Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle
Dermalogica has always been that brand I would eye at Ulta or Sephora as a teen and marvel over the high price tag — could those products REALLY be worth it?? Over the past few years I’ve gotten the opportunity to try several of their products (some I received as PR, but others I’ve purchased myself) and I wanted to share this post to hopefully help you decide — if you’ve been eyeing the brand as well — which products are worth the money and which ones you could skip.
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Another week has begun! I hope your Monday has started off well. Lets dive right into today’s review, shall we? 🙂
E.L.F. Studio Lip Exfoliator
Retail Price: $3
My Review:
First Impressions & Packaging:
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this lip exfoliator that’s in a lipstick tube, but my lips have been incredibly dry and chappy since moving to California, so I was desperate to find something to give me kissable lips. I first heard about this product from Beauty Broadcast, and after hearing her glowing review of it, I decided to dive in.
I really like the packaging of ELF’s Lip Exfoliator. It’s very sturdy and well made and the packaging that the bullet of exfoliator is in is made of some sort of metal. I love the sleek look of it!
Product & Application:
The grains in this lipstick are pretty coarse, but because they are compressed into a lipstick bullet shape, it actually isn’t that coarse when you use it on your lips. It took me a few minutes (when I first started using it) before I started feeling the coarse grains against my lips.
I’ve been using it for about a month now, and am really enjoying the results. Before using this my lips constantly felt dry and chapped. But since adding this as part as my nightly skincare routine — following up with a good lip moisturizer afterwards — my lips have really started to look healthy and moisturized.
Major Likes & Dislikes:
I liked that, because the exfoliating grains were encased with moisturizing oils, that this product was a very gentle exfoliator. For the most part it feels very smooth on your lips, except for a few grains that protrude from the bullet and give your lips the exfoliation they need.
Sometimes, though, it can feel so smooth I feel like it’s doing absolutely nothing to exfoliate my lips. When this happens, I usually just rub it around on my lips a little longer until I start to feel the grains protruding from the product.
Final Thoughts:
All in all, I find this a very useful product in my skincare routine. I have heard some people say it dries out, but so far I haven’t seen that. And even if it did dry out in another month or two….at $3, this product is extremely affordable and easily repurchased.
If you are like me — wanting a lip exfoliator but not sure what to look for, I’d say start with this. It’s inexpensive and does it’s job well enough. And I had some pretty rough lips when I first started using this, trust me! Now, while I still will get dry lips if I don’t moisturize them several times a day, this product from ELF helps to keep those dry, dead skin cells off of my lips. Something I am very thankful for. I would definitely recommend you give this product a try!
Question for My Readers: What do you use to keep your lips exfoliated and soft? I’d love to hear! 🙂
I purchased the products mentioned above with my own personal money. I was not compensated in any way for posting this review. I only recommend products that I have used personally and believe will be beneficial for my readers.
Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
…
When your skin clears up, everything takes a turn for the better. Your self-esteem lifts. The cranky-meter takes a dive and you catch yourself smiling again. The right skin-care formulations can make a world of difference.Whether your skin is experiencing a breakout or you want to keep pimples from popping up again, it’s important to use products that are gentle yet effective. That’s why our formulations are clinically proven to be non-irritating. We don’t use alcohol or add fragrances that can irritate your skin. Our products are 100% guaranteed. We don’t test on animals. And, there is no commitment or subscription required.
With the Clear system you really can make every day a “good skin day.” That’s a reason to smile, and maybe head out to the store without wearing makeup.
So for this review I was sent several of the CLEAR 2-week Trail Kits from Paula’s Choice about 2 months ago and have been using it in my skincare routine for a solid month now. My skin has been going through a lot recently with the transition from Florida to California. The humidity out here is extremely dry — so while I’ve always had oily skin, I’ve been having extremely dry skin out here. Add to that, my acne-prone skin does not react well to flying. So I’ve been dealing with a lot of break outs after each flight.
With all that said, I was very excited to give this acne-fighting skincare routine a try. I was a little worried about the size of the products. It said 2 weeks, but I was kind of being a ‘doubting Thomas’ with whether that was accurate or not. However, after going through two of their 2 week kits, I can honestly say that they do last that long — if not a bit longer! The treatment can definitely carry you beyond the 2 week mark, depending on how bad your acne is. 🙂
Product & Application…
The kit comes with a cleanser, exfoliator, and treatment. I used these twice a day — morning and night — except for the exfoliator. I felt my skin was too dry to use it twice a day, so I only use it at night. Each of the products work very well and I liked using what felt like a toner to gently exfoliate my skin every day. I think that really helped it, especially in recent months with it being so dry
I have already been using benzoyl peroxide in my skincare routine to combat my acne, so I knew I would like that aspect of it. salicylic acid doesn’t work as well when I use it alone, but in this kit — using both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide — I think it’s a really great combo and does wonderful things to my skin.
My skin isn’t totally perfect yet, but it is on the mends! And I really believe it’s because of Paula’s Choice Clear Acne Kit!
Major Likes & Dislikes…
Well, a very big and MAJOR like is that it’s been helping my acne! lol! 🙂 But besides that, I like that this 2-week kit comes with a generous amount to try out. I feel if you were to purchase 2 or 3 of these trail kits, you would be able to know if the kit will work for your skin or not.
As for dislikes…I really don’t have any to point out. The full size products are slightly more expensive than your average drugstore. But for my skin, I’ve left off going cheap and go for what works, even if it costs a little more. And really, when you think about it, you shouldn’t put a price on the health of your skin. I really want to take care of it with the best products I can afford. 🙂
Final Thoughts…
All in all, I really like this kit. If it continue to work for my skin and eventually gives me clear skin, I will definitely be repurchasing this skin care routine. And for those who are also suffering from acne, if you haven’t tried using a mix of benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, I definitely recommend you purchasing the Acne Clear 2 week trial kit and seeing what it does to your skin. I’ve only ever experienced good things using benzoyl peroxide. And Paula’s Choice products pride themselves on using gentle, non irritant ingredients in their products — which is really important for your skin! So give it a try and get ready to experience clearer skin. 🙂
What is your main skincare concern? Acne? Redness? Flaky? Hyper-pigmentation? Large pores? Share them below! Mine is most definitely acne! And I also have dry, flaky skin and hyper-pigmentation from previous outbreaks of acne.
I love bringing reviews to you all on LoaW and I really hope they help you get a feel for the product/item so that it helps you in your shopping.
Today I have a skincare review on a relatively new product from Garnier. 🙂 If you’ve seen something new in the drugstores or online that you’d like me to review, drop me a comment below and let me know. I love hearing from you guys!! 🙂
I wasn’t given this product to review — I picked it up myself to try out and wanted to share my thoughts with you all. 🙂
About Garnier Clean+ – Nourishing Cleansing Oil…
Dry skin types have different cleansing needs in order to look and feel their best.
Often,
the wrong face scrubs are used for specific skin concerns. As a
result, skin does not get the right care it needs to look and feel its
best. Customized Cleansing + Skin Type Specific Care- Customized
Cleansing: Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil instantly dissolves
impurities and long-wear makeup with no greasy residue. Skin Type
Specific Care: Formula, infused with nourishing Jojoba and Macadamia
Oil, helps replenish skin’s moisture balance. In 1 use: Skin is deeply
cleaned, hydrated and skin feels velvety soft. After 1 week: 100% of
women felt skin was smoother and softer. Not just a Better Clean,
Better Skin.
Made in USA
My Review…
First Impression…
Using cleansing oils in your skincare routine seems to be a new fad this year and I’ve been really intrigued to see if it would work well for my skin type. I have acne-prone skin and I hear that cleansing oils are a less-harsh method of cleaning your face, so I was all about trying this Nourishing Cleansing Oil out and seeing if it would help keep my outbreaks at bay.
Packaging…
It’s in a really sleek, tall bottle with a white pump at the top. It dispenses a decent amount into the palm of your hand; I personal use about a pump and a half on my face when I go to take my makeup off. The bottle has 4.2 fl oz of product in it and for the price — $7.99 — that’s a decent amount. Especially when you compare the price and quantity of other cleansing oils that are currently out there.
I do have one complaint with the packaging — it leaks. I think it’s something with the pump. I feel that each time I use it, a little leaks out from underneath the nozzle. Every time I pull this out of m drawer, there’s a little oil puddle around it. It’s not a significant amount that makes me worry it’s being wasted, but just annoying. And I know it’s not just me — I’ve read other reviews that say this as well. So it’d be really nice if Garnier could figure that out and fix it. 🙂
Product & Application…
As I said above, I use about a pump and a half of Nourishing Cleansing Oil to massage into my face for a few minutes. Then I get my hands wet with a bit of water and massage that in till I get a milky-white consistency. Then I just rinsed it all off. 🙂 It worked really well in getting ALL of my makeup off! And I mean all — I checked with a little toning water and a cotton pad to make sure I had no makeup residue left over, and there wasn’t any left over on the pad. So I’m very happy — I like using cleansing oil to take off my makeup MUCH better than using the Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser.
Any Major Likes & Dislikes…
I like how well it cleanses my face, definitely! 🙂 I also love how moisturized and smooth-feeling it leaves my skin! Not in the least bit dry or tight. I almost feel like I don’t need to moisturized (though I do, I promise! ;-).
I don’t like that it leaks, which is probably the biggest dislike I have about this product.
Final Thoughts…
I love it! This is my first cleansing oil I’ve ever used, so I don’t know how it compares to other ones out there. But I do know I like it more than cold cream cleansers or makeup remover wipes. It’s a lot easier than the cream to wash off (and not be left feeling greasy) and it’s more thorough and gentle on my skin than the wipes. I also LOVE that it includes macadamia and jojoba oil — two oils that I really love! All around, this is a great product and I definitely recommend you check it out the next time you’re at the drugstore. Especially if you want to try out adding a cleansing oil into your routine.
Question for My Readers: What do you like to use to remove your makeup at the end of the day? Have you tried any cleansing oils yourself?
I hope y’all have been liking these reviews every day. Next week I will resume my normal schedule of posting only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you have any other suggestions or recommendations, you know I love to hear from you! Just leave me a comment below! 😀
About Montagne Jeunesse…
My Review…
First Impression…
I’ve always enjoyed doing a mask on a weekly basis for my skin. I can tell the difference in my skin — masks help keep my acne from getting bad and just all around gives my skin a very lively and fresh appearance. I was thrilled to get a Montagne Jeunesse mask to try in my Voxbox. I hadn’t heard of this company before, but sheet masks are becoming pretty popular and I haven’t tried one yet. 🙂
Application…
The directions were pretty easy to follow — just pull it out of the package, unfold it, and place it over your face. Well, the first problem for me was that the face sheet was way too big for my petite face! Which posed a very big problem when I was trying to make sure my face was all covered with the sheet and still be able to see out of the mask. 😛 Let me tell you, it was quiet a comical picture that was staring at me from the bathroom mirror! 😛 But, before that, the biggest thing that turned me off about this product was the smell. I got the Red Earth Clay Spa in Pomegranate…and I now know that I do not like the smell of pomegranate! After I finally got it situated on my face, I was very near gagging from the overpowering smell as I waited out the ten minutes.
Major Likes & Major Dislikes…
I think I’ve already mentioned, above, what my major dislikes were. I really don’t mean to sound totally negative about this product — those were just two big issues I had with this mask…and they are a big part of this mask – the size and smell. There were some positive things I can say about this mask, though. For one, it was very refreshing on my skin. I wouldn’t say it left my skin totally moisturized afterwards (I still applied my night time moisturizer), but it felt very soft and clear. I felt like it toned down the red, inflamed areas of my face very nicely and, since using that mask, a lot of areas on my face that looked like they were about to get a really bad ‘acne outbreak’ have cleared up. 🙂 So this is a major plus for me — I’m always battling acne.
Final Thoughts…
I can’t say I loved this product, or that I would even use it again. If they came in different sizes — for petite girls like me 😉 — I would definitely give these masks another try. Just not anything with pomegranates in it!
Do I recommend this product? If you have a more average-size face (that sounds weird saying it that way, lol!) and don’t have a dislike for weird-smelling things on your face, I would definitely recommend you give one a try! They aren’t very expensive, so just purchasing one to test out on your face — see how your skin reacts…and how YOU like it — would be a good idea. 🙂
Question for Readers: Have you tried one of these Montagne Jeunesse masks?? Did you like it? If you haven’t tried one of these before, what masks do you use in your skin care routine? Please share with me in the comments below! 🙂
I received this product from Influenster for free in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.
Okay, today I’ve got a review for you that I’m really excited to talk about! Please note – I purchased this item with my own money. It was just such a fabulous product, I had to tell someone! 🙂
About the Simple Brand
“When it comes to gentle yet effective skincare, Simple knows that what is left out is as important as what is put in. Developed in the United Kingdom in 1960, the Simple brand was one of the first to create a cleansing product for sensitive skin with no artificial perfume and no dyes. Today, Simple products are still made with no dyes, artificial perfumes, or harsh chemicals that can upset skin. The UK’s number one skincare line, Simple made its US debut in 2012 with a full range of products made with skin-loving ingredients and vitamins designed for natural, healthy-looking skin.
What does the Simple Revitalizing Eye Roll-On
do for you?
My Review…
Before I get into my thoughts on this product, let me first explain what compelled me to try this product from Simple. I’ve never really had to do anything to my eyelids – haven’t used lotions, creams, serums. They’ve just been fine, and since I tend to want to have a really easy regimen for my skin, I’ve never bothered to add it into my regimen. But, for the past several months, my eyelids have gotten really dry and flaky. It varies, but some days my eyelids would get so dry that they would literally hurt!
I’d tried rubbing a little Jojoba oil and while it did help, it never completely fixed the problem and my eyelids would get dry again. So I decided to give Simple’s Revitalizing Eye Roll-On
a try. I already use their facial washes and moisturizers and LOVE everything this brand stands for.
And I am SO glad I gave this a try! It works amazingly well and exceeded my expectations – especially on how quickly it moisturized my eyelids and took away the flaky feel and texture. I use it in the morning and at night, when I put on my moisturizer, and the next day I could already tell a difference in my eyelids. While they were still a little flaky, they weren’t as bad and they didn’t hurt any more. On the third or fourth day of using it, the flakiness is totally gone and shows no sign of coming back – my eyelids are as smooth as ever! (Which is so nice — it was a nightmare trying to apply eyeshadow on lids that were flaking!)
All in all, I give this Revitalizing Eye Roll-On two BIG thumbs up! As I mentioned above, I love what the Simple brand is all about, and so finding something to nurture my eyes that has good vitamins and natural products with no perfumes, dyes, or harsh irritants. The metal roller ball on the tip of it feels amazing and cools my skin instantly. I will admit I was a little hesitant to purchase this product at first because of the price, but I’ve discovered that it is TOTALLY worth every penny you spend on it and I plan on repurchasing this item for years to come!
