Bladez Fitness Master GS Indoor Cycle

{This post includes affiliate links.  Affiliate links are where I make a portion of sales from links used, which helps keep Beauty Freckled going.  Thanks for your support!}

I have loved spinning since I discovered it in high school and it was always one of my favorite classes to take at the gym.  Being a stay-at-home mom I have to fit in my exercise around my daughter's nap schedule or when my husband is home so I decided to invest I a good indoor cycle.  I love the flexibility of being able to jump on my bike when she's sleeping.  I have a mountain bike for outdoors (Haro Flightline S in Smashing Pumpkin) but I haven't been brave enough to use my clip-in bike shoes with it yet, and it's also nice not having to worry about it being too hot, rainy, cold, or snowy during the day.

Here is the bike I chose:

Bladez Fitness Master GS Indoor Cycle
Specs from Bladez website:
- 45lb Flywheel gives a natural feel and consistent momentum.
- Smooth, Quiet Belt Drive ensures a silent workout.
- Oversized Steel Frame for Strength and Stability.
- Adjustable Top Down Resistance with Emergency Brake.
- Fore/Aft and Up/Down Adjustable Seat and Handlebars for a comfortable fit and proper posture.
- Large Diameter Racing Style Handlebars.
- Aluminum Pedals with Toe Baskets
- Anatomically Designed Saddle
- Easy to read LCD Console with Motivational Feedback.
- Transportation wheels allows for easy storage between workouts.

I ordered the Master GS from Wayfair and it came pretty quickly via FedEx.  It wasn't in too many parts (the frame is all one piece) so it was pretty much putting the seat, pedals, handlebars, and flywheel on.  The box and frame pieces are very, very heavy, so it's definitely durable.  The chain cover came cracked upon arrival but we contacted Wayfair and they got a new part sent immediately from Bladez.

The only con: I am 5' tall exactly and the seat was just slightly too high even at the lowest setting.  My husband ended up having to sand off the little bump that stopped the seat at the end so I could get another inch or two closer to the pedals so my legs weren't fully extended.  So if you are around my height, just be aware that you may have to do a little work to get this bike to work for you, but it was worth it for me.

The specs online mentioned Dual Sided SPD compatible pedals with toe cage, but it arrived with just caged pedals.  I specifically picked this model because of the upgraded computer monitor display and the SPD pedals so I could keep using my Shimano clip-in shoes I used for indoor classes at the gym.  I contacted customer service and they sent me the SPD pedals at no cost. The customer service at Bladez was amazing about the situation and I have a lot of respect for them honoring their website.

The Master GS has every function you could want between all the movable seat and handlebars to the display which shows Speed (mph), RPM, Calories, Watts, Distance, time, and is compatible with my Polar Heart Monitor (it doesn't always show the same number as my watch read-out for some reason - it doesn't bother me).

Despite the two little hiccups with the seat height and the pedals, I have been so pleased with this indoor cycle.  It reminds me of being in the spinning room at my old gym, which had a painted mural of cyclists like something out of the Tour de France.  I can make the ride as easy or as hard as I like, spend as much time as I can that day, and jump back on later if I please!  The frame is super sturdy, doesn't rock at all, and will last such a long time.  It was truly a great investment for me, and if you love cycling or are looking to train indoors if you are an outdoor cyclist, the Bladez Fitness bikes are definitely worth the investment.

Update 2/4/2016:  The Bladez Master GS Indoor Cycle is now available on Amazon.  When I ordered it before I don't believe it was, and there weren't any reviews.  Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

** Please consult with your physician before starting any fitness regimen or diet plan.  My advice and reviews are not the same as medical advice and are for research and entertainment purposes only.  Exercise with caution.  **

Nair Shower Power Hair Remover Cream with Moroccan Argan Oil

{This post includes affiliate links.  Affiliate links are where I make a portion of sales from links used, which helps keep Beauty Freckled going.  Thanks for your support!}

It's almost Memorial Day which means the official start of beach time.  Having dark hair I hate the little baby fuzzies around my belly button (gross, I know) especially during swimsuit season.  So I have used Nair to just whisk those little buggers away.  Adios, fellas!

Nair Shower Power Hair Remover Cream with Moroccan Argan Oil
From Naircare.com
Beautiful, Smooth & Silky Skin Infused with 100% natural Moroccan Argan Oil and the sweet scent of Orange Blossom, our new Max formula gives you long-lasting, soft skin. At a Glance Works while you shower Unique Shower Power™ technology, stays on in the shower.  Lasts longer than shaving.  Effective even on coarse hair.  Dermatologist tested

Price: $8.99 Target

13 ounces
So what you do is using the smooth side of the sponge, apply a thin layer on the disred areas.  Lets stand one minute before getting in the shower, then get in and continue with your showering routine (for up to 10 total minutes of application time) while trying to keep the water to your back for the most part.  Then remove with the bumpy textured side of the sponge.  Voila!  Easy peasy, and it's a two-for-one since you can shower while it's working!

This version smells much much better than Nair used to, but still has that underlying "Nair smell."  I haven't tried this anywhere else but it works great for those fuzzies you don't want hanging around for the beach!

Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil

I have been trying different longwearing/waterproof eyeliners lately trying to find the best one for me.  I heard good things about the Jordana 12 HR Eyeliner, I picked it up on sale at Walgreens.

Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil - claims from Jordana

• Intense, Instant Color Eyeliner that is Made to Last
• Smooth-Gliding Pencil For Precise Application
• Long-Lasting (Up to 12 hour wear)
• Water & Transfer Resistant

Available in 6 Shades, 0.04 oz/1.2g Price: $2.49 [Walgreens - on sale often]

I was not impressed with this pencil.  Being waterproof you would think this would be a good option for the waterline, but for me it was truly terrible.  It made my eyes super watery so everything just smudged and ran down underneath my eyes - forget about waterproof.  I even tried setting it with an eyeshadow and that didn't help at all. 

For regular lining, I found it very hard to get a thinner line as it didn't sharpen very well for me.  Every time I sharpened it, it never got a sharp point again.  It would just take the outer 'pencil shavings' away and create a dull stump of smushed, clumpy kohl.  Forget about trying to do a cat eye or flick at the end...no control.  This pencil is just too soft and doesn't hold up well at all.  I know kohl pencils are softer, but this one was just too soft and had no shape.

I am trying to use this liner up, but I really don't like it.  I would stick with just the upper lash line with this one and not mess with the waterline/tightline.  Considering I got it on sale for around two bucks, I might just toss it.  I'll stick with other liners, and love gels for that cat eye look much better.

BeautyBlender vs Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Today I am going to compare the BeautyBlender Original and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge  After I started watching a lot of YouTube videos, I often wondered if I needed a beautyblender. I used regular makeup wedge sponges [these from Target] and they seemed to work ok for me, so what was the hype really all about?

beautyblender Original
From beautyblender.com:
The world’s first edgeless, non-disposable, high-definition cosmetic sponge applicator. The unique shape and exclusive material available only with beautyblender® ensures impeccable, streak-free application with minimum product waste. Use it with primers, foundations, powders, cream blushes, and any other complexion product.

beautyblender® features an open cell structure that fills with small amounts of water when wet. This allows the sponge to be “full” so that the makeup product sits on top of the sponge rather than being absorbed, allowing you to use less product every time. When wet, beautyblender® doubles in size and becomes even softer, returning to its original size when it air dries.

Price: $19.95 [Sephora]

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
From Realtechniques.com:
Optimize your beauty routine with this 3-in-1 multi-functional sponge.
Rounded sides blend large areas of the face with a repeated dabbing or “stippling” motion.
Precision tip covers blemishes and imperfections.
Flat edge for the contours around the eyes and nose.

Its versatile design evenly blends makeup for a smooth, enhanced finish.

Made from polyurethane foam which is latex free.

For best results, replace the miracle complexion sponge every 1-3 months.

Price: $4.49for one; Two-pack $10.99 [Target]

So, on to my personal comparison...

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is bigger both wet and dry and doesn't gain as much size after being wet like the beautyblender.  The beautyblender almost doubles in size once wet.

Dry

  

Wet

The beautyblender is a true teardrop or egg shape with a pointed end while the RT Miracle is a tear/egg with one flat side for larger parts of the face. I honestly don't miss that flat side on the beautyblender and don't find myself using it much as I just bounce the rounded egg side on my face to apply my foundation.

Both stain when used with product. The RT Miracle for some reason looks like dark or blackish stains where as the beautyblender just takes on some of the true foundation color.

The RT Miracle seems to soak up a bit more product than the beautyblender, which seems to just hold it on the surface. So there is a bit less waste with the beautyblender.

Both hold up well after washing and dry pretty quickly. I used the Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Liquid Soap [from Target here] in Peppermint or Lavender to wash them.  {Side note: how amazing is Dr. Bronner's?!  Literally good for EVERYTHING!}

Overall, both are great sponges. I prefer the bouncier texture of the beautyblender and the less waste of product aspect.  However, the size and price of the Real Techniques are big perks.  Seeing that a two-pack of the RT Miracle pack is only $10.99, you could get almost 4 Miracle Sponges for the price of one beautyblender.  I do reach for the RT one more daily because I don't mind it getting dirty or tearing.

So if you don't want to shell out $20 for one single sponge, I think the Real Techniques is a very close second to the beautyblender

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Luminous Natural Glow Foundation

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Luminous Natural Glow Foundation
From CoverGirl.com:
Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation’s oil-free, non-greasy formula gives your skin a natural luminosity that lasts all day!  Perfect for achieving radiant skin, this all day foundation hydrates skin while providing flawless coverage.

Shades: 7 Shades

Product Amount: 1 Fluid Ounce

Price: $11 [CVS]

My Shade: 825 Buff Beige

The CoverGirl Stay Luminous Foundation is a new foundation that is supposed to be a more dewy version of their Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation.  The 3-in-1 is a bit more matte and would probably be better for normal to oily skin types, versus the Stay Luminous which might be geared more towards Normal to Oily (kind of similar to how the Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation line is set up now - read my review of it here).  I haven't tried the CoverGirl 3-in-1 but after trying the Stay Luminous, I probably will.

The first time I put the Stay Luminous foundation, I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  I am a bit wary of luminous or dewy foundations as I have more oily skin and thought this made my skin look more shiny than it naturally is.  I used the e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Primer in Green underneath, and set it with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder hoping that would help, but still had a lot of shine around my nose.  I decided not to give up on it because many people with my skin type seemed to say this is one of the better dewy foundations for us oily folks.

The second and third time, I topped the Stay Luminous with the NYX Set It Don't Fret It Powder and the Revlon Colorstay Powder respectively (still with the e.l.f. primer under).  Each time I liked the foundation more.  The less powder I used, the more I liked this, which was the opposite of what I would've thought.  The Revlon powder looked best and the least cakey, in my opinion.  It set the foundation, didn't look too heavy or too much, and let enough of the dewy look through to have a beautiful summertime glow without looking greasy.

As for the claims, I agree with them.  This is definitely medium to full coverage, and covered everything including redness on my cheeks.  It photographed really well, and didn't look shiny or greasy in pictures.  Even in person, I think it looked great and not super heavy for being such good coverage.

I definitely could've used the next shade darker, Medium Beige 842, as this is just a teeny bit light, but I could use this shade to glow up my skin in the winter.  I am also going mix it with some matte foundations to make them look less flat.

Overall, the Cover Girl Outlast Stay Luminous isn't my Holy Grail, but it's growing on me each time I wear it.  I have mostly matte or satin/natural foundations, and I like having something that's different from my usual go-to foundations.  Not having many super dewy options probably was the reason I wasn't sure I liked the finish at first, but once I got used to that "inner glow," it definitely grew on me.

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My Foundation Shade Comparisons:
MAC -- NC 20-25
MAC Studio Fix Powder -- NC30
Makeup Forever HD -- 130 Warm Ivory
Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation -- Light 48
Kat Von D Lock-It Powder Foundation -- Medium 52
Urban Decay Naked -- 3.0
Bare Minerals -- Medium Beige N20
Revlon Colorstay Combo/Oily -- Medium Beige 240
Revlon Colorstay Whipped -- Medium Beige 250
Neutrogena Healthy Skin -- Nude
Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear -- Nude 40
Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation -- Nude 40
Maybelline Fit Me! Matte - Nude Beige 125 (found.) / Buff Beige 130 (powder)
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse -- Nude (Light 4)
Maybelline Dream Smooth -- Nude Beige 180
Maybelline Dream Wonder -- Nude 40
L'Oreal Magic Nude -- Natural Buff 318
L'Oreal True Match -- N3 Natural Buff
CoverGirl Stay Luminous -- Buff Beige 825

Conair Xtreme Instant Heat™ Multisized Hot Rollers

I have pretty thick, but very straight hair so every once in a while I like to throw it in rollers to give it some oomph.  I am currently on my second set of rollers and I really like the second set even more than the first.  I believe the first were by Remington and had color coordinated clips to go with the different sized rollers.  Those lasted me high school and all the way through college and I only got this new set because I had broken so many of the clips (I realized now you can order more).

Conair Xtreme Instant Heat™ Multisized Hot Rollers - Claims from Conair site:

• Fast Heat-up - 75 seconds
• Dual heat comes from both the clip and the roller for extra hold
• Ceramic technology – for better heat transfer and longer-lasting curls
• 20 ceramic multi-sized rollers – for beautiful curls and volume
  • 8 jumbo rollers (1¼")
  • 6 large rollers (1")
  • 6 medium rollers (¾")
• 20 heated clips
• Stay-cool end rings
• Ready dot

Price: $37.99 [Target]

These heat up really fast, which I love.  I don't always use the clip heater, because there are only three slots and it takes a while to constantly replace clips to heat before using them.  The only downside is that the clips can be a tad slippery.  The first set I had the clips held better, but left more of a dent in the curl, so everything comes at a price (the clips were this kind by Remington).  The Xtreme Instant Heat Rollers don't leave a noticeable dent.  If you have short hair, some of the sizes may be too big, but I do like the assortment and think the value of these is really good.
I leave the curlers in my hair for anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes.  My hair is super straight and doesn't hold a curl very long, so I keep them in longer if I want maximum hold and volume for a longer time.

Overall, I love that these heat up fast, have plenty of options on sizes, and give my hair a little extra volume.  You can tailor what you want by putting them in your hair slightly damp, or with some mousse, or with a shine spray depending on the look you are going for.

May 2015 Favorites

Here are my May 2015 favorites...

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation [SPF 20] - Nude 40
$11.99

As the weather is getting warmer and we have more sunny days, sometimes I don't like wearing a full face of foundation so powder versions are a great alternative.  I love this Neutrogena one...even better than the Kat Von D Lock-It Powder Foundation!  I keep coming back to the Neutrogena Mineral Sheers because it's light on the skin, gives a good even coverage and sets nicely where I don't look like a face full of powder and ghostly.

NYC Sun'n'Bronze Bronzing Powder - Hamptons Radiance [706]
$4.49

Swipe your brush through all the colors for a bronzey glow or just certain strips for highlighting.

elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder - Sheer
$3.00

For $3 you wouldn't think this would do anything fantastic, but trust me, it does.  This little guy sets your under eyes to a beautiful airbrushed finish!  I use it with the Real Techniques setting brush (review here).

Maybelline 24HR Color Tattoo - Bad to the Bronze
$5.29

The perfect summer color - and I mean for any look or outfit or occasion!  You don't even need any other shadows for crease, etc.

Tweezerman Animal Print Slant Tweezers - Zebra
$26.00

Summertime leads to a but more attention to maintainable - and brows are no exception.  I have had these for years now and they are still just as sharp as the day I bought them.  The price may look outrageous but no other tweezers come close or pick up those little itty bitties as well.  They'll last a lifetime!