Lush review and wish everyone giving this a try a wonderful experience. If you do give them a try, let me know here on the blog, or leave a comment on Instagram (@TheGlamGeekConfessional).