Shave Products -Trader Joe's - Honey Mango Shave
Masia927 7/28/2012 5:41:00 PM
Smells great but that's about it. I didn't find that it made my skin any softer or more moisturized. Mostly I hate that it's clear. It may sound silly but I like to see where I've shaved. If you use too much it clogs up the razor as well. I get a better shave from using plain old dove barsoap. Oh well!
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Cleansers -Trader Joe's - Nourish All in One Facial Cleanser 
Masia927 7/28/2012 5:37:00 PM
This did not work for my skin. It dried it out and I developed a few deep bumps from it. It was even worse for my fiance (who has dry, acne prone skin). I tried using it to clean my brushes and it dried those out like no other too, in fact a couple of them were ruined. However! it is far and away the best eye makeup remover I've ever used. It gets off even my most stubborn eye makeup. Because I just use it on my eyes it doesn't break me out. I will continue to purchase solely to use as MU remover. Not to mention it lasts forever that way, I only need half a pump to get everything off. Very wallet friendly.
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Cleansers -LUSH - Herbalism
Masia927 7/28/2012 5:31:00 PM
I was using coal face and received this as a sample. I'm so glad I did! Personally coal face and fresh farmacy do a better job at controlling my acne, but this still does a very good job. It provides me with mild exfoliation and leaves my face looking all sorts of glowy. The best part about this for me is that it's moisturizing. Coal face and fresh farm are both pretty drying so I alternate between one of them at night and I use this in the morning. I makes my skin very soft and helps with the dry patches I often get. It's gentle and leaves my combo skin feeling clean without stripping it down. I recommend using this in the shower if you can because it can get a little messy. It lasts a long time too. I usually buy a tub that costs around $13 and it lasts me 3 months while using about twice as much as I actually need (a small pinch is more than enough, I just get sloppy and grab a chunk).
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Cleansers -LUSH - Fresh Farmacy
Masia927 7/28/2012 5:24:00 PM
I got this as an alternative to coal face, which was too drying for my skin. Right now I'm using this as a night time face wash (herbalism in the morning). It is less drying than coal face but it is definitely still on the dry side. It doesn't seem to tame my blemishes quite as well as coal face, but I've noticed it calms my skin a lot. My face is less red and smoother. It helps a lot with the small, fine bumps I tend to get all around my face. I have very sensitive skin and this seems to be helping with that. So far the herbalism + fresh farm is a winning combination. Oh also, make sure you rinse this stuff off well--not just off your face but off your hands and anything else it touches because the lather will often leave a chalk white residue behind.
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Cleansers -LUSH - coal face soap
Masia927 7/28/2012 5:15:00 PM
This cleanser is a must have for me. I got a sample after my formerly pimply friend told me his face was so clear thanks to this cleanser. It does an incredible job of clearing up acne. Of all the Lush cleansers I've used this one was the best at clearing up my skin. However, when I moved away from the ocean and to a desert town, I found that it was too drying for my skin. I now use it at night (and herbalism in the daytime) or forgo it altogether if my face is really dry. It is mildly exfoliating as well which helps keep my skin from getting dull. I still always have it at home though because it's also the best thing I've ever used at clearing up body acne. I keep it in a little travel soap dish I got at Walgreens for 99 cents (don't waste your money on Lush's expensive tins). For reference my friend had very oily skin and I have combo skin (oily with dry patches).
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Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
Masia927 7/28/2012 5:05:00 PM
I so wanted to love this. I feel like the odd man out here. After reading such wonderful reviews I thought that this might be the foundation to end my years of struggling to find the right fit for my skin. Nope! The color is hard to pick. I chose a shade lighter than I thought I needed (based on looking at the bottom of the jar) and it was still way darker than what I needed. I started with a thin layer using my fingers and even then it felt super thick. I tried applying it with a brush and it was no better. Aside from feeling heavy on my face, it emphasized my dry patches while making me look oily at the same time. Hours after the application I touched my face and it still transferred to my hands. I leaned against my fiance and it left some residue on his shirt. This was hours after putting a verrrrry small amount on. I wish I could think of a single good thing about this stuff but I just can't. It works so well for others though, I wish it worked for me :<
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Misc Beauty Tools -Tweezerman - Metal Eye Lash Comb
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:55:00 PM
Is it a good idea to have anything this sharp close to your eye? Probably not. But with that exception this thing is incredible. This separates and fans my lashes beautifully and gets rid of any clumps. It even manages to salvage my lashes after using emergency crappy mascara. I've used the plastic ones, which are useless, and also have tried using a clean mascara wand, which is more effective but nowhere near the level of this thing. So use common sense and don't poke your eye out. If you don't have very steady hands you should probably bypass this. Then again I grew up watching my mother use a needle to seperate hers individually (yikes!) so maybe I have a safety bias :P Otherwise it is fantastic! My lashes never looked so good.
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Eyeliner -mark - No Place To Run (longwear eyeliner)
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:48:00 PM
I was so excited for this but it ended up being a total let down. It didn't last that long for me but to be fair I have very oily lids and didn't use a primer. That aside, the cheapie Wet 'n Wild eyeliners from the drugstore work way better than these. PROS -the black shade (jet set) is very pigmented -has a nice liquid liner look CONS -a little too soft for me -don't sharpen well -product uses up too quickly -if you tightline this will transfer a ton to your lower lashline immediately -had a hard time getting it to apply smoothly, which I don't usually have trouble with -pricey for the quality
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Moisturizers -Paula's Choice - Hydrating Treatment Cream
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:38:00 PM
I have sensitive, acne/clog prone, combo skin. I was hesitant of trying this at first because I thought it would be too rich. It is definitely too much (ie makes me too shiny) for me for daytime use, but it is the perfect night time moisturizer. It's very creamy and my skin drinks this stuff up. I use tazorac at night which can dry my skin out and this makes sure my face stays hydrated. I don't notice any smell and I love the squeeze tube. It doesn't break me out and softens and smooths my skin. I used to mix argan oil in with this (I stopped cause the argan oil broke me out, boo) and it was a heavenly combination. I'm sure I'll try out a few other night time moisturizers but for now this is the best I've ever used.
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Moisturizers -Paula's Choice - HydraLight Moisture-Infusing Lotion
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:28:00 PM
First off, the smell. The sample I got had a horrible, disgusting, gag inducing smell. I was pleased to find that the actual product when I bought it did have this same smell but it was greatly reduced. I only noticed it when I applied it right under my nose. This moisturizer did a really good job of moisturizing my combo skin. I was using it as a daytime moisturizer. I had some dry patches still that I had to dab a heavier moisturizer on but the rest of my face was shine free! It definitely provides a matte finish. It didn't break me out but it didn't really help my skin much either. It felt like I didn't have anything on and makeup applied fairly well over it. However, it might have been a little too matte for me. It made my skin look really dull. Everytime I looked in the mirror I cringed--I looked lifeless. My face looked so blah. After a while it seemed to emphasize my fine lines as well. But if you have very oily skin or hate the feeling of anything on your face, it might be worth trying out.
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Moisturizers -Aveeno - Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:19:00 PM
I like to keep this on hand to counter-act the damage that I sometimes do by testing out other products. This does a great job of clearing up my skin. Whenever I get a breakout from a new product I use this for about 2 days and boom--all clear! I don't use this regularly though because it's not moisturizing enough for me. This would probably be better suited for those with oilier skin since it exascerbates the dry patches I get.
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Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer spf15
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:13:00 PM
This is my HG morning moisturizer. I am easily tempted by skincare products but I always come back to this. I have sensitive, combo (oily with dry/flaky patches), acne prone, clog prone skin. This stuff gives me an excellent amount of moisture without being greasy. It takes a little bit for it to sink in but when it does I'm left with a dewy, dare I say radiant comlexion. My face looks bright and glowy, not oily or sparkly. I do have to use a richer moisturizer at night though so this might not work for those with super dry skin. But for slightly oily to slightly dry I highly recommend it. I've never had any breakouts or rashes of any sort with it, which is rare for me. It has a light smell but it's not offputting. I use this on my upper back, shoulders, and chest as well since they break out so easily and this never aggravates those areas. Using it once a day lasts me about 3 to 4 months. My makeup applies really well over this and makes my makeup look less dull. If this is ever discontinued I will be devastated.
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Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Lotion
Masia927 7/28/2012 4:04:00 PM
I used this as a body lotion. Long story short, I have a big ol' bottle of cetaphil that I don't know what to do with. I put this on and while I could tell it was very moisturizing it was also very sticky. Even hours later it left a tacky feeling on my skin. I bought this because it said it was non-comodogenic and I'm prone to body acne as well as having extremely sensitive skin. This broke me out like no other. I had rashes, bumps and pimples in places I've never had them before--my forearms, the inside of my elbow, my hip, my knees, my calf. So for now I'm using it on my feet (the only part of my body this stuff didn't hate) while I wait for these rashes to go away :\
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Lotions/ Creams -Palmers - Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula
Masia927 7/28/2012 3:53:00 PM
This stuff is a-maaaa-zing. I use it every night. It's very moisturizing and really does even out my skin tone. This lotion was a staple in most houses in my neighborhood growing up so even though I don't really *like* the smell (some kind of chocolate-vanilla mesh) it is nostalgic and comforting. I've gotten compliments on my scent while wearing it too so maybe it changes on your body. For what it's worth this doesn't do anything for stretch marks. It helps prevent them but it doesn't do anything for existing ones. But it is an excellent moisturizer, really does brighten and even out your skin over time, and is wonderful after you've been in the sun. It absorbs well and is not sticky, tacky, or greasy at all. It is a heavier lotion though.
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Moisturizers -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan oil
Masia927 7/28/2012 3:41:00 PM
First off, I can't use this. It clogged me up. Not terribly but just enough to where I couldn't justify keeping it in my routine. But boy do I wish I could have. This stuff is wonderful. I tried it the following two ways, both of which were great for my skin: 1. Mixed in with my moisturizer. This method made my skin soooo soft. Baby butt soft. It did make it a little shiny but not too bad. Best of all this stuff really helped with fine lines. I have 3 fairly deep horizontal lines across my forehead that I've had since I was at least 12 (thanks genetics). After two weeks of using this I could baaaaarely make out one of them. This smoothed them better than anything else I've ever used, including retin-a and peels. I couldn't believe it. This reason alone is why I put up with the ensuing clogs for so long. 2. Patted onto dry skin after cleansing but before using any other products. This didn't do as much for wrinkles or softness but it did do an incredible job of normalizing my skin. Typically my sensitive combo skin is oily but also with flaky/dry patches, especially around my mouth and chin. This method balanced me out so that I didn't have any dry patches but I wasn't oily either. I was amazed. After letting it sink in for about 15-20 minutes I would put on my other stuff (prescription acne meds and then moisturizer). This method seemed to clog me less than the first one but it was still just ever so slightly too much for me to keep using it. A few days later I stopped using it and my clogs cleared up : ( I couldn't justify (or afford) the 60 or whatever dollars that Sephora wanted for this so I bought the small travel size for $14. I used this for two months (I used about 5-6 drops each time) and barely used half of the bottle so I think it's well worth the price. I don't like the idea of having an oil around too long anyway, no matter what the expiration date says. I've been adding it into my lotion now and it makes my body so soft as well. Of course it gave me some acne on my back though, so I usually just put it on my legs after I shave. I also use it in my hair which makes it shiny and soft. A tiny drop does wonders for my lips as well. I encourage you to try it! Even if it doesn't work for your face it has so many other great uses. Definitely a must if you're not acne prone.
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