Skin Care

Drugstore Product Review – Vaseline Intensive Care Renewal Age Redefining Body Lotion

May 29th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

Product: Vaseline Intensive Care Renewal Age Redefining Body Lotion
Use: As a body moisturizer
Price: $5.00
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Why I bought it
I haven’t used Vaseline lotion since I was a teenager, when there was a seemingly neverending supply of super-sized yellow bottles of Intensive Care Lotion in the bathroom. I used it back then â€˜cause there was no other lotion option, and I never liked it. It had a weird plastic smell and was never moisturizing enough for my dry legs.

I surprised myself when I bought this purple bottle of Renewal Age Redefining Body Lotion on a whim while at Target a month ago. It contains alpha hydroxy acids and I’m on an AHA kick, so when I found this lotion on sale (my favorite excuse) I couldn’t pass it up.

What it’s supposed to do
Vaseline Renewal Age Redefining Body Lotion bottle says that the formula’s AHA’s accelerate the skin’s ability to renew itself. The product claims to immediately replenish lost moisture and combat dullness. It also claims to even skin tone and make skin more resilient in four weeks. The only active ingredient listed is octinoxate (1.25%), a sunscreen that blocks UVB rays.[Continue reading…]

Drugstore Product Review – Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser

May 22nd, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

Product: Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser
Use: As a face cleanser and makeup remover
Price: $ 7.00 for a 5.1 fl oz tube
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

Why I bought it
I used to be a drugstore skin product snob, but within the past year I’ve re-discovered Neutrogena products. Their skin care line is affordable and almost everything I’ve tried from their various product lines work for me. I have sensitive, acne-prone skin that is beginning to show the first signs of aging. So I made a trip to Target and bought a couple products to target (ha ha ha) the recent changes in my skin.

One thing I’ve noticed is now I have freckles (hyperpigmentation) and my skin is not as glowy, which is why I picked up this tube of Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser.

What it’s supposed to do
Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser is an exfoliating cleanser that contains “Essential Soy” (which the company says in a natural skin brightener), gentle exfoliators and Vitamin C. This combination is supposed to removes dead skin cells, dirt, and oil; evens out skin tone; and helps improve radiance.

What I liked
One of the best features of this cleanser is the texture. A dime sized amount builds into a very dense and cushiony foam that feels good on your skin. Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser has a light sprinkle of exfoliating beads, which I suppose is just enough for every day gentle exfoliating. Other exfoliating cleansers I’ve tried – like ProActiv’s Cleanser and Beyond Belief’s ABH Pore Refining Exfoliating Scrub — have more exfoliating beads than Visibly Even, so if you’re looking for an intense exfoliator then this product might not be for you.

What I like most about Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser is that it doesn’t dry out my skin after I use it. Some cleansers, like Clean & Clear Sensitive Skin, leave my face feeling tight, but Visibly Even leaves it feeling comfortable yet still clean. The smell is the second thing I love about this product. Smell is a big thing for me, and this smells light and refreshing and I love using it on my face first thing in the morning because the smell instantly wakes me up. When I use it at night I’ve found that although this cleanser also takes off most of my makeup I still have to use a separate eye makeup remover.

What I didn’t like
Despite all of these plusses, I can’t give this product an A because I don’t know if my skin is significantly more “visibly even.” I suppose I could’ve been more scientific about it and taken comparison pictures over the period of 30 days … but damn, I barely have time to smudge my eyeliner, let alone turn this into a science experiment! I’ve noticed that my skin is a little glowier, but that could be because I’ve been using this cleanser in conjunction with a few other new products.

The final word
I think my expectations also may have been unrealistically high in terms of how my skin would change. However, this is a great cleanser for the price and a solid performer. I’d highly recommend this to anyone on a skincare budget who wants light exfoliation as well as a thorough gentle cleansing.

My new favorite thing to do lately is watch music videos on youtube, especially ones from Janet Jackson which I haven’t seen in years. In my youth I watched countless Janet Jackson vids, which I’d play over and over to learn the choreography. So it was kind of a coincidence that during last night’s hip hop class we actually did the butterfly, lololololozzzz, which I haven’t done that since 1994! I learned the butterfly from my fab friend Jen, and from watching the end of Janet Jackson’s “You Want This.” Enjoy this trip down memory lane, and just for fun, sneak in some butterflyin’ today!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Three Resources for Finding Spas Online

May 21st, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

I’m in charge of finding a spa for our girl’s surf/spa trip down to San Diego next weekend, so the other day I fished around online for some good websites with spa recommendations and reviews.

Spa Magazine has a great spa directory that covers most of the United Sates, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, South and Central America and Asia. The featured spas are lush and indulgent so if you’re looking for serious pampering (and some serious money spending) then this is the site to explore.

The San Diego spas I found on this site looked pretty amazing. All were tied to big resorts and hotels and very chi-chi-foo-foo fancy. If I had access to unlimited amount o’ money I’d hit the spa at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado in Del Mar. The spa has 21 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, relaxation areas for men and women and steam rooms, and a newly opened private terrace that overlooks the hotel’s Windsor Lawn and the Pacific Ocean.

Del Mar is supposed to have a fun surf beach on 15th street and a nice promenade for post-surfing beers. My perfect day would include surfing all the morning, lunching on the promenade, then hit the spa afterward for a Deep Tissue Massage and a purifying facial.

Hotel Del Corondao Spa Whirlpool

Allure also has a good spa finder as well, although not as extensive.

ICE Spa lounge

Unfortunately my cup does not runneth over with the cash flow, so I headed on over to Yelp to find more budget minded options. I think we’re going to go the I.C.E. Spa, which looks totally cute and a bit more affordable.

I can’t wait to go. I haven’t had a good spa day since last July with my friend Christine in Hawaii. I am due for a good pummeling deep tissue massage.

This past weekend I finally got my license in the mail. Anything is better than my old license, where I’m full on squinting and looking confused (it’s the DMV picture guy’s fault cause I received no warning before he took the pic). The same DMV picture guy took this recent photo, and it is clearly evident that he hates what he’s doing, because he does nothing to make your pic all that it can be. Despite this, I have to say that my picture turned out pretty good. Before angry DMV picture guy snapped the pic, I tried to sneak in a body turn at the last second, and the result was a high-school senior-esque picture where I’m looking off into the distance at the bright future ahead, lol.

Hope you have some fun in the sun this Monday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Quick Makeup Removal Tip

April 18th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

Derma E Jojoba and E Skin Oil

derma e Jojoba and E Skin Oil – A Versatile Product and Your New Best Friend

I’m right handed, so I hold brushes in my right hand and use the back of my left hand as a palette. I put cream or liquid products like MAC Paint, tinted moisturizer, concealer, etc. on the back of my hand before applying with a makeup sponge or brush. I also use the back of my hand to get rid of excess color. Instead of blowing on a brush to remove excess eyeshadow, blush or powder, I’ll swipe the brush head against the back of my hand.

This leaves me with all sorts of makeup on the back of my hand, which can take a long time to remove with bar soap or liquid hand wash. To get rid of makeup quickly and easily I keep a bottle of derma e Jojoba and E Skin Oil in my medicine cabinet. I drop the smallest drop on the leftover makeup on the back of my hand and then give it a quick rub and voila – it’s all gone. I’ll rinse with water and then just rub the leftover Jojoba oil in for some quick moisture.

Jojoba and E Skin Oil is one my favorite workhorse products because I use it for so many different things. When my hair feels dry, I put a rub a few drops between my palms and then work the oil through the ends to condition it. After a shower, I use it as a body moisturizer. You can also use it as a massage oil as well. It’s $9.50 for a 2 fl oz bottle, and a little bit of the product goes a long way. Derma e products aren’t tested on animals, have no parabens and are 100% vegetarian, too. Yay for your skin, and yay for the bunnies.

Product Review- Origins Spring Fever Body Souffle

April 14th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

Product: Origins Spring Fever Body Souffle
Use: As an all-over body lotion
Price: $26.00 for a 7 oz jar
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

A few months ago I got a Macy’s gift certificate so I decided to splurge on this body souffle. I like that this really does smell spring-y. When I wear it I get a floral scent combined with a citrus scent. This body lotion has an accompanying fragrance, also called Spring Fever. I find that my skin doesn’t wear the fragrance well because the citrus scent becomes too sharp, which is why I ended going with the lotion. This product includes Olive, Grape Seed, Apricot Kernel and Rice Bran Oils to soften and smooth your skin.

Pros
The smell. It’s really uplifting, and great after a morning shower. The scent also fades nicely and isn’t cloying. I like that the product absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky or greasy.

Cons
The moisturizing properties aren’t enough for the dry skin on my legs or elbows. However, the moisturizing properties would probably be just right if I lived in a warmer, humid climate like Hawaii. Also, I hate the having to dig my fingers into the jar, yuck. I wish it came in a pump or tube. The biggest issue I have is the price! If the moisturizing properties were better I’d probably buy this product again because I really love the smell and you get a lot in that big ol’ jar, but it’s just too dry here to make this product last over a long period of time. If you live in a warm, humid climate, or just don’t need heavy moisturizing then you might really like this.

A Quick Money Saving Tip for Beauty on the Cheap: Keep Scissors in Your Bathroom

April 13th, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

tabs-scissors

As some of you know, I’m a big fan of making my dollar go as far as it can when it comes to beauty, makeup and skin products, and one way I stretch out my dollars is by keeping a pair of scissors in my medicine cabinet.

I use it to cut disposable products, like Oil of Olay Daily Facials Express Wet Cleansing Cloths. A box of 30 cleansing cloths is about $5.50, and if you use one cleansing cloth every day that’s $5.50 per month, or $66.00 per year.

You can make those Olay Cleansing Cloths last even longer by cutting them into two pieces, or sometimes four (which is what I do when I only have to remove tough eye makeup or just need a quick refresher.) If you cut them in half, you can easily make that box last two months and save $33.00 per year!

I cut or divide stuff in half when I can. I’ve done this with cotton balls (just tear them apart, you don’t need the scissors), makeup remover cloths and benzoyl peroxide pads.

For non-disposable products that aren’t easily “dividable,” like expensive face treatments and creams, I just use less to make them last longer. For instance, I’m currently using a pricier product for acne treatment, DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 5% With Tea Tree Oil, which costs $24.00 for a tube (ouch). But because I only use a pea-sized amount over my entire face, I can stretch out the use of the product for at least 8 months. That’s $3.00 of DDF product usage per month, which my wallet can totally get behind!

Product Reviews – DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 5% With Tea Tree Oil and H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment (aka, My New Favorite Acne-Fighting Combo!)

April 12th, 2007 by Karen 1 Comment

Product: DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 5% With Tea Tree Oil
Use: Acne treatment
Price: $24.00 for 2 oz. tube
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

Product: H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment
Use: Hydration for oil-prone, dry or combination skin types
Price: $34.00 for a 1.7 fl oz jar
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

My new favorite acne-fighting combo!
A few weeks ago my skin went a little nuts. I got a few small pimples on my forehead, and my Poor Woman’S Proactiv wasN’t getting rid of them. I looked inside the drawer in my bathroom where I toss stuff that I buy and don’t end up using and found a tube of DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 5% With Tea Tree Oil. I think I bought it a year ago and stopped using it because it was just too drying and actually gave me more pimples than I started with. Just for the hell of it I tried using it again, figuring my skin may have changed since then. I put on a small layer over my entire face (except for the eyes, of course) for three nights, and noticed that my skin was starting to clear up but still felt tight and dry.

Once more, I dug into the magic drawer and found a moisturizing gel sample of H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment. I got this a few months ago in my goody bag after attending a fashion show at San Francisco Fashion Week. After I put on the DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel, I let it dry for 10-15 minutes and then slather on the H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment over my entire face (including my eyes.) I’ve been using this combo for the past two weeks and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that it actually works, woo hoo! The pimples on my forehead cleared up and I’m not getting any new ones from switching to the new products (knock on wood). These two products are one kick-ass combo!

The Combo Pros and Cons
If it weren’t for the price then these products would get an A. You know me, dear readers. I am a cheap-ass (aka frugal) these days when it comes to throwing down the cash for skin care products I won’t do it unless it’s proven to rock my world. Despite the price of each product, you get a lot for your money. The tube for the DDF Gel is big — if you use just a pea-sized amount of the gel it could easily last you at least 6-8 months if you apply only at night. (I don’t know how tough your skin is, but for me, putting this on in the morning and the evening would probably be overkill because I find it can be drying.)

The H2O+ website describes the H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment product as: A penetrating liposome delivery system and Sea Mineral Complex help attract, transport and distribute moisture equivalent to eight glasses of water. Marine extracts of wakame, sea lettuce, and sea fennel, provide vitamins A, C, E and Provitamin B nourish and protect the skin.

It comes in a jar, which I’m not too crazy about because you have to dip your fingers into it and you have to be careful about not scooping out too much. H2O+ products are also not readily available for purchase — there’s only two stores here in California, and fortunately one is in San Francisco, which is where I bought my jar last week. You can purchase it online, and the H2O+ website says that they have free shipping on orders over $100 dollar with no-hassle returns. The smell of the product is really strong — It’s got a faux-oceany marine smell, so if you are scent-sensitive (try saying that fast ten times, ha ha ha!) then you might not like it. Also, some might find the consistency of gel a little too sticky. I don’t mind it so much.

While I’m not sure about how much of this product’s effectiveness is due to these sea-derived active ingredients, I have to say that this stuff really works for me, even better than my previous favorite moisturizer, Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer For Sensitive Skin. This moisturizing gel does what it claims to do, hydrate your skin, and you don’t need to use a lot of it. I’m estimating that this jar will last me at least 6 months.

Another added plus? You can also use it as a moisturizing mask. Spread a thin layer over your face and neck, let it absorb for 5 minutes and then massage in the excess.

Product Review – Sephora FACE Eye Makeup Remover

March 30th, 2007 by Karen 1 Comment

Product: Sephora FACE Eye Makeup Remover
Use: To remove eye makeup
Price: $8.00 for a 4.22 oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C

After trying a ton of different eye makeup removers (including Lancome Bi-Facial; Clinque Take The Day Off, Rinse Off and Naturally Gentle eye makeup removers; Nuxe D’maquillante Make-Up Remover and Maybelline Expert Eyes Eye Makeup Remover, just to name a few), I finally found my holy grail with Sephora’s FACE Eye Makeup remover. Well, it was my favorite eye makeup remover until Sephora changed the bottle to this new one with the black cap. Not only is the new bottle is smaller than the old one, they’ve also increased the price. Now you pay more of your hard earned money but get less product, boo!

Along with the bottle change came a formula change. I find the new formula doesn’t work as well as the old one at removing long-wearing and waterproof mascaras and eyeliners. With the old formula, it was just a few quick splashes on the cotton ball and everything was off easily. Now, I have to use so much on a cotton ball – I have to practically get it soaking – just to take off regular eye makeup.

Some things haven’t changed – it still doesn’t sting my eyes (a big plus), and it has the same gentle rose smell. However, the bottle that’s sitting in my cabinet will be my last. Back to the drawing board for me!