I got my VowVoxBox nearly a month ago so I have had some time to really try the products and figure out what I like best. Hands down my favorite product that I got was the Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer. This stuff is really great. As I have talked about before I am really into the textures of my face creams- if something doesn't feel amazing going on, I'm probably not going to use it all the time. This stuff feels amazing. It manages to be rich and creamy without feeling at all heavy or greasy. My skin feels soft and moisturized after I use it and I feel like it really sinks into my skin.
I think that moisturizers can be difficult in the summer because between sweat and humidity-halfway through the day I feel like my skin is repelling the moisturizer I put on earlier leaving my makeup blotchy and my face feeling greasy and uncomfortable. This stuff definitely doesn't do that. We have had some humid days and I don't feel like I ever sweat it out and makeup looks lovely over top of it.
One of my favorite aspects of this product is the smell. If you are someone who doesn't like fragranced face products I would walk away from this one because it definitely has a scent and I can imagine wouldn't be good for those with sensitivities to such things. For me the scent is a bonus because it just makes the process of putting it on that much nicer.
One of the promises that this cream gives is that it "fades dark spots in 8 weeks". I haven't used this in 8 weeks but I can say that I think I am seeing some improvement in my dark spots as well as my overall skin tone. Obviously I am not using this product in isolation- I am using special fading creams, vitamin c serums, and other products to improve my skin tone but as near as I can tell this is contributing to the improvements.
My skin is very prone to breaking out. My break outs are usually caused by hormones or by my horrible habit of smashing my hand into my face while I sleep but I definitely get breakouts from using certain products sometimes and am often very careful to test out products before I purchase them in case they cause me to break out. This cream seems to be very good for my acne prone skin. When I received it I was suffering from a nice crop of hormone related spots and this definitely did not make them worse or irritate them in any way. Also since they have healed I have not had any other breakouts which has been quite refreshing.
I received this for free from Influenster but all the opinions on this product are mine
Friday, July 25, 2014
What's Inside My Medicine Cabinet-Part 2- Middle Shelf
Here we are for the second installment of my thrilling 3 part series "What is in my medicine cabinet"! Today we will look at the ever elusive middle shelf. I did more of a preamble in my first installment so let's just get right into it.
Middle Shelf-
Korres Wild Rose and Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial- I use this basically every night because it is amazing and makes my skin feel lovely.
Glam Glow Clearing Mask- I keep this on hand because it is my favorite mask (I keep the others in my larger cabinet to grab as needed) but mainly because I often use this as an overnight spot treatment. It works wonderfully as a spot treatment.
Argan Oil- I have pure argan oil I get from a restaurant by my parents. I love using this at night as an extra boost and then I also use this on my hair, put it in my conditioners and add it to my hand creams when I need an extra moisture boost.
Clearasil Daily Clear Hydra-Blast oil free pads- these are the newest addition to my skin care routine. I am using these as toner pads to combat acne.
Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer- I got this in my latest influenster box and I have used this every day ever since. I love this stuff. It smells good and feels lovely on my skin.
Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Moisturizer- I find this is generally too heavy for my skin so I only use this when I am super dry BUT I do use it every day on my neck because it is important to not neglect your neck.
Clarins Eye Revive Beauty Flash- This is the eye cream I have been using. It is okay and works nicely but I generally like the texture of a thicker cream. I got this because I have some problems with milia and probably should avoid the heavier creams that I prefer.
Serums- I have a couple sample of serums that I am trying out right now to figure out what I want to use. Currently I am testing the Ren Radiance Perfection Serum and the Caudalie Vinoperfect serum.
That concludes the 2nd part of my series. Stay tuned for the 3rd and final installment soon!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
What's Inside My Medicine Cabinet- Part 3-The Bottom Shelf
Bottom Shelf:
Ole Henriksen Vitamin Plus Balancing Cream- This is my usual daily moisturizer but I have been so obsessed with the Olay cream I haven't used it in a few weeks. I will get back to it though- this is a great cream, especially in the humid summer.
First Aid Beauty Facial Cleanser- This is creamy and gentle and removes all my makeup. I love it.
Clean and Clear Persa Gel 10- good overnight acne treatment.
Mario Badescu Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion- I love this toner. I don't use it everyday because its pretty strong but I use it at least 3 times a week.
Trish McEvoy Even Skin Gylcolic Wash- This wash is really amazing. I don't use it all the time-just those days that my skin needs some extra something. This is also my husbands favorite cleanser---really I am just stealing it from him *it seems to be discontinued which is...TERRIBLE. I haven't found a glycolic cleanser that I like as much as this.
Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer- This one is also a favorite of the hubby but I will use this on my problem areas underneath my normal daily moisturizer.
Effeclar Duo Acne Treamtent- This is THE BEST acne spot treatment that I have ever tried. It even works on cystic acne. I put this on the problem areas whenever I am having a breakout.
Philosophy "Help Me" Retinol Night Treatment- I am almost out of this. I really liked it and will probably purchase again but maybe not right away because I want to try out other serums.
Alpha Hydrox "Spot Light"- This stuff smells AWFUL. Truly it stinks BUT it also really works. I have found that this helps my post acne scars really well and its very cheap. It can be a little harsh on the skin it does work.
Kate Somerville D-Scar- This is actually my husband's.....but....I may steal it once in a while- from what I can tell from my secret trials this stuff is really great. It is a lot more gentle on the skin than the alpha hydrox version but it seems like it probably works just as well.
Benefit "Not on my pillow" makeup remover- I found this in the back of my cupboard and took it out to try it again and use it up. I remember why I put it back there- and why benefit discontinued and replaced it--it dries out my skin and doesn't even take off makeup that well. I will probably throw it out when I stop being so lazy.
So that is my SUPER FULL medicine chest that is also completely void of any medicine. This is a very long post but this is the best indicator of what products I use and my basic skin care routine.
What's Inside My Medicine Cabinet- Part 1-Top Shelf.
As you can see from this picture I have a well stocked medicine cabinet...to put it lightly. These things are my skincare essentials. The things that I reach for all the time and the things that I don't want to forget to use. I was going to make this just one post but it was getting WAY too long so I am going to slip it via shelves. Today we will look at the top shelf.
Top Shelf:
Dental floss- currently I have the Oral B Complete Satin floss. I like the "satin floss" type flosses because they are smoother than regular floss and I just feel like it works better.
Q-tips- these are SO essential. I just they for fixing up my makeup, picking up fallout, cleaning up eyeliner etc. I also love the kind that comes in the little travel case because when I use up the Q-tips I use the case to organize loose rubber bands, bobby pins, twist ties etc. These cases keep my junk drawer super organized.
Swisspers Cotton pads- I keep a stack of these in a cup to have on hand. I use these to put on toner or to use with makeup remover.
EcoTools Complexion Facial Sponge- I got this in my last Influenster box and I sometimes use this on nights when I don't use my clairsonic. It takes off makeup well but is very gentle on the skin.
Ren Satin Perfection BB cream sunscreen- I got a sample of this and am trying it out. So far it seems really nice- I like Ren products. I will probably save using the rest of it for when I travel though but am keeping in sight so I don't forget about it :)
CO Bigelow Soothing Lip Buffer- Gentle formula- This is a classic sugar scrub/moisturizer for severely chapped lips. I have been using this guy for years. Its pretty great. I like to use this random nights when I think my lips need a little extra attention.
Fresh sugar lip polish-I got this as a special perk from Sephora (with some other fresh stuff) and I really am liking it. I think it is actually a little better than the CO bigelow version so I might switch to this kind in the future. It feels a little less goopy and smells really good. But I still love the CO Bigelow as well.
Fresh Sugar advanced lip therapy- This is the classic no frills balm by fresh that I also got in my sephora perk I really like this stuff and keep it in the cabinet b/c I like to put on a nourishing lip balm before I go to sleep. I use a baby lips on in the mornings though because it has an SPF.
I also keep an assortment of nail scissors, extractors and tweezers on my top shelf so I can reach for them as the occasion calls.
Tune in soon for the 2nd installment...
Monday, June 23, 2014
Haul: VowVoxBox
I was very excited to receive this beauty in the mail
All the goodies inside
I received this box from Influenster the other week and I was very excited because there is a lot of awesome stuff in there. Influenster is pretty amazing- and I have found some really great products through them.
First off I will give the list of everything that I got in this box:
Olay Regenerist Tone Perfect Cream
EcoTools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge
Pure Silk Shave Cream
Tide-to-go
Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure- in the color Barricuda
There was also access to Riley & Grey a wedding planning website.
I will give a brief review of all the products as I have used them a little bit and I will probably give a more full review of some of the items later on in a separate post.
My favorite of the box by far is the Olay Regenerist Tone Perfect Cream. To be honest I have always thought of Olay as an "old lady" brand and haven't really given it much thought besides that. I was really surprised by how much I like this moisturizer- it smells really good and feels amazing on the skin. It has a smooth texture and goes on really creamy. I have found myself reaching for this every day. It claims to fade spots in 8 weeks but I haven't had it long enough to speak to those claims but it is wonderful as an everyday moisturizer that keeps your skin soft but doesn't feel heavy or greasy.
The EcoTools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge is nice but I haven't found myself reaching for it that much....I think this is because I have a Clairsonic so when I went that little extra bit of scrub in my face washing I reach for that more often. I think I will have to give this a few more goes before I decide how much I like it. I can say though that it is quite a good deal and does feel like it gets off makeup a lot better than just with soap alone. It is also quite gentle on the skin.
The Pure Silk Shave cream is nice enough. It is shaving cream, nothing particularly special about it. I do feel like my legs feel a little more moisturized and the shave is closer than if I just used soap but I do think that sometimes this gets a bit sticky and I don't like it quite as much as the kind that goes from gel to foam.
Tide to go--Not much to say about this. It is a dead useful product which I always like to have on hand. I haven't actually had occasion to use it yet but I am happy to have it in my purse.
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure- I have a terrible time with nail polish. My nails like...reject it or something. No matter what I do. What base coat or top coat I use- It ALWAYS ALWAYS chips within the first 2 hours. When I first tried this out I didn't use a base coat because I was lazy and I didn't use a top coat because I discovered I had left it slightly ajar and it had dried up :(. Anyway as I started putting it on I really thought it was rubbish. It goes on streaky and uneven and its no good. But if you persevere after 3 or 4 coats it looks quite nice. I really thought this was going to be a loser product for me because honestly...3 or 4 coats to get it to look decent? No good. BUT after I had it on for 12 hrs I was shocked...NO chips. After 24 hrs. NO chips. At 48 hrs I had some minor chipping but I have literally NEVER had nail polish last so long on me. NEVER. Not even gel. So I have made a 180 on my opinion of this. It is totally worth hanging around for all those coats b/c this sucker lasts. If you are a normal person who can wear nail polish then this will probably last for ages.
The Riley and Grey wedding website I haven't used at all because I have already been married so I don't have much use for it.
Anyway- As I keep using these products I might do a full review of them but I just figured I could give my initial impressions for now.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
GlamGlow SuperMud Mask Review
First of all, and maybe I am twisted for this, but I love that you look absolutely horrifying when you wear it. If TV and movies have taught us anything its that you should scare the living daylights out of people with your facial masks and this does the trick.
Such a lovely color.
But seriously this product works. It is $69 so it better work. I only use this as a full face mask at times that my skin is just really congested and frustrating but I actually most commonly use this as a spot treatment. The mask is really strong and somewhat harsh so for normal use I think it is better to use just over your problem areas. I like to put it on at night on the parts of my face that will just not behave and insist on breaking out or having tons of congested pores and then leave it on overnight. It really draws the impurities out of your skin.
Probably my favorite thing about this mask (besides that it does what it is supposed to) is that it lasts a really long time. It may be pricey but you will get a lot of use out of it. A little goes a long way with this stuff because it is potent.
I will definitely buy this again when I finally run out of it and I am pretty tempted to try some of their other products now--PowerMud I am looking at you--
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
REVIEW: Ole Henriksen Vitamin Plus Moisturizer
Luckily, as fortune would have it, I had ordered this stuff from Sephora and it arrived in the mail not long after. I really really like this. It feels moisturizing and nourishing without being heavy and exacerbating my oily areas. I really like the texture...its almost like a cross between a cream and a gel, best of all it reminds me of the now defunct Chanel moisturizer I had foolishly had a tryst with. I think this would be great for normal, combination (my skin type) or oily skin. I think it could also work for dry skin but you might want something that packed a little more punch . The smell is really herbal but I personally like it a lot. It feels very soothing to me.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)