Reviews in Fifty Words or Less

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I got this idea from the wonderful Makeup Withdrawal, and I'm going to give it a shot. It will be a challenge for someone as wordy as I am, but I don't think I have a lot to say about these products, so here we go!

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen in Luminous Ivory

Sheer, slightly luminous concealer that I use on lazy days. Makes me look less dead but doesn’t cover my dark circles completely. Faint lavender fragrance. Came from a Sephora Favorites set, but I wouldn’t buy it at full price. Lots of cheap equivalents work exactly the same way.

            

Maybelline The Falsies Volum'Express Mascara

Decent volume and length without clumping. The curved brush and length of the bristles work well.

I've been liking this better in month two as it gets drier. Too much flaking for me to repurchase, though.

Wet N Wild Mattifying Powder

Does the job: mattifies, invisible on my skin, fine texture. The main problem is that it contains very little product. I've used it only a couple dozen times.

It looks thick because there’s a sponge in the bottom compartment, but the pan is shallow.

For less than $5 you can get more product from Essence.

Bobbie Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink

Got this in a Sephora Play! box. Not really pink--I'd call it peachy-beige. It's a nice, all-over-the-lid eyeshadow, and it lasts better than any other cream eyeshadow I've used, even without primer. Could make a good highlighter, too.

Swatched:

Blended out:

Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil

It's ok. I bought it for double cleansing, but it's a little drying, so I only use it combined with gentle micellar water. It removes most of my makeup. The generic fruity-floral scent is a bit strong--and I always end up tasting it after I've rinsed my face. Blech.

Success! Of course, if you have questions about any of these products, I'd be happy to fill in the blanks. I'm also interested to hear your experiences with them, or recommendations for alternatives, as always. 

My cheap favorites: the best skincare for $10 or less

Disclosure: Affiliate links.

Here is the long awaited (by me) sequel to my cheap makeup post: skincare. As with the makeup, these are all things I've tried and repurchased because I liked them so much. Trusty and reliable! There are other good cheap options out there, of course, but I'm not going to vouch for anything I haven't used. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, though.

Some categories, again, are missing, because I don't use that type of product (e.g. toner), or I don't have a current favorite, or my favorite is a little more expensive (e.g. targeted products like retinol, or exfoliants, or my favorite sunscreen). And because I like to experiment with new things, I don't have all of these products on hand to photograph at the moment. You should keep in mind that I have combination-oily skin that is not particularly sensitive, and that I don't usually like fragrance in products I put on my face. If you have a different skin type, your results may vary (though you may find some of these things effective anyway).

That's enough preamble and disclaimer. Here's the list:

Favorite Cleanser: I'm using some Paula's Choice face wash at the moment, but my favorites are from Neutrogena.  I especially like the Redness Soothing Gel Cleanser and the Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. They do a great job of removing oil and makeup without drying out my skin. The latter comes in a really big bottle for $8-10, so it's an especially good value.

Favorite Facial Wipes: I try not to use these too often because of the waste, but a few times a month when I'm too tired to wash my face properly or when I'm traveling, they are handy. I've tried a lot of brands, and my favorite are the Simple Cleansing Wipes. They are unscented and they remove makeup effectively without causing dryness. They also have a very soft but durable texture (make sure you get the regular ones, not the exfoliating variety). The cheapest place to get them online is in a pack of two (50 wipes total) from Amazon for about $7 (and right now there is a $1 off coupon).

Favorite Makeup Remover: I don't use actual makeup remover on my eyes most of the time (only when I end up with a free sample somehow). Although dual phase formulas can be very effective, I don't like the oily residue they leave behind. It tends to cause milia around my eyes even if I wash it off. Instead, I wash my face first, and then I spread a small amount of Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion (about $10) on my upper and lower lids and wipe it off with a dry tissue or cloth. It removes all the makeup residue and--bonus--my eye area is left moisturized. If I have a lot of waterproof mascara caked on my lashes, the lotion doesn't remove it instantly, though it does clean up any that has transferred to my skin. And I have a huge bottle of decent, gentle moisturizer that I can use for whatever other purposes I want. (You can also use moisturizer like this as a cleanser in a pinch--or if you find most cleansers drying. Apply it to your dry skin and massage lightly, splash on water and massage some more, and rinse.)

Favorite Daytime Moisturizer with Sunscreen: This isn't my sunscreen. As I said above, the everyday facial sunscreen I use costs more than $15 (though a bottle lasts me a year). But I work from home, and some days I don't get out of the house until after dark. On those days, I like to just use SPF in moisturizer for a little protection and one less step in the morning. I'm a big fan of the Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15. I tried to go without it when I finished my last bottle, but I really missed it, so this is my second. As the name suggests, it's not fancy, but it does a great job of moisturizing and absorbs quickly. It doesn't burn around my eyes like lotions with higher (chemical) SPFs tend to do. This is the theme here: it does what it's supposed to do very well and doesn't do anything I don't like. It's cheapest on Amazon, where it's around $8 (I've seen it in stores for up to $14).

Favorite Acne Spot Treatment: Lots of people like benzoyl peroxide for acne, but I tried to get it to work for years and it never did anything for me other than bleach my sheets and towels. I've found tea tree oil more effective. I dip a q-tip in it and dab it on individual zits. With oils like this, there's a lot of variation in strength (even though they all say "100%" on the bottle, they are actually diluted), so look for good reviews. I've been using the Mason Natural Tea Tree Oil ($8) for a few years with good results.

Favorite Facial Oil/Anti-Aging Treatment: I love rosehip oil. It does all sorts of wonderful things for your skin, no matter what skin type you have. (Read more about it from Lab Muffin.) The only downside for me is that I have to avoid my eye area with it, or at least use it sparingly there, because my eyes don't like oils and again with the fucking milia. You also have to read reviews of this stuff, because the quality and potency will vary between brands. And make sure it doesn't smell like roses--it's not made from rose petals. In fact, it usually smells a bit like cooking oil. I've had good luck with the Aura Cacia Rosehip Oil ($7) and Life-Flo Rosehip Seed Oil ($6). You only need 2-3 drops for your entire face, so a bottle lasts a long time, at least until it spoils.

Favorite Mask: Hands down, Freeman Avocado and Oatmeal Clay Mask. Reviewed here. It really absorbs oil and helps to clear pores without drying out my skin. Love it, and it's $4 for a huge tube that never ends. I've tried more expensive clay masks. This is better.

Favorite Lip Balm: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick ($2-4). It looks like a glue stick, smells subtly like white chocolate, and keeps my lips super soft all winter. My favorite, forever. This enormous tube lasts a long time, as you can tell from my beat-up photo. Do not make the mistake of buying the teeny Palmer's lip balm with the sunscreen in it! That one is bitter and a fraction of the size for the same price. If you can't find the giant Swivel Stick with the other lip balms, look next to the Palmer products in the lotion section (or at Shopper's Drug Mart in Canada, sometimes it's with "ethnic hair care"). Or get it from drugstore.com for less than $3.

Favorite Hand Cream: I love, love, love Caldrea Hand Balm in the Ginger Pomelo scent. It's way better than the more expensive hand creams I've tried (ahem, L'Occitane), though it might be a tad splurgy at $10 a tube. But it smells amazing, and moisturizes extremely well while still absorbing quickly and not being greasy.

Favorite Foot Cream: O'Keeffe's Foot Cream ($5). Reviewed here. Put a very small amount on your feet before bed and they will be softened up significantly by morning. In a few days of using it, all the rough skin will be gone. It's really good. I don't recommend using it on hot and sweaty nights, because it has a slightly greasy feeling, and I think that's gross when I'm already sticky.

These are the best of the (cheap) best in my opinion, but I'd love to hear about any other affordable skin care you'd recommend--especially if you have a different skin type, since I can't really evaluate things that don't suit mine.

(Note: The title originally said "under $15," because when I started writing, I thought that the Simple moisturizer was over $10. But everything on the list can actually be found--in the U.S.--$10 or less. Excellent!)

Do I Need This? MakeUp Eraser

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Welcome to the latest installment of my Do I Need This? series. In these posts, I offer my experience and opinion about whether or not I think a trendy product or technique is worth it. Obviously, you don't really need ANY beauty products, so the answer to the question is always going to be no, to some extent. But is it going to change your life (or face)? Is it going to make things easier? Are you going to notice any difference at all? That's what I'm getting at. You may disagree with my verdict, because we all have different bodies/faces/brains/desires, but I'll try to offer a starting point, at least.

The Original MakeUp Eraser is a facecloth that is advertised as being able to remove 100% of your makeup with just water. Let me be clear upfront: this is not a review of the Original Makeup Eraser, because I don't own one - because I am not going to pay $20 for a single microfiber cloth. But you have to admit that it's pretty genius marketing. I'm sure the product works as advertised, and it's pink and eco-friendly and all that good stuff. Plus, people will buy anything if you can tell them that it promises "no chemicals" - even if they pick it up at Sephora next to all sorts of dyes and pigments and perfumes. Water is not a chemical, naturally. All natural polyester! I know I sound like I'm making fun of it, and I kind of am, but I also wish I'd thought of the idea to put a cute microfiber cloth in a flashy box and sell it for 20 bucks.

So here's the question, and I'm sure you already know what my answer is going to be.

Do I need this?

Short answer: I doubt it.

Here's the thing. My sister swears by cleansing her face with a microfiber cloth. She's been doing it every day for years (at least 5), using nothing but water. She tells me that her skin is actually much better when she doesn't use cleanser, and that the cloth does indeed remove her makeup easily. Just like the MakeUp Eraser people say, it works. This is nothing new.

If you have trouble finding a cleanser that you like, or if your skin tends to be sensitive to face wash, this is a method you might consider. It's probably going to be especially effective if you don't wear heavy makeup (like foundation) regularly and if, like my sister, you have pretty good skin to begin with (that bitch). But even if you don't fit those criteria, it can't hurt to try.

Me? I've tried the microfiber thing, and it does indeed remove makeup, but I prefer my facial cleansers. But then I happen to like chemicals.

Anyway, if you want to give this method a try, I recommend just getting some regular, microfiber cloths. You can find them all over the place. Amazon has packs of 24 cloths for $15, for example, so you use a clean one almost every day for a month, if you want to. If it makes you uncomfortable to wash your face with a cloth intended for household cleaning, you can get cloths labeled specifically for your face, but they cost more. They might be a little softer, though.

These cheap microfiber cloths are not "dupes" for the MakeUp Eraser (and the MakeUp Eraser people warn you in all caps to BEWARE IMITATORS). That's not what I'm claiming here. They're an alternative. The MakeUp Eraser cloth looks more plush and fluffy - more like a stuffed animal pelt than a towel. But my (sister's) experience suggests that you can get the results they advertise with a regular microfiber cloth.

Okay, I've now typed "microfiber" so many times that it's beginning to lose meaning. Do you use this method to remove your makeup or to wash your face? What is your weapon of choice?

Do I Need This? Oil Cleansing (and Double Cleansing)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission from purchases made through those links.
I've finally returned to my Do I Need This? series, which had been on a year-long hiatus. In these posts, I offer my experience and opinion about whether or not I think a trendy product or technique is worth it. Obviously, you don't really need ANY beauty products, so the answer to the question is always going to be no, to some extent. But is it going to change your life (or face)? Is it going to make things easier? Are you going to notice any difference at all? That's what I'm getting at. You may disagree with my verdict, because we all have different bodies/faces/brains/desires, but I'll try to offer a starting point, at least.

Oil cleansing is nothing new, and oil in skin care has been a big thing for a while now. We used to always check to make sure our products were labeled "oil-free" (at least those of us with oily or acne-prone skin), but now we're being told to embrace the magical, precious oil, regardless of skin type. Especially if it's "natural." So were we mistaken all that time? Is oil the new everything? Can I actually clean my oily face with oil? Wha?

As usual, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Lots of oils have positive properties for various skin types. Some will work for some people and not for others. Adding oil isn't necessarily going to clog your pores or make your skin produce more oil - in fact, it might have the opposite effect. The trick, as always, is to experiment and find out what works for you.

I'm going to talk about my experience with cleansing using oils here. Facial oils that are supposed to treat skin issues are another thing (I'm partial to rosehip oil, myself), so I'll leave those out. This is about washing your damn face.

Do I need this?

Short answer: Oil is effective for removing makeup, but don't expect miracles (and you don't need to spend a ton of money on fancy oil cleansers).

A bunch of Paula's Choice reviews

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I've been very lucky during the past few months of my unemployment that I was able to keep using my regular Paula's Choice routine, even though the products are not particularly cheap. That's because lots of people signed up through my invite link, and I really, really appreciate that. As a result, I've been able to replace the things I was already using when they ran out, as well as try a few new things. In return, I figured I should at least review some of the Paula's Choice (PC hereafter) products I've used. (I'm also hoping to do a PC giveaway sometime in the future as further thanks, but that will have to wait until I can swing the shipping costs.)

This week also seems like a good time for this post, since PC has a 15% off everything + free shipping on all orders sale going on (use code EDDVIPJUL14).

I've been using a few PC products for almost a decade now. I found out about Paula Begoun via a Canadian TV show called The Shopping Bags, which was almost like a shopping/consumer review blog in TV format, before there were blogs (it's still on TV somewhere in Canada, I think).  Paula was one of their regular consultants on makeup, skin, and hair care. I even owned one of her enormous books at one point. At the time, there weren't really many other sources of the kinds of information she provides, especially in terms of evaluating the marketing claims made by cosmetics companies. Now there are more options, but I still use the ingredients dictionary on the PC website all the time, because it's really comprehensive and easy to use.

Paula herself is a bit of a polarizing figure. She can be a little dogmatic and extreme at times. For instance, she used to insist that no one, no matter who they were, should ever wear any color of eye makeup other than neutrals and maybe, if you wanted to get a little crazy, plum. No shimmer, either. I get that it was a reaction against the frosty blue eyeshadows of the 80s, but come on (she's slackened only slightly on that point since then). There's more to life than matte neutrals. Because she was one of the first to do what she does, she can come across as a bit self important, too. In one of her radio shows from this year, she complained that she's seen other people online repeating information about cosmetics that originated with her. Well, do you want to inform people, or not?

These days, I'm a little more critical about the PC proclamations. I don't like fragrance in my skin care either, and I'd rather err on the side of caution for ingredients that cause irritation, but I think the their NO FRAGRANCE EVER OH MY GOD YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME A HAG IF YOU USE SOMETHING SMELLY stance is a bit much. Give me all the scented body lotion and lip balm! I also don't rely heavily on Beautypedia's ratings of makeup, because they often hinge on one or two details that have little to do with the actual performance of the product (I'll write something more about that another day). Today, PC/Beautypedia is one of many sources of information I consult.

All that said, I have had really, really good luck with the majority of the PC brand products I've tried. I get that they are trying to sell me shit just like every other company, but I appreciate their accessibility and transparency about why they formulated things the way they did and why they think the ingredients will be effective. That's still pretty rare. It's a brand I personally like, even though it's not the cheapest. They do have a lot of sales, at least.

Below are reviews of several PC products I've used, and I've indicated roughly how long I've been using them, in case that's useful information. I didn't bother to take photos of the packages, because I didn't think that would be particularly helpful (and a little too advertorial for a post like this). So this is a text heavy post. You might want to grab a cup of coffee before you read on (or spread it out over three days because, let's face it, after writing all that I'm going to need some time off). I'm not going to go into detail about the ingredients, because you can find all of that information at the links, so I won't repeat it here.

Moisturizers

Comparison of three Paula's Choice Moisturizers (left to right): Skin Balancing Moisture Gel, Hydralight Moisture Infusing Lotion, and Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer 

Skin Balancing Moisture Gel: I've been using this stuff the longest of anything from PC: at least 8 years, maybe 10. I absolutely love it. It's an ideal moisturizer for oily/combination skin like mine. It's a really light gel that soaks in quickly and leaves absolutely no greasiness or shine. It feels really refreshing. I've described it as a "drink of water for your face" to my boyfriend (though he continues to use his generic Lubriderm knockoff).

The downside of this particular moisturizer is that it burns if I apply it anywhere near my eyes. It's annoying. I can see from reviews that this doesn't happen with most people who use it, but apparently there's something in it that my eyes hate. If I want to moisturize the eye area, I have to pick something else. This gel is my usual daytime moisturizer, nevertheless. I put it on when I get out of the shower and it leaves my skin soft and gets rid of whatever tightness was caused by the heat and water.

It's not cheap ($24), but I've continued using it because I haven't been able to find a comparable gel moisturizer at a more affordable price. The only ones I'd encountered until recently were more expensive, packaged in a jar, and/or highly fragranced. I came across this Simple brand gel moisturizer a few weeks ago, though, so I might try it when I run out of the PC. (Has anyone else used it?)

I found a use for a detestable product

Remember when I reviewed the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil? And I hated it, oh my god, so much. What useless shit that was. You would think I would have thrown it away, since it was pointless, stupid, and horrible. I certainly thought I had. But no. Somehow my hoarding tendencies took over (big surprise) and I found it in a box with some other crap a few weeks ago. 

So did I immediately throw it in the garbage like any reasonable person would do? Um, no. 

I figured out a use for it! It actually works really well for cleaning makeup swatches off of my arms, even long-wearing eyeliner and lip stain. Spritz it on, wipe it off, voila. I mean, probably any oil would work, but this way I'm not using an oil that is actually functional in some other way to do this. 

Okay, most people aren't swatching shit on their arms on a regular basis. I also tried it as a facial cleansing oil, and it works quite well for that purpose as well. I always follow up cleansing oil with regular cleanser. I find that oil breaks down my makeup better and ensures that everything is gone, so I don't break out. That's important for me, particularly if I am wearing foundation. Unless you inexplicably like the smell of this Garnier oil, you'll want to give your face an extra wash in order to rid it of the cloying odor anyway. I'm not sure you'd want to spend a lot of time massaging it into the eye area, since it is so highly perfumed, but I don't really do that with cleanser anyway. 

So there you go. If you are unfortunate enough to possess some of this crap, you can use it to remove makeup. If you actually like it . . . no judgement, no judgement. In that case, here is yet another use for this wonderfully versatile miracle product. Or maybe you'll find this shit on sale, and you've wanted to try a cleansing oil, but they are overpriced. They are. This is a very lightweight oil that has some decent ingredients, so it might be worth a shot. Especially since you are going to rinse it off immediately and not give the irritants it contains any time to irritate you.

Review: Freeman Pink Grapefruit Facial Exfoliating Scrub

Update: This product contains polyethylene microbeads, which have been determined to be an environmental pollutant. So I'm not recommending it.

I was getting a little bored with my usual method of in-shower facial exfoliation (honey + brown sugar), so I figured I'd give the Freeman Grapefruit Scrub a try. I was surprised when I first squeezed some into my hand, because it didn't look very scrubby. The particles are very fine and sparse, so I was a little disappointed and concerned that it wouldn't be especially effective.

But it won me over.

Quick review of Olay Shine, Shine Go Away! Shine Minimizing Cleanser: Meh.

I don't have a whole lot to say here. I got a travel-size tube of this that I took to my parents' place when I stayed there for a week, since I have no idea what the hell my mother washes her face with, because there is never any face soap there. The most interesting thing about this cleanser was how it looked: it was like a silvery-grey cream. Kind of iridescent. Weird. Anyway, it lathered up really easily and felt nice. But it left my skin feeling kind of tight and didn't do anything at all to reduce shine. I have oily/combination skin, and the shininess came back in a couple of hours, as usual.

I didn't take many of my other usual skin care products home with me, and I suffered for it. I ended up with a few huge cystic zits, a billion blackheads, and just overall gross skin by the end of the week. I'm not saying this cleanser caused the problems, but it certainly didn't do anything to help. I only got through half the little tube, but I just ditched it there. I was glad to get back home to my usual routine and my clay mask.

Review: Burt's Bees Intense Hydration products

Disclaimer: I got these products free from BzzAgent.

I received full-size bottles of Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser, Intense Hydration Night Cream, and Intense Hydration Treatment Mask, as well as samples of the Day Lotion, so I tried them all. My reviews below.

First of all, let me state that I do not care about natural/organic skincare products. It’s nice that Burt’s Bees tries to reduce landfill waste. I don’t give a fuck that their products are natural or organic. That does not make them better. So that won’t factor into my review.

Second, I want to make it clear that I am absolutely not the target customer for these products. I do not have dry skin. At all. I have oily skin. On a good day, I have combination skin, but it’s really a combination of oily and normal, not dry. So I don’t really use moisturizers, as I am plenty moist naturally. I certainly don’t require “intense hydration”. Nevertheless, they sent me this shit, so I figured I’d try it out for a week. Maybe I’d been wrong all along and moisture would magically transform my skin (spoiler: I was not wrong).

Also the magical ingredient is “clary sage.” Never heard of it. Here’s what the back of the bottle says: “Deep in the windswept hills of the Mediterranean, a lone plant fights for its life against the elements. Clary Sage not only survives, but thrives in its harsh environment because of its fierce will and exceptional ability to trap and retain moisture. This remarkable botanical is the inspiration behind Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration, our natural ode to soft, supple skin.” Ah, I see. The formula is ‘inspired’ by the ‘fierce will’ of this plant. The ‘remarkable botanical’ itself probably doesn’t do fuck-all for your skin. Very clever wording there, marketing folks.