Scar Therapy Reviews - Getting rid of your scars as inexpensively as possible

This post is for all of you ladies and gents who have unsightly scar tissue that is irking you to no end. I have thoroughly reviewed and tested many products on myself and can tell you from personal experience which products do work as claimed or surprisingly well, and which products are complete duds. Having experienced major surgery that has left significant scarring down my entire abdomen, I have spent literally years trying to find the product that will get rid of pitting scars, raised scars, hypertrophic scars (slightly more mild than keloid scars) and that reduces the reddish pigmentation of said scar. I'm also highly prone to burning myself on a curling iron or in the oven while I'm cooking, so I find it absolutely necessary to have a good product in the house that protects against scars forming and helps them heal. I have not had personal experience with acne scarring but I do know quite a few individuals who have been affected by this problem and, I believe, these same treatments will work for you.

Product: Marigold (Calendula) Cream

The Theory: For many centuries, various cultures have been using this flower for its medical properties.This cream is derived from a type of marigold flower and is supposed to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral potency. It is theorized to help heal acne scars, skin diseases and scars all over the body. These flowers are high in flavinoids which are substances which protect against free radicals that cause damage to your cells and kill them.
Actual Results: Actual human testing results only indicate that it may be useful as a preventative ointment to damage against radiation and inflammation and possibly help to heal minor wounds from first degree burns.It is mostly beneficial as a moisturizer to skin soften up if you have dry skin. I have personally used this cream but it did not do anything to my hypertrophic, red scar tissue. I suggest using it in the winter-time to moisturize your skin because it goes on pretty thickly and provides good coverage for unscarred skin, if you can stand the potent smell.
Retail Cost: around $10 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 1.5/5

Product: Bio-Oil

The Theory: Bio-Oil is marketed as a mixture of vitamins (A and E) and plant extracts (from calendula, lavender, rosemary and chamomile) with a patented PurCellin Oil ingredient that is supposed to open up your pores and easily inject the beneficial ingredients inside your skin. If applied in a circular motion on the area of scarring twice daily for 3 months, it claims to improve your skin's appearance.
Actual Results: The formula is extremely oily (albeit it does get absorbed faster than actual oil) and apparently does soften stretch marks, but there are no reports about color changes, or actual improvement on larger scars. I used it for months, applying it generously, and did not see improvement in my scar. I'm not sure about its claims to improve skin elasticity either, because there is no ingredient in the formulation that would increase the collagen's elasticity. It has a pleasant smell but it is too fragrant for my tastes, and would probably be very annoying to put on your face for acne scarring. It is also made with many unnecessary chemicals to achieve its fragrance and dyes to achieve that orange coloration.
Retail Cost: approximately $10 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 1/5

Product: Contractubex gel

The Theory: This product out of Germany's independent pharmaceutical company, MerzPharma, claims that it can treat stiff scars that impair skin's movement which are old or new.  It is believed to exert its positive influence over scars which were caused by physical accidents, operations, acne, or burns (basically any type of scar). The intended usage of this treatment is two to three times a day for as many months as necessary. One of the active ingredients is cepae extract from onions which is anti-inflammatory and kills  bacteria, allowing for a healthy reduction in swelling. Another ingredient is heparin which loosens the tissue, causing your scar to soften and helping water bind to hydrate and moisturize the area. Allantoin, the final active ingredient, promotes healing and soothes the area by promoting circulation/blood flow. The claims are that the ingredients will enhance and complement each other's functions and the base of the gel will allow the active components enter the scar, while creating a film over top of the scar that protects it from further damage.
Actual Results: This product was an absolute god-send for me and helped restore my confidence completely. I saw results within a few weeks and was not even diligent about applying it two times a day, I put it on as often as I remembered to. The scar tissue broke down and started to be a lot more elastic, some of my nerve endings regained function because I could feel the skin when I touched it, before I was incapable of feeling anything over the scar because it was so stiff. My raised scar tissue flattened out after months of usage, and the color of my scar faded to the exact color of my skin. I was absolutely delighted with this product, even though at the time I had to order it from Germany and it cost me $100 per bottle. It was worth every penny. Now you can get it much more readily in North America, and I urge you to use it for all your scars, they truly don't lie about the formulation and how the ingredients work. Unfortunately, the only draw-back is that it did not raise the pitted portions of my scar, but these don't bother me nearly as much as the hypertrophic, raised and colored portions of the scar. This cream achieved what skin grafts and plastic surgery don't often achieve for a fraction of the cost and no pain, and for that I am extremely grateful. For those of you who suffer from acne, I suggest giving this cream a try because it will reduce the overall lumpiness of your skin and the coloration, but you will probably need to find a product with collagen in it in order to raise your pitted scars.
Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found on eBay (no longer available on Amazon).
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 4.5/5

Product: Vitamin E oil

The Theory: For many years, vitamin E oil has been used as a cure-all for skin diseases because it is an antioxidant that reduces the formation of free radicals that stop your skin from healing. Vitamin E is also thought to cause the production of collagen.
Actual Results: There is no proof that vitamin E oil has any protective effects on the skin from upcoming scarring. Also, there is no evidence to suggest that it would improve the way a scar looks or feels, and it has a high chance of causing allergic rashes on the skin. The oil feels very unpleasant on the skin and does not seep into the skin very easily. Vitamin E does have some beneficial properties so it may help in softening the skin and even raising pitted scars, but you first must make sure that you are not allergic to it and that it does not have detrimental effects on your skin. Like all other things, you will not see results quickly, but it may help break up your scar tissue but not necessarily improve the cosmetic appearance of your scar. I personally did not see any improvement in my large scar in appearance, texture, or stiffness from using this product.
Retail Cost: approximately $10 and can be found here 
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 2/5

Product: Mederma

The Theory: Made by the same company who makes Contratubex, MerzPharma, Mederma makes a very similar product with a slightly different onion extract, named allium cepa, as the active ingredient as well as allantoin. However, this formulation is missing the active ingredient Contractubex also has, called heparin, and instead contains aloe leaf juice. MerzPharma claims that this topical formulation's gel based on an onion extract is going to make your scars softer, smoother, and improve their appearance.

Actual Results: Overall research shows that this product does not live up to its predecessor, Contractubex, because people have found it to actually be less effective than plain old petroleum jelly. There is no significant change in the appearance or smoothness of hypertrophic scars but it may overall improve the appearance of stretch marks. I was very disappointed in this product personally because I had expected it to be just as great, if not better (since it came out years after Contractubex), than anything I've tried before. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its hype and is very expensive for how little it actually does for your skin. The smell is also very unpleasant because it is a combination of what smells to me like expired onions and perfume over top to mask it.

Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found here

Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 2/5

Product: Scarguard MD

The Theory: Scarguard MD's claim to fame is from the 5 active ingredients which come from various schools of treatment that work together to reduce your scar's appearance, stiffness, and size. This product uses silicone, which is used by plastic surgeons to get rid of scars, to shrink scar tissue and stop the creation of new scar tissue. Also, this product uses cortisone to reduce inflammation and irritation and allow the healing process to go on. It also has an infusion of vitamin E for softening and moisturizing the skin. The product itself creates a layer over top of your skin of protective film which increases the surface tension and circulation to the scar.This type of covering is waterproof and protects the scar tissue from any external factors that may promote its further scarification. Scarguard is supposed to encourage the body to produce the natural enzyme collagenase which stops the body from continuing to scar in that area.
Actual Results: I recently came across this product after I burned myself and ran to the grocery store for a solution, I picked up this product because of the ingredients inside and found myself pleasantly surprised. After a week or two, my ugly burn almost disappeared, and with me that is very unlikely to happen naturally because I've had a burn in a very similar place on my hand that took a year to look semi-normal again. I have not seriously attempted to use this product on a large scar yet, but it does not change the color of a scar or pitted scars, it merely lowers a raised scar or stops a scar from forming. This company does have a product called Scarlight MD which claims it will lighten any of your darker scars over time. I am happy with this product because it does what it says it's going to do.
Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 4/5

In conclusion, all of these treatments require time and patience, scars are formed slowly but they must also be treated very slowly and in a diligent manner. No matter what you do, you will not see results over night. I don't suggest going to get scar revision surgery from a plastic surgeon unless you know for sure that you will not scar afterwards. If you are prone to developing scars from injuries, the likelihood is high that you will develop scars from any procedure a plastic surgeon can provide you because the majority of our skin's healing properties and elasticity comes from our genetics.The reality of the situation is that you may have to use many products over years to get various different effects on the same scar. You will never find a product that raises a scar, flattens a scar, discolors a scar, and shrinks a scar all in one. You may have to do your research and take a few test runs until you find what works best for your situation. I think I've covered a good amount of options for you and I am not affiliated with any of these companies so I give you my truthful and honest opinion.

Good luck and post if you have any better suggestions for treatments.

DIY: Make your own glitter nail polish!

This is a very interesting idea and you can either make these for yourself if you're tired of the same old boring nail polish colors that you see at the store or aren't willing to pay a lot of money for new shades. You can either give these as stocking stuffers or gifts to your friends and family.

You can make your own glitter nail polish very simply and the tools you will need are as follows:

• inexpensive topcoat or nail polish in any color
• nail glitter or crushed makeup pigment/mineral eyeshadow
• funnel (or a makeshift funnel made out of paper)

First you will want to take your selected nail-polish or topcoat (choose a topcoat if you want the glitter to be on a clear background) and shake it up so that it is homogenized. Then you should choose which colors of glitter you want to use, they can be chunky glitter or fine mineral pigments and they can even be both. What you choose should reflect your personal style and you can achieve infinite amounts of different looks with this technique. Then you will want to funnel your chosen glitter, one at a time, into your nail polish bottle. Finally, all you need to do is shake your bottle and make sure you get the glitter evenly distributed throughout. This is a great way to make inexpensive nail polish colors from the 99 cent drugstore brands (like Wet 'n Wild).

As a tip for application, if you want to achieve a gradient effect, so that the tips of your fingers look as though they were dipped in fairy-dust, apply your first coat of transparent glitter nail polish starting a quarter of the way down your nails (if your cuticles are the uppermost, as in the picture above). Then apply the second coat only on the bottom half, and finally the last coat (or as many as you need for the desired effect) only on the bottom quarter

"The Doctors" - Variety Show Review

For years now, I have been bombarded with strange tidbits of information regarding the daytime show "The Doctors" which airs all over North America on CBS. This show is a monster-baby of the long-running, recently ended "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Dr. Phil". I caved after many years of avoidance, and due to utter lack of willpower to find the remote and change the channel, and watched my very first episode today in its entirety.

The main host seems to be Dr. Travis Stork, who is a bootleg version of a Brad Pitt-esque leading man. There are numerous other co-hosts, I think I counted up to five of them, each of which has a different 'specialty'. One is a plastic surgeon, who obviously thinks that the solution to every problem is going under the knife for one of supposedly "simple" procedures (of which they never explain the full spectrum of side-effects). Another doctor who seems to be the most genuine of the bunch is an OB-GYN who speaks in a more matter-of-fact way. On top of that they even have Jillian Michaels who is a fitness-guru, constantly sporting her spanx, as if she doesn't go anywhere in regular clothing. Now that I think about it, none of them ever seem to be wearing regular clothes, the doctors are usually wearing lab-coats or scrubs, except for the plastic surgeon who dresses like a mob boss. These so-called doctors are extremely hard to trust because of their appearance, they are so overly made-up that you cannot see a pore on their skin and they don't come across as having a shred of humanity. They are cold, concrete and downright seem like they don't care at all about the information they're dispelling or the people on the show. Also, can you trust a host who first came into notoriety through participating as a love interest on "The Bachelor" TV series? That's a rhetorical question because you can't.

This show has the makings of a reality soap-opera with a Gray's Anatomy fragmented plot. Basically each segment is a story about how one viewer or another has a medical issue and these doctors/hosts either defer to colleague or attempt to diagnose these very simple and obvious cases themselves. The majority of the information that is given on this show is extremely diluted for the audience and does not inform the public in a proper and intelligent way. Rather, after you've finished watching an episode you wonder if you've learned anything at all. You're definitely better off reading the Wikipedia article on a disease, or better yet, visit your doctor!

From the episode I watched, what I retained as information was that if you're unhappy with the way your face is sagging you should have plastic surgery, albeit you may even want to consider not even going under for the procedure (that's a disgusting thought, isn't it?). I also learned that if you have cankles, where there is no clear definition between your calf and your ankle, you should have liposuction to remove it or make your calf muscles bigger by bouncing up and down with really heavy dumbbells. What kind of advice is this? Am I dreaming? How can they actually be advising people to have plastic surgery when they haven't explored any other options? Why not focus on diet, water retention and sodium intake, why not focus on skin-care through natural means? This show exhibits little to no common sense.

Even if there's any shred of truth in this show, it is counter-balanced by the absolute recklessness of advising an entire demographic of what I assume to be mostly stay-at-home moms that they can be better looking and healthier through very little actual inconvenience by performing surgeries. Now I know a thing or two about surgeries, and if there's one piece of advice I can impart on my appreciated fellow readers, it is not to take any surgery lightly. The risks of secondary infection, scarring, drug addiction and a myriad of other factors are so large that I can assure you, you are much better off trying to diet and control your insignificant aesthetic problems naturally. Nobody needs a panel of uppity doctors to yell at them through the TV screen with sob-stories of people who have let their problems go on too long without ever visiting a real doctor. This show is one paternity test away from being Jerry Springer or The Maury Show.

Getting Thicker and Fuller Eyelashes

As we age, we inevitably lose a lot of our youthful allure, and along with this comes the thinning out of eyelashes. In a society that covets beauty and eyelashes that touch the sky, most women are highly concerned with keeping the drapes of your eyes beautiful. Eyelash loss can occur from aging because your lashes will shorten and wear at the ends and grow more sparsely, appearing thinner. Some people have allergic reactions or trichotrillomania where they inadvertently pull out their eyelashes because it feels good to them. Allergic reactions can be to various chemicals in the makeup you're wearing (specifically in mascara, eye pencils and eye shadows). One way to avoid makeup reactions is that Sometimes we have to be conscious of the fact that even the creams and cleansers we are using to keep ourselves looking 'young' may be causing hair loss due to allergy. Certain medical conditions, such as the reaction to chemotherapy for cancer treatment, alopecia (systemic hair loss due to autoimmune condition whereby the immune system attacks the host) and hypothyroidism can result in losing your eyelashes and all over the body.

Obviously if you are playing with your eyelashes, try to keep that down to a minimum or do not touch your eyes at all, if it can be helped. If there are products that you suspect are inhibiting the growth of your lashes, stop from using them. Make sure to stop using your mascara after every 3 months, replace it immediately. If you use the same exact one every day, you will probably want to replace it every month even if the bottle is not finished because there are contaminants on the brush and you don't want to be passing bacteria. You never, ever want to share your makeup with anybody under any conditions because eye infections and other diseases are highly transferable this way. If you suspect that you have a serious medical condition and that is why your eyelashes are falling out, make sure you visit your doctor and do a thorough investigation.

How to fake longer lashes

There are some beauty tips and tricks to use if you quickly want your lashes to look longer and fuller. Make sure you use a lengthening mascara with false fibers and volume that will add to what you naturally have. Apply your eye liner very close to the base of your lashes to give the appearance of fullness and to frame your eyes. You could place false lashes on your eyes if you feel comfortable with it, and if not, you can visit a cosmetologist to do it for you.

What can you do aside from wearing false eyelashes on a daily basis or tons of coats of mascara? These options are much more difficult and unnatural-looking than just having naturally beautiful eyelashes. So let's review the options for how to grow our own eyelashes more plentifully.

Natural remedies
First you may want to try applying Vaseline on your lash line while you're sleeping as the petroleum jelly may promote moisture in the environment and increase lash growth. Olive oil and vitamin E oil can have the same effect, just make sure you don't get it into your eye during application. Remember to remove anything you apply to your eyelashes at night during the morning before you apply your makeup. Brushing your lashes with a designated lash comb can improve circulation and promote hair growth, so do this as often as possible if you know that you do not have a rash or skin problem. Improving what you eat  and your overall nutrition can affect your body's vitamin balance which will promote hair growth. A deficiency can lead to thinning of hair all over your body and not just your lashes.

Versace for H&M Collection Review

Fashion on a budget took a new turn when Donatella Versace and H&M decided to pair up for a Versace Designer H&M collection. Does this mean the clothes will be inexpensive? Well, not really. The clothes will be much higher priced than H&M's usual line but they will be less than couture-priced. The look-book for all of the styles can be found here. While a pink studded-mini dress will run you $205, arguably steep for H&M's usual shopper, they must be expecting to gain shoppers who don't regularly frequent their racks. With this Versace collection, I suspect that H&M is attempting to tap into a market that will bring them more income, this upon recent news that their sales have been at an all-time low due to the recession in Europe (which, they claim, is their largest market still). Nonetheless, this line is supposedly marketed to the average woman with the average budget.

What then, do you suppose, is the logical branding step for this collection? Putting clothes on normal women with non-waif figures of all shapes and sizes, this is what H&M had in mind. To me, this seems like an ingenious way to make a stiff, small-market brand much more approachable and practical. However, Donatella Versace has other plans in mind. The diva showed up at the photo-shoot for the collection and cancelled the entire thing because she was too unhappy with the way the models looked. Apparently, she can't get over her obsession with anemic, size 0 models donning her apparel and refuses to brand the clothes on regular ladies (and I'm sure these 'regular' models were more like 'slender' according to popular opinion). With this misstep, Donatella Versace has proven that she does not believe in equality for all women of all shapes and sizes and does not respect her audience enough to let them decide whether the clothes can speak for themselves or not. You don't have to use every trick in the book to make your clothes look good, if they are well tailored they should fit any body. Maybe take a note from Jessica Simpson's Collection, Donatella, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But who am I kidding, what would bleach-blonde, entirely too skinny woman who looks like she's been doing hardcore drugs for the past 30 years know about beauty? If beauty to her means getting every plastic surgery in her surgeon's repertoire, she's certainly achieved it.

Being as honest and objective as I can be, I can admit that there are pieces I would try on, but there are others which are absolutely god-awful in this collection. Either way, I think the price point is too high for a store like H&M, where people shop to get away from overpriced frocks, and I would not pay the arbitrary price tags Versace and H&M have agreed upon. Undoubtedly this collection will sell out, since people get so overtaken by the 'designer' label that they will forget about balancing their checkbooks and splurge on whatever is most hyped in the media. I'm not entirely sure what the 'inspiration' was for this collection but the colors used are extremely saturated and loud. The men's clothing line, in particular, is absolutely unwearable. If loud is your style, then you would be in heaven with this collection, as there is no room to hide in Versace's patterns.

Nicki Minaj in Versace for H&M outfit

Is this clothing modern art or just some random fabrics thrown together in a haphazard way to imitate art? You decide for yourself. While some pieces are undoubtedly classy (particularly solid colored dresses for women) others seem to be a complete miss (the ridiculous outfit Nicki Minaj is wearing). This collection is a mix-bag of oriental, tropical and rock influences with Andy Warhol's aesthetic and Betsey Johnson's taste in prints amplified to the extreme. It really is out there. Some of the hits are high, much nicer than H&M's usual clothing, and appears to be well-tailored. However, this judgement is purely from look-book photos, I cannot be truthful about the crafting of these clothes until I see them in person. I don't think Versace is revolutionizing fashion with this collection, they don't manage to push the boundaries in the right way like Alexander McQueen did, but it is a blast from all kinds of pasts that will either revoke fond memories or remind you of your old basement's terrible wallpaper.



I'm really not a fan of Versace's usage of print, so underneath are the clothes that I would consider the downfall of the collection, and they are quite predominant in the collection (which houses 81 individual pieces). You should, however, check out some of their accessories, because some of them seem interesting in photos (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc) but their bag collection is absolutely gross (yes, they're overly studded and covered in those same disgusting prints).

The dresses underneath are what I classify as 'the good' of the collection - the racerback and asymmetry are a nice touch to make classy silhouettes a little more fresh and modern.

BACK 2 MAC: MAC's recycling program

What can you do with your old MAC product containers when you're finished with them or after you've depotted the pans? You can return them back to MAC and get free items. That's right, they GIVE YOU FREE STUFF if you return your old packaging.

The rules are different depending where you go so read up and call ahead to find out specifically what the MAC near you will offer, sometimes it depends on the manager but the rules *should* be as follows:

MAC online
At their website for 6 empty plastic containers (in primary packaging) you can get a lipstick - you give them your preference online and they give you what is available at the time. You do this at http://www.maccosmetics.com/giving_back/btm_return_packaging.tmpl

MAC makeup counters in department stores (like Nordstrom's or The Bay)
For 6 empty plastic containers (in primary packaging) you can get either a lipstick or a lipglass of your choice.

MAC Pro Stores (and some regular stores - you should call ahead and ask)
For 6 empty plastic containers (in primary packaging) you can get either a lipstick, lipgloss, or eyeshadow!!!

MAC has had this recycling incentive for years, possibly to encourage people to buy their products, but also to help the environment. Whatever their reason, this is a program that benefits both the company and the consumer, so I suggest taking advantage of it while it's here. I will be sorely disappointed if this program is ever cancelled. Recently, the items that you can recycle have a 'Back 2 MAC' label on them so you know exactly what you can return to them. You cannot return the box the item comes in that is made of cardboard, that's not worth anything, what you can return is the plastic packaging the product is in. I called my local MAC PRO Store (at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, WA) and they said it's no problem if you don't have the metal pans in your containers because they don't require those for the program. I have read online that some people do come across this problem because some of the stores require the pans (again, it is at the discretion of the manager of that particular store).

Happy recycling everyone!

Z Palette: to buy or not to buy?

I wrote last week that I had ordered my very first Z palette to house all of my old depotted eyeshadows from various brands that don't fit into a regular-sized palette (which usually holds 16mm eyeshadows). So I decided to embark on this little journey to make my own customized palette of random blushes and eyeshadows that I had laying around. When you are finished, your collection will look like this (but less beat-up than mine because some of my products are really used up and abused):

What you'll need for this project:

• depotted eyeshadows/blushes (if you don't know how to do this, check back to my depotting entry where I tell you how to)
• labels
• adhesive magnets (from an art store or department store)
• scissors
• Z palette or any magnetic palette that's empty and fits any size pans
• rubbing alcohol
• scrubbing sponge

Firstly, you will want to dab a scrubbing sponge into rubbing alcohol and make sure you take the excess glue off of the back of your depotted eyeshadow pan. This will make the whole process a lot less messy and keep your palette looking clean. Take your depotted eyeshadows/blushes and cut a label to write the name of the product, the company that made it and the color for your reference. Unstick the adhesive peel from the magnet and place it on the back of your eyeshadow so that you have reference if you run out of a certain color you love and need to go back and get some more. If you really don't care what the color or product is then just skip this step.

Tools you will need

Then you can cut out a magnet that measures the size of your pan, so place the pan on top of the adhesive magnet and stick it on. Cut around the pan with your scissors or an exacto knife so that you have a perfectly sized magnet. This magnet goes on top of the label to make sure your eyeshadow is securely in the pan. Some pans are magnetized and do not need to have magnets placed on their backs. It is easy to remove the magnetic adhesive strip by hand so if you need name-reference, you can simply do that and re-apply it. If you choose to put your label on the outermost side and sandwich the magnet between the label and the pan, you may not have as good of a grip and your shadows may move.

You can make a separate little paper sheet insert that you can stick to the window of the palette that acts as a guide to your colors. I chose not to do this because I don't use these colors extremely often and will certainly not re-purchase these brands when I can get my hands on MAC and Urban Decay shadows. I have NYX, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Trish McEvoy, and Clinique products in my Z palette. Most of my stuff is from random gifts with purchases and drug-store buys when I was first starting out with makeup.

My first Z palette!

The last step is simply organizing your pans and popping them in the Z palette however you'd like! I like the concept of the Z palette because you can see everything you have inside, but the problem is that I thought they would be bigger. It turns out the Z palette PRO ($28) and the Z palette regular ($20) palettes only differ by half an inch in width and a very minuscule amount in depth. The depth is important to me so I opted for the PRO palette because I'm putting blushes and mineralized shadows in my next one. But if you're only going to put small eyeshadows, I suggest going for the regular one, as it is $8 cheaper. You can purchase them on Amazon, which is what I did and they arrive in approximately 3 business days. I like the fact that I can now stack all of my eyeshadows and blushes with my other palettes rather than investing in tons of those little Rubbermaid drawers to put them in. When you put things away like this, you risk not seeing all your products for long periods of time and purchasing items even though you already have some at home (but you don't remember because you haven't seen them in awhile). I don't like rifling through my single eyeshadows for a particular color I'm looking for, so this is going to make my morning makeup routine a lot simpler. I suggest buying these if you're a big fan of makeup and have an enormous collection like I do. I'm thrilled with the way I can see all of my colors so I know what to reach for! I give them a 9/10, only because I want more and I think they can be even bigger to fit larger products!