Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Accutane (by prescription)
TiffD 9/20/2012 1:58:00 PM
I am extremely happy with the results I got after using isotretinoin for 6 months. As a female, I had to take the urine tests every month to make sure I was not pregnant (because there are serious fetal malformations that can occur from becoming pregnant while on this medicine), but that wasn't too inconvenient. Also, you have to get blood tests done for the first 3 months, but after that if your results do not change then the medicine will have no effect on you and your doctor will probably stop administering the blood tests. Instead of writing an essay I am just going to list all of the pros/cons of using isotretinoin that I experienced. Cons: 1) Initially broke out a bit more on top of all the acne I already had but this only occurred in the first month. 2) VERY dry lips. This medicine completely shuts off your oil glands, and since your lips are very sensitive, expect to have paper-dry lips. But with many applications of aquaphor/other chapsticks throughout the day, you will be fine. 3) Isotretinoin is VERY expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it. I had to pay around $300/month for 6 months. Not very wallet-friendly. 4) Slight stomach problems. If I didn't take each tablet with a meal my stomach would cramp up but I have been off of it for five months now and am completely healthy. 5) Skin is sensitive to the sun so I was constantly wearing sunscreen, even if I was only outside for about 30 mins. 6) Skin on your face becomes very dry but adding lots of moisturizer day and night will easily take care of that. Pros: 1) Skin cleared up within 3 to 4 months and has STAYED CLEAR which is amazing. 2) I could go 4 days without washing my hair because my scalp was so dry that my roots wouldn't get oily. It was a major time saver! 3) I have been off of isotretinoin for 5 months now and my skin is completely clear. I occasionally get a breakout or two but they are very small and go away within two or three days. 4) I do not have to spend mass amounts of money on skin care/acne products. 5) Skin all over your body, not just your face, becomes smooth and even. If you have severe or very persistent acne, I would HIGHLY recommend isotretinoin. I no longer have to worry about my skin, and don't have constantly make sure I am keeping it perfectly clean. This medicine is expensive but, in my opinion, worth every penny and if I had to go back in time, I would take it all over again in a heart beat.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - LiquidLast Liner - Inky
TiffD 5/29/2012 4:58:00 PM
This eyeliner is amazingly waterproof. I didn't believe the saleswoman when she said she jumped in her pool and this liner didn't come off...until I took a shower, used my Purpose facial cleanser and when I looked in the mirror, my eyeliner was still in perfect place. I have very oily lids and skin, and I have never found an eyeliner that works this well and does not smudge at all. The ONLY con of this liner is that if you make a mistake while putting it on, it will be tough fixing it. Oh, and it's a bit pricey, $16, but worth it because it actually does what it says it will do.
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Powder -Maybelline - Mineral Power Powder Foundation
TiffD 5/23/2012 12:36:00 PM
I was trying to find a relatively inexpensive mineral poweder that did not contain talc. I cannot believe how many so called "mineral" powders there are out there that contain talc! Sure, talc is a mineral but it is a very unhealthy, irritating one that no true mineral powder should contain. So I found this one and decided to try it out. I think it cost about $6.50 at my local shoprite. For the price it worked pretty well. It has light to medium coverage and did a good job of covering up most of my light acne scars. However, it comes off so easily; even if I rub my nose a little you can see where the powder came off. Also, the brush is horrible to use as a foundation/powder applicator. Its bristles, though natural, are stiff and I feel like the powder doesn't stick to them very well and just gets wasted. Instead I use a very soft, also natural, eco tools brush. Another thing I did not like very much about this product is that it does not control oil very well. The area around my nose tends to become a bit oily and it shows up even an hour after applying this powder. This might be a good product to use in the winter when my skin is dry, but definitely not for the summer. Overall, a decent product for the price, but I do not think I will repurchase.
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Powder -Make Up For Ever - Duo Mat Powder foundation
TiffD 4/25/2012 8:18:00 PM
I love the finish this foundation gives me. I originally purchased it because I had broken out pretty badly a couple of months ago and it did a great job in covering my blemishes when I applied it over my Lancolm Teint Miracle liquid foundation. Now I am on isotretinoin (accutane) and my skin is completely blemish-free (thank goodness!) and I still use and love this. Now I can just brush on a bit of this MUFE powder without any liquid foundation and my skin looks evened out (I have some small pigmentation from acne scars) and relatively flawless. I think I will repurchase this product again...unless I can find a similar one without some of the harsh ingredients such as talc and fragrance because I think they make my face a tiny bit irritated (I don't feel any irritation but my face gets a slightly more red tone compared to my neck) when I use this...which is basically everyday. Also, before I went on accutane my skin was fairly oily and this foundation did a great job in keeping my skin matte. It would last for about 6 hours before I needed to blot. Coverage is medium. It does a good job in covering any pigmentation I have in that unless you are looking really close at my skin, you won't notice any unevenness.
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Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Moisture SPF 35
TiffD 4/25/2012 8:05:00 PM
I like that the SPF in this product is relatively high because I like having sun protection, and using anything below SPF 30 seems pointless to me (I am really conscious about the health of my skin in the present and the future). Also, my skin is currently REALLY dry because I am on isotretinoin (accutane) so I always use a moisturizer underneath this Neutrogena spf moisturizer. Using this product alone, with no moisturizer, would have left my skin so dry and flaky because it does not moisturize that well unless you have 1) oily skin or 2) it is really warm/humid outside. For the winter, however, you will probably need additional moisturizer if you have dry/normal skin. The thing I cannot stand about Neutrogena SPF 35 is how greasy it looks on my skin, and my skin isn't even oily because of the accutane. I am switching over to Senka MIneral UV Gel SPF 50 PA+++ for the summer but will finish the bottle of Neutrogena I have so I don't waste money. Pros- + relatively inexpensive compared to other sunscreens + goes onspreads easily + high SPF + Hygienic bottle + works well with makeup (foundations/powders) + did not break me out (even before I began using accutane) Cons- - Greasy/oil (which is enough for me to not buy this product again) - not moisturizing - smells like sunscreen (which should probably be expected)
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Skincare - Face -Clean & Clear - Advantage Acne Control Kit
TiffD 10/25/2011 3:18:00 PM
About a month and a half ago I started breaking out pretty badly, probably due to stress and the mineral rich water my school housing unit has. I had lots of acne, mostly on my cheeks and chin, some on my forehead and some near my eyebrows. They were incredibly stubborn and did not want to go away. So I heard about this product from a friend and decided to give it a shot about three weeks ago. At first, I noticed that I still broke out...and not with shallow zits but the deep nodules that hurt. I got a bunch of those on the same affected areas. I continued using this product because I figured it was just the cleanser getting to the surface all of the dirt and oil that was below my skin. Now, three weeks later I still have a good number of stubborn deep zits, but a lot of the ones I had previously have gone down. A few shallow ones have popped up but those usually go away within a day or two. I am going to keep using this product for another two weeks and if the deep zits I have now don't go away I am going to discontinue. So expect an update in two weeks! Also, I use manuka honey as a spot treatment and I really do believe that that has been helping my acne heal a lot faster ontop of the clean and clear kit. ***Update- stopped using this because it was too harsh for my skin, and my skin isn't even that sensitive. The BP was making me break out in deeper, more painful pastules. The only reason I am giving this a star is because I like the moisturizer and the spot treatment, but I will never use that cleanser again.
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Cleansers -Basis - Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash
TiffD 7/3/2011 12:01:00 PM
This product if great at removing my makeup. I sometimes have a tiny bit of eye makeup left that I need to remove with my MaryKay Eye Makeup Remover but apart from that this works great. I use witch hazel as a toner afterwards to remove any residue left behind and there is usually none so I know Basis is doing its job. This product is a bit drying, so if you have dry skin to begin with, definitely use a moisturizer afterwards. I have oily skin and even this is a bit drying for me but after I use the witch hazel I don't need to moisturize. Also, I have acne prone skin but this product keeps my acne at bay. Combining this as a makeup remover at night, mixed with my Dove Beauty bar in the morning and the witch hazel as a toner 2-3 times a day has left my skin looking almost flawless. My acne is down to a bare minimum, my acne scars are pretty much 100% gone and my skin is bright and the pores have minimized. I will definitely repurchase this as a makeup remover.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Dickinson's Witch Hazel
TiffD 7/3/2011 11:52:00 AM
This has become my HG toner. I am quite amazed at how well it's worked to calm my acne, lighten my acne scars AND control oil...all for about $3! Hallelujah. I started using Dickinson's Witch Hazel (this brand over others because this one is pure witch hazel, no alcohol) about a month ago when I was starting to break out again. I read good reviews about it and it's natural so I decided to test it out. After the first week I noticed a definite improvement in the texture of my skin, it was a lot smoother and any acne bumps I had had subsided. After 2-3 weeks I noticed how well witch hazel controls my oily skin, without drying it out. It gives skin the exact moisture it needs which is great. And now, 4 weeks later, my acne is all but gone (I get an occasional zit here or there, but that's it) and my acne scars have disappeared. I use this as a toner in the morning, after I use my Dove bar to cleanse, and at night after I use my Basis Cleanser to remove any additional makeup or residue left behind. I have no doubt that I will be using witch hazel for the rest of my life! It's so inexpensive and so effective, definitely try this out!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - manuka honey
TiffD 5/10/2011 4:16:00 PM
Yes, manuka honey is a lot more expensive than regular honey but I would say that it is definitely worth the $30+. Obviously if you're allergic to honey or have very sensitive skin you should do a spot test first before you lather it on your face but here are some benefits I have noticed from using it only four times (30 minutes per mask): - lightened acne scars - smoother, more bright skin - no more outbreaks of acne - any stubborn acne I did have dried up and disappeared Since I leave this on for about 30 minutes it does make my skin a little more dry than it usually is so I make sure to put on a bit more moisturizer after each mask. I'm so happy I decided to finally dish out money on a product that works and is natural! I'm definitely going to be buying this for many years to come. One jar will last a couple of months because you don't need to use a lot of honey per mask.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -MAC - Prep + Prime Beauty Balm SPF 35
TiffD 5/2/2011 8:22:00 PM
This product is great for oil control. I have pretty oily/acne prone skin and this kept my oil at bay for the whole day, even when it was warm, and did not break me out. However, it did not provide much coverage (my acne scars were still visible even after I layered on the moisturizer a couple times on scars). I would still buy this product again because it's one of the very few products that controls oil and doesn't break me out or dry out my skin too much. It also has spf which is always a benefit! It's pretty expensive though (about $35) so I got my tube off of ebay for about $25.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Honey
TiffD 4/26/2011 10:03:00 PM
I tried using honey as a mask about four times now (leaving it on for 20 minutes each time). It made my skin glowy and lightened a lot of my acne scars. It also helped maintain my oily skin. However, I found that the honey made me break out along the bottom of my jaw and on my forehead. I was using a wildflower honey that says "100% pure honey" on the bottle, but I'm not sure if it was heated to remove all the healing properties. I plan on buying Manuka honey and trying that because I love the way the honey erased my scars and made (most) of my skin look radiant, but I don't want to deal with the additional acne.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
TiffD 4/18/2011 7:57:00 PM
I am so happy that I finally found a cleanser that works for my skin and does not dry it out or cause it to break out more. The first night I used it I woke up with a few small zits but that's bound to happen when you switch cleansers because you're skin needs to gets used to the new cleanser so I was not daunted. I've been using Purpose for over three weeks now and my acne has subsided, except for a small random breakout here and there due to bouts of stress. I would recommend this to anyone with clear skin or with mild/medium acne but it may be too gentle for people with sever acne.
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Cleansers -Ponds - Deep Cleanser Cold Cream
TiffD 4/18/2011 7:47:00 PM
One word: greasy! After using Pond's Deep Cleanser & Make-up Remover with Cucumber Extract I thought I would give the "classic" version a try. That was a mistake. I put this on my face to wash off my makeup and when I tried to wash it off it literally felt like I had lathered on Vaseline. It was so gross I had to get my other cleanser to wash off THIS cleanser. It did remove my makeup after I applied it twice but I would ONLY receommend this for people with dry skin or for eye makeup removal. I am definitely not buying this again until I am 80 with drier skin but for now I might repurchase the less greasy, more effective Pond's Deep Cleanser & Make-up Remover with Cucumber Extract .
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Treatments -Oxy - Spot Treatment - Clear
TiffD 4/18/2011 7:40:00 PM
I bought this a couple months ago when I broke out on my t-zone. It really did help clear up all the acne though it takes time. If you have a particularly large pimple don't expect it to go away in one night! The box itself says you sometimes have to apply the cream to a zit 2-3 times a day for it to be effective. But also remember to moisturize morning and night because this cream can be very drying. Since it was the entire area of my t-zone that broke out I decided to save some time and just applied a thin layer of the cream all around my cheeks, forehead and chin but this was an awful idea. My skin turned red and itchy in those areas and started peeling. So I would definitely only recommend this as a spot treatment for people with sensitive skin, but for people with tougher skin, like my one friend who applies it to her entire face at nice and has flawless skin, more power to you.
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Scrubs -Unlisted Brand - Sugar
TiffD 4/16/2011 1:26:00 PM
I went on MUA to try to find a well-reviewed facial scrub and was blown away by all the positive reviews of...sugar! So a couple nights ago I decided to mix a bit of sugar with some vitamin E until the combination made a mix and it really did make my face feel a lot smoother. I had to use a cleanser (Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash) afterwards because the vit E left residue on my skin that probably would have made me break out overnight. I woke up this morning and my skin still felt smooth and no breakouts or dry patches! Next week I'm going to try using the sugar and honey mixture. Also, don't scrub too hard! Doing that with any exfoliator can cause microscopic tears in your skin. 5 lippies to sugar for being an amazing, inexpensive exfoliator!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No